Kentucky State wraps up season with loss to Morehouse

Frankfort, Kentucky - The Kentucky State football team wrapped up its season Saturday at Alumni Stadium with a tough 28-24 loss to Morehouse College. The loss was tough not only because it was Senior Day for the Thorobreds but because they took the lead 24-21 with 5:49 left in the game – after being down 21-7 at halftime – only to have the Tigers march down the field and score the game-winning touchdown in a little over three minutes.

KSU finishes 6-4, and while a winning record the year after going 3-8 might cause some to celebrate, coach Wayne Dickens said he was disappointed considering his team’s potential.



“That’s probably looking at the glass half full but as a coach, no, I’m not satisfied,” he said. “We had the ability and potential to be better. If we’re two games better, and those two games are Stillman and Miles, we’re lining up to play a championship game next week. “I’m unhappy with the way we finished but the record is what it is.”

The Thorobreds got off to a rough start in the first quarter as ...

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Morehouse needs playoffs help

Atlanta, Georgia -- Morehouse probably needs to at least make the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title game and perhaps win it to earn an invitation to the Division II playoffs.

Morehouse is No. 8, one spot behind Albany State, in the latest Super Region 2 rankings. The top six teams in the final rankings make the playoffs.

Albany State, which owns a victory against Morehouse, would clinch the East title with a victory against Fort Valley State (2-7, 2-4 SIAC) on Saturday. Morehouse needs a victory at Kentucky State (6-3, 3-3) and an Albany State loss to win the division.

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Morehouse, Carter take care of FVSU

Fort Valley, Georgia -- Morehouse’s David Carter wears No. 32 on game days. The running back, however, might as well have had a question mark embroidered on his jersey Saturday at Wildcat Stadium. Fort Valley State simply had no answer for the SIAC’s leading rusher.

Carter needed merely a half to break the Morehouse single-game program record for rushing yards, finishing with 351 on 32 carries. The junior also scored on touchdown runs of 60, 45, 22 and 2 yards as Morehouse throttled FVSU 49-12.

Morehouse rang up 536 of its 662 yards on the ground.

“We couldn’t tackle the big running back,” FVSU head coach Donald Pittman said. “Defending the run has been our Achilles’ heel. “We gave them a short field a lot of times to work with, and we had some key people that did not make plays. That kept the defense out on the field.”

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Seniors eye another upset in FVSU home finale

Fort Valley, Georgia -- Senior night is always an emotional one for a team, regardless of how a season has gone. The players preparing for their final home game start thinking about how fast their career has gone and how their lives have changed.

It’s no cakewalk for coaches, for similar reasons. They’ve watched players grow from green, wide-eyed freshmen who were either timid or arrogant upon arrival turn into young men. The Wildcats will honor 16 seniors before the home finale, and it will be a little painful for the FVSU coaches to watch.

Nine position players are basically starters, and one position player, wideout Demario Barber, is one of the nation’s top punt returners. Nearly all in the group are regulars who get substantive snaps. Head coach Donald Pittman noted how many played only on special teams as freshmen and can only wonder about if they had been redshirted.

“If those guys would be able to play next year?” Pittman said. “Wow. What an impact.”



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2011 Road To The SIAC Championship Episode 7

Late score lifts Morehouse over Benedict, 37-31

Atlanta, Georgia --  Morehouse's David Carter scored on an 11-yard run with 19 seconds left in the game to dash Benedict College's upset bid and lift the Maroon Tigers to a 37-31 victory over the Tigers in an SIAC East Division clash Saturday.

In a back-and-forth battle, the Tigers took a 31-29 lead with 3:53 left to play when Justin Shaw forced a fumble by Thomas Williams and scooped up the loose ball and sprinted 73 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.

Derrick Hector returned the ensuing kickoff 32 yards to the Benedict 48-yard line. Then, facing a fourth-and-six at the Benedict 32-yard line, Morehouse quarterback Byron Ingram completed a seven-yard pass to Hector. With the Maroon Tigers facing another critical third-and-13 at the 28, Ingram rushed for a 17-yard pickup on the quarterback keeper. A pair of incomplete passes saw the Maroon Tigers facing another third down and the clock winding down. The Maroon Tigers opted for a running play, apparently trying to set up for a potential game-winning field goal, but instead Carter scooted around the corner and made his way into the right corner of the end zone.

Photo Gallery: Homecoming 2011

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Morehouse survives to keep pace in SIAC title chase

Atlanta, Georgia -- Before Morehouse can worry about Albany State losing again, the Maroon Tigers have to make sure they keep winning. Morehouse nearly stumbled against Benedict on Saturday before pulling out a dramatic 37-31 homecoming victory. David Carter’s 11-yard touchdown run with 19 seconds left lifted Morehouse to the win after Benedict had surged ahead with 3:53 to play.

Morehouse lost at Albany State last weekend to lose control of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s East division. Losing to Benedict (2-6, 1-4) would have essentially ended Morehouse’s SIAC title bid and damaged its prospects of making the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Morehouse (6-2, 4-1) stayed tied with Albany State for the division lead. Albany State (6-2, 4-1) defeated Clark Atlanta 19-13 on Saturday.

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Albany State: Beast of the east -- the Dirty Blue is back

Albany, Georgia -- Octavious Staton was open -- wide open -- and he made the catch, turned and waltzed into the right corner of the end zone all alone. He was in! Absolutely in! And so is Albany State.

Well, maybe not absolutely, but the Rams stood up Saturday night, lifted their season above their shoulders and tossed it right back on the tracks: Here comes the Golden Ram Express.

That's what Saturday's 25-15 victory against Morehouse means. It means the Rams can win the SIAC East if they win their last three games. It means the door is now open to the postseason.

It means the Rams control their destiny, just like they controlled Morehouse for most of the night. They had control of nothing until they won Saturday.

"There just was no tomorrow,'' ASU coach Mike White said. "It would have killed our season.''

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Morehouse heads to Albany State with title in sights

Albany, Georgia -- The victory against Tuskegee last weekend didn’t secure a championship or set any kind of milestone for Morehouse. Instead, the traditional water-cooler dousing that Morehouse players gave coach Rich Freeman after their 17-14 victory symbolized washing away what Freeman had called the “curse” of Tuskegee.

The Maroon Tigers ended a seven-game losing streak to Tuskegee. Now Morehouse can stay on track for its second SIAC title since 1923 with a victory at Albany State on Saturday.

The Golden Rams won the 2010 SIAC championship after a come-from-behind victory over Morehouse. Albany State or Tuskegee has won every SIAC title since 2000, but Morehouse has a chance to break through.

The Maroon Tigers (5-1, 3-0) are assured of a spot in the SIAC championship game at Lakewood Stadium if they beat East division-rival Albany State (4-2, 2-1) and then win their final three games.



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Morehouse 17, Tuskegee 14: Golden Tigers let lead slip

Columbus, Georgia -- COLUMBUS, Ga. -- The Maroon Tigers served up a heavy dose of Vitamin D and clawed back from a 14-point deficit, to break a seven-game losing streak against Tuskegee, with a 17-14 win.

On a day when the Morehouse offense was slowed by the SIAC's best rushing defense, the Maroon Tiger defense took up the slack, holding Tuskegee to 181 total yards. Led by Brandon Houston, with a game-high 11 tackles, the 'House D, recorded 11 tackles for loss, five sacks, three forced fumbles and two interceptions.

Capitalizing on Morehouse mistakes and turnover, Tuskegee jumped out to a 14-0 lead, on the strength of two rushing touchdowns by quarterback Justin Nared, of 16 and 10 yards. Morehouse bounced back in the second quarter, when David Carter took it up the middle for a 20-yard touchdown run.

Halftime score: 14-7 Tuskegee.

In the second half, Morehouse dialed up a heavy dose of the running game and pressure defense, to hold the Golden Tigers scoreless.

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Morehouse College dominates Clark Atlanta

Atlanta, GA - Morehouse College football still rules its neighborhood. The Maroon Tigers beat Clark Atlanta 30-2 Thursday night at Morehouse's B. T. Harvey Stadium. Morehouse earned its third consecutive victory and ninth in the last 12 meetings against its West End border rival.

Morehouse (4-1, 2-0 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) kept pace with Albany State at the top of the East division. Clark Atlanta (2-3, 1-1), which leads the all-time series 48-33-2, fell behind 13-0 and never recovered.

“You had historical implications and also to keep us in the race for the conference championship,” Morehouse coach Rich Freeman said. “It was a big win for us. The guys know the magnitude. We are trying to make generational change. We are not just looking at this season.”

The game set up as a clash between Clark Atlanta's stout defense against Morehouse's prolific offense. Morehouse entered the game leading the SIAC in scoring and yards while Clark Atlanta was No. 1 in points allowed and third in yards surrendered.

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Howard Bison rally to defeat Morehouse, 30-27

Washington, D.C. - Facing a two-possession deficit early in the second half, the Howard football team stormed back with three consecutive touchdowns before clinging to a 30-27 victory over Morehouse on Saturday in the inaugural Nation’s Football Classic in front of 18,409 at RFK Stadium.

Freshman quarterback Greg McGhee threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Willie Carter with 12 minutes 54 seconds left in the game, giving the Bison a 23-20 lead. Shortly after tailback Charles Brice scored on a 17-yard run for a 30-20 cushion six minutes later, Howard’s first win appeared certain.

But Brice fumbled and Morehouse safety Latavius Watts scooped up the ball and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown with 2:20 to play. Howard recovered the ensuing onside kick, but the Tigers got it back and used a 57-yard pass from quarterback Byron Ingram to wide receiver Derrick Hector to get to the Howard 25 with 17 seconds left.

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Morehouse looks for upset of Howard

Washington, D.C. - The idea of the Nation’s Football Classic is to pit Morehouse against Howard in a meeting of two prominent historically black colleges and universities.

By the time the game kicks off Saturday at RFK Stadium, there will have been plenty of activities surrounding the game. The schedule started Thursday with a symposium at Howard and continued with events that included student debates and step shows for fraternities and sororities.

But for the Morehouse football team, all the hoopla of the weekend boils down to a chance to make a statement against the Bison.

“Kids at a Division II school always have chip on their shoulders that they didn’t get a chance to get recruited by I-AA [now FCS],” Morehouse coach Rich Freeman said. The Maroon Tigers may be fired up for an upset, but they will have a significant disadvantage in manpower. Freeman said his team has 22 scholarships compared to 55 for Howard, which plays at the FCS level.

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NEXT GAME: Morehouse vs. Howard , (RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C), 3:30 p.m.

Morehouse rolls to 47-9 win over Miles in Labor Day Golden Classic

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- By the start of the third quarter, the light rain falling on the turf at Legion Field had turned into a downpour. Tropical Storm Lee was announcing its presence at the fifth Labor Day Golden Classic, but Morehouse College had already stolen the show.

The Maroon Tigers jumped all over Miles College from the start, grabbing a 23-point halftime lead and running away with a 47-9 victory Sunday to spoil Reginald Ruffin's debut as Golden Bears' head coach.

"I put all the blame on myself," said Ruffin, who came to Miles after five years as the defensive coordinator at Tuskegee. "I didn't have the guys ready to play. I thought we were ready to play, but unfortunately we weren't. I'm just very disappointed in myself, and I apologize to my coaches, I apologize to my team for not having them ready to play."

Led by junior quarterback Byron Ingram's two rushing touchdowns and one through the air, Morehouse encountered minimal resistance on its way to 427 yards of total ...

PHOTO GALLERY: Miles vs. Morehouse 2011

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Student-athlete ideal? Black college football seems to fit Bill

Washington, D.C. - Bill Cosby -- yes, that Bill Cosby -- wants to take you back in time. Come along. It'll only take a minute.

It's the 1940s in Washington. The owner of the Redskins, George Preston Marshall, doesn't allow blacks on the team. So some instead choose to follow black college football, and every Thanksgiving Day focus on a historic rivalry: Howard University versus Lincoln University.

When the game was played, people came from around the block and around the country. In Washington, and in black college football, few games were bigger, few games meant more. When the game was played, Griffith Stadium was their stadium. The city was their city.

"The town belonged to the graduates from Howard and Lincoln," Cosby said in a telephone interview. "It was the game. It was a rivalry but there was no hatred. There was respect for the schools, the tradition, and each other."

Fast forward to now, specifically, Sept. 10, when Howard University will play Morehouse College in the inaugural AT&T Nation's Football Classic. Howard and Morehouse have been playing each other in football for 88 years. For people like Cosby and many others -- young and old, wealthy and blue collar -- this game has deep meaning, just as Howard and Lincoln once did.



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Morehouse takes big lead at SIAC tournament

Ajanaku, Cooper leading Maroon Tigers at Jones Creek

Olajuwon Ajanaku lifted his cap Monday afternoon, revealing one month's hair growth. A pair of runner-up finishes and a third-place showing this spring aren't good enough. So his hair will continue to grow for at least two more days.

"I can't get a haircut till I win a tournament," the Morehouse senior said. Ajanaku and teammate Earl Cooper each opened with 3-over-par 75 to share the first-round lead at the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament at Jones Creek Golf Club.

The second round begins at 8 a.m. today, with the final round held Wednesday.

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VISIT: MOREHOUSE COLLEGE
VISIT: MOREHOUSEATHLETICS

Kentucky State Thorobreds: There's no place like home

It had been 25 days since the Kentucky State men’s basketball team last played in the Exum Center, a place where the Thorobreds have lost just once this season. Wednesday’s game against Morehouse College is a perfect example why.

Despite having senior starters Tony Johnson and Alex Somerville tied up with fouls for much of the first half, K-State stuck with Morehouse, wearing the Maroon Tigers down in the final three minutes of the game to earn an 82-75 win.

All 10 of KSU’s available players played in the game, and all 10 Thorobreds got on the board, including a game-high 18 points from sophomore Patrick Dawson. “We’re a team that does it by committee,” KSU coach Clarence Moore said. “A lot of guys need to do a lot of things for this team to win. Obviously they did that tonight.

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Videographer:  SIACSPORTS

ECSU Vikings off to surprising 3-0 start

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.

RANDOLPH FANS NINE AS VIKINGS BEAT PAINE COLLEGE 10-7

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

VIKINGS SWEEP MOREHOUSE WITH 13-6 WIN IN GAME TWO OF DOUBLEHEADER

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.

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Morehouse defeats Clark Atlanta

Morehouse had just enough grit and talent to gut out an ugly 17-7 win over Clark Atlanta on Saturday. With the win, Morehouse (7-2, 5-2 SIAC) kept alive its slim chances of playing in the postseason. Clark (4-5, 3-4) will play Benedict on Saturday for a shot at a .500 season.

Morehouse kicker Ian Mullen kicked a 42-yard field goal in the third quarter to put Morehouse ahead, 10-7, a lead they would not relinquish. Saturday was the culmination of a rough week for the kicker, who missed two key extra points last week in a 13-12 loss to Albany State.

“I was happy for him,” Morehouse coach Rich Freeman said. “I think it did a lot for him because he was really down.”

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Albany State comes back, edges Morehouse

Albany State scored a touchdown with 18 seconds to play Saturday for a come-from-behind 13-12 win over Morehouse.

The Golden Rams’ Ronnie Childs caught a 6-yard pass from Stanley Jennings in the corner of the end zone to keep Albany State undefeated. Morehouse players -- and fans who were congregated just off the field -- protested loudly that Childs’ foot was out of bounds on the catch. A scuffed foot mark on the end line was Morehouse’s claim as evidence. The back official saw it and called the head referee over to see the mark, but the head referee was having none of that. The play stood.

“It hurts really bad,” Morehouse coach Rich Freeman said. “I thought we were one first down away from getting the win, and we took a...

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Morehouse junior Lewis Eichelberger wowed the audience attending the Dedicatory Performance in the Emma and Joe Adams Concert Hall in the new Ray Charles Performing Arts Center at Morehouse College. Lewis was accompanied by professor Dr. Jefferson Ethridge on piano. Director Spike Lee took film classes from young Eichelberger's father, Dr. Herb Eichelberger, a professor at Clark Atlanta University.

ALBANY STATE-MOREHOUSE: Just about as big as it gets

ALBANY, GA — There are a lot of storylines floating around Albany State’s football game against Morehouse in Atlanta today.

First, there’s the debate about which team is hungrier. Morehouse will be motivated after quarterback Stanley Jennings guaranteed the Rams wouldn’t lose the rest of the season, but ASU (7-0 overall, 6-0 in the SIAC) will be motivated to stay undefeated after its similar winning streak was snapped at this point last year.

Then there’s the ground game. Morehouse and David Carter are tops in the conference in rushing offense (210.9 yards a game), but Albany State has the best rushing defense (67.7 yards allowed per game). And finally, there’s the playoff atmosphere. It’s homecoming for the Tigers (6-1, 5-1), who are No. 19 in the AFCA Division II poll behind the Rams, who are No. 8.

State football capsules

Albany State at Morehouse
When, where: 2 p.m. today, Atlanta

Key matchup: Morehouse defensive tackle Derrin Nettles vs. Albany State quarterback Stanley Jennings. Much has been said about both players. They are the best at what they do in the conference and how one gets after the other could determine the outcome of the game. Albany State is 6-0 in the SIAC; Morehouse is 5-1.

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