The "unofficial" meeting place for intelligent discussions of Divisions I and II Sports of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) and HBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC).
America's #1 blog source for minority sports articles and videos. The MEAC, SWAC, CIAA, SIAC and HBCUAC colleges are building America's leaders, scholars and athletes.
Dover, Del. --- Tasia Bristow came off the bench to lead five Delaware State players in double figures with 15 points in the Lady Hornets' 74-69 overtime victory against Maryland-Eastern Shore in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference women's basketball contest in Memorial Hall Thursday evening.
DSU won for the third time in four games to improve to 5-9 overall and 1-1 in the MEAC. The Lady Hawks fell to 3-11 and 0-2. Kianna D'Oliveira and Brittany Washington had 12 points each, while Kianna Conner tallied 11 and Ashley Thompson 10 for the Lady Hornets.
Latoya Buckner scored a game-high 20 points to lead UMES. Buckner's performance included 5-of-5 shooting from three-point territory. Casey Morton and Shanyce Stewart had 12 points each for the Lady Hawks.
The Golden Bulls won their sixth straight game Wednesday with a 69-61 CIAA victory against Lincoln (Pa.) at Grady Cole Center. Smith (8-4, 4-0 CIAA) struggled to put the Lions away in a game that was postponed from Monday because of weather.
Ultimately, the backcourt combination of Trevin Parks (29 points) and James Otey (17 points) were enough to compensate for Ronald Thornhill's 0-for-6 shooting and Lincoln's (1-9, 0-3) upset bid.
Sparked by Trevin Parks and James Otey, Johnson C. Smith withstood a furious comeback to defeat Lincoln (Pa.) in a CIAA contest at Grady Cole Center in Charlotte Wednesday.
Parks scored 29 points, including 16 in the second half, and Otey added 17 points for the Golden Bulls (8-4, 4-0), who built up a lead as large as 19 points (42-23) in the first half. They settled for a 42-26 halftime lead after getting 13 points from Parks and 12 from Otey in that first half.
Overcoming poor field goal shooting with tenacious defense, the Golden Bulls stayed perfect on the season by downing the Lady Lions.
JCSU scored 25 points off 28 Lincoln turnovers and also had 21 second-chance points, courtesy of a 23-11 edge in offensive rebounding.
LaQwesha Gamble led the Golden Bulls (10-0, 3-0) with 12 points. Shakeena Cunningham and Shavonda Price each had 11 points, while Brittane Neely grabed 10 rebounds.
Norfolk Destroyers General Manager Doug Williams will receive relocation Florida Tuskers
The Florida Tuskers organization announced they were relocating from Orlando to Norfolk Wednesday afternoon. The Tuskers (5-3) advanced their second consecutive UFL championship game this season, where they lost to the Las Vegas Locomotives.
Norfolk was originally announced as an expansion team for the UFL, but will now be treated as a relocation with Orlando being the lucky team.
According to a former spokesperson for the Tuskers, Tuskers coach Jay Gruden will remain the head coach. Gruden doesn’t have to look far for a Florida connection as Norfolk’s general manager is former Tampa Bay Buccaneers pro scouting coordinator Doug Williams. Former Florida Tuskers President and Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann will serve as a consultant to the UFL.
Gruden’s move comes as a result of the UFL ceasing operations in Orlando and the coaching vacancy that was created when JOE MOGLIA was named head coach of the Omaha Nighthawks. Gruden plans to retain the Tusker’s protected players and bring them to Virginia, which became the league’s newest expansion market in 2010.
“We will bring quality entertainment and the basis of a solid roster that has reached the last two Championship Games to excite the fans in Virginia,” said Coach Gruden. “I expect to bring back a lot of the guys who have helped make the team a success and believe we will be competitive again.
“I am excited about going up to Virginia to lead the Destroyers, though there is a bittersweet element as well. We have enjoyed success on the field with the Tuskers and I would like to thank the fans in Florida for their support.”
LeVelle Moton, the N.C. Central men's basketball coach, has been haunted by Haiti for much of his life. Moton knows his father, Frankie, was from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, but that is about all he knows about his dad. "I wasn't close to him," Moton said. "He was never there for me. To tell you the truth, I've never spoken to him. Your guess is as good as mine if he is deceased."
But Moton hasn't turned his back on his father's homeland. The earthquakes in Haiti one year ago today refocused Moton on his link to the country and his feelings about his absent father.
"As you get older, a certain amount of resentment builds when your father hasn't been a part of your life," Moton said. "I want to give back to the community anyway. Because of my background I know how important that is, and when I heard about the shoes for Haiti, I knew I wanted to be a part. Getting involved with this has helped me let go of the resentment."
Moton was referring to his role as spokesman for Share Our Shoes (SOS), a Raleigh-based organization that collects new and used shoes to redistribute where they are needed. He got involved after seeing a video on the SOS Web site about the group's efforts in Haiti.
"There was this little girl with no shoes - no, actually she had half of one shoe," Moton recalled. "When I saw that, I knew that I had to do something to help. It broke my heart."
The Fort Valley State Women's Basketball team is in familiar territory; sitting near the top of the SIAC standings, after being picked to win the conference.
Lonnie Bartley's team is 6-1 in league play, tied for second with Albany State. The Lady Wildcats returned 10 players this year, including preseason all-conference selection Kendra Evans. That's why coach says his team was picked to win the SIAC.
Bartley isn't so quick to call the conference crown theirs to lose, especially after last year's quarterfinal loss in the SIAC tourney. FVSU has also gotten off to a relatively slow start, at 8-5 on the year.
Willie Snead III is Hampton University's new offensive coordinator, replacing Fred Kaiss, who was not retained after last season.
Snead comes to HU from Muskegon Heights High School in Michigan. He was head coach there for two years, compiling a 16-8 record with one trip to the state semifinals. In 2008, he coached Holland Christian to a state championship, also in Michigan.
Kaiss was offensive coordinator at HU from 2001 to 2006 before leading the offense at Tennessee State through the 2009 season. His return to Hampton wasn't successful. Last year, the Pirates averaged 17.5 points per game, 103rd out of 117 FCS teams and down from 2009's average of 19.5. HU's average of 301.7 yards per game ranked 93rd, and its 156 passing yards were 94th.
Videographer: snead84; Fast Break No Huddle football by Willie L. Snead III
◦Who: Willie Snead III, 44.
◦What: New Muskegon Heights varsity football coach and teacher.
◦Family: Wife Sofia; sons Willie Snead IV (18) and Isaiah Snead (13); daughter Taylor Snead (15).
◦Coaching background: Snead comes to Muskegon Heights after leading Holland Christian to a 14-0 season and the 2008 Division 4 state championship in his only season with the Maroons. Snead compiled a three-year record of 36-6 at his alma mater, Glades Central High School (Florida), and captured the Class 3A state championship in 2006. He also produced winning teams at Blanche Ely High School (Pompano Beach, Fla.), Mount Carmel High School (San Diego, Calif.) and Lake Forest High School (Lake Forest, Ill.).
◦Playing background: Snead played wide receiver for Coach Galen Hall at the University of Florida. He was drafted by the New York Jets and played two seasons for the Jets and Houston Oilers. He also played in the Canadian Football League and World Football League.
• Notable: Snead employs the exciting spread offense, which should be a nice fit for the athletic players at Hampton University.
Muskegon Heights High School has begun the search for a new varsity football coach after Willie Snead III resigned on Thursday.
Athletic Director Keith Guy said Snead submitted his resignation and has accepted a job as offensive coordinator at Hampton University in Hampton, Va. Hampton, a school of about 5,000 students, is a member of the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-AA).
Snead came to Muskegon Heights in 2009 after leading Holland Christian to a state championship in 2008. At Heights, he compiled a two-year record of 16-8 with two playoff appearances, including a trip to the 2009 Division 5 state semifinals.
Coach son, QB Willie Snead IV has verbally committed to Div. IA - Ball State.
Muskegon Heights, Mich. (WZZM-TV) - After two successful seasons on the Muskegon Heights sidelines, Willie Snead III is leaving to take an assistant position at Hampton University in Virginia. Muskegon Heights athletic director Keith Guy confirmed Snead's resignation Friday morning.
"I think the program is better than it was two years ago," says Guy. "I think it was a huge shot in the arm for this community and this football program and our school. But life goes on. I think it's been proven over the last couple of years that we have the athletes. We just have to have the right leader and that's my job to go out and try to find the person that can take us to the next level and that's what we're going to do."
Snead led Muskegon Heights to 16 wins in two seasons including two playoff berths and a state semi-final appearance in 2009. He also led Holland Christian to an unbeaten state title season in 2008. Snead's son Willie Snead IV earned a football scholarship to Ball State University in Indiana.
Two days after scoring its most points in a conference game in eight years, Jackson State delivered another impressive performance - this time, on the defensive end.
Grant Maxey had his first double-double in nearly two years - re-emerging for the Tigers at the right time - and Jackson State whipped Southern 73-49 Monday night, pushing its Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season win streak to 17 games and showing the home crowd it can also play some defense.
"I think our defense is getting better," JSU coach Tevester Anderson said. "We played awesome defense the first 20 minutes."
JACKSON, Miss. — Hannah Kador and the Southern women’s basketball team had both been in an ugly shooting slump. Monday night at Jackson State, they both warmed up when they absolutely needed to.
The Jaguars set a season high by shooting 50 percent from the floor, and Kador was 3-for-6 in the second-half — including the game-winning shot, a short jumper that gave Southern a 63-61 victory Monday night over Jackson State.
It was a happy ending to an otherwise rough game for the Jaguars (6-8, 3-1 Southwestern Athletic Conference). Tiffany Foster and Ashley Augerson, both seniors, weren’t available for the final horn. Foster fouled out, and Augerson suffered a broken nose during the first half.
Tennessee State Athletics Director Teresa Phillips said the Tigers will not play in the Atlanta Football Classic next season for the first time since 1994, and she hopes to replace the September game with a Football Bowl Subdivision or a "prominent" Football Championship Subdivision opponent.
TSU, an FCS team, has played Florida A&M in the past nine Atlanta Football Classics at the Georgia Dome and was involved in 17 of the 19 games since 1989.
Phillips said she became aware several weeks ago that officials from the Atlanta Football Classic were negotiating with Southern University as an opponent for Florida A&M to replace TSU. She received official word last week that the Tigers would not be invited back.
TSU Tigers Will Not Play In Atlanta Classic in 2011
Tennessee State University Athletic Director Teresa Phillips has released the tentative 2011 football schedule without the Atlanta Classic against perennial opponent, Florida A&M University.
"The Atlanta Classic is sponsored by the 100 Black Men of Atlanta and they decided to bring in another opponent to face Florida A&M," said Phillips. “We are in active negotiations to schedule an FBS or prominent FCS team to replace that game this year.” She concluded saying, “We expect to complete our schedule by the end of the month.”
The Tigers and Rattlers have played each other for twenty-eight consecutive years with FAMU holding a 26-25-1 edge in the all-time series. TSU beat FAMU 29-18 last year in Atlanta in front of a crowd of 54,202.
Texas Southern redshirt freshman guard Lawrence Johnson-Danner was thrust into a prominent role early in the season when three key players were sidelined because of compliance issues.
Forward Travele Jones and guards Harrison Smith and Justin Ray have since returned after missing a quarter of the schedule, but Johnson-Danner remains one of the Tigers' most important contributors.
Johnson-Danner played a big role in Saturday's 58-51 victory over Prairie View A&M, scoring 13 points and hitting four free throws during the final 1:19 that allowed the Tigers to win their third straight game and improve to 5-9 and 3-0 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Prairie View football coach Heishma Northern said he expects to have his staff completed by the conclusion of the American Football Coaches Association Convention, which began Sunday and ends Wednesday in Dallas.
Northern, who is attending the convention, still has to find an offensive coordinator, running backs coach and defensive coordinator, the position he held for the last six seasons before replacing former coach Henry Frazier III on Dec. 13.
He said he'll likely end up promoting one of the current defensive assistants to coordinator while retaining the responsibility for calling the defensive plays.
More than 60,000 fans will flock through the gates of Atlanta’s Georgia Dome on January 29th, 2011 to witness the 9th annual Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase, an unparalleled performance and celebration of the nation’s elite marching bands. Renowned Hip-Hop performer and actor “Bow Wow” will join more than 1,800 student musicians and one of Atlanta’s best amateur vocalists to celebrate the music and creativity found at America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
The Invitational Showcase Line-Up
For the highly anticipated 2011 showdown, the curtain will go up promptly at 3:00 p.m. EST. The bill includes a special guest performance by “Bow Wow,” along with crowd-pleasing routines by the nation’s top eight elite black college marching bands. Georgia’s own Albany State University will open the show and lead this year’s “great eight” performances in the following order:
1. Albany State University “Marching Rams Show Band” 2. Tennessee State University “Aristocrat of Bands” 3. Virginia State University “Trojan Explosion Marching Band” 4. Clark Atlanta University “Mighty Marching Panthers” 5. Jackson State University “The Sonic Boom of the South” 6. Winston-Salem State University “Red Sea of Sound” 7. South Carolina State University “Marching 101” 8. Bethune Cookman University “Marching Wildcats”
Grants, Internships, and More
The Honda Battle of the Bands program not only provides a platform to shine a rare spotlight on the pageantry, pride and showmanship of HBCU music and culture, but it also is the only national music scholarship program of its kind. For the 2011 program, 45 HBCU marching bands participated in the pre-qualifying “Celebration Tour,” and received $1,000 grants for their music programs. An additional $20,000 will be awarded to the eight institutions selected to participate in this month’s Invitational Showcase.
In addition to the distribution of grant monies, the program also includes internship opportunities through the Fox Music Experience, and an HBCU Recruitment Fair will expose future college students to all HBCUs have to offer. The Fox Music Experience, now in its fourth year, provides one HBOB Invitational Showcase student-musician the opportunity to spend a few weeks during the summer months as an intern at Twentieth Century Fox studios in Los Angeles, learning film and television music production first-hand. The Honda Battle of the Bands HBCU Recruitment Fair, now in its sixth year, gives young people the opportunity to meet with marching band and admissions recruiters to discuss admissions requirements and scholarship opportunities.
Group and individual tickets for the show are still available, but moving quickly. They can be purchased at the Georgia Dome Box Office, via www.Ticketmaster.com or www.HondaBattleoftheBands.com for just $10 and $12.
For more information on the Invitational Showcase, Fox Music Experience summer internship program and HBCU Recruitment Fair, photos, press materials and video footage visit www.HondaBattleoftheBands.com, the official online destination and clearinghouse for all HBOB information.
Hip-Hop Icon “Bow Wow” to Perform
Hip-Hop artist and actor “Bow Wow” will be on hand as the special guest performer this year. The Columbus, Ohio native is best known for his musical lineage, taking his stage name from his mentor, fellow rapper-actor “Snoop Dog,” Bow Wow’s film credits include The Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift and Lottery Ticket. He is also noted for his cameo appearances in the critically-acclaimed television series, “Smallville,” “Ugly Betty,” “Entourage” and others.
Amateur Vocalists Welcomed To Audition for National Anthem
The Honda Battle of the Bands national anthem will be performed by a talented local vocalist selected once through a promotional radio “sing-off.” WVEE-FM, or “V-103,” Atlanta’s top-ranked urban radio station, is partnering with the Honda Battle of the Bands once again to invite listeners 16 years of age or older to demonstrate their vocal skills for a once–in-a-lifetime opportunity to open the 2011 Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase. This year, three finalists will be selected by a panel of judges at the open audition on Saturday, January 8th, 2011 at the Mall at Stonecrest in Lithonia, Georgia. Music fans can then log on to the station's web site and vote for their favorite rendition of the national anthem. The winner will be announced on-air on January 21st, 2011, and he or she will command the spotlight to open the showcase on January 29th.
BALTIMORE, Md. -- Kevin Thompson recorded his seventh double-double of the season by halftime, and finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds to help lead Morgan State to a 75-62 home victory against Beltway rival Howard on Saturday.
Aric Brooks matched his season-high by scoring 17 points, including 10-for-10 shooting from the free throw line with four assists. With the win the Bears improved to 6-7 overall and 2-0 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). The win also improved Todd Bozeman's record to 39-7 (.848) inside the confines of Hill Field House.
“Every win in Division I is a good win, especially a conference win,” said Morgan State coach Todd Bozemen. “Starting off 2-0 in the conference is a good thing, we just want to take it one game at a time.”
Baltimore, MD—January 8---Mike Phillips poured in a game- and career-high 25 points and Dadrian Collins contributed 14, but it was not enough to offset the depth as Morgan State downed Howard, 75-62 in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game Hill Fieldhouse.
It appeared as though Phillips would single handedly lead the Bison to victory when he scored 12 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in the first 20 minutes. But the Bears (6-7 overall, 2-0 in the MEAC) parlayed the power of Kevin Thompson and Ameer Ali, who combined for 18 points and 14 rebounds and their bench into a 47-33 halftime lead.
The undermanned Bison (2-12 overall, 0-2 in the MEAC) battled the defending champs despite foul trouble. Morgan State Coach Todd Bozeman went to his bench early and often and it paid dividends.
ETTRICK, VA - If the Virginia State women's basketball team was going to reach its lofty goals for the season, the team from Ettrick needed to find a way to rebound after a 63-53 home loss to Winston-Salem State on Thursday.
That is exactly what VSU did in a 74-68 overtime victory over CIAA foe Shaw on Saturday at Daniel Gymnasium. The defending Eastern Division champions overcame an uninspiring shooting performance by outrebounding the Lady Bears 58-44.
The victory meant a little more to VSU coach James Hill, who was an assistant coach on three Shaw CIAA championship teams. Now in his fifth season with VSU, Hill said locking horns with Shaw coach Jacques Curtis still has a special feel.
Senior guard, Rhon’Neisha Taylor matched her career best of 23 points in a 74-68 OT win over the Lady Bears of Shaw University in Daniel Gymnasium on Saturday, Jan. 8. Taylor scored 23 points in back to back CIAA conference games and recorded 11 rebounds. Junior, Pamela Muldrow led the team with 6 assists and Betty Appiah and Mariame Sylla both grabbed 9 rebounds apiece.
It happened again. In keeping with a decade-long pattern, the Southern men’s basketball team played hard at Grambling on Saturday night. In fact, the Jaguars needed only one or two strong possessions to overtake their archrival on the road. They simply didn’t get what they needed.
Southern’s wild second-half rally fell just short when after Blake Sanford missed two 3-pointers with less than 1:30 remaining, helping the Tigers hold on for a 61-57 victory Saturday night before a crowd of 1,387 at the Grambling Assembly Center.
“First of all, we got behind big, and we spotted them too many points,” SU sixth-year coach Rob Spivery said.
GRAMBLING — Another year. Another trip to Grambling. Another disappointment. Missing shots and failing to execute its halfcourt offense with much success Saturday night, the Southern women’s basketball team suffered a surprising 48-43 loss against Grambling on Saturday night, one that snapped the Jaguars’ two-game win streak to begin Southwestern Athletic Conference play.
It was certainly not what 11th-year coach Sandy Pugh expected. “Look. I mean, we just didn’t ... I mean, this was one of those games where you say, ‘you’ve got to be kidding,’” said Pugh, who described herself as “frustrated” after the game.
It was the week before Christmas when Tyrone Hanson knew his 3-point shot had to change. His flick of the wrist needed an adjustment. His stroke of the arm warranted a modification. Said Hanson: "I just figured out my shot."
Boy, did he. Hanson made six of eight 3-pointers and Jackson State pounded Alcorn State 90-64 Saturday evening, winning a seventh straight game over the rival Braves and scoring its most points in a regulation Southwestern Athletic Conference game in eight years.
The win gave the Tigers (7-8, 3-0 SWAC) a third straight victory. And JSU has now scored at least 80 points against Alcorn (0-13, 0-3) in seven of the last eight meetings with the Braves.
One knockout punch should have been enough for the Livingstone men’s basketball team Saturday night. But it a took a second haymaker — delivered late in the second half — to drop visiting Lincoln University to the canvas in an 82-60 CIAA victory.
“The first time we got the big lead we didn’t bury them like we should have,” LC forward Darius Cox said at Trent Gym, where the Blue Bears (5-3, 1-1) snapped a two-game losing streak. “We weren’t very good at using the clock and working for high-percentage shots. And on defense we didn’t make them work for their buckets.”
Winning coach James Stinson wasn’t exactly turning cartwheels after Livingstone earned its first conference win. He was upset that his team team allowed a 21-point second-half lead to shrink to 66-57 with 4:31 remaining.
Kendra Evans doesn’t care much for sitting on the bench. But after picking up two early fouls in the first half, that’s exactly what she did Saturday against Albany State. But the second half was a different story.
Evans spearheaded an 11-0 run to start the second half, scoring seven points and giving the Lady Wildcats the lead, and then she came up with two steals and two assists in the final three minutes to lead her team to a come from behind 74-69 win. The win improves the Lady Wildcats to 6-1 in the SIAC, while it was the Lady Rams’ first loss in the conference.
ORANGEBURG, S.C. - Senior point guard Rakee Anderson scored 32 points on Saturday, and the Stillman College men's basketball team rallied to defeat Claflin 75-75 in a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game. Stillman, 6-3 overall and 5-2 in league play, trailed 43-31 at halftime. Anderson started the second half by nailing three 3-point shots.
He went 10-for-17 from the field, 8-for-11 on 3-point tries and 4-for-6 from the foul line. He also had three assists and two rebounds. Senior LaJay Sears, a guard and forward, added 13 points. He collected seven rebounds and had five assists and two steals. Guard Lee Riley had 10 points, three rebounds and three assists. Center Kevin Johnson, who scored eight points, grabbed six rebounds.
It took two overtimes to finish, but the Kentucky State men’s basketball team overcame a 15-point deficit to defeat Paine College 94-87 at Carter Gymnasium in Augusta, Ga. on Saturday. The win moves the Thorobreds to 7-1 on the season with the same record in the SIAC.
KSU managed to keep it close until the 4:45 mark of the first half, when their 24-23 deficit became a 35-23 lead for Paine following a 11-0 run by the Lions to end the half. The teams were relatively even at the midway point, as both squads pulled down 17 rebounds. However, two fewer turnovers for KSU didn’t translate into a lead for the Thorobreds, who committed nine to Paine’s 11.
BALTIMORE -- Kwame Morgan scored 17 points, including a pair of key 3-pointers in the second half, as Hampton defeated Coppin State 67-59 in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game on Saturday.
The lead changed hands five times in the first 2:10 of the second half. Jordan Ellis hit a pair of 3-pointers and Akeem Ellis one for Coppin State, and Morgan and Brandon Tunnell connected for the Pirates (12-3, 2-0).
After the Eagles (5-8, 0-2) took their final lead of the game, Morgan sank another 3 to put Hampton on top 44-43 with 13:39 remaining. That began a 14-2 run that included two dunks by Koron Reed and gave the Pirates a 55-45 advantage with 9:48 left.
Greensboro, NC - The Florida A&M University Rattlers, with only eight players dressed, stood firm against the MEAC's leading team. The North Carolina A&T State University Aggies, faltered against the Rattlers, but held on to seal the victory with a solid shooting performance in the second half.
The Rattlers were led in scoring by Avery Moore, who put up 23 points, including five three-pointers. Moore was the leading scorer for the game. Amin Stevens dropped in 19 points for the Rattlers and scraped the boards for 13 rebounds. Yannick Crowder grabbed 10 boards.
The Florida A&M men's and women's basketball teams were defeated by North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, N.C. on Saturday. In the women's game, the Aggies jumped out to a 10-point lead in the first seven minutes, which wound up being too much for the Rattlers to overcome.
FAMU got within four with 45 seconds remaining, but N.C. A&T closed the game out, 75-71, with stingy defense. Tameka McKelton led FAMU with 17 points. Antonia Bennett had 15 and Shekeira Copeland finished with 14. Qiana Donald led FAMU with 10 rebounds.
He lived in Tampa, Fla., where his dad first played pro football. He lived in Grambling, where his dad played, coached and became one of Grambling’s most celebrated legends. He has the same name. So, yes, D.J. Williams knows what it’s like to live in Doug Williams’ long shadow. Evidently, he’s very comfortable with that.
Doug Williams III, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound quarterback known to everyone as D.J., has committed to play next season at Grambling, saying he has no problem with the added pressure of being the son of a campus legend. “I mean, I’ve been handling it my whole life,” he said. “I’ve got the same exact name as him. The comparisons start from there.
“It’s pressure, but it’s nothing I can’t deal with.”
Promising running back Casey Turner of Jacksonville, Fla., who did not play as a true freshman last year, announced his decision to transfer to Florida A&M.
Turner, a highly regarded 5-11, 190 pounder, never got the chance to play because of persistent groin problems. Turner redshirted in 2010 after suffering a groin injury before the season opener with Norfolk State.
He rushed for 2,232 yards and 31 touchdowns as a high school senior and was viewed as Rutgers' running back of the future. Coming out of Edward H. White High School, he was timed in 4.45 seconds for the 40-yard dash and rushed for 1,950 yards as a junior. Turner was ranked as a 3-star running back by Rival.com.
He committed to Florida International in the fall 2009, committed to Rutgers in December (2009) and then committed to North Carolina in January 2010. He flipped back to the Scarlet Knights the night before signing day.
Turner is expected to compete for the starting running back position vacated by Rattlers' graduating senior Phillip Sylvester.
RICHMOND, Va. -- As Andrew Jackson and the rest of the his Winston-Salem State teammates skipped into the locker room after dispatching Virginia Union 59-54 Saturday night, they couldn't help but brag.
"We are deep," Jackson said as he high-fived a bystander. And the rest of the Rams agreed as their solid 10-man rotation wore down the Panthers. The Rams got 17 points from Shelton Carter, who had one of his better games of the season, and 14 more from Jackson as they picked apart a zone defense that usually is one of the CIAA's best.
The Panthers (3-4, 1-1 CIAA) employ an extended 2-3 zone to make teams shoot over them, but the Rams penetrated it at key times and never were really threatened after building an 11-point lead at halftime.
FRISCO, TX – Bo Levi Mitchell completed his journey from SMU's bench to national champion Friday night, covering Eastern Washington's crowning moment with his signature drama. Mitchell threw three touchdown passes in the final 16 minutes, 48 seconds, as the Eagles stunned Delaware, 20-19, in the FCS national title game at Pizza Hut Park.
His 11-yard pass to a leaping Brandon Kaufman in the back of the end zone tied the score, 19-19, with 2:47 to play. Mike Jarrett's extra point gave the Eagles their first lead, and the defense stopped the Blue Hens on a fourth-and-10 play at their 39 to give Eastern Washington (13-2) its first title.
"To come full circle like this, this is all I could ask for," said Mitchell, a junior from Katy, Texas. "All I wanted to do was play. All my life I wanted to win a national championship. I'm glad I'm here."
Videographer:cityoffriscotx - Speaker: Everson Walls, Grambling State University/Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl Champion
Frisco, TX (Sports Network) - Friday night, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden made a rare visit to Frisco, Texas. The University of Delaware alumnus' trip proved to be in vain, however, as his Blue Hens fell, 20-19, to Eastern Washington in the Football Championship Subdivision title game.
Biden's attendance added a certain cache to the event. Local newscasters documented his arrival as secret service agents moved stolidly through the mass of tailgating fans. On this night, though, the V.P. was overshadowed by Eastern Washington and M.O.P Bo Levi Mitchell, who guided the Eagles to a stunning comeback victory.
Mitchell, who has a penchant for late-game heroics, earned the game's Most Outstanding Player award after throwing a touchdown pass on three straight EWU possessions.
FRISCO, Texas -- University of Delaware coach K.C. Keeler said he thought the Hens had the game won late in the fourth quarter, on a fourth-and-one play from the 23-yard line. There were less than four minutes left, and Eastern Washington, trailing by six points, gave the ball to running back Mario Brown, who ran into a wall of UD defenders, desperately trying to get the first down.
He was stopped, and the referees came out to measure. Brown was given the first down. But the referees decided to review the spot, making sure their placement was accurate. After the review, they moved the ball back about 6 inches, measured again, and this time Brown had gotten the first down by about an inch.
Three plays later, Eastern Washington scored the winning touchdown, sending UD to a 20-19 loss in the NCAA Division I-AA championship game Friday.
ATTENDANCE: 13,027
Videographer: cityoffriscotx - 2011 Championship in Review
RICHMOND, Va. -- Two of the most storied men's basketball programs in the CIAA will meet tonight when Winston-Salem State takes on Virginia Union.
The Rams and Panthers have combined to win 28 CIAA titles, and both are expected to contend this season. Coach Bobby Collins of WSSU, whose team is coming off a 67-56 win over Virginia State, said he's looking forward to the game, which will be the Rams' third in five days. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
"We will be prepared, and we will know what they do and what they have," Collins said of the Panthers. "We just have to go out and play like we are capable. We can't let them go out and beat us on the boards. We have to take care of the basketball, and if we can do that, we can be in the game."
ETTRICK, VA - The Virginia State women's basketball team was undone by a Medley of 3-pointers, mid-range jumpers and dribble drives against Winston-Salem State on Thursday. The likes of which cut the Trojans so deep, not even a Taylor could stitch things back together.
WSSU junior Courtney Medley and VSU senior Rhon'Neisha Taylor both racked up 24 points, but Medley erupted for 11 points down the stretch to spur the Lady Rams to a 63-53 road victory at Daniel Gymnasium. The matchup was the first CIAA game of the year for the Lady Trojans, who were picked to finish first in the conference in a preseason poll. VSU coach James Hill said the loss was the result of poor defensive rotation.
Excerpt:
Davenport was chosen from more than 200 applicants, SSU athletics director Marilynn Suggs said. He will be paid $125,000 annually - more than Wells ($90,000), Theo Lemon ($65,000), Richard Basil ($61,164) and Ken Pettiford ($61,000), the Tigers' coaches since moving up to the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) in 2002.
Suggs said a search committee, chaired by prominent booster Henry Nash, submitted a list of three finalists: Davenport, Jackson (Miss.) State University offensive coordinator Earnest Wilson and The Citadel running backs coach Everette Sands. They interviewed at SSU on Tuesday.
"And after meeting with them, the choice was clear," Suggs said. "After making my recommendation to the university president (Earl Yarbrough), who concurred, I contacted and offered this man."
READ MORE, CLICK TITLES
SSU OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
SAVANNAH, Ga.- Savannah State University has hired Steve Davenport as the Tigers’ new head football coach, Athletics Director Marilynn Stacey-Suggs announced today.
Davenport’s appointment is effective immediately. He replaces Julius Dixon, who served as the interim coach for the 2010 season.
The Decatur, Ga., native comes to SSU from the University of Alabama-Birmingham where he served as the Blazers running back coach since December 2006.
While at UAB he also served as the Director of Community Relations, where he organized and facilitated all community service programs.
Davenport, 43, spent two years (2005-06) as the offensive coordinator at Rockdale County High School in Conyers, Ga. At Rockdale County, he joined a staff that previously went 1-9 in 2004 and finished runner-up in Region 8-AAAA, and advanced into the second round of the state playoffs.
He was the head coach at Decatur High School for two seasons (2003-04) and in 2003 was named the Georgia Class AA State Coach-of-the-Year as his team finished 13-1, losing in the state semifinals.
Videographer: KEN SLATS, WSAV 3
Davenport also spent four seasons (1997-2001) as the head coach at Redan High School in Lithonia, Ga., and served as the offensive coordinator at Southwest DeKalb High School in Atlanta from 1994-96, when the school won the 1995 Georgia State AAAAA state championship. He also worked as a defensive backs coach at Southwest DeKalb (1990-91) and helped the team reach the 1990 AAAA State Championship game.
Davenport was a graduate assistant coach at Georgia Tech during the1992 and 1993 seasons. Under head coach Bill Lewis, he assisted in coaching the wide receivers; served as assistant recruiting coordinator; aided in coordinating recruiting weekends, breaking down film and assisting in game plan preparations; and was responsible for the defensive scout team during practices.
Davenport was a four-year letterwinner as a player at Georgia Tech from 1985-88. He was a member of the Yellow Jacket team that defeated Michigan State in the 1985 All-American Bowl played at Legion Field.
A three-year starter at wide receiver, Davenport earned his undergraduate degree from Georgia Tech in 1990 and his master’s degree from Tech in 1994.
Dover, Del. --- Tasia Bristow came off the bench to lead five Delaware State players in double figures with 15 points in the Lady Hornets' 74-69 overtime victory against Maryland-Eastern Shore in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference women's basketball contest in Memorial Hall Thursday evening.
