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NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Virginia State men's basketball coach Darryl Jacobs put it best: It was not so much what Virginia Union did, but what his team did not do.
The game was tied at halftime, but the Trojans shot only 18.5 percent from the field after the break, while the Panthers remained consistent. The glaringly irregular performance led to a familiar result in this lopsided CIAA rivalry. Virginia Union defeated Virginia State 67-54 in the Big Apple Classic at Madison Square Garden.
"(We) can't go 5 for 27 in the second half and expect to win a basketball game," Jacobs said while staring down at the statistics sheet. "It's not going to happen." Jacobs said his team lost intensity. VUU, on the other hand, shot 55.6 percent in the first half and 45.5 percent in the second.
Panthers coach Luqman Jaaber said his team remained consistent because it was not intimidated by the bright lights ...
Petersburg, VA - The Virginia State University football team finished last season on a nice note - an appearance in the CIAA championship game - so it is no wonder the Trojans under the direction of coach Andrew Faison look forward to the season opener at Norfolk State University on Saturday. Game time is 6 p.m.
Faison, who enters his 10th season as VSU head coach, has posted a 49-42 record during that span. Prior to the start of the 2010 football season, coach Faison and his Trojans were predicted to finish eighth in the CIAA. Faison guided his team to an overall record of 8-3 and to the CIAA Football Championship game.
The Trojans lost in that championship game, by a touchdown, to Shaw but are in preparations to get back to the CIAA final. Virginia State, the defending Northern Division champions, was ranked sixth (out of 12 teams) in the CIAA preseason poll but were picked second in the Northern Division.
Coach Darryl Butler, Virginia State University (Photo Courtesy VSU Athletics)
Petersburg, VA -- Darryl Butler joins the Virginia State University athletic staff as an Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach. Butler comes to VSU from Frederick Community College in Frederick Md, where he spent the past three seasons as the associate head coach. During his last two years there, the men’s basketball team finished with an overall record of 41-18 and won their first Region XX Championship in school history in 2010.
Prior to his experience at Frederick Community College, Butler spent four years at Montgomery Community College in Silver Spring, Md. He served as an assistant coach for two years then became the head coach in 2006-07. After the 2005-06 season, Montgomery Community College won their first Region XX and District 7 Championship and finished 6th in the nation in NJCAA Division III.
Butler was an assistant coach at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, VA where they won the Patriot District North Region in 2003-04. Before T.C. Williams, he was an assistant coach at Howard University for the 2000-02 seasons where he help revitalized a program under Frankie Allen that finished 18-10 and reached the MEAC tournment championship game in their second season. He received his first assistant coaching position at Whittier College in Whittier, CA in 1997. Butler next moved on to an assistant coaching position at Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA in 1999-2000 under Jan Van Breda Kolff. There he was part of a West Coast Conference (WCC) Regular Season Championship and a NCAA tournament appearance and win.
The Trojans are excited to welcome Butler to their men’s basketball coaching staff. Butler brings a wealth of basketball knowledge and local recruiting ties to the Tri-city area.
“Butler comes with a great deal of college coaching experience and recruiting ties especially in this region. He’s a VSU grad which means a great deal to our college community,” says VSU’s head men’s basketball coach, Darryl Jacobs.
Coach Butler is a native of Suffolk, VA and also a Trojan alumni, graduating from Virginia State University with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration in 1989. Butler and his wife, Rosalie, have three children, Nikko (13), Kennedy (11), and Victoria (4).
In Division II, Virginia State University in Petersburg, Va., brought home its first-ever division title, defeating Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo., by seven strokes. Winston-Salem (N.C.) State University finished alone in third place overall.
Virginia State Head Coach Jeff Hamilton was pleased with his team's performance. "This came all the way down to the wire and my kids played well enough to win," said Hamilton, in his fifth year as head coach. "It is always a battle with teams like Fayetteville State University and Lincoln University. It will be another battle next year, too."
John Cole of Fayetteville State University was the Division II medalist, finishing with a 220 three-day total.
Men's Team Division II 1. Virginia State (+63) 315-307-305--927 Stephen Genchi 78-77-75--230 Stuart Larus 82-78-77--237 Brian Wood 77-76-78--231 Mike Swope 87-76-80--243 Rashad Hunt 78-81-75--234
Simpson rallies, wins individual crown for Virginia Union
FORT LEE, Va. – Virginia Union’s Mason Simpson shot a final-round 70 Thursday to win the 2011 CIAA Men’s Golf Championship individual title while Virginia State took home the team title with a two-day total of 603.
Simpson came into the final round two shots behind the first-round leader Mike Swope of Virginia State, but his final-round 70 was enough to overtake Swope to win the title by four strokes. Simpson was the only golfer under par for the tournament while Swope finished with a 1-over par 145.
Virginia State followed its opening round 301 with a final-round 302 to win the team title by 14 strokes ahead of Winston-Salem State, which shot a two-day total 617.
Fayetteville State finished in third place with a two-day score of 645 (322-323) while Chowan finished fourth (650, 319-331) and Virginia Union came in fifth (693, 345-348). Livingstone pulled in the sixth-place finish (699, 349-350) followed by St. Augustine’s in seventh (723, 368-355), Elizabeth City State in eighth (756, 394-362), Johnson C. Smith in ninth (768, 394-374) and St. Paul’s in 10th (918, 471-447).
The all-tournament team, which consists of the top five golfers by score for the two-day tournament, included: Mason Simpson (Virginia Union), Mike Swope (Virginia State), Glendon Mabe (Winston-Salem State), John Cole (Fayetteville State) and Brian Wood (Virginia State).
The all-conference team was also announced and included: Brandon Bailey (Virginia Union), John Cole (Fayetteville State), Cliff Forbes (Chowan), Stephen Grenchi (Virginia State), Rashad Hunt (Virginia State), Glendon Mabe (Winston-Salem State), Lawrence McKenzie (Livingstone) Zack Sheets (Winston-Salem State), Mike Swope (Virginia State), Michael Thornton (Livingstone), Brian Wood (Virginia State). The all-conference team is selected based on overall average scores from the two divisional tournaments and the conference championship. To be eligible players must have competed in all three tournaments.
Virginia State will now represent the CIAA as a team in the 2011 NCAA Super Regional Golf Tournament.
Virginia State University has namedDarryl Jacobsas the new head coach of the men’s basketball program on April 4th.
Darryl Jacobs will be the 19th Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Virginia State University. Jacobs comes to Virginia State University after spending the last five years at Clark Atlanta Universityas the Head Men's Basketball Coach. During his tenure at Clark Atlanta University, Jacobs led the program to its first winning season in 10 years during the 2007-2008 season. That same season he also led the program to the semi-final round of the conference tournament.
During the 2008-2009 season, Jacobs led the program to its second consecutive winning season in 12 years. Clark Atlanta also won its first SIAC conference championship in 14 years under Coach Jacobs’ leadership during the 2009-2010 season. Clark Atlanta also advanced to the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament as the #5 seed. Prior to the 2010-2011 Clark Atlanta was ranked #25 nationally. Clark Atlanta finished the past 2010-2011 season with a 22-9 record overall and made it to the SIAC championship for the second season in a row. Clark Atlanta again advanced to the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament.
ETTRICK - Standing behind a lectern in the two-day old Gateway Dining and Events Center, Virginia State University Athletic Director Peggy Davis introduced another welcome addition to the Ettrick campus at a press conference on Monday.
Amid much applause and even a few "woo-woos," Darryl Jacobs was unveiled as the 19th coach of the VSU men's basketball team. Formerly at the helm of Clark Atlanta University, Jacobs boasts 22 years of coaching experience.
Stepping out on a high note, Darryl Jacobs announced Friday that he will step down as head men's basketball coach at Clark Atlanta to pursue an as-yet unnamed opportunity.
Jacobs guided the Panthers to the 2010-2011 SIAC championship, finished second in the postseason tournament and led the team to the NCAA Division II national tournament.
NEW YORK -- Braxton Byerson swiveled toward the Spike Lee seats at Madison Square Garden and yapped with the fans at yesterday's Big Apple Classic. He had just hit an important 3-pointer at the end of the first half to solidify a lead Virginia Union (2-0) did not relinquish in a 66-46 win over rival Virginia State (1-4).
Byerson soaked in the moment. His screams stretched through the iconic arena. His post-shot swagger made him the game's most theatrical performer. But it was his scoring -- 26 points, trumping the 23 he scored on the same court last season -- that made the difference in the victory.
"Coach said when I first got here, 'You're a crowd pleaser,'" Byerson said. "It just always stuck with me. I just get in touch with the crowd when they start talking to me. It just gives me energy. I feed off it. I tend to play better when I feed off it."
New York, NY - The Big Apple Classic has announced that hip hop legend Doug E. Fresh is confirmed to participate as a host at the fifth anniversary of the Big Apple Classic on Saturday, December 4, 2010 at Madison Square Garden.
Doug will host the drumline competition portion of the CIAA and MEAC basketball thriller that is known for bringing heart-pounding basketball, electrifying drumlines and other southern black college traditions to the tri-state area. The Big Apple Classic is the only basketball tournament that showcases teams from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) at the world famous Madison Square Garden.
This year's Big Apple Classic starts on December 3 with a kick-off party at Greenhouse and continues on December 4 with rival games between CIAA schoolsVirginia State Universityand Virginia Union Universityand MEAC schools Hampton University and Howard University. Games start at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. respectively.
Thousands of alumni, students, celebrities and other basketball fans are expected at what has become one of the most highly anticipated family and social events of the year. Last year's Big Apple Classic drew more than 10,000 attendees, including celebrities such as Gayle King and the Rev. Al Sharpton. Other highlights include an essay contest for high school students, a Black college fair, a drumline competition, and musical guests.
Event tickets are $29.50 and $54.50. A portion of ticket proceeds will be donated to Every Child USA to support efforts to improve the quality of life of America's children through literacy, health and opportunity.
For a $5 discount per ticket (active starting on Wednesday, Dec. 1) or more information, visit www.thebigappleclassic.com
Internationally celebrated as "The Human Beat Box," Doug E. Fresh rose to fame in the 80's and 90's with hip hop mega hits like "The Show/La Di Da Di," "Keep Risin' to the Top," and "All the Way to Heaven." He remains a highly sought after performer and continues to draw fans of all ages and backgrounds. Doug has been featured on American Idol and most recently he is enjoying new-found attention from the dance craze, The Dougie, which is sweeping college and professional sports games nationwide. The pop culture dance pays homage to Doug's signature dance moves and his iconic status in hip hop as "The World's Greatest Entertainer." The Dougie reached critical mass recently when CNN invited Doug into the studio to teach Wolf Blitzer "how to do The Dougie."
About the upcoming Big Apple Classic, Doug offers: "I think that what the Big Apple Classic is doing to support young people getting an education is very important. Education is key. We are coming to a basketball game, but education is still the focus and I respect that. It's positive and it's fun and that's what I'm all about."
ETTRICK, Va. -- Every day after practice, Virginia State Football coach Andrew Faison leaves Rogers Stadium and heads down a winding walkway that takes him past Daniel Gymnasium and in the direction of the James Hugo Johnston Memorial Library.
Along the way, he sometimes pauses to watch intramural football games at a nearby field. He's not necessarily expecting to find anything, but he looks nonetheless. Good thing he does. It was on one of those visits in 2009, albeit after the urging of some of his players, that he first discovered Alfred Ngauja.
Faison liked what he saw enough to offer Ngauja a chance to participate in spring workouts. "Once we got a chance to put the pads on him and see how he fared, he had that 'it' with him," Faison said.
Videographer: UrbanSportsITG (#26 Alfred Ngauja earns MVP for performance in 2010 CIAA Championship game).
ETTRICK, VA - The Virginia State football team's improbable run to the CIAA championship game is going to be a tough act to follow. But the men's basketball team is not shying away from the challenge. Like the football team, the Trojans were picked to finish fourth in the Northern Division and are looking to duplicate that success.
"They raised the bar for us," said senior Brandon Plummer. "Since they went to the championship, we knew we have to come in and set the tone, just like they did." So far, so good. VSU defeated visiting Pfeiffer 65-52 in the season opener at Daniel Gymnasium Monday.
The Central Interscholastic Athletic Association (CIAA) football championship game was a tale of two stories Saturday, Nov. 14 at Durham County Stadium.
You would think the Shaw University Bears completely toppled the Virginia State University Trojans (VSU) by looking at the box score. Shaw out gained VSU with 412 total yards compared to the Trojans’ 136. Yet Shaw only barely edged the Trojans, 14-7, to claim the CIAA crown.
VSU was able to keep the score tight despite being blasted by Shaw’s potent running game. Bears’ star tailback Raymond Williams was named Shaw's Most Valuable Player after rushing for 117 yards and a touchdown on 33 carries.
Videographer: hbcusportsonline - (Virginia State University Trojan Explosion 11/13/10)
DURHAM, N.C. - Brian Berry had a step on his defender, it seemed, but the ball sailed just beyond his outstretched arms, thus ending the Virginia State University football team's storybook season. The CIAA Northern Division champions lost to Shaw 14-7, winners of the Southern Division, in the conference championship game at Durham County Stadium on Saturday.
The Bears dominated at times, posting a 412-136 advantage in offensive yards, but the Trojans lingered thanks to an ability to play timely defense and propensity to make big plays when they needed them most. In the end, however, Shaw's senior duo of running back Raymond Williams and quarterback Kevin Atkins did enough to secure the Bears' third conference title in four years.
DURHAM, N.C. -- The Virginia State Trojans tried to make the most out of the least yesterday in the CIAA football championship game. And it almost worked. But the Trojans were unable to score when they needed a touchdown most and lost to Shaw University 14-7 in Durham County Stadium.
Shaw will find out today if it advances to the Division II playoffs. The Trojans' postseason hopes rest with the chance of an invitation to the Pioneer Bowl in Columbus, Ga.
ETTRICK, VA - The Virginia State University football team provided several memorable moments on its way to a CIAA Northern Division championship.
Ian White's 70-yard interception return for a touchdown in the homecoming win over Lincoln and Brian Berry's electrifying 54-yard touchdown reception in the season finale at St. Paul's spring to mind. But no moment was more meaningful than the third play of the Trojans' final series in a road game at Bowie State.
Trailing 15-10 late in the fourth quarter, quarterback Jarred Battle hit wide receivers Timothy Paulk and Brian Berry on consecutive short out routes to start the drive. Battle, who had struggled all game, took a snap from midfield on the next play and found a wide-open Paulk on an out-and-up route for the game-winning touchdown with 1:07 remaining.
First cousins are combining to put the “foot” in football at Virginia State University (VSU).
Justin Parker and Billy Rudd, the “kickin’ cousins,” give the Trojans a strong Chesterfield presence, along with dynamic defensive back Howard Spencer Jr. Coach Andrew Faison’s squad entered the final week of the season (at St. Paul’s) with the chance to win the CIAA North and advance to the Nov. 13 CIAA championship game in Durham.
The overall CIAA kingpin earns an automatic berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs. A trip to the playoffs would be a first for VSU, but then again, it’s the first time first cousins have supplied all the kicking. Place-kicking Parker, a senior and Matoaca High graduate, has nailed all six field goals this season (long of 39) and is 28-for-30 in extra points.
RICHMOND, VA - The Virginia State University football team tallied three touchdowns on offense and two on defense en route to a 35-7 drubbing of Virginia Union in a CIAA game on Saturday. The matchup, which was the 101st between the two teams, came 380 days after VUU hung a school-record 490 rushing yards on VSU in a 31-3 blowout.
The Trojans counted those days, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to turn the table on their cross-town rivals. "I definitely marked in on my calendar," said VSU running back Antwain Lyde. "This was a time when we had to get our revenge from last year."
And that's exactly what the visitors did on a beautiful afternoon at Hovey field in Richmond.
Virginia Union University's Jerell Washington rushed for 150 yards and a touchdown, but Virginia State University downed VUU 35-7 in the Panthers' home finale of the 2010 season.
Washington's yards came on 27 carries and accounted for VUU's only score on the day. VUU's Antonio Harris had eight tackles on the day while Fletcher Redd had two sacks. The loss dropped VUU to 3-6 overall on the season and 3-4 in CIAA play. Virginia State raised it's record to 7-2 overall and 5-1 in CIAA play.
Virginia State will go into Saturday's game at archrival Virginia Union controlling its destiny for the Northern Division berth in the CIAA championship game, which will be played in Durham County (N.C.) Stadium for the third straight year Nov. 13 at 1 p.m.
"We look forward to our premier football event returning to Durham. Without question, the 2010 season is one of the most exciting in CIAA history," Commissioner Leon Kerry said. "We still have seven teams with a realistic chance of winning their division and a place in the championship game."
Still in the Northern Division hunt with the Trojans over the closing weeks of the regular season are Bowie State, Elizabeth City State and Chowan.
ETTRICK, VA - It's a good thing the cannon at Rogers stadium fires blank rounds after every Virginia State University touchdown. If actual cannon balls were required, there may not have been enough on hand Saturday as home team routed Lincoln 42-0 in a CIAA matchup.
The Trojans defense fired a blank of their own, claiming their first shutout of the year by forcing five turnovers and limiting the Lions to 225 yards of total offense.
VSU senior Laquentin Milo got things started for the home team by picking off a pass from Lincoln quarterback Steven Torres. The 6-0, 220-pound linebacker returned it 29 yards to the Lions' 16-yard line, much to the delight of a rowdy homecoming crowd.
ETTRICK, VA -- Daronte McNeill took Elizabeth City as far as he could, but it was a balanced Virginia State attack that prevailed 15-10 last night. Playing on just five days rest, the Trojans went with a wildcat offense that spread the carries around, then let sophomore quarterback Jarred Battle finish the job.
The Vikings had McNeill, who nearly completed a second-half comeback, but his mud-stained jersey showed just how heavy the team rode its workhorse back. Unlike VSU, McNeill had no quarterback to lean on -- sophomore Namon Jones threw three interceptions in his first collegiate start.
ETTRICK, VA - The spotlight suits the Virginia State University football team. The Trojans played host to the CBS Division II game of the week and were seemingly unphased by the national audience. They jumped out to a first-half lead and held on to beat visiting Elizabeth City State University 15-10 on Thursday in a CIAA North Division game.
After fumbling on its first possession and punting on its second, Virginia State performed the football equivalent of batting for the cycle. The Trojans scored in every possible way - tallying a touchdown, two field goals and a safety en route to a 15-3 lead.
Elizabeth City State’s football team’s motto this season is “Seal the Deal.” On Saturday, the Vikings had several chances to seal the game and ultimately had to turn to a handful of backups to secure a 17-14 win over Virginia Union.
Virginia State University's football team held on late in the fourth quarter to secure a 20-13 win against Chowan University in Murfreesboro, NC on Sept. 25. Justin Parker's 2nd made field-goal (19; 30), from a season long 30 yards out gave VSU a 20-6 lead with 3:23 remaining in the game. Coach Andrew Faison and the VSU Trojans won their first northern divisional conference game with a balance attack of 168 yards passing and 153 yards rushing improving to their best start at 3-1 since the 2002 season.
(3-1) Virginia State University's defense gave up a late touchdown with a minute left in the fourth, after only giving up only two Chowan field-goals the entire game. Chowan rushed for 66 total team yards due to the Trojans stingy and smart defensive group.
Led with 9 tackles from senior LaQuentin Milo (Florence, SC), senior James Pratt's (Alexandria, VA) and junior Clifton Haney's (Orlando, FL) 7 tackles the Hawks averaged 1.8 yards rushing on 36 carries. Chowan also received pressure when they attempted to pass as VSU recorded a season high 6 sacks. Red-shirt freshmen Timothy Durant (Hyattsville, MD) and senior Isiah Townsend (San Francisco, CA) both had 2 sacks each and three others each recorded one; senior Andre' Adams (Washington, DC), senior James Pratt (Alexandria, VA), and sophomore Thomas Sykes (Newport News, VA).
ETTRICK, VA - Virginia State picked up where it left off last season, playing strong at both ends of the field, but it still wasn't enough to satisfy coach Andrew Faison in the Trojans' season opener. "We got the 'W,' that's the main thing," said Faison, after watching his Trojans whip Livingstone 30-6 last night before 2,577 at Rogers Stadium.
"I thought we had too many personal fouls. We played to the end and then we had a couple of letdowns, special teams-wise. A couple of big third-down plays [by Livingstone]. I'm real disappointed for us because we put the ball on the ground so many times [five fumbles]. "We got down in the red zone and couldn't punch it in." Indeed, as VSU linebacker Jeremy Pruitt put it, "I think we could have won by at least 50 points."
ETTRICK, Va. - Dr. Paulette Johnson is a rare breed of coach.
She has no true rival. And no true peer. What she does have - without having to ask - is respect and a legion of former Virginia State University cheerleaders (Woo Woos) who remain loyal. Johnson has earned every ounce of those positive feelings. Feelings not just from within the Virginia State community, but from the NCAA Division II ranks as well.
During her tenure, she helped guide the Woo Woos to the top of the CIAA - and the nation. Few schools have a cheerleading program that can challenge Virginia State. Thanks to Johnson, who is stepping down after coaching the Woo Woos since 1974.
Expect an outpouring of love over the weekend as Virginia State celebrates the career of Johnson, including a meet-and-greet session Friday and a banquet at the Hilton Garden Inn in Colonial Heights on Saturday night.
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Virginia State men's basketball coach Darryl Jacobs put it best: It was not so much what Virginia Union did, but what his team did not do.
