HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Here's this week's "Mondays with Anthony," all you need to know and more about Alabama A&M football:
This week: Alabama A&M (2-6, 2-4 in the SWAC) at Alcorn State (7-2, 5-1), 4 p.m., Jack Spinks Stadium, Lorman, Miss.
Last week: The Bulldogs lost to Alabama State 31-7 in the 72nd annual Magic City Classic.
Saturday's standouts: Robert Nelson had eight tackles and Reginald Bailey seven for an A&M defense that held Alabama State to just 14 points in the first three periods before fatigue and frustration set in.
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Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Notes from Rick Comegy’s telepresser and more
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Every Monday, the SWAC holds a telepresser, allowing the coaches to talk about plans for the week and the media to ask followup questions. One of the topics Jackson State coach Rick Comegy briefly touched upon, which I agree with, is improving in open-field tackling. Prairie View broke through a number of JSU tackles, and its quarterback De’Auntre Smiley was able to escape and do some damage on the run. JSU’s defense gave up a whopping 585 offensive yards, 408 which were passing.
“We got to get a little better in open-field tackling … when we got somebody wrapped up and letting them get out of there on a pocket,” Comegy said.
That’s an area Comegy said his team will polish this week. JSU has its “second” bye week, which seems to be well-timed because the Tigers haven’t had a break since fall camp in August.
•JSU’s “second” bye week perfectly timed
“This is our first break really,” Comegy said. “Last week was only a one-day break. We got right back to work. Now this gives us a little bit of a break.”
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Homecoming 2013: Southern University Human Jukebox vs. Alcorn State Sounds of Dy-no-mite
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TSU's Williams Speaks at Coaches Versus Cancer Luncheon
NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- On Tuesday, Tennessee State’s Travis Williams joined other local men’s basketball head coaches for the Third Annual Coaches vs. Cancer Tip-Off Luncheon held at the Vanderbilt Student Life Center.
The event was presented by Northwestern Mutual, The Pruitt Financial Group and ran from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with the coaches answering questions during the last hour. Williams was joined onstage by Lipscomb’s Casey Alexander, Belmont’s Rick Byrd, Middle Tennessee’s Kermit Davis, Austin Peay’s Dave Loos, Vanderbilt’s Kevin Stallings and Tennessee’s Cuonzo Martin.
Among the topics covered by the coaches were the early season outlooks on their respective programs to which Williams said:
“We have a lot of new guys on this year’s team, but they have done everything that the coaches have asked of them so far. All of our players are giving maximum effort, listening to the coaches and working hard in the gym and classroom.”
The topic of the new NCAA rules and regulations were brought up as well as the news that former Tennessee State forward Robert Covington had made the Houston Rockets’ final roster.
“When you look at Robert Covington, you see a phenomenal young man who worked his way from a six-foot-seven, 175 pound guy that no big school wanted, into an NBA Player. He epitomizes what it means to have a dream, work hard and be successful.”
The event ended with questions from the audience and the announcement of the winners of the silent auction.
The Coaches vs. Cancer program is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) that empowers basketball coaches, their teams, and local communities to make a difference in the fight against cancer. The program leverages the personal experiences, community leadership, and professional excellence of basketball coaches nationwide to increase cancer awareness and promote healthy living through year-round awareness efforts, fundraising activities, and advocacy programs.
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Back-To-Back: Florida A&M Rattler Cross Country Repeats
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Courtesy: Florida A&M Sports Information
Rattlers repeat as MEAC Cross Country Champions |
Elias Chesire, the junior runner from Eldoret, Kenya, led the charge, winning first place in 25:04.00 in the 8K race. This earned him back-to-back MEAC Cross Country Outstanding Athlete and All-MEAC awards. This is also on the heels of Chesire being named the USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week.
Daniel Cheruiyot placed second for the Rattlers, coming in in 25:17.10. He was followed by teammates Kevin Marindich 25:27.90 and Geoffrey Sambu at 25:28.00. This combination represented four athletes with a combined perfect score of 10 points. Robyel Kidane took the No.20 slot in 27:14.20 to seal the voctory for the Rattlers. Dieumy Duclos took the No.22 spot in 27:21.50.
The 30 point total was over half as few as second place Howard University's 68, who took second place. The Rattlers didn't overlook the MEAC Championship, but focused on making the best finish possible. Coach Wayne Angel was named the meet's Most Outstanding Coach, for the second consecutive year. Chesire, Cheruiyot, Sambu and Marindich all earned All-MEAC for their finishes in the race.
Angel was pleased with the overall championship performance. "Our team had an outstanding meet. We had the goal of taking the 1-2-3-4 sweep, which I thought we were capable of if we ran our race. The reality of it happening is something to behold. I was really pleased with how our Rattlers executed our strategy. They stayed on our race plan and the results reveal that they are a formidable force when they do that. Words can not express how proud I am of these young men. Back-to-back champions...what more could you ask?"
Angel was named the MEAC Outstanding Cross Country coach for the second consecutive time.
Men's 8K Final - 2013 MEAC Championship2013 MEAC Men’s Results
Florida A&M 30 points
Howard 68 points
North Carolina A&T 80 points
Norfolk State 94 points
Maryland Eastern Shore 138 points
Bethune-Cookman 195 points
Morgan State 203 points
Delaware State 204 points
Hampton 213 points
Coppin State 267 points
North Carolina Central 284 points
Savannah State 294 points
South Carolina State 329 points
2013 MEAC Men’s Cross Country All-Conference Team (Top 15 finishers)
Elias Chesire, Florida A&M
Daniel Cheruiyot, Florida A&M
Kevin Marindich, Florida A&M
Geoffrey Sambu, Florida A&M
Elisha Metto, Howard
Khalil Kinini Rmidi, Maryland Eastern Shore
Damtew Adnew, Norfolk State
Sammy Kiptoo, Norfolk State
Giovani Mowatt, Howard
Daniel Ketter, Bethune-Cookman
Saeed Jones, North Carolina A&T
Aaron Harrison, Howard
Ricy Brown, Bethune-Cookman
Darren White, North Carolina A&T
Lenier Tucker, Morgan State
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Ram Ramblings: Maynor knows about TV ratings
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- The N.C. A&T-WSSU rivalry is always something Coach Connell Maynor of the Rams will talk about even if the news is about three months old.Maynor was asked by Taresh Moore of WXII, who was there with a television camera at Maynor's press conference, would he like to play the Aggies again.
It was a harmless question, but an old one.
Maynor then proceeded to say it would be great for the community and the schools to play again. He also joked around about the Aggies having to wear big-boy pants. That was in reference to Coach Rod Broadway of the Aggies, who challenged the Rams to come scrimmage the Aggies back in August.
All of this comes about this week as the Aggies will play Virginia Lynchburg in their homecoming game. The Rams will play Shaw in an important CIAA game Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Bowman Gray Stadium.
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2013 HBCU Tip-Off Championship postponed
ATLANTA, Georgia -- The 2013 HBCU Tip-Off Championship set to be held November 8-11 at Phillips Arena has been postponed."It is with regret, due to unforeseen circumstances we have to postpone the inaugural HBCU Tip-Off Championship scheduled for November 8-11, 2013 at Philips Arena," said Kevin Clayton, CEO. "In order to maintain the ability to deliver our program now and in the future it became necessary to postpone until 2014."
"We remain committed to building awareness and support for the HBCU community, its student athletes and athletic programs. We are extremely grateful to the City of Atlanta, Philips Arena, Georgia World Congress Center, our partners, sponsors, ticket purchasers, volunteers and alumni groups that share our vision."
Please continue to visit www.tsuball.com for the latest breaking news regarding Texas Southern University Men's Basketball.
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TSU Tigers Set School Record on Final Day of Fall Season
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| Kelly Merkel finished with a TSU low 78 Courtesy: Tennessee State Athletics |
Nashville, Tennessee –- The Tennessee State women’s golf team closed out the fall portion of their season by recording the best round as a team at the Braun Intercollegiate hosted by the University of Evansville. The Tigers battled through the fog in the morning and rain in the afternoon to shoot a new school record, 326, at the Par-71, 6,012 yard Quail Crossing Golf Club in Boonville, Ind. The mark is nine strokes better than the previous record, set during the first round of the Murray State Drake Creek Invitational earlier this season.
Kelly Merkel (88-78=166) paced TSU on Tuesday with a 7-over, 78. Merkel hit six fairways and nine greens on her way to cutting 10 strokes off her first round score. The sophomore carded 11 pars on the day, including up-and-downs on 2, 11 and 16.
A day after registering a collegiate best in her young career, Natalie Spicer (82-80=162) duplicated the honor with a 9-over, 80. The new career best came as Spicer used up-and-downs on 6, 7, and 9 to save par and a birdie on the par-3, 8th.
Sarah Needleman (90-83=173) dropped seven strokes from her first round and shot a career low 83. Needleman recorded her previous low two weeks ago at the F&M Bank APSU Intercollegiate when she shot an 86 on day one. On the par-4, 15th, the sophomore executed an up-and-down by dropping a six-foot putt to save par. Needleman hit nine fairways, five greens and used 35 putts during the second round.
Amelia Dap (86-85=171) secured the final scoring round for the Tigers as she hit eight fairways and closed out the day with three consecutive pars. Dap used a great save on the par-3, 5th, as she found the sand, short of the green. The sophomore found her way out of the trap and put her close to save par.
Laura Bremer (88-88=176) shot her second consecutive 88 as she hit 10 fairways and found four greens in regulation, while knocking down one up-and-down. Bremer averaged less than two putts per hole during her non-scoring round.
The Tigers will return to action in the spring at the Murray State Invitational on March 3-4.
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Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Coppin State athletics director steers athletes toward graduation
Ramsey was in Indianapolis, Indiana, last week for the NCAA Leadership Counsel
meeting of which he is a committee member. During his stay, he met with the NCAA
staff to conduct this interview.
BALTIMORE, Maryland -- When Derrick Ramsey became athletics director at Coppin State five years ago, the school’s Graduate Success Rate was 58 percent. Today, that number has grown to 75 percent, and Coppin State student-athletes average a 3.0 GPA.
This year alone, the rate climbed six percentage points—the biggest jump of Ramsey’s tenure.
“The thing I was up against at Coppin was I had to change the whole culture of the athletics department,” Ramsey said. “Prior to me coming there, the athletics department was a culture of eligibility, not graduation.”
Ramsey accomplished this shift through a holistic focus on academics that combines summer classes and classes over winter break with a fifth-year degree completion program and an innovative program that integrates campus faculty with the athletics department. In 2012 Coppin State was awarded an NCAA Accelerating Academic Success grant worth $900,000 over three years to assist with those initiatives.
The AASP grants are aimed at developing methods to help schools meet the requirements of the NCAA Division I Academic Performance Program. One of those standards calls for increasing the graduation rates and academic success of student-athletes at Division I institutions outside the Football Bowl Subdivision. Schools eligible to apply for the program are in the bottom 10 percent of resources as determined by per capita institutional expenditures, athletics department funding and Pell Grant aid.
“Now with this grant we’re able to compete with anyone in the country,” Ramsey said. “We’ve never had a semester over the last five years when we’ve been below a 3.0 GPA average. Now with these monies we’re going into a higher gear.”
That higher gear means dedicating even more resources toward an integration program that pays for faculty to travel with teams. The grant allows Ramsey to pay for travel expenses as well as enrichment programs that help faculty understand the value of intercollegiate athletics.
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BALTIMORE, Maryland -- When Derrick Ramsey became athletics director at Coppin State five years ago, the school’s Graduate Success Rate was 58 percent. Today, that number has grown to 75 percent, and Coppin State student-athletes average a 3.0 GPA.
This year alone, the rate climbed six percentage points—the biggest jump of Ramsey’s tenure.
“The thing I was up against at Coppin was I had to change the whole culture of the athletics department,” Ramsey said. “Prior to me coming there, the athletics department was a culture of eligibility, not graduation.”
Ramsey accomplished this shift through a holistic focus on academics that combines summer classes and classes over winter break with a fifth-year degree completion program and an innovative program that integrates campus faculty with the athletics department. In 2012 Coppin State was awarded an NCAA Accelerating Academic Success grant worth $900,000 over three years to assist with those initiatives.
The AASP grants are aimed at developing methods to help schools meet the requirements of the NCAA Division I Academic Performance Program. One of those standards calls for increasing the graduation rates and academic success of student-athletes at Division I institutions outside the Football Bowl Subdivision. Schools eligible to apply for the program are in the bottom 10 percent of resources as determined by per capita institutional expenditures, athletics department funding and Pell Grant aid.
“Now with this grant we’re able to compete with anyone in the country,” Ramsey said. “We’ve never had a semester over the last five years when we’ve been below a 3.0 GPA average. Now with these monies we’re going into a higher gear.”
That higher gear means dedicating even more resources toward an integration program that pays for faculty to travel with teams. The grant allows Ramsey to pay for travel expenses as well as enrichment programs that help faculty understand the value of intercollegiate athletics.
CONTINUE READING @ NCAA.ORG
Rattler Report: Overview of FAMU athletics
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Rattler Report: Overview of FAMU athletics: Doug Blackburn talks with Michael Smith, FAMU interim athletic director, about FAMU's athletic facilities in this week's Rattler Report.
CatEye Network' s Postgame Report B-CU Football vs South Carolina State.
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- CatEye Network' s Postgame Report B-CU Football vs South Carolina State. Featuring Terrence Gattling, Johnny Vickers C.J. Wilson, and Lericia Harris.
Banged-up SCSU Bulldogs not throwing in towel, Pough says
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- The “battle scars” are still very much fresh for South Carolina State two days after its 14-3 loss at Bethune-Cookman.It’s a “Who’s Who” of Bulldogs dealing with a variety of injuries. While most – defensive ends Andrew Carter (ankle) and Malcolm Reed (back), wide receiver Tyler McDonald (thigh) and cornerbacks Darius Drummond (chest) and Mason Harris (leg) – are expected to play this Saturday at Savannah State, running backs Xavier Quick (shoulder) and Dondre-Lewis Freeman (knee) will remain on the sidelines, said head coach Buddy Pough Monday.
While S.C. State (5-3, 3-1) tends to its wounds, Pough said the team appears to have rebounded mentally from any lingering letdown from a loss that could deny it the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title and a Football Championship Subdivision playoff appearance. While the odds of a conference title or even an at-large berth appear slim in Pough’s mind, he believes his team is not ready to “throw in the towel” on the rest of the season.
“I think we want to be ...
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Nuggets' magic number is 1 after beating Philander Smith
NEW ORLEANS -- Kerris Crier tied her career high of nine kills Monday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 25-21, 25-14, 25-16 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's volleyball victory against Philander Smith.
The Gold Nuggets (21-7) extended their school-record winning streak to 15 and reduced to one their magic number for winning a third consecutive regular-season championship. They can clinch the title with a victory against city rival Dillard in a 6 p.m. Wednesday match at the Convocation Center.
Crier, Jodi Hill and Claudia Haywood had three blocks apiece. Moira Kirk had seven kills and hit .417 in 12 attempts. Franziska Pirkl had 12 digs.
Zyra Wright had 13 kills, two aces, a block and eight digs for the Lady Panthers (9-22, 6-5), who have lost four in a row and six of their last seven.
Xavier rallied from a 13-9 deficit in the first set and clinched on Haywood's kill. Crier had two kills and two blocks, and Pirkl served two aces during a 10-0 run to start the second set.
Destiny Jackson's ace put the Gold Nuggets ahead to stay at 11-10 in the final set, and she set up Emily Reuther for her first collegiate kill to end the match.
Xavier outhit Philander Smith .209 to .000 and had a 35-24 advantage in kills. The Lady Panthers hit minus-.320 in the second set.
The Gold Nuggets have won a school-record 12 consecutive home matches, eight this season. They have won 32 consecutive GCAC regular-season matches and 38 in a row overall against conference opponents.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
TSU's Spicer Shoots Career Low on Day One of Evansville Tournament
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| Photo courtesy of Tennessee State Athletics |
Tennessee -- Freshman Natalie Spicer carded a career best 82 during the first round of the Braun Intercollegiate hosted by the University of Evansville. Spicer guided the Tigers on a cool day at the Par-71, 6,012 yard Quail Crossing Golf Club in Boonville, Ind.
Spicer hit 11 fairways and 11 greens on her way to seven pars and a birdie as she finished at 11-over. The first-year just missed a hole-in-one on the par-3, 17th, as her tee shot stuck just outside of the cup. Spicer tapped in for her lone birdie. On the par-4, 6th, Spicer converted on an up-and-down to save par.
Amelia Dap finished four shots behind Spicer with a 15-over, 86. The redshirt-sophomore hit a 4-iron off the tee box at 11, 165 yards into the wind and landed inches from the flag setting up a tap in birdie. Dap continued solid play on the par-4, 4th, hitting the fairway and reaching the green in two. The Murfreesboro product two putted for par. Dap averaged less than two putts per hole on day one.
Laura Bremer and Kelly Merkel both entered the clubhouse with an 88. Bremer highlighted the round by sinking a 12-foot putt for birdie on the par-5, 3rd. The sophomore transfer finished with 12 fairways, six greens, 33 putts and an up-and-down on Monday.
Sarah Needleman shot a non-scoring 90.
The final round will begin with a shotgun start at 10:00am on Tuesday.
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Monday, October 28, 2013
MVSU Delta Devils cross country repeats as SWAC champs
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| COURTESY MVSU ATHLETICS |
It marked the fourth overall championship title for the Delta Devils, including their third in the last four years. MVSU's Danielle Douglas was tabbed Coach of the Year for the second straight year.
MVSU had three runners to finish in the top 10 totaling 66 points. Valley's Daniel Kibet won the individual crown in the men's 8k for a second consecutive year, crossing the finish line at 26:28.16. As a result, he earned the SWAC Cross Country Male Athlete of the Year. His teammate, Felix Kiprop, finished second with a time of 26:28.16.
Jose Serrano came in 6th place with a time of 27:29.02 while Romello Nalepa captured the 15th spot with a 27:57.94 finish.
Cross Country Championship Monday for the second straight year at the Watson Cross Country Course of Choctaw Trails.
Other Valley athletes include: Juan Perez (42nd, 30:17.60), Victor Chesang (30:43.18) and Earl Winters (58th, 37:49.17).
Results
Facebook Photo Gallery
| 2013 All-SWAC Men's Cross Country - First Team | |
| Name | Team |
| Daniel Kipet | Mississippi Valley State |
| Felix Kiprop | Mississippi Valley State |
| Sorone Batiste | Prairie View A&M |
| Brian Alvarado | Texas Southern |
| Brandon Coombs | Alabama State |
| 2013 All-SWAC Men's Cross Country - Second Team | |
| Name | Team |
| Jose Serrano | Mississippi Valley State |
| Trevor Gayten | Grambling State |
| John Watkins | Prairie View A&M |
| Samuel Rhodes | Jackson State |
| Deonte Pope | Grambling State |
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Frosh Bell got starting QB nod after veteran Reid's injury
DURHAM, North Carolina — The shakeup under center that generated a weekend win for N.C. Central had less to do with Jordan Reid’s production as the starting signal caller and was more about his fitness to physically handle the job, NCCU interim coach Dwayne Foster said Monday afternoon.
“The decision actually came down to Jordan’s health,” Foster said. “Jordan’s been fighting through some injuries over the past couple of weeks, and we thought that a healthier quarterback in Malcolm Bell would give us the best chance to win.”
NCCU beat Savannah State 24-10 on Saturday, and Bell, a redshirt freshman who was making his first college start, passed for 174 yards and threw for a touchdown to go along with a rushing touchdown.
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Reid, a redshirt senior, had been the starter all season for NCCU (4-4, 2-2 MEAC).
Foster said Reid got hurt again during Thursday’s practice and was checked out by a doctor on Friday morning, keeping him from riding to Georgia with the team.
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“The decision actually came down to Jordan’s health,” Foster said. “Jordan’s been fighting through some injuries over the past couple of weeks, and we thought that a healthier quarterback in Malcolm Bell would give us the best chance to win.”
NCCU beat Savannah State 24-10 on Saturday, and Bell, a redshirt freshman who was making his first college start, passed for 174 yards and threw for a touchdown to go along with a rushing touchdown.
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Reid, a redshirt senior, had been the starter all season for NCCU (4-4, 2-2 MEAC).
Foster said Reid got hurt again during Thursday’s practice and was checked out by a doctor on Friday morning, keeping him from riding to Georgia with the team.
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The day after JSU’s 51-38 win over Prairie View
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State is two wins away from an undefeated conference season. But it needs only one to clinch the Eastern Division and punch a ticket to Houston for the SWAC Championship game.JSU outlasted Prairie View Saturday for the 51-38 victory, and moved 7-2, 7-0 SWAC. Its offense posted a season-high 555 yards, its defense held PVAM scoreless in the fourth and redshirt freshman Canard Brown looks like a promising punt returner for JSU.
As Rick Comegy said after the game, the win was a team effort, and that’s what Jackson State needs to be seeing at this point in the season.
The Tigers get another rest and return to action on Nov. 9 against Alabama A&M.
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At Grambling, a Proud Football Program at Risk
On Wednesday, workers painted hash marks on the field at Eddie G. Robinson Stadium. Officials ran out of room for reporters in the press box. Police officers stood sentry at the football complex entrance, their squad cars parked inside the metal fence. Talk centered on lawsuits and fines for the forfeit; on mold and dilapidated weight-room floors; on what happens now, after Grambling announced to the world it was broke.
Players returned to practice, and this was significant because late last week, they did not practice, and last Saturday, they did not play. As a proud university rich in tradition sorted through the disarray of the past 10 days — the boycott, a campus rally, the suspension and reinstatement of two student journalists, the removal of a second football coach this season — two issues emerged as primary causes: the brutal financial strains confronting the nation’s historically black colleges and universities and the region’s public universities; and the common discord on college campuses between powerful football coaches and administrators who want to exert control.
ASU Lady Hornets Three-Peat as SWAC Champs; Men Finish 2nd
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| COURTESY SWAC.ORG |
CLINTON, Mississippi — The Alabama State women's cross country team won its third straight SWAC Championship, while the men finished second Monday at the league meet held at Mississippi College.
The Alabama State women's team easily outdistanced second-place Mississippi Valley State, which finished with 99 points.
The Lady Hornets were led by Paige Rankin, who finished second overall with a time of 18:20. ASU had five other top-10 finishes to include taking spots 3-5. Artrailia Lesane (18:27.05) placed third (18:27.05), Tatiana Etienne (19:06.55) placed fourth, Kim Wedderburn (19:06:98) placed fifth, Shantia Wilson's (19:37.91) seventh and Soyong Smith (19:56.87) ninth for Alabama State.
Jerrica Mahone (20:32.28), Santina Williams (20:33.45), and Markia Bartely (22:26.91) help wrap up the victory for the Lady Hornets.
The Lady Hornets ran a combined time of 1:34:38.67, averaging 18:55.74 per runner.
"Anytime you can win three championships in a row, it's special," said head coach Ritchie Beene, who again won SWAC Women's Head Coach of the Year honors. "As the saying goes, the third time is the charm, and the charm came because we had six runners finish in the top 10, which in my career has never happened before. We're going to enjoy this moment and then prepare to move on to the next phase of the season.
Rankin, LeSane, Etienne, and Wedderburn all received First-Team All-SWAC honors and Smith was named to the Second-Team. With the win, the Lady Hornets have now qualified for the NCAA South Region. The regional championship will be held in Tuscaloosa, Ala. on Nov.15th.
Behind Alabama State and Mississippi Valley, were Jackson State (135 pts.), Grambling (141 pts.), Texas Southern (145 pts.), Southern (145 pts.), Prairie View (150 pts.), Alcorn State (154 pts.), Alabama A&M (181 pts.) and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (205 pts.).
The men came into the championship looking to improve on their fifth-place finish from last season. They were able to do that and more with a strong second-place finish.
The Hornets were led by Brandon Coombs who finished 5th, crossing the finish line in 27:27.28. Andrew Coicou (27:58.56) finished 16th, Bryont Brown (28:01.29) finished 17th and Tyree Newton (28:14.28) finished 19th.
Coombs received First-Team All-SWAC honors for his top five finish. Other finishers for the men were Dyrez Ribeiro (28:54.52), Teven Avant (29:33.06), Christian Jones (30:04.03), Carlos Flores (30:31.95) and and Waynemond Bruce (30:57.73).
Like the women, several of the men set personal records today in the event that helped lead ASU to their improvement from last season. The Hornets ran a combined time of 2:20:35.93 averaging 28:07.19 per runner.
"It was exciting to watch the men finish second overall," Beene said. "We knew coming into the
Alabama State which finished second overall needed only 15 points to catch overall winner Mississippi Valley which won the men's event with 66 points to ASU's 81.Prairie View (83 pts.) was third and Grambling (90 pts.) was fourth. Fifth-place finish was Jackson State (97 pts.), Texas Southern (119 pts.), Southern (155 pts.), Alcorn State (210 pts.) and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (212 pts.)
championship we had the talent to finish in the top three and a shot at winning it. We will go back to the drawing board with this men's team, get back to recruiting, and fill in the gaps that we missed out on today."
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Ram Ramblings: WSSU didn't resemble championship-type team
SALISBURY, North Carolina – I’ve seen all but about two or three of the 47 games Connell Maynor has coached in his four seasons at Winston-Salem State and I was surprised at what happened earlier today in a 40-0 win over Livingstone.
For those who didn’t go to the game when they see the score they’ll probably think that it was just another ho-hum victory for the Rams.
It was not.
What I saw in the first half when the Rams lost a fumble on a punt return (Sidney Lawson) and two other fumbles on offense (wide receiver Chase Powell and quarterback Rudy Johnson) was a far cry from a team that hopes to win the national championship. In fact, what I saw in the first half was a team that wouldn’t even come close to winning a division title in the CIAA.
I knew that the Rams would probably...
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Benedict Tigers Edge Morehouse On Late Field Goal, 29-26
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Benedict College Eduardo Hernandez kicks the game-winning field goal.
ATLANTA, Georgia – Eduardo Hernandez kicked a 22-yard field goal with 31 seconds left to lift the Benedict Tigers to a 29-26 victory over the Morehouse Maroon Tigers on Saturday, spoiling Morehouse's Homecoming.
The Tigers won for the second week in a row and improved to 4-4 overall and 2-1 in the SIAC East. Morehouse fell to 6 overall and 0-3 in the SIAC East.
The winning field goal was a redemption of sorts for Hernandez. The sophomore kicker missed an extra point on Benedict's first touchdown, a quick-strike 72-yard pass from Brandon Thompson to Maurice Griffin on the Tigers' first offensive possession of the game. That point proved pivotal later when Morehouse's Hector Solis missed an extra point in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 19-19.
"When he missed that extra point, I was really disappointed in him," Benedict head coach James Woody said. "One thing he said was, 'OK, coach, I've got you.' I said, 'Eddie, this thing may come down to you, so be ready.' He came through in the clutch and I'm real, real proud of him."
The Tigers' defense held Morehouse to 68 yards rushing and 249 yards of total offense. Benedict registered four sacks and 10 tackles for loss in the game.
"Our defense, they bend but they don't break. They came up with some great opportunities on third-down situations," Woody said. "They got some big sacks in the second half. We kind of put a little pressure on them and I think that was the difference once we got some pressure on them."
For Benedict, Tavion Wright rushed for 126 yards, the first Benedict player to rush for more than 100 yards since Michael Adams had 115 yards against Miles in the final game of the 2010 season.
"He ran the ball very well. He had something to prove. He's been banged up a little bit this year. But that kid was runner-up for Mr. Football back in Ohio when he came out of high school. He really gave us a push in the running game and I'm happy he had a good game today."
Brandon Thompson, in his second game starting at quarterback, completed 16-of-26 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns, but also had two interceptions.
Morehouse opened the game by taking the opening kickoff and driving to the Benedict 2-yard line, thanks to a 22-yard pickup on fourth-and-19 from the Benedict 32. But the Benedict defense held the Maroon Tigers out of the end on three rushing attempts, and Morehouse settled for a 21-yard field goal by Solis for a 3-0 lead.
On Benedict's first play from scrimmage, Thompson was supposed to pitch the ball to Harlon Samuels on a halfback pass, but kept the ball himself and sailed a bomb to a wide open Maurice Griffin running down the far sideline for a 72-yard scoring strike. Hernandez missed the extra point for a 6-3 Benedict lead.
Morehouse added a touchdown after a long drive to take a 10-6 lead. Benedict tacked on a 25-yard field goal by Hernandez early in the second quarter after the Tigers failed to score a touchdown on a first-and-goal from the 7, and the score remained 10-9 at the half.
A 35-yard pass helped move the Maroon Tigers to the Benedict 12-yard line on their opening drive of the second half. But the Benedict defense held them to a 32-yard field goal by Solis and Morehouse led 13-9 with 10:36 on the clock.
Benedict regained the lead on the next series. The Tigers drove 67 yards behind the running of Wright and a 32-yard pass from Thompson to Griffin. Then Thompson completed a 12-yard pass to Marcus Graham for the touchdown. Hernandez made the extra point to give the Tigers a 16-13 lead with 7:33 remaining in the third quarter.
Morehouse intercepted a Thompson pass at their own 4-yard line. The Maroon Tigers were pinned deep in their own territory, and Benedict's pressure nearly resulted in a safety. But Morehouse was able to punt the ball back to the Tigers, who took over in good field position. Benedict only moved the ball 15 yards, but that was enough for Hernandez to kick a 39-yard field goal and give Benedict a 19-13 lead with 2:05 left in the third.
The Maroon Tigers got a 50-yard punt return by Thomas Williams on their first possession of the fourth quarter, and capitalized on the good field position and Williams scored on a 3-yard run. Solis missed the extra point when it hit the right post. But a penalty on Benedict allowed Solis another attempt. This time, his extra point attempt missed to the left.
A fumble on the ensuing kickoff gave Morehouse the ball back. A 12-yard pass on third-and-7 gave the Maroon Tigers a first down at the Benedict 10. Two plays later, Williams ran it in from 9-yards out. Solis hit the extra point for a 26-19 Morehouse lead with 8:35 left in the game.
Benedict came right back. Rodney Hall returned the ensuing kickoff to near midfield, and Thompson connected with Samuels for a 32-yard pass. Wright scored on a 14-yard run and Hernandez's PAT tied the game at 26-26 with 6:55 on the clock.
Morehouse faced a fourth-and-six at midfield on the ensuing possession, but a fake punt resulted in just a four-yard rush by their punter, giving the ball back to the Tigers with 4:46 left to play.
"They had some great stops at the end. I'm very happy for the defense," Woody said.
Wright busted through the line for a 17-yard pickup, and then Thompson and Samuels connected again on third down for a 19-yard pass play to the Morehouse 15. From there, the Tigers kept the ball on the ground and worked the clock, setting Hernandez up with a short attempt and the winning points.
Samuels had seven catches for 104 yards. Griffin had four catches for 109 yards and a touchdown.
Tyri Harvey and Charles Powell led the Benedict defense with eight tackles each. Brandon Beech had six tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery.
Benedict is back on the road next week to face Albany State.
COURTESY BENEDICT COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION
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Fort Valley State cruises to homecoming win
FORT VALLEY, Georgia - At this rate, referees might have elbow and shoulder pain after officiating Fort Valley State football games.
As it is, the Wildcats are certainly inducing headaches on their own sidelines.
Despite an inability to go more than handful of plays against lesser competition much of the day without drawing a broad variety flags, Fort Valley State rolled to a 52-19 win Saturday over Concordia-Selma on homecoming at Wildcat Stadium.
FVSU improved to 3-5 in breaking a three-game losing streak while Concordia fell to 1-6.
The Wildcats have their third and final home game in six days when Morehouse visits in SIAC play. And officials for that game might need to loosening up their arms in pregame, certainly based on nearly every other FVSU outing all season.
FVSU crammed a game's worth of penalties in the first half alone, racking up 16 flags for 122 yards. The Wildcats entered the game averaging 14 flags for 129 yards, so they were above/below average in both categories by early in the third quarter.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
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