SSU QB DeFilippis stands out in scrimmage

Savannah, Georgia - Savannah State University’s offense showed improvement during the Tigers’ second preseason scrimmage Saturday night.

A crowd of approximately 300 at Memorial Stadium watched as starting quarterback A.J. DeFilippis was 18-of-30 passing for 210 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown to tight end Desmond Gantt; freshman running back Chris Strong ran for 75 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown, on six carries; and senior Derek Williams kicked field goals of 47, 42 and 54 yards.

SSU suffered a setback when backup quarterback Antonio Bostick suffered a ...

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2011 Circle City Classic Tickets Now on Sale

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Kentucky State University's Director of Athletics, Dr. Denisha L. Hendricks, announced that tickets for the 28th Annual Circle City Classic were made available for sale today. The Thorobreds will battle Albany State University on Saturday, October 1, 2011 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m.

Tickets, which range in price from $10 (students only) to $50, are available for purchase at KSU's Department of Athletics (in Bell Gymnasium) and the Office of Alumni Relations (in Hume Hall). The Circle City Classic is a joint collaboration between Indiana Black Expo. Inc. and the Indiana Sports Corporation. The net proceeds from the Classic help fund scholarships and support youth initiatives for each organization. Since 1984, over 1 million dollars have been awarded to deserving Indiana natives who pursue higher education.

For more information about purchasing Classic tickets, please call 502-597-6011 or visit www.ksuthorobreds.com's Fan Zone. To ensure you are seated with other Thorobred fans, you are encouraged to purchase tickets from KSU.

The seating chart is below, but you can also click the following link to view the 2011 Circle City Classic Seating Chart.

By Kentucky State University Athletics



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'Big brother' is watching 'little brother' at B-CU

Daytona Beach, FL -- Ryan Lewis and Reggie Sandilands pack the punch in the middle of Bethune-Cookman's defense, and the rest of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference knows it. Lewis was voted the MEAC's preseason defensive player of the year, and Sandilands joined his Wildcat teammate on the all-conference first team.

The senior linebackers are similar in size, each standing 6-foot-1. Lewis weighs 235 pounds and Sandilands is 240. They are two of a kind in many ways, and they benefit from their similarities.

"Ryan and Reggie complement each other very well. They're almost like twins," B-CU coach Brian Jenkins said in a phone interview Saturday. "They think alike. They chastise each other. They train together. Yet, they compete and challenge each other daily. It's a remarkable relationship really."

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TSU uses tire drill to test running backs

Nashville, TN - Tennessee State running backs have rolled through preseason camp trying to dodge tires being rolled at them. “We’ve been getting some really good mileage out of it,” running backs Coach Kevin Mashack said, summing up the agility drill.

Former running backs coach Stu Holt started the drill at TSU last year. Holt left at the end of last season to join the staff at Western Kentucky, but the Tigers kept the drill.

“It’s an old-school drill that Stu got from his dad, who is an old high school coach,” TSU Coach Rod Reed said. “It’s a drill I liked and wanted to keep because it’s great to help our running backs with their reaction. You’re running, that tire rolls and you’ve got to make a jump cut one way or the other. Another tire comes from the other way and you’ve got to jump opposite of the way you just jumped.”

An odd number of tires is needed for the drill.

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Defense improves as ASU Hornets notch 65-play scrimmage

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The Alabama State University football team went through its second scrimmage of August, running approximately 65 plays Saturday morning at Hornet Stadium.

And while the offense put up solid numbers for the second straight week, the defense performed well as the first and second units saw more action and were more diversified than last week.  LB Leland Baker led all defenders with five tackles. DE Chris Terry had three tackles and one pass breakup. CB Donovan Masline, LB Brandon Slater, and DE Chris Terry each had one sack.

"We have some good players on defense," head coach Reggie Barlow said of the unit that was among the best in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and the nation last season. "Last week we stayed vanilla schematic-wise. Today (Defensive Coordinator Cedric Thornton) was mixing it up with twists and stunts and a few blitzes here and there. They were doing well and playing fast."

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DSU Scrimmage Gets Mixed Reviews

Dover, Delaware - Delaware State University head football Kermit Blount says his team has a lot of work to do after the Hornets' first preseason scrimmage at Alumni Stadium this evening.

"I was pleased with our intensity, but we made too many mistakes on offense and defense," said Blount, who is in his first season at DSU. "It's a good thing the season opener is two weeks away because we are not ready for real competition right now."

Saturday's offense vs. defense scrimmage was plagued by six turnovers and a number of penalties. The offense scored just one touchdown on ten possessions.

Delaware State first-string quarterback Nick Elko completed 12-of-20 passes for 144 yards, but was intercepted three times. Defensive back Matt Spicer returned an Elko interception 15 yards for a touchdown. The offense also lost three fumbles and surrendered four quarterback sacks.  The highlight for the offense was ...

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Thorobreds staying focused while striving toward ultimate goal

Frankfort, KY - Kentucky State’s football team has its eye on a prize at the end of the season – the SIAC championship game Nov. 12 in Atlanta.

Before the Thorobreds get too caught up in reaching that goal, senior running back/kick returner Andrew Ramsey has some advice for his younger teammates.

“Four years go by fast,” Ramsey said during KSU’s media day Friday afternoon. “I remember coming here in 2007. Times flies, in the classroom and not just when you’re playing. “I tell the freshmen they have a chance to play now,” he added. “You don’t have to wait until your junior or senior year. People think they have time, they can wait, but our freshmen can play now and be part of what we’re trying to do at KSU.”

The Thorobreds are trying to improve on...

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Battle For Atlanta: Clark Atlanta Panthers vs. Georgia State Panthers

BATTLE DATE: FRIDAY, SEPT. 2, 2011 GEORGIA DOME, ATLANTA, GA 7:30 p.m. ET

Hill takes windy path to FAMU tight ends coach

Tallahassee, FL - The road that former Troy State wide receiver David Hill Jr. took to becoming tight ends coach at FAMU has had a few twists and turns along the way that would make some folks wish they hadn't taken the journey. Not Hill, though.

He wouldn't trade the experience of having gone from college to high hopes of playing in the NFL only to end up with five years of arena football experience with five different teams instead. What he gained through it all is too valuable.

"I had the opportunity to play at the highest level, even though it was a little time," said Hill, who was the defensive coordinator at Jefferson County High School last season. "Throughout my years I've gained a lot of knowledge from different coaches. I learned a whole ton about the game of football."

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FAMU's Defensive Coordinator Earl Holmes talks with Franchise Sports

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14th Annual DownEast Viking Football Classic

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NCCU Eagles break camp after scrimmage

DURHAM, N.C. — It’s getting close. Less that two weeks to go until the N.C. Central Eagles open their football season at Rutgers, and NCCU coach Henry Frazier III believes his young men are right where they need to be. “I think we’re ready to roll on all phases,” Frazier said. “If we played a game, I think we’re ready.”

The Eagles broke training camp Friday and will rest today and Sunday before getting back to work Monday, the first day of classes, in preparation for the Sept. 1 matchup against the Scarlet Knights. Frazier wanted to see his guys scrimmage one more time before giving them a couple of days off.



NCCU fifth-year senior quarterback Michael Johnson had the first crack at running the offense, moving the squad downfield against the first-team defense. Johnson got the offense to the red zone at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium but came up short of the end zone.

Then redshirt sophomore quarterback Jordan Reid took...

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KEYS: Upstarts have fashioned recent SWAC parity

It was quite a sight, wasn’t it?

Eleven years ago, they showed up in the tens of thousands, stuffing themselves into every corner and cranny of Veterans Memorial Stadium. They arrived by car, by motorcycle, by RV, by bus. Given no other option, Southern and Jackson State fans might’ve pulled up in a Big Wheel.

The 1999 showdown between SU and JSU was that important. That year, those two teams played for the right to call themselves The Team of the ‘90s in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Before a crowd of 62,000, the Jaguars won 26-14. Two months later, in front of 47,621 in a rematch at the SWAC championship game, Southern gave Pete Richardson his third straight title.

At the time, none of this seemed unusual. Of course, Southern and Jackson State were duking it out for SWAC supremacy. Didn’t they always do that?

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HU Pirates gearing up for first scrimmage

Hampton, VA - The Hampton University football team, under the direction of third-year head coach Donovan Rose, will hold its first inter-squad scrimmage on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. on the practice field adjacent to Armstrong Stadium.

The scrimmage will be free and open to the public.

Saturday’s scrimmage will give fans a chance to see sophomore running back Antwon Chisholm (Belle Glade, Fla.), a Preseason First Team All-MEAC selection, as well as senior quarterback David Legree (Brooklyn, N.Y.), who was a Preseason Second Team All-MEAC honoree.

On the defensive side of the ball, fans will be able to see a unit led by defensive back Micah Pellerin (New Orleans, La.), who was also named Preseason First Team All-MEAC.

The Pirates (6-5, 5-3 MEAC in 2010) will open the 2011 season on Saturday, Sept. 3 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill., when they take on Alabama A&M in the Chicago Football Classic. Kick-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. EST.

For more information on Hampton University football, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

By Hampton University Sports Information

Benedict College pumped for TV games

COLUMBIA, SC - The Benedict College football team will make a couple of appearances on the tube this season. It was announced Friday that Benedict's season opener against Virginia Union September 3rd will be televised by CSS. The Palmetto Capital City Classic will now start at 3:30 p.m. instead of 5:00 p.m.

The Tigers game against Fort Valley State also will also be broadcast by CSS. That game has been moved from September 24th to Thursday, September 22nd and will start at 8:00 p.m.



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Henton, Slaughter eligible to play for FVSU Wildcats

FVSU Head Coach Donald Pittman

FORT VALLEY, GA -- The names are familiar to Fort Valley State fans, especially those who may have seen the two players in action about five turns and two miles away at Peach County.

Finally, the former Trojans are now Wildcats, and fans can get a look at quarterback Antonio Henton and wide receiver Chris Slaughter and their teammates at 6 p.m. on Saturday when FVSU holds an open scrimmage at Wildcat Stadium.

“They look great,” said FVSU head coach Donald Pittman, who got word this summer that both were finally eligible. “They’ll only get better. The more they practice, the better they get.” The pair is joined by another former Peach County star, running back and kick returner Travis Richmond, who signed with FVSU in February.

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ASU Football Notebook: SIAC Selects Atlanta For Inaugural Title Game; Rams Change Site To Waycross For 'Rumble In The Swamp' vs. Clark

ASU Head Coach Mike White

ATLANTA, GA -- It looks like Albany State could have a chance to play a game this year in Atlanta after all. SIAC officials announced the location of the conference's inaugural football championship game Thursday, and it will be held in Atlanta on Nov. 12.

ASU coach Mike White wasn't thrilled earlier this year when Albany State's game against Clark Atlanta was moved from the state capitol to Valdosta, lamenting the fact that the Rams' many Atlanta supporters wouldn't get a chance to see program play for the first time in more than two decades.

"It's not necessarily a good thing to me because we have a strong fan base in Atlanta, and we look forward to that trip every season," White told The Herald in June when the announcement was first made. "This will be the first time since I got here in 1975 we won't be playing a game in Atlanta, whether it's against Clark or Morehouse. It's disappointing for our alums up there."

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NC Pro-Am Championship Recap

Durham, N.C. - The Greater NC Pro-Am has finally come to an end. After a great summer that brought surprise appearances by John Wall, Brandon Jennings and Donte Greene, the battling at NC Central came its conclusion and Team Jamison walked away with the crown over a previously undefeated Sheraton Imperial squad.

Unlike most summer league games, it was clear from the tip that both teams were playing for the W and not for the crowd or the highlights. Rasheed Wallace served as the consistent vocal leader for Sheraton Imperial, who just couldn’t overcome the lineup of Jerry Stackhouse, Josh Powell, Raymond Felton, Dominique Sutton and Emanuel Chapman. There weren’t behind-the-back passes, off-the-glass dunks, or matador defenders in this game. It was a game filled with charges, loose balls and straight up team basketball that most definitely had a bit of an old school feel to it.



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4 NCAA Division I opponents on XU Nuggets' home schedule

NEW ORLEANS, LA — Nine home matches, four against NCAA Division I opponents, and 10 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference matches await the 2011 Xavier University of Louisiana women's volleyball team.

First-year head coach Christabell Hamilton announced Friday the schedule, which includes 25 regular-season contests.

Xavier's first home match will start at 7 p.m. on Aug. 29, one week from Monday, against Mobile at The Barn. The Gold Nuggets will begin their fourth season of intercollegiate competition next Friday with a 7 p.m. match at Belhaven in Jackson, Miss.

Division I opponents visiting Xavier will be Mississippi Valley on Sept. 10, Southern on Sept. 19, New Orleans on Oct. 5 and Prairie View A&M on Oct. 6. Xavier will travel twice to play DIs: Sept. 9 at Alcorn State and Oct. 25 at New Orleans.

GCAC membership increased from six to eight with the addition of Philander Smith and Talladega in July. Each team will play 10 league matches this season — two apiece against three opponents and one each against the other four. Neutral sites will be employed for part of the GCAC schedule, with Xavier traveling to Talladega for three matches Sept. 23-24 and to crosstown rival Dillard for three matches Oct. 7-8.

Xavier will play two GCAC matches apiece against SUNO, Edward Waters and defending tournament champion Dillard and one each against Fisk, Philander Smith, Talladega and Tougaloo. The Nuggets' GCAC opener will be Sept. 17 against SUNO at The Barn.

The GCAC will crown a regular-season champion this year, and the winner of the league tournament Nov. 9-12 at Nashville, Tenn., will earn the GCAC's automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship.

First-time opponents will be New Orleans, Philander Smith, Prairie View, Southern and Talladega.

Five Gold Nuggets — sophomore Kerris Crier and seniors Iva Bobkova, Joyy Joseph, Patrice Hightower and Celeste Poe — return from last season's 11-26 team, which finished third in the GCAC Tournament. Bobkova was All-GCAC. The seniors will be honored Nov. 5 during the regular-season finale against Dillard.

2011 Xavier University Women's Volleyball Schedule Click here for detailed schedule information Aug. 26:  at Belhaven, 7 p.m. Aug. 29:  MOBILE, 7 p.m. Sept. 4:  at Loyola, 6 p.m. Sept. 6:  at Spring Hill, 7 p.m. Sept. 8:  JUDSON (ALA.), 7 p.m. Sept. 9:  at Alcorn State, 7 p.m. Sept. 10:  MISSISSIPPI VALLEY, 3 p.m. Sept. 17:  •SUNO, 1 p.m. Sept. 19:  SOUTHERN, 7 p.m. Sept. 23 or 24:  • at Talladega, TBA Sept. 23 or 24:  • Edward Waters, TBA (1) Sept. 23 or 24:  • Fisk, TBA (1) Sept. 26:  at Southern, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 1:  • at Dillard, 6 p.m. Oct. 5:  NEW ORLEANS, 7 p.m. Oct. 6:  PRAIRIE VIEW A&M, 5 p.m. Oct. 7:  • Philander Smith, noon (2) Oct. 7:  • Tougaloo, 7 p.m. (2) Oct. 8:  • Edward Waters, 10 a.m. (2) Oct. 15:  at Judson (Ala.), 1 p.m. Oct. 22:  at Mobile, 11 a.m. Oct. 25:  at New Orleans, 7 p.m. Oct. 28:  FAULKNER, 3 p.m. Oct. 29:  • at SUNO, 6 p.m. Nov. 5:  • DILLARD, 1 p.m. (Senior Day) Nov. 9-12:  GCAC Tournament, Nashville, Tenn. Nov. 19  NAIA National Championship opening round at campus sites, TBA Nov. 29-Dec. 3:  NAIA National Championship final site at Sioux City, Iowa, TBA Home matches in BOLD • Gulf Coast Athletic Conference match TBA — To be announced All times are Central except where noted (1) — at Talladega, Ala. (2) — at Dillard's Dent Hall, New Orleans Call (504) 520-7329 for ticket information

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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DSU Hornets linebacker leading by example

DOVER, DE -- Brandon Harvey leads, and Kermit Blount knows it.

"He's certainly a kid who's the first guy in all the drills," said Blount, Delaware State's new football coach. "He's going to be the first guy on the field and the last guy to leave and the first guy in the weight room. "He brings a bunch of leadership and experience to our defensive unit."

Harvey, a 5-foot-11, 240-pound senior middle linebacker, is one of the cogs the Hornets are counting on to help revitalize their defense. Last year, DSU ranked last in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in total defense (384.5 yards per game), eighth in rush defense (196.9 ypg) and eighth in pass defense (188.1 ypg).

But the Hornets have a new defensive coordinator in Mike Ketchum, who served for five years as Blount's defensive coordinator at Winston-Salem State. Ketchum has brought a new attitude to preseason camp at Alumni Stadium. "Camp is definitely going better than last year," Harvey said. "I think the team looks a lot better, is a lot more focused, and a lot more determined to get better."

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Is Quentin Williams looking at a redshirt at B-CU?

Daytona Beach, FL - When former Jefferson quarterback Quentin Williams signed with Bethune-Cookman last February, one of his many reasons he was going to the Division I-AA school was because he wanted to play early.

The reigning Florida Mr. Football's path to the playing field might have hit a roadblock. A already-present logjam at quarterback just got even more crowded.

Former Maryland starter Jamarr Robinson has reportedly transferred to Bethune-Cookman. Robinson redshirted his first season with the Terps and graduated in four years, meaning he has one more year of eligibility and can play right away because he's transferring to a I-AA school. Robinson started Maryland's first three games last year, but was benched for redshirt freshman Danny O'Brien, who won the starting job.

Williams, who guided Jefferson to a 15-0 record...


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Report: Former ACC QB transfers to Bethune-Cookman

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - Bethune-Cookman's answer to replacing Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year Matt Johnson just might be a player who already has graduated from college.

Former University of Maryland starting quarterback Jamarr Robinson has transferred to Bethune-Cookman, according to a report in USA Today.

B-CU head coach Brian Jenkins declined to comment on Robinson, and the News-Journal was not allowed access to Thursday's practice.

Robinson was redshirted his first season at Maryland and graduated within four years, so he has one year of playing eligibility remaining. He can transfer down a level from Maryland, a Football Bowl Subdivision team in the Atlantic Coast Conference, to a Football Championship Subdivision (formally I-AA) school, enroll in a graduate-degree program and play right away, pending NCAA approval. B-CU is an FCS school and offers two graduate-degree programs.

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Walk-on QB at NSU turns into top wide receiver

NORFOLK, VA - Football practice is repetitive. Watching video of it during meetings is even more so. Watching video by yourself - only minutes after walking off the practice field, knowing you still have those meetings - sounds more like torture than teaching.

It was that routine, though, that turned Norfolk State junior Reggie Garrett from third-string walk-on quarterback to go-to wide receiver in less than a year.

"The other night, I thought I was one of the last ones in the locker room," said quarterback Chris Walley, who routinely throws with receivers after practice. "Then out comes Reggie, watching film."

Understated and quiet, Garrett has a simple explanation for why he huddles in a coach's office to watch film of that day's drills while most of his teammates go to the dining hall.

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QB spot still up for grabs at WSSU

Winston Salem, N.C. - During Winston-Salem State's first preseason camp under coach Connell Maynor, there was plenty of trial by error because Maynor didn't know his personnel that well.
This time around, things seem to be going a lot smoother.

"I think we are ahead of the game where we were at this point last year," said Maynor, now in his second season. "We expect the team to get better, and we'll be ready for that first game on Sept. 3."

Maynor and the Rams — who are going through two-a-days this week — have had nine practices and will have a scrimmage at 9 a.m. Saturday. The annual "Meet the Rams Day" will be from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, near the clock tower on campus. "We have to come back bigger, stronger and faster than we were last year," Maynor said.

The Rams finished 8-2 last season, with two key CIAA losses that eliminated them from the Southern Division berth for the championship game.

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Alabama A&M: Bulldogs looking for do-it-all tight end

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - They all look the part. Unfortunately, none of them have played it very well.

That assessment came from Alabama A&M tight ends coach Michael Brown. And, Brown should know. He played with Charles Moody on the Bulldogs' 2006 Southwestern Athletic Conference championship team. Moody was a three-time All-SWAC selection, earning first-team honors in 2007.

"He could catch and he could block," Brown said of Moody. "He was a playmaker in the passing game and the running game. Right now, we've got one guy that will block and one guy that will catch. We don't have that one guy that can do it all."

Junior Kenneth Harris comes the closest. Unfortunately, he has been sidelined with a ...

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Howard University To Face Longtime Rival on ESPNU

New York, New York - When Howard University and Morgan State University meet on Saturday, September 24 in the New York Urban League Classic at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, it will be more than just a MEAC game. The game will be televised on ESPNU as a part of the MEAC/ESPNU TV package.



The game will kick off at 3:30 pm and will be shown on tape delay at 10:30 that night. The two teams met last season in the NYUL and Morgan State prevailed, 20-3.

By Howard-Bison Athletics

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