Starks could get redemption

Last season against Colorado, West Virginia’s Bradley Starks made two key mistakes as the Buffaloes knocked off the Mountaineers 17-14 in overtime.

“That hurt,” Starks told the Times-West Virginia in Fairmont, W.Va. “An overtime loss stays there a long time, but you have to keep working.”

A year later the former Orange County High School standout is more comfortable with his versatile role in the WVU offense and poised to make up for 2008 when Colorado visits for a rematch this Saturday.

So far this year Starks, a high school quarterback who made the switch to wide receiver, has done a little bit of everything for the Mountaineers. He’s second on the team with nine receptions for 175 yards, including a spectacular 58-yard grab against Auburn last week. The sophomore also has a rushing attempt for two yards and completed his only pass attempt for 31 yards.

The triple-threat version of Starks was what the Mountaineers were hoping to attack Colorado with last year.

But Starks coughed up a fumble deep in Buffaloes’ territory to stop a potential scoring drive and also badly under threw a pass to a wide-open receiver, costly missed opportunities in such a close loss.

If called upon to make similar plays against the Big 12 foe this year, Starks is confident he’ll be able to get the job done.

“Last year I was just getting my feet wet,” he said. “Now I feel more comfortable.”

FIRST GOAL: Former Culpeper County High School field hockey star Melissa Register is getting more playing time as a sophomore at Radford this season, making appearances in all eight of the Highlanders games and starting three.

Register has helped Radford get off to a 3-5 and had her best game to date Sept. 13 against Saint Francis. Register scored her first college goal, putting a rebound shot into the net midway through the first half.

For the season Register has one goal on three shot attempts, two of those on goal.

STROTHER STRIVING: Eastern View High School graduate Stevie Strother has played in two games so far this season for the Southern Illinois football team, making contributions to the offense and special teams. The Salukis are the No. 8-ranked team in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, formerly Division I-AA.

Strother, a true-freshman running back, has carried four times for nine yards and has three receptions for 25 yards.

He also returned one kickoff for 13 yards.

LOCAL CAVALIERS: Former Orange County standout Quintin Hunter has played in two of Virginia’s three games at wide receiver as true freshman, making one catch for 13 yards.

Former Culpeper County High School player Terence Fells-Danzer is listed as the No. 2 inside linebacker on the Cavaliers’ depth chart heading into the weekend’s game at North Carolina.

It marks the second-consecutive game that Fells-Danzer has been listed on the two-deep, but the sophomore has not recorded any statistics so far this season.