Lincoln’s Legends & Legacy: Lincoln product Henry Lawrence (FAMU), Manatee County’s most successful NFL player

Through the Tunnel: Henry Lawrence earned All-America status as a junior at Lincoln Memorial High but was benched as a senior at Manatee High School because of Race.

PALMETTO, Florida -- Henry Lawrence’s life depicts the plight of the Lincoln High football program and how the players used camaraderie to overcome adversity.

A NFL first-round draft pick and three-time Super Bowl winner with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, Lawrence is the most successful professional football player Manatee County ever produced.

First, he had to conquer the effects of racism that almost derailed his career in high school and cost him significant money as a professional.

The offensive lineman played on the last Lincoln High football team in 1968. That year as a junior, he earned first-team All-American honors as a two-way lineman who played defensive end, tackle and tight end.

Integration came the following year and nearly the entire Lincoln team came to Manatee High to play the 1969 season. Most wound up on the bench and many quit. The coaching staff at Manatee was not prepared for the new era and treated the Lincoln players as second-class citizens not good enough to warrant playing time.

Lawrence was a standout defensive end who could terrorize quarterbacks and a person who believed in standing up for his rights regardless of the personal consequences.

After three games, he went to head coach Jack Mackie and explained his concerns about how the black players were being treated. The response: He was benched for the rest of the season. At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, Lawrence was replaced by an 155-pound white player at defensive end.

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Tennessee State Ebo Ogundeko Named Media Preseason Player of the Year, Tigers Picked Sixth

NASHVILLE. Tennessee - The Tennessee State football team was picked to finish sixth in the Preseason Media Poll for the Ohio Valley Conference, while redshirt-junior defensive end, Ebo Ogundeko was selected as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

The Tigers received 60 total points, behind Jacksonville State (135), Eastern Kentucky (111), Eastern Illinois (105), UT Martin (93) and Southeast Missouri (63). TSU is picked to finish ahead of Murray State (52), Tennessee Tech (37) and Austin Peay (19).

Tennessee State is coming off their first non-winning season since 2011 after finishing 4-6, 1-6 in the OVC. Head coach Rod Reed enters his seventh season and will rely on 65 returners from last year's team, including six offensive and eight defensive starters.

Ogundeko collected 52 tackles in his first season with the Tigers after transferring from Clemson. The redshirt-junior registered 10 tackles-for-loss and five sacks, while forcing a fumble and picking up three quarterback hurry’s. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native was the lone Tiger to earn First Team All-OVC honors for in 2015.

The Tigers will report for fall camp on Aug. 4 in preparation for the John Merritt Classic on Sept. 3.

2016 Media OVC Preseason Football Predicted Order of Finish
1. Jacksonville State (15 first-place votes) - 135 points
2. Eastern Kentucky - 111
3. Eastern Illinois - 105
4. UT Martin - 93
5. Southeast Missouri - 63
6. Tennessee State - 60
7. Murray State - 52
8. Tennessee Tech – 37
9. Austin Peay - 19

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Eli Jenkins (QB), Jacksonville State
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Ebenezer Ogundeko (DE), Tennessee State

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Baltimore's Keron DeShields (TSU) to Begin Pro Career in Italy

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Former Tennessee State men's basketball star Keron DeShields (Baltimore, Md.) signed his first professional contract to play the upcoming season with Latina Basket in Italy.

The guard, who is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, led TSU with 16.5 points per game during the 2015-16 season. A prolific scorer, DeShields poured in 1,110 career points during his collegiate career that included three seasons at the University of Montana before transferring to Tennessee State. He sat out the 2014-15 season at TSU per NCAA transfer rules and played his final season with TSU in 2015-16.

“Thank you to my TSU family for helping me along the way these past two years: my teammates, assistant coaches, teachers, administration, compliance and the media personnel for pushing me to be the best I can be and allowing me to be myself,” DeShields said. “I want to thank Dana Ford for letting me play my game and teaching me the importance of defense and AD Teresa Phillips and Associate AD Valencia Jordan for giving me a chance to be part of their athletic department and wear the TSU uniform with pride and dignity.”

For the Tigers, DeShields scored in double figures 27 times and had seven games with 20 or more points.

For his efforts at TSU, DeShields earned First Team All-Ohio Valley Conference honors and a place on the OVC All-Newcomer Team. He was also named NABC First Team All-District 19, BOXTOROW First Team All-America and TSU Male Athlete of the Year.

DeShields is set to begin preseason camp with his teammates in Italy on August 22 to get ready for the start of the season on Oct. 2.

“This first professional contract means a lot to me because I can now take care of my son’s wants and needs,” DeShields said. “It shows true resiliency on my end because the odds were stacked up against me my whole life coming from a city like Baltimore, but with my family, friends and mentors, I'm now a role model to our community. I can be a voice for the kid that comes from the bottom and works his way to the top and I'm not done yet.”



COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Lincoln’s Legends & Legacy: Upcoming football season marks 50th anniversary of LMHS Ray Bellamy’s historic signing with Miami that broke down racial barriers

Lincoln Memorial Ray Bellamy broke the color barrier in major college football in the Southeast. Bellamy was the first African-American on a football scholarship at University of Miami.

PALMETTO, Florida -- Ray Bellamy sat in a holding cell waiting for help to arrive. His crime: Riding in a car driven by a white female, who was giving him a tour of the University of Miami campus.

When Bellamy signed with Miami in 1966 to become the first African-American to play college football in the Southeast, the Lincoln High School graduate knew things would happen that would defy his sense of logic and justice.

But he had the resolve to respond without anger. He understood breaking barriers would not come without encountering obstacles meant to crush his spirit.

It’s why Miami chose Bellamy when school president Dr. Henry King Stanford decided it was time for his university to give an athletic scholarship to its first African-American.

School officials put out the word they were looking for someone similar to Jackie Robinson, who broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947. Robinson was articulate, a college graduate and a person who had the strength to handle harassment without striking back. At the time, this last point was crucial. Bellamy and Robinson shared some traits.

The son of illiterate migrant workers, Bellamy was a three-sport standout, an excellent student, the student council president at Lincoln High School in Palmetto. His classmates in the Class of 1967 voted him most likely succeed.

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Howard Bison Men's Basketball Early Pick to Win MEAC by CBS

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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- It has been reported by CBS that Howard University is projected as one of the 65 teams to make the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. The Bison, who return all five starters, including senior guard James "J-Byrd" Daniel, III, the nation's leading scorer in 2016, to go along with some quality depth, are ranked 141st among all Division I programs in the pre-season projections.

Howard will be tested early and often as it embarks on its most challenging schedule in more than decade. The Bison have early road games against George Washington, Georgetown, Maryland, VCU and Old Dominion.

The winner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Bison last reached the tournament during the 1991-92 season.

HOWARD UNIVERSITY 2016-17 MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Date	Opponent	Location	Time/Result
2K Classic
11/11/2016	University of Michigan	Ann Arbor, MI	TBA
11/14/2016	Marquette University	Milwaukee, WI	TBA
11/18/2016	IUPUI	Indianapolis, IN	TBA
11/19/2016	Gardner Webb/Eastern Mich.	Indianapolis, IN	TBA
11/26/2016	Georgetown University	Washington, DC	TBA
12/3/2016	American University	Washington, D.C.	7 pm
12/7/2016	University of Maryland	College Park, MD	TBA
12/10/2016	George Washington University	Washington, D.C	7 PM
12/14/2016	Jacksonville State University	Washington, DC	7 PM
12/16/2016	Shenandoah University	Washington, DC	6 PM
12/18/2016	Central Pennsylvania College	Washington, DC	7 PM
12/22/2016	Old Dominion University	Norfolk, VA	TBA
12/27/2016	Virginia Commonwealth University	Richmond, VA	TBA
12/30/2016	Harvard University	Cambridge, MA	TBA
1/4/2017	Florida A&M University	Washington, DC	7 PM
1/7/2017	Columbia University	New York, NY	TBA
1/14/2017	University of Maryland Eastern Shore	Princess Anne, MD	12 PM
1/16/2017	Coppin State University	Washington, DC	7 PM
1/21/2017	North Carolina A&T State University	Greensboro, NC	4 PM
1/23/2017	North Carolina Central University	Durham, NC	7:30 PM
1/28/2017	Savannah State University	Washington, DC	4 PM
1/30/2017	South Carolina State University	Washington, DC	7 PM
2/4/2017	Florida A&M University	Tallahassee, FL	4 PM
2/6/2017	Bethune-Cookman University	Daytona Beach, FL	8 PM
2/11/2017	Hampton University	Hampton, VA	8 PM
2/13/2017	Morgan State University	Washington, DC	7 PM
2/18/2017	North Carolina A&T State University	Washington, DC	6 PM
2/20/2017	North Carolina Central University	Washington, DC	7 PM
2/25/2017	Norfolk State University	Norfolk, VA	8 PM
2/27/2017	University of Maryland Eastern Shore	Washington, DC	8 PM
3/2/2017	Delaware State University	Dover, DE	8 PM
MEAC Tournament
3/7-12/2017	TBA	Norfolk, VA	TBA

COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

FSU Head Football Coach Richard Hayes to Appear on the Overtime Sports Show

DURHAM, North Carolina – Fayetteville State University head football coach Richard Hayes, Jr. will be a guest on The Overtime Sports Radio Talk Show this week. The show will air live on Monday, July 18th at 6:30 p.m.

Hayes will take the helm of a football program that finished last season 4-6 overall and 4-3 in the CIAA. The Broncos have competed for the Southern Division crown for the previous two seasons.

Hayes brings over 15 years of coaching experience into the leadership role of the football program at FSU. Prior to taking charge at Fayetteville State, Hayes served as the defensive coordinator for the 2015 CIAA champion Winston-Salem State Rams. He won three CIAA Championships (2011, 2012, 2015), made four conference championship appearances (2011-12; 2014-15), and complied a record of 60-13 as a member of the Rams coaching staff.

The Overtime Sports Show airs Monday through Friday from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. The show is based out of Durham, NC, and showcases high school, college, and professional sports in the surrounding area.

Mike Wood serves as the host of the Overtime Sports Show. Those interested in the interview with Coach Hayes can tune in live with the following link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-overtime-sports-show/2016/07/18/the-overtime-sports-show-with-mike-wood .

COURTESY FAYETTEVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Brewton Jr. Added to Chowan's Women's Basketball Coaching Staff

MURFREESBORO, North Carolina -- The Chowan University athletic department along with Head Women's Basketball Coach LaToya Jones announced the addition of Eric Brewton Jr. to the coaching staff. He will serve as an assistant coach with the women's basketball program.

Jones noted, "I am excited to welcome the final piece to an amazing staff. Eric is a young, energetic, purpose-driven, hard worker by design. His experience at Middle Tennessee State University will benefit our program greatly. He is going to do great things in this profession as he continues to grow in various roles. Eric comes from a very successful program and that mentality will carry over in the future success of this program".

Brewton Jr. added, "First, I'd like to thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to be Assistant Women's Basketball Coach at Chowan University. I am looking forward to working with Coach Jones, the student-athletes, and the entire Chowan family. I will help build a winning and successful women's basketball program for years to come".

Prior to coming to Chowan, Brewton Jr. served as a student assistant, manager, and video coordinator at Middle Tennessee State University. In that capacity, he recruited men's practice players, oversaw other student managers, coordinated transportation and handling of equipment and apparel, organized personnel clips, and scouted opponent game film.

Brewton Jr. has also worked the AAU circuit since 2012. He hires and manages court staff and assists with game management.

Brewton Jr. graduated from Middle Tennessee State in May of 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Communication.

He resides in Murfreesboro.

COURTESY CHOWAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Howard Bison Predicted to Win MEAC Northern Division Crown

HOWARD UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL TEAM 2016
Courtesy: Howard University Athletic Media Relations

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Coming off winning the 2015 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Championship, the Howard University volleyball team was predicted to take the Northern Division title in a vote of the conference's head volleyball coaches and sports information directors, as announced on Friday. Bethune-Cookman was selected to win the Southern Division.

Additionally, junior outside hitter Khaila Donaldson was named the league's Preseason Player of the Year. Donaldson is joined on the 2016 MEAC Preseason Team by senior libero Morgan Marlbrough.

Howard topped the preseason poll with 163 total points and 19 first-place votes. The Bison are looking to claim their third consecutive Northern Division crown after recording an 18-14 overall record last season, including going 11-1 in MEAC play. Under the guidance of head coach Shaun Kupferberg, Howard took home the 2015 MEAC Championship and made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1994.

Donaldson had a breakout sophomore campaign in 2015, leading the team with 405 kills (3.49 kills/set) while coming in second in service aces (34) and digs (322). She received numerous honors for her outstanding season, including MEAC All-Tournament honors and being named the tournament's most outstanding player.

Marlbrough topped the squad with a career-high 493 digs for a team-best 4.25 digs per set last season. She finished her junior year with 27 matches with at least 10 digs, including 16 straight outings. She also ranked third on the team with 109 assists and tallied 25 aces.

The Bison open up the regular season on the road in the DC Volleyball Challenge, facing George Mason (8/26), Georgetown (8/27) and American (8/27) during the two-day event in Washington, D.C. and Fairfax, Va.

COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

UDC's Oudat Sisters, Lana and Yara Featured in Lacrosse Magazine

SPARKS, Maryland  – The University of the District of Columbia's Lana and Yara Oudat are featured in the June 2016 issue of Lacrosse Magazine in a story entitled "Finding Refuge: Oudat Sisters Find Home in Lacrosse" written by Matt Hamilton.

Lana, who graduated from UDC with a BS in Architecture this past May, and Yara, a rising junior defender entering her third season with the Firebirds women's lacrosse program in 2017, fled from Syria with their mother four years ago. As the civil war escalated there, the sisters discovered an unlikely source of solace here. Lacrosse.

The following article originally appeared in the June 2016 issue of Lacrosse Magazine, the flagship publication of US Lacrosse, the sport's national governing body. Join more than 450,000 US Lacrosse members today and have Lacrosse Magazine delivered right to your mail box.

Finding Refuge: Oudat Sisters Find Home in Lacrosse

Photo courtesy of Brian Schneider - Lacrosse Magazine

Yara Oudat doesn’t need to look far on most game days. There, in the front row, she’ll find her mother, Lama, and her sister, Lana. She’ll hear them, too, screaming louder than anyone else at the University of the District of Columbia women’s lacrosse games.

Lama Oudat is still learning English, but she’s an expert in the phrase, “Go Yara!” and once mastered, “Go Lana!”

“She finds me before I find her,” said Yara Oudat, a 21-year-old defender for the Firebirds. “She also takes pictures of me every single game. It’s embarrassing.”

Lana Oudat, 24, remembers a time when her name was the subject of her mother’s chants. She was a midfielder for UDC before graduating last year. Unlike her sister, she found a way to enjoy the adulation.

“You know how some people, they don’t want their mom to scream so loud?” she said. “I don’t care. I love it. I feel support because she’s always there for you.”

Lama Oudat has been there every step of the way, but now it’s a new world. She’s no longer driving her daughters to basketball practice like she did when they were younger. Now, lacrosse is what strings this family together.

The Oudat family has been a mainstay in the UDC program for three seasons now. Win or lose — the Firebirds are 1-33 since debuting in 2014 — the Oudat family continues to take in the moment.

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INTERVIEW: John Grant - AFR Celebration Bowl

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Executive Director of the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl John Grant joins the SWAC Digital Network during its annual football media day.



COURTESY SWAC MEDIA RELATIONS

Grambling football focused on finishing the race in 2016

GRAMBLING — Broderick Fobbs likes to use the word hangry, a mix between hunger and anger, to describe his Grambling football team.

Both words stem from an agonizing defeat in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game just three months ago, a hunger and an anger that will be a theme Wednesday during the Tigers' first spring practice of 2016.

"Basically, to get all the way there and to not obtain the goal is very, very painful and more painful than actually not having even been there at all," Fobbs told The News-Star on Tuesday in regards to Grambling's loss to Alcorn State. "Our guys are very determined and they're driven to complete the task from beginning to end."

Fobbs met with Grambling's returners Monday for a team meeting with the discussion centered around completing the race. The Tigers experienced a breakout year in 2015 by finishing 9-3 including a perfect 9-0 run through the SWAC until Alcorn handed them a blowout loss in Houston.

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SWAC title game loss the driving force behind Grambling's 2016 season

HEAD COACH BROADRICK FOBBS

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- It's July, and the 2016 college football season is less than two months away yet the Grambling football program is still talking about 2015.

Why? Because the way the season ended will serve as a driving force and motivation for the upcoming year.

A series of nine straight wins helped Grambling become the first Southwestern Athletic Conference team to go wire-to-wire in the regular season. Success in the regular season turned to bitterness in the offseason when Alcorn State routed Grambling, 49-21, for the 2015 SWAC Championship.

"The thing that it does for you is it's a hunger and a thirst there and it gives you a little more drive because you weren't able to do what you set out to do," Fobbs told The News-Star on Friday. "Probably something worse and better for you than actually not being there at all is being there and reach out for it and grab it and not be able to touch it. It's a teasing effect, but it's also something that makes you very, very driven and hungry and grab it the next time."

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MEAC Announces 2016 Volleyball Preseason

COURTESY MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

NORFOLK, Virginia – Howard junior outside hitter Khaila Donaldson was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Volleyball Preseason Player of the Year, the conference announced today. Howard was predicted to claim the Northern Division, while Bethune-Cookman was chosen to win the Southern Division.

All awards are voted on by the conference’s head volleyball coaches and sports information directors.

Defending MEAC tournament champion Howard garnered 19 first-place votes to receive the top spot. The Bison recorded an 18-14 overall record last season, including an 11-1 MEAC mark, under the direction of head coach Shaun Kupferberg. Donaldson, the tournament’s most outstanding player last season, led the team in points (468.0) and kills (405). Libero Morgan Marlbrough returns for her senior year and joins Donaldson on last year’s All-MEAC First Team. Marlbrough finished second for the Bison in digs (181).

Bethune-Cookman received 16 first-place votes after posting an undefeated 10-0 record in the Southern Division and a 15-16 overall mark last season. Starting middle blockers Rakaya Neely and Phylecia Armstrong will return for another season with the Lady Wildcats. Neely earned a spot on the 2015 All-MEAC First Team, while Armstrong received All-MEAC Third Team honors.

Maryland Eastern Shore was picked to finish second in the Northern Division. The Hawks return five starters, including 2015 MEAC Rookie of the Year Zuzana Ondruskova. She led the team in points (403.5) and kills per set (3.38) last season.

Morgan State was predicted to finish third in the Northern Division, followed by Coppin State, Hampton, Norfolk State and Delaware State to round out the division

Florida A&M returns five starters from last season to earn the second-place preseason ranking in the Southern Division. The Lady Rattlers are led by senior middle blocker Dei’Ja Martin. Martin, an All-MEAC First Team selection, led the conference in hitting percentage (.472) last season.

North Carolina A&T State and North Carolina Central were chosen to finish third and fourth in the Southern Division, while South Carolina State and Savannah State were slated fifth and sixth.

The 2016 season begins August 26, with conference play starting Friday, September 23.

The 2016 MEAC Volleyball Championship will be held November 18-20 at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Md.

2016 MEAC Volleyball Preseason Predicted Order of Finish
(First-Place Votes In Parenthesis)

NORTHERN DIVISION	POINTS
1.       Howard (19)	163
2.       Maryland Eastern Shore (5)	142
3.       Morgan State	109
4.       Coppin State	87
5.       Hampton	72
6.       Norfolk State	54
7.       Delaware State	45

  

SOUTHERN DIVISION	POINTS
1.       Bethune-Cookman (16)	134
2.       Florida A&M (8)	124
3.       North Carolina A&T State	89
4.       North Carolina Central	83
5.       South Carolina State	48
6.       Savannah State	26

                                                                                     

2016 MEAC Volleyball Preseason Team

Preseason Player of the Year: Khaila Donaldson 

Name	Pos.	Cl.	School	Hometown
Rakaya Neely	MB	Jr.	Bethune-Cookman	Lake Wales, Fla.
Phylecia Armstrong	MB	r-Sr.	Bethune-Cookman	Tacariqua, Trinidad & Tobago
Dei’ja Martin	MB	Sr.	Florida A&M	Glenns Ferry, Idaho
Reeana Richardson	OH	So.	Hampton	Ellicott City, Md.
Khaila Donaldson	OH	Jr.	Howard	Vernon Hills, Ill.
Morgan Marlbrough	L	Sr.	Howard	Mandeville, La.
Zuzana Ondruskova	OH	So.	Maryland Eastern Shore	Bilovec, Czech Republic

COURTESY MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

Football Gameplan's FCS Kickoff 2016 SWAC Season Preview

COURTESY Football Gameplan

Benedict Tigers, Livingstone Blue Bears Ready To Meet In Palmetto Capital City Classic Rematch

Livingstone coach Daryl Williams, left, and Benedict coach Mike White

COLUMBIA, South Carolina – Benedict College and Livingstone College will play in a rematch of last year's Palmetto Capital City Classic on September 3 at Charlie W. Johnson Stadium, and both head football coaches are looking forward to getting the season started.

The 15th annual Palmetto Capital City Classic will once again feature a week-long schedule of activities leading up to the 5 p.m. kickoff on Sept. 3. Events kick off on Monday, Aug. 29, with the Sponsors Kick-Off Reception and PCCC Alumni Mixer. The Media and Sponsor Luncheon and crowning of Miss PCCC is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 30. Wednesday, Aug. 31, will feature the PCCC Battle of the Drumline Show, at a site to be determined. The annual PCCC Garnell McDonald Memorial Golf Tournament is scheduled for Friday at Oak Hills Golf Club. The Old School Funk Party is Friday night, with the announcement of the entertainment to come at a later date.

Saturday's pre-game festivities start at noon with the PCCC Alumni Old School Music Festival and Tailgate Party on the football practice field. The game kicks off at 5 p.m. with a special halftime show featuring the Benedict College Marching Tiger Band of Distinction and the Livingstone College Marching Blue Bear Band.

Livingstone won last year's contest 49-6, and Benedict coach Mike White still remembers how fast and physical the Blue Bears were, and expects nothing less from this year's squad.

"One of the best teams we faced last year was Livingstone," White said. "They have a high-powered offense and what a way to start off the year with a team that is that ready. They were impressive, offensively and defensively. We don't look for them to step back at all. We have to go up where they are. We'll be a better team and we've got a better group."

Livingstone coach Daryl Williams said the Blue Bears have to replace several key players from last year's squad that finished 5-4, including their quarterback and star wide receiver, but this year's team should be deeper. He said he expects a tougher game from Benedict this year knowing the history of coach White.

"We just pray you guys take pity on our little football team," Williams joked. "We've got to validate what we did last year. A lot of people don't believe we're a decent football team because we were down for so long. We just want to validate what we did last year."

Tickets for the PCCC game are available at the Benedict College athletic office, 2317 Laurel Street.

COURTESY BENEDICT COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION

WSSU signee Robert Colon hopes to end prep career on high note

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Robert Colon hopes to put an exclamation mark on his high school basketball career Monday night at the East-West All-Star Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Colon, who has signed to play at Winston-Salem State, will play for the East team and has a chance to play with some of the best talent North Carolina has to offer.

“It’s a big deal,” Colon said by telephone from Jacksonville. “I’m looking forward to going there and playing well and getting a win for the East.”



Colon, a 6-2 combo guard, averaged 18.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists a game last season for Northside High.

One reason Colon, who scored more than 1,000 points in his career, is adamant about getting a victory is that’s what he was used to in high school. Northside went 23-4 in the 2015-16 season. What also excites Colon is that he and Matt Elmore, who is from Dixon High, are from the same area, and the two played AAU basketball together.

CONTINUE READING

SIAC: NCAA advances Spring Hill College to Provisional Membership status

MOBILE, Alabama – The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) notified Spring Hill College (SHC) on Thursday that the Membership Committee determined the College has successfully completed Candidacy Membership (Year Two) and recommends that Spring Hill be advanced to Provisional Membership (Year Three) in its process toward full membership in NCAA Division II as directed by the Division II Membership Committee. The decision is subject to final approval from the NCAA Division II Management Council that meets July 18-19. Spring Hill College president Dr. Christopher Puto received the official notification via a phone call on Thursday afternoon.

"We are excited and very pleased to be taking this next important step in the NCAA membership process." Puto said. "This represents a great deal of hard work by not only our Athletics staff but many other offices on campus as well and it is rewarding to see everything moving forward so well. We are looking forward to successfully fulfilling all requirements as this final provisional year progresses."

The Provisional Membership year is the third and final year of the NCAA candidacy process after which Spring Hill will achieve full NCAA Division II membership status for the 2017-18 academic year. During the upcoming 2016-17 academic year, the 16 SHC varsity athletic programs making the transition to NCAA Division II will play full slates of NCAA Division II conference and non-conference regular season competition, but will remain ineligible for NCAA or conference post-season competition. SHC will become eligible for post-season competition in 2017-18 when full membership status is achieved.

In October 2012, Spring Hill College accepted an invitation to join the 13-member Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) and began the application process for NCAA membership. The College also holds affiliate membership in the Gulf South Conference in the sports of men's soccer, women's soccer and women's golf.

CONTINUE READING

FAMU Band Camp wraps up another successful year

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Over 200 high school and middle school students from all over the country have been practicing for their weekend performances at FAMU.

The Marching 100 Summer Band Camp is one of the most comprehensive band camps in the country offering students the opportunity to improve their music proficiency and marching concepts.

Along with band, the staff also instructs the color guard, dancers, twirlers and drum majors.

The band camp will wrap up this weekend with performances both Friday and Saturday at the FAMU campus.

CONTINUE READING

XULA Gold Rush earn first-ever NAIA Scholar-Team award

NEW ORLEANS — The most successful postseason team in the history of Xavier University of Louisiana Athletics also had the department's highest GPA in 2015-16.

As a result, XU men's tennis — the 2016 NAIA national runner-up — has received an NAIA Scholar-Team Award because of a collective 3.03 GPA for the fall 2015 and spring 2016 semesters. The NAIA announced the award Friday.

"I'm really proud of my guys for this accomplishment," 13th-year XU coach Alan Green said. "It really shows the hard work they have put in off the court in addition to being national runner-up on the court. I've always wanted a team that could contend for a national championship but also have good team GPAs. These guys deserve it."

For a team to be considered for the NAIA Scholar-Team award, it must have a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale as defined by the institution. The team GPA includes all eligible varsity student-athletes.

This is the third consecutive year that Xavier produced an NAIA Scholar-Team. Tennis is the first XU men's sport to be honored. Volleyball was a Scholar-Team in 2013-14 and 2014-15.

Narrowly missing NAIA Scholar-Team status for 2015-16 was XU women's tennis, which compiled a 2.97 team GPA.

Men's tennis was the first XU team in any sport to reach the championship round of an NAIA national tournament. It was the first XU men's team to advance past the national quarterfinals.

The NAIA said 1,585 teams nationwide — 83 more than a year ago — achieved Scholar-Team status in 2015-16. Xavier was one of four Gulf Coast Athletic Conference schools to produce a Scholar-Team; the others were Dillard (women's basketball), Edward Waters (volleyball, women's cross country, women's outdoor track and field) and Philander Smith (volleyball). Edward Waters volleyball led all GCAC teams with a 3.42 GPA.


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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2016 SWAC Football Media Day Recap

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - The Southwestern Athletic Conference officially opened the 2016 football season with its annual SWAC Football Media Day in Birmingham, Alabama at the Birmingham Marriott.

The event featured several workings including the All-SWAC Preseason Team announcement with a live video and radio broadcast stream. A series of special guest included LT. COL Keith Bland of the Air Force Reserve, ESPN’s John Grant, Executive Director of the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl, Mark Wright from The Undefeated, Jay Walker ESPN College Football Analyst and Shack Harris from the Black College Football Hall of Fame.

Head coaches from all 10 schools accompanied with two players each were in attendance. Over 130 media members were credentialed for this year’s gathering.

The SWAC released a pair of public service initiatives to highlight the conference member institutions, promote the upcoming 2016 Toyota SWAC Football Championship in Houston, Texas on December 3.

The SWAC released its 2016 SWAC Preseason Teams with Southern running back Lenard Tillery and Alabama State linebacker Kourtney Berry being tabbed for individual honors.

Two-time defending champion Alcorn State totaled 44 votes points as it was named the preseason favorite out of the East Division. Alabama State followed with 35 points, Jackson State received 28 points, followed by Alabama A&M (16) and Mississippi Valley State (12).

Out in the West Division, Prairie View A&M was chosen as the division favorite after amassing 41 points in the voting. Grambling State followed with 35 points, and Southern received 32 points. Texas Southern (16) and Arkansas Pine Bluff (11) rounded out the order of predicted finish.

COURTESY SWAC MEDIA RELATIONS

Southern confident in the face of adversity, lowered expectations

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Lenard Tillery, Southern’s standout senior running back, scoffed when he caught his first glimpse of the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s predicted order of finish early at Friday’s media day.

“Third?” Tillery said to teammate Aaron Tiller.

Then he remembered: “Last time we won the SWAC we were picked third.”

Added Tiller, “We like being in positions like this.”



Southern’s expectations for itself have not diminished even after a disappointing 6-5 season last year and academic-related NCAA sanctions that have resulted in a postseason ban and eliminated spring practice for each of the past two seasons.

The Jags enter the 2016 season with a wealth of returning talent, much of which was there to experience back-to-back appearances in the SWAC title game, and they’re not ready to let preseason predictions or adversity brought on by the sanctions dictate how they feel about the upcoming season.

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NOTEBOOK: Preseason SWAC Player of the Year Lenard Tillery has rushing record in sight

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Southern running back Lenard Tillery isn’t really sure how close he is to breaking Destry Wright’s 17-year old Southwestern Athletic Conference’s career rushing record.

But his offensive linemen are probably well aware that the magic number is 968 to tie Wright’s 4,050-yard total, 969 to make history.

“I don’t really think too much about records, I just try to be productive for my team,” Tillery said. “But my offensive line, they really think about it more than anything. They were the ones that were keeping me up to date when I was reaching the Southern (record).

“The offensive line, the offensive line coach, they want me to have it. They’re anticipating it.”

Other people seem to be anticipating it, too. Tillery was named the SWAC’s preseason Offensive Player of the Year Friday after rushing for 1,102 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2015.

He’s topped 1,100 rushing yards in each of the last two seasons, and if he puts together a similar year in 2016, he’d have the SWAC’s all-time lead around week eight or nine.

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Fobbs undecided on discipline for WR Williams

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling star wide receiver Chad Williams earned preseason first-team Southwestern Athletic Conference honors on Friday, but the bigger news of the day surrounds his status for the Tigers’ 2016 season opener.

Williams, who was arrested in May on drug and weapons charges, has yet to be disciplined by Grambling coach Broderick Fobbs, who said Friday he will wait until the legal proceedings play out.

“I want to get the final verdict of everything that is happening. He had a court appearance this past week,” Fobbs said on Friday morning before SWAC Media Day. “I’m gonna wait and take care of everything once everything has been determined.”

While Fobbs said he doesn’t want to jump to conclusions, he did indicate there will be some type of penalty for Williams.

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Grambling picked second in SWAC West behind Prairie View

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Preseason polls don't matter much to Grambling football coach Broderick Fobbs.

He said it in 2015 and will continue to say it as long as he's coaching. Last year came under different circumstances, though, as Grambling was picked to win the Southwestern Athletic Conference West Division, a label the Tigers lived up to with a trip to the title game in Houston.

This year, that target goes to Prairie View A&M, which was picked as the preseason favorite to meet Alcorn State in the 2016 SWAC title game.

Prairie View earned 41 points to push Grambling (35 points) aside as the team to beat in 2016. In 2015, Grambling was picked to win the West, edging out Southern by just two points (93-91).

"We have a lot of potential. Potential doesn't mean anything," Fobbs told The News-Star on Friday morning via telephone from Birmingham before SWAC Media Day kicked off. "We have a lot of depth, a lot of guys who have played a lot of football and have played well for us. That's the way we set our program. We set our program where a lot of guys play. The reason we do that so when guys leave we always have guys with some experience to step in and play."

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ASU picked to finish second in SWAC East

BIRMINGHAM -- Alabama State is picked to finish second in the SWAC East behind two-time defending league champion, Alcorn State, as the results were announced Friday at SWAC media day.

The predicted order of finish was a result of votes of the 10 head coaches and sports information directors.

"I don't even pay attention to things like that," Alabama State coach Brian Jenkins said. "I learned from a coach a long time ago if you start pay attention to that and those things really matter, then why play the season? Just go ahead and give who you've got picked first, give them the trophy and go from there."



The Hornets received 35 points while Alcorn State tallied 44. Jackson State (28) was picked to finish third followed by Alabama A&M (16) and Mississippi Valley State (12).

"It's fuel, motivation," ASU senior center Kerry Williams said. "We use anything we can as motivation. I don't think nobody wants to finish second. Nobody ever wants to finish second. Everybody wants to finish first. That's our goal. To finish first and win a SWAC championship."

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