Tomorrow S Game

Running back Priest Holmes is set to return tomorrow, although even he is not sure what his role will be. Physically, Holmes said he is in good shape, and it will be up to Ravens coach Brian Billick how much he plays.Holmes injured a knee in the second game of the season against Pittsburgh, then watched Errict Rhett run off three straight 100-yard games and become the NFL's second-leading rusher -- before this past Sunday -- with 409 yards.Now Holmes, who started the first two games and rushed for a total of 54 yards, will back up Rhett against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Ravens starting defensive tackle Tony Siragusa is listed as questionable for tomorrow's game against the Cleveland Browns, but there is a strong possibility he will not play because of a recurring knee problem.Siragusa had been expected to practice yesterday, but missed his second consecutive workout after his left knee tightened up.He was sent for an MRI, but team officials did not reveal the results. Team doctor Claude T. Moorman also did not return phone calls yesterday.Ravens coach Brian Billick said a decision on Siragusa will be made at game time tomorrow, but the Ravens decided to activate second-year reserve defensive tackle Martin Chase yesterday for the first time this season.

COLLEGE PARK -- Steve Francis has performed numerous feats of magic for the Maryland Terrapins in just 14 games. A highlight reel of his best drives and dunks is evidence of that.Now it's time to see if he can perform the kind of magic the Terps and their fans really want. It's time to see if he can lead the Terps to new heights in college basketball's order.Can they draw even with Duke? Pass North Carolina? Win the ACC tournament? Give Gary Williams his first trip to the Elite Eight or (gasp)

COLLEGE PARK -- Steve Francis has performed numerous feats of magic for the Maryland Terrapins in just 14 games. A highlight reel of his best drives and dunks is evidence of that.Now it's time to see if he can perform the kind of magic the Terps and their fans really want. It's time to see if he can lead the Terps to new heights in college basketball's order.Can they draw even with Duke? Pass North Carolina? Win the ACC tournament? Give Gary Williams his first trip to the Elite Eight or (gasp)

MARTINSVILLE, N.J. -- Twenty women are scheduled to arrive by bus at the posh Pingry School for about 90 minutes of soccer practice this morning.Practice figures to be routine for the day before a big game -- probably polishing "set pieces," or tricky scoring plays for certain game situations, and light conditioning.But unlike practices earlier this week on what the 138-year-old school calls its "World Cup field," this one is secret. No doting 12-year-olds or their soccer moms and dads. No media allowed until 1 p.m. After that, it's solitude for these world-class athletes, time to reflect and focus.

For the third time in nine games, the Ravens will be without tight end Eric Green, who has been ruled out of tomorrow's game against the Oakland Raiders with a dislocated left pinkie.Green, who was unavailable for comment yesterday, one day after having surgery to repair the finger, should be ready for next week's game in San Diego.Eleven-year veteran Brian Kinchen will start in Green's place, with A. J. Ofodile as a backup."Eric is a valuable part of this team, but nobody is hanging his head about [losing him]

The Ravens were encouraged about running back Jay Graham, after watching the rookie go through a full practice yesterday for the first time all week.Coach Ted Marchibroda, who said he would prefer to start Graham over Bam Morris against Arizona tomorrow, said his decision would depend largely on how Graham's sore left ankle feels at today's walk-through."

Middle linebacker Ray Lewis provided an unusual sight at yesterday's practice. One day after spraining his left ankle, Lewis missed his first workout of the regular season.Although rookie Tyrus McCloud replaced him yesterday, the veteran left no doubt about his availability for tomorrow's game against the Washington Redskins."It will be all right," said Lewis, who leads the team with 89 tackles. "The only thing that would hold me back is if this thing was broken. Even then, I'd just put a cast on it and get out there."

Frustrated after his comeback this season was cut short after three games, Washington Bullets guard Tim Legler practiced yesterday and is expected to be activated for tomorrow's game against the Boston Celtics.Legler has not played since Feb. 15, when he suffered a strained posterior capsule of the right knee -- the same knee in which he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament last season -- after New Jersey Nets forward Jayson Williams landed on it."I think I made a mistake by going every minute of every drill of every scrimmage last time," Legler said of coming back last month.

With rookie running back Jay Graham's tender left ankle continuing to bother him noticeably, coach Ted Marchibroda has decided that Bam Morris will start tomorrow's game against visiting Seattle."

Last week: Overall: Today's games Ravens at Bengals Dolphins at Rams Panthers at Packers Giants at Redskins 49ers at Bills Colts at Browns Saints at Buccaneers Falcons at Chargers Broncos at Jets Chiefs at Raiders Steelers at Patriots Bears at Vikings Tomorrow's game Jaguars at Texans Peter Schmuck 11-5 117-58-1 Ravens Dolphins Packers Giants Bills Colts Saints Chargers Jets Raiders Patriots Vikings Texans Edward Lee...

Michael Vick is back in Virginia to plead guilty to state dogfighting charges, a move he hopes will expedite his return to society - and pro football. The quarterback is being held in protective custody at the Hopewell Regional Jail, superintendent Darnley Hodge said yesterday. Vick arrived Thursday from the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan., where he's serving a 23-month sentence for a dogfighting conviction. Vick, 28, is due to appear Tuesday in Surry County Circuit Court, where he's expected to plead guilty to two felony counts in a deal with prosecutors that calls for a suspended sentence and probation.

BEIJING - The players can almost feel it now, dangling in front of their chests. Their prizes won't weigh too much, but it won't be that slight tug of the neck that they'll notice most. The gold medals will feel as light as a feather, in fact, because the 5-ton burden that U.S. basketball players have been carrying on their shoulders for a half-dozen years is almost gone. Just one game separates Team USA from the medal stand. Tomorrow's gold-medal game feels like somewhat of a formality.

Putting this week's sports media notes into focus while realizing that the news of ESPN/ABC's plan to televise the Winter X Games in high definition probably isn't the nudge that is going to put an HD television in the Frager household: Once upon a time - like when ESPN used to carry it - you wouldn't go 43 minutes into a SportsCenter without a mention of the NHL when it was in season. But such was the case Wednesday night, when that was the amount of time that went by on the late show before the first hockey highlights.

Auto racing NASCAR -- Penalized Nextel Cup's Robby Gordon 25 driver points and 25 owner points, and fined crew chief Gene Nead $25,000 and placed him on probation until Dec. 31 for rule infractions found during July 5 inspection. Baseball ANGELS -- Activated P Justin Speier from 15-day DL. Placed P Chris Resop on 15-day DL. BRAVES -- Placed P Wilfredo Ledezma on restricted list. Recalled P Jose Ascanio from Double-A Mississippi. CUBS -- Recalled C Geovany Soto from Triple-A Iowa. Optioned OF Felix Pie to Iowa.

On the campuses of Ohio State and Michigan, tomorrow's matchup between the top-ranked Buckeyes and the No. 2 Wolverines is merely the latest installment of what both coaches called this week "the greatest rivalry in college football." On several other campuses, tomorrow's game in Columbus between a pair of 11-0 teams might be viewed as a quasi-semifinal to this season's Bowl Championship Series national championship or, depending how tightly it's contested, a prelude to the biggest debate this perennially controversial process has seen.

Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe was prepared to give his players the speech about how their in-state game at North Carolina tomorrow would be emotionally charged because of the familiarity between the two homegrown rosters. What he didn't expect was the added intangible of the Tar Heels playing for a lame-duck coach. John Bunting was fired in the midst of a 1-6 season that includes no wins against an Atlantic Coast Conference or Division I-A opponent. The move, effective after this season, was announced Sunday night, just a few days after an embarrassing 23-0 loss to Virginia on national television.

When the Ravens meet the San Diego Chargers tomorrow at M&T Bank Stadium, it will be like looking in the mirror. The similarities are almost scary. Both teams like to run the ball and want their quarterbacks to effectively manage the game. Both have top running backs, tight ends, big-name linebackers and a solid, veteran receiver on the outside. San Diego's defense is ranked No. 1, the Ravens' is ranked No. 2. Anything else? Both teams are looking to make a statement in tomorrow's game.

Will it be Samari Rolle or Chris McAlister? That's the big question heading into tomorrow's game as the Ravens host the Oakland Raiders at M&T Bank Stadium. The Raiders have one of the game's best receivers in Randy Moss, and it will be interesting to see which cornerback, McAlister or Rolle, draws the assignment of covering Moss. But that's actually the No. 2 key to stopping the Raiders. Raiders @Ravens Tomorrow, 1 p.m., Ch. 13, 97.9 FM Line: Ravens by 12

Top-ranked Calvert Hall stretched its winning streak to 35 games by picking up two wins at yesterday's Riverdale Baptist tournament in Upper Marlboro. In the first game against St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School of Virginia, the Cardinals had a tough time with the Saints as they trailed late in the game. Cardinal reliever Jesse Cunningham came in at the top of the sixth, picked off two Saints base runners and added a strikeout. Nick Wojnowski drove in two runs with a double in the seventh inning as the Cardinals walked off with an 8-7 win. In the second game, Calvert Hall took on Riverdale Baptist and had a much more dominant performance, leading from the start to take an 11-2 victory.