From Bowie High to Bowie State Football

Bowie, MD - Tropical Storm Irene was just a memory, having passed through Bowie more than 24 hours earlier.

The sky was mostly blue with a slight wind blowing the small markers on the top of the goalposts on the football field at Bowie State University on Monday afternoon.

About 50 yards behind one end zone students were unloading their cars in preparation for the fall semester.

Inside the football stadium the Bulldogs of Bowie State were preparing for their first game of the season, a non-conference contest at Assumption on Saturday in Worcester, MA.

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North Carolina A&T Names Sanchez Head Baseball Coach

Head Baseball Coach Joel Sanchez
(Courtesy: NC A&T Sports Information)

GREENSBORO, N.C. - North Carolina A&T Director of Athletics Earl Hilton announced the appointment of Joel Sanchez to be the new head baseball coach. Sanchez joins the Aggie family with extensive coaching and playing experience on the collegiate and professional levels.

"Coach Sanchez has what I call 'championship experience,'" said Hilton. "He spent numerous years learning what it takes to win championships on a consistent basis. We are excited about blending his winning knowhow with what we believe is already an outstanding baseball program."

Prior to joining N.C.A&T, Sanchez held the assistant baseball coaching position at Daytona State College for one season in 2011.

The bulk of Sanchez's coaching success came during his eight seasons (2001-08) at Bethune-Cookman University, where he served as the head assistant under ­Mervyl Melendez. During his stint at B-CU, the Wildcats earned seven MEAC Championships, and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Regional each time.

Sanchez's coaching experience is not limited to college baseball. He served as the minor league pitching coach for the Gulf Coast League Nationals, the rookie-level minor league affiliate of the Washington Nationals in 2010; and the Vermont Lake Monsters, the short-season level-A affiliate of the Nationals in 2009. He was responsible pitching staff of each team.

As a player, Sanchez played professionally with the Ciudad Juarez of Chihuahua, Mexico from 1997-1999. He was a two-year letterman at New Mexico State University, where he earned his bachelor's degree in psychology in 1998.

Sanchez replaces Keith Shumate, who resigned in July after 15 seasons with the Aggies. Austin Love will remain as an assistant for the program.

Courtesy: NC A&T Sports Information

Elko blends in just fine with Delaware State Hornets' mission

QB Nick Elko
(Photo Courtesy: Mike Baker)

Nick Elko will be the starting quarterback for the Hornets in their season opener Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Virginia Military Institute

Dover, DE - Being a white quarterback in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, made up of historically black colleges, doesn't faze Nick Elko, who says he's just one small part of the team at Delaware State University.

Besides, he said, it's not like he's the first white player to ever put on the Hornets' uniform. "When I first came in to Delaware State I thought about it, but it is what it is," Elko said. "I mean, I like it, I feel accepted, and it's just normal for me. It's really no big deal."

That's the way preseason MEAC offensive player of the year Justin Wilson sees it. Elko and Wilson have been working together the past three seasons and have developed a close bond during that time.

"We've always had that chemistry since Day One," Wilson said. "We have different signals that we do [on the field] and all that so we're fine with it. Elko's a really good quarterback and he'll get to show it this season."

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Rutgers/NCCU Gameday: Scarlet Knights host North Carolina Central in season opener

Rutgers vs. North Carolina Central Eagles
Tonight, 7:30 p.m.
High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway
TV: ESPN3.com
Radio: 1450-AM, 710-AM, 97.5-FM

THE STORYLINES

1. Has Rutgers’ offensive line improved enough to make it through a game against an FCS opponent without yielding a sack? Norfolk State, a MEAC school like N.C. Central, recorded three sacks in last year’s opener against the Scarlet Knights — which should have been an immediate tip off to how much the unit would struggle that season. In allowing an NCAA record 61 sacks, Rutgers gave up at least one in all 12 games in 2010. The good news/bad news: Four of those O-line starters are back, but the return to a pro-style offense is supposed to help. N.C. Central, with five returning defensive starters, doesn’t have a player who recorded more than two sacks last season. A sack-free performance should be possible.



2. How much of heralded true freshman running back Savon Huggins will we see — especially with North Carolina waiting in nine days?  Huggins will get his share of playing time and may even start. He might get enough carries to flirt with 100 yards rushing in his collegiate debut, too. But don’t expect to see the wraps taken off Huggins just yet. It’s too soon. This is one of those games where the coaches want to get Huggins just enough of a feel for game action without revealing too much. It’s even possible, if the game is lopsided, that redshirt freshman Jawan Jamison will wind up with the most carries of all the tailbacks — almost all after halftime. It may be the only time this season that happens

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SC State heads to Michigan with a record 13 freshmen

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - The South Carolina State Bulldogs boarded a plane in Columbia Wednesday afternoon and took off for what will prove to be a major challenge to open up the season Thursday night.

The team headed to Mount Pleasant, Michigan to play the Central Michigan Chippewas. Thursday's 7:00 p.m. game will be the first in the 2011 NCAA football season.



A record number of freshmen are traveling with the team for this game. 13 true freshmen made the trip and it's expected that 6 or 7 will see playing time and a couple may even start.

Head Coach Buddy Pough's team is coming off a 9-3 season in which they shared the MEAC title and made a third straight appearance in the playoffs.

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Norfolk State football preview: Schedule switcheroo

Norfolk, VA - The Norfolk State football team expects a better conference record than it had last season. The MEAC coaches think the Spartans will finish in the upper half of the conference.

Because of the league’s two-team expansion, though, meeting expectations wouldn’t indicate the Spartans made significant strides from last season.

While players head into the season as they always do, with championship hopes and dreams of grandeur, a long-term analysis typically requires a measuring-stick approach. The offseason changes to the MEAC have created a new ruler.



Gone from Norfolk State’s schedule is its annual game against Florida A&M, a contest that, since head coach Pete Adrian’s arrival, has been a game between upper-half programs. In three of the past four years, the game has come down to one score or less.

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TSU enters 2011 season with a lot of uncertainty

Houston, TX - Under typical circumstances, Texas Southern would be entering the 2011 season with heightened expectations after winning last season's Southwestern Athletic Conference championship. But the Tigers' offseason was anything but typical.

Coach Johnnie Cole was terminated in April in advance of an NCAA report that is expected to detail major violations. Defensive coordinator Kevin Ramsey was named interim head coach, and he subsequently fired four assistants. The program also was stripped of roughly 15 scholarships for the 2011-12 academic year after posting a poor performance on the NCAA's Academic Progress Report.

Thus, TSU heads into the season uncertain that it'll be able to keep its SWAC title or build on its breakout 2010. The Tigers are still talented, especially on defense and in the running game, but a lack of depth and experience at key spots could prove to be their undoing.

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Ellender distance standout joins Xavier Gold Nuggets

Hali Yarmush

NEW ORLEANS — Hali Yarmush, a top-10 finisher three consecutive years at the Louisiana High School Athletic Association cross country championships, has enrolled at Xavier University of Louisiana and joined the women's team.

Yarmush, a May graduate of Ellender Memorial High School in Houma, placed 10th in the state in Class 4A last season and in 2009. She ran her fastest three-mile time, 19 minutes and 37 seconds, in a fourth-place finish at the 2008 state meet.

In outdoor track Yarmush was the District 8-4A champion in the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs the past two seasons and the 2010 Region III-4A champion in the 1,600. She was selected track MVP of the 2011 and 2010 8-4A girls meets.

Yarmush's fastest track times are 2:32.08 in the 800, 5:46.87 in the 1,600 and 12:25.05 in the 3,200.

Both XU teams will begin the 2011 season Thursday in the Mississippi College Opener at Clinton, Miss.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

FAMU's Terry Johnson glad to be back on field

Tallahassee, FL - Terry Johnson experienced joy and pain all during his first day on the Florida A&M practice field.

The day started joyfully because he was starting his college football career. But a few plays into his first practice, things turned painfully sad enough to bring tears to his eyes. Johnson twisted his knee while backpedaling into position to make a play.

It was his last time on the field until this past spring after having to undergo surgery.




"That really tore me apart because I really wanted to play my first year," said Johnson, a highly touted two-sport athlete out of Rickards High School, where he also starred on the basketball team. "Then, again, everything happens for a reason."

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Therriault heeds JSU opportunity

Jackson, MS - Casey Therriault showed he is first rate at making the most of a second chance. Back on the football field after serving time for a manslaughter conviction, Therriault took full advantage of the opportunity afforded him at Jackson State and had a first year few in the Southwestern Athletic Conference will ever forget.

Last season, the Tigers’ 6-foot-5, 203-pound quarterback, was second in the Football Championship Subdivision with 3,436 yards passing and was third nationally in with 312.0 yards per game. He threw for a school record-tying 31 touchdowns while rushing for 10 more. His 3,600 yards in total offense was the best in the SWAC and second in the nation. Twice last season Therriault threw for five touchdowns and had seven 300-yard passing games. Additionally, he led the FCS in points responsible for with 23.1 points per game. The season culminated in his being selected 2010 SWAC Offensive Player of the Year -- he’s picked to win it again this year -- SWAC Newcomer of the Year, first team All-SWAC, a 2010 SBN All-American, 2010 Walter Payton Award and Conerly Trophy finalist.



What’s a guy to do for an encore?

“I don’t know,” Therriault said. “I planned for [success], but I really didn’t expect it. When you train and you work hard to have that kind of success on the field.

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College Football Performance Awards - MEAC Commissioner Dr. Dennis E. Thomas

Broadway ready to play

Greenboro, NC - Another coaching era has started at N.C. A&T. This time, Rod Broadway, who left Grambling State, has been charged with trying to resurrect one of the most underachieving programs in the MEAC.

N.C. A&T has gone a combined 25-66 since Bill Hayes was fired after the 2002 season. The Aggies were 1-10 last season, with losses to rivals Winston-Salem State and N.C. Central, and the Alonzo Lee era ended abruptly after only two seasons.

"Well if you keep replacing the same part on your car, and it still keeps breaking down, then that part might not be the problem," Broadway said of the task ahead. "What we're trying to do is find the root of the problem, make it better, so that the entire athletics department can be successful."

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Alabama A&M: Smith will return kicks for Bulldogs

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - When Alabama A&M opens the season Saturday against Hampton in the Chicago Classic, redshirt freshman Montarius Smith will return punts and kickoffs.

Smith will be the Bulldogs' primary punt returner and he will be joined by freshman Reshaad DeJarnett on kickoff returns. Former Sparkman High standout Terrance Pride could also return kickoffs.

"None of them have played, but we believe they'll be OK," said defensive coordinator Brawnski Towns, who works with kick returners. "Hopefully, the lights won't be too bright for them and they'll step up."

The Bulldogs struggled returning kickoffs and punts last season. A&M was seventh in the Southwestern Athletic Conference in punt returns last season, averaging 7.7 yards, and was ninth in kickoff returns, averaging 15.1 yards per return.

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ECSU Vikings’ LB Dixon opens with career-high 17 tackles

Elizabeth City, NC - Elizabeth City State linebacker DeWitt Dixon is used to winning. In his high school career at Charlotte Independence, he was never on a losing side, going undefeated and winning a state championship each season.  Now a senior at ECSU, Dixon has that championship feeling again.

“We work way too hard to be second best or be second tier,” said Dixon as he and the Vikings prepare for Saturday’s Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association against Winston-Salem State.

Some of that confidence was born last week. Dixon recorded a career-best 17 tackles in a 28-21 overtime loss at No. 2 Delta State.



“I hate to dwell on almost beating the No. 2 team in the country,” said Dixon, who was named the CIAA Linebacker of the Week on Monday. “Yeah, we didn’t pull it off, but ...

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Challenge features standout defenders

Orlando, FL - The seventh annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney between Bethune-Cookman and Prairie View A&M should be quite an HBCU battle on Sept. 4 (ESPN, noon ET) at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando, Fla. These two schools feature some terrific players, but the most talented players will be on the defensive side of the ball.

In fact, this black college classic boasts two of the best defensive players in the FCS. Bethune-Cookman's playmaking linebacker Ryan Lewis was chosen as the MEAC's preseason defensive player of the year, while Prairie View A&M's quick-footed cornerback Moses Ellis was selected as the SWAC's preseason defensive player of the year.



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B-CU's foe will be familiar

Daytona Beach, FL - Bethune-Cookman and Prairie View A&M have never met before on the football field. But neither team is likely to surprise the other when they open the season Sunday in Orlando in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge.

Mark Orlando, B-CU's offensive coordinator last year, is now the offensive coordinator at Prairie View. And Panthers assistant coach Prince Pearson is a cousin of B-CU head coach Brian Jenkins.

"When you coach long enough you encounter different scenarios," Orlando said. "And meeting your previous school in your first game is a little different."

With Orlando running B-CU's offense last year, the Wildcats were second in Football Championship Subdivision in scoring at 38.17 points per game. While Orlando brings his no-huddle spread offense to the Southwestern Athletic Conference school, B-CU has replaced him with another guru of the spread in former Toledo, Clemson and Syracuse offensive coordinator Rob Spence.

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Maryland - Eastern Shore Cross Country Season Outlook

PRINCESS ANNE, Md.- The University of Maryland Eastern Shore Cross Country team will open its 2011 season Saturday, Sept 2 when it hosts the Hampton Inn Salisbury North/UMES Lid-Lifter Invitational. The Hawks will also host the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference Championship and National Collegiate Athletic Conference Mid-Atlantic Regional competition set for later this season.

The 2010 UMES Men's Cross Country teamed finished second in the MEAC while the women finished the season in fifth. With the return of eight letter-winners for both teams, expectations will be high entering the first meet of the year.

MEAC Top Five time performer Basile Melek returns to the men's team this year, and will look to improve on his 25:04.80 time in the MEAC Championship 8k. Eunice Jones returns for the women, and will also look to improve on her top 10 finishing time of 18:37.30 in the MEAC Championship 5k.

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WSSU has the talent to take CIAA crown

Winston Salem, NC - Winston-Salem State felt very much at home last season in its re-entry into the CIAA. This season, it wants more.

"It's championship or bust this season," wide receiver Dominique Fitzgerald said. "We are deep at every position, and our mindset is championship or bust."

To win their first CIAA title since 2000, the Rams will need to cut down on turnovers and avoid key injuries. One luxury coach Connell Maynor has is more depth. The Rams have 13 players with Division I experience, including two newcomers who graduated from D-I schools and have a final year of eligibility.



"We are deeper," said Maynor, whose Rams went 8-2 in his first season but were knocked out of CIAA title contention after losses to St. Augustine's and Shaw. "We have more guys for both the offensive and defensive lines, and we've got ...

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Aggies optimistic about Saturday’s 2011 season opener against Virginia University

Greensboro, NC - Rod Broadway has experienced his share of season openers during a football career that has spanned more than four decades, but the excitement of running out of the tunnel to start a new campaign never gets old.

“It’s always special to open a new season because it gives you a true idea of who you are,” said Broadway who arrived from Grambling this February, becoming A&T’s sixth head coach in the last 10 years. “Sometimes you can get some bad information by just playing against yourself every day in practice. It will be interesting to see how our guys perform against someone in a different-colored jersey.”

The Broadway era will officially begin this Saturday at Aggie Stadium when the Aggies host the Virginia University of Lynchburg Dragons at 4 p.m.



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Baltimore Ravens Harewood gets feet wet at LT

Baltimore, MD - Ramon Harewood lining up at left tackle in the Ravens’ 31-13 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs Friday night might not qualify as news – except that was the first time he had played that position since being selected by the organization in the sixth round last year.

“It is what it is,” said Harewood, who last played left tackle at Morehouse College. “You’ve got to roll with the punches sometimes.”

The 6-foot-6, 340-pound Harewood didn’t commit any glaring mistakes in the second half against the Chiefs, but the second-year player wasn’t about to pat himself on the back.

“I’m never satisfied,” he said Friday night. “There’s always room for improvement, but for a first day, I think it was ...


Harewood #78 can be viewed at 3:35 on this video.

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S.C. State QB gets his turn: Junior Wiley tries to fill shoes of Long as Bulldogs open with revamped offense

Orangeburg, SC - Derrick Wiley was recruited to be the guy to lead the South Carolina State football team to the next level.

Wrested away out of Richmond County High in Rockingham, N.C., from the recruiting charms of Appalachian State, Wiley was barely on campus before Buddy Pough did something coaches rarely do -- set the bar at a nearly unreachable height for his star recruit.

Pough couldn't help himself back then when he looked at Wiley, his ability to throw and run, and compared him to Armanti Edwards. That is Armanti Edwards, the quarterback who led App State to back-to-back FCS national titles.



Reminded of those comparisons after practice this week, Wiley began to smile before looking down at the turf at Willie E. Jeffries Field.

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CIAA Football: Livingstone opens tonight at Chowan

SALISBURY, N.C. — The second year of the Elvin James era begins for Livingstone tonight when they travel to Murfreesboro to take on the Chowan Hawks in the season opener.

The Blue Bears will have a new quarterback in transfer Jaren Troutmanwhile sophomore returner Levon Stanley will be the backup. Stanley was Livingstone’s top passer last season, finishing with 406 yards passing and two touchdowns.

Whoever is under center, they will be protected by an experienced offensive line which includes three returners (Allyne Hall, Josiah Simms and Chris Woodard), a Division I transfer in Harlee Frink and freshman Stuart Wallace.

In the backfield, Livingstone has a strong returning core with senior Jamel Moore, junior Terrill Gourdine and sophomore Tevin Mishoe. Each of them finished in the top four in rushing for the Blue Bears last season. The Blue Bears have also added some depth, starting with Javon Williams, a freshman from Goldsboro.

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2011 Hampton football preview | Rose puts faith in high school coach

HAMPTON, VA - Hampton head coach Donovan Rose picked his first staff based on loyalty. His second, he based on history. Entering his third season, Rose is going with his heart.

The Pirates, predicted to finish in the upper half of the MEAC, spent the offseason overhauling the coaching staff for the third consecutive season, bringing on three new faces, including a new offensive coordinator for the third consecutive year.

“I looked around and, I know who I am as a person, but the program was not a reflection of who I am,” Rose said. “I wanted coaches with the same values as me. For the first time, I feel like the coaching staff is a reflection of me.”

The coaching changes are part of an effort to resolve an offense that has become less productive in each of the four years since coach Joe Taylor left the program for Florida A&M, bottoming out last year at 17.5 points per game, 103rd in the FCS.

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D.J. Williams earns starting nod for GSU

Grambling, LA - Doug Williams is a firm believer in picking a quarterback and sticking with him.

"I always say the quarterback," the Grambling State coach said. "During the course of a game, anything can happen, but I don't want any quarterback to go in and have to look over his shoulder. I don't think that's fair to any kid or anybody who's played that position to worry about, 'Am I going to get yanked?'"

The youngster who will not have to worry about that pressure when Grambling opens its season Saturday against Alcorn State in the Port City Classic will be Williams' son, D.J., a 6-foot-4, 193-pound freshman.

The younger Williams beat out Frank Rivers for the starting job.



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Towson University prepares for MSU Bears

Towson, Maryland - With pre-season camp behind them, the Tigers are preparing to open the 2011 season under the lights against cross-town rival Morgan State.

The Bears are members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and will travel less than five miles down the road to Tigertown Saturday night. Of the 22 times that Morgan and Towson have met, the Tigers have won 16 of those games. Despite the series history that is in the Tigers’ favor, Head Coach Rob Ambrose said that his team is not looking past the Bears.



“In the history of the Morgan game, you can pretty much throw the records away,” Ambrose said. “It doesn’t matter what the records were before, what the records were last year, or even what happened in the last game. It’s always a dogfight. It’s always something personal. We expect a hell of a game from them, and they should expect the same from us.”

In the offseason, Morgan State Head Coach Donald Hill-Eley installed a few wrinkles to the Bears’s offense in an effort to snap Towson’s six-game home-opener winning streak.

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