Lady Hurricanes stumble vs. FVSU

COLUMBUS, Georgia — A 11-point lead and domination on the glass couldn’t lift the Lady Hurricanes to victory on Sunday. Instead, 30 turnovers helped Fort Valley State roar back and stun Georgia Southwestern 66-61 on Sunday at Columbus State in the Peach Belt/SIAC Challenge.

“We didn’t shoot very well, and we just turned the ball over on some poor decisions,” said coach Kelly Britsky. “We allowed ourselves to get frustrated, and when they got back in the game we couldn’t convert any shots. To put it very lightly, we’re extremely upset and it’s hard getting over it.”

GSW (6-1) shot 28 percent and committed 19 turnovers in the second half as a 33-22 first-half lead evaporated four minutes into the second half. Fort Valley (1-2) led by as many as six when GSW answered ...

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2011 Road To The SIAC Championship Episode 10

The Mighty Golden Rams of Albany State face off against The Wildcats of Fort Valley State in the Fountain City Classic.

Fountain City Classic 'is very big for Columbus'

Columbus, Georgia - Jean Lynn knows some local people think of the Fountain City Classic pitting Albany State University against Fort Valley State University as the “other football game,” one not as important to Columbus as the Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic. She says nothing is further from the truth.

“We left Tuskegee and Morehouse behind six years ago,” said Lynn, a retired teacher here who now recruits for her alma mater Albany State. “What goes on here this week for this game is very big for Columbus.”

The 22nd annual playing of the classic will be 2 p.m. Saturday at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium. The Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic, which was played Oct. 8, has been here for 76 years.

“Tuskegee and Morehouse have played here longer and it is a great game, but ...

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Best foot forward: Dedicated FVSU's King takes his spot among the top punters in Division II

FORT VALLEY, Georgia -- The scene would have made for a unique picture. Stadium lights still on, family and friends mingling as players emerged from the locker room, the stadium all but empty except for workers. And there was the shot: a punter and his ball.

The punter was Marquette King, a lone figure on the football field, except for a bag of footballs. The game was over, but King’s work – no matter how well he had done his job earlier – wasn’t. There would be King, while teammates dispersed, punting into the night air. That scene has played itself out with regularity since King went from Rutland to Fort Valley State, after some games and after scores of practices.


FVSU Punter Marquette King punts a 76 yard punt against Clark Atlanta.

“He’s definitely one of the most obsessive guys I’ve had,” said Haskel Buff, Fort Valley State’s special teams coach and defensive coordinator. “He takes an unbelievable amount of pride in his job and doing it well.” It’s paying off.

King is fifth nationally in Division II with a 43.8-yard punting average, which leads the SIAC. That figure would rank 26th among all Division I punters.



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Blackwell, Jackson lead B-CU over FVSU

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- With a third-string quarterback taking over the reins Saturday, Bethune-Cookman's offense was as explosive as ever. On the other hand, the other offense on the field was almost as prolific as the home team's.

B-CU and Fort Valley State combined for 1,070 yards as the host Wildcats shook off a dismal offensive performance at North Carolina A&T a week before to race past their Division II rival 58-30 before 4,921 fans at Municipal Stadium.

B-CU improved to 3-3, while FVSU fell to 1-6. B-CU sophomore David Blackwell passed for 222 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 92 yards in his first start. He left the game late in the third quarter after dislocating his thumb.

"We wanted to start David and give him an opportunity. And we were going to come back with Jackie (Wilson)," B-CU coach Brian Jenkins said. "David moved the offense well, we decided to go ahead and stay with him."

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Fort Valley State Wildcats hoping to get on track on road at B-CU

Daytona Beach, Florida -- Fort Valley State is sputtering, and Bethune-Cookman isn’t exactly operating as finely tuned as hoped for. And they will battle each other Saturday in a game being billed as the inaugural “Biker Classic” in Daytona Beach, part of the weekend’s Biketoberfest.

Both groups of Wildcats hope to avoid turning in a moped performance in front of the bikers.
FVSU is 1-5 and Bethune-Cookman is 2-3, and both are out of their respective conference races, Bethune-Cookman in the FCS Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

It’s the second game against an FCS opponent this season for FVSU, and a fair amount of success in the first game -- a 28-22 loss to Florida A&M -- has given the struggling Wildcats some confidence.

“They might have more talented players, but I think if we get after it, we’ll be OK,” defensive end Emanuel Williams said, citing Bethune-Cookman having more scholarship players as a Division I program. “As long as we don’t make mental mistakes.”

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Bethune-Cookman to host inaugural Biker Classic

Kentucky State Thorobreds rallies past Fort Valley State Wildcats

Frankfort, Kentucky -- The Kentucky State Thorobreds utilized a three-headed monster at running back in senior Andrew Ramsey and redshirt freshmen Jacquise Lockett and Justin Williams, and they led KSU to a thrilling, 25-24, homecoming victory over the Fort Valley State Wildcats Saturday afternoon at Alumni Stadium.

Ramsey came into the game as clearly KSU’s leading rusher and struggled versus FVSU, with just 28 yards on 13 tries, but Wlliams and Lockett picked up the slack big time.

Williams gained 176 yards on 20 carries; Lockett added 138 yards on 14 tries with two touchdowns, and junior quarterback Martez James complemented all of the above with 37 yards on eight tries, including the game-winning TD from 17 yards out with just over two minutes to go.



Kentucky State improved to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the SIAC, while a very game Fort Valley team fell to 2-4 and 0-3. The Thorobreds piled up 424 yards of total offense, including 372 on the ground.

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Banged-up FVSU Wildcats look to bounce back

Fort Valley, Georgia -- The way the season is going would normally be enough to make a coach feel a bit less chipper than usual. Throw in allergies kicking up, and it’s not the best week for Fort Valley State head coach Donald Pittman. The Wildcats are 1-4 overall and 1-2 in the SIAC, and they aren’t in the best of health themselves.

“Nobody’s back as of yet,” Pittman said. “We’ll have to wait and see.”

Freshmen Cameron Pearson and Jahyrie Harris are battling it out at quarterback this week. Antonio Henton has been out since suffering a knee injury against Delta State in the second game. Then W.J. McAllister sat out last week after getting a head injury Sept. 22 at Benedict.  McAllister struggled in FVSU’s 16-11 loss at Clark Atlanta but made progress against Benedict just in time to get hurt.

Pearson had played a few snaps at quarterback, and Harris had been moved to the secondary before the season because of the logjam at quarterback. He returned to the offensive side about two weeks ago.



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18-15 loss to Tuskegee could be a serious blow to FVSU season

Fort Valley, Georgia - After last week’s critical win against Benedict College, the Wildcats of Fort Valley State University (FVSU) entered last night’s game (Oct. 1st) against the Golden Tigers of Tuskegee University with the same sense of urgency. With a record of 1-3, the team was well aware that another conference loss could have disastrous implications on their season. In the match up against the winless Golden Tigers, the outcome now leaves many wondering just what the future holds for the Wildcats this season.

Despite the disappointing result, things started well for FVSU. After the teams traded punts for the first seven minutes of the game, the Wildcats scored first with 7:45 remaining in the quarter when freshmen running back Travis Richmond broke free on a 67-yard touchdown run. While the extra point attempt failed, the Wildcats took the early 6-0 lead.



That margin held until the 9:40 mark in the second quarter. After a 15-play, 81 yard drive by Tuskegee stalled at the FVSU 14 yard line, the Golden Tigers converted on a 27-yard field goal by Eduardo Murillo. The Wildcat lead was cut to 6-3.

On the ensuing kick-off, a Wildcat fumble was recovered by Tuskegee at the FVSU 27 yard line. Five plays later, Golden Tiger Quarterback Justin Nared gave Tuskegee its first lead of the game with a two-yard touchdown run. With the converted extra point, Tuskegee led 10-6.

The Wildcats inched closer to Tuskegee in the third quarter when junior kicker Justin Rosenbaum converted a 47 yard field goal with 12:05 left. The kick narrowed the Golden Tiger lead to 10-9.

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SIAC Battle Of Bands Week 4 - FVSU vs. BC

Fort Valley State plays host to struggling Tuskegee

Fort Valley, GA - For years, conventional wisdom held that the SIAC title had to go through Tuskegee and Albany State, with Fort Valley State often part of the equation.

Tuskegee usually spent most or all of the season ranked, and the Tigers shared the 2006 title with Albany State before winning three straight championships.  Now? Tuskegee enters October winless and is the only team in the SIAC to do so. Sympathy among opponents is non-existent.



“I don’t know,” FVSU head coach Donald Pittman said about what’s wrong with Tuskegee. “I hope they stay the same way on Saturday.”

The Golden Tigers will try to right the ship at 6 p.m. on Saturday when they visit FVSU in an SIAC battle. FVSU got into the win column nine days ago with a 40-23 win over Benedict. “

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FVSU's McAllister looking to settle into starting role

FORT VALLEY, GA -- Quarterback hasn’t been a stable position at Fort Valley State since Donald Pittman took over. The FVSU head coach thought those days were over when the 2011 season beckoned, with Antonio Henton and W.J. McAllister bringing size, athleticism, strong arms and some experience to the position.

The quarterbacks showed potential in a season-opening 28-22 loss to FCS member Florida A&M, and then Henton led the Wildcats to a game-opening touchdown Saturday against 11th-ranked Delta State.

Any feeling that things might be settled were gone about 10 minutes later when Henton went down with a knee injury. He came back briefly in the third quarter and re-injured it.



McAllister knew what he was in for upon relieving Henton: the same aggressive and smothering attack that basically knocked Henton out of the game in the first place.
Now, the offense is in McAllister’s hands.

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Fort Valley Wildcats look to bounce back

Fort Valley, GA - It was right there, the big season-opening surprise win. Fort Valley State was less than a minute away from knocking off an FCS team that went 8-3 a year earlier.

The Wildcats had taken the lead with 1:59 left, and Florida A&M faced a second-and-4 at its 32. And just like that, the upset was gone. A medium pass into good coverage was deflected, and the Wildcats went from being in good position to watching Lenworth Lennon take that tipped ball in for a 68-yard game-winning touchdown with 39 seconds left.

A 22-21 upset Saturday became a 28-22 loss, one that more than a few hours later still had FVSU defensive coordinator Haskel Buff unsettled.

“It was just a crying shame,” he said ... 

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NEXT GAME:  Delta State at Fort Valley State, 6 p.m.

Fort Valley State gets ready for home opener

Fort Valley, GA - After taking FCS team Florida A&M down to the wire before losing 28-22 on Saturday, Fort Valley State began work Monday on visiting Delta State.

FVSU hosts Delta State at 6 p.m. on Saturday in the Wildcats’ home opener. Delta State fell to 1-1 after losing 24-23 at FCS opponent Northwestern State last Saturday. The Statesmen opened the season at No. 2 in Division II.





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Fort Valley State Wildcats like what they have on offensive line

Fort Valley, GA - Only two starters are back on Fort Valley State’s offensive line. Antonio Wright moved to fullback, and Jared Nelson isn’t on the team. Willie Brezial transferred and Sam Chester has some academics to work on. But Keith DeGrate, who coaches that unit, is a man of calm and confidence.

“We’re going to be a little bit better than last year,” he said. “We didn’t have guys consistently playing at one spot. We were hit and miss a lot last year.”

DeGrate had about a six-man rotation up front last season and figured to have experience and depth this season. Nevertheless, he already sees a unit that has passed last year’s.



Bobby Young and Trevor Shaw are the returning starters, and Christopher Brooks and Quavious Wright have some experience. David Garbo, Rashad Avery, Ryan Riggins and Jonathan Martin are working out at tackle, and Shaw is joined by Brooks and freshman Chartavious Danzy of Washington County at guard. Richard Williams, a Houston County product, returns at tight end after a year away.

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Date of FVSU vs. Benedict College Football Game Changed

Fort Valley, GA - The Fort Valley State University vs. Benedict College Football Game originally scheduled for Saturday, September 24, 2011 has been changed to Thursday, September 22, 2011. Kick-off for the Thursday night game is 8 p.m. at Charles W. Johnson Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina.

The game has been rescheduled to accommodate a televised broadcast by CSS, the regional cable provider which covers 13 Southeastern states. The game will be available for viewing by over 6 million homes who subscribe to Comcast Cable.

For more information about the game change, please contact the FVSU Office of Sports Information at 478-825-6437.

By FVSU Office of Sports Information

Pigskin Preview: Fort Valley State Wildcats

Fort Valley, GA - Depending on how you look at the 2010 season, Fort Valley State Wildcat fans and players alike debate on whether their 8-3 finish was successful or disappointing. After going 8-1 before the season ending SIAC championship game with Albany State, the Cats dropped two straight to end the season while losing their starting quarterback to off the field trouble in the process.

"We just fell short," says head coach Don Pittman. "We felt like we just lost our momentum. We were disappointed that we didnt make the playoff and we lost in the Pioneer bowl because of that I think that was the main reason."



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Fort Valley State wins SIAC title over Kentucky State

The SIAC softball championship game featured the No. 1 seed Lady Wildcats of Fort Valley State University facing second-seeded number Kentucky State University for the second time in this year’s tournament. FVSU defeated KSU in the quarterfinal round, and on Saturday the Lady Wildcats beat K-State again, taking a 16-3 victory and the tournament title in Columbus, Ga.

In the championship game, the Thorobrettes scored two runs in the first inning when Danielle Garay and Jenna Shingary reached on singles. Garay scored on a single by Shenaaz Burrell, and Shingary scored on a sacrifice fly by Lamara Parker.

In the bottom half of the first, after a single by Kataia Wilson and a walk to Ronkeya Garner, left fielder Kim Hughes cleared the bases with a three-run homer to give the Lady Wildcats a 3-2 lead.

Fort Valley State wins SIAC softball title

Fort Valley State won the SIAC softball tournament on Saturday in Columbus, topping Kentucky State 16-3 in the championship game.

After allowing two runs in the top of the first inning, Fort Valley State took the lead in the bottom of the first with a three-run homer by Kim Hughes. The Lady Wildcats added four runs in the second on two-run singles by Katara Wilson and Ronkeya Garner, and Fort Valley State had control of the game the rest of the way.

The game was called after 4½ innings because of the eight-run mercy rule.

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16 Student-Athletes Sign FVSU Letters of Intent

Fort Valley State University Head Football Coach Donald Pittman has announced that 16 student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to play football with the Wildcats beginning in the 2011 season. The class includes two quarterbacks, two running backs, four receivers, two offensive linemen, three defensive linemen, one linebacker, and one kicker.

"As a program, we are extremely pleased with the student-athletes who have decided to become a part of the Wildcat football family," said Pittman. "We believe that these recruits have the potential to help us take Wildcat Football to next level. I, and the rest of the coaching staff, look forward to working with these recruits to make them better players and quality young men."

2011 Fort Valley State Football Signees

Name                          Pos.   HGT   WGT         Hometown/Previous School

Jonathan Adams        DL      6'4     280           Stone Mtn., GA/S.W Dekalb H.S. 
Brandon Baker           OL       6'4     290          Columbus, GA/Northside H.S. 
Tony Collins                OL       6'3     270          East Point, GA/Tri-Cities H.S. 
Chartavious Danzy     C         6'1     285          Tennile, GA/Washington Co. H.S. 
Jonte Davis                 QB       5'8    170           East Point, GA/Tri-Cities H.S. 
Deonzo Farrie             DE       6'6    240           Stone Mtn., GA/S.W. Dekalb H.S. 
Eric Horsley                 RB      5'8    180            Dallas, TX/Madison H.S. 
Tyler Hunt                    K         5'10   165           Jonesboro, GA/Lovejoy H.S. 
Alex Martin                   LB       5'10   190           Tifton, GA/Tift Co. H.S. 
Cameron Pearson    QB       6'7     215           Dallas, TX/Madison H.S. 
Travis Richmond       RB       5'7     165           Fort Valley, GA/Peach Co. H.S. 
Justin Scott                 TE        6'4     200           Bessemer, AL/Hueytown H.S. 
Tarvarus Talley           DT       6'1     270          Columbus, GA/Carver Col.H.S. 
Jevon Watson            WR       6'3    185           Hampton, GA/Lovejoy H.S. 
Jacovi White               WR       6'2     225          Cusseta, GA/Chatta. Co. H.S. 
Ronald Wilcots          WR       6'2     180          Dallas, TX/ Madison H.S 

by FVSU Office of Sports Information