Jackson State vs. Prairie View A&M

When: Today, 4 p.m.
Where: Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium
Television: None
Radio: JSU Network (WHLA-95.5 FM, Jackson)
Records: Jackson State: 5-2, 3-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference; Prairie View A&M: 5-3, 4-2 SWAC
History: Last meeting: Prairie View 30, Jackson State 27, 2007
All-time series: Jackson State leads 34-14-2

What a way to begin a critical season-ending four-game stretch than welcoming the defending SWAC champions into Memorial Stadium for homecoming. Already strapped with two SWAC losses, the Panthers likely won't catch Grambling in the SWAC West. Their motivation? A possible at-large bid into the Football Championship Subdivision's expanded playoffs, and, maybe more importantly, ruining JSU's homecoming and hampering the Tigers' path to the SWAC Championship Game.

Injuries exact toll on Tigers' defense

These days, a simple glance around the Jackson State practice field reveals plenty about the team's crippled defense. Linebacker Milton Patterson's left forearm is covered in a dark cast, protecting the broken bones in his wrist.

Cornerback Jeremy Keys wears a different shoe than everyone else because he's playing with a fractured foot. Defensive end Sam Washington spends some of his time watching from the sideline because of a sore lower back.



Boom warned about violations

JSU's marching band, the Sonic Boom of the South, was publicly reprimanded this week by the Southwestern Athletic Conference for playing during game action. The Boom could be suspended or fined for more offenses. Conference rules state that "once the offensive team breaks the huddle and approaches the line of scrimmage, the band shall cease playing."

This particular offense, the league said in a statement, occurred during JSU's game against Alabama A&M on Oct. 9, but the Boom has been told by the head referee to stop playing during several other games this season.

Panthers loaded with motivation for clash with Tigers

When Eric "Shorty" Greene thinks of Prairie View A&M, he can't help but remember his playing days at Jackson State. Back then, in the early 1990s, Prairie View was on what would be an 80-game losing streak. The program gave few or no football scholarships. And, frankly, didn't give programs like JSU much trouble.

"When they got off the bus," Greene said, "we knew we were going to whip them."

Nowadays, Prairie View is anything but the Southwestern Athletic Conference's dog. In fact, the school won the conference last season. It was the first SWAC championship for the program in 45 years.

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Southern Jaguars let one slip away

SHREVEPORT, LA — Henry Frazier III wasn’t worried. Saturday night at Independence Stadium, even when his Prairie View football team came up empty on a handful of great chances to score against Southern in the second half, Frazier felt good. His team had momentum. His team was in good shape.

Ultimately, by the end of the Panthers’ 30-16 victory, he was right. “I told (the players), ‘We’ll be OK,’ because our defense was playing so good,” Frazier said. “When your defense is playing that well ... I mean, we stayed on their side of the field the whole second half. So I was OK with it. Normally, I’m conservative, but I took a couple of gambles tonight.”

Panthers defense stiffens

SHREVEPORT — In the first half, the Prairie View A&M defense allowed 218 yards to Southern. The second half was a different story. The Panthers limited the Jaguars to 41 yards in the second half en route to a 30-16 Southwestern Athletic Conference victory in Saturday’s Shreveport Classic at Independence Stadium.

Prairie View defensive coordinator Heishma Northern said the Panthers made a few adjustments at halftime, but it was mostly about playing better. “We just talked to the guys about doing their job,” said Northern, a Baton Rouge native who played football at Southern and played and coached at Glen Oaks High School.

Prairie View breaks through in 4th quarter

SHREVEPORT — Through much of the second half of Saturday’s game at Independence Stadium, when Southern’s offense failed to move the ball and Prairie View kept threatening to take control, the Jaguars’ defense did everything it could to hold the fort. Or, in the words of defensive tackle Jordan Miller, the defense did almost everything.

Eventually, the Panthers broke through. “Our offense delivered. Sixteen points should be enough to win,” Miller said. “We can’t keep giving up so many touchdowns.” Really?

Panthers continue recent dominance over SU

SHREVEPORT — Another year. Another win. Another round of notable achievements for the Prairie View football program. The Panthers defeated Southern 30-14 on Saturday at Independence Stadium, their third consecutive victory over the Jaguars. It had been a while since Prairie View could claim that kind of dominance over Southern.

The Panthers hadn’t won three straight games in this series since 1962-64, when legendary William “Billy” Nicks still coached at Prairie View. Saturday’s game also marked the first time this season that Panthers quarterback K.J. Black — the reigning offensive player of the year in the Southwestern Athletic Conference — threw for more than 300 yards this season.

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ATTENDANCE: 19,979


Final: Prairie View, 30; Southern, 16

HOW THEY SCORED
First quarter
Prairie View – Donald Babers 3 run (Kyle Mathews kick) at 8:11. DRIVE: 10 plays, 83 yards, 4:25. KEY PLAYS: Prairie View converts on a third-and-10 with a throw from quarterback K.J. Black to tailback Devin Brown. Black throws to wideout Shaun Stephens for a 32-yard gain. SU safety Demetric Rogers is flagged for holding on an overthrown pass. Babers runs on the final five plays of the drive. Prairie View 7, Southern 0.

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Babers, Black lead Prairie View past Ark.-Pine Bluff

Linebacker Brenan Gordon recorded his first career interception return for a touchdown when his 79-yard runback sealed a 21-6 victory for Prairie View A&M over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Thursday in Pine Bluff, Ark.

UAPB took advantage of an early Prairie View fumble and claimed a 3-0 lead as kicker Chris Ewald nailed a 45-yard field goal for the only score of the half.

SWAC: UAPB offense struggles in loss

Arkansas-Pine Bluff was handed a pair of second-half gifts Thursday night, but the Golden Lions couldn’t do anything with them. Trailing by one point, Prairie View A&M fumbled first on the Golden Lions’ 2 and later at its own 43.

But both of UAPB’s breaks ended with punts and what had been a dynamic UAPB offense was largely silent in a 21-6 loss to the defending Southwestern Athletic Conference champions at Golden Lion Stadium.

“They were basically giving us the football game,” UAPB quarterback Josh Boudreaux said. “Whenever teams turn the ball over like that, we’ve got to take advantage of it as an offense.”

Video Replay:

Prairie View A&M vs. Arkansas Pine-Bluff

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Prairie View beats Mississippi Valley State 34-13

GREENVILLE, MS - Quarterback K.J. Black threw a pair of touchdown passes to Shaun Stephens in a 1:30 span of the third quarter Saturday to help Prairie View (2-3, 2-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) subdue Mississippi Valley State in the Delta Devils' home away from home at Greenville High.

Adrian Martin pulled the Delta Devils (0-5, 0-4) within 14 points in the fourth quarter, catching TD passes of 19 and 52 yards from Oliver Hughes. Prairie View's Donald Babers rushed for 151 yards and two TDs on 26 carries. Black completed 22 of 37 passes for 230 yards.

TD connection hooks up twice in 90-second span

GREENVILLE, Miss. — Shaun Stephens caught two touchdown passes from K.J. Black in a 1-minute, 30-second span of the third quarter to lift Prairie View A&M over Mississippi Valley State 34-13 on Saturday.

Stephens’ first touchdown — a 25-yarder — gave the Panthers (2-3, 2-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) a 17-0 lead. Two plays later, Jarvis Wilson recovered a fumble at the Delta Devils’ 15, and Black then found Stephens for a 15-yard score.

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State Fair Classic is SWAC predictor

The official SWAC Championship is played in Birmingham in December. But the State Fair Classic at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas might be the conference's true championship game.

The winner of the annual matchup between Grambling State and Prairie View A&M has gone on to win the SWAC's Western Division — and eventually, the conference championship — in each of the past two seasons. The loser has had to play out the rest of its season, fruitlessly hoping the other team will slip up and provide a path to the championship game.

Do-or-die game faces Prairie View at Cotton Bowl‎

Prairie View A&M coach Henry Frazier III hardly knew what to say when addressing his team in a huddle after last weekend's 18-15 loss to Alabama State at Blackshear Stadium. The Panthers had just seen their nine-game home winning streak snapped. Their 15-game winning streak against Southwestern Athletic Conference opponents also went up in smoke. For Frazier, it was unfamiliar territory.

"It was hard to accept," Frazier said. "A part of me was like, 'Damn, we lost. What do I say?' I had to question myself (to see) if I was cut out to coach because I can't accept ...

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Losing is no longer routine for resurgent Prairie View A&M‎

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – There was a time in the not-so-distant past when handling defeat was like rolling out of bed to the Prairie View A&M football team. It was routine, rote, all too regular. Holders of the NCAA record for consecutive losses at a mind-boggling 80 from 1989 to '98, the Panthers did not post a winning season from 1977 through 2006.

Yet there was nothing been-there, done-that about their latest loss. A last-minute 47-yard field goal by Alabama State resulted in an 18-15 defeat Saturday in front of a shocked crowd at Blackshear Stadium. Walking off the field with a 15-game Southwestern Athletic Conference winning streak in tatters, players sank into an abyss of remorse and pain.

"This is awful," said senior receiver Shaun Stephens. "We just don't do this." Not anymore, anyway.

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Next Game: Saturday: 6:00 p.m., Southwest Airlines State Fair Classic - PVAMU Panthers vs. Grambling State Tigers, Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX
TV: ESPNU (delayed broadcast)

ASU puts Undefeated Record on Line at Prairie View

MONTGOMERY, AL — After opening the season with consecutive home games, the Alabama State University Hornets will hit the road for the first time in 2010 with a 4 p.m. kickoff at reigning Southwestern Athletic Conference champions, Prairie View A&M University.

The game will feature the top offense in the SWAC as the Hornets have scored 72 points over their first two games. The game also features the only two teams in the league that have picked up conference wins as Prairie View defeated Texas Southern in its first game of the year. ASU has picked up two conference victories with wins over Mississippi Valley State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

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PVU Marching Storm - Labor Day Classic 2010 from Sed Brass on Vimeo.

FCS Season Preview: SWAC

Birmingham, AL - Quinton Spears could serve as the poster child for Prairie View A&M football. The redshirt senior has gone from being a walk-on at wide receiver in 2006 to an All-Southwestern Athletic Conference first-team selection at defensive end in 2009. "It's really like the Prairie View story," Spears says. "You know, we started out at the bottom, and then we started gradually rising and rising."

Prairie View was at the bottom of the entire FCS when it lost an almost unfathomable 80 straight games from 1989-98. The Panthers have risen under seventh-year head coach Henry Frazier III and are coming off their second straight 9-1 season and their first SWAC championship since 1964. With the return of a veteran team, they are a clear favorite to repeat as conference champions.

"We talked about that as a team, we talked about how this is new territory for all of us," senior quarterback K.J. Black said. "There's not a lot of people on the team that (previously) have been champions.

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Prairie View looking for feel-good sequel

As feel-good football stories go, Prairie View’s tale is tough to top. Most of us know about the rough times — that 80-game losing streak in the early ’90s, an under-funded program for decades, no Southwestern Athletic Conference titles since the Lyndon Johnson administration.

Then, at long last, there was last season. Capping an undefeated record in SWAC play, the Panthers outlasted Alabama A&M in the conference championship game at Legion Field, setting off a celebration that took even the players by surprise. “We had fans coming on the field, and they were crying,” Prairie View quarterback K.J. Black said. “People in their 50s and 60s — they were crying because it had been so long since they’d seen something like that.” It had been quite a ride.

Since coach Henry Frazier III took over in 2004, the Panthers had been building toward last season. From the moment players reported to preseason camp, they had one goal: Win the SWAC. All season long, they carried around a WWE-style championship belt, claiming that if other teams wanted the title, they had to take it from Prairie View.



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Northern's return good for Prairie View A&M Panthers

Prairie View A&M University coach Henry Frazier III said he wanted to see his defensive coordinator, Heishma Northern, have a shot to become the Southern University head coach after the school fired Pete Richardson in December.

Northern, a Baton Rouge native and former SU safety, indeed had a chance — he interviewed for the job and was one of the three lead candidates identified by athletic director Greg LaFleur — but SU settled on Stump Mitchell instead. Which, Frazier said, was good for him.

“I would like to go on record and publicly thank Southern University for not hiring him. It was good news for us,” Frazier said with a laugh Tuesday in Birmingham, Ala., site of the Southwestern Athletic Conference media day. “Really, he wanted to be there, and I want the best for coach. But he’s definitely a very good football coach. Extremely smart, intelligent and well-prepared.” Frazier said he believes Northern, now in his sixth year at PV, is prepared to take over his own program.



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Prairie View prepares to defend SWAC championship

The Panthers annual Spring game is scheduled at 5 p.m., Friday, April 23, 2010 at Blackshear Stadium.

Spring football is well underway on the campus of Prairie View A&M University as the Panther football team suited up in full pads after several days of non-contact action.
“I think we’re where we need to be as far as team intensity,” said head coach Henry Frazier III. “The intensity level is extremely high as we’re preaching to the guys about not resting on their laurels and giving maximum effort. I’m definitely impressed with the effort we’re displaying right now.”

After an offseason that featured several players receiving individual accolades for their success on the field, Frazier and staff have also spent a considerable amount of time on team unity as the Panthers prepare to defend their title for the upcoming season. “When you return the bulk of your team you just want to make sure everyone is on the same page,” said Frazier. “We don’t want jealousy or anything like it to creep in so as long as we’re together we have the ability to do something special in 2010.”

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Baltimore QB Jerry Lovelocke leads Prairie View A&M Class of 20

Edmondson QB Lovelocke headed south

Baltimore (Md.) Edmondson-Westside High School quarterback Jerry Lovelocke will play his college football in Texas. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound rocket-armed senior signed with Prairie View A&M, Red Storm coach Dante Jones said today. “It was within the last couple days,” Jones said. “After he took the visit, Prairie View was the highest on his list. Jerry wanted to get away from home. He went on the visit and they play a good brand of football. They won the [Southwestern Athletic Conference] last year. So a lot of things weighed into his decision.”

Lovelocke is a Rivals.com two-star QB and selected the PVAMU Panthers over Kent State, Morgan State, Norfolk State, Akron, Central Michigan, Temple, Towson and Rhode Island. When he [Lovelocke] came into the program we knew we had a special kid," Jones said. His stature and poise in the pocket is remarkable." Though Lovelocke has all the physical tools, his best trait could be mental. "He has strong pocket presence," Jones said. "He has no problem taking a hit. He will stand there until the last minute to complete the throw." Lovelocke finished the 2008 season with 2,496 yards passing, 25 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions. ESPNRise.com Scouting Report says: "Jerry Lovelocke could be the best player that's ever come out of this state (Maryland) if everything works out for him."



Prairie View A&M University 2010 Football Signees

1. Idreis Augustus RB 5-9 190 Fr. Springfield, Va. (Lee)
2. Christopher Barrick PK 6-4 180 Fr. Copperas Cove, Texas (Copperas Cove)
3. Shawn Brisker S 5-11 170 Fr. Monroeville, Pa. (Gateway)
4. Danny Brownell LB 6-0 230 Fr. Houston, Texas (Elsik)
5. Blake Dixon LB 5-11 205 Fr. Arlington, Texas (Mansfield Timberview)
6. Stephen Eggins ATH 5-9 170 Fr. Garland, Texas (Naaman Forest)
7. Omarr Finn OL 6-3 280 Fr. Monroeville, Pa. (Gateway)
8. Tre Glover OL 6-3 275 Fr. Waskom, Texas (Marshall)
9. D’Cody Harris WR 5-11 180 Fr. Dallas, Texas (Bryan Adams)
10. JohnMark Henderson CB 5-11 190 Jr. South San Francisco, Calif. (Syracuse)
11. Joshua Holguin DE 6-2 220 Fr. El Paso, Texas (El Dorado)
12. Keith Hutchins S 5-11 180 Fr. Upland, Calif. (Upland)
13. Jeremy Johnson DE 6-3 260 Jr. Chicago, Ill. (College of Dupage)
14. J’marcus Joubert LB 6-1 205 Fr. Houston, Texas (Eisenhower)
15. Jerry Lovelocke QB 6-5 210 Fr. Baltimore, Md. (Edmonson)
16. George Moore WR 6-2 180 Fr. Houston, Texas (Aldine)
17. Jacquez Polk ATH 6-2 185 Fr. Bellville, Texas (Bellville)
18. Jamichael Rozier RB 5-9 200 Fr. Spring, Texas (Klein Collins)
19. Jordan Turner DT 6-2 260 Fr. Las Vegas, Nev. (Canyon Springs)
20. Krystopher Watkins FB 5-11 250 Jr. Lombard, Ill. (College of Dupage)

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Prairie View A&M Picks Up the #14-Ranked Football Player in Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada -- Canyon Springs High School defensive tackle Jordan Turner (6-0/263), a member of the Nevada Top 15, is headed to play in the SWAC. "I gave a commitment to the SWAC Champions, Prairie View A&M this morning, (February 1)" said Turner. Prairie View A&M picks up the #14-player in Nevada, a two-star by Scout.com. "I decided to go with Prairie View over New Mexico State, North Dakota State, Northern Illinois and a few others," said Turner. Turner said he's long felt like he was heading to play in the SWAC.



"In my heart, I always knew I kind of wanted to play in the SWAC, because of their tradition and their long history of putting guy's in the NFL, plus Prairie View felt perfect. They are getting ready to build a big new stadium, locker rooms, weight room, and football offices. The coaches were great, they were all as easy to talk to as talking with my high school coach, Hunkie Cooper. I felt like it's a place I can mature and become something special."

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PVAMU's Henry Frazier III Wins Eddie Robinson Award

Coach Frazier is the first coach of a Southwestern Athletic Conference team, or a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) to win the Robinson Award, which is presented annually to the top coach in the Football Championship Subdivision.

CHATTANOOGA, TN -- Prairie View A&M coach Henry Frazier III was named the 23rd winner of the Eddie Robinson Award Thursday night at The Sports Network's Football Championship Subdivision Awards Banquet, held at the Chattanooga Convention Center on the eve of the NCAA Division I Football Championship title game. Frazier is the first coach of a Southwestern Athletic Conference team, or a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) to win the Robinson Award, which is presented annually to the top coach in FCS. Robinson, the legendary Grambling State coach, spent much of his career in the SWAC.

"It is a humbling honor," said Frazier. "It's a great honor to be considered the top coach in your conference and it's an even greater honor to be considered the top coach in the country." Taking over a program best known for losing an NCAA-record 80 consecutive games from 1989-98, Frazier led the Panthers to a perfect 7-0 conference mark, the SWAC West Division title and their first-ever berth in the SWAC championship game since the title contest was introduced in 1999.



Frazier is 36-27 at Prairie View and has gone 25-5 in the past three years. Prairie View completed its season with a thrilling, 30-24 SWAC title game victory over Alabama A&M. The Panthers hadn't won a SWAC championship since 1964, and 2009 marked the team's second consecutive 9-1 season. "When we took over at Prairie View, if there were 119 teams, we were the 119(th) team in the country," Frazier said. In 2008, Prairie View also beat both Grambling and Southern in the same year for the first time in 35 seasons, and posted its first nine-win campaign since 1953, a feat they duplicated this season.

The 2009 season marks the first time the Panthers have had three consecutive winning years since legendary PVAM coach W.J. Nicks ran off nine straight such seasons from 1957-65. Frazier also coached the Panthers to the No. 18 spot in the final regular season Sports Network poll, the highest ranking Prairie View has ever held. PVAM was ranked 25th last season, the first time the Panthers had ever made a poll appearance.

In the second-closest balloting in Robinson Award history, Frazier received 24 first-place votes out of the 125 ballots cast by a panel of sports information directors and select media who regularly cover FCS. He picked up 237 points to edge J.C. Harper of Stephen F. Austin by two points. (Full voting information is available at sportsnetwork.com). Jerry Moore of Appalachian State won by one point over Craig Bohl of North Dakota State in 2006.

The Sports Network established the Eddie Robinson Award in 1987. Past recipients of this prestigious honor include current FCS coaches, two-time winner Mickey Matthews of James Madison, Northern Iowa skipper Mark Farley, New Hampshire's Sean McDonnell, Villanova's Andy Talley, Mike Ayers of Wofford and Elon's Pete Lembo, when he won the coveted award with Lehigh.

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Area college notebook: Prairie View looking to 2010
Prairie View's Frazier named FCS coach of the year

Job market for black coaches improving

Alabama A&M University Coach Anthony Jones has played in the NFL, coached successfully at the NCAA Division III, II and I-AA levels, but has not received any head coaching offers to move to the Division I-A level. Why?

Anthony Jones and Henry Frazier III can match resumes with any football coach in America. Both have taken over programs that were among the worst in the country: Frazier's Prairie View A&M team once went 0-80 in the 1990s and Alabama A&M's Jones got his first head coaching job at Morehouse College, which he says had won "eight games in 70 years" before he got there. Today in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game at Legion Field, Frazier has Prairie View playing for its first SWAC championship since 1964, which could lead to the school's first Black College National Championship since that year. Hoping to stop him is Jones, who left Morehouse for Alabama A&M and has the Bulldogs playing for their second SWAC title in his eight years.

"Anybody else with that resume, taking over programs like that and turning it around, would be considered a hot (coaching) prospect," Jones said. Yes, this another column about the shocking lack of opportunity for minority head coaches at the college level. Only this time, the situation seems to be getting better. Four minority head coaches have been hired at the Division I-A level this offseason: Charlie Strong at Louisville; Mike London at Virginia; Larry Porter at Memphis; and Willie Taggart at Western Kentucky. The hiring of Strong and London at BCS schools is a particularly good sign, considering that Miami's Randy Shannon was the only black coach among 66 BCS programs this past football season.

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PVAMU Frazier brings in stellar 2009 football signing class

PRAIRIE VIEW, TX - PVAMU Head Coach Henry Frazier III has set the precedent for excellence for the football program bringing another outstanding recruiting class to “the hill”.

The highlight of this year’s class is Quarterback Kenneth Black. Black transferred to PVAMU from Western Kentucky University after being named the starter in 2008 as a sophomore. KJ split time in all 12 games in 2007 and threw for 1,007 yards with eight touchdowns. “KJ is a guy who can go head-to-head with Jay Bluford but he will go into spring camp #2,” said Frazier. “Jay is a fifth year senior who knows our offense and a very capable signal caller that’s not going to just hand over the job.”















The Panthers accomplished their primary goal of filling voids at critical positions where key players were lost such as All-American LB Zack East. The team added three blue chip linebackers with high hopes of developing a core group that will eventually be able to lead the defense. “We definitely did a great job recruiting three safeties and three linebackers,” said Frazier. “Our coaching staff did an excellent job of addressing the needs of our program.”

Coach Frazier has had the luxury of being able to redshirt the past two freshman classes; but three players in this class who are physically ready to play right now are OL Aneus Ruiz, LB Marcus White and LB Raheem Cardwell. Ruiz is a physically dominating and intelligent offensive lineman that registered 40 pancake blocks. White registered 104 tackles and was a highly recruited local talent (Jones HS) who chose the Panthers over TSU, ULL and Kentucky while Cardwell hails from nationally ranked (Dematha HS - MD) where he was the team’s defensive MVP tallying 90 tackles, 3 forced fumbles and an interception. “Ruiz, White and Cardwell are physically ready to play at this level right now,” said Frazier. “When it’s all said and done all of these recruits are going to have the opportunity to come here and compete.”

PVAMU FOOTBALL TRANSFERS & SIGNEES

Kenneth Black,* QB, 6'4/220, Western Kentucky Univ. - Transfer-Louisville, KY
Michael Benson,* WR, 5'10/175, College of Sequoias, Houston, TX
Michael Robinson ,TE , 6'1/220, Steele HS - TX , Scherts, TX
Gabriel Young, TE, 6'4/220, Jones HS - TX, Houston, TX
Marcus White, LB, 6'0/205, Jones HS - TX, Houston, TX
Aneus Ruiz , OL, 6'4/300, North Forest HS-TX, Houston, TX
Christopher Townsend, LB, 6'0 /220, Bishop McNamara HS - MD, Ft. Washington, MD
Jared Williams, DB, 6'1/180, Bishop McNamara - MD, Bowie, MD
Davion Green,TE,6'3/230, Kimball High School - TX,Dallas, TX
Amir Smith,QB, 6'5/200, Lackey HS - MD, Port Tobacco, MD
Eric Moore,S, 6'4/215, City Coll.of San Fran. - CA - Transfer,San Bruno, CA
Raheem Cardwell, LB, 6'2/215, Dematha HS - MD, Alexandria, VA
Breon Johnson,S,6'0/180, Ozen High School - TX,Beaumont, TX
Adrien Grant,S,6'4/187, Carman Ainsworth - MI, Mt. Morris, MI
Marquis Holliie*, Ath, 5'10/175, Warren HS - San Antonio,San Antonio, TX

*Students currently enrolled at Prairie View A&M University

Future looks bright for Prairie View football program

Look how far they’ve come: No longer a football laughingstock, these Panthers are stalking a SWAC championship

PRAIRIE VIEW — Mark Spivey wanted to savor the moment, his last chance to celebrate homecoming as a member of the Prairie View A&M football team. Almost 30 minutes had passed since the Panthers defeated Alabama State 27-6 at Blackshear Stadium in front of 9,257 people, most of whom sported purple and gold while watching Spivey throw for 270 yards and two touchdowns. “It’s an unbelievable feeling to have so many fans here,” he said. “This is much, much different from the first homecoming I played in.”

The sixth-year senior epitomizes the change in attitude and expectations for the Panthers, who enter Saturday’s game at winless Arkansas-Pine Bluff with a 5-1 mark and in the hunt for the school’s first trip to the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game. Winning is no longer treated like the pleasant surprise it brought for most of the 31 seasons before last’s year’s team finished 7-3. Saturday’s victory assured the program of consecutive non-losing seasons, a feat that hasn’t been seen at Prairie View since the 1967 squad finished the last of 22 straight campaigns of at least .500 ball.

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