Prairie View looking for feel-good sequel

As feel-good football stories go, Prairie View’s tale is tough to top. Most of us know about the rough times — that 80-game losing streak in the early ’90s, an under-funded program for decades, no Southwestern Athletic Conference titles since the Lyndon Johnson administration.

Then, at long last, there was last season. Capping an undefeated record in SWAC play, the Panthers outlasted Alabama A&M in the conference championship game at Legion Field, setting off a celebration that took even the players by surprise. “We had fans coming on the field, and they were crying,” Prairie View quarterback K.J. Black said. “People in their 50s and 60s — they were crying because it had been so long since they’d seen something like that.” It had been quite a ride.

Since coach Henry Frazier III took over in 2004, the Panthers had been building toward last season. From the moment players reported to preseason camp, they had one goal: Win the SWAC. All season long, they carried around a WWE-style championship belt, claiming that if other teams wanted the title, they had to take it from Prairie View.



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Prairie View A&M unveils plans for new football stadium

A great day for Prairie View: School unveils $60 million plan that includes new football stadium

When Henry Frazier III interviewed for the Prairie View A&M coaching job in 2003, he was given an artist’s rendering of the school’s vision for a football stadium. Seven years later, the picture — and the future landscape of Prairie View A&M athletics — has changed. School officials unveiled an ambitious $60 million first phase Friday to build a football stadium and an athletic department center and upgrade its basketball facility.

“I’ve always said this was the last piece of the puzzle,” Frazier said. “This was one of the selling points when I took the job. It’s been talked about since I arrived on campus. I’m excited to see it start to take shape.”

The football stadium, which would be built south of Blackshear Stadium, is expected to cost about $34 million. The stadium would have a seating capacity of 15,000 and be expandable to 30,000, a FieldTurf playing surface, club seating, 12 luxury suites and enhanced tailgating and parking areas. The proposed athletic department center would be built on the stadium’s north side.

The 74,000-square foot facility would include a weight room, lockers and dressing rooms, an academic enhancement and tutoring area, team position meeting rooms, administrative offices and a memorabilia area featuring the Prairie View Sports Hall of Fame. (READ MORE, CLICK TITLE ABOVE)

Prairie View A&M Sports Complex/Football Stadium Presentation

Solomon: Stadium plans show Prairie View's progress | College ...

It wasn't that long ago that Prairie View A&M debated whether to continue providing socks and jockstraps for its football players. Now, the school has had budget discussions about championship rings and plans to build a football stadium and athletic facilities that should meet the need of its athletes for decades.

Friday, school officials shared a new athletic facilities vision with alumni at their annual convention in New Orleans. Though the highlight is a 15,000-seat (expandable to 30,000) football stadium, which would replace Blackshear Stadium, where the Panthers have played home games since 1960, that is only a small part of the three-phase plan.

That first phase comes with a $60 million price tag. In all, every athletic program at the university as well as the student body would benefit from the project, which includes the building of an athletic and academic center, a renovated basketball arena, new baseball and softball stadiums, a student recreation center with intramural fields, a tennis complex and additions to the school's Kinesiology and Health Sciences Department.



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Prairie View A&M captures SWAC women's all-sports award

For only the second time in school history, Prairie View A&M University has earned the Barbara Jacket/Sadie Magee Award as the top overall women’s sports program in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Prairie View A&M, who totaled 80.5 points, finished tied with Jackson State for the award. This past year, the women’s athletic programs at Prairie View boasted several solid performances highlighted by second place finishes in women’s basketball, bowling, soccer and outdoor track and field. The last time Prairie View A&M captured the award occurred during the 1984-85 athletic campaign.

“We’re always excited to see our student-athletes be successful in the classroom and on the playing field,” said Prairie View A&M University Athletic Director Fred Washington. “This award represents the hard work and dedication of our female sports and it was earned by our student-athletes, coaches and support staff as they represent the best of our Panther Spirit.”

“This award is well-deserved for our female student-athletes,” added Assistant Athletic Director for Female Sports Alicia Pete. “Our student-athletes carry their leadership and athleticism on and off the field. We would like to thank all faculty, staff and administrators for helping our female student- athletes achieve their accomplishment on their well-deserved award.”

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PVAMU recruit moves to UNC-Wimington

UNCW new head women's basketball coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke has instantly put the Seahawks program on the map for star recruits.

If you don't believe having a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach (class of 2010) of the caliber of Cynthia Cooper-Dyke is worth its weight in gold for your athletic department, think again. Coach Cooper-Dyke left Prairie View A&M University on last Friday, and a less than a week later, highly regarded recruits that were committed to the Lady Panthers basketball program are following Coach Cooper-Dyke to her new job at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, a program with no history of winning.

Virgin Islands 6 foot-4 star center Aesha Peters has backed out of her PVAMU basketball scholarship, signed last month, to follow Coach Cooper-Dyke to UNC-W. Peters averaged 13 points/11 boards and 4 blocks per game, but defensively shuts down the paint area in games.

PVAMU initially won the recruiting battle for Peters services over Florida International, Nova Southeastern, Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi and Radford. Peters, who has been the talk of the V.I. territory since she was in the tenth grade, had tons of schools interested in her services. Some of the schools that had shown serious interest were Howard University, Indiana University, Rutgers, Georgia, UCLA, Jackson State and Nova Southeastern.

PVAMU has made no decision on the replacement of Coach Cooper-Dyke. Top assistant coach Toyelle Wilson may be considered by the school as the interim head coach, appointed the head coach or may decide to following Cooper-Dyke to UNCW.

Now, the rest of the story...

CAHS star to join ex-WNBA standout in UNC-Wilmington‎

ST. THOMAS, VI — Charlotte Amalie High School senior standout Aesha Peters accepted a full scholarship last month to play basketball at Prairie View A&M University and one of the main attractions, she said, was the chance to play under coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke. Cooper-Dyke, a two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player and one of the most decorated players in the history of women’s basketball, accepted the head coaching position at UNC-Wilmington last week. Peters announced Wednesday she plans to follow Cooper-Dyke to the Colonial Athletic Association school and hopefully become a member of her first Seahawk recruiting class.

“Coach Cooper has been through a lot and she brings that family atmosphere to the program,” said Peters, who tallied 13 points, 11.1 rebounds and four blocks a game during her senior year. “I’m very excited and I’m looking forward to playing for her.” Peters help lead the Lady Chickenhawks to an undefeated league record this past season and a third consecutive St. Thomas-St. John IAA title. She was named to the St. Thomas squad that competed at the 12th annual Sun Stroke All VI Hoop Classic on St. Croix last month. She is the only known player from the league so far to sign with a Division I school.

St. Croix Girls All-Stars' Veronique Llamos (L) has her shot stuffed by St. Thomas All-Stars' Aesha Peters, #2 blue. Peters is backing out of her national letter commitment to PVAMU to follow Cooper-Dyke to UNCW.

Cooper-Dyke, 47, turned around the program at Prairie View A&M in just five short years. She compiled an 85-72 overall record (64-26 mark in the Southwestern Athletic Conference) during her tenure and led the Panthers to the NCAA tournament in 2007 and 2009. At UNCW, Cooper-Dyke and Peters will face a similar challenge. The Seahawks have not earned an NCAA Tournament bid in the 24 years since competing in Division I. Meanwhile, CAA juggernauts Old Dominion and James Madison have stood atop the league standings in recent years.

“I’m excited to get out in the community, to create, to mentor, to mother, to lead these young women down the academic path to their degrees and, of course, down the path to a winning season, not only in the Colonial Athletic Association, but also nationally,” Cooper-Dyke said during a press conference Monday introducing her as the program’s ninth head coach.

It’s not known how many players from Cooper-Dyke’s initial recruiting class at Prairie View will follow her to UNCW. “The reality is that kids go to schools to play for certain coaches,” said CAHS coach Myron Corbett, who has assisted Peters throughout the recruitment process. “At the moment, Aesha has to do some paperwork with the NCAA. But she has been offered a full scholarship from Wilmington and is looking forward to playing in a more competitive league.” Corbett said Peters was aware of the possibility that Cooper-Dyke may land another job when she signed with Prairie View on April 15.

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PVAMU's Cooper-Dyke Named UNC-Wilmington Head Coach‎

Former Praire A&M University coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke leaves the Lady Panthers in better shape, with a 85-72 record/64-26 in the SWAC over the past five years and two NCAA Tournament appearances. The PVAMU alumna accepted a four year contract at UNCW starting at $110,000 for the first year, with an annual increase of $5,000, thereafter. In 24 years in Division I, UNCW Seahawks have a record of 304-430 with no post season appearances.

WILMINGTON, N.C. - Cynthia Cooper-Dyke has been named the head coach of women’s basketball at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. FOX 26 Sports first reported on Friday that Cooper-Dyke was the leading candidate for the coaching job. Cooper-Dyke, 47, will be formally introduced as the new head coach at a news conference on Monday. She will take over the helm of the Seahawk program following five years of success at Prairie View A&M University.

"I have agreed to a four-year contract and I'm excited," Cooper-Dyke said in an interview Monday with FOX 26 Sports. "Every coach, every player wants to grow and this is part of my growth process. "The Colonial Athletic Conference is a strong conference with schools like Old Dominion, Drexel and James Madison. It is going to be a huge challenge and I think that's what every coach wants." Cooper-Dyke said it is not easy leaving Prairie View A&M. "I'm always sad to leave a program that gave me a chance to be a Division One head coach," Cooper-Dyke said. "I will always love Prairie View and I will always consider them as family."

As a former college great, Olympic gold medalist and Women’s National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player, Cooper-Dyke will be enshrined into the James Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Aug. 13 in Springfield, Mass. “We’re thrilled to welcome Cynthia to the Seahawk family,” said Kelly Mehrtens, UNCW’s athletic director. “She has been ultra-successful at all stages of her life and I’m confident she will elevate our women’s basketball program. She has an intense passion for the game and loves motivating young people to achieve their best, both on and off the court.”
UNCW names Hall of Famer Cooper-Dyke women's hoops coach

Wilmington, N.C. (Michael Jordan's hometown) -- One of the greatest players in the history of women's basketball will soon call the Port City home. UNC Wilmington will introduce Cynthia Cooper-Dyke as its women's basketball coach at a Monday afternoon news conference. Cooper-Dyke replaces Ann Hancock, whose contract was not renewed. Cooper-Dyke will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame later this year.

A native of Chicago, Cooper-Dyke was a four-year standout at Southern California, where she sparked the Women of Troy to back-to-back NCAA championships in 1983 and 1984. She later completed her Bachelor’s Degree at Prairie View A&M. Cooper-Dyke, 47, collected four medals while representing the United States. She won a gold medal at the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis, captured gold at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, claimed gold at the 1990 FIBA World Championship in Malaysia, and won bronze at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. Cooper-Dyke began her professional career overseas and played 10 seasons in Spain and Italy. She returned to the United States in 1997 to play with the Houston Comets of the newly-formed WNBA.

Cooper-Dyke file

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I can understand Coach Cooper-Dyke making this move...all you need is one visit to the seaside town of Wilmington, N.C. and the campus of North Carolina-Wilmington and you will be packing up the family for a quick move. Never found a college town so peaceful and relaxing on a sunny fall day with beautiful weather nearly year round. I had the opportunity of driving my son over to Wilmington for a soccer tournament last year and enjoyed the entire day in Wilmington and the UNCW campus. Definitely a beach front city you would want to take the family for an inexpensive vacation. The magnet here is the lack of excessive commercial development that you find in most ocean front communities.

However, dang shame the SWAC and MEAC let a Hall of Fame coach get away to a directional school with no history of winning for $117,500 average salary over four years. Cooper-Dyke replaces Ann Hancock, who was fired. Hancock received a salary of $87,167 for the final season of her 10 year career at UNCW. (beepbeep)

PVAMU band a legacy to Edwards

Late Professor George W. Edwards, architect of the highly acclaimed PVAMU Marching Storm and the Black Foxes.

For more than a decade, the 80-game losing streak of Prairie View A&M's football team ranked the Panthers among the worst college football teams of all time. It wasn't until 2009 that Prairie View A&M football started showing some success and the historically black college clinched its first SWAC Western Division championship in 45 years. The conference title was a fitting tribute to Prairie View A&M's legendary band director, George Edwards, who died May 28, 2009, after a car accident in Houston, Texas.

For much of Edwards' 31 years at the school, the Marching Storm was the only reason to come out and see the football team. "During the halftime of an HBCU game, people don't go get hot dogs and cokes," said William McQueen, who took over after his friend's death. "You do that some other time. You want to be in the stands at halftime to see the show. Football people think fans come to football games to see football. With HBCU bands, we can have all bands and still fill up a stadium."



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NOTE TO MEAC/SWAC FANS:

The world-renowned Prairie View A&M University Marching Storm Band is under the very capable leadership of Dr. William F. McQueen, III. McQueen is a native of West Palm Beach, Florida. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from Florida A&M University with honors and a Master of Music Degree in Trumpet Performance from Florida State University. Dr. McQueen completed course work and recital requirements for the Ph.D. in Trumpet Performance at Michigan State University and earned the Doctor of Jurisprudence Degree from the University of Houston.

Dr. McQueen's teaching career includes teaching and serving as Assistant Band Director at Florida A&M University, under the baton of the legendary Dr. William P. Foster (founder and conductor of the world-famous FAMU Marching 100); graduate teaching assistance at Florida State University and Michigan State University and adjunct instructor of trumpet at Lansing Community College. He studied trumpet with Dr. Lenard C. Bowie at Florida A&M University, Don Hazzard at Florida State University and Byron Autrey at Michigan State University.

Dr. McQueen became a member of the faculty at Prairie View A&M University in 1978 as an Associate Professor of Music, Director of the University Marching Band and the ROTC Band (1978-1984). During his tenure at Prairie View he has had the honor of serving as interim Head of the Department of Music and Drama. Additionally he has taught in the College of Business (1989-1998) and the Division of Social Work, Behavioral and Political Science (1987- 2004).

He now serves as the Director of Bands and Director of the Trumpet Ensemble. His teaching course load includes Applied Trumpet, Instrumental Conducting, Afro American Music and Music Appreciation. The assistant directors of the Marching Storm are Larry Jones and Mark Gordon. Dr. McQueen is focusing on building a motivating force to exemplify a higher level of talent, class and intellect among band students. The Marching Storm will forever thrive and never weaken.

Legendary Coach from Illinois Blazed a Football Trail

The legendary Fred "Pops" Long overall record in 45 years as a head coach was 227-151-31. He wrote: "Race prejudice exists not only in the heart of the white man, but in the heart of the black man as well. It is due, on either side, to a misunderstanding of the other, and there is only one reasonable and hopeful way to get rid of this, and this is through education."

DECATUR, Ill. -- Millikin University recently uncovered even more reason to be proud of 1918 alumnus Fred Long, the school's first African-American graduate. During Millikin's Black History Month closing ceremonies next week, the Black Student Union will share with the rest of campus the newly found accomplishments of Long's historic life. The discovery started in November, when Millikin's archive and research associate, Todd Rudat, stumbled upon an announcement from the American Football Coaches Association.

Forty-three years after his death, the organization bestowed Long with the 2009 Trailblazers Award, an honor given once a year to the early leaders in football coaching at historically black colleges and universities.

Long's coaching career spanned five decades at four Texas colleges from 1921 until he suffered a heart attack in 1965. A second heart attack took his life in 1966. By then, he had become a national icon in the black community, earning him obituaries in national black publications including the Chicago Defender and the Pittsburgh Courier.

Long was a highly esteemed football coach who spent most of his career at Wiley College in Marshall, where his team won the Black College Football Championship four times. He also coached at Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas College in Tyler and Paul Quinn College in Dallas. "In his contemporary time, people recognized him as a legendary coach," Rudat said.

According to the NCAA, he was a part of the first recorded contest between two college coaches with 200 victories each. His Wiley team defeated a Southern University team coached by Arnett Mumford on Nov. 11, 1961.

"That was sort of a historical moment," Rudat said, pointing to one of many instances when Long set the bar for those who would come after him.

Through his research, Rudat was able to connect Long to those who were legends themselves, like Grambling football coach Eddie Robinson and poet and educator Melvin B. Tolson. Tolson was a professor at Wiley who was portrayed by Denzel Washington in the 2007 film, "The Great Debaters."

Millikin's history always has included Long's coaching career, but as Rudat dug deeper into Long's life, he discovered an entirely different accomplishment that stands on its own.

Long was one of the original members of the Negro National Baseball League in 1920.

Two years after graduating from Millikin, Long played professional baseball for the Detroit Stars during the league's first season. He also spent 1921 and 1926 with the Lions and 1925 with the Indianapolis ABCs. "He's constantly breaking down barriers that he recognizes as a young man, and sets about trying to bring about that change," Rudat said.

While at Millikin, Long played football and baseball and was a shot putter for the track team. According to Long's obituary from the Herald & Review, Millikin's 1916 football team was the first to go undefeated and the first to be called Big Blue, with the help of the 6-foot-2 Long playing center.

In additional to being a star athlete, Long was a commerce and finance student who earned a bachelor's degree after writing a thesis that took a sociological survey of the black population in his hometown, Decatur.

In his paper, he linked the idea of racial prejudice to a person's level of education. He wrote: "Race prejudice exists not only in the heart of the white man, but in the heart of the black man as well. It is due, on either side, to a misunderstanding of the other, and there is only one reasonable and hopeful way to get rid of this, and this is through education."

Millikin's effect on Long's development as a leader in the fight for equality was apparent in his life after college.

Long's first experience in the South came once he joined the Army after graduation. While stationed at Camp Greenleaf in Chickamaugua Park, Ga., he wrote to his brother Harry, who still was a Millikin student. He explained how he almost stopped to join in with a group of white men playing football but stopped when he realized he wouldn't be welcomed to join the game.

He asked his brother to give his regards to their white teammates still at Millikin who, he said, "made me feel as though I was a real man, and I'll remember that part they all played in my life."

Students accepted into Millikin's Long-Vanderberg scholar program, named after the school's first male and female African-American graduates, get a copy of that letter as part of their orientation each year.

"Millikin was progressive in many ways," said Latrina Denson, director of the Center for Multicultural Student Affairs. "And he saw that.

"Though I'm sure there was racism (at Millikin), I'm sure there were people here who were true supporters of Fred Long."

Jasmin Benavides, a sophomore and president of Millikin's Black Student Union, has learned a lot about Long while preparing for the closing ceremonies of Black History Month. "I appreciate everything that he's done before, during and after his time at Millikin," she said. "He just leaves a legacy at Millikin for us to follow."

Current Long-Vanderberg scholars have been recruited to help look through microfilm from articles about Long so the university can build a more complete history of his life.

"It's important to me to feel that even back then, Millikin had this family and welcoming atmosphere," Benavides said. "Even he could feel welcome at a university that was predominantly white."

By ASHLEY RUEFF - (Decatur) Herald & Review
LINK:http://www.herald-review.com


Fred "Pops" Long, Coaching Bio:

Long began his coaching career in 1921 at Paul Quinn (Texas) College. After recording just one victory in his inaugural campaign, Long guided Paul Quinn to a Southwestern Athletics Conference (SWAC) title in 1922. He was then hired away from Paul Quinn to take over the head coaching duties at Wiley College in 1923, which began his first of two stints as head coach at the Marshall, Texas, school. Long guided the Wildcats to nine SWAC titles from 1923-47, including four in a row from 1927 to 1930. He also led Wiley to four Black College National Championships in 1924, 1928, 1932 and 1945.

Long moved on to Prairie View A&M University in 1948 for one season, then spent the next seven years as head coach at Texas College (1949-55). He returned to Wiley College in 1956 and remained head coach until his retirement in 1965. He guided the Wildcats to another SWAC title in 1957, going 6-0 in league play. His overall record in 45 years as a head coach was 227-151-31. Long’s teams also played in three post-season bowl games, the Angel Bowl, the International Bowl and the Orange Blossom Classic, and 27 of his players were selected First Team All-America. He also coached basketball, baseball, track, tennis and golf at Wiley and won conference crowns in each sport.

In 1925, Long helped inaugurate the "State Fair Classic" matching his Wiley Wildcat team against Langston University each year until 1929 when Langston was replaced by Prairie View. The game was always on Negro Day of the state fair and soon was drawing in excess of 20,000 fans to the Cotton Bowl (stadium). During that same period he also served as Athletic Director for the colleges he worked for and often coached every sport those schools offered including track, baseball, basketball, tennis, and golf. He was elected to the presidency of the Southwestern Athletic Conference on three occasions.

On November 11, 1961, Long, with 215 coaching victories at the time, coached Wiley College against Southern University, coached by Ace Mumford who had 232 coaching victories, in the first known college football match-up in which both coaches had over 200 victories. Long's Wiley team won, 21-19. During his long tenure at Wiley College, Long also served as Athletic Director and the Fred Thomas Long Student Union building there is named in his honor.

In addition to receiving the 2009 Trailblazer award, Long has been inducted into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame (1962), the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame in Dallas (1996), and the Southwestern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame (2001). The Trailblazer Award was presented posthumously to Long at the AFCA Kickoff Luncheon on January 11, at the 2010 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) convention in Orlando, Florida. Long passed away in 1966.

The AFCA Trailblazer Award was created to honor early leaders in the football coaching profession who coached at historically black colleges and universities. Past Trailblazer Award winners include Charles Williams of Hampton (2004), Cleve Abbott of Tuskegee (2005), Arnett Mumford of Southern (2006), Billy Nicks of Prairie View A&M University (2007) and Alonzo “Jake” Gaither of Florida A&M University (2008). The award is given each year to a person that coached in a particular decade ranging from 1920-1970.

In an article appearing in The Marshall News Messenger on November 30, 2001, about Long’s induction into the SWAC Hall of Fame, the late, great Eddie Robinson was quoted as saying, “Coach Long did some great things. Long is a legend in this sport and it is imperative that he and the other nominees are enshrined for their outstanding contributions to their schools and to the community that they represent.”

From: AFCA.com and other sources

UAPB Lady Lions Upset Short-Handed Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers

University of Arkansas Pine Bluff Women Basketball Head Coach Cary Shelton.

It was right at tip-off that Cary Shelton realized the best team in the Southwestern Athletic Conference was at less than full strength. Shelton’s Arkansas-Pine Bluff women’s basketball team entered Saturday’s game in need of a win to keep its hopes for a berth in next month’s SWAC Tournament alive, and facing it was the team at the top of the standings — Prairie View A&M. But missing from Prairie View — which suited just eight players — was leading scorer Latara Darrett, second-leading scorer Candice Thomas and leading rebounder Gaati Werema, thanks to an assortment of injuries.

Shelton, though, said it didn’t matter that his Lady Lions were playing a skeletal form of the Lady Panthers. UAPB needed a win. And thanks to a decrease in turnovers from a loss on Monday and a continued emphasis on forcing them, the Lady Lions got a win, 72-59, over the defending conference champions at H.O. Clemmons Arena.

“It doesn’t matter who is out on the floor, you’ve got to go out and compete at a high level,” Shelton said. The first-year coach was disappointed with a level of competition displayed in a loss Monday night at Alcorn State, a game in which the Lady Lions committed 29 turnovers. On Saturday, he had no complaints.

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WEATHERS' LATE SHOT GIVES UAPB OVERTIME WIN

Ark.-Pine Bluff 57, Prairie View 55

As clock winds down, teams jockey for SWAC seeding position

Time is working against virtually every team in the Southwestern Athletic Conference except for Jackson State, and this weekend will have huge implications on the season-ending standings. Each team has seven games remaining except for Prairie View A&M (12-9, 7-3) and Texas Southern (11-11, 7-3), which have eight left. The weekend is huge for the two Houston programs as they get their home shots at JSU. If the Tigers go 0-for-2 on the trip, PVAM and TSU could pull into a three-way tie atop the conference, if they can also dispose of Grambling State (6-13, 4-7), which is making its Houston trip and attempting to hold off Southern (4-18, 2-9) for the last spot in the SWAC Tournament.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (8-14, 8-3) quietly sits in the best position this weekend with road games at Southern and winless Alcorn State, who are a combined 2-20 in SWAC play. It beat reigning league champion Alabama State (9-13, 6-5) for the first time in five tries on Monday, and put the Hornets in a must-win situation against in-state rival Alabama A&M on Saturday.

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PVAMU's Henry Frazier III Wins Eddie Robinson Award

Coach Frazier is the first coach of a Southwestern Athletic Conference team, or a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) to win the Robinson Award, which is presented annually to the top coach in the Football Championship Subdivision.

CHATTANOOGA, TN -- Prairie View A&M coach Henry Frazier III was named the 23rd winner of the Eddie Robinson Award Thursday night at The Sports Network's Football Championship Subdivision Awards Banquet, held at the Chattanooga Convention Center on the eve of the NCAA Division I Football Championship title game. Frazier is the first coach of a Southwestern Athletic Conference team, or a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) to win the Robinson Award, which is presented annually to the top coach in FCS. Robinson, the legendary Grambling State coach, spent much of his career in the SWAC.

"It is a humbling honor," said Frazier. "It's a great honor to be considered the top coach in your conference and it's an even greater honor to be considered the top coach in the country." Taking over a program best known for losing an NCAA-record 80 consecutive games from 1989-98, Frazier led the Panthers to a perfect 7-0 conference mark, the SWAC West Division title and their first-ever berth in the SWAC championship game since the title contest was introduced in 1999.



Frazier is 36-27 at Prairie View and has gone 25-5 in the past three years. Prairie View completed its season with a thrilling, 30-24 SWAC title game victory over Alabama A&M. The Panthers hadn't won a SWAC championship since 1964, and 2009 marked the team's second consecutive 9-1 season. "When we took over at Prairie View, if there were 119 teams, we were the 119(th) team in the country," Frazier said. In 2008, Prairie View also beat both Grambling and Southern in the same year for the first time in 35 seasons, and posted its first nine-win campaign since 1953, a feat they duplicated this season.

The 2009 season marks the first time the Panthers have had three consecutive winning years since legendary PVAM coach W.J. Nicks ran off nine straight such seasons from 1957-65. Frazier also coached the Panthers to the No. 18 spot in the final regular season Sports Network poll, the highest ranking Prairie View has ever held. PVAM was ranked 25th last season, the first time the Panthers had ever made a poll appearance.

In the second-closest balloting in Robinson Award history, Frazier received 24 first-place votes out of the 125 ballots cast by a panel of sports information directors and select media who regularly cover FCS. He picked up 237 points to edge J.C. Harper of Stephen F. Austin by two points. (Full voting information is available at sportsnetwork.com). Jerry Moore of Appalachian State won by one point over Craig Bohl of North Dakota State in 2006.

The Sports Network established the Eddie Robinson Award in 1987. Past recipients of this prestigious honor include current FCS coaches, two-time winner Mickey Matthews of James Madison, Northern Iowa skipper Mark Farley, New Hampshire's Sean McDonnell, Villanova's Andy Talley, Mike Ayers of Wofford and Elon's Pete Lembo, when he won the coveted award with Lehigh.

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Prairie View 49, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff 17

Prairie View finishes undefeated in SWAC play







PRAIRIE VIEW, TX — With a spot in the Southwestern Athletic Conference title game already secured, Prairie View A&M didn’t have much to play for in Saturday’s regular-season finale against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. But that didn’t mean the Panthers would take it easy on the Golden Lions. Quarterback K.J. Black tossed a career-high five touchdown passes, running back Donald Babers rushed for two scores, and the defense forced four turnovers to carry the Panthers to a dominant 49-17 win before a crowd of 3,889 at Blackshear Stadium.

The Panthers (8-1, 7-0 SWAC) closed the regular season on a seven-game winning streak and recorded their first undefeated conference campaign since 1964. Prairie View, the Western Division champion, will try to capture the program’s first SWAC crown since 1964 when it faces Eastern champion Alabama A&M in the league’s title game Dec. 12 in Birmingham, Ala.

Prairie View 49, Ark.-Pine Bluff 17

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- K.J. Black threw for five touchdowns and 312 yards to lead Prairie View A&M to a 49-17 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday. The win closed out a dominant season by Prairie View (8-1, 7-0), which already clinched the Southwestern Athletic Conference Western Division title the week before.

Prairie View A&M Caps Off Undefeated Conference Slate With 49-17 Win Over ...

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas - K.J. Black threw five touchdown passes and Donald Babers rushed for 121 yards and two scores as Prairie View capped off an undefeated conference slate for the first time since 1964 in a 49-17 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday afternoon at Blackshear Field. A 45-yard field goal by Carlos Reyes gave UAPB (5-4, 5-3 SWAC) an early 3-0 advantage in the first quarter but Prairie View (8-1, 7-0 SWAC) answered on its opening drive as Black found wideout Shaun Stephens for a 41-yard touchdown reception. After a UAPB punt, Prairie View moved ahead 14-3 as Black hit wide receiver Gabe Osaze-Ediae on a 21-yard touchdown reception.

GOLDEN LIONS CAN’T KEEP UP WITH PRAIRIE VIEW

Arkansas-Pine Bluff entered its game against Prairie View A&M on Saturday without the possibility of advancing to next month’s Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game, but with the hope of knocking off the only team yet to lose a SWAC game. After giving up two touchdowns in the first quarter on Saturday at Blackshear Stadium in Prairie View, Texas, the Golden Lions pulled within four points late in the second quarter. The Panthers, however, added a touchdown in the final minute of the second quarter that started a string of four unanswered touchdowns to put the game away.

The Panthers’ three second-half scores were all on plays longer than 30 yards as they blew out UAPB 49-17 on Saturday. The Golden Lions (5-4, 3-3) will finish their season next Saturday against Texas Southern in Dallas, while Prairie View (8-1, 7-0) will play Alabama A&M in the SWAC Championship Game on Dec. 12 in Birmingham, Ala. The Golden Lions couldn’t have advanced to the conference title game with a win Saturday, but they could have ended a progress-making season on a three-game winning streak. That possibility went away when its usually stingy defense had its second sub-par outing in as many games.

Attendance: 3,889@ Blackshear Stadium, Prairie View, Texas

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State Fair Classic: Prairie View A&M 35, Grambling State 32

Prairie View A&M gets first win over Grambling State since 1986

The clock was ticking down, and the Prairie View A&M players were jumping. The program had waited a long time to celebrate against Grambling State. So when the game officially ended with The Panthers on top, 35-32, they stormed the field and tossed up a banner in the rain. Horns blared. Quarterback K.J. Black waved a golden champions belt. For the first time since 1986, Prairie View (2-1) had defeated Grambling (2-3), and this wasn't a celebration. This was catharsis, soaking-wet catharsis.

"People here have been waiting on this a long time," Black said. Black fooled them Saturday at the Cotton Bowl's State Fair Classic. He fooled everyone. His fake, one that hadn't worked all game, sealed the victory. It was fourth-and-1 with 1:22 to go. The Panthers needed a foot. Run it up the middle, right? Instead, coach Henry Frazier called a play that would let Black decide his team's fate. He took the snap with the option to hand off the ball or run it outside. Black saw a linebacker coming and sprinted outside for a major gain. No one saw it coming. "That was all K.J.," Frazier said. Black capped off his big day after running for two touchdowns and throwing for two more.



GSU loses to Prairie View

DALLAS — Greg Dillon did what Greg Dillon does against Prairie View. It just wasn't enough this time, as Prairie View won an historic State Fair Classic, 35-32. The Panthers hadn't beaten Grambling State since 1986 --- and had only bested its Southwestern Athletic Conference divisional rival 11 times since 1950. "The ball bounces a lot of different ways, and that has determined the winner," Grambling coach Rod Broadway said. "Prairie View has been good since we've been here."

Last year, Dillon secured the starting position in GSU's dominating win at the State Fair Classic. He found his long-lost rhythm again against these Panthers --- exploding for 293 yards and 3 touchdowns, two in the air and one on the ground. But Prairie View had this game in hand from the first, jumping out to a two-score lead, and only briefly falling behind as Grambling came alive in the third-period to make it interesting with three quick scores. "If you want to be the champs," Prairie View coach Henry Frazier said, as GSU's players silently filed off the field, "then you have to beat the champs."



State Fair Classic Attendance: 42,786 @ Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas

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Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical University Marching Storm Band @ State Fair Classic 10/3/09, Dallas, Texas

New Mexico State 21, Prairie View A&M 18

Aggie Football Beats Prairie View A&M

LAS CRUCES, N.M.-New Mexico State football head coach DeWayne Walker earned his first career victory with the 21-18 Aggie win over Prairie View A&M, Saturday, Sept. 12, at Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces, N.M. Junior running back Seth Smith led the Aggies with a career-high 150 rushing yards. NM State hadn’t registered that many yards on the ground since 2003 when Eric Higgins recorded 218 against Louisiana-Monroe. Sophomore quarterback Jeff Fleming added two touchdown runs in the first half, while senior running back Marquell Colston put the Aggies up for good with a fourth-quarter score.

NMSU Aggies Coach DeWayne Walker--- Courtesy: New Mexico State University

After Prairie View A&M tallied the first points of the game with a 30-yard field goal, the Aggies responded with an 11-play, 80-yard scoring drive of the game to take a 7-3 lead. Fleming posted his first career touchdown with a 10-yard run. Smith and Colston combined for 59 rushing on the drive, which also included Fleming’s first completion of the game. Sophomore wide receiver Todd Lee grabbed an 11-yard pass to continue the Aggie campaign. NM State established the running game early and recorded 100 yards on the ground after the first two series.


Pregame 9-12-2009, Prairie View vs. Aggies NMSU Las Cruces PRIDE Marching Band

Halftime 9 12 09 Prairie View vs. Aggies NMSU Las Cruces NM PRIDE Marching Band and Sundancers

In the second quarter, the Aggies scored again for a 14-3 advantage after 12 plays and 67 yards. Smith was the workhorse with 28 rushing yards. Fleming collected his second touchdown of the contest on a quarterback sneak. With less than a minute before the half, junior defensive back Alphonso Powell grabbed his first interception of the season. The turnover was the lone one in the first half.

Smith had 102 rushing yards on 14 carries at the break, and that mark was the first time an Aggie had achieved that feat since the Nevada win in 2008. Following a scoreless third quarter, the Aggie ground attack continued and NM State increased the lead to 21-3. Colston claimed his first of the touchdown of the year on a four-yard rush that concluded a 12-play, 71-yard drive. The Panthers scored a pair of late touchdowns to pull within three, 21-18.

Attendance: 15,902 @Aggie Memorial Stadium
NM State in-game notes
Box Score

Area Colleges: Prairie View has offensive issues

Prairie View A&M coach Henry Frazier III was surprised to enter a mostly silent locker room after the Panthers' 17-7 season-opening win over Texas Southern in Saturday's Labor Day Classic. Several defensive players were excited about the performance of their unit, but members of the offense didn't see much reason to celebrate. After all, the offense recorded only 176 yards, converting just three of 15 third-down attempts. “I said, ‘It's so quiet in here; you guys act as if you lost the game,'” said Frazier, who won his third straight Labor Day Classic. “They were like, ‘We could have done a lot better, coach.'”

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Prairie View A&M 17, Texas Southern 7

PVAMU extends reign over TSU at Labor Day Classic

It wasn’t exactly a classic way to open the season. Not for either school. Nonetheless, Prairie View A&M will savor a 17-7 season-opening victory over Texas Southern on Saturday night in the State Farm Labor Day Classic at Reliant Stadium. The Panthers have won the last three Labor Day Classic games. Prairie View escaped with a win in this Southwestern Athletic Conference game, despite producing just 176 yards of offense and committing 13 penalties. TSU had 204 yards of offense and was penalized 20 times.

On their first possession of the fourth quarter, the Tigers were forced to punt from their goal line, giving the Panthers excellent field position. Anthony Weeden returned the punt to the TSU 15 to set up quarterback Jay Bluford’s touchdown pass to Brandon Bell to push the Panthers ahead by 10 points with 12:02 to go. “We went into the game blind,” Bluford said. “We had absolutely nothing to go off. We had to make adjustments on the fly. We had no film. (Offensive coordinator Michael) Bryant did a wonderful job today, especially not knowing what they were going to throw at us.

Photo Gallery:
• Photos: Football and music at Labor Day Classic

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SU rides Spear, big fourth inning to 10-3 victory over PVAMU

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas — Taking the mound on an early-but-crucial Sunday afternoon in Southwestern Athletic Conference play, Southern pitcher James Spear made sure the Jaguars didn’t stumble. The senior right-hander gave Southern its third straight quality start to begin SWAC play, allowing three runs in seven innings. Better yet, the Jaguars’ batting order erupted for nine runs in the fourth inning to topple Prairie View, 10-3 — clinching the first conference series of the season for SU.

“James Spear threw a lot of strikes and got the job done for us today,” Southern coach Roger Cador said. “It makes me feel awful good that we had all three of our starting pitchers have a good outing here so early (in the season). ... We have some other guys who we’re going to look at. But for them to pitch, it’ll be in midweek games and in mop-up situations in SWAC series.”

The Southern offense, meanwhile, came alive in the top of the fourth, chasing off Prairie View starter Brandon Kendricks in the process. Trailing 2-0, the Jaguars sent 14 batters to the plate and scored nine runs on five hits. SU drew three walks and took advantage of two Panthers errors in the inning.

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Southern finalizes Thursday night football game

Coach Pete Richardson and the SU Jaguars will have lighter out-of- conference schedule in '09 facing Division II Central State (OH), Tennessee State and UL-L. The Jags are currently seeking a D-II or FCS D-I opponent for an Oct. 17 home date.

Jaguars to face Prairie View on Oct. 22

As expected, Thursday night football is coming to Southern. SU Athletic Director Greg LaFleur and coach Pete Richardson confirmed Tuesday that the Jaguars’ home game against Prairie View will happen on a Thursday — at 7 p.m. Oct. 22 in A.W. Mumford Stadium before a national television audience on ESPNU. SU’s move to Thursday night is a result of the television deal between the Southwestern Athletic Conference and the ESPN family of networks.The SWAC had three Thursday night ESPNU games in 2008: Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Alcorn State on Sept. 18; Mississippi Valley State at Alabama State on Sept. 25; and Grambling at Texas Southern on Nov. 20.

Southern hosted Florida A&M on Oct. 18 on ESPNU. This, however, will be SU’s first Thursday night home game. “You never like to play on a Thursday night, especially with our fan base,” Richardson said. “But it was our turn to play, and we’ll play. It’ll be a little bit of a different experience, playing on a short week. You just hope you don’t come out with too many injuries the game before that.” Of course, at this point, Richardson doesn’t yet know whom he’ll play the week before the Prairie View game. SWAC teams will play seven conference games next season, leaving schools to fill out their schedules with four nonconfrence opponents (teams within the Football Championship Subdivision will play 11 games in 2009).

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LeRoy Vann, FAMU and Zach East, PVAMU named to Walter Camp All-American Team

Florida A&M University junior return specialist LeRoy Vann was named Friday to the 2008 Walter Camp Foundation NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) All-America Team. The all-star team is selected annually by the head football coaches and sports information directors of the FCS member schools.

The 5-9, 185-pound speedster from Tampa, Florida's Blake High School, shattered numerous school, conference and NCAA records for total returns, return yardage, while tying NCAA marks for combined TD kick returns with six. Vann tied Bashir Levingston of Eastern Washington (1998) and Corey Smith of Montana State (2003) with six (6) combined TD returns in NCAA FCS for a season. He also finished the 2008 campaign as the NCAA FCS all-time single-season leader in combined kick return yardage with 1,583 yards, surpassing the old mark of 1,469 set by Samford's David Primus in 1989. Vann also ended the season with 66 combined returns, surpassing the former mark of 64 by Connecticut's Joe Markus in 1981.

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Prairie View A&M University Panthers side linebacker Zack East was also named to the Camp All-American Team. The 6-2/230 defensive standout lead the Panthers to their best record in three decades (9-1) with 69 tackles in 10 games, with two quarterback hurries, three sacks, 14.5 tackles for losses, 1 interception and one funble recovery. East has lead Prairie View nationally ranked defense for the past two years.

In all, players from 13 different conferences and 20 institutions were represented on the 2008 Walter Camp FCS All-America team. The Southern Conference had the most players (6) followed by the Big Sky Conference (5) and Colonial Athletic Association (4). Five schools had multiple players selected, led by Appalachian State with three. Elon, James Madison, Northern Arizona, and Montana each placed two players on the 2008 Walter Camp All-America team.

2008 Walter Camp Football Championship Subdivision
All-America Team

OFFENSE
WR Ramses Barden* Cal Poly Sr. 6-6 227 Altadena, CA
WR Terrell Hudgins* Elon Jr. 6-3 235 Rocky Mount, NC
TE Scott Sicko New Hampshire Jr. 6-3 230 Stillwater, NY
OL Colin Dow Montana Sr. 6-5 300 Billings, MT
OL Nick Hennessey Colgate Sr. 6-6 300 Danvers, MA
OL Joel Bell Furman Sr. 6-8 308 Spartanburg, SC
OL Jonathan Bieschke Appalachian State Sr. 6-5 275 Port St. Lucie, FL
C Scott Lemn James Madison Sr. 6-3 285 Virginia Beach, VA
QB Armanti Edwards Appalachian State Jr. 6-0 184 Greenwood, SC
RB Herb Donaldson Western Illinois Sr. 5-11 225 St. Louis, MO
RB Rashad Jennings Liberty Sr. 6-1 230 Forest, VA
PK Andrew Wilcox Elon Sr. 6-2 231 Richmond, VA

DEFENSE
DL Greg Peach Eastern Washington Sr. 6-2 250 Vancouver, WA
DL Jovan Belcher Maine Sr. 6-2 228 West Babylon, NY
DL Larry Hart Central Arkansas Jr. 6-1 242 Madison, MS
DL Greg Miller Villanova Sr. 6-3 250 Willow Grove, PA
DL John Faletoese UC Davis Sr. 6-3 292 Carmichael, CA
LB Nathan Williams Murray State Sr. 6-1 225 Murray, KY
LB Zach East Prairie View A&M Sr. 6-2 230 Houston, TX
LB Bobby Abare Yale Sr. 6-2 220 Acton-Boxboro, MA
DB Mark LeGree Appalachian State Soph. 6-0 200 Columbus, GA
DB Marcus Haywood James Madison Sr. 6-0 190 Williamsburg, VA
DB Colt Anderson Montana Sr. 5-11 195 Butte, MT
DB K.J. Gerard Northern Arizona Sr. 6-1 187 Fountain Valley, CA
P Robbie Dehaze Northern Arizona Sr. 6-3 193 Sherwood, OR
KR LeRoy Vann Florida A&M Jr. 5-9 182 Tampa, FL

* - 2007 Walter Camp FCS All-America selection

- http://www.waltercamp.org/

Prairie View A&M University Marching Storm 2008

PVAMU Alma Mater

Prairie View erases deficit, beats Southern 24-23

Photo Gallery: PVAMU 24, SU 23

After watching his offense scuffle in the first half against Southern, Prairie View A&M coach Henry Frazier III told running back Donald Babers that it was up to him to carry the load in the second half. Babers rushed for 102 of his game-high 116 yards in the second half, quarterback Mark Spivey threw for a touchdown and ran for another and linebacker Zach East returned an interception for a score to help the Panthers turn a 14-point deficit into a 24-23 victory in front of a crowd of 19,514 at Reliant Stadium.

With Babers as the primary catalyst, Prairie View outscored Southern 21-6 in the second half. “Coach told me that he was going to put the team on my back, and I was up for the challenge,” Babers said. The Panthers improved to 7-1, their best start since 1964. More importantly, they improved to 4-1 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play, keeping alive their hopes of winning the West Division title and advancing on to the SWAC championship game.

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