Virginia won’t play Saturday
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — The University of Virginia has canceled Saturday’s home football game against No. 23 Coastal Carolina, a nonconference opponent, in the wake of a weekend shooting on campus that left three players dead and another wounded. The school said Wednesday it has not determined if the Cavaliers will play their traditional regular-season finale against Virginia Tech, a fellow Atlantic Coast Conference team, on Nov. 26 in Blacksburg. A former player, Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., is accused of opening fire Sunday night on a bus that was returning from a field trip, killing wide receivers Devin Chandler and Lavel Davis Jr. and linebacker D’Sean Perry and wounding running back Mike Hollins. A fifth student who was not a member of the football team also was wounded in the shooting. Jones, facing three counts of second-degree murder, two counts of malicious wounding and additional gun-related charges, is being held without bond. Virginia athletic director Carla Williams said the NCAA’s rules are “permissive” as far as allowing the school to facilitate travel for the team to the players’ funerals, should they choose to do so. Davis was from Dorchester, South Carolina, Chandler was from Huntersville, North Carolina, and Perry was from Miami. “We’ll do whatever it takes that helps our players heal and support the families of our three players,” Williams said Tuesday. First-year coach Tony Elliott, who said his goal since the shooting has been to bring the team together as much as possible, said he would take his cues from his players. “My initial thoughts are to be sensitive of whatever the young men desire to do as it relates to their teammates,” he said. “… This is way bigger than football. This is a life situation here.” The Cavaliers (3-7, 1-6) have not practiced this week, and Elliott said he hadn’t thought about games since Sunday, focusing instead on his team and the affected families.
› FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell returned to practice Wednesday after missing three games with a hamstring injury. Coach
Arthur Smith said he is “hopeful” Terrell, the top defensive back for Atlanta (4-6), can return for Sunday’s home game against the Chicago Bears (3-7). Terrell was injured during an Oct. 16 home win against the San Francisco 49ers and tried to return the following week, when he was on the field for only eight plays in a road loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. He was inactive the past three games. Terrell’s injury came after Atlanta’s other season-opening starter at cornerback,
Casey Hayward, was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. Hayward has missed four games. Falcons offensive lineman Jalen Mayfield, who opened the season on injured reserve because of his back, was designated to return on Wednesday and also was at practice. When healthy, he could provide help at left guard, where injuries have forced Atlanta to use three starters.
MOTORSPORTS
› CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tony Stewart won the battle with partner Gene Haas over their four-car lineup for the 2023 NASCAR season by giving reserve driver Ryan Preece a shot with a top-tier Cup Series organization. Preece spent this entire year doing simulator work for Stewart-Haas Racing that helped the organization adapt to NASCAR’s Next Gen car. Haas said last month he and Stewart disagreed over the direction of the No. 41 Ford, with Stewart wanting to promote Preece but Haas preferring that Cole Custer return for a fourth season. Haas, the founder of the team, seemed inclined to follow NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Stewart’s talent assessment, and it became official Wednesday, when Preece was given the seat. Custer will stay at SHR but move down to the second-tier Xfinity Series. Preece at the end of the 2021 season chose the reserve role with SHR rather than take a full-time Cup Series ride with a mediocre team. He is represented by the company owned by SHR veteran driver Kevin Harvick, and now they will be teammates along with Aric Almirola and Chase Briscoe, although Haas has said Harvick told the organization he intends to retire at the end of 2023. The news came one day after Ty Gibbs was promoted to the top-tier circuit in an expected announcement that was void of any celebration as Joe Gibbs Racing continues to mourn the loss of Gibbs’ father Coy, a JGR executive who died in his sleep at age 49 just hours after his 20-year-old son won the Xfinity Series championship on Nov. 5 at Phoenix Raceway. The Gibbs family has made no public statements since confirming Coy Gibbs’ death shortly before the Cup Series season finale.