Bubba Dabney preaches the ABCs during the week; then come Saturday, he's all about X's and O's.

His occupation is school teacher; his avocation is quarterbacking the Virginia Ravens.

"Bubba's forte is leadership," Ravens coach Hal Lockhart said. "The first time he went into a huddle of us, he shouted 'NOW!' . . . and everyone shut up."

From Prince George High via Chowan University, Dabney quarterbacks one of the nation's most decorated semipro teams.

In their 22nd season under Lockhart, the Ravens won the Mason-Dixon League for a fourth time in'07 and advanced to the Eastern Football Alliance finals, losing to the Atlanta Prime.

Overall, they were 16-2, with Dabney (685 yards passing, 10 touchdowns) winning the offensive rookie MVP and attendance awards.

"Our goal," said Dabney, "is to do better than last year."

Home opener: The Ravens (2-1) will host the Fredericksburg Falcons Saturday at 7 p.m. at Lee-Davis High. The club practices Tuesday and Thursday nights at Elkhardt Middle.

Tight schedule: Considering his skill in juggling time, Dabney might be well-suited to conducting a "two-minute drill."

The 27-year-old bachelor teaches fourth grade at the Lead Center in Hopewell (for children with special needs) and operates his own academic counseling business.

He's also taking Special Education graduate courses at VCU. Still, he's missed just one practice in two years.

Background check: Dabney played quarterback at Prince George under Cary Parker, then at Chowan.

He sat out of football two years before discovering the Ravens.

"I was just reading the newspaper one morning and saw something about tryouts," he recalled. "I called up Coach, and we talked an hour. That night I went to practice, and that was it."

Chowan connection: The Ravens' previous QB, Chris Stodghill, also was from the Division II school in North Carolina.

Also, former Ravens QB Bob Yurachek (now in the Semi-Pro Hall of Fame) played for Chowan when it was a junior college.

One of Dabney's preferred targets is Chowan graduate Josh Floyd, MVP of last year's East Coast Bowl in Petersburg.

On the debit side, Chowan product JaWarren Cowles, the club's top rusher the past two seasons, has joined the Virginia Vipers.

The absence of Cowles may -- or may not -- spell more Dabney passes.

He tossed for 250 yards in the first game versus the D.C. Chiefs; then he had three TD passes in a win over the Virginia Cowboys.

Still, Lockhart is set in ways.

"We'll probably go back to Ravens football -- running it down people's throats," he said.

Medium rare: During his time away from the gridiron, Dabney was a waiter at Lone Star and a head cook at Western Sizzlin.

The Ravens offer no pay, nor insurance. So what's the attraction?

"There's always the hope you might get seen by a pro team," he said. "But even if you don't, you're still playing a game you love that you've played all your life."