SCSU holds second day of Spring Practice

By: By SCSU Sports Information

South Carolina State conducted its second day of spring drills Wednesday going through the basic fundamentals on offense and defense.

"Once again it was another pretty exciting practice going through the motions," said SCSU coach Buddy Pough. "The kids are working hard learning their assignments so when we do get into full gear everything goes smoothly."

Pough noted that all the players are enthusiastic and seemed to be taking to the new coaches well.

The Bulldogs will continue with a light workout the next few days before suiting up in shoulder pads on Friday.

"This will give us a chance to start more of our team style drills," stated Pough. "A lot of the guys are running around out there so now we get a chance to see what they can do in different positions."

SC State will resume practice on Friday at 3:30 p.m. and will conduct a light scrimmage beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The Bulldogs will wrap up spring drills Apr. 19 with their annual Garnet and Blue game.

Governor, Legislature salute DSU Football Champs

Photo: Seated (L-R): DSU Dir. of Athletics Rick Costello, Governor Ruth Ann Minner and DSU head coach Al Lavan surrounded by Hornet football team during visit to Governor's office.

By: DSU Athletic Media Relations

Dover, DE --- Delaware State’s 2007 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football champions were guests of honor during a recent visit to Legislative Hall. Led by Director of Athletics Rick Costello, along with head coach Al Lavan and his staff, more than 40 members of the Hornets were honored for their historic 2007 season by Governor Ruth Ann Minner and the General Assembly.

Last season, the Hornets posted a school record 10 wins (10-2), captured the school’s first MEAC championship since 1991 and made the first NCAA playoff appearance in team history. The ’07 Hornets became the third team in the 36-year history of the MEAC to post an 8-0 league record during the regular season.

Alcorn State football to play Southern Miss in 2009

Photo: Alcorn State University's new head football coach Earnest Jones is bringing excitement to the Braves program by playing Mississippi's Division I football programs.

LORMAN, MS — The Alcorn State Braves are on the verge of making some football history.

The Braves released their 2009 football schedule on Wednesday, which includes a trip to M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg to play Southern Miss. It will be the first time in the 88-year history of the football program that the Braves will play one of the three Division 1A schools in Mississippi.

Alcorn State football coach Ernest Jones said the game is a way to give the Alcorn State program some good recognition and step the program up a notch.

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The Golden Eagles will host Alcorn State on Sept. 12, 2009, in the first meeting between the two schools located about 150 miles apart.

USM will pay Alcorn between $150,000-$160,000. The Braves also will get the proceeds from the first 5,000 tickets they sell and the proceeds from a second allotment of tickets to ASU, if needed, would be split.

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Receivers shine for FAMU Rattlers

Florida A&M assistant football coach Jerry Stevens is still getting the names of all of the players under his watch down pat, but he can point them out one by one and give an account of their abilities.

Stevens, FAMU's receivers coach, already knows what lanky Isaac West can do with his height. Small but speedy Jarvis Funderburk is another one that Stevens is already familiar with. Even those whose names he's still learning bring something that Stevens is already getting a little ecstatic about.

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Southern U needs receivers to fill void

Archive Photo: SU Pete Richardson begins his 16th season as head of the Jaguars football program.

Who will be making up the 575 yards and nine catches of Gerard Landry and the 737 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground and the other 566 yards and five touchdowns through the air of Darren Coates?

This was what Southern, 8-3 last season, was trying to figure out as spring practice began Tuesday.

Juamorris Stewart, who has teased with flashes in his first two seasons, and Corderious Gregory, who will be a sophomore but missed last season with a knee injury from spring practice a year ago, are in Landry’s “X” spot.

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Three-Run 8th Inning Rallies No. 2 Miami Past BCU Wildcats, 7-6

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Freshman catcher Yasmani Grandal drove in the game-winning run after junior Dave DiNatale hit a two-run game-tying single in the bottom of the eighth as No. 2 Miami rallied to defeat Bethune-Cookman, 7-6, Wednesday night at Mark Light Field. Junior right-hander Carlos Gutierrez tossed the final inning to record his fifth save for the Hurricanes, who improved to 19-2 on the season.

The Wildcats managed to the get the tying-run on base in the top of the ninth, but after back-to-back strikeouts by Carlos Gutierrez, Grandal threw out the baserunner trying to steal second to end the game.

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Tennessee State CB Rodgers-Cromartie on short list

Photo: On April 26, Tennessee State's Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie could become the first small-school cornerback drafted in the first round since 1995.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie's renowned trainer believes he's the second coming of Deion Sanders.

Skeptics wonder if Rodgers-Cromartie can become a prime-time NFL cornerback.

A small-college standout with big-time athleticism, Rodgers-Cromartie has become one of the most hotly debated draft prospects. That's because he might become the first defensive back chosen despite a pedigree that normally scares NFL teams from taking such a gamble.

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Florida A&M pounds Albany State, 17-4

Photo: RF Jared Grace drove in four runs with two hits, including three-run HR in the 7th inning.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Florida A&M Rattler Baseball team snapped a four-game losing skid as they pounded Albany (Ga.) State, 17-4 in a non-conference affair at Moore-Kittles Field Wednesday afternoon.

Florida A&M (3-12) finished the day with 16 hits, riding not only their offense, but solid performances in the pitching and defensive departments.

Chris Fullman led the Rattler offense with three hits and two RBI. Thaddeous McBurrows and Jared Grace each had two hits and four RBI apiece, with Jared Jeffries and Tim Schalch each driving in two runs. Corey McFadden and Tim Jones also had an RBI each Wednesday.

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Hampton U. picks up basketball transfer

Photo: George DeGrout, #31 averaged 19.03 ppg, 10.52 rpg, 1.27 apg, 1.14 steals while shooting 62 percent from the floor for Allegany College of Maryland.

A former star forward at Norcom High School commits to Hampton University's men's basketball team.

George DeGroat, a former standout at Norcom High in Portsmouth, has given a commitment to Hampton University's men's basketball team.

The 6-foot-5 forward has played the past two seasons at Allegany Community College in Maryland, and prior to that spent a year at Genesis One Christian School in Mendenhall, Miss. He averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds this past season.

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Nutt withdraws from UAPB basketball search

Former Arkansas State head coach Dickey Nutt has withdrew his name from the head coaching search at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

UAPB Athletic Director Louis “Skip” Perkins said Tuesday that Nutt called him and told him that he was taking his name out of the running. Nutt told Perkins that he was grateful for the opportunity, but that he wanted to pursue other opportunities.

Nutt praised the administration at UAPB and hopes that the Golden Lions can find themselves a “great head coach.”

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UMES Hawks Bowlers get NCAA invitation

Photo: UMES Head Bowling Coach Sharon Brummell

Championship to be held April 10-12 in Omaha.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN---The NCAA's Bowling Committee met today to announce the eight teams that will comprise next month's NCAA Championship field.

Defending champion Vanderbilt was one of five Central Region teams chosen along with three Northeast Region squads to compete April 10-12 in Omaha. The selection criteria includes many factors including strength of schedule and success against top opponents.

Top-rated Nebraska, Minnesota State-Mankato, Arkansas State and Central Missouri are the other Central Region teams making the cut while Maryland-Eastern Shore, runner-up to Vanderbilt last year, New Jersey City and Sacred Heart are the Northeast teams with a chance to win.

This year's tournament will be held at Thunder Alley in Omaha, hosted by the University of Nebraska.

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Miami pulls away from tough Bethune-Cookman

For the sixth consecutive game, the Hurricanes (18-2) scored 10 or more runs, topping a five-game streak last set by UM's 1998 team. Miami also won its 15th game in a row over the Wildcats to lead the all-time series 16-1, but Bethune-Cookman (14-8) made it close.

The Wildcats tied the score at 4, with four runs in the second inning, and they threatened to take the lead in the seventh during a bases-loaded situation before reliever Kyle Bellamy got the Canes out of the jam. "The scoreboard doesn't show it,'' UM shortstop Ryan Jackson said. "They had some chances throughout the game that could have made things interesting."

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The comments made by UM Ryan Jackson and coach Jim Morris shows tremendous respect to the capabilities of the BCU baseball team. That's great coming from the #2 ranked Hurricanes team, and all MEAC/SWAC programs should be striving to be as competitive as BCU is in Division I baseball. The Wildcats started a freshman pitcher and was in a position to win. Wildcats and Hurricanes play again today.

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Lavan wary as Hornets look to build on 2007

Photo: Delaware State University Hornets head football coach Al Lavan.

DOVER -- Al Lavan has maintained an important principle during his more than 35 years of coaching football: Forget your accolades.

That's not easy, particularly when a team comes off a season like Delaware State had in 2007. But Lavan will be preaching his mantra when the Hornets open spring practice tonight at Alumni Stadium.

"You don't want to dwell on it," Lavan said of last season, when DSU went 10-2, won its first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship since 1991 and qualified for the ...

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Cold weather challenges SSU quarterbacks

JaCorey Kilcrease and Brandon Webster also learning a new offense. Welcome to winter, uh, spring football practice at Savannah State. It was 35 degrees when the Tigers began drills at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday under the lights at T.A. Wright Stadium. It was their fifth practice since opening camp March 18.

"This is good for these kids," SSU first-year head coach Robby Wells said. "When you think spring practice, you don't think about 35 degrees. But my thing is I want to make it as tough on them in practice as possible so that when we get to the game it will be a little bit easier for them."

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McCoy impresses at SCSU Pro Day

File Photo: Cleve McCoy #19 is showing NFL scouts what the MEAC already knows--he's a talented hard nose player.

Cleve McCoy threw a few balls and then did what he had been expecting -- moved to wide receiver.

That's not to say the record-setting South Carolina State quarterback's passes were bad, actually, he was told he had good velocity on his ball. But, after McCoy, who measured in at 6-1 and 225 pounds, ran a 4.55 in the 40 and displayed a 35-inch vertical jump at South Carolina State's Pro Day at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium Tuesday, he became a very intriguing prospect at slot receiver. So, a Saints scout split McCoy out, gave him a few routes to run, and started slinging passes -- around 20 total -- in his direction. He didn't drop a one.

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Love among QB choices at FAMU

Archive Photo: RS Sophomore Eddie Battle, 6-2/215 starts Spring as the #1 Rattler QB.

Love showed Tuesday that he could become a solid backup should Battle remain the front runner coming at the end of spring drills.

"The reps felt good," he said. "It felt good to go out there with the ones and the twos and see what's going on with the installations," he said. "Most of all I want to get my timing with my receivers and my feet down with my linemen, letting them know how I feel about the protection and everything."

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FAMU to let Coach Clark's contract expire

Photo: Florida A&M University athletic director William "Bill" Hayes.










Calling the termination of women's basketball coach Debra Clark's contract one of the hardest decisions he's made since becoming athletic director at FAMU, Bill Hayes said the move was necessary to change the direction of the program.

Clark's $120,000 annual salary was one of the highest in the MEAC, Hayes said. Initial talks about renewing her contract began immediately after he became athletic director late last year, he said. "We had a lot invested ...

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Former Arkansas State Coach interviews with Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions

Photo: Former Arkansas State coach Dickey Nutt (right) has a 189-187 (.502) career mark .

Former Arkansas State head coach Dickey Nutt has interviewed for the vacant head coaching position at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

Nutt, who resigned at ASU on Feb. 19, 2008, was 189-187 in 13 seasons at ASU. He was the school’s second-winningest coach behind John Rauth. In his 13 seasons at ASU, Nutt led the Indians to the NCAA Tournament in 1999. Nutt led ASU to the 2007 Sun Belt Conference West Division title and to the conference championship game, where the Indians lost to North Texas.

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FAMU issues farewell to women's basketball coach Debra Clark and staff

Photo: Debra Clark ends her FAMU career with an overall career record of 211-194. She was 100-109 in leading the Lady Rattlers program for seven years.

Florida A&M University officials announced Tuesday that the contract of head women’s basketball coach Debra Clark would not be renewed, and that a committee would be appointed shortly to conduct a search for a successor.

“We truly wish to express our appreciation to Coach Debra Clark and her staff for their service to the university for the past seven seasons. However, after a thorough evaluation of the program, the decision was made to pursue a different course,” said FAMU Athletic Director Bill Hayes on Tuesday.

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The assistant coaches released with Coach Clark were: her husband, John Clark (Hampton University/native - Chesapeake, VA); Niki Washington (Southern Illinois University/native - Sanford, Florida); and Melaney Denson (S.C. State/native - Fort Pierce, FL). Coach Clark was in the final year of her contract which was not renewed.

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Disappointing finish doesn't dim Alabama State Hornets' optimism

As the Alabama State basketball players gathered their belongings and boarded a plane headed for Montgomery from Arizona last Wednesday morning, there were no long faces. There were no feelings of doom and gloom. There was no sadness.

That seems a bit odd given what had happened to the Hornets in the previous week. They had dropped a heartbreaker in overtime of the semifinals of the SWAC tournament the previous Friday. That had cost them a trip to the NCAA tournament and sent them on a quick trip out West to face the National Invitation Tournament's top seed, Arizona State, on its home floor.

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UAPB gets $500,000 from Angel for complex

Photo: Torii Hunter donates half million dollars to build new UAPB baseball complex. Hunter did not attend UAPB or any other college.


PINE BLUFF, AR — Major league baseball player Torii Hunter committed $500,000 on Friday afternoon toward a proposed $9 million University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff baseball complex, which will bear his name.

UAPB Athletic Director Skip Perkins said Hunter closed the deal Friday morning.

Perkins said the complex will be named the Torii Hunter Baseball Complex. The donation is the largest ever to the school’s athletics department from a single person, Perkins said.

“We are very, very grateful,” Perkins said. “We’re ready to rock and roll now. That was a huge component to our fundraising efforts.” Perkins said the fundraising committee will begin its drive next month, although he wasn’t certain exactly when.

Hunter, a Los Angeles Angels outfielder and a 1993 graduate of Pine Bluff High School, was traveling with the team Friday afternoon and unavailable for comment, said Larry Babcock, a spokesman for the Angels. A message left on Hunter’s cell phone Friday was not returned.

Hunter did not attend UAPB or any other college. He was a first-round draft pick for the Minnesota Twins straight out of high school. He played his first major-league game in 1997.

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Osborne in the fast lane at Texas Southern

Having been a key member of the 2005 Marshall High School football team that finished the season with a 13-2 record (state runner-up), it can be said Junior Osborne carried with him to Texas Southern University a pedigree for success.

Osborne has lived up to his billing, and then some, having two recent noteworthy successes — one on the track and one in the classroom.

His time of 21.97 seconds in the 200 meters established a new Southwestern Athletic Conference indoor record — surpassing that of Southern University's Albert Turner (22.29) set in January 2005.

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STANDING OUT: Former WSSU star catches scouts' eyes

Safety Nate Biggs has kept a low profile since exhausting his eligibility at Winston-Salem State last fall. But after his performance at an NFL pro day at East Carolina earlier this month, scouts are starting to take notice.

Biggs (6-1, 190) was a four-year starter for the Rams and had eight career interceptions, including three last season to tie for the team lead. He also had 230 career tackles, including 72 last season to finish second on the team.

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Jackson State's RB Giles stands out at Pro Day

The Jackson State football program welcomed 20 NFL scouts to the practice field outside the Walter Payton Center on Monday for the school's "Pro Day."

Representatives from New Orleans, Tampa Bay, St. Louis, Chicago, Jacksonville, Carolina, Indianapolis, the New York Giants, Philadelphia, Cleveland, New England, Green Bay and Seattle were in attendance.

Thirteen JSU players took part with athletes from Mississippi College, Alcorn State and Belhaven.

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FAMU begins spring with high-tempo practice

Each player on FAMU's practice field earned every minute of the short water breaks they were granted Monday afternoon. An extra gulp wouldn't have been too much for a group of linebackers stationed at the sled.

One by one, they took a rapid-fire approach as they slammed into the padded metal sled, jerking it back with every contact. Linebackers coach Earl Holmes wouldn't let a man let up. "Grab and control," Holmes bellowed after every strike. "Run through it. Bring your hips with it."

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Excellent article and comments by Coach Joe Taylor and A.D. Bill Hayes.