WSSU Salutes Veterans at Nov. 9 Game

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Winston-Salem State University Athletics will be hosting a Veterans Appreciation Day to thank those who have served their community and their country. There will be events throughout the day to help and to honor our veterans ending with special presentations before and during the WSSU Ram's football game against Fayetteville State University at Bowman Gray Stadium.

The first 500 veterans participating in the Veterans Fair can receive a free ticket to the football game, purchase three additional tickets at the discounted price of $10 and enjoy a free lunch.

There will be a Veterans Fair from 9 a.m. until noon at the Reserve Center, 1245 S. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Winston-Salem (across from Bowman Gray Stadium), as well as the Veterans Administration will be providing a variety of information on benefits. The VA Hospital will be on site to do screenings, healthcare education and enrollment, and there will also be free flu shots for the first 200 veterans.

Veterans can pick up a free ticket to the WSSU football game and you can purchase up to three discounted tickets for family members at $10 each. The tickets are good for entrance to the game and for the Meal of Honor cookout at the Chancellor's Hospitality Tent in the field house parking lot. A game ticket is required for entry to that lot and will serve as your ticket for lunch. Please bring your DD214 or Veterans ID Card with you for verification.

Veterans can park for free at the Anderson Center, and Lot Q (Reynolds Park Road) on campus and there will be shuttle service to the Veterans Fair and from the Fair to the Hospitality Tent. There will also be cadet escorts for those who want to walk across the street from the Reserve Center to the stadium. At the end of the game, please gather at the West Ticket Gate for shuttle service back to your vehicle. Handicapped parking will be in the lot at the Reserve Center.

From video tributes to our veterans and a special National Anthem presentation, we will be honoring those of you who have served. At the end of half-time, the WSSU Red Sea of Sound Marching Band will play a medley of all the songs connected to the different military branches.

COURTESY WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Defense still stellar for struggling Fort Valley State

FORT VALLEY, Georgia -- Donald Pittman and Steve Spurrier have something in common.
Both arrived at their current positions with reputations based on offense.

And both have ended up overseeing programs that are better on defense.

Like South Carolina under Spurrier, Fort Valley State under Pittman has been consistently stronger on defense.

More often than not, there has been some help from the offense, but not so much this season for the 3-5 Wildcats.

And even without many full-time assistant coaches, there are the Wildcats again among Division II’s leaders in a variety of categories.

“That’s the thing,” Pittman said. “These guys have been here awhile. It’s a seasoned group.”

Of the top 10 FVSU tacklers, four are seniors and four are juniors with two sophomores. And the defensive wealth is spread around, after LeRon Furr. The senior from Columbus by way of Oklahoma State tops FVSU with 60 tackles, 16.5 for loss and three sacks.



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Savannah State coach expects no letdown from S.C. State Bulldogs

SAVANNAH, Georgia – Earnest Wilson III holds his coaching “elders” in high regard.

The first-year head coach at Savannah State is preparing to play host this Saturday to South Carolina State, which is led by the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s co-longest tenured sideline leader Buddy Pough. He’s expecting nothing short of a difficult challenge awaiting his Tigers at Ted Wright Stadium.

“The old man Mr. Pough is coming to town,” Wilson said at Tuesday’s weekly MEAC teleconference. “Great coach, great team. He’s having a pretty good year. Their guys come off the football both offensively and defensively very well. I think, hopefully, we can play them tough and be around in the fourth quarter with a chance to win.

“Hopefully, they’re a potential (Football Championship Subdivision) playoff team for the MEAC. But we’re going to have to be on our game in order to win this. Like I said, he’s a great coach with a great staff. We have to be ready to play.”

Savannah State is 1-11 all-time against the Bulldogs, but ...

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Newly-resurrected team holds first alumni game

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- “That first year was crazy – we almost didn’t have a team at all,” said Markley, referencing the fact that the school had to scramble to field a team in time to rejoin the CIAA conference. “But we were like a family – we kind of got to know each other off the bat.”

Over the course of that first season, Markley and his teammates fought for a position in the conference, battling a public perception that the young team didn’t have what it took to be successful while pulling off 30 wins.

“We started bonding and we started winning – people didn’t expect us to,” recalled Markley, who graduated last year. “It was probably the most fun baseball team I’ve ever been a part of.”

The team, the first WSSU baseball team in nearly 40 years, claimed the 2011 CIAA Championship and repeated that feat in 2012 and 2013 championships.

Coach Kevin Ritsche and 18 other former Rams played in the school’s first Alumni Baseball Game on Sunday at BB&T Ballpark. Head Coach Kevin Ritsche conceived the game, which pitted alumni against current players – as a means of connecting his players to the team’s recent but storied past. Ritsche, a two-time CIAA Coach of the Year, said he invited players who represented WSSU prior to the program’s end in 1973, but received no takers, leaving the Alumni Game in the hands of recent graduates.

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Week 10: HBCU Football Schedule & ScoreCard

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From Homecoming... Courtesy of the N.C.A&T State University BGMM Media Team...

Last Week
Bethune-Cookman (4-0) moved into sole position of first place in the MEAC with a 14-3 win over South Carolina State (3-1). With the win, the Wildcats extended its conference win streak to 17 games. After starting out 0-5, Hampton has rebounded to record a three-game win streak in conference play and is currently tied at second place with S.C. State. NCCU return specialist Adrian Wilkins leads the FCS in punt returns for TDs. Last week Wilkins recorded his fourth return touchdown for the season with two punt returns for TDs and 2 kick returns for TDs.   READ MORE

The SWAC is the only league in the FCS that has three teams with 4 (or more) wins in a row. Clayton Moore accounted for five touchdowns to keep Jackson State (7-2, 7-0) unbeaten in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Moore passed for 235 yards and four touchdowns including three to Zach Pendleton in the first half. He also rushed for 104 yards, a score, averaging 6.9 yards per carry. Ben Anderson accounted for four touchdwons to lift the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff to a 38-18 win over Mississippi Valley State at Rice-Totten Stadium on Saturday. Anderson threw two touchdowns passes and rushed for two more to help UAPB (1-7, 1-5) earn its first win of the season. READ MORE

Friday, November 1, 2013

SWAC
Southern at Texas Southern, 9PM

Saturday, November 2, 2013

MEAC
Bethune-Cookman at North Carolina Central, 12 Noon, TV: ESPNews
Virginia University Lynchburg at North Carolina A&T, 1 PM, H
Hampton at Morgan State, 1 PM
Florida A&M at Norfolk State, 2 PM, H
South Carolina State at Savannah State, 2 PM
Howard at Delaware State, 2 PM

OVC
Tennessee State at Eastern Kentucky, 1 PM  TV: ESPN3

SWAC
Mississippi Valley State at Grambling State, 3PM, H
Alabama A&M at Alcorn State, 5PM
Alabama State at Kentucky, 7:30PM, TV: ESPN GAMEPLAN/ESPN3

SIAC
Kentucky State at Lane, 2PM
Central State at Tuskegee, 2PM H
Benedict at Albany State, 2PM
Miles at Stillman, 5PM
Shorter at Clark Atlanta, 6PM
Morehouse at Fort Valley State, 6PM

OTHER CONFERENCES AND INDEPENDENTS
West Chester at Cheyney, 12Noon
Edward Waters at Ave Marie, 1 PM
Notre Dame College at West Virginia State, 1PM
Georgia Military at Concordia-Selma, 2PM
Langston at Oklahoma Panhandle State, 3PM
Lincoln (Mo.) at Central Oklahoma, 3PM
Texas College at Houston Baptist, 8PM


CIAA
Virgina State at Chowan, 1PM
Elizabeth City State at Virginia Union, 1PM
Lincoln (Pa.) at Bowie State, 1PM
Shaw at Winston-Salem State, 1:30PM
Johnson C. Smith at Saint Augustine's, 1:30PM
Fayetteville State at Livingstone, 1:30PM

(H)  Homecoming
Game Times are stated in Eastern Time Zone


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TSU Tigers Look to Rebound at Eastern Kentucky

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GAME NOTES | WATCH LIVE | LISTEN LIVE | LIVE STATS

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – After dropping last week’s contest to Eastern Illinois, 34-16, the Tennessee State football team looks to get back to its winning ways this weekend when the squad travels to Eastern Kentucky for a tilt with the Colonels.

 

The loss at the hands of the Panthers was the first in Ohio Valley Conference play for the Tigers (7-2, 4-1 OVC) this season, and ended their seven-game winning streak.

 

There were some bright spots for the TSU defense as junior linebacker Nick Thrasher notched a game-high 10 tackles (seven solo) and forced a fumble. He is now sixth in the league in tackles with 68.

 

Defensive ends Antonio Harper and Anthony Bass also came up big for Tennessee State, combining for 11 stops, four tackles for loss, three sacks and a fumble recovery. Bass is fifth in the nation in sacks with 7.5, while Harper is third in the OVC in the category with five.

 

Offensively, TSU was forced to throw the ball more than usual in hopes of a comeback, and Ronald Butler reaped the benefits. The Tallahassee, Fla. native set career-highs in completions (24), attempts (45), yards (212), carries (nine) and was turnover free. The first-year starter has turned in a solid 2013 campaign, holding a 61 percent completion rate and a nine-to-three touchdown to interception ratio.

 

Senior running back Tim Broughton continued his charge for the OVC rushing title against the Panthers, gaining 93 yards on the ground on just 16 carries. Broughton has had at least 80 yards in each of TSU’s past eight contests and is first in the league with 918 yards.

 

Running lanes for Broughton and the Tigers could be few and far between against EKU (5-3, 3-1 OVC) as the Colonels are tops in the conference in rushing defense (103 yards per game). Eastern Kentucky also ranks second in total defense, directly behind TSU.

 

EKU’s unit doesn’t have a single standout; rather it has been a team-wide effort with five players recording at least 30 stops on the year. Tyler Horn is the high man with 37 tackles and has also picked off a pass and forced a fumble.

 

Quarterback Jared McClain has led the Colonel offense this season and has accounted for 1,480 total yards, good enough for fourth in the conference. The dual-threat junior has thrown nine touchdowns on the year and has run for a team-best six more.

 

The Tigers are 5-20 all-time against Eastern Kentucky, but have won three of the last four meetings including last year’s thrilling, 23-20, victory in Nashville.

TSU will face off against EKU on ESPN3 on Saturday, Nov. 2 with kickoff slated for 12:04 central time.

 

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COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

ASU Braves Thursday Night Game Versus Prairie View Not Televised

COURTESY ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

LORMAN, Mississippi -- The Alcorn State vs. Prairie View A&M football game on Thursday November 7, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. will not be televised next week.

The game is being marketed as, "A White Out for The Braves Night Out" and all fans and alumni are encouraged to come out and support the Braves by wearing their favorite Alcorn white t-shirts/sweatshirts. We will also be honoring local education and emergency first responders throughout the game.

Local school students in official school uniforms or with a valid school ID from the Vicksburg-Warren School District, Claiborne County School District, Jefferson County School District and Adams County Schools along with emergency personnel— policemen, firemen, emergency medical technicians, paramedics — with Employer ID or in Official Uniform can enter the game free of charge through Gate 8 of Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium. All game attendees will also receive free glow sticks upon entering the gate.

All other General Admission tickets will be $5. General Parking and Premium Parking along with Tailgating will be discounted to $5. RV parking is $15.

Alcorn Faculty and Staff are encouraged to purchase game tickets which includes an invitation to the President's Tailgate Tent where food and drinks will be served and they can pick up their Holiday Turkey Gift from the University at the end of halftime.

The Show Me the Money Punt, Pass and Kick Student Competition will take center stage during halftime festivities. Two students will have the opportunity to kick a 25-yard field goal and win $500 each in cash that will be added to their ASU Gold Cards.

Come out and cheer on your Alcorn State Braves Football Team for this fun, festive and family-friendly evening.


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Young Texas Southern team wary of Southern

HOUSTON, Texas  -- The Southern football team travels to Houston for the second time this season, this time to take on Texas Southern.

The Jaguars are hopeful they’ll make one more trip.

Southern (4-4, 4-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) takes on the Tigers at 8 p.m. Friday night under the lights of BBVA Compass Stadium, the new home for TSU football and the MLS’ Houston Dynamo.

Both teams are coming off emotional overtime contests. Texas Southern (2-6, 2-5) prevailed 20-17 over Grambling. The thrill-a-minute Jaguars were unable to stage another come-from-behind victory, falling to Alcorn State 44-38 at homecoming.

The Tigers enter Saturday ranked in the bottom half of every major statistical category in the SWAC. Yet Texas Southern will present a challenge because of the defense’s ability to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks; one of the conference’s best punters; and quarterback Homer Causey, the kind of dual-threat quarterback that’s given the Jaguar defense trouble this season.

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Fakler, Jackson collect their fifth GCAC awards of season

Kwame Jackson

Catherine Fakler

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana juniors Catherine Fakler and Kwame Jackson, the individual champions Saturday at the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Cross Country Champions, are the GCAC Runners of the Week for Oct. 21-27.

It's more of the same for both runners, who tied XU season records with their fifth GCAC weekly awards of 2013. Jackson has nine career GCAC awards, and Fakler has seven.

Fakler set a school record of 18 minutes, 8.32 seconds at 5,000 meters to win the women's GCAC title by more than 90 seconds. Jackson then won the men's race for the second time in three years. His 8K time was 27:15.84, and he won by nearly 20 seconds.

Xavier won both GCAC team championships for the eighth consecutive year.

Fakler is from Phoenix, Ariz., and a graduate of Xavier College Preparatory Roman Catholic High School. Jackson is from Kingwood, Texas, and a graduate of Kingwood Park High School.

Fakler matched the five GCAC awards of Zahri Jackson, Kwame's younger sister, from 2011. Kwame Jackson shares the XU men's record with Mark Dotson (2009) and Matt Pieri (2010).

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

Delaware State Return Home to Face the Howard Bison

DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL - Game 9
HORNETS (3-5; 3-2 MEAC)
vs.
HOWARD BISON (3-5; 2-3 MEAC)
SAT., NOV. 2, 2013 - 2:00 p.m.
ALUMNI STADIUM - DOVER, DELAWARE
HALL OF FAME DAY

THE GAME
Delaware State welcomes long-time rival Howard University to Alumni Stadium for a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference contest. The Hornets (3-5 overall; 3-2 MEAC) are trying to rebound from a 30-7 loss to Hampton last weekend.



DSU trailed 10-0 before capping off a 15-play, 90-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Cory Murphy to Milton Williams III to pull to within 10-7 with 49 seconds left in the second quarter. The Hornets were outscored 20-0 in the second half.

Hampton used two big plays, a 79-yard run and 75-yard pass, to highlight its second half scoring.
Delaware State receiver Malik Golson topped all players with nine receptions for 80 yards in the contest. The nine catches tied his career high. DSU defensive backs J.R. Robinson and Joe Boyd had interceptions in the contest, the second of the season for each.

Howard (3-5; 2-3) brings a two-game win streak into the contest. The Bison are coming off a 28-14 homecoming victory over Morgan State last Saturday. Howard’s defense forced four turnovers and Charles Philyaw rushed for three touchdowns to highlight the win. The Bison scored on their first possession when Philyaw capped off an 18-play, 65-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run. He also scored on a seven-yard run in the third quarter and a four-yard run with 1:07 left to play. Howard racked.

THE SERIES
The Hornets and Bison are meeting for the 56th consecutive year and 70th time overall, making it Delaware State's oldest rivalry. Howard won last year’s meting 41-34 to snap a five –game DSU win streak in the series. The Hornets led by 21 points early in the third quarter but was outscored 38-10 the rest of the way in a 41-34 loss to the Bison in the 2012 meeting in Washington, D.C.  The last time the teams met at Alumni Stadium, Delaware State scored the winning touchdown with 2:18 left to play in a 39-36 victory in 2011. The Hornets hold a 35-33-1 lead in the all-time series.

 

HORNETS DROP IN MEAC RACE
Delaware State is still alive in the 2013 MEAC championship race, although last week’s loss to Hampton was a serious blow to the Hornets’ title hopes, DSU is currently fourth place in the current MEAC standings with a 3-2 league record, 

 

Defending champ Bethune-Cookman hoods the top spot with a 4-0 mark, Hampton and South Carolina State are tied for second at 3-1.

 

There’s a logjam behind the Hornets for fifth place. No. Carolina Central, Morgan State and Norfolk State are tied for fifth at 2-2. 

Delaware State, a charter member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), is in its 43^th season of league play. The Hornets have an all-time record of 127-146-1 in MEAC contests.

 

Delaware State has won or shared six MEAC championships. The Hornets claimed outright MEAC titles in 1985, 1989 and 2007, while sharing the crown in 1987, 1988 and 1991. Delaware State was tied for third place in the MEAC with a 5-3 mark in 2012. 

 

COURTESY DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern developing receiver depth to complement Lee Doss

HOUSTON, Texas  -- The Southern receiving corps is perhaps best known for the work of Lee Doss.

It’s easy to understand why Doss is the face of the group. He’s a senior.

He’s an All-Southwestern Athletic Conference selection. In two games earlier this season, he scored five touchdowns.

And defenses have rightfully shifted their attention to the playmaking wideout.

Yet the Jaguars are about more than just Doss. They have having a plethora of young, upcoming talent in the cupboard.



Newcomers Willie Quinn and Randall Menard and sophomores Justin Morgan, Nico Talbert and Mike Jones have benefited from the attention Doss has drawn this season, providing big plays on the perimeter Southern.

“We have a great group of kids that just want to come out and compete,” wide receivers coach Chris Coleman said. “Those guys have come in and taken their God-given abilities and maximized it through film study and through repetitions on the practice field, and buying into what the coaches are teaching.”

Quinn’s effect was apparent early this season, when he managed to haul in touchdown passes in of the first three game.

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New Alabama State assistant makes debut

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- When Alabama State tips off the 2013-14 season against Huntingdon College in an exhibition game tonight at the Acadome, they’ll be a new face on the Hornet bench.

Michael Curry, an assistant on former Troy coach Don Maestri’s staff for seven years, will replace longtime assistant Courtney Stephens.

“We’ve been very fortunate to have coach Curry join our staff,” Hornets coach Lewis Jackson said. “He’s been good for us. He has a lot of contacts and works well with the student-athletes. We’re excited to have him in the program.”

Jackson made the decision to replace Stephens at the end of the 2012-13 season but withheld comment because of his long friendship with the former Hornet player.

“Coach Stephens had been a real blessing for us,” Jackson said. “He’s been with our team since I’ve been here and has done a lot for the program. We just felt it was the right time for a coaching change to get some new blood in here. But he was a great guy who did a lot for the program.”



CONTINUE READING

Video: Southern coach Dawson Odums' Tuesday press conference

Texas Southern Men's Basketball adds two non-conference home games to upcoming schedule

COACH MIKE DAVIS
MEN'S BASKETBALL
TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY

HOUSTON, Texas  -- The Texas Southern University men's basketball program has announced the addition of two non-conference home games for the upcoming 2013-14 season.

Texas Southern will host Norfolk State (Nov. 9) and Wiley College (Nov. 11) at the H&PE Arena in what should prove to be two highly entertaining contest. Tip-off for TSU's game against versus the Spartans is slated for 5:00 pm while the Tigers game versus the Wildcats has been scheduled for a 7:00 pm start.

"We're really excited about having the opportunity to host Norfolk State this upcoming season," said TSU head coach Mike Davis. "Norfolk State has established themselves as a perennial power at the Division I level and they will pose a great challenge for our team. We're also looking forward to hosting Wiley College that following Monday. The additions of both of these games to our upcoming schedule will give our fans a chance to see some quality non-conference basketball on our home court."

With the additions of Norfolk State and Wiley College the Tigers upcoming 2013-14 slate will feature a total of 12 non-conference home games followed by 18 league match-ups against Southwestern Athletic Conference opponents. For all of the latest breaking news regarding Texas Southern men's basketball please continue to visit www.tsuball.com. 

TSU Men's Basketball Schedule

COURTESY TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Hope is theme for GSU

GRAMBLING, Louisiana  --  After a tumultuous and rather chaotic start to the year, homecoming can’t come soon enough for Grambling’s football program.

Pick any negative adjective to describe the Tigers’ season and it would fit perfectly like a puzzle piece.

It all started when legendary player and coach Doug Williams was fired. Then the team went on a five-game losing streak, boycotted practice, got the interim coach removed and forfeited a game.
Yet the players and coaches still have something to prove, and what better stage to do that in front of one of the largest crowds of the season — this Saturday at home against Mississippi Valley State.

“There’s no better time to win it than on homecoming in front of your home alumni, the alumni in California, Georgia, Dallas area,” interim coach Dennis Winston said. “We just want to win the football game for everybody and ourselves and want to represent Grambling State University the best we can.”

CONTINUE READING

NCAA recognizes Grambling-JSU as no contest

SWAC has right to consider it a forfeit

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  -- The NCAA is officially recognizing the cancelled game between Grambling State and Jackson State as a no contest, an NCAA spokesperson confirmed Wednesday morning.

According to the NCAA statistics’ policies and guidelines, the Oct. 19 game will not count official in the win-loss record, although the SWAC will still deem it as a forfeit.

“When a team does not appear (e.g., due to weather conditions, accidents, breakdown of vehicles, illness or catastrophic circumstances, shortage of players), a forfeit is not recorded unless the rules of the sport provide that option,” the policy reads. “An institution shall not, for statistical purposes, declare a forfeit for nonfulfillment of a contest. Such instances shall be considered as "no contest."

Therefore, when Grambling didn’t show up, the NCAA immediately deemed it a no contest, not a forfeit.

So the news, which comes nearly two weeks after the scheduled game, shouldn’t come as a surprise because the policy has been in the NCAA’s guidelines since 1977.

CONTINUE READING

Alcorn State in contention for SWAC title

LORMAN, Mississippi  -- Alcorn State is enjoying its best football season in two decades.

The Braves (6-2, 5-1 SWAC) entertain Alabama A&M on Saturday in a crucial league contest at Lorman's Jack Spinks Stadium.

Alcorn hasn't won as many as seven games since 1994, when the late quarterback Steve McNair was on the Reservation setting NCAA records and becoming a Heisman Trophy finalist. Alcorn is also in contention for the SWAC championship, which would be its first since 1994.

Moss Point natives Carlton and Michael Reese will be inducted into the Alcorn Sports Hall of Fame on Nov. 1 at the Vicksburg Convention center, a day before the Braves' football contest. Mississippi Valley State at Grambling, 1 p.m.: The Delta Devils (1-7, 1-6) have a great chance to end a three-game losing skid against hapless Grambling at Eddie Robinson Stadium. A once-proud Grambling program has been reduced to shambles, since the firing of longtime coach Doug Williams last month. The Tigers are playing out the season and hope school officials rebuild their team. CONTINUE READING

Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2013/10/30/5072352/alcorn-state-in-contention-for.html#storylink=cpy

Southern University football faces Texas Southern in key SWAC game

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Texas Southern found itself in the role of spoiler last weekend when the Tigers traveled to play Grambling. The focus on the college football world was on the Grambling football team, which was coming off a players’ boycott of its game with Jackson State the previous week.

The players returned to the field last week and were sort of the sentimental favorites because of the stand they had taken.

But Texas Southern threw cold water on that, taking down Grambling, 23-17, in overtime.

“We knew there were going to be a lot of emotions in this game,’’ Texas Southern coach Darrell Asberry said. “When we walked into the stadium you could feel a different type of atmosphere and a different Grambling football team. They came out and played hard.

“Both teams played hard and the game could have gone either way. It was a good win for the program and it’s over now. We have to move on.’’

The Tigers can again play spoilers this week but ...

CONTINUE READING

XU wins 3rd straight GCAC regular-season championship



Xavier has won 39 straight in women's volleyball against the GCAC.

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana won its third consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championship in women's volleyball by defeating Dillard 25-18, 25-18, 25-22 on Wednesday at the Convocation Center.

Moira Kirk and Taylor Reuther -- two of the four juniors who never have lost to a GCAC opponent since arriving at Xavier as freshmen -- had 12 kills apiece to lead the Gold Nuggets (22-7, 11-0) to their 16th consecutive victory, which extends their school record. Xavier has won 39 in a row against conference opponents since the start of 2011.

Xavier completed its home schedule with a 9-0 record and has won a school-record 13 straight on its campus dating to 2012. It's the first time the Nuggets won all their home matches in a season.

Kirk hit .476 in 21 attacks and had an ace, seven digs and four blocks. Reuther had 11 digs, one ace and a block.

Kerris Crier, Xavier's only senior, and Jodi Hill had six kills apiece. CeCe Williams and Chinedu Echebelem had 11 digs apiece.

Carolyn Baker had 13 kills, and Mercades Chevis had seven kills and 11 digs for Dillard (10-6, 7-4), whose four-match win streak ended.

Hill and Reuther had two kills apiece, and Claudia Haywood had a kill and two blocks during an 11-0 run which erased Dillard's 8-5 lead in the first set. Two Kirk kills and a Jodi Chatters ace helped Xavier take a 5-0 lead in the second set, and the Nuggets rallied from a 12-4 deficit in the third.

After a tie at 22, Xavier ended the match on kills by Reuther, Echebelem and Alexandria Rencher, who also had 17 assists in the final set. Xavier closed with an 8-3 run.

Xavier outhit Dillard .248 to .065 and had advantages of 47-26 in kills, 49-39 in digs and 6-3 in blocks. The Gold Nuggets defeated their city rival for the eighth consecutive time to take their first lead in the series at 8-7.

Xavier climbed two victories above .500 for the first time in the program's six years. The Nuggets are 97-95 overall, 67-22 in the last three seasons.

The GCAC championship is Xavier's third in five days. Xavier won men's and women's cross country titles on Saturday, and the university's total is 49 in the last nine seasons. Xavier has won approximately 100 championships at the conference, group or district level since fielding its first teams in the late 1920s.

Xavier and Dillard will close the regular season in a 1 p.m. Saturday match at Dillard's Dent Hall, then both will compete in the GCAC Tournament, which will begin Nov. 7 at Little Rock, Ark.

Box Score

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

TSU's Rodgers-Cromartie Earns AFC Defensive Player of the Week

COURTESY DENVER BRONCOS MEDIA RELATIONS & TSU ATHLETICS

DENVER, Colorado  -- On Wednesday, former Tennessee State defensive back Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week after his performance against the Washington Redskins.

The former Tiger had a pick-six in the 45-21 Denver Broncos win on Sunday. Rodgers-Cromartie also recorded three pass breakups, five tackles and one tackle for loss.

 

Late in the fourth quarter Rodgers-Cromartie picked off Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins and raced 75-yards for a pick-six that sealed the deal on the Broncos come from behind win.

 

Sunday’s interception was the second of the season for the TSU alum and the 18^th in his career. The touchdown marked the fifth time Rodgers-Cromartie reached the end zone in his NFL career. Since making his league debut in 2008 Rodgers-Cromartie has recorded the most pass break-ups in the NFL with 95.

 

The award is the second of his career with the first coming in 2009 as a member of the Arizona Cardinals, when Rodgers-Cromartie earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

 

Rodgers-Cromartie and the Broncos return to action Oct. 10 after their bye week to take on AFC West Division foe San Diego, kick-off is slated for 3:25 p.m. (CT).

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU's Covington Makes Houston Rockets Final Roster

ROBERT COVINGTON
(Courtesy Houston Rockets)

HOUSTON, Texas  -- Former Tennessee State men’s basketball standout Robert Covington has made the Houston Rockets’ 15-man roster.

Covington signed a guaranteed free agent contract with the club immediately following the NBA Draft and played in five preseason games where he averaged 3.2 points and 1.8 rebounds.

 

Aiding the Bellwood, Ilinois products chances at making the final cut was his performance in last Friday’s contest in which he scored eight points and four boards in 15 minutes.

 

Covington averaged a team-best 17 points per contest last year and added eight boards per game. He finished his TSU career with 1,749 points, which places him seventh in school history.

 

The Rockets will start the 2013-14 campaign tonight with a home game against the Charlotte Bobcats.

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

 

NCCU Football hosts #12 Bethune-Cookman

Eagles Challenge Defending MEAC Champions on ESPNews

 Complete Game Notes (PDF)

THE GAME
Bethune-Cookman University "Wildcats" vs. North Carolina Central University "Eagles"

THE KICKOFF
Saturday, November 2, 2013 – Kickoff at 12:00 p.m.

THE SITE
O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium (10,000 capacity/Mondoturf) - Durham, N.C.

THE RECORDS
Bethune-Cookman (7-1 overall, 4-0 MEAC); N.C. Central (4-4 overall, 2-2 MEAC)

MEDIA COVERAGE
Audio: NCCU Sports Network mobile app (iPhone, iPad, iPod, Android, Kindle Fire HD); "GameCentral" at NCCUEaglePride.com (audio internet stream). Broadcast starts at 11:30 a.m. (Chris Hooks, play-by-play; Joe Simmons, color analyst).
Television: Live television broadcast on ESPNews. Broadcast starts at 12:00 p.m.

QUICK HITS
• Bethune-Cookman, the defending MEAC champion, is the second nationally-ranked team to visit O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium this season. The Wildcats are ranked No. 13 in The Sports Network FCS Top-25 poll and No. 12 in the FCS Coaches poll.
• Game televised live on ESPNews.
• Bethune-Cookman has the second-best defense in the nation (Division I-FCS), holding opponents to just 263.4 yards of total offense per game. The Wildcats rank third in the FCS in scoring defense, allowing only 15.0 points per contest.
• NCCU has been out-scored 62-19 in the first quarter this season, while Bethune-Cookman has out-scored its opponents 72-17 in the opening 15 minutes of play.
• NCCU redshirt freshman quarterback Malcolm Bell (Richmond, Va.) threw for a touchdown and rushed for another score to help lead the Eagles to a road win over Savannah State last week in his first career start.
• NCCU sophomore Adrian Wilkins (Forest City, N.C.) tops the MEAC in both kickoff returns (29.1 yards per return) and all-purpose yards (139.1 yards per game), and has scored touchdowns on two kickoff returns (100, 91 yards), two punt returns (89, 73 yards) and two receptions. He is the only Eagle in the NCCU record books with a kickoff return touchdown, a punt return touchdown and a receiving touchdown in the same season. Wilkins is the only student-athlete in the NCAA Division I-FCS with four special teams return touchdowns.
• NCCU senior linebacker Tazmon Foster (Henderson, N.C.), who amassed 80 tackles in eight games last season, is the second-leading tackler in the MEAC with 92 takedowns (5th in FCS).

THE SERIES
This will be the fifth football meeting between NCCU and Bethune-Cookman since the teams first met in 1994. Bethune-Cookman leads the series 3-1, including three straight victories. In that first match-up on Sept. 24, 1994, the Eagles captured a 24-5 road victory in Daytona Beach, Fla. Three years ago on Oct. 23, 2010, B-CU, as the 14th ranked team in the nation, earned a 23-10 win in Durham, N.C. Two years ago, the Wildcats amassed 525 yards during a 34-6 victory to spoil NCCU's homecoming on Oct. 29, 2011. Last season, B-CU scored 28 unanswered points to overcome a three-point second-half deficit en route to a 42-17 win on Oct. 27, 2012.
10/27/2012 - B-CU 42, NCCU 17 (Daytona Beach, Fla.)
10/29/2011 - B-CU 34, NCCU 6 (Durham, N.C.)
10/23/2010 - B-CU 23, NCCU 10 (Durham, N.C.)
9/24/1994 - NCCU 24, B-CU 5 (Daytona Beach, Fla.)

THE LAST MEETING
(Oct. 27, 2012 - B-CU 42, NCCU 17)  North Carolina Central University held a slim three-point lead midway through the third quarter, but Bethune-Cookman University scored 28 unanswered points to end the Eagles' four-game win streak with a 42-17 victory inside Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, Fla. NCCU quarterback Jordan Reid threw touchdown passes to Detwan Robinson and Decona Roberts in the first half to go into the locker room with the score tied at 14-14. On the first drive of the second half, the Eagles moved the ball inside the B-CU 1-yard line, but committed a false start penalty on third down and had to settle for a 26-yard field goal by sophomore Oleg Parent to give NCCU a 17-14 edge at 7:23 of the third quarter. Bethune-Cookman responded by moving the pigskin 63 yards on five consecutive run plays, capped by a 8-yard scamper by Rodney Scott, to take a 21-17 advantage at 5:28 of the third quarter. After the Wildcats forced an NCCU punt, B-CU running back Isidore Jackson took the first play 93 yards to the end zone to put the home team up 28-17. NCCU posted a 12-play, 52-yard drive in an attempt to answer the challenge, but Parent's 36-yard field goal try was blocked to keep the gap at 11 points. With less than six minutes remaining in the game and needing two scores, NCCU had to force the action, which resulted in two interceptions and a fumble by the Eagles in their final three possessions. Jackson scored his second touchdown of the game with 4:14 remaining to put the Wildcats up 35-17, then B-CU opted to post more points on the scoreboard with a 1-yard touchdown run by Angelo Cabrera with 58 seconds remaining. Jackson finished the evening with 158 rushing yards to help the Wildcats amass 443 yards of total offense, including 274 yards on the ground. NCCU recorded 234 total yards, including 154 yards through the air by Reid on 15-of-28 passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Running back Arthur Goforth collected 142 all-purpose yards, including a team-high 43 rushing yards, 28 receiving yards on a team-best four catches, and 71 kickoff return yards. Redshirt freshman safety Ryan Smith tallied at game-high 12 tackles (8 solo) and a fumble recovery to lead the Eagles.

THE COACHES
North Carolina Central: Dwayne Foster (Delaware State, 1993) joined NCCU in 2011 as assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator and offensive line coach, before being elevated to interim head coach prior to the 2013 season. Previously, he served as running backs coach at Prairie View A&M University (2005-10), tight ends and running backs coach at Catholic University (2004), and offensive line coach at Bowie State University (2003). Foster made his name on the high school level in Washington, D.C., as the head coach of Archbishop Carroll High School from 1997-2003. At Archbishop, Foster received coach of the year honors by the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Committee in 1998. Foster played college football at Delaware State University from 1989-93 and helped the Hornets capture two MEAC Championships during his freshmen and junior seasons before graduating in 1993. Foster is a member of the Black Coaches and American Football Coaches Associations, was part of the NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship Program in 2010 with the Buffalo Bills and in 2012 with the Cincinnati Bengals, and participated in the NCAA Men's Football Coaching Academy in Indianapolis, Ind., in June 2006.

Bethune-Cookman: Brian Jenkins is in his fourth season with the Bethune-Cookman University football program. The Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., native led the Wildcats to a 10-2 record, a share of the MEAC championship and a spot in the NCAA playoffs in his first season as a college head coach in 2010. He followed that effort with an 8-3 campaign in 2011. In 2012, B-CU posted a 9-3 overall record, including an 8-0 mark in the league to win the conference title and advance to the NCAA playoffs for the second time in three years. Jenkins was an assistant coach at Rutgers University in the 2009 season as wide receivers coach on Greg Schiano's Scarlet Knights' team that was the St. Petersburg Bowl champions. Prior to Rutgers, Jenkins served as running backs coach and special team's coordinator at Louisiana-Lafayette for seven seasons (2002-2008). Jenkins joined UL from the Frankfurt Galaxy of NFL Europe. Prior to his stint in NFL-Europe, Jenkins was the running backs coach at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Before joining the BGSU Falcons, Jenkins spent five seasons with Eastern Illinois University. From 1995-98 he served as running backs coach and was named the receivers coach in 1999. In 1994, he was the receivers coach at Western Kentucky University. Jenkins played college football as both a wide receiver and running back at the University of Cincinnati. He was the Bearcat record holder for kickoff return yards in a season and in a career before those records were surpassed in 2009. He graduated in 1993 with an associate's degree in education and bachelor's degree in social work.

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

ASU Hornets Night Practice Begins Kentucky Preparations

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- The Alabama State University football team hit the practice field for their weekly Tuesday night practice session to begin preparations for their game at the University of Kentucky.

After watching film on the Wildcats, the Hornets coaching staff know they are going up against a big, strong and talented team on both sides of the ball.

"Of course they are in the SEC and they have two really big and really good defensive tackles," Head Coach Reggie Barlow said. "They have a defensive end who is an all conference player there and I think he just had his best game of the season (at Mississippi State)."

"On offense they play really fast and they have a kid we know about, Whitlow and another quarterback so it is a really good team. I think the head coach there is in his first year there he is trying to establish his program and his philosophies. He is playing some freshmen kids and some other kids that have been there that have done a good job for him so we have our work cut out."

Everyone knows this game will be a game of a football championship series team, Alabama State, against a football bowl series team in Kentucky, and no one knows that better than the players.

"I walk around our complex and I'm a good listener, and I hear these guys talk about I could have went here or could have gone here or to all these schools and now we get a really good opportunity to see how you measure up against SEC guys," Barlow said.

"It's the mind set or the approach of this is a great opportunity to see how you measure up, to have an opportunity to play against an SEC school. It's never happened here at ASU and we are making history in that regard. I think the guys will be excited about seeing how we can measure up against a team from the SEC."

The game is scheduled to kick off at 6:30 p.m. and can be seen on CSS. The game can also be listened to on WVAS FM 90.7 beginning at 6:15 p.m.

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

UMES Donor supports "Fore!" scholarships with $500,000 Pledge

^{Carnelious Jones
(Courtesy UMES Media Relations)}

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland  – The past 10 months have been momentous for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s fledgling PGA golf management program.

On the heels of producing its first group of graduates comes news four new full-ride scholarships will be available a year from now, thanks to a half-million dollar pledge from a Baltimore businessman.

Carnelious Jones’ donation will underwrite financial aid he hopes will inspire minorities and women to pursue careers across the golf industry. Jones has asked UMES to name the scholarships in honor of trail-blazing African-American golfers James Black, Renee Powell, Calvin Peete and the late Ann Gregory.

“Mr. Jones' transformational gift will provide the university's PGA golf management program with much needed resources to recruit motivated students to the program,” said Kimberly Dumpson, who worked with the philanthropist to establish the scholarship program when she was UMES’ lead fundraiser.

The university is one of 20 higher education institutions in the country that offers the unique course of study backed by the PGA of America. UMES is the lone historically black institution with an undergraduate program that combines instruction in how to play professional-level golf with hospitality industry training.

UMES President Juliette B. Bell said Jones’ gift is “an extraordinarily generous gift that we promise to use to achieve his goal and ours – and that is making educational opportunities available to those who deserve and will benefit by it.”

Jones, a petroleum wholesaler, has emerged as a leading advocate in a growing movement in search of strategies to diversify golf. He asked that the scholarships created by his gift be named in honor of the four golf legends considered pioneers in their era.

Jones recently was named a national trustee of the First Tee, “an international youth development organization introducing the game of golf and its inherent values to young people.”

First Tee’s focus is on working with young people from elementary-through-high school. Jones sees UMES and its golf management program as the next step in “growing the game” among a more diverse group of athletes and casual players.

“It’s about opportunity and access,” Jones said.

“The University of Maryland Eastern Shore seems like the natural place where young people can come and earn a degree and learn what it takes to be involved in the business of golf,” he said.

Jones, 59, is the epitome of the self-made entrepreneur. He grew up on share-cropper farm in southwestern Tennessee where his family raised cotton. He joined the military after graduating from high school in the early 1970s and served five years in the U.S. Navy, including a tour of duty in Vietnam aboard the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga. It’s where he learned to be a plumber.

After an honorable discharge with citations, Jones earned a master plumber’s credential – which he still holds – and started his own business. He eventually invested in a small oil tank farm, a decision that has enabled him to grow a petroleum distribution business domestically and internationally. By the late 1980s his clients included FedEx, International Paper, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the state of Maryland.

Through a state contract, he did business with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore providing it with fuel. His youngest child, Carnelious Jones II, graduated from UMES in 2007.

His interest in and commitment to golf expanded earlier this year when he invested in a golf shoe and apparel company, A-GAME Global Sports. He is a past winner of UMES’ Art Shell Celebrity Golf Classic fundraiser, and carries a handicap in the upper teens.

Jones also operates a consulting firm; Carnelious Jones & Associates.

In addition to his appointment as the First Tee’s first African-American national trustee, he also serves on the advisory board of Texas Southern University’s College of Science and Technology, the Blacks of the Chesapeake Foundation Inc., a black maritime history organization, and on a U.S. Department of Energy advisory panel working to help African nations.

“Maybe my gift will start a dialogue around the dinner table in African-American homes that they can have access to game through a UMES degree,” Jones said, adding he hopes other historically black institutions might follow the university’s lead.

Jones said he sees plenty of opportunities in the game for minorities; playing competitively as well as recreationally, working in the industry or being a supplier of goods and services.

By Bill Robinson, director, UMES Office of Public Relations, 410-621-2355. 

Hampton Pirates Sailing Finishes Third in the Webb Open

Courtesy Hampton University Athletics

NEWPORT NEWS, Virginia – The Hampton University sailing team finished third in The Webb Open hosted by Christopher Newport University on Saturday and Sunday.

The Pirates finished with 102 points.

Christopher Newport's blue squad won the team title with 76 points.

Saturday saw beautiful and windy, but cold, conditions. Veronica Maccari and Ramatoulie Sallah raced in the A Division on Saturday, with Kimannee Simon and Joshua Williams sailing in the B Division.

The Pirates tallied 37 points in the A Division, second only to CNU, winning seven races and recording five second-place finishes. Hampton also had 65 points in the B Division, recording two race wins and a second-place finish.

The Pirates will be back in action on Saturday and Sunday, when they head to Norfolk, Va. for the War Memorial. For more information on Hampton University sailing, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY PIRATES SPORTS INFORMATION