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Rams fall to Florida A&M in next-to-last match of the 2008 season.
WINSTON-SALEM, NC - The Winston-Salem State University men's tennis team fell in defeat to the Florida A&M University Rattlers on Saturday afternoon in Tallahassee, Florida by the score of 7-0 as WSSU dropped their ninth consecutive match to drop to 1-22 overall on the season.
The Rattlers swept all six singles matches, two by 6-0, 6-0 sweeps and then earned the doubles point with a pair of 8-0 victories at first and third doubles and an 8-1 victory at second doubles.
Southern heads into its final week of spring practice, going Tuesday and Thursday and then finishing with the Blue and Gold Spring Game at 3 p.m. Saturday at A.W. Mumford Stadium.
Photo: Southern University head coach Pete Richardson.
The Jaguars concluded their third week of four practices with a workout in shoulder pads and helmets on a breezy, early Saturday afternoon. “We wanted to look at the down-the-line guys, trying to get them in a position they can get to the scrimmage and have a chance to get at least play a few plays in the scrimmage (Saturday),” Southern coach Pete Richardson said. “We’re trying to sharpen up on each side of the ball.
This turned out to be a happy miscommunication. Southern offensive line coach Damon Nivens didn’t find out until around the Bayou Classic that center/guard Demarcus Stewart had the possibility of returning this season.
“We looked at it and figured out he had another year when he told us at the end of the season,” Nivens said. “He said, ‘Coach, I have another year.’ I said, ‘Really, that’s good. That’s good. That will give me more depth, more guys with experience up front.’” The confusion stemmed from when Stewart initially transferred from Nicholls State.
Photo: #75 Demarcus Stewart had a second team All-SWAC season in 2007, and will return 29 pounds lighter at 6-0/303 in August to lead the Jags OL.
Southern University athletes and well as several area high school standouts fared well at the 2008 Pelican Relays held at Southern’s A.W. Mumford Stadium on Saturday. In team standings, Southern finished second behind Grambling University on the women’s side, while the Jaguars won the men’s division. Northside won the high school girls division while Scotlandville finished first in the boys division.
Finishing first for the Jaguars in the college division, were India Anderson in the women’s long jump (5Ø feet), Jason House in the men’s high jump (2.1 meters), the men’s 1,600 sprint medley relay ‘A’ team (3:29.50), the men’s distance medley ‘A’ team (10:38.97), the women’s 1,600 relay ‘A’ team (3:49.01) and the men’s 1,600 relay ‘A’ team (3:15.40).
Jackson State will run its own version of the NFL Combine as part of its offseason workout program. Strength and conditioning coach Derek Scott will run the four-day session starting April 28. "It looks like a great, great program he's got," JSU football coach Rick Comegy said. "I just want us to be stronger ... where I see a muscle in their ear.
Photo: JSU head football coach Rick Comegy.
"I just know everybody else is eating iron at this time. We're the bull's-eye. They've picked up their momentum and we've got to pick up ours. We can't just lie idle and be happy where we are. We have to surpass what they do."
Fundraising, hiring of men's basketball coach high on list of priorities
A billboard reading "In Transition" would be appropriate on the stretch of Highway 61heading into Lorman. In the last five months Alcorn State has welcomed a new president (George Ross), a new football coach (Ernest Jones) and a new athletic director (Darren Hamilton).
Samuel West was fired the day before Hamilton started last week, so a new basketball coach is on the way. "I'm sure it's a transitional phase," Hamilton, 44, said. "It's a very vibrant time on campus. "I think everybody is really, really hungry and ready to bring it back to the level of excellence and envy that was there in the past."
Tony Harvey is hoping the day will come when stories about him do not include the words "NCAA investigation." That day isn't today.
Texas Southern University did what should be the best thing the university has done with its athletic department in many years Thursday, when it announced it has lured athletic director Charles McClelland away from Prairie View A&M.
Many believe that last week the university did the worst thing it has done with its athletic department in many years when it announced it had hired Harvey as the men's basketball coach. Considering the school's lengthy and well-chronicled list of ill-advised moves, that says something.
PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas- The Prairie View A&M Panthers football team concluded their 2008spring camp with the Annual Purple and Gold game played at Blackshear Field. Both teams offensive units began the game sluggish as both teams committed turnovers early in the contest. Regulation play concluded with both teams knotted at 3 points apiece.
During the overtime periods both teams added touchdowns as the Purple team's Calvin Harris reached the end zone for a rushing score while the Gold team's Lynderrick Williams scored a TD on a 15 yard reception from quarterback Austin Nwokobia.
The game was decided by a 30 yard field goal by Brady Faggard which gave the Gold team a three-point advantage at 13-10. The Purple unit would get a chance to force the game into another overtime exchange but Kyle Matthews 42 yard field goal attempt fell short giving the Gold team the victory.
The Panthers will now look toward off-season workouts as they get set to open the season against rival Texas Southern in the Annual State Farm Labor Day Classic football game.
San Marcos — Texas State University director of athletics Dr. Larry Teis has announced that the Bobcats have moved their football game against Texas Southern to Oct. 4 on Jim Wacker Field at Bobcat Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 6:00 p.m. The game was originally scheduled for September 13.
“Texas Southern had a problem with their schedule and we were able to accommodate them by moving the game,” Teis said. “As a result, we now have a two-year agreement and they also will play here in 2009.”
This season’s game marks the eighth game played between the two schools. Texas State owns a 7-0 record in the series that dates back to 1988. The last time the two schools met was on Nov. 9, 2006, when the Bobcats won a 41-21 decision in San Marcos.
Though the fact that there were members of the Marching 100 there was a change. Coach Joe Taylor wanted it, and so for the first time in 20 years the band showed up at Bragg Stadium on Saturday for the Orange and Green game. "We wanted a game-like atmosphere," Taylor said. "We wanted to see how the guys react with the officials, with the crowd, with the band. Whenever we line up on the field (the Marching 100) has got to be here because they're the 12th man. I know it's going to benefit us."
The Green team chewed up a lot of yards while having its way against the Orange, to the tune of a 54-0 final score.
Running back Antwan Edwards and wide receiver Isaiah Osborne were the stars for the Orange team, which wore white jerseys, in Savannah State's football spring game Saturday. Linebacker Calvin Leonard and defensive back Jamar Graham were standouts for the Blue team.
A Memorial Stadium crowd of 389, including two handfuls of signees, watched the Orange's 18-6 victory over the Blue end four weeks of spring practice. Edwards ran 15times for 122 yards, and Osborne made 13 catches for 123 yards and a touchdown.
Ormond Beach, Fla. - Marvelous pitching was the story of the day on Saturday as Bethune-Cookman University took both games of a MEAC baseball doubleheader against Norfolk State University, 10-1 & 3-0 at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex in Ormond Beach, Fla.
The first game started early for the Wildcats of B-CU (21-13, 8-0 MEAC) as they plated three runs in the bottom of the second to open the game up.
It was a time for collective gasps and crossed fingers Saturday at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.
Rising sophomore quarterback Malcolm Long was writhing in pain on the ground after his legs buckled under him while running upfield during the team's scrimmage. Given all the anticipation the former South Carolina "Mr. Football" has built up since his arrival on campus, the sight of Long favoring his leg with any injury would top the list of nightmare scenarios for anyone affiliated with S.C. State football.
To the partial relief of Bulldog head football coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough, it was a pulled hamstring and nothing more serious.
Big returns: As the spring game rolled along at Hornet Stadium, a steady stream of fans strolled in and out of a tent set up just beside the stands, where former standouts Tarvaris Jackson, Michael Coe and Chad Lucas were signing autographs.
All three are current NFL players. Jackson is the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. Coe is a cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts and Lucas is a receiver with the Tampa Bay Bucs.
If there has been a theme to Alabama State's spring practice, it has been progress. With the task of implementing a new offense prior to next season, head coach Reggie Barlow has stressed the importance of making progress each day. The offensive players, time and again, have mentioned how much they're focused on improving each day.
It was that mindset the Hornets took into Saturday's Black and Gold spring game. Winning or losing seemed to make little difference to either side. It was all about judging how far they've come in 15 practices.
The offense's 29-24 win wasn't pretty, but no one seemed to care.
Photo: UMES Freshman Kristina Frahm (left) made All-Tournament Team along with the Tournament's Most Valuable Bowler, senior Jessica Worsley (right).
The title is the first NCAA National Championship women's titleever at the DI level by a historically black college or university (HBCU) and the first time a woman coach has won a bowling championship.
Press Release: Courtesy of NCAA
Maryland-Eastern Shore made NCAA bowling history Saturday night as it captured its first NCAA Women’s Bowling title since the sport’s NCAA sanction in 2004. Maryland-Eastern Shore’s Head Coach Sharon Brummel also became the first woman head coach to lead her team to a title.
“Somebody told me I was the first woman to win a championship,” Brummel said. “We’ve been to all five championships and finally a woman wins. It’s a wonderful feeling, it really is.”
The Hawks fought to be in the championship, as they were down three games to Vanderbilt in this afternoon’s elimination match. Momentum shifted the Hawk’s way and Maryland-Eastern Shore defeated Vanderbilt to contend for the championship.
“I’m speechless,” Brummel said. “After last year I felt that we were contending for the championship. Today, these young ladies fought. When were bowling against Vanderbilt earlier today and we were down three games, it got a little scary. Then Jessica Worsley decides to pick up a 2-10 split and it just seemed to change the whole momentum of the game and they came out fighting today when we were starting out in the championship.”
“I guess we all wanted to win,” Brommel said. “Jessica’s been here the whole four years. She’s gone to four national championships and on her way out she wanted to go out as a champion and she really went out as a champion.”
Maryland-Eastern Shore anchor Jessica Worsley stepped up for the Hawks in both matches today and emerged as the Most Valuable Bowler for the 2008 National Championship. Photo: Jessica Worsley, Most Valuable Bowler Award winner.
“It was just a dream even making the finals last year and finishing second,” Worsley said. “Most people can’t even said they’ve done that in their career. Just going out on top and finishing first my senior year, words can’t describe how great that feels. I couldn’t have asked for a better coaching staff or team to finish my career with and winning the national championship was just the icing on the cake.”
Maryland-Eastern Shore claimed the title with a 4-2 win over Arkansas State. The Hawks took an early lead in the first game, as Arkansas State had two open frames to start the game. However, Arkansas State came on strong during the fourth frame, as sophomore Maggie Adams started a series of six strikes for the Indians. Maryland-Eastern Shore was unable to overcome the deficit and fell, 179-223, to Arkansas State in the first game.
Maryland-Eastern Shore’s come back was quick in the second game as they out shot the Indians, 200-181. The Hawks recorded seven spares and three strikes, while Arkansas State held two open frames to begin the game. The teams were tied at 1-1 heading into the third game.
Despite two open frames to start game three, Arkansas State’s anchor Marissa Martinek helped the Indians to victory with back-to-back strikes in the tenth frame. Arkansas State defeated Maryland-Eastern Shore, 182-180.
Maryland-Eastern Shore answered back with a 217-164 win over Arkansas State in the fourth game. UMES was on fire with six strikes and five spares in the game, which brought them to a 2-2 draw with Arkansas State.
The Hawks kept rolling to a 3-2 lead over Arkansas State in the fifth game. Two strikes in both the eighth and ninth frames gave the Hawks a strong 175-152 win over the Indians.
With momentum on its side, Maryland-Eastern Shore capped the night with a 174-170 victory over Arkansas State to capture the 2008 Women’s Bowling Championship title.
Following the awards ceremony, five championship bowlers were recognized with all-tournament team honors. Brittany Garcia (Vanderbilt), Vicki Spratford (New Jersey City), Maggie Adams (Arkansas State), Jessica Worsley (Maryland-Eastern Shore) and Maria Rodriguez (Maryland-Eastern Shore) were each recognized, while Worlsey claimed the Most Valuable Bowler.
A tape-delay of the championship game will be broadcast on ESPN 2 at 6 p.m. Central on Monday, April 14.
Photo: Sharon Brummell, UMES Head Bowling Coach of the NCAA Division I National Champions Hawks
2007/08 UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE HAWKS BOWLING TEAM -NCAA DIVISION I NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
NAME YR Hometown (Last School) Brown, Katherine FR Level Green, Pa. (Penn Trafford H.S.) Culbreth, Jamie JR Hochspeyer, Germany (Kaiserslautern American) Davis, Jennifer JR Severn, Md. (Meade H.S.) DiScioscia, Sara JR Hampton, Va. (Poquoson H.S.) Frahm, Kristina FR Oswego Ill. (Oswego East H.S.) King, Christine SR Upper Darby, Pa. (Archbishop Predergast) Perez, Martha FR Bogota, Colombia (English School) Rodriguez, Maria FR Ibague Tolima, Colombia (La Presentacion) Smithson, Jessica RS FR Selbyville, Del (Sussex Technical H.S.) Worsley, Jessica SR Brick, N.J. (Brick Memorial H.S.) Zanrucha, Laura JR Binghamton, N.Y. (Susquehanna Valley H.S.)
Amazing!! Congratulations UMES Hawks! The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference members, fans and all HBCUs are extremely proud of our first NCAA Division I National Championship and the historic accomplishments by the UMES Hawks 2008 National Championship Bowling Team. Now we all know the truly impossible--is now possible for all MEAC sports teams. ( beepbeep)
University of Maryland Eastern Shore Jazz Ensemble, "God Bless the Child"
The Joe Taylor era at Florida A&M is off to a perfect start. Taylor, the Rattlers’ new head football coach, guided the first-stringers to a resounding 54-0 win on Saturday in the annual Orange & Green game.
Even the weather was faultless, though there was a 12-minute downpour shortly before the 1 p.m. kickoff that may have kept the crowd at Bragg Stadium to about 300.
Philip Sylvester, the freshman sensation from Marianna, rushed for 134 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Green team. Those gaudy numbers don’t include an 82-yard touchdown run that was nullified by a penalty.
OMAHA, Neb. - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) thought they would have the advantage today. After all, they are a fresh oil team. When they faced Vanderbilt yesterday to start they day they topped them 4-0. Suddenly the tables were turned and the hot team was Vanderbilt who went up 3-0. Don't call it a comeback, call it fate, UMES rebounded to pick up four straight games, riding the back of anchor Jessica Worsley and advance to the National Championship to face Arkansas State.
UMES faces the team they defeated yesterday in eight games, ASU in the national championship match.
For more than two years now, as he's worked to be the Alabama State starting quarterback, Alex Engram has tried to ignore the doubters and pessimists. It just does no good to listen to them. Things haven't always gone well during his time at QB and he knows it. In fact, they've gone downright terrible at times, and Engram is the first to admit that.
So, he understands why fans now doubt his ability to run the ASU offense. He just doesn't care.
Photo: #16 Hornets QB Alex Engram.
"I've always been the kind of guy that I don't listen to that stuff from fans, whether it be good or bad," Engram said. "I don't mean any disrespect, but listening to them doesn't help. I've always tried to keep my head down, work with my coaches and just get better."
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It appears that Engram with be the third string quarterback for ASU. From the comments made by coach Reggie Barlow, he has his eyes set on the baseball player, Devin Dominguez as his starter, and Brandon Dowdell as his second string QB. Unless Engram has an NFL type Fall camp, he can get ready to kiss the end of the bench for the season opener at Florida A&M.
A tone of relief hung heavy in the words of Jackson State football coach Rick Comegy when asked about the injury situation at the conclusion of spring workouts. Defensive tackle Emmanuel Muhammad went down with a strained knee in the Blue and White game, but otherwise the Tigers were unscathed Saturday.
Even senior quarterback Joe Hawkins played, despite being scheduled to sit out the game with a leg injury. He took a few big hits, came out and returned with the red no-touch jersey on. "We came out good," Comegy said, "which I am so happy about. And we played a full game, rather than a 60-play series.
GRAMBLING. LA — Holding a three-game divisional lead means little when the two-time defending league champions are in the other dugout. That’s been second-year Grambling baseball coach Barret Rey’s pulpit-pounding sermon all week.
“The confidence is coming,” Rey said, “but I don’t want them to get overconfident. We haven’t accomplished anything yet.” That may be overstating things a bit.
Darren Coates was a bolt of lightning last season, becoming an All-Southwestern Athletic Conference second-teamer and the best pass-catching running back of the Pete Richardson era in his one season as Southern’s feature back. Now that Coates is gone, Southern is deep into the business of replacing him as spring practice continues. Brian Threat, who will be a sophomore, and Kendrick Smith, who will be a senior, are the veterans.
Behind them are two freshmen who redshirted last season — Micah Smith and Amonte Harper — and ex-Nicholls State player Joe Robbins, who has one season of eligibility remaining and is learning the entire playbook this season. SU, like at times last season, can employ tight end Evan Alexander in the backfield as well.
Southern also signed two prep players in February: Clinton High’s Byron Williams and Ville Platte High’s Jerry Joseph.
While the rest of FAMU’s football players who hold more glamorous positions practice on the main field, kicker Troy Walker and long snapper Kory McCloughen go through their skill drills almost unnoticed. When they get a chance on the field their entry usually serves as notice that practice is about finished — not so much that they’re participating in a special teams workout.
Neither Walker nor McCloughen mind, though. They know they are the heart and soul of special teams. So they toil in obscurity under the watch of special teams coach Justin Gibboney, attempting to improve their kickoffs, punts, field goals and extra points.
Hawks get the bye and guarantee they will play on Saturday.
OMAHA, Neb. - In one of the most exciting matches in the history of the NCAA Women's Bowling Tournament, The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) and Arkansas State University (UMES) went to an extra game to decide who stayed in and who left the winner's bracket. The second ranked Hawks proved to be the better team on this day as they got down to ASU 2-0 but rallied to tie the series at two. They got down 3-2 but tied the match and sent it to a crucial game seven. It wouldn't end there as UMES and ASU tied at 173. The Lady Hawks came out on top however, and won game eight to send the Indians to the loser's bracket.
Brummell's team survived the spunky ASU team and now earns a bye until 6:20 p.m. ET when they play the winner of the University of Central Missouri and Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt edged Sacred Heart 4-3 in their second match of the day while Central Missouri fell to New Jersey City University (NJCU) 4-3.
NORFOLK, VA - Spring football practice at Norfolk State has been an embarrassment - of riches, that is. Even with the freshmen still a few months from arriving on campus, the Spartans are bursting with depth, particularly at quarterback.
This spring, five Spartans are on the roster with the letters "QB" by their names. UConn transfer Dennis Brown is getting the most attention but also on the list are Oscar Smith graduate Dexter Merritt, a redshirt last year; Rakeem Kersey; Tallwood graduate Brian Jackson, also the starting punter; and Jones, a rising senior.
With Brown taking the majority of the snaps this spring, Adrian said the Spartans are more versatile offensively.
Rams fall to Florida A&M in next-to-last match of the 2008 season.
