Wetumpka's Riley among stars picked for classic

MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Officials with the new Raycom College Football All-Star Classic are still assembling their “Stars” and “Stripes” teams from invitations sent to players, but executive director Johnny Williams confirmed two of the invitations to the game went to Alabama State All-Americans Kejuan Riley and Terren Jones.

“I would feel guilty (not inviting local athletes to the game),” Williams said. “They were recommended to us and we hope to offer them an opportunity to go to the NFL.”

Both Riley and Jones, along with junior teammate Bobby Wenzig, were honored earlier in the week with their selection to the American Football Coaches Association All-America team. Both players acknowledged they had received invitations to play in the inaugural all-star game and planned to participate.

“The head man with the game called me and told me about it and said he was very interested in me playing in it,” Riley said. “I just thank God for it. I get another chance to play in front of my fans.”

Riley, a 6-foot-2, 208-pound senior who played at Wetumpka High, started for the past three seasons at ...

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B-CU's Jenkins scheduled to interview at Southern on Thursday

Coach Brian Jenkins

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  --  Brian Jenkins might have an advantage over the other two finalists for the Southern University head football coaching job.

Jenkins, Bethune-Cookman's head coach, is scheduled to make an extensive presentation to Southern's seven-member search committee Thursday in Baton Rouge, La., Jaguars athletic director William Broussard said.

With Jenkins' interview fresh in their minds, the committee members will discuss the three finalists, and then Broussard will seek further feedback from other staff members before making a final decision by the end of the day.

“I will make a decision Thursday evening and hammer out the contract details,'' Boussard said in a phone interview Tuesday night.

Broussard plans to submit his selection Friday to the Southern University System Board of Supervisors at its scheduled meeting.

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Joseph is GCAC Player of Week for 2nd time this season

Wanto Joseph

NEW ORLEANS — For the second time this season, Xavier University of Louisiana's Wanto Joseph is the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week in men's basketball.

Joseph, a 5-foot-9 senior guard from New Orleans and a graduate of O. Perry Walker High School, won the award for Dec. 3-9 after scoring a career-high-tying 26 points in a 77-67 loss to city rival Loyola. Joseph played 33 minutes and was 9-of-17 from the floor — the fifth consecutive game he shot better than 50 percent — 1-of-3 on 3-pointers and 7-of-8 on free throws. He also led the Gold Rush with five rebounds and five assists.

Joseph is one of six XU men since the start of the 2003-04 season to reach 25 points at least twice in one season. Timothy Green tops that list with four 25-point performances. Mark Stewart did it three times in 2006-07.

Through Monday's games, Joseph ranks 11th in NAIA Division I in assists per game (5.7), 31st in field-goal percentage (.555), 36th in points per game (17.5) and 45th in free-throw percentage (.803).

Xavier, 9-2 and 16th in the NAIA coaches poll announced Tuesday, will play Martin Methodist at 5 p.m. Friday and Voorhees at 3 p.m. Saturday in the Spring Hill Classic at Mobile, Ala.


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

Lawing promoted to head coach after Hamilton leaves XU

Christabell Hamilton

Hannah Lawing

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana has promoted Hannah Lawing to women's volleyball head coach. Lawing succeeds Christabell Hamilton, who resigned after leading the Gold Nuggets to Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships and berths in the NAIA National Championships in both her seasons.

Hamilton, whose teams were 45-15, left Xavier to rejoin her husband, University of Houston men's basketball assistant coach Ronnie Hamilton, who departed New Orleans in July after two seasons on the staff at Tulane. Hamilton is leaving coaching for the immediate future and will give birth to her first child, a daughter, in February.

"We are sorry to see Christabell leave Xavier," said XU athletics director Dennis Cousin, who announced the moves Tuesday. "Christabell did a great job building a solid foundation for our volleyball program. She was tremendously successful in a short amount of time.

"But at the same time, I am excited to promote Hannah. I am confident that she will do an excellent job as our head volleyball coach and continue the success that Christabell started."

Lawing joined the XU staff as an assistant coach in August and helped the Gold Nuggets finish 22-8 overall and 10-0 in the GCAC. They won four consecuitve matches to repeat as GCAC Tournament champion, and they lost in four sets at 13th-ranked Georgetown (Ky.) in the opening round of the NAIA tourney. The Nuggets also set a school record with 11 consecutive road victories. It was Lawing's first season as a collegiate coach after serving as a varsity assistant at Heathwood Hall Episcopal High School in Columbia, S.C., in 2011 and co-head coach of the South Carolina Midlands 18s Elite club team this year.

"I am very excited," Lawing said. "I learned so much from Christabell in just a few months. I feel that I have the right resources around me to succeed the way Christabell did."

Lawing graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in psychology. She played four seasons of volleyball for the Gamecocks and as a senior set a school record for digs per set with 4.89.

Lawing was an outside hitter and defensive specialist with the Gamecocks. She was SEC Defensive Player of the Week twice as a senior and once as a freshman. She excelled in the classroom as a two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member and made the dean's list.

Lawing is third all-time at South Carolina with 1,334 digs and fifth with 3.35 digs per set. As a senior she posted the second-most digs in program history and the most in the rally-scoring era with 523. That year she also recorded a USC match-record 38 digs against Mississippi State. Lawing had 23 career double-doubles, including a career-high 28 kills and 14 digs in a four-set victory against Harvard in 2009.

Lawing is a Winston-Salem, N.C., native and lived there 10 years before moving to the Atlanta area. She is a 2007 graduate of Lassiter High School in Marietta, Ga.

"My coaching style will be very similar to Christabell's style," Lawing said. "Her teams were fundamenally sound. She emphasized passing, passing, passing — that's the way I learned volleyball."

The Nuggets had no seniors this past season. Returnees include outside hitter Taylor Reuther, the GCAC Player of the Year and a Capital One Academic All-America® third-team selection in 2012; outside hitter Chinedu Echebelem, the 2012 GCAC Tournament MVP; and middle blocker Moira Kirk, the 2011 GCAC Freshman of the Year. All three will be juniors, and all three are two-time All-GCAC selections.

Lawing can be reached in her office at (504) 520-7255 or by email at hlawing@xula.edu.

Xavier is one of 38 U.S. colleges listed as a "Best Buy School" in the 2013 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges.

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

Former WSSU stars tell team to savor championship game

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Earl “The Pearl” Monroe has closely followed the fortunes of the Winston-Salem State University football team, and he says the one piece of advice he would give players and coaches as they pursue the Division II national championship is to savor every minute.
Monroe, one of the most famous athletes in WSSU history, speaks from experience — he was a key part of WSSU’s run to the Division II basketball championship in 1967, and he played in the NBA Finals three times.
“When I was playing in the NBA, we got to the Finals three years in a row, and I just thought it would always be like that,” Monroe said this week by telephone from New York. “We never got back to the finals again.

“Getting to the championship game like that doesn’t happen often, so I hope they enjoy the experience, and I hope they can get the job done and win another national title for the school.”

Monroe, a member of the Naismith Hall of Fame and a recent inductee into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, played for Big House Gaines at WSSU and graduated in 1967. He said he thinks often about the Rams’ championship.

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Getting to know Winston-Salem State

VALDOSTA, Georgia  — The Valdosta State football team will face the Winston-Salem State Rams in the NCAA Division II National Championship Game Saturday at 1 p.m. Eastern at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Ala.

The meeting will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams. The Blazers advanced to the national championship game after going 8-2 in regular season play, finishing second in the Gulf South Conference and earning the region’s top seed. In the playoffs, VSU beat West Alabama (49-21), Carson-Newman (48-26) and Minnesota State-Mankato (35-19).

Winston-Salem State advanced to its first-ever national championship with a perfect 14-0 record. The Rams won the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference this season, earning the school’s seventh playoff appearance.


After playing a weaker conference schedule — their CIAA opponents combined for a 38-44 record — the Rams defeated Shippensburg (37-14), Indiana (Pa.) (21-17) and West Texas A&M (41-18) in the playoffs.

Winston-Salem State is just the second Historically Black College and University (HBCU) school to advance to the national championship game, joining Central State of Ohio, which made the title game in 1983.

If the Rams are victorious Saturday over the Blazers, they would become just the fifth team to win a championship with a perfect, undefeated 15-0 record. Minnesota-Duluth was the last team to accomplish the 15-0 championship season in 2008 and 2010.

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Winston-Salem State Returns to D-II, Rolls to Title Game

COACH CONNELL MAYNOR

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --   Winston-Salem State's financial problems are one reason the Rams are playing for the Division II national championship this weekend.

The historically black university was on track to move to Division I when budget woes forced officials to abort the plan to join the Football Championship Subdivision a few years ago.

So, the Rams returned to Division II and made themselves right at home.

In their third season back at this level, they're 14-0 and preparing to face Valdosta State on Saturday in Florence, Ala., with their first national title at stake.

"I don't know if it justifies (the decision), but I know winning solves a lot of problems, and people like winners," third-year coach Connell Maynor said. "If you win, that will make the people that wanted us to stay I-AA kind of forget about that and say, `You know what, this is all right. This is pretty cool."'

The move back down a rung on the NCAA's ladder sure seems to have agreed with Winston-Salem State.

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Hampton U. retains Rose as football coach

HAMPTON, Virginia  --  Hampton University will retain head football coach Donovan Rose, athletic director Novelle Dickenson announced Monday.

Rose, who just completed his fourth season as head coach at his alma mater, said that he received a one-year extension.

"I'm humbled that I've been given the opportunity to finish this," Rose said. "We had a lot of young guys and a lot of them got valuable experience. Now we need to point them in the right direction and make sure that we take advantage of the experience and clean up a little bit. We showed signs. We were our own worst enemy at times. We've just got to clean up a little bit and get going in the right direction."

The Pirates finished 3-7 overall, 3-5 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. It was the program's worst record since it became a Division I program in 1995. Hampton is 21-22 in four years under Rose and 16-16 in the MEAC.

Rose has been at Hampton for 23 years, as an assistant under former head coach Joe Taylor and then Jerry Holmes. He was promoted to head coach in early 2009, when Holmes was dismissed after one season.

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WSSU Aims To Be First HBCU D-II Football Champ

Winston-Salem, NC -- If you're headed south at any point over the next few days and see some red and white streak past, it might belong to a Winston-Salem State University fan.

The Rams are playing in Saturday's NCAA Division II National Championship game in Florence, Ala., and they'll have plenty of support. Not only will WSSU fans being cheering them on, but the team is vying to become the first from a historically black college or university to win the D-II football title.

"Saturday, we had some CIAA teams that brought their football teams here to watch us play [in the semi-final game]," WSSU assistant athletic director for media relations Kevin Mann said. "They realized this was part of their history, not just our history."

The NCAA says only one other HBCU team has even made it to the D-II championship game: Central State of Ohio in 1983. That team lost 41-21 to North Dakota State.

"One thing about HBCUs," WSSU graduate student Aaron Lide said, is "although we compete against one another and we talk junk against one another, we're all a family at the end of the day.

"And we've been getting a lot of support from other HBCUs," Lide said. "A lot of them are rooting us on and encouraging us because they want to see a similar institution" win the title.





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Reuther is Xavier's first female Academic All-American

TAYLOR REUTHER

NEW ORLEANS — Taylor Reuther is Xavier University of Louisiana's first female to be named Capital One Academic All-America®. Reuther, an outside hitter in volleyball, was chosen to the college division third team.

The College Sports Information Directors of America announced the team Monday. CoSIDA has sponsored the Academic All-America program since 1952. The college division consists of NAIA, National Junior College Athletic Association and Canadian members.

Reuther, a 5-foot-7 sophomore outside hitter from Metairie, La., and a graduate of St. Mary's Dominican High School, is a pre-pharmacy major with a 3.90 grade-point average. She led the Gold Nuggets in kills, aces and digs for the second consecutive season. This year she was among the NAIA leaders in aces per set, and she was chosen Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

"Taylor is an amazing young lady, off and on the court.," XU coach Christabell Hamilton said. "She is quite the perfectionist when it comes to her academic aspirations. She is more hard on herself than anyone else is in that aspect. She transfers the same mentality onto the court. She is a team player and a spectacular leader.

"I am excited for her to be recognized for her hard work as a student-athlete. I am very proud of her for representing herself, Xavier and especially her family well."

Reuther is the fourth from Xavier to be chosen to an Academic All-America squad. The other three were in men's track and field/cross country: Matt Pieri (second team) and Javon Mead (third team) in 2012 and Joe Drexler-Dreis (second team) in 2009. Academic All-Americans are starters or important reserves with at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale. They also must have completed at least one full calendar year at their current institution and reached sophomore athletic eligibility.

Reuther were announced Nov. 8 as Academic All-District 4, which automatically advanced her for national consideration.
    
Of the 19 players on the Academic All-America team, Reuther is the only sophomore.
    
Senior setter Paula Ferreira of Columbia (Mo.) College was chosen College Division All-America of the Year for the second consecutive season.
    
Xavier won the GCAC regular-season and tournament championships and qualified for the NAIA National Championships each of the past two seasons. The Gold Nuggets are 45-15 during Reuther's two seasons, 28-0 against GCAC opponents. Xavier was 22-8 in 2012 and set a school record with 11 consecutive road victories.

More on this Academic All-America team

2012 Capital One Academic All-America Women's Volleyball
College Division First Team
Name	School	Yr.	Hometown	GPA and Major
Anastasija Baranovska	Madonna	Sr.	Riga, Latvia	3.91 English
Lauren Crump	IU-East	Sr.	Indianapolis, Ind.	3.79 Communication Studies
Desiree Erikson	Doane	Sr.	Comstock, Neb.	3.95 Biochemistry
Paula Ferreira	Columbia (Mo.)	Sr.	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	3.92 International Business & Mgmt.
Lindsey Oberacker	Point Park	Sr.	Erie, Pa.	3.96 Biology, Pre-Medical
Katie Zent	Jamestown	Sr.	Lefor, N.D.	3.94 Biology
College Division Second Team
Name	School	Yr.	Hometown	GPA and Major
Sydne Abel	Kansas Wesleyan	Sr.	Lincoln, Neb.	4.00 English
Rae Brandes	Indiana Wesleyan	Jr.	Twin Lakes, Wis.	3.89 Exercise Science, Pre-Physical Therapy
Sabra Clark	Oklahoma Baptist	Sr.	Andover, Kan.	3.82 Pre-Allied Health
Kelly Cole	Asbury	Jr.	Lexington, Ky.	4.00 Elementary Education
Ally Fast	Brock	Sr.	St. Catharines, Ontario	4.00 Kinesiology
Taryn Nash	Spring Hill	Jr.	Independence, Mo.	3.98 International Studies
College Division Third Team
Name	School	Yr.	Hometown	GPA and Major
Kaitlin Feddema	Trinity Christian	Jr.	Kalamazoo, Mich.	3.80 Business Communication
Fei Gao	Concordia (Calif.)	Sr.	Qingdao, China	3.85 Business Administration
Yui Iwase	Indiana Wesleyan	Sr.	Plano, Texas	3.48 Pre-Medical, Biology
Lauren Percival	Mount Vernon Nazarene	Sr.	Amherst, Ohio	3.71 Biology
Gina Porto	Mount Vernon Nazarene	Sr.	Tipp City, Ohio	3.88 Biology
Taylor Reuther	Xavier	So.	Metairie, La.	3.90 Pre-Pharmacy
Calle Solie	Mid-America Christian	Sr.	Glendale, Ariz.	3.96 English, Business Administration

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

Miles College defeats Delta State 57-50

FAIRFIELD, Alabama  –  The Miles College men's basketball team improved its record to 3-3 going to Christmas break with a 57-50 victory over Delta State University Statesman (2-4) Saturday afternoon, December 8 at Knox-Windham Gymnasium.

The Golden Bears came out on fire with an 18-6 run on the back of senior guard Lanarrian Key and sophomore forward Stephon Allen 3-pointers at the 11:18 mark and 20-8 lead with 8:18 left, before the Statesman cut into the lead with a 13-7 run. The Golden Bears went to half up 27-23.

Sophomore forward Ronald Foxx, II led Miles with 9-points as he connected on 3-of-4 shots from the field and 2-of-2 three's from behind the arc. Miles connected on 5-of-10 (50 percent) 3-point attempts in the first half.

Terry Leake led the Statesman in scoring in the first half by posting 10 points and 6 rebounds.

At the half, Miles shot 43.5 percent (10-of-23) from the floor, 50.0 percent from behind the arc and hit 40 percent from the line. Delta State hit 8-of-21 shots from the field and made 6-of-7 free throws.

Miles stretched its lead to as large as 14 points at the 6:05 mark in the second half, before Delta State went on a 16-5 run to close the gap to 53-50 with .36 second remaining. Miles' freshman point guard Willie Gray and Allen sank four free throws to complete the scoring.

Foxx led the Golden Bears with 14 points on a 4-of-6 shooting afternoon from the floor; hitting 3-of-3 three's from behind the arc, 3-of4 free throws, grabbed 5 boards, 3 steals and blocking two shots. Allen added 11 points and four assist.

Leake scored a game-high 23 points to lead Delta State, while pulling down 9 rebounds.

The Golden Bears return to action on Saturday on Dec. 29 as they traveling to Tampa, FL to face the University of Tampa at 3 pm. and Eckered College on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Box Score


COURTESY MILES COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION

Ram Ramblings: A night to remember at Bowman Gray Stadium

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  I  keep waiting for Winston-Salem State to go conservative. I guess I’ll be waiting a long time.
 
It struck me that no matter the stage, or the situation in any game, Coach Connell Maynor always lets his players make plays. A lot of coaches, and I mean, big-time coaches, sometimes never let their players do what they’ve been practicing.
Most coaches tend to tighten up and be conservative on play calling but Maynor’s different. And that’s why he’s such a good coach and won’t be stalking the sidelines at WSSU that much longer.

Maynor, who is 35-3 in his three seasons, is heading to the biggest stage of them all – the national championship game. The Rams will take on Valdosta State on Saturday in Florence, Alabama.

“It’s not rocket science,” Maynor said about his style of going for it on fourth down especially when the Rams’ offense has proven to be able to move the ball during a game. “I’ve been saying this for three years. We are going to play to our strengths and the defenses weakness. If you blitz we are going to throw screens and slants…. But you have to have players.”


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SWAC Championship: 95-yard TD pass helps lift UAPB to 24-21 win against Jackson State

ESPN3 VIDEO: UAPB BACKBREAKER 95 YARD TD

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  --  It took a history-making play for Arkansas-Pine Bluff to make school history.

A 26-yard field goal in overtime by Arkansas-Pine Bluff kicker Ryan Strickland lifted the Golden Lions to a 24-21 victory against Jackson State (Miss.) in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game Saturday at Legion Field.

But it was an improbable 95-yard touchdown pass, the longest play ever in the conference title game, from UAPB quarterback Ben Anderson to wide receiver Willie Young late in regulation that that gave them the chance to capture their first SWAC crown.

"What a game. There were a lot of records that were set today," Golden Lions coach Monte Coleman said. "This was the first overtime game in SWAC (championship) history. This was the first SWAC (championship) victory for UAPB. It was the first 10-win season for UAPB."

Down seven, with a little more than two minutes to go, the Golden Lions were pinned deep in their own territory after the Tigers downed a 38-yard punt by Tony Dean at the UAPB 4-yard line.



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Winston-Salem State Rams win 41-18 to advance to title game

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VIDEO: Connell Maynor talks to his team after the game

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Second-ranked Winston-Salem State punched its ticket to the Division II national championship game and punched West Texas A&M in the process.

The Rams rolled to a 41-18 victory against the 16th-ranked Buffaloes in front of about 8,500 at Bowman Gray Stadium on Saturday night.

“The guys were ready to play,” Coach Connell Maynor of WSSU said. “We knew that was a good football team, and I told the guys there’s going to be some adversity with two well-coached teams. There were two good football teams out there.”

But the Rams were the better team.

WSSU (14-0) racked up 511 yards using a deadly combination of quarterback Kameron Smith and a solid rushing game.

Running back Maurice Lewis had 118 yards on 21 carries and scored two touchdowns, and Bryce Sherman, who hasn’t played much at running back in recent games, added 73 yards on 10 carries and also scored a touchdown.

PHOTO GALLERY: WSSU beats West Texas A&M
Purchase photos from this album

VIDEO: WSSU celebrates at Bowman Gray Stadium

 

VIDEO: WSSU fans and players celebrate after winning a Division II semifinal playoff game on Saturday night

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Senior ends Harris, Wilkerson step up for WSSU Rams

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  With Winston-Salem State needing some timely big plays to get rolling, two senior defensive ends provided Saturday night.
Neither Mareece Harris nor Justin Wilkerson had the opportunity to play last season when the Rams came up just short of getting to the Division II national championship game in a semifinal loss to Wayne State. Wilkerson was injured, and fellow transfer Harris wasn’t yet eligible.

But this time, they both played key roles as WSSU derailed West Texas A&M 41-18 and advanced to next Saturday’s title game against Valdosta State in Florence, Ala.

West Texas A&M, coming off a victory against No. 1 Colorado State-Pueblo in the quarterfinals — its third straight win on the road, swaggered into Bowman Gray Stadium with a quarterback that had thrown for 44 touchdowns this season and a running back who had rushed for nearly 1,500 yards.

The Buffaloes were averaging 40.1 points and hadn’t scored fewer than 24 until Saturday, when the Rams’ defense stifled them significantly.

“We got word they had been talking a lot, talking a lot of trash, and this defense knew we had to come out and step up,” Harris said. “We put in a lot of hard work this week, Coach put us in position to make plays, and it was up to us to execute. And that’s what we did.”

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FLORENCE BOUND! Valdosta State tops Minnesota State-Mankato 35-19

Blazers to make appearance in fourth national championship game; faces Winston-Salem State University Rams, CIAA Champions.



MANKATO, Minnesota – Valdosta State compiled 498 yards of offense as the Blazers defeated Minnesota State-Mankato at Blakeslee Stadium in the NCAA Division II National Semifinals Saturday afternoon.

With the win, the Blazers improved to 11-2 and advances to next week's NCAA Division II National Championship game at Braly Stadium in Florence, Ala. Minnesota State-Mankato ends its season at 13-1.

The 498 yards by VSU marked the most given up by MSU on the season, which entered the game as the No. 3 defense in the nation in total yardage as it allowed just 267.7 per game. The game comes just two weeks after Valdosta State tallied 525 yards in the second round of the Division II playoffs against West Alabama, which was the fifth-ranked defense in the nation at the time.

The game marked Valdosta State's fourth trip to the national semifinals and the fourth time that the Blazers have advanced to the national championship game.

Minnesota State-Mankato dominated the first quarter of play as it held the ball for a little over 11 out of the first 15 minutes of play. Valdosta State ran just seven plays during the frame and managed just 36 yards. Meanwhile, the Mavericks ran 22 plays for 118 yards while taking a 3-0 lead. Sam Brockshus scored the only points of the quarter as, on the second MSU possession of the game, he capped off a 14-play drive with a 29-yard field goal.

Minnesota State-Mankato pushed its advantage to 10-0 less than three minutes into the second quarter when Adam Thielen caught a 17-yard pass, before Valdosta State got back in the game with a pair of long drives.

After falling behind 10-0, Valdosta State marched 82 yards on 10 plays to score on an eight-yard catch by Gerald Ford. The big play on the drive came when Cayden Cochran found Seantavious Jones for a 39-yard gain to the MSU 12. Two plays later, Cochran, who completed four-of-six passes on the drive, found Ford across the middle to cut the VSU deficit to 10-7 with 8:20 to go in the second quarter.

VSU forced a punt, which was downed on the VSU three, on the next Maverick drive and took over on marched 97 yards to take the lead. Austin Scott opened the drive with a 28-yard run while three plays later Cochran and Ford hooked up for a 22-yard gain. A Regginald Lewis 25-yard catch moved the ball to the MSU 12 before Cochran found Seantavious Jones in the right corner of the end zone to put VSU ahead 14-7.

After having a ball go off the fingers of a leaping Ford in the end zone to end the first half, Valdosta State pushed its advantage to 21-10 on the first drive of the second half. The Blazers took the opening drive 75 yards on 13 plays. Lewis got the Blazers into scoring position when he caught a screen pass, used his hand to keep his balance while spinning out of a tackle and ran 34 yards to the MSU 5. On the next play, Cochran ran a quarterback keeper up the middle for the score.

MSU marched 51 yards for a 39-yard Brockshus field goal on its ensuing drive, only to have the Blazers respond with Cochran's second rushing touchdown on the next drive to put VSU in front 28-13 with 14:40 to play in the game.

The Mavericks quickly answered the score as Andy Pfeiffer scored on a one-yard run just over three minutes later. However, the extra point was missed, as was a field goal on the ensuing MSU drive to give the Blazers a 28-19 lead with just over three minutes to play.

The Blazers closed out the scoring with 24 seconds remaining when Austin Scott took a hand-off around right end and raced 31 yards for a touchdown.

Scott ran for 158 yards, leaving him eight yards shy of 1,000 on the year. Cochran added 40 yards rushing while completing 16-of-28 passes for 278 yards. Jones caught four passes for 122 yards while Ford had eight catches for 76 yards, giving him 1,020 yards on the season.

Jeremy Grable led the Valdosta State defense with 12 tackles, including 10 in the first half, while Chris Pope had 10.

Minnesota State-Mankato registered 436 yards of offense, much of which came from quarterback Jon Wolf, who ran for 127 yards while completing 11-of-24 passes for 195 more. The Mavericks tallied 241 rushing yards and 195 through the air.

Tickets for next weekend's national championship game will be on sale in the Valdosta State Athletic Offices in The Complex beginning at 8:30 a.m. Monday morning. All tickets to the event are for reserved seating and cost $25. Valdosta State has an allotment of 1,000 tickets behind its bench while additional tickets on the VSU side of the field can be purchased at www.d2championship.com or at www.ncaa.com.

Box Score

COURTESY VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

14-0 Winston-Salem State to play for NCAA Division II National Championship

Winston-Salem, North Carolina  --  Tonight, a great West Texas A&M University Buffaloes team was literally run over by a stronger, faster, smarter WSSU Rams team by the score of 41-18.  The Rams will face Valdosta State (11-2), a 35-19 winner over Minnesota State - Mankato (13-1), for the National Championship on Saturday, December 15 at Braly Municipal Stadium, Florence, Alabama.

If you missed both of these games, you may view at ESPN3 by clicking here.

With the win, the Rams becomes only the second HBCU to play for a NCAA Division II National Football Championship.  Central State University (Ohio) holds the distinction of being the first, losing the championship to North Dakota State 41-21 in 1983 at McAllen, Texas.

More to follow later...

Arkansas-Pine Bluff works overtime for SWAC title

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The Southwestern Athletic Conference's most consistent team this season also was its most resilient.

That was evident Saturday at Legion Field when Arkansas-Pine Bluff overcame a two-touchdown deficit, forced overtime with a late 95-yard touchdown pass and then beat Jackson State in the extra session, 24-21, to win the SWAC Championship Game for the first time and the conference title for the second time.

Tyler Strickland kicked a 26-yard field goal to end the first overtime game in SWAC Championship Game history and complete UAPB's first 10-win season. The Golden Lions won their final seven games to go 10-2 under SWAC coach of the year Monte Coleman.

UAPB, which trailed by 14 points twice in the first half, never led in the game until Strickland's field goal. The Golden Lions tied the game, though, on a stunning 95-yard pass from Benjamin Anderson to Willie Young with two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

ESPN Video Championship Game Highlights

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THE SHOW: 2012 HBCU Danceline Revue, Volume II

B-CU's Jenkins one of 3 finalists for Southern University job

DAYTONA BEACH -- Bethune-Cookman football coach Brian Jenkins is one of three finalists for the same position at Southern University, according to the Jaguars' athletic director.

In a series of text messages, Southern athletic director William Broussard said Friday that Jenkins is among the school's “Final 3,'' but they “have not confirmed a date for an on-campus visit.''

 

Broussard said earlier this week that he planned to interview two or three finalists next week at the Baton Rouge, La., campus and then present his final choice to Southern's Board of Supervisors at its meeting on Dec. 14.

 

Jenkins could not be reached for comment Friday. But B-CU athletic director Lynn Thompson said Friday night that he and Jenkins met Friday as the Wildcats hosted recruits.

 

“Brian and I had a great meeting,'' Thompson said. “We had a very frank discussion on what we need to do to get to the next level as we try to reach our ultimate goal of winning a national championship.

 

“I told him I understand how it feels to be wanted and courted. But we're getting back to business and we'll continue to do what we have been doing.''

 

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E.E. Smith alum Connell Maynor has Winston-Salem State in Div. II national semifinals

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Each Thursday, there's a point during Winston-Salem State University's football practice when the tone becomes very serious.

The Rams' quarterbacks join head coach Connell Maynor and assistant Duane Taylor, both former college passers, in a competition.

The format is simple: You get one shot at each of the throws the quarterbacks are expected to make. A catch is worth one point. Hitting your man in stride is worth another. The points are tallied by the Rams' equipment staff and the winner gets the belt.

"That's the belt," Maynor said, producing the small black strap adorned with silver plastic from behind some clutter atop a cabinet in his office. "The champion gets to keep the belt until the next week.

" Obviously, you see where the belt is."

Maynor is 43 years old but doesn't look all that far removed from his days playing arena football. The Fayetteville native's blunt confidence underscores that there's plenty of quarterback swagger left in him.

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WSSU one win away from title game

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Quarterback Kameron Smith of Winston-Salem State had an extra bounce in his step Thursday afternoon when he trotted onto the practice field just below Bowman Gray Stadium.

Smith, a senior and one of the best quarterbacks in program history, will need that bounce again today when WSSU plays West Texas A&M in the semifinals of the Division II football playoffs. Kickoff is set for 6:30 at Bowman Gray.

“I’m been thinking about this game a lot,” said Smith, who is 30-3 as a starter with career totals of 93 touchdown passes and 7,038 passing yards. “I actually had a dream the other night about playing my last home game. The dream turned out good because we won.”

To advance to the national-championship game for the first time, the Rams (13-0) will have to control a very good opposing defensive line. The Buffaloes (12-2) have a Division II-best 58 sacks and have put pressure on quarterbacks all season.

“I might have to bring the ball down and run a little more, but we’ll be ready,” Smith said.



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