MONTGOMERY, Alabama - The awards came pouring in for Alabama State safety Kejuan Riley last year, but the former Wetumpka High star didn’t let the acclaim go to his head this offseason.
“I put in twice the work I usually do,” he said. “I just know what I have to do and keep working. I just thank my teammates for (all the awards) because without them I wouldn’t have any of this.”
Riley was the Southeastern Athletic Conference’s only returning Football Championship Subdivision All-American, a consensus pick in 2011 along with Prairie View A&M defensive end Adrian Hamilton, but was not the preseason choice as SWAC Defensive Player of the Year. That award went to Jackson State defensive end Joseph LeBeau, who was voted the league’s top newcomer in 2011.
Both Riley and LeBeau are among the 20 players on the watch list released Thursday for the 18th annual Buck Buchanan Award, presented to the nation’s top FCS defensive player. The watch list includes six finalists from last season, including Riley, who ranks second among returning players who received votes for last year’s award.
With 17 career interceptions, he is the FCS leader among active players and needs just one this season to set the school record. He had nine last season to rank second nationally.
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Sunday, July 22, 2012
Fayetteville State Broncos picked for fourth in CIAA football poll
FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina - The Fayetteville State Broncos are expected to be one of the best football teams in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 2012.
But living up to those expectations won't be easy with two teams predicted to contend for the league championship competing in the Southern Division with the Broncos.
Head coaches predicted a third-place finish in the Southern Division for FSU on Thursday at the CIAA's annual preseason press conference in Petersburg, Va. Picked ahead of the Broncos were the preseason favorite for the conference title, defending champ Winston-Salem State, and Saint Augustine's.
In overall rankings, FSU was picked as the fourth-best team in the league behind the Rams, Northern Division favorite Elizabeth City State and the Falcons.
"We're looking forward to an exciting year,'' FSU coach Kenny Phillips said. "But we have a tough challenge ahead in the Southern Division race.''
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CIAA football: Union, State picked to finish in bottom half
ETTRICK, Virginia -- One century down. That's the motto as the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association kicked off the 2012 football campaign with its press luncheon Thursday at Virginia State University. This season will mark the 100th year of CIAA football.Three CIAA programs made it to the postseason in 2011, with Johnson C. Smith winning the 13th annual Pioneer Bowl over Miles College. Elizabeth City State and CIAA champion Winston-Salem State advanced to the Division II playoffs. The Rams fell to Wayne State in the Division II semifinals and the Vikings lost in the first round.
Virginia State, coming off a 5-5, 4-3 CIAA record and a second-place finish in the North, is slated to finish seventh.
"It's preseason rankings," Trojans coach Andrew Faison said. "The coaches do it, the SIDs (sports information directors) do it, so it's exactly what it is. It's not how you start, but how you finish."
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Saturday, July 21, 2012
S.C. State picked 2nd for MEAC title in 2012
NORFOLK, Virginia — South Carolina State was picked Friday to finish second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 2012 behind defending champion Norfolk State.The Bulldogs, who had been given the first-place nod each of the last four seasons, received four first-place votes and 432 points, while the Spartans earned 11 first-place votes and 454 points in the poll of MEAC head coaches and sports information directors announced at the league’s annual Press Luncheon at the Sheraton Waterside Hotel.
Behind Norfolk State and S.C. State was Bethune-Cookman with three first-place votes and 417 points, Florida A&M with two first-place votes and 354 points and Hampton, which along with North Carolina A&T is ineligible for the MEAC title due to low APR scores, was fifth with one first-place vote and 268 points.
Despite finishing in last place last season and in the preseason poll, Savannah State received the only other first-place vote.
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BCU's Jenkins shares credit for success
DAYTONA BEACB, Florida - You don't have to tell Brian Jenkins how big the MEAC/SWAC Challenge is for his Bethune-Cookman Wildcats. Jenkins, the head coach, took the team to the classic HBCU game last year -- when the Wildcats manhandled Prairie View A&M, 63-14, in an impressive performance to open the season.
In the 2012 installment of the MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney -- taking place at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla., on Sept. 2 -- Bethune-Cookman will again represent the MEAC, this time going up against Alabama State from the SWAC.
"It's going to be a tremendous game," says Jenkins. "Alabama State is a championship-caliber team. We're happy and thankful to be invited back to play in this venue. It puts you on the national stage, and that's good for your program."
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In the FCS Huddle: Taylor's influence all over the MEAC
NORFOLK, Virginia – Over the years, it's become almost impossible to keep track of the amount of players, coaches and individuals impacted by Florida A&M head football coach Joe Taylor. Not to mention, the influence he's had on the football conference he has been in for 20 years.
On Friday, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference held its annual preseason football media day and for many it was no surprise six teams received first-place votes.
"This is probably going to be the strongest competitive conference in football that I've seen," Taylor said. "And I've been in this game a long time."
For Hill-Eley and the other coaches who have spent time with Taylor, words can't express the respect and admiration they have for him.
"Nobody calls him friend because most of us call him our father and he has always acted that way towards us," Hill-Eley said. "The type of leadership and character he displays is amazing, and he consistently raises the bar for fellow coaches."
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On Friday, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference held its annual preseason football media day and for many it was no surprise six teams received first-place votes.
"This is probably going to be the strongest competitive conference in football that I've seen," Taylor said. "And I've been in this game a long time."
For Hill-Eley and the other coaches who have spent time with Taylor, words can't express the respect and admiration they have for him.
"Nobody calls him friend because most of us call him our father and he has always acted that way towards us," Hill-Eley said. "The type of leadership and character he displays is amazing, and he consistently raises the bar for fellow coaches."
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Norfolk State developing winning tradition
NORFOLK, Virginia — Norfolk State coach Pete Adrian said he expected to have a red "x" on his team's back going into the season, but being picked by the league's coaches to repeat as MEAC Conference Champions makes the "x" bright red.
"You can't sneak up on anybody anyway," Adrian said at MEAC Media Day.
With three consecutive winning seasons and a MEAC Conference Championship under its belt, Norfolk State isn't sneaking up on anyone anymore. With a less than sparkling football history, Adrian is now looking to establish a winning tradition, as the Spartans were picked to finish first in the MEAC again by league's coaches.
"We went from not being able to win a ball game to winning the championship," Adrian said. "It takes a lot to develop that, and now, when we take the field, we expect to win."
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"You can't sneak up on anybody anyway," Adrian said at MEAC Media Day.
With three consecutive winning seasons and a MEAC Conference Championship under its belt, Norfolk State isn't sneaking up on anyone anymore. With a less than sparkling football history, Adrian is now looking to establish a winning tradition, as the Spartans were picked to finish first in the MEAC again by league's coaches.
"We went from not being able to win a ball game to winning the championship," Adrian said. "It takes a lot to develop that, and now, when we take the field, we expect to win."
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Rose, Hampton U. eagerly anticipate challenging season
NORFOLK, Virginia — The term that Donovan Rose repeated to describe himself was that he is now a "full-fledged" head coach.
Yes, it was his name on the door to the big office at Hampton University's football complex for the past three years. Yes, wins and losses during that time were attached to his resume'. And yes, it was his program that got whacked recently by the NCAA for continued academic negligence.
But for Rose, "full-fledged" connotes a combination of experience, tenure, understanding, vision and direction. Four years in, he finally feels equipped to run the Pirates' program and to restore it to the level attained under his former boss, Joe Taylor.
"I've grown up," Rose said Friday at Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference media day. "I realize as a head coach that everything is on me. In doing that, I put all of myself in everything. As a full-fledged head coach, in my fourth year, every recruit has come under me, every coach has come under me and everything else has come under me. With that in mind, I think we've turned the corner."
The Pirates return 17 starters from a ...
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Yes, it was his name on the door to the big office at Hampton University's football complex for the past three years. Yes, wins and losses during that time were attached to his resume'. And yes, it was his program that got whacked recently by the NCAA for continued academic negligence.
But for Rose, "full-fledged" connotes a combination of experience, tenure, understanding, vision and direction. Four years in, he finally feels equipped to run the Pirates' program and to restore it to the level attained under his former boss, Joe Taylor.
"I've grown up," Rose said Friday at Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference media day. "I realize as a head coach that everything is on me. In doing that, I put all of myself in everything. As a full-fledged head coach, in my fourth year, every recruit has come under me, every coach has come under me and everything else has come under me. With that in mind, I think we've turned the corner."
The Pirates return 17 starters from a ...
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Kickoff set for OU Sooners home opener vs. FAMU
NORMAN, Oklahoma - Oklahoma’s string of night games will continue through the second week of the regular season. The Big 12 Conference announced on Friday that the Sooners’ Sept. 8 home opener against Florida A&M at Owen Field will kick off at 6 p.m.The game will mark the first-ever meeting between the Sooners and the Rattlers. Oklahoma has won its initial game of the season in Norman each of the past six years. Dating back to the start of the 2006 campaign, the Sooners own a 36-1 (.973) home record. Among FBS teams, only Boise State at 37-1 (.974) has a better home winning percentage over that span.
Oklahoma begins the 2012 season at UTEP with kickoff set for 9:30 p.m. CT in El Paso, Texas. Thus far, they are the only games that have start times. The kickoff times for the remaining 12 regular-season games will be announced at a later date.
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MEAC coaches recruit Florida, Panhandle
Coach Pete Adrian is counting on receiver Derrick Demps, yet another Tallahassee native, to be a major offensive contributor this season. He praised Demps, a product of Florida High, at Friday’s gathering with reporters at the MEAC media day here at the downtown Sheraton.
“He has good speed and handles the ball real well,” said Adrian, whose team was picked to win its second straight conference title this season.
“He’s become a great team leader for us. He talks a lot but that’s OK because he’s always talking positive. He gets really excited about playing and that’s what you want.”
Actually, that’s what Joe Taylor would love to have more of for his Florida A&M football team, too. But Tallahassee players do escape from the Big Bend and FAMU recruiters.
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Coach Waltar Bright to enter Allen University Hall Of Fame
"Every year our first game was against Florida A&M. They liked to play home games at high noon under the hot sun," Bright said. "The only place you could find shade was under the bench."
EASTON, Pennsylvania - Waltar Bright's football career started with a hall-of-fame caliber team and will end up with him being inducted into his college's hall of fame.
The 71-year old Bright, who was a senior safety on the undefeated 1958 Easton High School team, considered by some to be the finest football team in school history, played his college ball at Allen University in Columbia, S.C. He has been told he will be inducted into its Hall of Fame on Nov. 9. Bright was all-conference in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) as a junior and a senior and an All-American as a senior.
"I haven't spoken directly to anyone from the school yet," Bright said. "They left a message on my voice mail telling me about the ceremony while I was at a basketball clinic at Kutztown University earlier this week."
Bright served in the Marines after graduating from Easton and played football against many NFL players in Marine football games. He was approached by the Allen athletic director about playing college football. When Bright told him that he still had almost two years left as a Marine, he gave Bright a business card and said "Call me when your hitch is done."
When Bright's hitch was done, he worked for a flooring company in Philadelphia. He thought about attending college, but "the money was too good." Finally his boss approached him, telling him that he himself had two daughters in college and would feel guilty if he prevented Bright from attending college.
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Winston-Salem State Picked To Repeat As CIAA Champs
HAMPTON, Virginia - The CIAA has released the 2012 All-CIAA Football Preseason team and Predicted Order of finish as voted on by the CIAA Football Coaches Association, and the Winston-Salem State University Rams were picked to repeat as CIAA Southern Division Champions and to repeat as CIAA Champions.
This year's press conference featured the 2012 season theme, "One Century Down," a tribute to the continued celebration of the conference's 100th Anniversary.
"We had a great run last season", says third year head coach, Connell Maynor. "But last season is last season. We can't live off of that. That season is over and we have to work to prepare for those teams in front of us this season, and that starts with UNC-Pembroke", says Maynor.
The WSSU Rams placed seven (7) players on the preseason All-CIAA team. The WSSU contingent is led by senior quarterback, Kameron Smith (5-11, 190, Sr, Garner, NC), who was the All-CIAA quarterback in 2011, as he passed for 2,706 yards and 33 touchdowns, while rushing for 226 yards and two scores.
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This year's press conference featured the 2012 season theme, "One Century Down," a tribute to the continued celebration of the conference's 100th Anniversary.
"We had a great run last season", says third year head coach, Connell Maynor. "But last season is last season. We can't live off of that. That season is over and we have to work to prepare for those teams in front of us this season, and that starts with UNC-Pembroke", says Maynor.
The WSSU Rams placed seven (7) players on the preseason All-CIAA team. The WSSU contingent is led by senior quarterback, Kameron Smith (5-11, 190, Sr, Garner, NC), who was the All-CIAA quarterback in 2011, as he passed for 2,706 yards and 33 touchdowns, while rushing for 226 yards and two scores.
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Chowan University Hawks Baseball Adds Fourteen for 2012
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| HEAD COACH TAYLOR FURLOUGH CHOWAN UNIVERSITY HAWKS BASEBALL |
Coach Furlough is especially excited about this incoming group of student-athletes. "We knew going into this year that we were going to have a lot of holes to fill. We lost a lot of talent both at the plate and on the mound from last year's graduating class. Our staff has done a great job of addressing our need for players that are ready to contribute both on the mound and in the line-up," he stated.
The full list of 2012 signees is listed below:
Tyler Burden (Hertford County HS/Aulander, NC), Infielder, Right-handed Pitcher
Hunter Early (Manteo HS/Manteo, NC), Right-handed Pitcher
Jess Gullion (Dawson CC (MT)/Brigham City, UT), Infielder
Austin Hiatt (Jackson State CC/Collierville, TN), First Baseman
Evan Holton (College of the Abermarle/Columbia, NC), Infielder
John Hunter (College of the Abermarle/Hertford, NC), Infielder
Josh Martin (Gloucester County HS/Hayes, VA), Catcher/Outfielder
Andrew Mason (Garrett CC (MD)/Sterling, VA), Infielder/Outfielder
Bobby Mason (Parkview HS/Sterling, VA), Right-handed Pitcher/Infielder
George Mazza (College of the Abermarle/Kitty Hawk, NC), Right-handed Pitcher
Austin McGee (Thomas Dale HS/Colonial Heights, VA), Right-handed Pitcher/Infielder
David Menker (Marriots Ridge HS/Ellicot City, MD), Catcher
Keaton Scales (Thomas Dale HS/Colonial Heights, VA), Infielder/Outfielder
Carter Siweck (Colonial Forge HS/Stafford, VA), Right-handed Pitcher
Furlough had postive comments to add about this incoming group of student-athletes' abilities off the baseball field. "Additionally, this class is more than just a collection of good baseball talent. They are also involved with various community projects and outreach programs, as well as excelling in the classroom. I am excited to add these young men to the group of returning players we have coming back."
COURTESY CHOWAN UNIVERSITY HAWKS SPORTS INFORMATION
Friday, July 20, 2012
SWAC NEWS: Sharp agrees to contract extension
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| SWAC COMMISSIONER DUER SHARP |
Sharp, 42, has been commissioner of the 10-team league for the last five years.
Under Sharp's leadership, the SWAC has negotiated long-term contract agreements with ESPN, Russell Athletic, Toyota, Coca-Cola and Nike. The conference basketball tournament has also set records for revenue and total attendance two of the last three years.
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XU Nuggets wrap up recruiting, announce three more signees
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| Talor Hixon |
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| Danielle Tucker |
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| Emoni Harvey |
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana concluded its 2012-13 women's basketball recruiting class with the signing of Danielle Tucker of Rochester, N.Y., Talor Hixon of Carson, Calif., and Emoni Harvey of Memphis, Tenn., to scholarships. The Gold Nuggets will have eight newcomers next season.
Tucker, a 5-foot-10 forward, transferred to Xavier from NCAA Division II member Mars Hill (N.C.) College and will be an XU junior next season. She led Mars Hill with 12 points and 6.6 rebounds per game this past season, shot 52.6 percent from the floor and was a two-time South Atlantic Conference Player of the Week. At Rochester's East High School, she scored 1,226 career points, averaged 22 points and 12 rebounds for a 15-4 team her senior year and made the Democrat and Chronicle All-Greater Rochester second team.
Hixon, a 5-7 guard, will be an XU sophomore after transferring from Cerritos College in Norwalk, Calif. Hixon averaged 6.1 points and 4.4 rebounds this past season and led the Falcons with 72 steals. She was second-team All-South Coast Conference and helped Cerritos finish second in the league and 23-8 overall. At St. Anthony High School in Long Beach, Calif., Hixon was a four-year varsity starter who averaged triple-doubles her senior and freshman seasons. She averaged 18 points, 12 rebounds, 10 steals and nine assists her senior year (2009-10) for a St. Anthony team which was the CIF Division V state runner-up.
Harvey, a 5-6 guard, will be the eighth Memphian to play for the Gold Nuggets and the sixth during Bo Browder's 14 seasons as head coach. She averaged 11.2 points as a four-year starter for Briarcrest Christian High School, helping the Lady Saints finish second in Tennessee's Division II-AA state playoffs in 2010 and 2011 and reach the semifinals this year. She was all-region as a senior and first-team all-conference as a senior and junior.
Tucker will major in political science with a sociology minor and hopes to attend law school. Hixon will major in sociology, and Harvey — who had a 3.98 grade-point average at Briarcrest — will be a chemistry/pre-pharmacy major.
Previously signed were centers Whitney Gaston-Loyd of Shreveport, La., and Kelsee Singleton of New Orleans and guards Whitney Gathright and Schuyler Morton of New Orleans and Andraquay Quinnine of Elk Grove, Calif.
Xavier was 26-9 in 2011-12, won Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships and, for the second consecutive year, reached the second round of the NAIA Division I National Championship. The GCAC Tournament title was the Gold Nuggets' third in a row. Xavier reached 20 victories 19 of the past 20 seasons and qualified for the national tournament 16 of the past 18 seasons.
2012-13 Xavier University of Louisiana Women's Basketball Signees
| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Yr.* | Hometown | H.S./(College) |
| Whitney Gaston-Loyd | C | 6-0 | Jr. | Shreveport, La. | Southwood (Ark.-LR) |
| Whitney Gathright | G | 5-4 | Fr. | New Orleans, La. | John Curtis Christian |
| Emoni Harvey | G | 5-6 | Fr. | Memphis, Tenn. | Briarcrest Christian |
| Talor Hixon | G | 5-7 | So. | Carson, Calif. | St. Anthony (Cerritos JC) |
| Schyler Morton | G | 5-7 | So. | New Orleans, La. | Ursuline Academy (Fordham) |
| Andraquay Quinnine | G | 5-9 | Jr. | Elk Grove, Calif. | Franklin (Consumes River JC) |
| Kelsee Singleton | C | 6-2 | Fr. | New Orleans, La. | Karr |
| Danielle Tucker | F | 5-10 | Jr. | Rochester, N.Y. | East (Mars Hill) |
* athletic classification at Xavier in fall of 2012 | |||||
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
“One Century Down”: 2012 CIAA Football Campaign Begins with Preseason Picks and Predicted Order of Finish
PETERSBURG, Virginia - The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association announced its Pre-season All-CIAA Football Team and Predicted Order of Finish at today's Football Press Conference and Luncheon.This year's press conference featured the 2012 season theme, "One Century Down," a tribute to the continued celebration of the conference's 100th Anniversary.
Each football coach was interviewed by Stan Lewter of Urban Sports and Entertainment Group as they shared their outlooks for the upcoming year. Viewers and members of the media participating online also contributed to the conversation via www.livestream.com/ciaa.
The All-CIAA Pre-Season Team and Predicted Order of Finish are listed below:
Predicted Order of Finish
**As selected by the CIAA Football Coaches Association
2012 CIAA Predicted Order of Finish
1. Winston-Salem State University
2. Elizabeth City State University
3. Saint Augustine's College
4. Fayetteville State University
5. Shaw University6. Bowie State University
7. Virginia State University
8. Johnson C. Smith University
9. Virginia Union University10. Chowan University
11. Lincoln University
12. Livingstone College
Northern Division
1) Elizabeth City State University2) Bowie State University
3) Virginia State University4) Virginia Union University
5) Chowan University
6) Lincoln University of PA
Southern Division
1) Winston-Salem State University
2) St. Augustine's College
3) Fayetteville State University
4) Shaw University
5) Johnson C. Smith University
6) Livingstone College
2012 PRESEASON ALL-CIAA FOOTBALL TEAM
| # | NAME | SCHOOL | CLASS | HT | WT | MAJOR | HOMETOWN |
| OFFENSE | |||||||
| TIGHT END | |||||||
| 86 | Khari Lee | BSU | SO | 6'4 | 250 | Banking & Finance | Baltimore, MD |
| LINESMEN | |||||||
| 75 | OgheneMaro Erhie | BSU | SR | 6'6 | 305 | Graduate School | Odenton, MD |
| 55 | Rico Arellano | JCSU | JR | 6'7 | 280 | Sports Management | Charlotte, NC |
| 72 | Kyle Catterton | VSU | SR | 6'4 | 285 | Sports Management | Waldorf, MD |
| 52 | Markus Lawrence | WSSU | SR | 6'3 | 275 | Business Management | Charlotte, NC |
| 75 | Daven Gray | WSSU | JR | 6'3 | 310 | Art | Kernersville, NC |
| WIDE RECEIVERS | |||||||
| 86 | Robert Holland | CU | SR | 6'2 | 190 | SSPE | Newport News, VA |
| 1 | Tyron Laughinghouse | SAC | SR | 6'3 | 180 | Sports Management | Greenville, NC |
| QUARTERBACK | |||||||
| 6 | Kameron Smith | WSSU | SR | 6'0 | 195 | Business Administration | Garner, NC |
| RUNNING BACKS | |||||||
| 8 | Daronte McNeill | ECSU | SR | 6'2 | 220 | Sports Management | Elizabeth City, NC |
| 29 | Jerell Washington | VUU | SR | 5'8 | 180 | Accounting | Fort Pierce, FL |
| PLACE KICKER | |||||||
| 43 | Alejandro Suarez | WSSU | SO | 5'8 | 170 | Undeclared | Liberty, NC |
| KICK RETURNER | |||||||
| 88 | Terry Anderson | LC | JR | 5'9 | 180 | Undeclared | Newark, NJ |
DEFENSE | |||||||
LINESMEN | |||||||
| 42 | Brad Davis | ECSU | SR | 6'2 | 245 | Business Administration | Charlotte, NC |
| 92 | Derrick Johnson, III. | JCSU | SR | 6'2 | 275 | Physical Education | Charlotte, NC |
| 51 | Tim Green | LU | SR | 6'1 | 255 | Criminal Justice | Fanwood, NJ |
| 52 | Shonquez Nelson | SAC | JR | 6'1 | 290 | Biology | Lake City, SC |
| LINEBACKERS | |||||||
| 32 | Tyheim Pitt | LC | JR | 5'10 | 190 | Mathematics | Freemont, NC |
| 3 | Chaz Robinson | SAC | JR | 5'11 | 215 | Sports Management | Hampton, VA |
| 44 | Carlos Fields, II. | WSSU | JR | 6'1 | 220 | Math Education | Henderson, NC |
| DEFENSIVE BACK | |||||||
| 1 | Nigel Rios | ECSU | JR | 5'9 | 170 | Business | Washington, DC |
| 10 | Joshua Scales | FSU | JR | 6'0 | 175 | Physical Education | Pinehurst, NC |
| 1 | Darnell Evans | SU | JR | 5'8 | 180 | Education | Madison, NJ |
| 13 | Malcolm Rowe | WSSU | SR | 6'1 | 220 | Business Administration | Fayetteville, NC |
| PUNTER | |||||||
| 7 | Landen Thayer | WSSU | SR | 6'0 | 200 | Physical Education | Clemmons, NC |
| PUNT RETURNER | |||||||
| 1 | Tyron Laughinghouse | SAC | SR | 6'3 | 180 | Sports Management | Greenville, NC |
COURTESY CIAA.COM and VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
FAMU picked fourth in MEAC, six Rattlers earn conference preseason honors
NORFOLK, Virginia - The Florida A&M Football team has been picked to finish fourth in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, while six Rattlers earned preseason All-MEAC honors, voted on by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors.
The defending MEAC Champion Norfolk State Spartans have been tabbed to win the conference once again as they tallied 11 first place votes and 454 points, while South Carolina State has been selected to finish second with four first place votes and 432 points. Bethune-Cookman was picked to finish third with three first place votes and 417 points, while FAMU finished with two first place votes and 354 points. Hampton was picked to finished fifth with one first place vote and 268 points, followed North Carolina A&T with 216 points for a sixth place finish. Morgan State was tabbed to finish seventh with 198 points, followed by Howard with 188 points for a predicted eighth place finish. Rounding out the cast of MEAC finishers is North Carolina Central with 116 points for a ninth place finish, followed by Delaware State with 78 points and picked to finish 11th is Savannah State with 73 points.
FAMU had five Rattlers to earn first team Preseason All-MEAC honors with four of them being from Tallahassee and one Rattler to earn second team All- MEAC honors.
Leading the Tallahassee connection is senior ...
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A&T's Mayhew Named MEAC Preseason Player of the Year
NORFOLK, Virginia - Mike Mayhew, one of the most decorated running backs in the history of North Carolina A&T football, continued to stockpile honors on Friday when he was named preseason MEAC Offensive Player of the Year at the 2012 MEAC Football Press Luncheon at the Norfolk Sheraton Waterside Hotel. Mayhew was the only player from the Aggies offense to make the preseason All-MEAC first team. Senior defensive end Tony Mashburn, junior linebacker D'Vonte Grant and junior safety Travis Crosby were named to the first-team defense. Junior offensive lineman Nathan Isles and senior defensive tackle Brandon Young made the second team.
As a team, the Aggies were picked to finish sixth in the conference following a season in which they were 5-6 overall and 4-4 in the MEAC. Norfolk State was picked to claim its second straight MEAC title after grabbing 11 first-place votes. The Spartans were followed by S.C. State, Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M and Hampton in the order of prediction.
The cornerstone of that group is Mayhew. His preseason Player of the Year recognition comes eight months after he earned Co-MEAC Offensive Player of the Year honors following the 2011 season where he led the MEAC in rushing (101.8 per game). His other accolades include being named MEAC Rookie of the Year (2009), earning a spot on the 2011 Walter Payton Watch List for best offensive Division I-FCS player in the nation and he is a two-time first-team All-MEAC performer.
But none of that is what impresses Broadway. It is the maturity he has seen from his star back since last season.
"He is starting to show leadership," said Broadway. "I think Mike has come a long way in understanding how we do things, when we do things and why we do things. Others on our football team have come to that understanding too, but it's real important that Mike understands it because he is one of our better players."
Mayhew is trying to become the first Aggie in school history to rush for 1,000 yards three consecutive seasons. He would become only the third back in MEAC history to accomplish the feat. If he leads the Aggies in rushing this season, he will join Stoney Polite as the only two players in school history to lead the Aggies in rushing four consecutive years. He needs just139 yards rushing to become the school's all-time leading rusher.
A&T's defense could be as big of standout as Mayhew. The Aggies led the MEAC in rush defense and they had the eighth best defense in the nation. Tony Mashburn led the team in tackles for loss (12.5) as the Aggies held five different opponents to under 40 yards rushing in 2011. Mashburn also recorded 5.5 sacks.
Grant led the Aggies in tackles and made was a Jerry Rice Finalist for best FCS rookie. Crosby also had a standout season. He was second on the team in tackles, made 10 tackles for loss and he returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown against S.C. State.
Isles is a two-year starter who is slated to play right guard this season. Young played on the interior of the Aggies' stingy defense. He made four sacks from his defensive tackle position. A&T opens the season on Sept. 1 at Coastal Carolina. A time has not been posted yet. The Aggies' home opener is Sept. 8 against West Virginia State at 6 p.m.
2012 MEAC Football Preseason Predictions
1. Norfolk State (11) 454
2. South Carolina State (4) 432
3. Bethune-Cookman (3) 417
4. Florida A&M (2) 354
5. Hampton (1) 268
6. N.C. A&T 216
7. Morgan State 198
8. Howard 188
9. N.C. Central 116
10. Delaware State 78
11. Savannah State (1) 73
COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
Coaches laugh it up, wax poetic at annual Pigskin Preview
CARY, North Carolina - It’s the largest event of its kind in the nation, this Tenth Annual Pigskin Preview of the Bill Dooley Triangle/East Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
And of course it helps that there are five Division I football programs between Orange and Pitt counties.
On Thursday five coaches — new UNC coach Larry Fedora, N.C. State’s Tom O’Brien, Duke’s David Cutcliffe, East Carolina’s Ruffin McNeill and N.C. Central assistant Dwayne Foster — occupied the head table for what has become the first big event of each football season. (Foster was sitting in for NCCU coach Henry Frazier, who is on leave as he awaits a court date on domestic assault charges.)
And unfortunately the event’s 78-year-old namesake was ill and unable to attend. But the coaches entertained a wide array of questions from ...
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And of course it helps that there are five Division I football programs between Orange and Pitt counties.
On Thursday five coaches — new UNC coach Larry Fedora, N.C. State’s Tom O’Brien, Duke’s David Cutcliffe, East Carolina’s Ruffin McNeill and N.C. Central assistant Dwayne Foster — occupied the head table for what has become the first big event of each football season. (Foster was sitting in for NCCU coach Henry Frazier, who is on leave as he awaits a court date on domestic assault charges.)
And unfortunately the event’s 78-year-old namesake was ill and unable to attend. But the coaches entertained a wide array of questions from ...
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Grimsley hires former A&T player Griffis as boys basketball coach
GREENSBORO, North Carolina - Grimsley has hired former N.C. A&T basketball player Thomas Griffis as its boys basketball coach. He replaces longtime Whirlies coach Darren Corbett, who accepted an assistant coaching position on the men’s basketball staff at A&T, where his father formerly served as head coach.Griffis, a graduate of Raleigh Athens Drive, walked on to the A&T men’s basketball team before earning a scholarship his sophomore year. He played for Corbett’s father, Don Corbett, and helped lead the Aggies to four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and MEAC championships from 1985-88. Don Corbett, who racked up a 254-145 overall record in 14 seasons with the Aggies, left the program in 1993.
Griffis is scheduled to be inducted into the A&T Sports Hall of Fame in September.
S.C. State's Buddy Pough gears up for another title run
NORFOLK, Virginia — The lineup of teams and head coaches has changed over the past 11 years in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.If there’s one constant, it’s the presence of South Carolina State’s Buddy Pough. Only Morgan State’s Donald Hill-Elay has shown up for the conference’s annual football press luncheon with the same team since 2002 as many times as the second-winningest coach in school history.
For the first time in three years, Pough arrives today at the Sheridan Waterside Hotel not as the head coach of the current MEAC champion. A pair of 3-point losses to eventual titleholder Norfolk State and Florida A&M ended the Bulldogs’ three-year reign and run of Football Championship Subdivision playoff appearances.
Entering his 11th season at the helm, Pough talked about his “elder statesman” role, regaining the conference title and concerns about the schedule:
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Miles football coach Reginald Ruffin fills off time with family, SpongeBob
The 2012 Labor Day Golden Classic will be held on September 2, 2012 at Legion Field at 6:00pm. The Miles College Golden Bears will take on the Lions from the University of North Alabama.
CHELSEA, Alabama -- Coach Reginald Ruffin is a fighter. He learned that from his mother. "I watched her for 12 years fight cancer, and I took her to all her treatments up until she passed," he says. "She fought until the end, and that fighting is in me."
That fighting spirit has served Ruffin well, from his football-playing career at the University of North Alabama, where he was a three-time All-American, to coaching stints at UNA, Tuskegee University and elsewhere.
Ruffin just finished his first season as head football coach of the Miles Golden Bears, where he fought his way to the top. The team won the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title and he was named SIAC football coach of the year.
But at home in Chelsea—with wife Monica and son Gabe, 8—it may surprise folks to know that Ruffin is all about HGTV and SpongeBob SquarePants.
HU forges into football without FCS playoffs goal
HAMPTON, Virginia -- Before preseason practice begins, Hampton University's football team knows the playoffs are unreachable. The Pirates are ineligible for the FCS tournament because of failure to meet NCAA Academic Progress Rate requirements, a sanction announced in June.An APR is calculated annually for every Division I sports team. The APR is based on the eligibility and retention of each scholarship recipient. The three FCS schools ineligible for the 2012 playoffs are Hampton, North Carolina A&T, and Texas Southern. Hampton and N.C. A&T belong to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
HU returns 17 starters from last season's team, which went 7-4 and lost three games by four or fewer points. Coach Donovan Rose said he told his players, "A lot of this happened before you guys were here. We're going to accept that, and move on, and go forward."
Hampton's fourth-year coach, a former Pirates star player, said the school isn't addressing the APR issue only in a verbal way. The academic profile of the Pirates' incoming class of football recruits represents improvement from previous years, according to Rose. "Out of my 18 freshmen, 14 of them had a 3.0 (grade-point-average) or better," he said.
Jackson State Student-Athlete Looses Battle to Cancer
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| VINCENT JONES JSU Tigers |
JACKSON, Mississippi - Jackson State University student and football team member Vincent Jones passed away Monday evening at the University of Mississippi Medical Center following a long battle against cancer.
Jones, a 6'3", 320 pound offensive lineman, was a Jackson, Miss., native. He enrolled at Jackson State University in the fall of 2011 as a freshman.
"Vincent was a wonderful young man," said JSU head coach Rick Comegy. "He was well liked by everyone in the football program and he will truly be missed."
The JSU football team will play the 2012 season in honor of Vincent Jones. Information concerning funeral services will be announced when it becomes available.
COURTESY JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
Motivated ASU Circling 2012 Opener
ATLANTA, Georgia -- Considering that preseason rankings mean just that- a simple preseason prediction. Albany State football isn't overly concerned with their predicted spot in the SIAC. Announced on Tuesday at SIAC Kickoff Lunch, ASU earned four first place votes…good enough for second place behind Morehouse College in the East Division.
The Golden Rams open the 2012 schedule with the team that closed the book on their 2011 season, North Greenville. Albany State lost to the Crusaders in the first round of the Division Two playoffs 63-14. That final score certainly isn’t lost on ASU Head Coach Mike White and his Golden Rams.
“I just think we can play a lot better than we did. I thought the conference championship loss had a lot to do with it...going in to that game. I just think we’ll go in with a better attitude and I think it’ll be a better ballgame,” Coach White said.
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The Golden Rams open the 2012 schedule with the team that closed the book on their 2011 season, North Greenville. Albany State lost to the Crusaders in the first round of the Division Two playoffs 63-14. That final score certainly isn’t lost on ASU Head Coach Mike White and his Golden Rams.
“I just think we can play a lot better than we did. I thought the conference championship loss had a lot to do with it...going in to that game. I just think we’ll go in with a better attitude and I think it’ll be a better ballgame,” Coach White said.
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