A bowl season worth celebrating IN BOWLS

By ADAM HIMMELSBACH

The long and winding college bowl season ended last night with the BCS title game between Florida and Oklahoma.

During the other bowls of the past month, many former area high school stars sparkled.

K DUSTIN KEYS, VIRGINIA TECH, BROOKE POINT

When Dustin Keys went to his first Orange Bowl practice in warm and sunny Miami, he could not believe his leg.

As one kick after another sailed through the uprights, Keys moved further and further back. Eventually, he said, he drilled a pair of 65-yard field goals with a stiff wind at his back.

He was so excited about the possibilities, but then he woke up the day before the game.

"I got sick for four hours," Keys said. "My bones ached. It was bad."

Keys did not feel much better on the day of the Orange Bowl, but it was hard to tell. The fifth-year senior from Brooke Point High School kicked field goals from 43 and 35 yards, and converted both of his extra-point attempts, as Virginia Tech defeated Cincinnati.

Keys, a former walk-on who earned a scholarship this season, finished with 23 field goals, a single-season school record.

"I wasn't focused on trying to break any records," Keys said. "Winning the Orange Bowl is the main thing."

Now Keys' focus will turn to his future, which he hopes will include a chance to play in the NFL.

He plans to begin a workout program when he returns to Virginia Tech, and he will begin practicing with NFL balls instead of those used in the NCAA.

In May, he plans to go to Baltimore to attend a pro combine for kickers and punters.

"I'm looking forward to giving it a shot," Keys said.

WR BRADLEY STARKS, WEST VIRGINIA, ORANGE

West Virginia entered this season having won three consecutive bowl games.

Starks, a redshirt freshman, did not want to be a part of that streak's end.

In the first quarter of the Meineke Car Care Bowl, Starks caught a 35-yard touchdown pass that helped West Virginia to a 31-30 win against North Carolina.

"I had a post route, and I was just reading my defender's feet and changing my route running," Starks said. "Once I got in front of him I saw the ball go through the air and knew I had to get it."

Starks finished the game with four catches for 61 yards and a touchdown.

He was a star quarterback at Orange High School, but was converted to wide receiver at West Virginia.

He said the adjustment was difficult, but he became more comfortable with each practice.

"Learning a new position," Starks said, "you find out new things about it every game."

Starks said his biggest challenge was learning to block. But now, as he prepares for his sophomore season, he is excited about the future.

"I just think this is a new beginning to a beginning," he said. "It's a little preview of next year, and what's to come."

Starks returned home to Orange after the bowl game, and said he could not believe how many people had seen his touchdown catch.

Adam Himmelsbach: 540/374-5442
Email: ahimmelsbach@freelancestar.com

The Fredericksburg area was well-represented during the college bowl season. Brent Trice (Orange), Vanderbilt: Had two tackles in Commodores' Music City Bowl win against Boston College Donovan Miles (Brooke Point), Bradley Starks (Orange) and Josh Bradshaw (Stafford), West Virginia: Starks had TD catch as Mountaineers defeated North Carolina in Meineke Car Care Bowl Cordarrow Thompson (North Stafford), Jake Johnson (Stafford), Dustin Keys (Brooke Point) and Isaiah Hamlette (Brooke Point), Virginia Tech: Keys had two field goals and Thompson had two tackles as Hokies defeated Cincinnati in Orange Bowl Torrey Smith (Stafford) and Nick Wallace (Riverbend), Maryland: Smith had 99-yard kickoff return for TD in Terps' Humanitarian Bowl victory. Marques Jenkins (Colonial Forge), Mississippi: Ole Miss defeated Texas Tech in Cotton Bowl Joe Taylor (W&L), Navy Midshipmen lost to Wake Forest in EagleBank Bowl

Joe and Josh Haden: Former Spotsylvania County residents, Joe starts at cornerback for Florida, and Josh plays running back for Boston College.

WR TORREY SMITH MARYLAND, STAFFORD

Smith redshirted last season, when he used a year on the scout team to learn the college game.

This year, his comfort level rose gradually, and by the time he entered the starting lineup in Maryland's Oct. 25 game against North Carolina State, things were different.

"Once I became a starter," Smith said, "I could play like I was in high school all over again."

In the Terrapins' final regular-season game, Smith had eight catches for 115 yards and a touchdown against Boston College.

Maryland faced Nevada in the Humanitarian Bowl, and that is where the redshirt freshman provided his finest moment.

With 7 minutes, 53 seconds left in the first quarter, Smith fielded a kickoff at his team's 1-yard line.

"All year we'd been getting kind of close as far as running one back," Smith said. "It was just great blocking, and I made a few guys miss."

Ninety-nine yards later, Smith had scored a touchdown that helped Maryland to a 42-35 victory.

The former Stafford star also had two catches for 33 yards.

"After that game I had like 500-something missed calls and just as many text messages," Smith said. "It was crazy."

Smith said he planned to rest for a couple of weeks before beginning preparations for his sophomore season.

He knows that this year's end will make him confident at next year's start.

"I expect to make a big impact on the team," Smith said, "but also a big impact in the conference."

Date published: 1/9/2009

1. Be respectful. No personal attacks.
2. Please avoid offensive, vulgar, abusive, hateful or defamatory language.
3. Read and follow THE RULES.
4. We will block violaters and ban repeat offenders.

Breaking News - click here to have the latest delivered to your email box or cell phone