Sunday, August 31, 2008

VT's Virgil shines in ECU's upset


Another athlete with Rocky Mount High ties was looking good on a national stage Saturday. Current Gryphon Brian Goodwin has had the headlines all summer. A former RMHS athlete was making a good showing on national TV Saturday.

Former Gryphon football standout Stephan Virgil was probably headed for game MVP honors in his first-ever start as a cornerback for Virginia Tech in its game with East Carolina at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

After all, he picked up a fumble and went 30 yards for a touchdown and he scored a defensive two-point conversion when he returned a blocked extra point for a score for the offense-starved Hokies.

He also recorded six total tackles (three solo, three assists).

But Virgil and his teammates ended up being the victim of some "Beamer Ball" themselves.

A blocked punt attempt was returned by an ECU player in the final two minutes for a TD - giving the Pirates a 27-22 upset victory in the Queen City before some 72,000 fans.