Chasing more than quarterbacks: Former star works on finishing degree

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- Thumbing through a media guide for Winston-Salem State football, Thomas Washington doesn’t see his name listed very often.

That’s because the statistics portion doesn’t include sack totals. If it did, Washington — a three All-CIAA defensive end in the late 1990s — would be near the top of the list.
These days, Washington, 36, is finished chasing quarterbacks and pursuing something more important — his college degree.

He left WSSU after the 1999 season and four years under former coach Kermit Blount with NFL aspirations. He signed a free-agent contract with the Kansas City Chief but injured a knee in his rookie season, and the pro career he dreamed about was derailed.

After the injury and subsequent surgeries, he spent a year in NFL Europe and won a championship with the Berlin Thunder. He returned to the Chiefs but was one of the last cuts in training camp in 2001.

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TSU Men's Basketball Begins 2013-14 Season Practice

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  –  The Tennessee State men’s basketball team started team practices on Monday in preparation of the team’s first contest against the University of Hawai’i on Nov. 8.

The Tigers welcome back six letter winners from a year ago, including reigning All-OVC guard Patrick Miller.

Last year, Miller scored 14.8 points per contest and broke the school’s single season record for assists in a season with 195. He was also one of the team’s main workhorses, averaging 35.9 minutes a game.

The other returnees for TSU are seniors Michael Green and Chaed Wellian, juniors Jay Harris and M.J. Rhett and sophomore Jordan Gaither.

Post players Green, Rhett and Wellian will be called upon to replace Robert Covington and Kellen Thornton who graduated last season. The trio of current Tigers averaged 10 points and nine rebounds combined last season.

This year’s squad will also have to replace Jordan Cyphers and Tashan Fredrick at shooting guard and small forward which could be a job for Harris, Gaither or one of the nine incoming players that the program has brought in.

The newcomers to this year’s club include forwards Alex Bates, Kennedy Eubanks, Ugo Mmonu and Jaylen Reid and guards Jamonte Graham, Jacquan Nobles, Jaleel Queary, Rhyan Townes and Gerald Williams.

Graham, Mmonu, Reid and Townes are true freshmen while Bates, Eubanks, Nobles, Queary and Williams all have some level of prior collegiate experience. 

The Tigers will host Lemoyne-Owen in an exhibition game on Nov. 4 before heading to the Aloha State four days later.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU Golf Team Wins HBCU Hall Of Fame Tournament

(COURTESY FAMU ATHLETICS)

ATLANTA, Ga. (Sept. 29) – The Florida A&M Rattler golf team captured first place in the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Golf Tournament this weekend at Brown Mill Golf Course in Atlanta, Ga.

The win did not come easy, as the Rattlers had to win in a playoff over defending South Western Athletic Conference champion Alabama State University.

The Rattlers were led by veteran Justin Stills, who carded back-to-back scores of 72 to tie for the Rattlers’ low score. Jonathan Ortiz scored 73 on Saturday, and followed it with a 71 to combine for a 144 as well for the Rattlers. Chase Burkhalter and Kevin Parker, each scored a total of 146 for the two-day tournament. Burkhalter put up a 72 on the first day and 74 on the final day, while Parker carded 76 on the first day, then had the low round of the tournament for the Rattlers with a 70 on the final day. Dominick Vennari carded a 74 and 73, to close out the team with a147 total.

FAMU’s team score of 286 tied them with the Hornets, before the Rattlers would win the tiebreaker for the victory.

The Rattlers travel to Valdosta to compete in the Thomas University Invitational
On Monday, Sept. 30-Tues, Oct.1.

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Fired NCCU coach 'not guilty' in note incident

COACH HENRY FRAZIER III

RALEIGH, North Carolina  — Fired N.C. Central football coach Henry Frazier III’s play call designed to return him to his former job with back pay has gained ground.

Wake County judge Jennifer Knox Monday declared Frazier not guilty of violating a domestic violence protective order in place to govern the relationship between him and his ex-wife, Lanier Turner-Frazier.

Turner-Frazier in August took issue with Frazier over a handwritten communication about a financial matter. She discussed that written contact with Cary Police Department officer B.T. Ready, who generated the warrant that resulted in Frazier’s Aug. 19 arrest.

After the arrest,  NCCU athletics director Ingrid Wicker-McCree terminated Frazier, explaining that the issues between him and his ex-wife had become too much of a distraction for the university.

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Charge dropped against former NCCU head coach

DURHAM, North Carolina -- A charge of violating a domestic violence protective order was dropped Monday against former North Carolina Central University Head Coach Henry Frazier.

Frazier was fired in August - just two days after he was arrested for allegedly disobeying the order which was first issued last year following a domestic dispute with his then wife.

A police report says Frazier wrote a letter to his ex-wife about a parking ticket for a family vehicle she drives, saying he had paid it and would deduct the money from his monthly alimony check. The letter was delivered by the couple's son. But the order states Frazier can't use a third party - like a friend or a family member - to communicate.

Frazier has appealed his firing to NCCU, but it was denied last week. Frazier is reportedly considering legal action against the school.

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TSU Lady Tigers Get to Work on First Day of Practice

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- The Tennessee State University women’s basketball team had its first official day of practice for the 2013-14 campaign on Sunday afternoon in the Gentry Center.

The Lady Tigers will continue practicing for the next 40 days leading up to the season opener at Kansas State on Nov. 8.

“It was a great practice,” said head coach Larry Inman. “We had great attitudes.  It looked like a typical first day as far as execution but we’re changing our system so it will take a while to get that in place. We have a lot of new kids and they were very enthusiastic. We worked hard and had a good time and that is what’s important.”

Tennessee State has four returning letter winners from last season’s squad with eight newcomers joining the roster. 

Junior guard Rachel Allen is among the top returners and will be expected to provide leadership on the court for TSU. The 5-5 native of Clarksville, Tenn., started all 28 games last year while leading the team in assists with 3.4 helpers per contest. Allen finished the season with the best assist/turnover ratio in the Ohio Valley Conference at 1.9. She also ranked eighth in the OVC in assists and 11^th in steals.



 “The first day of practice was good,” commented Allen. “[We have] a lot of new people so we’re just trying to mesh together. I’ve taken more of a leadership role this year so I’m just trying to help my team however I can.”

Redshirt Junior Chelsea Hudson is the only returning post player for the Lady Tigers. In 2012-13, she averaged a team second-best 5.4 rebounds per game while posting 6.6 points per contest.

Senior Alana Morris and sophomore Brianna Lawrence round out the returners for TSU. Morris dished out the second-most assists on the team last season while Lawrence saw action in 25 contests.

 

The 2013-14 newcomers include: Diamond Beatty (5-7*Guard*Fr.), Imani Davis (6-0*Forward*Fr.), Shekinah Gibson (5-10*Guard*Fr.) Alexis Haddock (5-8*Guard*Fr.), LaTeasha Hill (6-0*Forward*Junior), Jayda Johnson (6-0*Forward*Fr.), Jemilah Leonard (5-7*Guard*Freshman) and Julie McCarthy (6-2*Center*Fr.).
 

The Lady Tigers will face Tennessee Temple in an exhibition contest on Friday, Nov. 1 at 6 p.m. in the Gentry Center.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

For now, Seth Higgins is Morgan State's starting quarterback

SETH HIGGINS
QUARTERBACK

BALTIMORE, Maryland - Junior Seth Higgins became the first quarterback this season to start and finish a game for Morgan State, going wire-to-wire in Saturday’s 27-21 loss to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rival Norfolk State.

Higgins, an Edgewood native and graduate who has accounted for the offense’s last five touchdowns (three passing and two rushing), earned coach Donald Hill-Eley’s vote of confidence as the starter for the remainder of the year – with a caveat.

“I think he has, but you know how that thing is,” Hill-Eley said. “As with everything else, you don’t want to become complacent. You like the competition, and as long as they compete and he competes and he has success in moving the ball and the offense, we’ll continue to play him.”

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Higgins completed 5-of-14 passes for 83 yards and one touchdown against the Spartans. He was also intercepted twice, but the last one was off a Hail Mary attempt at the end of regulation. He also led the offense in rushing with 63 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries.

In his last seven-plus quarters, Higgins has ...

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Jackson State's special teams stand out

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- The first unit that came to coach Rick Comegy’s mind after Jackson State’s 19-14 win against Southern was the special teams.

Despite Jackson State’s defense making key stops in the final minutes Saturday, Comegy highlighted the contributions that took place in the third phase of the game.

“Special teams, I thought, did a fine job in doing what they had to do, getting the ball kicked and doing whatever they could do to stop (the returns),” said Comegy, whose team improved to 3-2 overall and 3-0 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. “Special teams really came through and did a good job.”

Freshman Darcy Williamson has bettered his punting accuracy.

Two of his four punts in Saturday’s game came in the fourth quarter. The first pinned Southern (2-3, 2-1 SWAC) inside its own 15-yard line, and the next punt was caught by Virgil Williams on their 25, but he was quickly tackled by Wesley Jackson.

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Donald Hill-Eley explains why Morgan State stood on visitors' sideline

HEAD COACH DONALD HILL-ELEY
MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL

BALTIMORE, Maryland - When the Morgan State football team took the field at Hughes Stadium in Baltimore for Saturday’s home and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener against Norfolk State, the Bears did not run to the sideline closest to their fans, their marching band and their cheerleaders.

Instead, the team stood on the visitors’ sideline – in front of the Spartans’ fans, marching band and cheerleaders.

After the 27-21 loss, Morgan State coach Donald Hill-Eley explained his decision to have the team stand on the opposing sideline.

“We have about 14 freshmen that are playing. And when we’re on the home side, you’re accessible to the crowd and everybody that’s coming over and talking to the kids,” he said. “It’s so much distraction going on that we figured that you move them over and we could have the focus of those kids. Not looking back and seeing their parents in the stands, not having former players walk up and down the sideline because there’s just so many different types of things that go on in the game.

"So, we just figured that we would move them to the other side and at least we don’t have to coach kids out of the stands. You’ve got enough trying to play the game on the field. You shouldn’t have to try to manage the sideline.”

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UAPB/Steelers great L.C. Greenwood dead at 67

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania  --  L.C. Greenwood, the relentless defensive end who made up one quarter of the Pittsburgh Steelers' "Steel Curtain" defense of the 1970s, has died. He was 67.

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's office said Greenwood died Sunday from undisclosed causes just before noon at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital.

A six-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, Greenwood played for the Steelers from 1969-81, helping Pittsburgh win an unprecedented four Super Bowls in a six-year span. Greenwood, Joe Greene, Ernie Holmes and Dwight White formed the bedrock of the defense that helped turn a perennial loser into a dynasty.

"L.C. was one of the most beloved Steelers during the most successful period in team history and he will be missed by the entire organization," Chairman Dan Rooney said in a statement. "He will forever be remembered for what he meant to the Steelers both on and off the field."

Greenwood was taken in the 10th round of the 1969 NFL draft - nine rounds after Greene - out of Arkansas A&M (now Arkansas Pine-Bluff). He blossomed into a tenacious pass rusher who ...


L.C. Greenwood is honored at the Bone Bash at the Arthritis Foundation in
Pittsburgh, PA, October 2012.

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XU's Howell, Flowers win South Regional doubles title

 Kourtney Howell

Brion Flowers

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana's top-seeded Kourtney Howell and Brion Flowers defeated Brenau's third-seeded Dominika Jasova and Maria Perdomo-Medina 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7-2) in the women's double final of the USTA/ITA NAIA South Regional Championships at XU Tennis Center on Sunday.

The victory made Howell and Flowers the first from the XU women's program to qualify for the USTA/ITA National Small College Championships. That event will be played Oct. 10-13 at Fort Myers, Fla.

Jasova and Perdomo-Medina rallied from a 4-2 third-set deficit and fought off a pair of match points in the 12th game, but Howell and Flowers were uncatchable after scoring the first three points of the tiebreaker. Howell and Flowers each hit a pair of winners, and Jasova missed on a shot down the line to end the 2-hour, 29-minute match.

"I just tried to play the tiebreaker like we had a million points to play, and we wanted to win every point," Howell said. "We did not want to give Brenau anything. No freebies."

Flowers missed the Nuggets' first fall tournament last week because of a strained back -- she was cleared Monday to return to workouts -- then won four times in doubles, twice on Sunday, with Howell in her 2013-14 debut.

"Just a little soreness," Flowers said. "But my back was good every day of the tournament."

Auburn Montgomery won the other three main-draw titles and also advanced to the National Small College Championships. Zinolabidine Jouini defeated teammate Othmane Lalami 6-3, 6-4 in the men's singles final, top-seeded Nicolas Pinones and Miguel Grifol beat William Carey's Jody Claassen and Philipp Mueller 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4 in the men's doubles final, and top-seeded top-seeded Jade Curtis beat second-seeded Jasova 7-5, 6-3 for the women's singles title.

In singles semifinals, Jasova rallied to defeat fifth-seeded Flowers 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-1). Jasova trailed 5-2 in the second set and 5-4 in the third.

Howell and Flowers defeated Georgia Gwinnett's Rocio Fernandez and Victoria Svennson 8-5 in the doubles semifinals. Jasova and Perdomo-Medina beat AUM's second-seeded Curtis and Chanel Cunningham 8-5 in the other semifinal.

Xavier's other Sunday participant was the men's doubles team of Jordan Harrell and Nikita Soifer, who lost 8-3 to Pinones and Grifol in the semifinals.

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

XU Gold Nuggets win at Talladega in 3; win streak at 6

 

TALLADEGA, Alabama  -- Xavier University of Louisiana defeated Talladega 25-15, 25-15, 25-13 in Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's volleyball Sunday to improve its win streak to six.

The streak is the longest for the Gold Nuggets (12-7, 4-0) since winning six straight last November. The school record is eight consecutive victories, accomplished twice in 2011.

The Nuggets won a conference road match for the second straight day. They won at Edward Waters on Saturday morning, then bused about 400 miles to Talladega.

"It was a long weekend for us," XU coach Hannah Lawing said. "Talladega wasn't our best match, but we worked through it."

Xavier is 4-0 all-time against Talladega.

Xavier has won 32 consecutive matches against GCAC opponents since the start of the 2011 season. The Gold Nuggets' win streak in regular-season conference matches is 26, which dates to October 2010. The longer streak includes GCAC Tournament matches.

Xavier's next matches will be Saturday at the Convocation Center -- 1 p.m. against GCAC and city rival Dillard, 4 p.m. against St. Thomas (Texas).

 

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

XULAATHLETICS

XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

 

Quite The Classic: Fayetteville State edges Elizabeth City State

ROCKY MOUNT, North Carolina  --  The look was exactly what Elizabeth City State wanted.

With Fayetteville State’s safeties splitting near the end zone and the Broncos’ middle linebacker shallowing to cover the short pass, the middle of the field was wide open.

Quarterback Casey Turner knew it would be, and that’s exactly where receiver Javoris Bryant was heading.

In the final minute, Bryant hauled in two big passes at the Vikings drove the field, looking for the game-winning touchdown in the 16th annual Down East Viking Football Classic.

But for a few minutes after Turner’s pass bounced off Bryant’s hands, he hunched over in the end zone. When he finally made it to the sideline, he collapsed again as coaches rushed to his side to console him.

Bryant’s last-minute drop highlighted a string of missed opportunities in the red zone and finalized Elizabeth City State’s 31-27 loss Saturday to Fayetteville State, ending the Vikings’ six-game winning streak at the Classic.

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Texas College wins thriller

PLAINVIEW, Texas -- Ja’Marius Allen hauled in a 53-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Curtez Griffin with 15 seconds remaining to lift Texas College to a 36-29 win over Wayland Baptist Saturday at Greg Sherwood Memorial Bulldog Stadium in Plainview.

It was the Steers (1-3, 1-0) first victory of the season, while the Pioneers fall to 0-4 and 0-1. It was also the Central States Football League opener for both teams.

The final drive was set up when TC linebacker Charles Jones stripped the Pioneer runner and recovered the football at the Texas College nine.

“Charles (Jones) had another great game for us at linebacker, and his recovery there late when they were driving really fueled the team and our offense just made the plays,” TC coach George Cumby said. TC took over with 1:21 left in the game and trailing 29-28.

Griffin, who stepped in for woozy starter Vincent McNeil in the third quarter, directed the Steers on the winning drive. Facing a fourth-and-16 at his own 20, Griffin connected with Joshua Isaac for 27 yards and first down.

On the next play, Griffin lofted a pass to Allen, who caught the ball, between three defenders at the five and leaped into the end zone.

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2013 Boombox Classic: Jackson State vs. Southern

Tuskegee pulls away from Lane

JACKSON, Tennessee  -- Through three-plus years of football with head coach Derrick Burroughs, Lane football has progressed from a league doormat to a competitive team.

Thirty minutes of football Saturday afternoon at Lane Field showed how far the Dragons have to go.
Tuskegee, the defending SIAC champion, outscored Lane 27-0 in the second half for a 42-14 road win in Jackson.

Lane is now 2-2 overall, 0-1 in SIAC play and clearly not yet playing to the standard of a league title contender as was hoped in August.

“Very discouraging day,” Lane coach Derrick Burroughs said. “We couldn’t score, we couldn’t stop them from scoring. We couldn’t do anything offensively. We couldn’t do anything defensively.

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Alabama State rushes for nearly 300 yards in 49-30 win against Alcorn State

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State made what was supposed to be a major matchup against Alcorn State, previously unbeaten in the SWAC, look like easy work in a 49-30 Saturday afternoon.

The Hornets did with a whole lot of running back Isaiah Crowell early on and just enough of his backup Malcolm Cyrus while it stilled mattered in picking up their third win in a row and second ever at its new stadium to improve to 3-2 on the season.

Crowell, the SWAC's leading rusher heading into the contest, rushed for 99 yards and three touchdowns in the first half alone as Alabama State went up 28-7.



The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder junior from Columbus, Ga. finished with a game-high 133 yards and four touchdowns to lead all ball carriers.

"High school," said Crowell, a former Georgia signee and five-star recruit, when asked when was the last time he scored that many touchdowns in a game. "I was excited but, really, I was just out there to help my team win. I feel like the line did a good job and I executed."

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TSU Tigers One-Stroke Back at National Black College Hall of Fame Tournament

ATLANTA, Georgia  – The Tennessee State men’s golf team are in striking distance of its third title in four years at the National Black College Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc., tournament.  The Tigers shot a 4-over, 292 as a team at the Par-72, 6,539 yard Browns Mill Golf Course on Saturday morning.

 

TSU is one-stroke behind co-leaders, Alabama State and Florida A&M, who turned in a 3-over, 291.

 

“We just need to stay focused on playing the course,” head coach Parrish McGrath said. “We cannot get caught up watching our playing partners. We have a couple of holes, that as a team, we could have played better.”

 

James Stepp and Andrew Warner paced the Tigers with a pair of Even-par, 72’s. Blake Burgett and Codie Welborn each carded a 2-over, 74. Shane Sampair finished day one with a non-scoring 82.

 

Warner drove nine fairways and was just about perfect hitting 17 greens. On the par-3, 2nd, Warner hit his tee-shot to two-feet of the pin to set up one of two birdies on the day.

 

Welborn picked up birdies on 10 and 11 to score a team-best 1-under, 35 on the back-nine. The senior reached the green in two on the par-5, 10th, and had a 10-foot putt for eagle. The putt just lipped out leaving a tap in for birdie. On 11, Welborn would stick his second shot two inches from the cup for another easy tap-in putt.

 

Stepp led the Tigers with four birdies and finished with seven fairways and eight greens in regulation, while Burgett sank three birdies and hit five fairways and 10 greens.

 

The final round will begin at 8:00am on Sunday.

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

St. Aug Topples Bowie State 29-7 For Second Straight Win

BOWIE, Maryland – Led by a stout defense and a ball-control offense, Saint Augustine's University thumped Bowie State University 29-7 in the CIAA football opener for both teams at Bulldog Stadium on Saturday, September 28, 2013.

The Falcons (2-2 overall) won their second consecutive contest. More importantly, they are off to a flying start in the conference.

"This was a momentum builder," St. Aug Head Coach Michael Costa said. "We needed this win. It really helps our confidence as we continue our CIAA schedule."

Quarterback A.J. Gilford (R-Fr./Savannah, Ga.) completed 17 of 23 passes for 255 yards and one touchdown for the Falcons, who gained 372 total offensive yards. He also added 10 carries for 44 yards. Wide receiver Brian Richards (R-Sr./Waldorf, Md.), playing in his home state, had six receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown and wide receiver Herman Reeves (R-Jr./Miami, Fla.) added three catches for 71 yards. Jermaine Jones (R-Sr./Wilmington, N.C.) had three receptions for 50 yards.

The offense piled up tons of yards, but the defense set the tone. Led by 10 tackles from Chaz Robinson (Sr./Hampton, Va.), the Falcons held their second consecutive opponent to seven points. Safety Dominque Marsh (Jr./Norfolk, Va.) added six tackles and a forced fumble and defensive tackle Nigel Crawford-Kinney (R-Jr./Washington, D.C.) had five tackles including two for losses.

Defensive tackle Shonquez Nelson (Sr./Lake City, S.C.) and defensive end Javarous Faulk (Sr./Macon, Ga.) both totaled a sack and Nelson recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. Defensive backs Dezmon Hopkins (Fr./Manassas, Va.) and Brandon Taylor (Fr./Opelika, Ala.) each picked off a pass.

For Bowie State (2-2 overall), quarterback Jared Johnston completed 16 of 34 passes for 191 yards and halfback Keith Brown caught six passes for 42 yards. Defensively, linebacker Antoine Young led the Bulldogs with eight tackles and a forced fumble.

The Bulldogs' offensive line was no match for the Falcons' front line featuring Nelson, Crawford-Kinney, Faulk, Michael Oliver (R-Jr./Washington, D.C.) and Christopher Roberts (R-So./Albany, Ga.). It was a huge reason why the Falcons forced three turnovers and limited the Bulldogs to 256 offensive yards. Thanks to the defense, the Falcons stayed in control despite committing four of their five turnovers in the first half.

"Overall, [the defense] did a good job," Costa said. "We blew an assignment near the goal line which allowed them to score. Other than that, we played well."

The offense gained its rhythm in the second half. They scored 10 points and ate time off the clock, preventing a comeback by the Bulldogs. In the fourth quarter, the Falcons won time of possession 12:09 to 2:51.

The Falcons wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. A 45-yard pass from A.J. Gilford to Herman Reaves set up a six-yard scoring run up the middle by Roderick Davenport (R-So./Orangeburg, S.C.) on the opening drive which took three plays. The snap was bobbled on the extra point attempt, leaving the Falcons' lead at 6-0.

Later in the first quarter, the Falcons extended the lead to 12-0. Carlton Butts (Jr./Thomasville, Ga.) blocked a punt which bounced into the Bulldogs' end zone. John'ta Cooper (Jr./Cairo, Ga.) fell on the ball for the touchdown. The pass failed on the two-point conversion attempt.

The four turnovers prevented the Falcons from stretching the lead, but the Bulldogs failed to capitalize because of the St. Aug defense. The Bulldogs made only 1 of 8 third-down conversions in the first half.

The Bulldogs opened the third quarter with their first sustained drive of the game. It led to a Kendall Jefferson touchdown on fourth and inches which cut the Falcons' lead to 12-7. The Falcons responded on the ensuing drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Gilford to Richards, who drew a pass interference penalty on a Bulldogs' defensive back the previous play. Richards, who is 6-3 and weighs 205 pounds, leaped to snag the ball over the smaller defensive back for the score. The extra point by Michael Lima (R-Jr./Miami, Fla.) pushed the lead to 19-7.

The Bulldogs threatened again inside the Falcons' 20-yard line, but the Falcons stiffened on defense and forced the Bulldogs to turn the ball over on downs. The Falcons mounted another long drive, keyed by a 33-yard jump-and-catch by wide receiver Jermaine Jones (R-Sr./Wilmington, N.C.) in the fourth quarter. The drive ended with a missed field goal from short distance, but the Falcons ran valuable time off the clock.

The Falcons ventured into Bulldog territory again, this time coming away with a 24-yard field goal by Lima for a 22-7 lead. The defense capped a tremendous performance with a touchdown late in the game. Nelson recovered a fumble in the end zone to ice the game with 1:27 left. Lima kicked the extra point for the final margin.

The Falcons return home for a three-game home stand starting with Elizabeth City State University on Saturday, October 5, 2013. Game time is 1:30 p.m. at John H. Baker Stadium on the campus of Southeast Raleigh High School.

COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

South Carolina State dumps Hampton, 30-6

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- The backfield of Dondre/Brown more than held up Saturday on Willie Jeffries Field at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

With starter Justin Taylor sitting out the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener with a shoulder injury, the Bulldogs utilized a three-headed attack out at running back in Dondre Lewis-Freeman, Dondre Brown and Charles Brown (no relation).

The trio did not miss a beat, combining for 244 yards and three touchdowns. Coupled with another dominating performance by the defense the Bulldogs rolled to a 30-6 victory over the winless Pirates in their Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener.

“It was a gratifying experience to see our guys go out and have the kind of success that they had,” S.C. State head football coach Buddy Pough said.

A season-high 17,139 fans and Internet audience watching live on ESPN3.com witnessed Lewis-Freeman rush for a career-best ...



BULLDOGS PHOTO GALLERY

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Southern suffers a painful finish against Jackson State

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- The stage was set for the Southern football team to score a thrilling win against rival Jackson State on Saturday night and enter an open date as the last remaining unbeaten in the Southwestern Athletic Conference race.

The Jaguars fell painfully short.

Senior quarterback Dray Joseph had tight end Bradley Coleman open for the go-ahead score with about a minute left, but the fourth-down pass into the end zone was too low for Coleman to corral.

Jackson State celebrated a 19-14 victory before 30,816 fans at A.W. Mumford Stadium, pulling even with Southern in a series that includes 58 meetings.

“We have a good football team, and we fought a good football team,” Southern coach Dawson Odums said. “We just came up short. It came down to the end, just like most of these games do, and we just came up on the wrong side of it.”

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Southern offense laments missed chances, including the last one

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Southern’s search for productive offense had positive notes Saturday night, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a lethargic overall outing during the Jaguars’ 19-14 loss to Jackson State at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

Southern finished with 348 yards of offense as it nearly matched JSU’s total of 355. But Southern couldn’t capitalize on its opportunities in JSU territory and came up short with the game on the line late in the fourth quarter.

“I hurt for the guys,” Southern coach Dawson Odums said. “This is probably the most focus as a football team we had going into a game.”

Quarterback Dray Joseph threw his only interception early in the fourth quarter. But Southern’s defense held, and Joseph came back to direct Southern on a promising 10-play march to the JSU 7 as the clock ran down. His 32-yard completion to Mike Jones highlighted the series with a first down at the JSU 14.

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Southern rush defense starts strong in loss

The Southern rush defense had been much maligned through the first four games of the season, and rightfully so. The Jaguars had given up 257.2 yards per game, including 419 yards on the ground to Prairie View two weeks ago.

Jackson State entered Saturday’s game as one of the better rushing offenses in the SWAC.

The Tigers racked up an average of 174.5 rushing yards per game, good for third-best in the conference.

However, just as they had done the week before, Southern’s rush defense limited the high-powered rushing attack of Jackson State to a mere 58 yards at the half.

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Lamar Cardinals Rally For Road Win at Grambling State

GRAMBLING, Louisiana  --  Lamar (3-2) overcame a 16-point first quarter deficit to knock off Grambling State, 27-16, Saturday night at Eddie G. Robinson Stadium in Grambling, La., equaling its best start since resurrecting the program. After surrendering 16 points in the first 10 minutes of the game, Lamar's defense shutout the Tigers, (0-5/0-2 SWAC) for the final 50:04 of the contest.  "Understatement of the night, we didn't get out to the start we wanted," said head coach Ray Woodard. "I've never been more proud of a Lamar football team. These guys hung in the game and showed a lot poise battling back. Our guys didn't give up."  Lamar scored the game's final 27 points and racked up 535 yards of total offense. Junior quarterback Caleb Berry finished the game completing 31 passes for a career-high 399 yards. He also carried the ball 13 times for 39 yards. Jordan Edwards led the Cardinals with seven catches for 93 yards, while Reggie Begelton had six catches for 73 yards and a score.
Grambling State took advantage of Lamar's miscues in the first quarter to jump out to a commanding 16-0 lead. After forcing a GSU punt, Lamar took over on its own one yard line, but Grambling's Phillip McClain broke through the line to drop freshman Kade Harrington in the end zone for the safety to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead. The Tigers added to their lead two minutes later when D.J. Williams found Chester Rogers from 13 yards out. A Caleb Berry interception on the very next play had Grambling State back on the attack. Williams completed a two-yard pass to Brandon Byrdsong to give GSU its 16-point lead.

The Cardinals overcame a safety, two interceptions and a missed field goal to cut the lead to six heading into the locker room. Lamar finally cracked the scoreboard when junior Kevin Johnson fielded a punt at the Grambling 48 and returned it the distance for the score. After a Lamar stop, LU was back on the march late in the half. Justin Stout converted a 33-yard field goal to cut the deficit to six points, 16-10, with 46 seconds remaining in the quarter. Stout's kick capped a 10-play, 63-yard drive.
 Despite the turnovers, Lamar outgained their hosts, 232-190, in the opening half. GSU only had the ball for 2:08 longer than Lamar in the opening 30 minutes.  Lamar came out following the intermission and claimed its first lead of the game when Berry hit Begelton from 32 yards out for the score. The touchdown capped a six-play, 62-yard drive with 12:09 remaining in the third. The Cardinals were knocking on the door again at the end of the quarter. Berry found Mark Roberts from 17 yards out to give LU an eight-point lead. Lamar never looked back as Justin Stout added a 44-yard field goal in the fourth the close out the scoring.
The Cardinals will have an extra week to get ready for the Southland opener against Sam Houston State. The game against the Bearkats is slated to begin at 2 p.m. from Bowers Stadium Saturday, Oct. 12th.

Box Score

COURTESY LAMAR UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Virginia State scores game-winning touchdown with 41 seconds left to topple Johnson C. Smith

ETTRICK, Virginia --- Willie Stubblefield hauled a six-yard TD pass from Justin Thorpe with 41 seconds remaining as Virginia State (3-1, 1-0) toppled Johnson C. Smith (3-1, 1-1), 19-17, in CIAA action before 4,172 fans at Rogers Stadium. Stubblefield's final-minute heroics came after Gene Holloman caught a 35-yard pass to the six-yard line with less than a minute remaining.

Jordan Anderson rushed for 96 yards and a score and Thorpe passed for 84 yards with two TD passes and rushed for 76 yards in the victory.

The Golden Bulls came into the game as the only undefeated team remaining in the CIAA.

Johnson C. Smith opened the scoring when Erik Amaya booted a 29-yard field goal with 2:08 left in the opening quarter. Virginia State answered with a touchdown with 12:23 left in the half.  Anderson capped an 11-play drive with a nine-yard jaunt to lift the Trojans to a 7-3 lead. The Trojan defense limited the Golden Bulls to minus-19 yards rushing in the opening half but Johnson C. Smith quarterback Keahn Wallace completed 16-of 26 passes for 173 yards. Wallace would finish the game with 322 yards through the air with one TD. He also suffered a costly interception and was sacked four times.



Virginia State opened the second-half scoring. Virginia State's Darion Thomas intercepted a pass at midfield and returned it to the Johnson C. Smith 34-yard line. Three plays later, Thorpe connected with Jaivon Smallwood on a 14-yard scoring pass to put Trojans ahead, 13-3. The extra-point attempt failed.

The Golden Bulls responded when Wallace hooked up with Chris Patterson on a 42-yard pass to cut Virginia State's lead to 13-10 with 9:31 left in the third quarter.

Johnson C. Smith scored with 4:51 remaining in the contest. Wallace ran the ball in from 11 yards out to give the Golden Bulls a 17-13 lead setting up the game's dramatic ending. Johnson C. Smith had the ball one last time running four plays for 14 yards as time expired.

The Trojans will play in Raleigh, N.C. against CIAA foe Shaw on Oct. 5.

COURTESY VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

PVAMU Panthers Win Wild Road Affair Over SFA 56-48

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – In one of the wildest games in Prairie View A&M history in which there were 1,409 yards of total offense, the Panthers played their hearts out and held on for a 56-48 win over Stephen F. Austin on a rainy night at Homer Bryce Stadium. The win was the first over SFA in school history and the first win over a Southland Conference opponent since 1985.

It took only six plays for SFA to jump on the board as running back Gus Johnson scored from a yard out to claim a 6-0 lead. The PAT was good as the Lumberjacks claimed an early 7-0 advantage with 13:34 left in the quarter. After a quick three-and-out by the Panthers, the Lumberjacks moved ahead by two scores as they drove 61 yards in five plays for a 14-0 lead at the 10:53 mark.

The Panthers began to click on its second drive as running backs Johnta' Hebert and Courtney Brown combined for two big runs to move the Panthers into scoring position. Jerry Lovelocke capped off the drive as he found wide receiver Gabe Dunlap for a 13-yard pass. Barrick's PAT was good as the Panthers trailed 14-7.



The Panther defense found its stride at the quarter's midway point as they forced two straight turnovers, the latter a recovered fumble at the SFA 8 by linebacker Jerome Howard. The Panther offense rewarded the defense with a touchdown as Lovelocke found Patrick Gant for a 3-yard pass at the 3:42 mark. Barrick's PAT was good as the game was tied at 14-all.

After a three-and-out by SFA, the Panthers hit the field once again and continued to roll as Lovelocke found wideout Deandre Cooper for a 39-yard strike to move into scoring position. Three plays later, Lovelocke moved the Panthers on top as he rushed in from four yards out en route to a 21-14 lead after Barrick's PAT.

After another three-and-out, the offense kept the momentum going as they gambled on fourth down and hit pay dirt as Lovelocke found Cooper for a 39-yard strike. Barrick's PAT sailed through the uprights as the Panthers led 28-14 with slightly more than 11 minutes remaining in the second quarter. Several drives later, a tipped pass led to an SFA interception and the Lumberjacks used that momentum to draw within 28-21 as Brady Attaway found Marquis Mosley for a 7-yard scoring strike.

The Panthers had a quick three-and-out on the ensuing drive and SFA caught PV's special teams for a surprise as Mike Brooks returned it 64 yards to the PV 10. However, the defense held its ground and the Lumberjacks had to settle for a field goal as they trailed 28-24 with 2:50 left in the half. On the ensuing kickoff, it appeared Hebert was headed for a 97-yard touchdown return but the play was nullified due to a penalty. Unfortunately, the next drive stalled as PV was forced to punt. The punt ended up being a touchback and on the first play of the next drive, SFA went deep for an 80-yard touchdown strike and regained a 31-28 lead following the PAT with 1:25 left in the quarter.

Despite the setback, the Panthers persevered on their next drive as they marched 73 yards in eight plays to reclaim the lead as Lovelocke hooked up with Gant for the second time. Barrick nailed the PAT as PV took a 35-31 lead into the half and capped off a wild half in which they combined for over 800 yards of offense.

Prairie View A&M opened the second half with a 75-yard scoring drive as Lovelocke rushed in from three yards out. The PAT was good as PV led 42-31 with 9:56 left. On SFA's opening drive, the Lumberjacks drove deep into PV territory but the defense held its ground as SFA had to settle for a field goal and a 42-34 deficit. Once again, the Panthers wasted no time in padding their lead as Lovelocke found tight end Olatunde Idowu for a 40-yard strike on the next drive. Five plays later, Lovelocke capped off the seven-play, 85-yard drive with a four-yard rush for a 49-41 margin following Barrick's PAT to close out the scoring in the third quarter.

With SFA driving to open the fourth quarter, PV senior linebacker Raheem Cardwell picked off SFA's Brady Attaway for a huge interception to thrwat its latest drive. The Panthers failed to capitalize and were forced to punt on their next possession but once again, the defense came up huge as they stopped SFA at the PV 14 on a fourth down conversion.

PV punted on its next drive and SFA regained its groove as they needed only two plays to draw within 48-41 following a 76-yard touchdown from Attaway to Aaron Thomas with 6:33 remaining. Once again, SFA's defense held its ground as they forced PV to punt for the fourth consecutive time but the defense came up huge as cornerback Foster Brown II stripped SFA's Fred Ford of the ball which landed in the hands of safety David Metcalf.

After a gain of zero yards to open the drive, junior running back Courtney Brown broke several tackles and raced 41 yards for a two-touchdown score as the Panthers led 56-41 with 2:52 remaining in the contest. However, SFA refused to go away as Attaway led SFA on 67-yard drive that was capped off with a 26-yard pass to Mike Brooks en route to a 56-48 PV lead.

PV failed to gain a first down on its final drive of the night and was forced to punt the ball to SFA's offense once again. On the punt return, SFA's Mike Brooks broke free for a 28-yard scamper which set up the Lumberjacks at their own 50 with 1:12 remaining.

On the final drive of the game, SFA opened it with an 18-yard reception and conveted a big 3rd-and-3 to get to the PV 12 with time running down. After a completed pass on first down to the 9, Attaway fumbled the ball for a six-yard loss and misfired twice from the 15-yard line to end the game.

The Panthers amassed 582 yards of offense with Lovelocke leading the way as he threw for 380 yards and four touchdowns on 32-of-47 passing. He also scored three rushing touchdowns while rushing for 26 yards. Brown tallied 89 yards and a touchdown on eight attempts while Dunlap caught 10 passes for a career-high 100 yards followed by a career-high 113 yards on four receptions from Deandre Cooper. Defensively, the Panthers had a tough time containing the SFA offense in spurts but was a turnover machine as they forced five turnovers. Senior safety Desmond Gardiner led the way with 11 tackles and a tackle for loss followed by 11 tackles, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble from junior linebacker Jerome Howard. Redshirt freshman Joshua Holley and Chuck Obi both eclipsed the double digit mark with 10 tackles apiece.

The Panthers return to action next weekend as they'll face Grambling State in the annual State Fair Classic at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. This year's game will feature a new kickoff time as the contest will begin at 4:30 p.m.

PHOTO GALLERY

COURTESY PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Offensive Records Fall In Loss To Prairie View

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Brady Attaway passed for a Southland Conference and school record 662 yards and Aaron Thomas set a conference record with 242 yards receiving but it was not enough to overcome five turnovers and a talented Prairie View A&M squad in a 56-48 loss Saturday evening at Homer Bryce Stadium.

Saturday’s game saw a combined 1,409 yards of offense in which SFA (2-3) set multiple offensive records, including an SLC record 827 yards of total offense along with three wide receivers (Thomas 10 rec. 242 yds, DJ Ward 8 rec. 170 yds, Tyler Boyd 10 rec. 100 yds) eclipsing the 100-plus yardage mark in the defeat.

The Panthers (3-2) put up prolific offensive numbers as well, accumulating 582 yards of total offense (380 yds passing, 202 rushing) in defeating SFA for the first time in seven career chances (1-5-1).

PV quarterback Jerry Lovelocke accounted for seven Panther touchdowns, three of which came on the ground. The Panthers also had two receivers go over the century mark in receiving yards (Deandre Cooper 4 rec. 113 yds and Gabe Dunlap 10 rec. 100 yds).

The ‘Jacks looked to be in control of things early on, scoring the game’s first two touchdowns on one-yard scores from Gus Johnson (18 carries, 182 yds) and Joshawa West. However, that momentum would be short lived with the Panthers scoring the next 28 unanswered points into the middle stages of the second quarter.

During that stretch Lovelocke passed for three touchdowns and rushed for another to build the Panthers lead to 28-14 at the 11:06 mark. SFA came right back though, scoring 17 straight points of their own to regain a 31-28 advantage following an 80-yard receiving touchdown from Attaway to Ward. The throw and catch was the longest of each individual’s career and was the ninth-longest play in school history.

The Panthers added one more scoring drive right before halftime on another touchdown pass from Lovelocke to Patrick Grant with just 11 seconds remaining, recapturing a 35-31 lead going into halftime.

PV outscored SFA 14-3 in the third quarter on two more rushing touchdowns from Lovelocke while SFA’s lone points in the quarter came on a 30-yard field goal from Jordan Wiggs.

Trailing 49-34 with just six minutes to play, the ‘Jacks began their comeback beginning with a 76-yard touchdown pass from Attaway to Thomas to make the score 49-41. The ‘Jacks defense then came up with a key stop to get the ball back at their own 28-yard line with just under four minutes to play. However, a Fred Ford fumble gave the Panthers the ball back in prime scoring position.

PV took advantage of the miscue just two plays later on a 41-yard scoring scamper from Courtney Brown to extend the lead to 56-41. SFA bounced right back and drove the length of the field, capping an 8-play 67-yard drive with an Attaway touchdown pass to Brooks to make the score 56-48.

Following a Panthers punt with just 1:12 remaining, SFA positioned themselves to possibly tie the game but an Attaway pass intended for Boyd on fourth and 13 with three seconds remaining sailed out of the back of the end zone as time expired.

The ‘Jacks will now have their bye week before returning back to action Oct. 12 to begin SLC play at Southeastern Louisiana. SFA will next be back at home on Oct. 19 against Nicholls State on homecoming.

Final Stats

COURTESY STEPHEN F. AUSTIN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Chowan Hawks Late Run Stuns Shaw Bears

MURFREESBORO, North Carolina -- The Chowan University football team picked up their first CIAA win of the year in thrilling fashion with a 29-23 victory over Shaw on Saturday evening in Jim Garrison Stadium. Cameron Stover's touchdown pass to Antjuan Randall with 23 seconds on the clock, followed by a two point conversion secured the win over the Bears.

Stover completed 24 passes to seven different Hawk receivers to account for 223 passing yards on the evening. Robert Holland hauled in seven passes for 60 yards and one touchdown. The Hawks ran for a total of 161 yards in the win, with Anthony Clanton collected 12 carries for 65 yards and one touchdown run.

Defensively, Jason Ampy led the way 11 total tackles, 10 of which were solo stops. Dakorion DeSamme tallied 10 tackles. Aeon Blake notched five tackles in the victory, two sacks, and three tackles for 24 yards of loss.

Marquise Grizzle took control of Shaw's running game with 29 rushes for 124 yards and one touchdown. Kowaski Kitchens caught six passes for 92 yards while Quinshon Odom was 15-37 in pass completions for 185 yards and two touchdowns.

A five play, 71 yard drive capped with Odom's 60 yard pass to Ta'Juan Brown gave the Bears an early 6-0 lead after their first possession. Andres Magallon's point after attempt failed. The Hawks answered back on their next possession on a six play 69 yard drive which ended with a 12 yard rush by Clanton to knot the score 6-6. Alex Noboa's point after attempt was good, allowing Chowan to take a 7-6 lead, which the Hawks maintained through the remainder of the first quarter.

The Bears opened up the second quarter with a score as Grizzle's one yard one gave Shaw a 12-7 edge. Magallon's point after attempt was good, and Shaw held onto the lead heading into halftime.

Willie Hickman's interception of Odom's pass led to another score for the Hawks as DaSean Martin's four yard rush knotted the game 13-13 and Noboa's point after gave Chowan a narrow 14-13 lead . The third quarter would see the Hawks score once more when Stover connected with Holland on a six yard pass with 9:33 left on the clock. Noboa's point after put Chowan ahead 21-13.

The Bears gained the momentum back in the quarter using a 41 yard field goal from Magallon, a deep touchdown pass to David Jordan, and a made point after attempt. Trailing 23-21 at the end of the third quarter, the Hawks worked feverishly for the remainder of the game to change the tone of the contest.

With 2:43 remaining in the game, Stover connected with Holland on a 16 yard pass to move the ball to Shaw's 30 yard line.  A loss of one yard and a sack by Shaw moved the ball back to the Shaw 35, but Stover quickly tossed a 19 yard pass to Damian Ellis to move the ball to the 16 yard line.  With 23 seconds on the clock, Stover launched a 16 yard touchdown pass to Randall to give Chowan a 27-23 edge.  Ryan Simpson's rush allowed the Hawks to capitalize on the two point conversion and pull ahead 29-23.

The Bears were unable to answer back on their final drive of the game.  Shaw falls to 2-2 on the season and 0-1 in CIAA play with the loss.  They return to Raleigh, NC next weekend to host Virginia State University in a 1:00pm cross divisional contest.

The Hawks improve to 2-2 on the season and 1-0 in league play.  Saturday's win evened the series record with the Bears to 3-3.  Chowan travels to Fayetteville State next Saturday to take on the Broncos in a 4:00 p.m. match-up.

Box Score      

COURTESY CHOWAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION     

Tuskegee University Student-Athlete Shot to Death at Block Party

TUSKEGEE, Alabama -- A Tuskegee University student who was shot to death at an unauthorized block party Friday night was a new father with a baby less than a month old, friends say.

The victim, 21-year-old Bobby "BJ" Smith of Atlanta, Georgia was shot in the back. He was rushed to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The party was taking place on East Church Street in Tuskegee between the parking lot of the Macon County Department of Human Resources and Deville Apartments.

"The Tuskegee University community is mourning the unfortunate loss of one of our own," said Tuskegee University President Gilbert L. Rochon. "We are all deeply affected by this terrible incident. Our prayers and condolences are with the [Smith] family..."

Smith was a senior finance major at Tuskegee and was an athlete on the tennis team.



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