Fort Valley State opens with win over Miles Golden Bears

FAIRFIELD, Ala. — With its starting quarterback, running back and left tackle all injured for the season opener against Miles, Fort Valley State knew its defense had to dominate. Miles quarterback Carlton Hill can attest that the Wildcats did just that.



A relentless Fort Valley State defensive front seven kept Hill under pressure all game and helped limit the Golden Bears to 141 yards of offense in a 24-3 road victory Saturday. “Offensively, we knew we were going to struggle,” Fort Valley State head coach Donald Pittman said. “Defensively, we knew we were going to control the game.”

Hill never could get comfortable in the pocket while completing 16-of-33 passes for 135 yards. The Wildcats entered halftime with only 36 yards passing, couldn’t sustain scoring drives in the final two quarters and finished the game with minus-3 rushing yards.

Tuskegee trounces Coach Billy Joe's Miles Bears

TUSKEGEE, AL -- Tuskegee quarterback Jacary Atkinson walked out of his team's locker room, sweat from a season-opening victory washed away with a postgame shower and a smile creeping across my face. "I had to take a little time to make myself look good," Atkinson said. Atkinson had already done that for the Golden Tigers in Saturday's 34-0 win over Miles at Abbott Memorial Alumni Stadium.

The senior ran for 139 yards and two touchdowns, including a 14-yard score just before halftime that got Tuskegee rolling. He also passed for 258 yards and another score. "He's great," receiver Jason English said. "I'm glad I have another year with him." Atkinson and English hooked up for a 12-yard touchdown pass to end Tuskegee's first drive, but the Tigers had bountiful offensive mistakes until the final minute of the first half. "We played like we haven't played this year," Tuskegee coach Willie Slater said.

Tuskegee University Crimson Pipers Marching Band



CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

READ RELATED ARTICLES:
Miles College reorganizes compliance office in light of ...
Golden Bears' Joe hopes to have all 85 players eligible today
Legendary coach Billy Joe brings change to Miles

Stillman rolls past short-handed Miles College

The Billy Joe Era at Miles College that was launched with such hope two weeks before Christmas got off to a dismal start on Sunday night at Legion Field.

The Golden Bears played without more than half their roster in a 38-12 loss to Stillman College before a crowd of 25,370. Joe said he found out on Saturday that he would be able to dress only 40 of his 85-man roster for the Labor Day Golden Classic due to concerns the Miles administration raised about eligibility issues.

"In my 31 years as a head coach," Joe said, "I've never, ever been confronted with that issue before. I thought our guys played a great game with their hands tied behind their backs. "We had to change our special teams around, our offense, our defense. We were very, very, very - how many `verys' can I use? - short." The new coaching staff held meetings with their players until late Saturday evening, making changes in the game plan.

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

Attendance: 25,370 @ Legion Field, Birmingham, AL (Capacity: 83,091)

Leon's McSayles to play for ex-FAMU head coach

Photo: Miles College head football coach, William "Billy" Joe

In college football recruiting, courting the student-athlete's parents can be just as important as wooing the student-athlete. Take cornerback Jared McSayles, for example. The recent Tallahassee Leon High graduate will head to Miles College in Birmingham, Ala. to attend school and play football. At Miles, he will play under first-year head coach Billy Joe, who was inducted into Florida A&M University's Hall of Fame last year.

McSayles, 18, cites two major factors in his decision to select the NCAA Division II school in Alabama:

Hearing from the Miles coaching staff that he would receive the opportunity to play college football as a freshman;

His mother's comfort with the Miles coaching staff.

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

Legendary coach Billy Joe says Miles is like heaven

Achive Photo: Coach Billy Joe being honored by the FAMU community on Sept. 15, 2007 at Bragg Memorial Stadium.

Billy Joe has been to the mountaintop in the game of football.

He has a Super Bowl championship ring to prove it. He has plaques in three halls of fame, including the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame where he was inducted alongside Joe Paterno in 2007.

He has more wins than any black-college football coach not named Eddie Robinson with 237.

So, why would he pick Division II Miles College as the place to end his three-season retirement?

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

Miles College Purple Marching Machine

Coach Billy Joe's Miles College Golden Bears signs 12 football student-athletes

Photo: College Football Hall of Fame coach William "Billy" Joe, Miles College.

I know, I know--NCAA Division II Miles College is not a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference or Southwestern Athletic Conference. The Golden Bears are a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), where former FAMU head football coach William "Billy" Joe is in his first season as Papa Bear.

This hall of fame coach has been our long time favorite coach, especially when it comes to recruiting philosophy and his ability to snatch a blue chip player or two.

Coach Joe will be one of five persons enshrined into the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Hall of Fame during a reception on Thursday, March 13, 2008 beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Marriott Crabtree Valley Hotel in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Joe has always be an entertaining ball coach, doing the unthinkable like coaching from the Press Box or saving scholarships for the late July rush of Division I transfers to help his teams. It will be interesting to look in on Coach Joe from time to time, to see how he's doing and his success in rebuilding the Miles College Bears.

Billy Joe signed 12 players on national signing day. The surprise was he nabbed (transfers) former Florida A&M University players Richard Koonce, OT, 6-7/315, Lantana, FL; Dan Henderson, OG, 6-4/330 Columbus, OH; and Carlton Hill, QB, 6-4/210, University of South Florida, Monticello, FL. These guys will be starters in Coach Joe explosive no huddle spread offense and are Division I level players.

Also signed were:

1. Josh Maxwell OC 6-3/305 Nashville, TN Stratford High School Accomplishments: All Region, All Metro and Rival Top 50

2. Steven Randlerson LB 6-0/205 Lake Worth FL Lake Worth High School, Accomplishments: All Area and All Star.

3. Lucius Wade, Jr. RB 5-8/161 Monticello FL Jefferson Co. High School Accomplishments: 2007 All State All Star.

4. DeMarcus Starks QB 6-3/190, Midfield AL Midfield High School,
Accomplishments: 2007 All Metro

5. Cedric Pendeleton OL 6-2/300 Jackson, MS Hinds C.C.

6. Aquantis Mobbley DB 5-10 180 Monticello, FL Gulf Coast C.C.

7. John Wilson DE 6-3 210 Graceville, FL Edward Waters College

8. Larry Johnson DE 6-3 250 Clinton MD West Hill C.C.

9. Justin Chapman OLB 5-9 210 College Park, GA Banneker High School
Accomplishments: Carter School Record, 367 Tackles All Region and All SW Metro

Have you noticed that Michael Strahan and Coach Joe both won Super Bowls with teams that were not given a prayer of a chance of winning. Coach Joe played on the 1969 Jets that won Super Bowl III with Joe Namath at quarterback, who guaranteed the win due to the lack of respect given by Baltimore Colts fans. Sounds familiar--so is the gap that Strahan and Joe's have in their similes. When they smile, you cannot help it but smile too, which is great for the soul. They both have a tremendous sense of humor that will keep you laughing.

The 67 year old coach has a game scheduled with 1-AA new Southern Conference member Samford University on September 6, 2008. Let the Coach Billy Joe era begin or better, the scheduled opponents should get ready for some major beat downs given by the Miles College Golden Bears and the second winningest coach in HBCU football history.

-beepbeep