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ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina - Three Elizabeth City State University Lady Vikings notched double figures in a 62-55 victory over the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore Monday evening at the RL Vaughan Center.
Jasmine Whitehurst led ECSU in scoring with 15 points while Shatara Jackson and Stephanie Harper chipped in with 14 points apiece.
The victory gives ECSU their second win this season over a Division I Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) opponent. The Lady Vikings topped Norfolk State University in an exhibition 76-74 on November 7th in Elizabeth City.
The two teams exchanged two ties and two lead changes in the first half, the Hawks last lead coming via two free throws by Jessica Long at the 10:31 mark. DeAudra Brown's three-pointer on ECSU's ensuing possession gave the Lady Vikings a one point lead for good and they held a 26-23 advantage at the intermission.
DURHAM, North Carolina -- It wasn't hard to spot commissioner Leon Kerry of the CIAA during the championship game at overflowing Durham County Stadium on Saturday afternoon. He was the one wearing the ear-to-ear smile.
The great experiment known as the football championship game reached a pinnacle with more than 10,000 people cramming into the stadium to watch Winston-Salem State beat Elizabeth City State 38-18 in what many described as one of the best atmospheres in recent memory for a CIAA game.
After all tickets were sold, late-arriving fans were reduced to watching from a hill just outside the stadium. "This was a great game and a great facility and a dream come true with how this worked out," Kerry said on the field after presenting the trophy to WSSU.
DURHAM, North Carolina – I didn’t hear any complaints from Winston-Salem State fans about that failed move to Division I. From the looks of how much fun approximately 8,000 Rams’ fan were having at the CIAA championship game on Saturday Division I was probably the furthest thing from their minds.
The Rams, who are two years into their transition back to Division II, won the school’s ninth CIAA title by dispatching Elizabeth City State 38-18 in front of around 10,000 fans. WSSU fans were all over the place, including about 200 who watched from a hill outside of the stadium. (It was cheaper to watch from there.)
There was plenty of controversy in September of 2009 when chancellor Donald Reaves and the board of trustees pulled the plug on the move to Division I and the MEAC for financial reasons.
Elizabeth City State Marching Band and the Winston-Salem State University Marching Band "Red Sea of Sound" performs at halftime of the 2011 CIAA Football Championship game on November 12, 2011.
Elizabeth City, N.C. -- Saint Paul’s loss turned out to be Elizabeth City State’s gain as three athletes from the now defunct Tigers athletic program have transferred to ECSU.
Leading the way is women’s basketball guard DeAudra Brown, who was the Lady Tigers’ leading scorer last season.
“I had a couple of offers and ECSU was the first school I went to,” said the rising senior from Rocky Mount. “The environment was good. I met a couple of the players. I had played against them, but didn’t actually know them. They were excited to meet me and the atmosphere was really good. I didn’t feel any bad vibes from anybody that met there. It was an all-around good visit.”
Brown’s move, along with football players John Davis and Patrick Louther, was prompted when Saint Paul’s in a money-saving move, suddenly shut down its athletic program in...
Elizabeth City, NC -- Elizabeth City State basketball coach Shawn Walker recently went on a trip to Okinawa, Japan, to work at a coaching clinic. While it was a personally rewarding experience, Walker also managed to get a little work in. He not only returned home with some unforgettable memories, he came back with Kentrell Key, who will be joining the Vikings next year as part of a three-man recruiting class.
Along with Key, Walker has recruited Camden’s Shawn Hammonds, a 6-foot-5 swingman, and Glenn Patterson Jr., a 5-foot-9, 170-pound point guard from Red Springs who averaged 24.6 points per game as a senior. Local fans might remember Patterson as he scored 27 points to lead Red Springs past Hammonds and Camden in the regional semifinals of the 1A state playoffs.
HERTFORD, N.C. — Dustin Spruill has decided to play college baseball for the coach who remained most loyal to him. The Perquimans catcher, a Division I prospect until 11th grade when rotator cuff surgery scared off recruiters, has signed with Elizabeth City State.
While there were still some other suitors out there, Spruill wants to play for Vikings coach Terrance Whittle.
“He’s the one coach who has stuck with me all the way,” Spruill said. “He’s willing to give me a chance, even with my shoulder. I really want to thank him for that opportunity. “A lot of guys in my situation wouldn’t get a second chance.”
Final Stats
ELIZABETH CITY, NC- The Elizabeth City State University baseball team kept their hopes for a berth in next week's CIAA tournament alive with a double header sweep of Shaw University 7-0 and 8-0 Thursday afternoon.
However the, Vikings' post season push temporarily served as a backdrop to a near flawless performance by freshman Kerich Randolph, who threw a no-hitter in the game 7-0 win over Shaw in game one.
"I wasn't aware of it," the Bolivia, NC native said. "I didn't know until my teammates told me in between games. A lot of the credit goes to them because they made some great plays today."
Randolph, who leads the Vikings in strikeouts this season with 72, fanned 10 batters on Thursday. "In a way, I'm glad I didn't know (about the no-hitter). I felt good out there today. I'm just happy we got two wins."
ELIZABETH CITY, NC- The Elizabeth City State University Athletic Department has released their 10-game football slate for the 2011 season.
ECSU will host four games at Roebuck Stadium beginning with the season opener September 3rd against Winston-Salem State University at 6:00pm. In their last meeting during the 2005 season the Rams held on for a 24-23 win over the Vikings at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem.
The Vikings will return to the River City in week seven (October 15th) for Homecoming 2011 when they welcome Virginia State University for a 1:30pm kick-off. Bowie State will visit the following week on October 22nd) and ECSU will close out their home slate with the season finale on November 5thagainst Lincoln University. Both games will begin at 1:00pm at Roebuck Stadium.
On September 10th the 14th Annual Down East Viking Football Classic will feature Livingstone College as the Blue Bears make their first trip to Rocky Mount. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00pm at the Rocky Mount Athletic Complex.
After the "Down East" ECSU will hit the road for four straight away games beginning with Fayetteville State on September 17th (6:00pm), defending CIAA Champion Shaw University in Durham on September 24th (2:00pm) followed by Saint Paul's College on October 1st. The Vikings will look to play spoiler when they visit Virginia Union University as the Panthers' Homecoming opponent at Hovey Field in Richmond, VA on October 8th.
ECSU will take a short trip to Chowan University on October 29th, their first to Murfreesboro since the Hawks joined the CIAA (football only) in 2008. The Vikings are coming off a 6-4 season (CIAA 5-2) good for third place in the CIAA Northern Division.
The 2011 CIAA Football Championship will take place on November 12th. For more information on ECSU Athletics, visit www.ecsuvikings.com.
2011 Vikings Football Schedule Date Opponent / Event Location Time
09/03/11 vs. Winston-Salem State Elizabeth City, N.C. (Roebuck Stadium) 6:00 p.m. ET 09/10/11 vs. Livingstone Rocky Mount, NC (Rocky Mount Athletic Complex) 4:00 p.m. ET 09/17/11 at Fayetteville State Fayetteville, NC (Luther "Nick" Jeralds Stadium) 6:00 p.m. ET 09/24/11 at Shaw* Durham, NC (Durham County Memorial Stadium) 2:00 p.m. ET 10/01/11 at St. Paul's College Lawrenceville, VA 1:00 p.m. ET 10/08/11 at Virginia Union Richmond, VA (Hovey Field) 1:00 p.m. ET 10/15/11 vs. Virginia State (HOMECOMING) Elizabeth City, N.C. (Roebuck Stadium) 1:30 p.m. ET 10/22/11 vs. Bowie State Elizabeth City, N.C. (Roebuck Stadium) 1:00 p.m. ET 10/29/11 at Chowan Murfreesboro, NC (Garrison Stadium) 12:00 p.m. ET 11/05/11 vs. Lincoln (Pa.) (SENIOR DAY) Elizabeth City, N.C. (Roebuck Stadium) 1:00 p.m
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Saint Augustine's College advanced to the CIAA Tournament semifinals for the second time in three years Tuesday because the Lady Falcons never quit.
Down 13 points late and seemingly headed for defeat, the Lady Falcons staged a spectacular comeback to pull out a 70-68 victory over Elizabeth City State at Time Warner Cable Arena. The win avenged last year's first-round defeat to the Lady Vikings in the tournament. More importantly, the victory sends the Lady Falcons (19-10 overall) against arch nemesis Shaw in a 1 p.m. semifinal game Friday between the two Raleigh, N.C., schools.
It is a good thing the semifinals start later in the week because the Lady Falcons need a day or two to enjoy the win over the Lady Vikings, who led 63-50 with 7:08 left in the game. The game left the Lady Falcons exhausted but exhilarated. This was the second victory over ECSU this season.
That was a very tough game, ECSU played a very tough game,” Lady Falcon first-year head coach Rachel Bullard said. “We played very resilient at the end and I am very proud of the girls. They didn't give up on me.”
Mallard Creek High graduate Umeka Benson's free throw with 7.4 seconds left lifted St. Augustine's to a 70-68 win against North No.1 seed Elizabeth City State and a semifinal date against cross-town Raleigh rival Shaw.
Benson, the CIAA's rookie of the year, converted the second of two free throws after stealing a pass in the final seconds to push St. Augustine's (No. 4 South, 19-10) in front. She scored 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting and pulled down nine rebounds. Three other Falcons scored double-digits, paced by Crystal McCaffity (6-of-13 from the field) and player-of-the-year Allison Sikes with 19 each. Le'Keisha White tossed in 12 points and a game-high 14 rebounds for St. Augustine's, which overcame a 35-28 halftime deficit.
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NEXT GAME: 1 P.M. FRIDAY, VS. SHAW UNIVERSITY VIEW GAME LIVE AT: theciaa.com -- or CLICK HERE
Elizabeth City State’s baseball team has been practicing under some difficult conditions. That is why last weekend’s season-opening three-game road swing, which produced three wins, came as a bit of a surprise to coach Terrance Whittle
The Vikings won twice at Morehouse in Atlanta on Saturday, 8-1 and 13-6, then followed that with a 10-7 win over Paine in Augusta, despite having only had three outdoor practices and not facing live pitching because of rain and winter weather.
AUGUSTA, GA-The Elizabeth City State University baseball team will return home with a perfect record intact as they downed Paine College 10-7 Sunday afternoon.
Pitcher Kerich Randolph pitched 7 innings striking out nine against on one hit.
Offensively the Vikings stayed hot with four different players going 2-4 on the afternoon. Tony Wiggins and Clifton Taylor both tallied two singles each while Phillip Dodson finished with a double and a single. Kyle Meads, who hit a three-run homer in the Vikings' opener against Morehouse, hit a triple and a double on the afternoon
ATLANTA, GA- Elizabeth City State University Vikings completed a doubleheader sweep of Morehouse College downing the Maroon Tigers 13-6 in game two on Saturday afternoon.
Weston Dodson collected his three RBI on a three run homer while Hasten Simmons and Khatim Butler both added 2 RBI apiece in the seven run victory. Freshman Cameron Cecil, who was relieved by Hertford, NC native Brad Miller, pitched four shut-out inning in his first appearance.
At one end of the basketball court in the R.L. Vaughan Center are team photos for the Elizabeth City State teams. In the men’s basketball picture, one of the biggest smiles belongs to Perquimans graduate Michael Bonner. Although he didn’t know it then, it was the only time Bonner would put on an ECSU uniform.
Since then, Bonner has been getting a raw deal. And that is about as nice as I can put it and get it past my editors.
He should be playing with the Vikings and contributing as they make a run in the final weeks of the season. Instead, Bonner is watching the games from the stands. Always with a smile on his face...
Please pass the link to this story "Harris: Does anyone care about Michael Bonner?"on to your friends and let us all assist this deserving student-athlete in receiving a fair decision from CIAA Commissioner Leon G. Kerry.
ECSU beat writer Will Harris of the Daily Advance Newspaper is on point -- that student Michael Bonner has received a raw deal from the professionals that he and his family trusted to provide the proper guidance for both his academic and athletic careers. Why should he suffer for their incompetency?
Will you help by bringing political pressure on the CIAA Commissioner's Office to provide Mr. Michael Bonner with a quick waiver of this silly two-year rule, that should not be applied to the Winston Salem State University situation? Please express your support and ask the Commissioner to render a decision, now, that is long overdue to Mr. Bonner and his family.
You may contact the CIAA commissioner's office at:
Mr. Leon Kerry, Commissioner E-mail: LeonKerry@aol.com Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Post Office Box 7349
22 Enterprise Parkway, Suite 210
Hampton, Virginia 23666
E-Mail: TheCIAA@aol.com
Office: 757-865-0071
Fax: 757-865-8436
We appreciate your support and assistance on this effort for this deserving CIAA student-athlete. Thank you. beepbeep
P.S. If this was my son, I would be breaking out a can of whoop ass on the Commissioner's office -- but I won't go there today.
While the door remains cracked, Elizabeth City State feels like it was slammed in its face last week. The Vikings rolled up 507 yards of offense, yet managed just two touchdowns in a 20-12 loss at Bowie State to all but end their hopes of a trip to the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship game.
It was ECSU’s second loss in a row, leaving the Vikings a game down in the loss column to both Virginia State and Bowie State with two games remaining.
ELIZABETH CITY, NC - Chowan University football fans can follow Saturday's game at Elizabeth City State University by logging onto GAME DAY CENTRAL on the Hawks' athletic website. Play-by-play man Gattis Hodges will be bringing the gridiron action to fans via live audio webcast. CU's women's basketball coach, Patrick Mashuda, will join him this week as the color commentator. Fans can also get live Twitter updates at www.twitter.com/cuhawks.
Currently the Hawks and Vikings are tied for third in the CIAA Northern Division at 3-2. Bowie State and Virginia State are tied at the top of the division. (Log onto www.theciaa.com for complete listing of standings)
Elizabeth City State got some good new this week when starting quarterback Creven Powell was given medical clearance to play. The Vikings will need him and a little luck as they chase a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship, beginning with today’s game at Bowie State.
Elizabeth City State University’s aviation program was flying high Friday, as university and local officials celebrated the arrival of the program’s newest airplane.
Homecoming means different things to different people, but for at least three Elizabeth City State football players, this weekend’s homecoming festivities will be spent about as far away from home as you can get.
Baron Coffin, Sanerivi Reupena and Kahawaiolaa Soon share a background that is a far cry from northeast North Carolina. All three are junior offensive linemen from California junior colleges, which is how they arrived in Elizabeth City. But their Polynesian heritage sets them apart. Coffin hails from American Samoa, Soon is from Hawaii and Reupena was born in California, but his parents are native Samoans.
The Bowie State Bulldogs (5-4 overall, 5-1 CIAA) on Senior day found a way despite giving up 500 yards in total offense and not scoring in the second half to defeat Elizabeth State (4-4 overall, 3-2 CIAA), 20-12. The win gives the Bulldogs a fighting chance of earning a CIAA championship birth with two weeks remaining in the season.
"The guys played for the seniors today and they played a good game," said coach Damon Wilson. "This is a good Elizabeth City team." "The guys fought for four quarters and found a way to win the ballgame, so it was great to finish our home stretch with a W."
The Bulldogs won the game because of three things: on offense, they were efficient and ran the ball successfully; on defense, they were able to create three turnovers when Elizabeth City was within a yard of the end zone; and finally, special teams was fantastic creating two touchdowns.
ETTRICK, VA -- Daronte McNeill took Elizabeth City as far as he could, but it was a balanced Virginia State attack that prevailed 15-10 last night. Playing on just five days rest, the Trojans went with a wildcat offense that spread the carries around, then let sophomore quarterback Jarred Battle finish the job.
The Vikings had McNeill, who nearly completed a second-half comeback, but his mud-stained jersey showed just how heavy the team rode its workhorse back. Unlike VSU, McNeill had no quarterback to lean on -- sophomore Namon Jones threw three interceptions in his first collegiate start.
ETTRICK, VA - The spotlight suits the Virginia State University football team. The Trojans played host to the CBS Division II game of the week and were seemingly unphased by the national audience. They jumped out to a first-half lead and held on to beat visiting Elizabeth City State University 15-10 on Thursday in a CIAA North Division game.
After fumbling on its first possession and punting on its second, Virginia State performed the football equivalent of batting for the cycle. The Trojans scored in every possible way - tallying a touchdown, two field goals and a safety en route to a 15-3 lead.
Elizabeth City State’s football team’s motto this season is “Seal the Deal.” On Saturday, the Vikings had several chances to seal the game and ultimately had to turn to a handful of backups to secure a 17-14 win over Virginia Union.
The Virginia State University Trojans and Elizabeth City State University Vikings football game on Thursday night, October 14 at 8:00 pm can be viewed live on CBS College Sports Network.
The network is available via satellite on DIRECTV Channel 613 and Dish Network Channel 152. For Time Warner digital customers the game is available on sports tier channel 537. Verizon Fios channel 94 and Comcast channel 732. In the Hampton Roads region on Cox Communications channel 216 and in HD on channel 816.
Last year, Elizabeth City State was riding high atop the division standings when it took a trip to Ettrick, Va. where Virginia State stunned the Vikings 23-10 to begin a skid that cost ECSU a trip to the CIAA championship game.
The Vikings (4-2, 3-0) are in the same position and cannot afford a loss at Virginia State (4-2, 2-1) when the two teams meet tonight in a nationally televised contest.
Virginia Union University's Tarian Donaldson rushed for 81 yards and a touchdown, but Elizabeth City State University downed VUU 17-14 in Elizabeth City, N.C., on October 9.
Donaldson became only the third Panther in the last 10 years to reach the 2,000-yard plateau in his career. The senior running back from Virginia Beach, VA, now has 2,022 career yards. Andre Braxton and Elihu Smith are the other Panthers to rush for more than 2,000 yards in their careers during the last decade.
Elizabeth City State’s football team’s motto this season is “Seal the Deal.” On Saturday, the Vikings had several chances to seal the game and ultimately had to turn to a handful of backups to secure a 17-14 win over Virginia Union.
Fans at Roebuck Stadium Saturday noticed a new structure on the home side. A new chancellor’s suite was installed last week and will remain in place for Elizabeth City State’s final two home games. The building is a temporary structure that filled an immediate need Vikings’ officials saw.
There was some buzz around the Elizabeth City State University Foundation Classic charity golf tournament at The Pines at Elizabeth City Friday. An NFL Hall-of-Famer was on the course.
Bruce Smith, who left pro football as the all-time sacks leader after a 19-year career with the Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins, was playing in a foursome that included Foundation board chairman Rodney Hawkins, legendary ECSU basketball coach Bobby Vaughan and businessman Nick Clark.
Rocky Mount, N.C. - Fayetteville State was given every chance to put away Elizabeth City State during the first half of the Down East Viking Football Classic on Saturday at the Rocky Mount Sports Complex. But as time continued to tick off the clock and a partisan Elizabeth City State crowd grew restless with some poor play by the Vikings early, hope emerged.
It came in the form of a defense that didn’t let things get out of hand, and when Elizabeth City State’s special teams caught a break, momentum followed in its favor. “We had a few stumbles and falls, but we picked it back up, and that’s what we needed to do,” Elizabeth City State wide receiver Dexter Manley said after his team rallied for a 38-26 victory in the 13th edition of the Classic.
When Malcolm Jenkins arrived at Elizabeth City State as a freshman, coaches threw him No. 71. He took that as a slight. Wearing an offensive lineman’s number was unfitting for a defensive end. Now a senior, Jenkins’ No. 92 is a number Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association quarterbacks fear most.
“They didn’t even expect me to play.” Jenkins recalled of his freshman season. “They probably wanted me on special teams or redshirt and sit out a year. I had this big jersey on, an O-lineman jersey. I took it as a sign of disrespect, like they think I’m not going do anything, so...
It was not that long ago that Elizabeth City State’s football team struggled for wins. The turnaround occurred in 2006 when Curtis Rich emerged from a crowded quarterback corps to lead the Vikings to the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship game and head coach Waverly Tillar made a commitment to solidifying the position.
The next season, with Rich entrenched, Tillar recruited Pasquotank’s Creven Powell, convincing him to come to ECSU over offers from Norfolk State and North Carolina A&T, and the rest, as they say, was history. “I told the coaches after the 2006 football season, I don’t ever want to have another quarterback situation where we played musical chairs with quarterback and not having the type of quarterback to move this offense,” Tillar said.
ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina - Three Elizabeth City State University Lady Vikings notched double figures in a 62-55 victory over the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore Monday evening at the RL Vaughan Center. 
