Shaw Announces 2010 Football Schedule; Season Tickets On Sale

Raleigh, NC – Shaw University will host four home football games this season and take on one NCAA Division I FCS opponent. The Bears’ ten-game schedule includes home dates with Virginia Union, Fayetteville State, Chowan and Winston-Salem State.

The Bears open the season with the Shaw Pride game against Virginia Union on September 4, then hit the road for five straight weeks. On September 11, Shaw takes on Elon University. The Phoenix finished 9-3 in the Southern Conference last season with a strong Division I FCS schedule. The following week, the Bears will take on Catawba College.

The CIAA season begins on September 25 when the Bears travel to Elizabeth City State, followed by road games to Livingstone and Johnson C. Smith.

On October 16, the Bears return home to face division rival Fayetteville State, with the homecoming game against Chowan one week later. Shaw closes out the home season on October 30 as they host Winston-Salem State in a game that will be nationally televised. That game is also Senior Day and Shaw Open House.

Shaw finishes the season on the road at cross-town rival Saint Augustine’s.

Shaw defensive backs coach Robert Massey.

Shaw will play its first three home games (VUU, FSU and Chowan) at Southeast Raleigh High School at 2600 Rock Quarry Road. Game times are 6:00 p.m. for Virginia Union and Fayetteville State and 4:00 p.m. for Chowan. The final home game, against WSSU, will be played at Durham County Memorial Stadium at 1:00 p.m.

Season ticket packages, which include reserved seating, parking, and three t-shirts and a polo shirt cost $150 and can be purchased by calling (919) 546-8281.

Individual tickets went on sale July 1. Prices to all but the homecoming game (Chowan) are $15 for adults, and $10 for children and students with IDs. Homecoming tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for children and students with IDs. Shaw students attend all home games for free with their student ID. Individual tickets may be purchased through the Shaw athletics website – www.shawbears.com.

Shaw will hold its annual scrimmage on August 28 at Chavis Park. Time is to be announced at a later date.

Last season, the Bears finished with an 8-2 record, 5-2 in the CIAA and one game out of first in the Western Division.

Football Coaching Staff
Darrell Asberry Head Coach (5th Season: 27-16)
David Geralds Associate Head Coach

Kienus Boulware Assistant Football Coach (Defensive Coordinator)
Robert Massey Assistant Football Coach (Defensive Backs)
Vyron Brown Assistant Football Coach (Offensive Coordinator
Richard McGeorge Assistant Football Coach (Offensive Line)
Jermonty KimbroughAssistant Football Coach (Running Backs)









2010 BEARS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Saturday, September 4 VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY 6:00 p.m.
SHAW PRIDE DAY
Saturday, September 11 Elon University 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 18 Catawba College 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 25 Elizabeth City State University* 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 2 Livingstone College* 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 9 Johnson C. Smith University* 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 16 FAYETTEVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY* 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 23 CHOWAN UNIVERSITY* 4:00 p.m. HOMECOMING
Saturday, October 30 WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY* 1:00 p.m.
SENIOR DAY / SHAW OPEN HOUSE (DURHAM COUNTY STADIUM)
Saturday, November 6 Saint Augustine’s College* 1:30 p.m.

Home Games Listed in BOLDFACE CAPS
Home Games, Except for WSSU, Played at Southeast Raleigh High School
(2600 Rock Quarry Road)
WSSU Game Played at Durham County Memorial Stadium
* CIAA Conference Game

Grambling State reportedly set to cut golf, tennis

Months after a program-defining moment, Grambling golf is on the chopping block. Continuing efforts to balance a teetering budget could, in fact, result in GSU dropping as many as four sports — men's and women's golf, as well as the school's tennis teams. But Coach Tegtira Thomas and the men's golf squad, coming off their best showing ever, are perhaps the most notable possible cut: Jonathan Coleman shot low individual score at the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament to earn the area's first-ever automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship.

That couldn't save the team, Thomas said. The eighth-year coach confirmed on Friday that his program has been slashed, and that Coleman will likely transfer to Jackson State — defending SWAC golf champion, and winner of that title in 21 of the last 22 seasons.

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Time to remove Savannah State Dixon's interim label

It's time for Savannah State University to remove the interim label from interim football head coach Julius Dixon's title. Dixon has been serving in that capacity since Jan. 28, when he was named interim head coach by interim athletic director Marilynn Suggs to replace Robby Wells. Dixon is a good man. He has the character, integrity, experience and leadership skills SSU needs. He also has the respect of SSU's players and administration. He reminds me of former SSU head coach Theo Lemon. I have tremendous respect for both men.

College football, at least at this level, is not exclusively about winning games. It's about helping young men mature and maximize their potential en route to earning bachelor's degrees via the opportunity that fooball provides. Dixon truly cares about his players. He is a hard-working, humble family man. He is honest. Dixon, who was SSU's defensive coordinator the past two seasons, and his assistants (Eddie Johnson, Alan Hall, Barry Casterlin and Hans Batichon) are a close-knit staff. They work well together. Their focus is on the team, not on themselves. And they're hungry to win while doing things the right way.

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Lincoln graduate finds a home at FAMU after leaving UCF

That homey feeling that Steven Robinson felt he couldn't find at Florida A&M University before he settled on the University of Central Florida two years ago was gone. His discomfort in the Knights' program grew even more as his passion for the game was being questioned. The former Lincoln High School offensive lineman decided he'd take a second look at FAMU. He felt what he described as a "family vibe" in his meeting with coach Joe Taylor. Six months after that meeting, Robinson is excited about playing football again. It's been so long," he said earlier this week after participating in a weight-room workout with his new teammates. "I just can't wait."

Getting this far has been a bit of a journey for Robinson, a 6-foot-3, 310-pound left tackle. He took last semester to attend Tallahassee Community College, where he satisfied clearinghouse issues to meet FAMU admission standards for a transfer. But as he worked out on his own during the months leading up to his first workout with the Rattlers in June, Robinson couldn't help thinking about the disappointment at UCF. He figured he would have been a key player on the Knights offensive line but the honeymoon ended quickly.

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LeMoyne-Owen College event honors Coach Johnson

Tennessee Sports Hall of Famer and legendary LeMoyne-Owen College Coach Jerry C. Johnson left a lasting legacy on America. In his 46 years over the Magicians, there have come eight NBA players, six high school or junior high school coaches, seven college coaches, four principals, a city councilman, and a mayor of Memphis, Dr. Willie W. Herenton. Even his former player, David "Smokey" Gaines succeeded Coach Johnson, taking the reins of the Lemoyne-Owen Magicians in 2005. After LeMoyne-Owen, Gaines played for the Harlem Globetrotters and the Kentucky Colonels of the old ABA league before the merger with the NBA. Later, Gaines was one of the pioneering African American coaches at so-called majority institutions when he became the head coach at the University of Detroit and at San Diego State.

The Alumnae of LeMoyne-Owen College celebrated the college's legendary head basketball coach Jerry C. Johnson's 92nd birthday. The event was a weekend of fun and learning, June 18 & 19, and included a golf scramble at Tunica National Golf Course as well as a coaches clinic at Harrah's Casino Convention Center. The Celebration Dinner was held at the Holiday Inn Express on Democrat Road at Airways Boulevard. Proceeds from this event will fund the Magician's Club which provides scholarships for the college's athletes.

Coach Johnson retired from the college's basketball program in 2005 after more than 46 seasons. When he was 86, he ranked first among active NCAA Division II coaches with 818 victories in 45 seasons. He has lost just 400 games in that time, and is the second winningest coach in Division II NCAA history behind another legend, Clarence "Big House" Gaines (Winston-Salem State).

Coach Jerry C. Johnson is the only coach in Tennessee history to win a national basketball championship. Since his retirement, he has received numerous honors for his outstanding career. Coach Johnson was inducted into the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference ((SIAC) Hall of Fame, the Fayetteville State University Hall of Fame, and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. The coach of the year award for the SIAC is now The Jerry C. Johnson Coach of the Year Award. And in 1991, LeMoyne-Owen College awarded Johnson an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. He ended his career with 821 victories.

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Ed McCann Resigning From Centenary; Heading To Alabama A&M Bulldogs

Ed McCann Head Coach

Ed McCann, the Centenary College of Louisiana Gents baseball coach since 1999, is resigning and will be the next head coach at Alabama A&M in Huntsville.
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In an afternoon phone interview with KTBS, McCann said he looks forward to going to a university that, "Cares about baseball and cares about athletics." Centenary College is one year away from dropping down to NCAA Division III from their current status as a Division I school. McCann, a tireless worker, who sold Centenary baseball to everyone and anyone he met, has already secured his first recruit for A&M, a young man out of Detroit, Michigan. During McCann's tenure, the Peyton Sheehee Stadium was constructed as well as improvements made to the baseball and soccer offices nearby, courtesy of the Mike McCarthy family.

Michael Tompkins

Assistant Coach

Michael Tompkins, who completed his eligibility this past season as a Gent, will follow McCann to A&M as an assistant coach. McCann is expected to hand in his letter of resignation on Monday or Tuesday and then it's off to the SWAC for Easy Ed McCann.

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Benedict Tigers' Riley ready for senior season

Benedict College Charlie W. Johnson Football Stadium opened Sept. 2006 with a capacity for 11,000 seats --expandable to 17,000 seats, located on a 61 acre tract contiguous to the Columbia-Sumter Empowerment Zone.

Former Bainbridge (Ga.) High School Bearcats All-Region 1AAAA quarterback and track sprinter Patrick Riley continues to excel on the football field at Benedict College in Columbia, S.C. As a junior last season, he led the Benedict Tigers to a strong 8-3 overall record and a 6-3 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) mark. Riley was named second team All SIAC in 2009. He rushed for 1,088 yards and 12 touchdowns and passed for 887 yards and eight touchdowns.

One of the Tigers’ key victories last season, a 28-20 homecoming win over the Fort Valley State University Wildcats, featured some late-game heroics by Riley. They took a 21-17 lead when Riley scored on a nine-yard run around the right side. He set up the touchdown with a 37-yard touchdown pass to teammate Corey Gardhigh. Before transferring to Benedict, Riley had two outstanding seasons quarterbacking the Eastern Arizona Junior College Gila Monsters in Thatcher, Arizona.



Quarterback Pat Riley is number 4 in this video. The redshirt senior is 6'0"/180 from Attapulgus, GA.

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Alabama A&M football standout killed in Bessemer bike club shooting

Alabama A&M University head football Coach Anthony Jones said he is shocked at the early-morning shooting death of football standout Maurice Thomas. "I think the kind of player he was, was exemplified in the way he played and the longevity of his career," Jones said today. "I think a lot of people didn't know the kind of person he was because people can't see under the helmet. He was a young man who worked hard and believed in his teammates, his friends and his family. He was a kid you can count on."

Thomas, 23, of Bessemer and two other men were shot about 3 a.m. inside the Getties Boyz Club, a biker bar, on 22nd Street and First Avenue North.



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Tampa Bay Buc's James Lee (SCSU), Muck City and a better Belle Glade

BELLE GLADE, FL - Muck City doesn't sound like a welcoming place. No, pass a sign that says "Welcome to Muck City," and you start looking for an exit pronto. Also, known as Belle Glade, Florida, Muck City's signs read "Her Soil is her Fortune." That's where the name comes from, the rich "muck" or soil that the city lies on which is known for producing sugarcane. In fact, most of the elders in the town of 17,000 make their money off what grows from that muck, working in the local sugar mill.

Aside from the sugarcane, "Muck City" is also known for its powerhouse prep football team, Glades Central, and the number of football players that have made it out of town - former Eagles safety Andre Waters, star tailback Fred Taylor, former Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes and former S.C. State offensive tackle and current Tampa Bay Buccaneer James Lee .

24 year old former South Carolina State University's Offensive Tackle James Lee, 6'4"/305; 3 years NFL experience with Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Yes, "Muck City" can also live up to the negative connotation that the name can give off. Lee, the 2007 MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Year, knows that well. "(Growing up) it was a rough neighborhood," Lee said Monday. "Football basically ... it was every young kids' dream to get out of there and play football." Lee did that much, escaping to Orangeburg where he prospered under Buddy Pough. But, just because he got out didn't mean he was ready to forget where he came from. Instead, Lee, who has spent the summer touring Florida speaking to children about the importance of education, has embraced "Muck City," starting his very own "Muck City Fest."

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Grambling State signs Anniston High standout

The Grambling State Tigers won the recruiting battle over Alabama State and Florida A&M University for the dual sports star, Darius Taylor.

Talent and options.

Recent Anniston High School graduate Darius "Boo" Taylor was skilled enough in two sports that he didn’t have to worry about which one would ultimately come through and fund his college education. Taylor, who stands at 6-foot-4, played basketball and track as a Bulldog. He was most widely known for his exploits on the hardwood, where he played a key role as Anniston’s sixth man during the Bulldogs’ run to the Class 4A state title in 2009. He emerged as a starter at forward in his senior season and averaged a double-double at 18 points and 10 rebounds per game. The Bulldogs advanced to the state semifinals, losing to eventual champions Ramsay.

Taylor was a first team selection to The Star’s Class 4A-6A All-Calhoun County team and was chosen to the Fab 5, a list that comprises the best five players in the paper’s seven-county, 30-plus school coverage area regardless of classification. However, Tuesday morning at Carver Community Center in West Anniston, Taylor signed a National Letter of Intent to run track at Grambling (La.) State University.

“I liked them both,” Taylor said when asked which sport he preferred growing up. “I wanted to play basketball, but I knew it didn’t matter because I liked doing both.” Taylor picked up the sports in middle school and became an elite competitor under basketball coach Schuessler Ware and former boys track coach Alex Wilson, who was among the family and friends present at the ceremony. He placed fourth in the state in the 400 meters this past spring. But it was after he ran the 800 meters in 1:58 to place third at the state meet in Gulf Shores that he began to garner the attention of college coaches.

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Meet Mackie Freeze, 2010 Grambling Legends Inductee

Mackie Freeze, known today as a sideline icon at Richwood (La.) High, had already established his credentials during a memorable stint as a student athlete at Grambling.Freeze had previously coached at Montgomery (La.) High before his stay on the bench with the Rams. He retired to become an assistant principal at Richwood, and later worked for the city of Monroe.

Freeze was a standout pitcher, helping the Tigers win 120 of 137 baseball games over his final three college seasons. That included Grambling's first-ever national NAIA championship under the late coach R.W.E. "Prez" Jones, who was also the school's second president.

Jones had first spotted Freeze trying out a curve ball in the yard. "Boy, you're a pitcher," Freeze remembers "Prez" saying. Was he ever. Freeze never lost a game on the mound at Grambling, and even subbed — though, at Jones' direction, quite sparingly — as a guard on the football team under Eddie Robinson.

That two-sport effort has helped earn Freeze induction into the Grambling Legends Hall of Fame, in ceremonies to be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 17, 2010, at the Monroe Civic Center in Monroe, LA. Admission is $60 per person, and $500 for a table of eight, with all proceeds going to the non-profit Legends group for distribution in support athletics at Grambling. Tickets can be purchased at the Monroe Civic Center box office. Call 329-2837.

The Dodgers baseball organization actually signed Freeze out of college, where he said he participated in training camp with Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese and Roy Campanella. But the son of Sterlington's Jhonnie and Mamie Freeze always wanted to work with young people.

Coaching at Richwood for 13 seasons ending in 1967, he guided scores of youth to Grambling — among them Goldie Sellers, a two-time all-conference honoree; Charles "Tank" Smith, part of Philadelphia's 1980 Super Bowl squad; and Amos Augustine, a member of the team that earned Robinson his historical 200th career win.

"If kids knew that you loved them, they would do anything for you," Freeze said. "If they don't love you, you can't win." And win, they did.

Freeze earned victory in 116 of 139 prep football games at Richwood, including a staggering 66 in a row. His Rams claimed four consecutive state titles from 1961-64, though the last was won by forfeit — so Freeze never counted it. They were also district champions from 1960-62.

"We were pretty good, though we didn't get as much coverage back then," said Sellers, who then helped Grambling to a league title 1965 and became a Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs four seasons later. "A lot of those guys didn't have fathers, so guys like Coach Freeze and Coach Robinson were our father figures. The things that they taught us eventually helped us so much."

That started with building out from nothing. Freeze was handed $300 in 1954 and asked to start a football program at Richwood, south of Monroe. Freeze would pull out a paddle he carried with him, this attention-grabber called "Papa." More important than the wins to Freeze now, is this: Some 65 southside youngsters found their way to college on athletic scholarships. In all, 11 of his players who were drafted or signed to pro football contracts.

He called on north Louisiana coaching legends like Neville High's Bill Ruple, who Freeze said donated football pants to the fledgling team. He got shoulder pads, he said, from West Monroe High. Despite those struggles, Freeze never coached a losing season.

"They were good country boys," Freeze said, "boys who wanted to play. The first boy I had go to college, (eventual Richwood coaching successor) Eugene Hughes, walked 5 or 6 miles to school every day. He used to pick cotton after practice." Football, then, was a respite.

As long as it was well played.

Even as Richwood won, and won and won, Freeze standards couldn't be lowered. His diamond-hard gaze toward future success never wavered. Sometimes, Freeze could sense a lack of focus, prior to kickoff — or even with a sizeable lead. That wouldn't do.
Freeze would pull out a paddle he carried with him, this attention-grabber called "Papa." "His method of coaching included hard times," said former Richwood standout Don Zimmerman, a teammate of "Tank" Smith's on that 1980 NFC champion Eagles team, chuckling.

"But as you get older, you look back and see what Coach was trying to do. He was trying to teach us that life is not a bed of roses. You have to work hard. That was one thing he instilled in everybody who played for him."

More important than the wins to Freeze now, is this: Some 65 southside youngsters found their way to college on athletic scholarships. In all, 11 of his players who were drafted or signed to pro football contracts.

Freeze had previously coached at Montgomery (La.) High before his stay on the bench with the Rams. He retired to become an assistant principal at Richwood, and later worked for the city of Monroe.
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For details on the event and the Grambling Legends Sports Hall of Fame's 14 other inductees, go to www.gramblinglegends.net.

WSSU Rams name interim coach

Winston-Salem State wasted little time finding a coach for its new baseball program, naming Kevin Ritsche yesterday (June 30) on an interim basis. "Wow," Ritsche, 28, said as he was introduced by Chancellor Donald Reaves at the Bowman Gray Stadium Fieldhouse. WSSU, as required by the CIAA for reentrance, must field a baseball team by the spring of 2011, and Ritsche said he's ready to start putting the pieces together. WSSU last offered baseball in 1973.

"After a 38-year hiatus, baseball is back at Winston-Salem State University," said Reaves, an avid baseball fan. "We have a short time frame to get a team on the field, but now is the best time to once again have baseball back at this university." Athletics Director Bill Hayes stayed in-house to find his coach. Ritsche has been a faculty member in WSSU's exercise-science department since 2005 and is working on his doctorate.

"After I talked to Kevin, I didn't have to talk to anybody else," Hayes said. "This guy wants to start practice now, so he's ready to hit the ground running. That's what we need." Ritsche was a catcher and team captain at The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minn., and later a graduate assistant there. He was an honorable-mention NAIA All-America in 2004.

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New members of S.C. State board help undo vote to oust president

Two weeks after a divided board voted 7-4 not to renew his position as president, Dr. George Cooper is back as head of South Carolina State University. The board met Thursday morning with new members Robert Waldrep Jr. and Patricia Lott replacing Lumus Byrd and Earl Bridges. Both Byrd and Bridges had voted against rehiring Cooper as president on June 14. Their terms expired July 1. The board voted 8-5 to rescind and expunge from the minutes the non-renewal of Cooper's position as president of the university. A few minutes later, trustees again voted 8-5 to rehire Cooper, whose position ended on June 30.

Voting to rehire Cooper were John Corbitt, Linda Edwards-Duncan, Patricia Lott, Robert Nance, Jonathan Pinson, Matthew Richardson, Robert Waldrep Jr. and Lancelot Wright. Voting not to rehire were Reggie Gallant, Karl Green, Martha Smith, Walt Tobin and Maurice Washington. A standing-room-only group of faculty members, staff and alumni greeted the vote with a standing ovation, cheers and applause.

Cooper responded that he did "not take this vote lightly as we reaffirm our mission as a land-grant university and meet our highest goal - the education needs of our students." Cooper says he can and will work with the entire board to follow through on what is best for the university. "I want you to know that I will work with the board to stay focused on priorities and open lines of communication that will improve our work as a board and administration," he said. The polarized board voted 8-5 on all issues except the election of Robert Nance as secretary of the board. The five trustees who voted to elect Judge Merl Code as interim president Monday at the board retreat opposed all motions at the meeting on Thursday. They were not present but voted via teleconference.

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FAMU coach shares words of wisdom

Area football coaches heard about the impact and influence they have on the lives of the young people they come in contact with from a coach who knows a thing or two about impacting the lives of young people. Florida A&M University football coach Joe Taylor spoke to a small group of coaches at the King Center last Saturday to discuss with them the importance of being positive role models, espousing Christian values and promoting the value of education.

Taylor's stop in the area was one of several he said he makes during the off season, "wherever there are Rattlers meeting." He was the guest speaker last Friday night at a gala at the Alachua Woman's Club hosted by the FAMU Alachua County Alumni Association. He began his speech to the coaches after being introduced by local FAMU alumnus Charles Demps, a retired educator.

Taylor said he is constantly telling his coaches they have to be better than the guy next door because they are the ones going into homes telling parents that they are going to take care of their sons when they get to FAMU. "As coaches, we have to exhibit the kinds of behavior that we want our players to emulate," said Taylor, sporting two of the four huge Black College Football National Championship rings he won during his tenure at Hampton University in Virginia from 1992-2007. He has been the head coach at FAMU since 2008 and has compiled an 18-6 record.

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In CIAA, the South's stout

No offense to the CIAA North Division, but the best preseason buzz is in the South. There’s Fayetteville State, the 2009 champion looking to break the league’s sorry postseason record of playoff futility. Shaw, the resident bully, is always in the title hunt. Winston-Salem State is back after a failed engagement with Division I, with its sights set on establishing dominance with a first-year head coach.

Fayetteville went 8-4 in 2009, including 8-1 against league competition, but struggled outside the CIAA. The Broncos lost close decisions to South Atlantic power Catawba and independent UNC Pembroke early in the season, and took a 42-13 beatdown by California (Pa.) in the first round of the Division II playoffs. Can FSU improve on last year’s magic, especially after losing offensive coordinator Connell Maynor to Winston-Salem?

Shaw (8-2) had championship aspirations before a 29-28 at Fayetteville left the Bears in second place – a spot they weren’t accustomed to in recent seasons. The Bears have the offense (42.1 points per game last season) to move up a step, however, with preseason honorable mention all-CIAA running back Raymond Williams and a line anchored by Lindy’s all-America Markus McElveen.

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Pioneer Bowl enters into 3-year deal with Columbus

COLUMBUS, GA – The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) have entered into a three-year deal to host the Pioneer Bowl in Columbus, Georgia.

The agreement, made in conjunction with the city of Columbus and the Columbus Sports Council, will begin with this year's contest marked for Saturday, December 4, 2010. All games will be played at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium, a 17,000-seat facility in the city of Columbus.

"Columbus is a bustling city and a perfect fit for the Pioneer Bowl," says CIAA Commissioner Leon G. Kerry. "The Pioneer Bowl is an important game for the HBCU and Division II football communities and we're glad that the city of Columbus is excited to partner in this tradition with us."




"I am extremely delighted about the opportunity to bring the Pioneer Bowl to a terrific host city. We will work hard to ensure that Pioneer XII offers our students, alumni and fans a rich and exciting bowl game experience," said SIAC Commissioner Greg Moore.

The Pioneer Bowl is the only NCAA sanctioned bowl game involving HBCU athletic conferences and one of only three sanctioned bowl games in Division II. Started in 1997, the game features teams from the CIAA and the SIAC. Last year's nail-biter saw Tuskegee University (SIAC) defeat Elizabeth City State University (CIAA), 21-7.

This year will mark the 12th installment of the bowl game and its first appearance in Columbus. Atlanta, GA, Mobile, AL, Charlotte, NC, and Columbia, SC, (2009) have all served as host cities to this historic game.

FOR MORE INFO, GO TO SIAC (www.TheSIAC.com), CIAA (www.TheCIAA.com),

Flythe ends time at Savannah State University

Dr. Claud Flythe ends 40 year career in higher education at Savannah State, Virginia State and Shaw Universities. Flythe is credited with SSU Tigers successful entry into the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Claud Flythe's three-year term as Savannah State University's Vice President for Administration - and his 40-year career in higher education - ended Wednesday. "Relaxation will be No. 1 on my agenda," said Flythe, who has residences in Savannah and Virginia but is moving to Charlotte, N.C. When SSU President Earl Yarbrough began his tenure July 1, 2007, hiring Flythe was first on his agenda. He created a position for Flythe to oversee SSU's athletic program, facilities operations and public safety.

Yarbrough, who worked with Flythe at Virginia State University in Petersburg, Va., convinced Flythe to come out of retirement. Athletically, Yarbrough charged Flythe with three primary tasks:

-- Get the athletic department fully certified by the NCAA.

-- Get the football team through its NCAA-imposed three-year probation.

-- Get the Tigers into a conference.

Flythe accomplished all three goals, crowned by SSU's admittance to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference on March 10, 2010. "We," Flythe said, deflecting credit. "We did all three of those things."

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Winston-Salem State to play home game in High Point

HIGH POINT, N.C. -- Winston-Salem State University is bringing college football back to High Point for the first time in 60 years. The 2010 Furniture City Gridiron Classic will feature the WSSU Rams against the Virginia Union Panthers Saturday, Aug. 28, at Simeon Stadium, the largest stadium in High Point. High Point College played its last football game in 1950, but the Panthers played at Albion Millis Stadium.

Simeon Stadium is usually host to high school football and soccer games. But 15 years ago, WSSU Athletic Director William "Bill" Hayes, then head football coach of North Carolina A&T State University, worked with High Point community leaders Ed Price and Ray McAllister to bring an Aggie game to High Point. "I worked with Price and McAllister to build the strongest Scout Reach program in America right here," Hayes said. "We tried to get a game here because young people were always interested in sports, but we never could make it happen."



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NCCU settles into MEAC

DURHAM, N.C. -- For the past three school years, the N.C. Central athletic program has been like a one-man band, traveling wherever it could to get a gig while just trying to make ends meet. Today, however, the Eagles have landed. NCCU officially is now among the 14 members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, a league the school left in 1979 when the conference moved up to Division I. Savannah State also joins the league today as a provisional member. NCCU is rejoining the MEAC as a part of its continued effort to become a full-fledged Division I athletic program. NCCU was accepted into the conference on Sept. 10, 2009, but actually becomes a MEAC member today.

"It occurred in September, but for the actual day to be here, it's even more exciting," NCCU athletic director Dr. Ingrid Wicker-McCree said. "Finally, we maybe can all take in a big breath of fresh air." The Eagles certainly can use some fresh air, having bounced around for three years as an independent, looking for games anywhere and everywhere. With the move to the MEAC, they join a conference with the likes of North Carolina A T, Winston-Salem State, Hampton and Norfolk State.



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USC, UCLA Recruit Signs With Texas Southern

Houston,Texas - Defensive end Marquis Jackson, who had verbally committed to play college football at USC, told FOX 26 Sports Tuesday he signed scholarship papers to play at Texas Southern University. Jackson, who played junior college football at the College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, California in 2008, did not play last season. By choosing to play for the Tigers Jackson will not get the opportunity to be reunited with his twin brother, Malik, who has played defensive end for the Trojans for the past two years.

Jackson said the fact that USC has been placed on probation by the NCAA had nothing to do with his decision. "I just signed to Texas Southern University, I signed my commit letters," said Jackson. "The things that are going on at SC had no influence on my decision. I felt like TSU was the best place for me." Jackson had originally committed to play at UCLA before switching to USC and then ultimately signing with TSU. "It felt like home," Jackson said. "I felt the love. I felt the family connection. I'm from Cali and I thought it was time for a change.

Jackson has three years of eligibility left to play college football. He is a 6-4/222 Rivals 2-star DE transfer from College of the Canyons/Birmingham Senior H.S., Van Nuys, CA.

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New Howard University coaches have local ties

A new coaching staff with a strong Prince George's County connection will try to reverse the fortunes of the downtrodden Howard University men's basketball program. The Washington, D.C., school, part of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, last month hired Kevin Nickelberry as its head coach. Last week, Nickelberry named former Laurel High School coach Keith Coutreyer and former DeMatha High star Travis Lyons to his coaching staff.

Coutreyer will be Howard's associate head coach after spending the past two seasons as an assistant at Hampton University. Prior to that, he spent 13 years at Laurel — five as an assistant and eight as the Spartans' head coach. He guided Laurel to the Class 4A state semifinals in 2008 before taking the job at Hampton that summer. "It's real exciting to have an opportunity to be back in the area you now, where you have your roots in terms of basketball," Coutreyer said. "You have ties in the basketball community that you've developed over time, and hopefully those ties can help get guys to come to Howard."

Coutreyer and Nickelberry have known one another for 20 years, going back to the early 1990s when Nickelberry was the head women's coach and assistant men's coach at Columbia Union College (now Washington Adventist University) in Takoma Park, while Coutreyer was playing there. Lyons, who grew up in Hyattsville, was one of the area's top players during his high school career. As a senior in 1993-94, the 6-foot-4 forward averaged 16 points, 8.7 rebounds and four assists per game. He went on to play at Manhattan College, where he had an experience his freshman year that has influenced his coaching career. He's spent the past 10 years as an assistant coach at Manhattan and Fordham University.

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