NCCU falls to Florida A&M in final home game, senior day

Durham, North Carolina -- North Carolina Central University’s second half efforts were not enough to combat the first half deficit against Florida A&M University who won 31-10 on Senior Day at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium.

FAMU amassed 261 total offensive yards in the first half, outscoring the Eagles 28-0 before intermission, including three touchdowns in the second quarter. Junior running back Lavante Page gave FAMU an early lead on the opening drive scoring on a two-yard touchdown run, giving the Rattlers a 7-0 lead at 7:55 of the first quarter.



The Eagles’ opening drive was a four-and-out on three plays for a gain of only two yards ending with a punt by redshirt sophomore punter Matthew Cornelius. That trend continued for the Eagles as they only had five first downs in the first half compared to 15 by FAMU.

When the Eagles were not giving the Rattlers the ball off of punts, NCCU turned the ball over twice, fumbling and then on an interception, both times resulting in touchdown drives for FAMU.

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Analyzing Florida A&M at North Carolina Central

Time: Today at 2 p.m.
Records: N.C. Central (2-7 overall, 1-5 MEAC); Florida A&M (6-3 overall, 4-2 MEAC)
Site: O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium, Durham, N.C.
Series: FAMU leads 4-1-1.
Forecast: Mostly sunny, temperatures in the low-to-mid-60s.
Complete Game Notes (PDF)
Radio: WEED 1390 AM (Rocky Mount, N.C.); WARR 1520 AM (Warrenton, N.C.); “GameCentral” at NCCUEaglePride.com. Starts at 12:30 p.m. (Chris Hooks, play-by-play; Joe Simmons, color analyst; Danielle Johnson-Webb, sideline)
Video: NCCUEaglePride.com features “GameCentral” by Stretch Internet ($8.95 per game). Starts at 1:45 p.m. Link: http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/nccu.portal#

WHEN FLORIDA A&M HAS THE BALL

The Rattlers come into today's game off another exciting come-from-behind win last week against North Carolina A&T. Quarterback Damien Fleming tossed two more touchdown passes and now has seven in the seven games he's played — with only two interceptions. Completing 60 percent of his passes and a 7-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio puts Fleming third in the MEAC in pass efficiency.

The running back trio of LaVante Page, Al-Terek McBurse and Eddie Rocker could see plenty of carries today against a defense that ranks ninth in the MEAC by allowing just over 180 yards per game on the ground.



N.C. Central linebacker Brandon Outlaw leads a defense that has struggled for most of the year, but is coming off its best performance in a 14-7 win over Delaware State. Outlaw has 86 tackles, despite only four in the Eagles' first MEAC win of the season last week.

Cornerback Malik Cromartie was the hero for NCCU last week, blocking a first-quarter field goal to keep the game tied and intercepting a pair of passes. His second pick came with Delaware State driving late in the game to seal the win. Fleming will also need to keep an eye on junior defensive back Marc Lewis, who leads NCCU with seven pass breakups.

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FAMU Still In Contention for Playoff Birth

Tallahassee, Florida -- FAMU's win over North Carolina A&T eliminated the Aggies from playoff contention. The Rattlers are one of three teams left vying to be MEAC Champions.

"We're trying to get to these playoffs," says senior wide receiver Kevin Elliott. "If we win out there's a good possibility we will get to the playoffs."

However, if Norfolk State wins its season finale, the Spartans will be crowned champs. The question at hand for the Rattlers then becomes, should two teams from the MEAC be invited to the playoffs.

"Looking around the conferences this year, a lot of the stronger conferences have teams with more loses that normally have stronger records,' adds junior defensive tackle Padric Scott. "I think the competition level right now is going to be up for grabs.


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NCCU Eagles: Sharing Our Warmth Campaign

NCCU Eagles Send Delaware State To Seventh Straight Loss

Dover, Delaware - North Carolina Central recorded seven sacks and two interceptions en route to a 14-7 win over Delaware State at Alumni Stadium this afternoon. The Eagles snapped a six-game losing streak to notch their first MEAC win of the season (1-5). NCCU improved to 2-7 overall.

The Hornets dropped their seventh in a row to fall to 2-7 and 0-6. The loss overshadowed a career day by Delaware State wide receiver Travis Tarpley, who tied a school record with 11 catches for a career-high 162 yards.

North Carolina Central's Andre Clark scored each of his team's touchdowns, including the game-winner in the third quarter.

Delaware State advanced to the NC Central 23 on the final possession of the game, but Hornet quarterback Nick Elko was sacked by Stephen Young on the last play of the game. Young had 2.5 sacks among his seven tackles in the contest.

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DSU's offensive struggles continue

DOVER, DE — The losing isn’t what bothers Delaware State’s first-year head coach Kermit Blount. He has consistently said that he expected to take his lumps this year as his Hornets adjusted to completely new systems on offense and defense.

But when his team begins to lose games due to a lack of focus, that’s what really gets under Blount’s skin. That’s what happened when Delaware State failed to execute during a last-ditch effort for a touchdown as North Carolina Central pulled out a 14-7 victory over the Hornets in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game at Alumni Stadium on Saturday.

With DSU driving at the Eagles’ 23-yard line and time quickly running out, quarterback Nick Elko was sacked by Brandon Outlaw, but rather than get up and spike the football, he tried to get another play off.

It turned out to be to no avail as time expired while the Hornets were trying to get organized at the line of scrimmage, sending NCC into celebration before a gathering of 1,795 spectators, and leaving DSU’s players with an empty feeling of “What if?”

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Highlights - NCCU VS. HAMPTON (Oct. 22, 2011)

Durham, North Carolina -- Check out the highlights of NCCU's 22nd Matchup against Hampton as the Eagles nearly ruined the Pirates homecoming weekend, dropping a tough 30-27 overtime decision on Saturday, Oct. 22. In the loss, Michael Johnson passed Brad McAdams(92-96) for 5th all-time in touchdown passes with 43 in his career.

NCCU takes on Bethune-Cookman for its homecoming contest this Saturday, Oct. 29 at 2:00 p.m. from O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium.

Pough happy with performance, looks forward to Georgia State

Orangeburg, South Carolina -- Saturday's victory over North Carolina Central did not just save South Carolina State's season.

For South Carolina State head football coach Buddy Pough, it was another eye-opener into the team's quality young depth and ability to respond to adversity.

"It was a struggle, but it was a good struggle," said Pough at Monday's weekly press conference. "When you get a situation where you're faced with adversity and you find a way to overcome it, it makes you feel good about ourselves. We've got work to do. Don't think in the smallest form that we don't understand what our issues are. But at the same time, I am proud of our guys that we got through it and I like our team and I hope I can get them back healthy."



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S.C. State Holds Off NCCU 49-38

ORANGEBURG, SC - Junior running back Asheton Jordan rushed for a career-high 226 yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns to lead South Carolina State (3-3 overall, 3-1 MEAC) to a 49-38 victory over North Carolina Central (1-4, 0-2 MEAC) on Saturday at Oliver C. Dawson.

"First off, I didn't think our defense would give up 38 points, said SC State head coach Buddy Pough." "They took it to us and we were very lucky that they had the turnovers and we got a score off both."



Redshirt sophomore quarterback Richard Cue made the most of his first career start completing 15-of-22 for 171 yards and two touchdowns. He is also rushed 92 yards on 17 carries on the day. Cue replaced starting quarterback Derrick Wiley who suffered a knee injury against Norfolk State on last week.

Pough stated about Cue, "I was very proud of his poise ad demeanor today. He did a good job in holding things together and made some very big plays."

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NCCU football coach Henry Frazier previews S.C. State game

G. Alan Inc. previews the 19th matchup between the Eagles of North Carolina Central University and the Bulldogs of South Carolina State University. NCCU enters the contest fresh after an off-week while the Bulldogs were upset last week in the Fish Bowl Classic against Norfolk State. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m., but tune in to Eagle Gameday built by Dayeco Construction Company beginning at 1:00 p.m. as play-by-play voice of the NCCU Sports Network Chris Hooks and Joe Simmons get fans revved up for NCCU Football.

SSU notches 1st MEAC win, beating N.C. Central, 33-30

Durham, NC - Savannah State could take a liking to its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football surroundings. Playing in their first official game in their new conference, the Tigers scored the first two touchdowns of the second half and held on to beat North Carolina Central, 33-30, as the newest members of the MEAC met in their conference debuts Saturday night at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium.

“They’ll be able to tell their families they won the first MEAC Savannah State game,” said first-year coach Steve Davenport, who collected his first head coaching victory. “We kind of focused on this game long ago.”



The Tigers (1-3) were potentially in trouble until Byron Leggett — who converted to cornerback during the week — returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown with 45 seconds left to establish a 33-22 advantage. That was followed by Geovonie Irvine’s 81-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to close the gap, and the Eagles tacked on a two-point conversion.

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A Step Up in Class: NCCU Sights and Sounds at Rutgers

The NCCU Sports Network gives fans an inside look to the Eagles first-ever contest as an FCS member against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights from the Big East Conference. This video gives fans a chance to see inside the tunnel as the team hits the field, and the atmosphere surrounding the game.



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N.C. Central Eagles just looking for consistency in volleyball

Durham, NC - The whole move to NCAA Division I volleyball is good and all, but there’s no pressure with that, N.C. Central volleyball coach Georgette Crawford-Crooks said. Any so-called pressure on the NCCU volleyball program comes from within, from the need for the team to play steady, the coach explained.

“Volleyball is a game of consistency,” Crawford-Crooks said.

NCCU returns to the court Friday to launch its volleyball season at the fifth annual Hilton/RTP NCCU Volleyball Tournament in McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium, the Eagles’ home floor. NCCU never has won the tournament, which runs through Saturday.



Along with the official move this year to Division I, this season will be NCCU’s first time competing in volleyball in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

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NCCU Eagles break camp after scrimmage

DURHAM, N.C. — It’s getting close. Less that two weeks to go until the N.C. Central Eagles open their football season at Rutgers, and NCCU coach Henry Frazier III believes his young men are right where they need to be. “I think we’re ready to roll on all phases,” Frazier said. “If we played a game, I think we’re ready.”

The Eagles broke training camp Friday and will rest today and Sunday before getting back to work Monday, the first day of classes, in preparation for the Sept. 1 matchup against the Scarlet Knights. Frazier wanted to see his guys scrimmage one more time before giving them a couple of days off.



NCCU fifth-year senior quarterback Michael Johnson had the first crack at running the offense, moving the squad downfield against the first-team defense. Johnson got the offense to the red zone at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium but came up short of the end zone.

Then redshirt sophomore quarterback Jordan Reid took...

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N.C. Central: It's Wide Open

DURHAM, N.C. — The strength of N.C. Central’s offense is its wings — the ones out there at wide receiver. Now to find the triggerman who will utilize those weapons through a spread, West Coast play-calling scheme that is being installed by NCCU offensive coordinator Michael Bryant.

“We’re not going to scale back anything,” Bryant said. “We’re gonna throw the entire offense at these guys. We’re gonna require these guys to learn. We’re gonna require these guys to study, because we don’t want to limit ourselves.

“The more we feel like our players know, the more we’ll be able to do and the more pressure we’ll be able to put on defenses.”



Among the 10 teams in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference a year ago, the Eagles would have ranked fifth in total offense, though NCCU competed as a provisional member and was not included in conference statistics. On Thursday, NCCU officials received notice...

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IT'S OFFICIAL -- NCCU Now Active NCAA Division I Member

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – At 12:31 p.m. on Thursday (Aug. 11), North Carolina Central University received a letter from the NCAA confirming the university’s active membership in Division I athletics.

The five-year reclassification process moving from Division II athletics competition to Division I (Football Championship Subdivision) is now over, and NCCU is eligible to participate in post-season championships starting this fall.

"Gaining full membership to NCAA Division I has been our goal for several years now and I am excited and delighted to see it come to pass," said NCCU Chancellor Charlie Nelms. "I appreciate what a tremendous effort this was for Athletic Director Ingrid Wicker-McCree and her entire team, and I thank and congratulate them for the superb job they did. The Eagles have arrived!"

In Thursday’s letter to Nelms, Stephen Mallonee, the NCAA’s Managing Director of Academic and Membership Affairs/Division I Governance Liaison, wrote, “It is my pleasure to inform you that the NCAA Division I Board of Directors approved the recommendation from the NCAA Division I Administration Cabinet to elect North Carolina Central University to Division I active membership effective September 1 (or the beginning of the 2011-12 academic year if earlier than September 1).”

“I am thrilled about the NCAA’s final decision,” said NCCU Athletics Director Dr. Ingrid Wicker-McCree. “We worked diligently towards meeting all of the requirements set forth by the NCAA and with the continued support from Dr. Nelms and our Board of Trustees, we accomplished a magnificent task. We will strive to continue meeting all NCAA Division I and MEAC requirements. Our continued goals are to graduate our student-athletes, win championships and maintain institutional control.”

The journey to NCAA Division I ranks officially began on Nov. 16, 2005, when the NCCU Board of Trustees voted unanimously approving the university to move forward with making an application to the NCAA to reclassify its athletics program to Division I.

The Eagles captured eight conference team titles in their final two seasons as a Division II member in the CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) before competing as an independent without conference affiliation starting in the fall of 2007.

On Sept. 10, 2009, the MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) announced that NCCU will become its 13th member institution effective July 1, 2010. The Eagles spent the 2010-11 campaign as provisional members of the MEAC, meaning they were not eligible to compete for a conference championship or earn conference accolades.

On Friday, Aug. 26 at 6 p.m., the NCCU volleyball team will host the first athletic competition as an active Division I member when the Eagles host Campbell inside McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium.

Ironically, it was the volleyball team that opened NCCU’s Division I era back on Aug. 24, 2007. Although just one year removed from Division II status and playing as a reclassifying program without a conference to call home, the Eagles captured wins over MEAC foe Norfolk State and ACC opposition North Carolina State on that historic Friday.

By Kyle Serba, Associate A.D. for Media Relations, NCCU
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NCCU Announces Partnership With TRU-PAK Moving Systems

DURHAM, N.C. (NCCUEaglePride.com) – North Carolina Central University and Tru-Pak Moving Systems, Inc., have partnered to unveil a brand new truck with NCCU style on Monday, Aug. 1 in front of McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium. Tru-Pak Moving Systems, Inc., now “The Official Mover of NCCU Football,” will use the 28-foot truck to transport the Eagles’ gridiron equipment to road games and will be added to Tru-Pak’s fleet of more than 200 trucks.

“I can’t think of a finer institution to give this gift to than NCCU,” stated Allyson Siegel, Executive Vice President of Tru-Pak Moving Systems, Inc. “Producing leaders in the world for years in both the classroom and on the athletic field, NCCU is leading the way for other institutions. I am very excited about the upcoming season and look forward to being part of their success in years to come.”



The truck will be used primarily to aid the NCCU football program move its equipment to and from the site of competition, which will enhance the travel experience for the student-athletes and support staff; while also giving the institution visibility not only across North Carolina, but nationwide as the truck will be used as part of the normal fleet during the week and the rest of the year.

“I’m so excited about our new partnership with Tru-Pak Moving Systems,” said NCCU Athletics Director Dr. Ingrid Wicker-McCree. “As our program grows, we are looking to form great corporate sponsorships such as this. Ms. Allyson Siegel has been wonderful in her support of our athletics program, and most importantly, our student-athletes. We will move in style this season.”

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NCCU Volleyball prepares for success as on team on one mission

DURHAM, N.C. – In their first season as a full Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) program, North Carolina Central University will tackle a challenging 31-match slate against nine NCAA tournament teams (three Atlantic Sun, one Atlantic 10, four Big South, one Colonial Athletic Association, one PAC 10, three SoCon and one SWAC opponent), including 12 league matches.

In her fifth season as the NCCU head women’s volleyball coach, Georgette Crawford-Crooks releases the 2011 volleyball schedule on Friday, June 29.

“As we continue to strive for Division I excellence, our schedule has to remain competitive and challenging,” said Crawford-Crooks.

2011 NCCU Women's Volleyball Schedule

NCCU begins the season with three consecutive tournaments, beginning with the fifth annual NCCU Hilton/RTP Invitational on Aug. 26-27 in the McDougald-McLendon Gym. The mighty maroon and gray will host volleyball programs from Campbell, Elon and Florida Gulf Coast.

The Eagles will travel to the nation’s capital for their first appearance at the Georgetown Tournament on Sept. 2-3 in Washington, D.C. NCCU will face Central Connecticut on Sept. 2, and George Washington and UNC Wilmington on Sept. 3.

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NCCU's New Football Coach Has Made a Career of Turning Losers into Winners

Durham, N.C. - Henry Frazier III knew he was taking on a pretty tough challenge when he left his head coaching job at Prairie View A&M to become NCCU’s new football coach.

But Frazier has spent most of his life overcoming obstacles. As an African American youngster raised in a single-parent household with two older sisters, he not only graduated from high school but became the first man in his family to finish college and even has a master’s degree.

He became quarterback at Bowie State and took the longtime CIAA doormat Bulldogs to a conference championship in 1989.



He took over a long-losing high school program at Central High in Capitol Heights, Md., and made it respectable before returning to Bowie as head coach and turning the program in the right direction again.

And in he went for the 2004 season as head coach at Prairie View A&M - which had just a few years earlier suffered through a record 80-game losing streak - and by 2009 had long-suffering fans crying tears of joy after a SWAC championship.

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Jim Koerner named NCCU's Eagles head baseball coach

DURHAM, N.C. (NCCUEaglePride.com) – With more 10 years of collegiate coaching experience at both the NCAA Division I and III levels, Jim Koerner has been named as the new head baseball coach at North Carolina Central University. Koerner is coming to NCCU from the University at Buffalo, where he helped build the Division I Bulls baseball program as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator since 2005.

“First of all, I’m very excited to be the new head baseball coach here at NCCU,” said Koerner. “NCCU is the complete package for me and my family. The atmosphere and attitude I’ve experienced from the people I have met is exactly what I was looking for. There is a passion for athletics and in this case the baseball program in particular. There is a solid foundation in place with our current players, we are in a great location for college and high school baseball and we play in a gorgeous facility, the Durham Athletic Park.”

His previous stops include a stint at Marshall University from 2003-05 where he also served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the staff, and his first Division I job came at Monmouth University after a three-year head coaching stint at Medaille College in Buffalo, N.Y., where he took a relatively brand-new baseball program and turned it into a winner in a short time. In his final season at Medaille, he improved the Mavericks win total by 15 games, one of the top turnarounds in Division III, and was named the 2003 North East Conference Coach of the Year.

“I am excited about having Coach Koerner as a part of our NCCU athletics program,” said Director of Athletics Dr. Ingrid Wicker-McCree. “We pride ourselves on hiring qualified individuals who have shown passion and dedication to their careers. Coach Koerner has been able to make an indelible mark at each of the institutions he has been associated with in the past and we know that he will do the same here at NCCU.

“Coach Koerner’s career journey includes coach of the year recognition as an NCAA Division III head coach and success as a top recruiter at three NCAA Division I programs, which will definitely bring unique experiences to help take our baseball program to the next level,” said Wicker-McCree. “Most importantly, our students will benefit from his vast knowledge of the game and his great concern for student success.”

New Eagles Head Baseball Coach Jim Koerner
(Photo courtesy MEAC Media Relations)

Passion and enthusiasm are certainly two character traits that Koerner shares when it comes to the game of baseball.

“I love the game,” said Koerner. “I’ve been involved with this game for a long time. I absolutely have a passion for teaching. Nothing gives me more satisfaction then working with a player from the beginning of August and watching that player mature and get better as the year goes along. To me that’s what it’s all about. If every guy on the team can take those steps to improve and get better and has that desire, the whole team will get better and that’s how you achieve your goals.”

Koerner, who earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from St. John Fisher (N.Y.) and a master’s degree in athletic administration from Marshall, truly believes in emphasizing the student portion of student-athlete.

“I personally believe that there is a direct correlation between academic aptitude and a player’s ability to adjust and improve on the field,” said Koerner. “Excellence needs to be established in all parts of life. It’s not just a baseball thing. I don’t want student-athletes that treat excellence as a light switch. It needs to be a constant process in everything we do. That’s what I am going to stress here.”

Koerner has had 19 players move on to the next level and play professional baseball during his collegiate coaching career, and the 2009 and 2010 Bulls broke 27 all-time and single-season offensive records as he was directly in charge of hitting at the University at Buffalo.

Koerner wants to get this message out to the Eagle nation.

“Get excited about NCCU baseball,” said Koerner. “We’re going to do things the right way on and off the field and we’re going to be a lot of fun to watch. I’m especially looking forward to meeting everybody, so when February rolls around make sure to get out to the ballpark and see us in action.”

During his time at UB, the Bulls had four players earn All-Mid-American Conference, honors including the 2011 MAC Player of the Year in Tom Murphy.

Prior to Buffalo when Koerner held the same position with Marshall University, he coached one of his players to All-Conference USA honors and also helped the Thundering Herd to its first post-season appearance in 10 years. During the 2006 season, Marshall was consistently in the top 5 in most offensive categories and had two players finish in the top 10 in batting.

At Monmouth, where Koerner broke into Division I coaching as an assistant, he helped lead the team to its seventh consecutive conference tournament appearance.

Koerner has also been head coach of several U.S. teams that competed in international tournaments, including the Belgium Open and the Chianti (Italy) Baseball Challenge. Out of college in 1998, he was also signed by the Richmond Roosters of the Independent Frontier League.

A native of Hamburg, N.Y., which is a approximately 14 miles south of Buffalo, Koerner and his wife, Kylie, are the proud parents of a son, Sam, and five-month old daughter, Elizabeth.

By Chris Hooks, Assistant Sports Information Director/ Broadcast Media Coordinator
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NCCU Sibling standouts share bond

One minute with Trey and Cameron Chatman, and you immediately sense a special bond between the brother and sister.

Although they have different personalities - Cameron is reserved and laid back, while Trey has the bright grin and fiery spirit - both seemed as one as they discussed their relationship during our interview last Thursday. That bond extends onto the tennis courts at N.C. Central as well.

Cameron just finished her junior season on the women's team as the No. 2 singles players (16-4) and part of the No. 1 doubles team (12-8). Trey, a senior, accomplished his personal goal of 10 single wins. They both helped lead their teams to their best seasons since NCCU reclassified to Division I.



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