NSU football has eyes on the prize in MEAC

NORFOLK - It took a decade, but Norfolk State is finally rising to the top of the MEAC. The Spartans were picked to finish third in the MEAC preseason football poll by the conference's coaches and sports information directors. The poll was announced Friday at the league's media day.

(Mark's Digital Photography)

Norfolk State, selected to finish behind South Carolina State and defending conference champion Delaware State, never has been projected to finish higher than sixth before this season. Last season, the coaches picked the Spartans seventh, only to see them go 8-3 for second place in the MEAC and their first winning record in their 11 years in Division I-AA.

"It's a nice sign for our program," coach Pete Adrian said. "It doesn't mean anything because it's where you finish, but it's a sign that our coaches recognize what we did last year."

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Former Oklahoma State player finds home in SWAC

Sitting at a small table, his 6-foot-3, 235-pound frame bent into an even smaller folding chair, Bobby Reid smiles politely and seems at ease. He repeats the same answers over and over again to at least a half-dozen reporters who all ask the same questions. Yes, he likes it at Texas Southern. Yes, he's very happy to be back home in Houston. Yes, he's put all that happened at Oklahoma State behind him.

Despite the polite demeanor and confident, if not believable, answers, Reid appeared woefully out of place at the SWAC media event Tuesday in Birmingham. Not since the days when Doug Williams, a Super Bowl MVP with the Washington Redskins, coached at Grambling State has a more recognizable face been associated with SWAC football. And rarely has a conference player even approached Reid's celebrity.

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Commissioner Thomas looks to lift MEAC profile

Dr. Dennis E. Thomas, Commissioner - Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (Mark's Digital Photography)

NORFOLK, Va. — For most of the two hours or so that the MEAC football kickoff luncheon lasted, Dennis Thomas quietly sat on the stage. He seemed to be admiring his work. That more than 200 people packed a conference room at the Sheraton Waterside was an accomplishment. Thomas later told his audience that their presence is indicative of the MEAC growth and encouraged them to come back next year when it should be even bigger.

Thomas has been thinking big since he became commissioner six years ago. He's pushing academic standards and athletics, especially football. "Part of my vision is impressing on Corporate America that the MEAC and our institutions are an investment," he said. "We have a strategic plan about going to pursue Corporate America about an investment."

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Time Out: SWAC teams get most out of schedule

Once again, in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, seven means seven, for sure, but not necessarily just seven. The 10-team Southwestern Athletic Conference is returning to its seven-game format this season — going away from making teams play all nine conference teams.

Seven games — with four against teams in one’s own division and three against the five teams from the opposite division — will be used to determine a team’s run at the division title. However, teams are allowed to schedule conference opponents as non-conference games.

Grambling, Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State will play a full nine games against SWAC opponents, with just seven of those counting toward conference standings. Southern, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Jackson State and Prairie View will play eight. Alabama A&M, Alabama State and Texas Southern play just the seven required.

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Delaware State Hornets' nest

Former Delaware State wide receiver Shaheer McBride is in camp trying to make the team as an undrafted free agent. Though the odds may be long, McBride could benefit from studying Jackson, who also attended Delaware State.

Jackson made the team as an undrafted rookie in 2003 and started eight games at center in 2005. After beating out Hank Fraley for the starting center job in 2006, Jackson signed a seven-year contract extension with the Eagles.

Jackson said he met McBride during spring workouts, and will seek out the rookie in training camp. "I'll be talking to him, trying to keep his head on straight for him," Jackson said. "Let him know it's not the whole bullets flying and all that; just take it in stride."

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Improving APR score big key for SU football

As Southern gets ready to welcome back its football players to the practice fields this week, the program’s future depends more on what they’ll do in the classroom rather than on the playing field. In May, the NCAA slapped Southern’s football program with the loss of scholarships and practice time because of unsatisfactory scores in the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate. Further troubles could result, by next year, in the loss of postseason play and, in two years, could mean the loss of the school’s Division I status.

Southern University Jaguars head football coach Pete Richardson

“It’s scary,” Southern Athletic Director Greg LaFleur said.

Effective immediately this season, Southern will lose 8.75 football scholarships — limited to 54.25 of a maximum of 63 — and four hours of practice time, reducing the Jaguars to 16 per week from 20. LaFleur said the four hours of practice time must be used in study hall. Also, Southern can sign no more than 20 players for next season’s class in February.

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Tennessee State's Rodgers-Cromartie reports to Cardinals camp

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie made the 2 1/2-hour drive from Phoenix to Flagstaff with an Arizona Cardinals staffer on Saturday. Rodgers-Cromartie had a chance to take in some pretty scenery and think about an even longer journey - his transformation from a skinny, unrecruited cornerback at Tennessee State to a first-round NFL draft pick.

"It gave me a lot of time to just think about what I've got to do and the work I've got to put in and all the things that I overcame just to get here," said Rodgers-Cromartie, who signed a six-year contract on Friday.



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Bulldogs’ Ford and Bison’s Cooper Earn Top Preseason Honors

South Carolina State’s Will Ford and Endor Cooper of Howard earned the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s (MEAC) top football preseason awards, as announced by the league on Friday afternoon at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel. Ford was selected as the preseason Offensive Player ofthe Year and Cooper was named the Defensive Player of the Year by the MEAC head football coaches and sports nformation directors.

For the second year in a row the South Carolina State Bulldogs were the consensus pick to win the MEAC title in 2008. The defending MEAC Champion Delaware State Hornets finished second in the preseason poll.

Ford led the Bulldogs in total rushing yards with 1,389 yards on 210 attempts and four touchdowns. He finished second in the MEAC in rushing yards per game with an average of 126.3. Ford earned the MEAC’s Rookie of the Year honor his freshman season and was selected to the All-MEAC First Team as a sophomore.

Cooper earned the defensive player of the year honor after leading the Bison with 50 solo and 87 total tackles in 2007. He finished fifth in the league in tackles and tallied three forced fumbles, fourth best in the MEAC.

Hampton led all teams with six players on the preseason All-MEAC first team. The Pirates also had three second team selections for a total of 11. South Carolina State had 12 total selections on both teams; five were recognized on the first team. Delaware State, Morgan State and Norfolk State had six total selections each.

The 2008 Preseason Predictions and All-Conference teams are listed below.

2008 MEAC Football Preseason Predicted Order of Finish

1. South Carolina State (6) 272
2. Delaware State (6) 252
3. Norfolk State (2) 216
4. Hampton (2) 214
5. Morgan State 170
6. Florida A&M 120
7. Bethune-Cookman (1) 91
8. Howard 85
9. North Carolina A&T (1) 35

Photo: Preseason Offensive Player of the Year - Will Ford, South Carolina State, #28

Preseason Defensive Player of the Year - Endor Cooper, Howard University

2008 All-MEAC FIRST TEAM


Offense
Pos Name CL School Hometown
QB TJ Mitchell r-Jr. Hampton Virginia Beach, Va.
RB William Ford Jr. South Carolina State Travelers Rest, SC
RB Philip Sylvester So. Florida A&M Marianna, Fla.
TE Taj Jenkines Jr. Florida A&M Jacksonville, Fla.
WR Jeremy Gilchrist r-Sr. Hampton Virginia Beach, Va.
WR Jamar Johnson r-Sr. Norfolk State Norfolk, Va.
OL Dennis Conley Sr. Hampton Suffolk, Va.
OL Jamien Banks r-Sr. Norfolk State Tappahannock, Va.
OL Devon Dawson Jr. South Carolina State Greer, SC
OL Dwayne Delaney Sr. Morgan State Amelia, Va.
C Raymond Harrison r-Sr. South Carolina State Columbia, SC

Defense
DL Clarence McPherson Sr. Morgan State Miami, Fla.
DL Ronn Spinner Sr. Delaware State Lofton, Va.
DL Dexter Jackson Jr. Bethune-Cookman Jacksonville, Fla.
DL Cedric Lloyd Sr. South Carolina State Manning, SC
LB Endor Cooper Sr. Howard Woodbridge, Va.
LB Josh Pope r-Jr. Delaware State Philadelphia, Pa.
LB Jarrell Guyton* Sr. Morgan State Miami, Fla.
LB Vernon Wilder* r-Sr. Florida A&M Miami, Fla.
DB Terrell Whitehead Jr. Norfolk State Virginia Beach, Va.
DB Markee Hamlin Jr. South Carolina State Lamar, SC
DB Sam Pope Sr. Hampton St. Helena Island, SC
DB Chris Williams Sr. Morgan State Miami, Fla.
P Jahmal Blanchard Jr. Hampton Lauderdale Lake, Fla.
P/K James Meade Sr. Morgan State Upper Marlboro, Md.
Ret Jeremy Gilchrist r-Sr. Hampton Virginia Beach, Va.

2008 All-MEAC SECOND TEAM

Offense
Pos Name CL School Hometown
QB Vashon Winton Sr. Delaware State Chicago, Ill.
RB Michael Ferguson Sr. North Carolina A&T Norfolk, Va.
RB Kareem Jones Sr. Delaware State Lansinburg, NY
TE Octavius Darby Sr. South Carolina State Hollywood, Fla.
WR Kevin Teel Sr. Hampton Bowie, Md.
WR Oliver Young* Jr. South Carolina State Charleston, SC
WR Jeremy Wicker* r-So. Norfolk State Quantico, Va.
OL Anthony Collins r-Jr. Florida A&M Miami, Fla.
OL Reubin Mordecai r-Sr. Bethune-Cookman Daytona Beach, Fla.
OL Robert Norris Sr. Morgan State Houston, Texas
OL Michael Ola* r-So. Hampton Riverdale, Ga.
OL Adrian Brown* Sr. Delaware State Baltimore, Md.
C Nick Richmond r-Jr. Delaware State Lampeter, Pa.

Defense
DL Tyre Glasper Sr. North Carolina A&T Detroit, Mich.
DL James Simmons Sr. South Carolina State Greenville, SC
DL Keyon Brooks Sr. South Carolina State Miami, Fla.
DL Dennis Marsh r-Sr. Norfolk State Greensboro, NC
LB Andre Thornton Jr. North Carolina A&T Charlotte, NC
LB Tony White Sr. South Carolina State Seneca, SC
LB Charles Robinson r-Sr. Hampton Hampton, Va.
DB Curtis Holcomb So. Florida A&M Miami, Fla.
DB Antwane Cox Jr. Bethune-Cookman Miami, Fla.
DB Don Carey Sr. Norfolk State Norfolk, Va.
DB Brandon Colbert Sr. North Carolina A&T Fayetteville, NC
P Aaron Haire Jr. South Carolina State Orangeburg, SC
P/K Carlo Turavani So. Hampton Ontario, Canada
Ret Corey Council Sr. Bethune-Cookman Valdosta, Ga.

** indicates tie

Savannah to get ABA team?

Savannah State alums own league franchise

Two former Savannah State University men's basketball players are looking to bring professional hoops to SSU Tiger Arena. Brothers Levi and Mark Williams have purchased an expansion franchise in the minor league American Basketball Association for the Savannah market. They would like the Savannah Pride to play this upcoming season starting in December, preferably at their old gymnasium.

"I had the opportunity to put a team in four, five places," said Levi Williams, 28, who played for the Tigers from 1998-02. "I think Savannah is a basketball town and a wonderful city. The people in Savannah really grab hold and take to things that represent them in a good way."

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Only award that matters for FAMU LB Wilder is title

NORFOLK, Va. — Less than an hour after FAMU linebacker Vernon Wilder got through telling reporters how he could have made a few more tackles last season, he got some incentive Friday to try harder. Wilder was one of three Rattlers selected to the MEAC All-Conference preseason first team. Running back Philip Sylvester and receiver Taj Jenkines also were first-team selections by the league's coaches and sports information directors.

Wilder, a senior who led FAMU in tackles the past two seasons, is gunning for the bigger prize. "I just want to try to get that MEAC ring," he said in a conference room packed with members of the media, coaches and players. "I want to lead the nation in sacks, and I feel this is the year."

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Taylor may be gone, but not forgotten by Hampton

NORFOLK, VA - It all seemed so familiar at first, to the point where you started to wonder, "Maybe the guy didn't leave after all." Upon entering the ballroom for the MEAC football kickoff news conference, Joe Taylor paused for a moment, then - just as he'd done so many times before - made his way to the Hampton area.

Expect Joe Taylor to have a hall of fame run with the Rattlers over the next five years, surpassing the achievements of another former Rattlers Hall of Famer in Coach William "Billy" Joe.

He hugged Pirates offensive lineman Dennis Conley and embraced defensive end Charles Young before the two players shared small talk with a man both call a father figure. Only this time, Taylor didn't settle in with the other Pirates. He kept moving until he found his new table, the one adorned by an orange helmet with the word "Rattlers" arched along the side.

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2008 Florida A&M Football Schedule

Date Opponent Location Time
August 30 ALABAMA STATE HOME 6:00 P.M.
September 4 at Delaware State* Dover, DE 7:30 P.M.
September 20 at Howard* Washington, D.C. 1:00 P.M.
September 27 at Tennessee State Atlanta, GA 3:00 P.M.
October 4 SOUTH CAROLINA STATE* HOME 6:00 P.M.
October 9 WINSTON-SALEM STATE* HOME 7:30 P.M.
October 18 at Southern Baton Rouge, LA 6:00 P.M. CST
October 25 at Norfolk State* Norfolk, VA 1:00 P.M.
November 1 MORGAN STATE* HOMECOMING 3:00 P.M.
November 8 at North Carolina A&T* Greensboro, NC 1:30 P.M.
November 15 HAMPTON* HOME 3:00 P.M.
November 22 Bethune-Cookman* Orlando, FL 2:00 P.M.
*-denotes MEAC games

FAMU Coaching Staff - 2008

Joe Taylor - Head Football Coach
Earl Holmes and Tim Edwards - Defensive Coordinator/Secondary Coach
George Small - Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line Coach
Juan Vasquez - Special Teams Coach
Lawrence Kershaw - Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach
Tim Edwards - Outside Linebackers Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
Earl Holmes - Inside Linebackers Coach
Steven Jerry - Quarterbacks/Wide Receivers Coach
Edwin Pata - Offensive Assistant
Aaron Taylor - Runningbacks Coach
Jimmie Tyson - Defensive Assistant/Safeties Coach
Antonio Wallace - Head Strength and Conditioning Coach

Former Lehigh Senior High School (Alcorn State) football player Adams dies in car accident

Ladarrius Adams remembered

The Lehigh Senior High School weight room has been quiet the last two days. “Pure silence,” Lehigh running back Otis Jiles said. “You could only hear the AC running. I’ve never seen it like that before.” That’s the impact Ladarrius Adams’ death has had on the school’s football team as well as his family.

Adams, 17, was killed Thursday morning in a car accident near Fayette, Miss. An incoming freshman at Alcorn State University, Adams had arrived early to go to class and take part in summer workouts. Teammates D’Angelo Buckner and Isaac Williams were also injured.

“I lost my husband (Robert) two years ago, but this is nothing like that,” said Lorraine Curry, Adams’ mother. “Your child comes from you and I just can’t tell you the pain my family is going through; but we stick together and keep the faith and believe that we will make it. But right now, it’s devastating to get that kind of phone call.”

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QB Battle selling FAMU on his skill

NORFOLK, Va. — The Green team had a commanding lead over the Orange squad in FAMU's annual spring game when Eddie Battle erased whatever uncertainty coach Joe Taylor might have had about his starting quarterback. Battle had his team in the red zone with just a few yards to go for a first down. He couldn't find an open receiver after setting up for a pass on a second-down play.

He pulled back and scampered for just enough yards to get a first down. Taylor was sold. "Those are the kinds of little things that you look for in your quarterback," Taylor said. "You always have to be in a thinking mode, and a thinking mode means you can't get too excited and you can't get too low.

"He is a good decision maker — he knows when to put it up and pull it down."

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Former SU's Williams still preaching excellence

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — When he wanted to better himself as a cornerback, Aeneas Williams sought out the best and relentlessly pursued them. Chased after them as if the knowledge they carried were the ball.

He flew to Houston at his own expense to meet with Pro Football Hall of Famer Kenny Houston. He tracked down former Oakland Raider Marcus Haynes through his post-football employer, Callaway Golf, just to get a few words from the nine-time Pro Bowler over the telephone. Each summer for years he would train with former San Diego Chargers cornerback Gill Byrd, lessons soaked in sweat and stamped into his consciousness.

“He’d say, ‘Aeneas, what is your mindset on how to play the cornerback position?’” Williams recalled Byrd asking him. “I said, ‘Man, I can’t get beat.’ He said...

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Taylor's replacement set for Hampton-Florida A&M

NORFOLK, Va. — FAMU's new football coach Joe Taylor has left some kind of legacy in the Hampton Roads area. He received one of the loudest applauses when he was introduced Friday at the MEAC football season kickoff luncheon. But even bigger is the handprint that he's left on the Hampton football program.

Taylor departed Hampton after 17 seasons to become FAMU's new head coach this season. He was replaced by his former defensive coordinator, Jerry Holmes, who credits Taylor for opening the door to his first head-coaching job after 10 years in the NFL.

Hampton University head football coach Jerry Holmes is on a collision course with his mentor, Joe Taylor. Who will prevail is the question on every one's mind (Mark's Digital Photography).

"Every individual has a foundation," said Holmes, who played for three NFL teams between 1980 and 1991. "Coach Taylor is a great part of Jerry Holmes' foundation. "I've learned so much from coach Taylor, not just football but character, how to treat other people and how to handle different situations."

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Hampton University 2008 Football Schedule
Date Opponent Location Time/Result
8/31/2008 Jackson State (MEAC-SWAC Challenge) Orlando, Fla. 2 p.m.
9/6/2008 Southern Illinois Carbondale, Ill. 6 p.m. (CST)
9/13/2008 * Howard Hampton, Va. 6 p.m.
9/20/2008 * North Carolina A&T Hampton, Va. 6 p.m.
10/4/2008 * Delaware State Dover, Del. 1 p.m.
10/18/2008 * Norfolk State - Battle of the Bay Hampton, Va. 1 p.m.
10/25/2008 * South Carolina State Orangeburg, S.C. 2 p.m.
11/1/2008 Winston-Salem State - Homecoming 2008 Hampton, Va. 2 p.m.
11/8/2008 * Bethune-Cookman Hampton, Va. 2 p.m.
11/15/2008 * Florida A&M Tallahassee, Fla. 3 p.m.
11/22/2008 * Morgan State Baltimore, Md. 1 p.m.

Head Coach: Jerry Holmes (West Virginia '79)
Running Backs: Milo Austin (West Virginia '05)
Offensive Line: Terry Beauford (Florida A&M '91)
Defensive Line: Canute Curtis (West Virginia '97)
Defensive Backs: Devan Hill (Hampton '04)
Quarterbacks: Roy Johnson (Hampton '99)
Director of Football Operations: Andrew Rhoden (Hampton '04)
Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator: Donovan Rose (Hampton '79)
Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers: Corey Sullivan (Tennessee State '02)

B-CU Freeman's coaching success keeps coming one at a time

Coach Gary Freeman has set the benchmark for achievement in golf. The 1955 Morgan State University graduate is a native of Washington, D.C. and has won 10 Division I national minority collegiate golf championships with the Wildcats.

A drama of life concluded here at Palm Harbor some 10 years ago, but the memories of love and appreciation for the work and standards of golf director Gary Freeman have stayed as strong as ever.

Freeman now is the successful men's and women's golf coach at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, but the six years he gave at Palm Harbor set a standard that might never be equaled. Ten years ago might be a long time for some to remember, but Freeman managed without much effort.

At Bethune-Cookman, Freeman has guided the men's team to four Division I national Minority Collegiate Golf Championships and his women's squad six of them, including the last three. That's quite a stack of hay for a coach who went for one year and is now in his 10th one year.

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Academics could sideline Grambling's senior quarterback

GRAMBLING — Monroe product Brandon Landers, a three-year letterman at Grambling State, will likely miss next season over an academic issue. “I’m trying to see what I can do,” the quarterback said. “I didn’t get the grade I needed (in a history class), so it’s up in the air right now if I will even play.”

Landers, a fifth-year senior after redshirting in 2005 at Grambling, most recently posted career highs for completions, yards and touchdowns in the inaugural season under GSU coach Rod Broadway. That helped the Tigers advance to their fifth Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game since 2000, before falling to Jackson State last December.

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DSU Hornets picked second in MEAC

NORFOLK, Va. -- Delaware State was picked to finish second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference preseason football poll, voted on by conference coaches and sports information directors. South Carolina State led the poll, which was released during MEAC media day on Friday.

"The thing that I expect for our team is a higher and more consistent level of play, especially from our senior leadership," DSU coach Al Lavan said in a press release. "I think the players that are in our program have taken a step forward each year."

The Hornets earned their first NCAA Division I-AA playoff berth last season, when they went 8-0 in the MEAC and finished 10-2 overall. "It would be very special to win back-to-back championships, especially with this being our senior year," wide receiver Derrick McNeil said.

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Annual PVAMU-TSU Football Lucheon & Gala set for Sunday, August 27th

Prairie View A&M University Marching Storm

HOUSTON, Texas - The Touchdown Club of Houston will host the Annual Prairie View A&M- Texas Southern luncheon and gala on Wednesday, August 27th at the Power Center, located at 12401 So. Post Oak.

Prairie View A&M head football coach Henry Frazier will co-headline the event with first-year Texas Southern head coach Johnnie Cole. Also speaking will be PVAMU acting athletics director Fred Washington and first-year TSU athletics director Charles McClelland.

The special guest speaker will be Steve McNair, former quarterback for the Houston Oilers, Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens.

"All fans of PVAMU and TSU are invited to attend this event, which always spices up the rivalry between the two schools the week of the game," said TD Club executive director Neal Farmer. "And this year promises to be even more spicy."

Texas Southern University Ocean of Soul Marching Band


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Three from NSU are first-team preseason picks

Norfolk State University head football coach Pete Adrian has the Spartans knocking on the championship door (Mark's Digital Photography).

NORFOLK, VA - Norfolk State's Jamar Johnson, Jamien Banks and Terrell Whitehead were selected to the preseason All-MEAC first team, chosen by conference coaches and sports information directors Friday. The Spartans never have had as many as three players receive first-team preseason honors under coach Pete Adrian, entering his fourth season.

Johnson, a redshirt senior from Lake Taylor High, led the Spartans in every major receiving category last season with 42 receptions for 565 yards and six touchdowns. Banks, a redshirt senior, started all 11 games at left guard. Whitehead, a junior defensive back from Kempsville High, ranked sixth nationally with six interceptions.

Norfolk State's Don Carey, Dennis Marsh and Jeremy Wicker are second-team picks.

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