COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado -- A registered sex offender has emerged as a star player on a top tier college football team, resuming his athletic career after being expelled from the Air Force Academy where he was court-martialed for sexual assault.
No NCAA rule prevents a person with a criminal conviction from playing college athletics, a spokesperson told ABC News. It is left up to the individual college or conference to determine eligibility.
Jamil Cooks, 23, enrolled at Alcorn State in Mississippi, a Division One NCAA school, after being found guilty in April 2013 of abusive sexual contact in a court martial proceeding at the Air Force Academy, which required him to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Cooks' lawyer, Richard Stevens, says he is appealing the conviction.
The ability of Cooks to continue his football career despite being a sexual predator is only the latest example of distorted priorities that involve sexual violence, said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York.
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Wednesday, October 29, 2014
GSU grateful of fan support, but goals remain the same
GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling's football program has an unwritten rule inside its locker room — don't look at the standings.
As far as the Tigers are concerned, they're 0-0 despite their name atop the Southwestern Athletic Conference leaderboard with a 5-0 conference record.
Try telling that to the rapid fan base of Gramblinites who spent the last week congratulating players and coaches on their season so far.
Internally, they've accomplished nothing until a championship trophy sits in Grambling's case next to the one from 2011.
"They understand it's not over and it's not going to be over until we're standing there in Houston at the end of the season with the SWAC Championship trophy above our head," Grambling cornerbacks coach Bryan Ware said.
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Alcorn one win away from clinching SWAC East
LORMAN, Mississippi -- Alcorn State is so close to making program history.
But it has to wait about two weeks to do so.
After defeating Prairie View A&M in a wild 77-48 shootout on Saturday, the Braves are one win away from clinching their division.
Alcorn coach Jay Hopson doesn't need a reminder.
And he knows his "take one game at a time" response may sound like coach talk. But he can't stress it enough.
"It's all about Alabama A&M. All that stuff takes care of itself," Hopson said. "As coaches and players, that's how you have to be. It's kind of coach talk, and you hear it. Certainly, players and coaches will be aware of that situation. But the reality is you got to go out every Saturday and take care of each opponent."
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But it has to wait about two weeks to do so.
After defeating Prairie View A&M in a wild 77-48 shootout on Saturday, the Braves are one win away from clinching their division.
Alcorn coach Jay Hopson doesn't need a reminder.
And he knows his "take one game at a time" response may sound like coach talk. But he can't stress it enough.
"It's all about Alabama A&M. All that stuff takes care of itself," Hopson said. "As coaches and players, that's how you have to be. It's kind of coach talk, and you hear it. Certainly, players and coaches will be aware of that situation. But the reality is you got to go out every Saturday and take care of each opponent."
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Tuesday, October 28, 2014
No. 13 Rush open at home vs. Belhaven on Wednesday
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana will begin the 2014-15 men's basketball season with its highest preseason ranking in seven years.
The Gold Rush, 23-9 a year ago, were 13th in the NAIA Division I Coaches' Preseason Top 25 poll announced Tuesday. It's the fifth consecutive season that the XU men are in the preseason top 25.
Xavier will open the season with games against Belhaven on Wednesday and Carver on Friday. Both will tip off at 7 p.m. at XU's Convocation Center. Xavier will play eight of its first nine games at home.
The Gold Rush are in the top 25 for the 38th consecutive time — the longest active streak in the division — and the 51st time in the last 52 polls. The last time the Gold Rush held a higher preseason ranking was 10th place in 2007-08.
Xavier is one of three Gulf Coast Athletic Conference teams in the top 25. Talladega is No. 5, and Philander Smith is No. 23. Xavier won its third consecutive GCAC regular-season title in 2013-14, and Talladega beat Philander Smith in the GCAC Tournament championship game. All three qualified for last season's Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship.
Before the first regular-season poll on Dec. 9, Xavier will play No. 9 William Carey at home on Dec. 1 and a pair of games with Wiley, which received votes. Xavier will open its GCAC schedule Jan. 5 at Talladega, then play Philander Smith at home on Jan. 10.
Defending champion Vanguard was chosen No. 1 unanimously.
The Gold Rush, 23-9 a year ago, were 13th in the NAIA Division I Coaches' Preseason Top 25 poll announced Tuesday. It's the fifth consecutive season that the XU men are in the preseason top 25.
Xavier will open the season with games against Belhaven on Wednesday and Carver on Friday. Both will tip off at 7 p.m. at XU's Convocation Center. Xavier will play eight of its first nine games at home.
The Gold Rush are in the top 25 for the 38th consecutive time — the longest active streak in the division — and the 51st time in the last 52 polls. The last time the Gold Rush held a higher preseason ranking was 10th place in 2007-08.
Xavier is one of three Gulf Coast Athletic Conference teams in the top 25. Talladega is No. 5, and Philander Smith is No. 23. Xavier won its third consecutive GCAC regular-season title in 2013-14, and Talladega beat Philander Smith in the GCAC Tournament championship game. All three qualified for last season's Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship.
Before the first regular-season poll on Dec. 9, Xavier will play No. 9 William Carey at home on Dec. 1 and a pair of games with Wiley, which received votes. Xavier will open its GCAC schedule Jan. 5 at Talladega, then play Philander Smith at home on Jan. 10.
Defending champion Vanguard was chosen No. 1 unanimously.
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information
Director
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No. 18 Nuggets to open with 4 straight top-25 opponents
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana, 18th in the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 poll announced Tuesday, will be thoroughly tested by the time the first regular-season poll is announced.
The Gold Nuggets, 24-10 last season, will:
• Open the season with a ranked opponent — No. 5 Campbellsville — for the first time since 2007.
• Open the season with four consecutive ranked opponents: Campbellsville, No. 9 Bethel (Tenn.), No. 22 Mobile and No. 11 Our Lady of the Lake.
• Play consecutive games against top-10 opponents for the first time since November 1999. Xavier will face Campbellsville at 6 p.m. Friday and Bethel at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Bethel Chamber of Commerce Shootout at McKenzie, Tenn.
The Gold Nuggets are in the preseason top 25 for the fifth consecutive year and the 12th time in Bo Browder's 16 seasons as head coach. The gauntlet they'll run extends to last season, when they closed with three consecutive ranked opponents.
The first regular-season poll will be announced Dec. 9. By that time Xavier also will have played No. 6 Wiley and No. 24 Langston (Nov. 27-28 in the Xavier Classic) and Mobile a second time (Dec. 1 at Mobile). Mobile will be the Gold Nuggets' home opener at 7 p.m. on Nov. 12.
Defending champion Oklahoma City is preseason No. 1 after receiving 8-of-10 first-place votes.
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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XU Nuggets are a big hit in GCAC victory at Edward Waters
JACKSONVILLE, Florida -- Xavier University of Louisiana hit a season-high .468 Monday to earn a 25-13, 25-12, 25-12 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's volleyball victory against Edward Waters.
The victory was the fourth in a row for the Gold Nuggets (15-4, 11-0), who will attempt to clinch a share of a fourth straight GCAC regular-season championship at home on Thursday against SUNO. Xavier has won 54 consecutive matches against GCAC opponents -- 44 in the regular season -- and 52 straight against HBCUs. The Gold Nuggets are 6-1 on the road this season.
Juniors Claudia Haywood, Franziska Pirkl and Jodi Hill and freshman Jada Broussard combined to hit .721 for Xavier on 43 attempts. None of the four committed an error. Haywood had 10 kills and hit .833, Hill had nine kills and hit .600, Broussard -- who sat out the third set -- had seven kills and hit .875, and Pirkl had six kills and hit .625.
Haywood's percentage equaled the highest in a match by an XU player with a minimum of 10 attacks since the program resumed in 2010. Haywood hit .833 at Trinity Baptist in 2012.
Broussard was perfect in the opening set, producing four kills in as many attempts and tacking on a pair of blocks. Hill had two kills during Xavier's 8-0 run to start the second set.
Xavier trailed 6-3 in the third set before closing with a 22-6 run which included five Haywood kills in six swings.
The Gold Nuggets finished with 43 kills and seven errors, a season low, in 77 attacks. Chinedu Echebelem had six kills, and CeCe Williams had five. Echebelem had nine digs and Williams eight, and Pirkl had 31 assists, six digs and three blocks.
Kayla Jones served three of Xavier's four aces. Edward Waters (10-17, 2-11) had only one ace, none by freshman Kaylin Davison, the NAIA leader in aces per set. Davison failed to serve an ace in two matches against Xavier this season.
Xavier and SUNO will meet for the second time this year at 7 p.m. Thursday at XU's Convocation Center. It will be a Dig Pink match for breast cancer awareness, and fans are encouraged to wear pink that day.
The Gold Nuggets scored six of the final seven points at SUNO on Oct. 1 to rally for a five-set victory.
Box Score
The victory was the fourth in a row for the Gold Nuggets (15-4, 11-0), who will attempt to clinch a share of a fourth straight GCAC regular-season championship at home on Thursday against SUNO. Xavier has won 54 consecutive matches against GCAC opponents -- 44 in the regular season -- and 52 straight against HBCUs. The Gold Nuggets are 6-1 on the road this season.
Juniors Claudia Haywood, Franziska Pirkl and Jodi Hill and freshman Jada Broussard combined to hit .721 for Xavier on 43 attempts. None of the four committed an error. Haywood had 10 kills and hit .833, Hill had nine kills and hit .600, Broussard -- who sat out the third set -- had seven kills and hit .875, and Pirkl had six kills and hit .625.
Haywood's percentage equaled the highest in a match by an XU player with a minimum of 10 attacks since the program resumed in 2010. Haywood hit .833 at Trinity Baptist in 2012.
Broussard was perfect in the opening set, producing four kills in as many attempts and tacking on a pair of blocks. Hill had two kills during Xavier's 8-0 run to start the second set.
Xavier trailed 6-3 in the third set before closing with a 22-6 run which included five Haywood kills in six swings.
The Gold Nuggets finished with 43 kills and seven errors, a season low, in 77 attacks. Chinedu Echebelem had six kills, and CeCe Williams had five. Echebelem had nine digs and Williams eight, and Pirkl had 31 assists, six digs and three blocks.
Kayla Jones served three of Xavier's four aces. Edward Waters (10-17, 2-11) had only one ace, none by freshman Kaylin Davison, the NAIA leader in aces per set. Davison failed to serve an ace in two matches against Xavier this season.
Xavier and SUNO will meet for the second time this year at 7 p.m. Thursday at XU's Convocation Center. It will be a Dig Pink match for breast cancer awareness, and fans are encouraged to wear pink that day.
The Gold Nuggets scored six of the final seven points at SUNO on Oct. 1 to rally for a five-set victory.
Box Score
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information
Director
Monday, October 27, 2014
TSU to Host Inaugural Teresa Phillips Thanksgiving Classic
NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State University women’s basketball team will host the inaugural Teresa Phillips Thanksgiving Classic, Nov. 29-30, in the Gentry Center.The tournament, which is named after TSU Director of Athletics and former head women’s basketball coach Teresa L. Phillips, will feature four teams from across the country, including Youngstown State, Nicholls State, Norfolk State and host TSU.
“We thought the Thanksgiving classic would be a great opportunity to give recognition to Coach Phillips,” said TSU head women's basketball coach Larry Inman. “Not only was she a great basketball coach but she continues to be a proven leader in college athletics. It is an attribute to all her years of service to Tennessee State University.”
Teresa Phillips was head coach of the Lady Tiger basketball program at TSU for 11 seasons from 1989-2000. The three-time OVC Coach of the Year recorded 144 total wins while at the helm of the women’s basketball program.
She guided the 1993-94 team to the program's first-ever Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship, the OVC tournament title and TSU’s first appearance in the NCAA tournament.
Phillips and her staff enjoyed another successful season in 1994-95 as the Lady Tigers (22-7, 12-4 OVC) claimed the regular season championship while earning its second consecutive tournament title and a trip to the NCAA tournament.
Phillips garnered national attention when she became the first woman to coach a Division I NCAA men’s basketball team in 2003. She is also an inaugural member of the Girls’ Preparatory School Sports Hall of Fame and a 2008 inductee of the Lookout Mountain Sports Hall of Fame.
Recently, the Ohio Valley Conference named Phillips one of the league's most influential women in its celebration of the 40th anniversary of Title IX. Just last year Phillips was featured on the Tennessean's Legendary Ladies Elite 8 list in conjunction with the 2014 Final Four.
All contests of the Teresa Phillips Thanksgiving Classic will be played in the Gentry Center located on TSU’s main campus. For ticket information call 615.963-ROAR.
Tournament Schedule
Saturday, Nov. 29
Nicholls State vs. Youngstown State – 1 p.m.
TSU vs. Norfolk State – 3 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 30
Norfolk State vs. Nicholls State – 12 p.m.
TSU vs. Youngstown State – 2 p.m.
COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
WCC broadens athlete transcript probe after fraud charge
VALHALLA, New York -- Westchester Community College is reviewing the transcripts and academic eligibility of dozens of its students-athletes over the last three to five years after The Journal News revealed that two star basketball players had their athletic scholarships yanked from Florida A&M University because of phony transcripts.The alleged transcript fraud resulted in the firing of assistant WCC basketball coach Richard Fields and a criminal investigation.
"We're looking at all athletes in all sports going back several years," said WCC spokesman Patrick Hennessey. "We feel it was an isolated incident, but we're checking. We want to make sure."
Fields, the assistant coach, was fired Oct. 16 after admitting he provided a phony transcript for Jamell Walker and forged an administrator's signature on an eligibility form for him, Hennessey said.
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Alabama State must move on after falling 37-36 to Alabama A&M in Magic City Classic
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Three weeks ago, Reggie Barlow and his Alabama State football team were on top of the SWAC. The Hornets were 4-1 overall and 3-0 in conference play.
Three straight losses later, Barlow and his Hornets are .500 overall and in their league following a 37-36 loss to rival Alabama A&M in the 73rd State Farm Magic City Classic.
The coach said following the game that he hasn't lost faith in his squad.
"We know that we're a good team," he said. "We've just got to stick together and get ready for the next game. That's all it is at this point."
Twice Saturday, the Hornets led by two touchdowns, the latter in the third quarter.
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Three straight losses later, Barlow and his Hornets are .500 overall and in their league following a 37-36 loss to rival Alabama A&M in the 73rd State Farm Magic City Classic.
The coach said following the game that he hasn't lost faith in his squad.
"We know that we're a good team," he said. "We've just got to stick together and get ready for the next game. That's all it is at this point."
Twice Saturday, the Hornets led by two touchdowns, the latter in the third quarter.
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Downhill Slide Continues for Jackson State
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Coming off their bye-week, Jackson State head coach Harold Jackson expected to see a rejuvenated Tiger team take the field. However, JSU quickly fell behind 27-0 to defending SWAC Champion Southern and wound up losing its third game in a row 42-28. JSU also lost its fourth straight home game as the Tigers are now 3-5 on the season and 1-4 in conference play.
Lenard Tillery ran for 166 yards and a touchdown as Southern University beat Jackson State 42-28 Saturday night.
Austin Howard finished with 250 yards passing and a touchdown for the Jaguars (5-3, 4-1 SWAC).
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WJTV News Channel 12
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Lenard Tillery ran for 166 yards and a touchdown as Southern University beat Jackson State 42-28 Saturday night.
Austin Howard finished with 250 yards passing and a touchdown for the Jaguars (5-3, 4-1 SWAC).
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WJTV News Channel 12
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PVAMU Panthers Win 2014 SWAC Cross Country Championship
CLINTON, Mississippi -- A first-place performance by Sorone Batiste and fourth-place finish from Jarrod Ballou paved the way for Prairie View A&M to claim their fourth SWAC men's cross country championship in school history at Choctaw Trails on Monday morning.Batiste fought off a challenge from TSU's Jose Medina as he topped the field in a time of 26:34.84 en route to SWAC Cross Country Athlete of the Year honors. After a 2-3 performance by TSU, the Panthers responded and showcased their depth as Jarrod Ballou placed fourth followed by sixth and seventh-place finishes from Aaron Austin and Syed Hussain to seal the victory.
As a result of their finishes, Batiste and Ballou received All-SWAC First Team honors while Austin and Hussain finished with second team honors. Head coach Chris Clay was named SWAC Coach of the Year and won his first cross country title as head coach and his third overall as he served as an assistant during PVAMU's SWAC title wins in 2005 and 2006.
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COURTESY PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
Battle of the Bands: N.C, A&T Blue and Gold Marching Machine vs. FAMU Marching 100
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Southern Monday Morning Rewind
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Coming up
Southern (5-3 overall and 4-1 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference) returns home for the first time in four weeks when it plays Alabama State at 6 p.m. Saturday in A.W. Mumford Stadium. The Hornets are 4-4 and 3-3 after a 37-36 defeat against Alabama A&M last Saturday. ASU led 20-7 at halftime but got outscored 16-3 in the fourth quarter and missed what would have been a go-ahead 30-yard field goal with 12 seconds left. Last season, the Jaguars defeated the Hornets 31-38 in Montgomery, Alabama, when Greg Pittman made a tie-breaking 43-yard field goal with 18 seconds left.
Looking back
Willie Quinn returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown, Jaleel Richardson returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown and Lenard Tillery ran 77 yards for a touchdown as Southern used a series of big plays to jump on top of Jackson State early and a claim a 42-28 victory in Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. QBs Deonte Shorts and Austin Howard both ran for ...
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Sunday, October 26, 2014
BSU Diaz-Aviles 41-Yard Field Goal Lifts Bulldogs Past Virginia Union 20-17 on Overtime
RICHMOND, Virginia -- Bowie State University senior Mario Diaz-Aviles (Washington, D.C.) booted a (career-best) 41 yard field goal in overtime to lift the Bulldogs to a thrilling 20-17 victory over the Panthers of Virginia Union University. The win moves the Bowie State record to 3-5 overall (3-2 in the CIAA) while the Panthers record goes to 6-2 overall (4-1 in the CIAA).Bulldogs graduate student Matthew Goggans (Pine Grove, Calif.) came off the bench to lead Bowie State's offense with 110 passing yards, completing 12-of-34 and had one interception. Redshirt senior Keith Brown (Temple Hills, Md.) rushed for a game-high 49 yards and redshirt junior Kendall Jefferson (Temple Hills, Md.) added 32 rushing yards.
Junior Garry Cropper (Odenton, Md.) led Bowie State in reception yards with 49 on three receptions. Graduate student Christopher Townsend (Washington, D.C.) recorded a game-high 11 tackles for the Bulldogs while junior Anthony McDaniel (Fort Washington, MD) tallied nine tackles and four sacks. McDaniel's four sacks tied the school record set by Randy Norris (1988 vs. Johnson C. Smith).
As a team, the Bulldogs racked a nine total sacks on the afternoon, tying the school record set back in 1988 vs. North Carolina Central.
Virginia Union's third string quarterback Dane James came off the bench to pace the Panthers offense with 149 passing yards, completing 14-of-29 passes but was intercepted twice and sacked five times. The Panthers defense was led by Darrell Lamb's nine total tackles followed by Dominique Roane and Charles Davis with eight each.
The Panthers scored the first points of the afternoon via a school record 51-yard field goal by Troy Krepich for the early 3-0 Virginia Union first quarter lead.
With 3:42 left in the second quarter, Bowie State redshirt junior Kendall Jefferson (Temple Hills, Md.) scampered around the left end for a two yard score. Diaz-Aviles added the extra point, giving the Bulldogs a 7-3 lead, capping off a 10-play, 35 yard drive.
VUU's Panthers respond with a 38-yard Dane James to Jussie York pass and catch for six. Krepich converted the PAT to shift the advantage back over to Virginia Union at 10-7 with 2:20 left in second quarter and stayed that way into halftime. Yussie hauled in seven receptions for a game-high 103 yards and Lennworth Lennon had eight receptions for 93 yards.
Bowie State junior Curtis Pumphrey (Laurel, Md.) forced a Panthers fumble which was recovered by Christopher Townsend and returned 36 yards for a Bulldogs touchdown at the 11:55 mark of the third quarter. The Diaz-Aviles extra point gave the Bulldogs a 14-10 lead.
Virginia Union's Jerome Robinson busted up the middle for a 15-yard rushing touchdown and the Krepich point after made the score 17-14 at the 6:12 mark of the third.
The Bulldogs missed a huge scoring opportunity early in the fourth quarter when Bennett was intercepted in the Virginia Union end zone. The Panthers pushed the ball down to the BSU 13 yard line but came away empty.
Bowie State's Diaz-Aviles tied the game at 17-all at the 4:04 mark of the fourth quarter via a 27-yard field goal.
Both teams had opportunities in the final minutes of regulation but couldn't score, sending the game into overtime. With four seconds remaining in regulation, Virginia Union's Krepich could have been the hero, but missed a 37-yard field goal as time expired, sending the game into overtime.
In the overtime period, Virginia Union went on offense first but saw their first two plays result into back-to-back sacks with the third play being an interception by Pumphrey, his second of the game.
Following Pumphrey's pick, Bowie State got their first overtime opportunity with their first two plays netting a minus five yard. On third and 15 from the Panthers 30 yard line, Goggans scrambled and rushed for six yards to the VUU 24 yard line, setting up Diaz-Aviles for the game winning field goal.
The Bulldogs will play their final road contest of the season on a Saturday (November 1st) traveling to The Lincoln University for a 1 pm kickoff.
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WSSU's Felder Has Career Day; Rams Hold Off Livingstone Blue Bears 34-17
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Winston-Salem State's Brenden Felder accounted for 245 all-purpose yards, and Phillip Sims threw touchdowns to Felder as the Rams held off a scrappy Livingstone College Blue Bear team, 34-17 on Senior Day at Bowman Gray Stadium.
With the win, Winston-Salem State moves to 7-1 overall, 4-0 in the CIAA and 3-0 in the Southern Division. Livingstone falls to 5-3 overall, 2-3 in the CIAA and 1-2 in the Southern Division.
It wouldn't take the WSSU Rams long to get on the scoreboard, as they would go 78 yards in four plays on the second possession, capped by a Mustafa Greene 59 yard touchdown sprint, to push the Rams out in front 7-0 early.
The Blue Bears came into game riding the legs and arm of quarterback, Drew Powell and the hands of receiver Jalen Hendricks, and although they were able to move the ball, they were not able to push into the Rams end of the field in the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter WSSU would go on a long drive covering 68 yards and 10 plays, and the Rams would add to their score with a 25 yards field goal from Alejandro Suarez, giving WSSU a 10-7 advantage.
Livingstone would finally get on the board after a Brenden Felder fumble on a punt return set the Blue Bears up in good field position.
LC's Leonardo Manzo would connect on a 27 yard field goal, to cut into the Rams lead, 10-3.
But as quick as the Blue Bears could line up and kickoff, WSSU's Brenden Felder wouold make up for his previous miscue in a big way. Felder would take the kickoff five yards deep in the endzone, and weave his way through the oncoming defenders, and break away down the right sideline for a 105 yard kickoff return for a touchdown, giving the Rams a 17-3 lead.
Neither team would manage to score anymore before the half, and Winston-Salem State would take the 14 point advantage into the locker room for the break.
Winston-Salem State would break the game wide open in the third quarter with multiple scores. With 7:31 on the clock, William Johnson connected on a 43 yard field goal, and at the end of the quarter, Phillip Sims would hit Brenden Felder from 10 yards out for a touchdown to give the Rams a commanding 27-3 lead.
Livingstone would not go away, and Drew Powell would lead the Blue Bears on a 75 yard eight play drive and he would find Austin Higgins open for a one yard throw and catch for a score. WSSU would block the PAT, to stay out in front 27-9.
But two minutes later, the combination of Sims and Felder would strike again, this time, with Sims feeling the defensive pressure and falling backwards, he would throw a bullet downfield to a wide open Felder from 60 yards out for another WSSU score, giving the Rams a 34-9 lead.
Still not wanting to throw in the towel, Livingstone would manage to reach the goal line once more, as Drew Powell would find Jalen Hendricks across the middle and he would take it 26 yards for the final points of the day, making the score 34-17.
WSSU would surrender a season high 415 total yards (134 rushing, 281 passing), but was able to keep the Blue Bears out of the endzone. The Rams gained 409 total yards (204 rushing, 205 passing) on the afternoon.
Offensively for WSSU, Mustafa Greene led the Rams rushing attack with 97 yard on just 11 carries and one score, while Rudy Johnson ran for 66 yards on five carries. Maurice Lewis picked up 49 yards on eight carries.
Phillip Sims finished the afternoon 12 of 20 for 181 yards and two touchdowns, with Rudy Johnson going one of three for 24 yards.
Marcel Caver caught four passes for 43 yards, and Brenden Felder had three catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns. Michael Benis and Eric Williams had two catches each, with Benis going for 30 yards and Williams going for 18 yards.
Brenden Felder had a monster day on special teams for the Rams, with three kickoff returns for 154 yards, including a school record tying 100 yard return for a touchdown. Alejandro Suarez went one for two on field goals with a 36 yards make, and William Johnson also went one for two with a made field goal from 43 yards out.
Defensively, Terry Ross finished with a game and season high 10 tackles, while James Hickman finished with eight tackles and a fumble recovery. Conor O'Neal had another solid game with five tackles, one sack, one tackle for a loss, one pass breakup and one quarterback hurry. Duvontae Covington finished with five tackles and a tackle for a loss. Five other Rams had four tackles each, and Michael Bloomfield and Quinton Alton each had 0.5 sack. Omari Williams had a fumble recovery and D'Metrius Smith had a forced fumble.
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COURTESY WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
With the win, Winston-Salem State moves to 7-1 overall, 4-0 in the CIAA and 3-0 in the Southern Division. Livingstone falls to 5-3 overall, 2-3 in the CIAA and 1-2 in the Southern Division.
It wouldn't take the WSSU Rams long to get on the scoreboard, as they would go 78 yards in four plays on the second possession, capped by a Mustafa Greene 59 yard touchdown sprint, to push the Rams out in front 7-0 early.
The Blue Bears came into game riding the legs and arm of quarterback, Drew Powell and the hands of receiver Jalen Hendricks, and although they were able to move the ball, they were not able to push into the Rams end of the field in the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter WSSU would go on a long drive covering 68 yards and 10 plays, and the Rams would add to their score with a 25 yards field goal from Alejandro Suarez, giving WSSU a 10-7 advantage.
Livingstone would finally get on the board after a Brenden Felder fumble on a punt return set the Blue Bears up in good field position.
LC's Leonardo Manzo would connect on a 27 yard field goal, to cut into the Rams lead, 10-3.
But as quick as the Blue Bears could line up and kickoff, WSSU's Brenden Felder wouold make up for his previous miscue in a big way. Felder would take the kickoff five yards deep in the endzone, and weave his way through the oncoming defenders, and break away down the right sideline for a 105 yard kickoff return for a touchdown, giving the Rams a 17-3 lead.
Neither team would manage to score anymore before the half, and Winston-Salem State would take the 14 point advantage into the locker room for the break.
Winston-Salem State would break the game wide open in the third quarter with multiple scores. With 7:31 on the clock, William Johnson connected on a 43 yard field goal, and at the end of the quarter, Phillip Sims would hit Brenden Felder from 10 yards out for a touchdown to give the Rams a commanding 27-3 lead.
Livingstone would not go away, and Drew Powell would lead the Blue Bears on a 75 yard eight play drive and he would find Austin Higgins open for a one yard throw and catch for a score. WSSU would block the PAT, to stay out in front 27-9.
But two minutes later, the combination of Sims and Felder would strike again, this time, with Sims feeling the defensive pressure and falling backwards, he would throw a bullet downfield to a wide open Felder from 60 yards out for another WSSU score, giving the Rams a 34-9 lead.
Still not wanting to throw in the towel, Livingstone would manage to reach the goal line once more, as Drew Powell would find Jalen Hendricks across the middle and he would take it 26 yards for the final points of the day, making the score 34-17.
WSSU would surrender a season high 415 total yards (134 rushing, 281 passing), but was able to keep the Blue Bears out of the endzone. The Rams gained 409 total yards (204 rushing, 205 passing) on the afternoon.
Offensively for WSSU, Mustafa Greene led the Rams rushing attack with 97 yard on just 11 carries and one score, while Rudy Johnson ran for 66 yards on five carries. Maurice Lewis picked up 49 yards on eight carries.
Phillip Sims finished the afternoon 12 of 20 for 181 yards and two touchdowns, with Rudy Johnson going one of three for 24 yards.
Marcel Caver caught four passes for 43 yards, and Brenden Felder had three catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns. Michael Benis and Eric Williams had two catches each, with Benis going for 30 yards and Williams going for 18 yards.
Brenden Felder had a monster day on special teams for the Rams, with three kickoff returns for 154 yards, including a school record tying 100 yard return for a touchdown. Alejandro Suarez went one for two on field goals with a 36 yards make, and William Johnson also went one for two with a made field goal from 43 yards out.
Defensively, Terry Ross finished with a game and season high 10 tackles, while James Hickman finished with eight tackles and a fumble recovery. Conor O'Neal had another solid game with five tackles, one sack, one tackle for a loss, one pass breakup and one quarterback hurry. Duvontae Covington finished with five tackles and a tackle for a loss. Five other Rams had four tackles each, and Michael Bloomfield and Quinton Alton each had 0.5 sack. Omari Williams had a fumble recovery and D'Metrius Smith had a forced fumble.
BOX SCORE
COURTESY WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
NCCU Dominates Savannah State Tigers, 42-14
DURHAM, North Carolina -- The North Carolina Central University football team created an explosive 42-14 victory against the Savannah State University Tigers Saturday, Oct. 25 in O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium.
NCCU junior wide receiver Anas Hasic had a game-high and season-best of 174 receiving yards; the most by an Eagle since Oct. 3, 2009, when Will Scott accumulated 179. Hasic also managed three touchdowns with 10 catches during Saturday's showdown.
Eagles quarterback Malcolm Bell passed for 287 yards and was responsible for five out of the six NCCU touchdowns. Saturday's game was Bell's sixth straight contest with more than 200 passing yards and a touchdown.
"I think our team is making strides in the right direction on offense, defense, and special teams," said NCCU head coach Jerry Mack. "They went out there and executed our game-plan to the best of their ability, and that's all I ask for from those guys."
The Tigers were hungry for a win, sitting 0-4 in the MEAC and 0-7 overall, but the NCCU defense—led by Jordan Miles with 10 tackles and 1.5 for a loss—would only allow one touchdown in the first half.
Savannah State quarterback Tino Smith II executed a 56-yard touchdown pass on third down and 18 with 2:06 remaining in first-quarter play.
The Eagles were scoreless in the first quarter, but refused to remain silent as their second quarter opening drive resulted in a tight, six-yard touchdown catch by Hasic. With the extra kick from Eric Fenton, the Eagles and Tigers were tied up at seven with 12:41 on the clock in the first half.
A quarterback sack by Miles and Tre Smith pushed the Tigers back to third down and 18, yet again, only this time the Tigers were unsuccessful on their conversion as the clock ticked down to 5:23.
Bell capped the first half scoring with a one-yard rushing touchdown after 12 plays and 74 yards, leaving only 12.7 seconds until halftime. NCCU took the lead over Savannah State at 14-7 by the end of the second quarter.
With 9:49 left in the third quarter, Bell launched a 50-yard touchdown pass to Hasic, who slipped just past a tackle to run it in the end zone. Hasic's connection with Bell gave the Eagles their 21-7 lead over the Tigers.
The Eagles didn't stop. Bell broke free for a six-yard touchdown continuing the domination and widening the score to 28-7 with 4:16 in the remainder of the quarter.
Michael Jones caught a leaping interception in the end zone with 2:59 to play in the third, but the Tigers decided they weren't going to give up just yet.
On a 47-yard punt by Nathaniel Tilque, Savannah State's Ker-Sean Wilson returned the ball for 54 yards. Two plays and 15 yards later, the Tigers trimmed the lead to 28-14.
Lineman Felix Small contributed to the NCCU defense with seven tackles and three sacks, giving him the most in the last 15 years.
NCCU's fourth quarter was a success, holding the Tigers scoreless and bringing about two more touchdowns.
Andre Clarke got some touchdown action with a two-yard run into the end zone early in the fourth quarter, followed by Hasic's third touchdown of the day with 4:28 left in the game.
Savannah State running back Richard Williams ran around the NCCU defense with 87 rushing yards and 58 receiving yards, but couldn't give the Tigers enough to come out on top.
NCCU finished the game at 42-14 against the Savannah State Tigers, and will return to the field in Daytona Beach, Florida against MEAC opponent Bethune-Cookman Saturday, Nov. 1 at 4 p.m.
Written by Staci Green
COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
Albany State rips Clark Atlanta 34-12 for Homecoming
ALBANY, Georgia -- They hugged. Dished out high-fives. Then offered words of congratulations.On this picture-perfect afternoon, the final regular-season season home game at the Albany State University Coliseum served as Senior Day and Homecoming. And no matter how many blown assignments, penalties or turnovers the Rams compiled, this was a day for Albany State.
The Rams scored three first-half touchdowns and routed Clark Atlanta 34-12 before 9,736 on Saturday.
What was even better was the Albany State defense, with the exception of a few busted plays, shut down Clark’s tricky triple-option offensive attack.
Even head coach Mike White had to smile about this one.
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Two Florida A&M Players Dismissed Amidst False JUCO Transcripts Probe
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Former Radford head coach Byron Samuels is having to build from the ground up at Florida A&M. Seven Rattlers transferred out this summer and the whole roster was basically rebuilt. FAMU is also suffering from a postseason ban due to APR violations handed down by the NCAA. It was already expected to be a tough season in Tallahassee but now it may even be tougher for Samuels.
NCAA scholarships yanked, WCC coach fired in transcript probe
Two JUCO transfers, Jamell Walker and Damien Davis, are off the Rattlers roster and have had their scholarships pulled after it was discovered they had false transcripts. The Journal News of Westchester, New York explains the situation:
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NCAA scholarships yanked, WCC coach fired in transcript probe
VALHALLA, New York -- Florida A&M University has yanked full athletic scholarships from two men's basketball players who used to play at Westchester Community College and a WCC assistant men's basketball coach has been fired amid a criminal investigation into transcript fraud, an investigation by The Journal News has found.
FAMU, already banned from postseason play by the NCAA because of academic performance issues, pulled the scholarships of Jamell Walker, a former standout at Mount Vernon High School, and Damien Davis, a sought-after player from Wings Academy in the Bronx, said Alvin Hollins, the university's assistant sports information director.
WCC assistant basketball coach Richard Fields was fired Oct. 16 after admitting he provided a phony transcript for Walker and forged the signature of an administrator on an eligibility form for Walker, said WCC spokesman Pat Hennessey. Walker and Davis were juniors at FAMU, an NCAA Division I program in Tallahassee, Florida.
"He manufactured a fake transcript," Hennessey said of Fields. "Jamell took one course here. The transcript said he earned a full degree and graduated."
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NCAA scholarships yanked, WCC coach fired in transcript probe
Two JUCO transfers, Jamell Walker and Damien Davis, are off the Rattlers roster and have had their scholarships pulled after it was discovered they had false transcripts. The Journal News of Westchester, New York explains the situation:
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| AL LAWSON CENTER FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY |
NCAA scholarships yanked, WCC coach fired in transcript probe
VALHALLA, New York -- Florida A&M University has yanked full athletic scholarships from two men's basketball players who used to play at Westchester Community College and a WCC assistant men's basketball coach has been fired amid a criminal investigation into transcript fraud, an investigation by The Journal News has found.
FAMU, already banned from postseason play by the NCAA because of academic performance issues, pulled the scholarships of Jamell Walker, a former standout at Mount Vernon High School, and Damien Davis, a sought-after player from Wings Academy in the Bronx, said Alvin Hollins, the university's assistant sports information director.
WCC assistant basketball coach Richard Fields was fired Oct. 16 after admitting he provided a phony transcript for Walker and forged the signature of an administrator on an eligibility form for Walker, said WCC spokesman Pat Hennessey. Walker and Davis were juniors at FAMU, an NCAA Division I program in Tallahassee, Florida.
"He manufactured a fake transcript," Hennessey said of Fields. "Jamell took one course here. The transcript said he earned a full degree and graduated."
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Hampton blanks Delaware State in MEAC loss
DOVER. Delaware — The offense barely crossed midfield and the defense couldn’t stop the run.
The punting game looked good though — well, for the most part.
Delaware State was thoroughly outplayed in a 23-0 MidEastern Athletic Conference loss to Hampton on Saturday afternoon. The Hornets (2-3 MEAC, 2-7) only had the ball in Hampton territory four times.
“When you’re as inconsistent as we were today you expect to get your butt whooped,” said DSU coach Kermit Blount. “And we got our butt whooped.”
It was Hampton’s (1-3, 2-6) first win over a Division I opponent this season and the first time the Pirates recorded a shutout since 2009.
COURTESY DSU HORNETS ATHLETICS
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The punting game looked good though — well, for the most part.
Delaware State was thoroughly outplayed in a 23-0 MidEastern Athletic Conference loss to Hampton on Saturday afternoon. The Hornets (2-3 MEAC, 2-7) only had the ball in Hampton territory four times.
“When you’re as inconsistent as we were today you expect to get your butt whooped,” said DSU coach Kermit Blount. “And we got our butt whooped.”
It was Hampton’s (1-3, 2-6) first win over a Division I opponent this season and the first time the Pirates recorded a shutout since 2009.
COURTESY DSU HORNETS ATHLETICS
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Howard Women's Soccer Shuts Out UAPB To Earn SWAC Regular Season Title
VESTAVIA HILLS, Alabama -- A dominating performance worthy of a champion served as the fitting conclusion to the Howard women's soccer team's inaugural regular season in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Led by a balancing scoring effort, the Lady Bison won the SWAC regular season championship with a 6-0 shutout of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff on Sunday afternoon at the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex.
With the win, Howard (10-8-1) completed a 9-1 first run through the SWAC conference and an undefeated 4-0 home slate at their neutral site home field in Vestavia Hills, 15 minutes outside of Birmingham. The victory also ties the program record for of 10 wins in a season, set by the 2001 Lady Bison team.
Howard's win holds other significance as well:
- The championship is the first by any Howard sport since 2007 (Softball, MEAC Regular Season & Tournament);
- With one regular season non-conference game left before the SWAC Tournament, Howard ensured its first overall record of .500 or better since the record-setting 2001 squad;
- Howard's six goals and six-goal victory are the largest totals of the season and the most since a 10-0 shutout of Washington Adventist on October 7, 2013.
Senior midfielder Nia Walcott and junior forward Nikanya Clark each scored a pair of goals and assisted one another while junior forward Rasheeda Ansari and freshman Noelle McCullom added a goal apiece. Walcott and Clark are currently tied for the team lead with eight goals, three assists and 19 total points. Senior Ayanna Carter and freshmen Whitney White & I-sis Wilson recorded assists as well.
Howard scored three goals within a 3:36 span early on and added a fourth in the 36th minute to take a 4-0 over UAPB (2-15, 1-7 SWAC) into halftime. The Lady Bison would add a pair in the 68th and 87th minutes to set the final margin.
COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
Led by a balancing scoring effort, the Lady Bison won the SWAC regular season championship with a 6-0 shutout of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff on Sunday afternoon at the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex.
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| HOWARD UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM 2014 SWAC REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONS ROSTER |
Howard's win holds other significance as well:
- The championship is the first by any Howard sport since 2007 (Softball, MEAC Regular Season & Tournament);
- With one regular season non-conference game left before the SWAC Tournament, Howard ensured its first overall record of .500 or better since the record-setting 2001 squad;
- Howard's six goals and six-goal victory are the largest totals of the season and the most since a 10-0 shutout of Washington Adventist on October 7, 2013.
Senior midfielder Nia Walcott and junior forward Nikanya Clark each scored a pair of goals and assisted one another while junior forward Rasheeda Ansari and freshman Noelle McCullom added a goal apiece. Walcott and Clark are currently tied for the team lead with eight goals, three assists and 19 total points. Senior Ayanna Carter and freshmen Whitney White & I-sis Wilson recorded assists as well.
Howard scored three goals within a 3:36 span early on and added a fourth in the 36th minute to take a 4-0 over UAPB (2-15, 1-7 SWAC) into halftime. The Lady Bison would add a pair in the 68th and 87th minutes to set the final margin.
COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
TU Golden Tigers delight packed house for homecoming
TUSKEGEE, Alabama – Tuskegee turned in its sharpest performance of the season, coasting to a 38-9 homecoming victory over Kentucky State on Saturday.
The quarterbacks also played their best game of the year, combining to go 16-for-18 passing for a season-high 291 yards.
Sophomore Kevin Lacey was 10-for-11 passing with 180 yards, and rushed for 19 yards and a touchdown. Senior Justin Nared went 4-for-4 with two touchdowns, and added 24 yards on the ground.
"I've really been focusing on making the right reads and making sure I check where the safeties are when the ball is snapped," Lacey said. "All week, we've been working on this, just trying to get better of making corner reads, safety reads. A lot of the play calls were putting us in a position to make great throws and execute the offense."
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Arkansas-Pine Bluff overcomes deficit to defeat TSU
HOUSTON, Texas -- Benjamin Anderson connected with Willie Young on fourth-quarter touchdown passes of 60 and 69 yards to lead Arkansas-Pine Bluff past Texas Southern 38-37 on Saturday night at BBVA Compass Stadium.Anderson completed just 12 of 23 passes but finished with 288 yards passing and three touchdowns. Young had three receptions and 142 yards.
Brian Handley, who came into the game with just 179 yards on 46 carries this season, ran for 193 yards and two touchdowns for UAPB (2-5, 1-4 Southwestern Athletic Conference).
TSU (5-3, 3-3) trailed 26-17 at halftime but used touchdown runs by Jimmy Potepa and Daveonn Porter to take a 31-26 lead into the fourth quarter.
The teams combined for 1,096 total yards and just four punts.
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FCS Title races completely change
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SportsNetwork.com) -- The race for FCS conference titles apparently was replaced on Saturday by the one seeking the deepest race.
There are plenty of candidates after a handful of last year's automatic playoff qualifiers turned their noses on having the inside track toward their conference title.
On a day of upsets in which seven Top 25 teams lost, including three of the top eight, the Big Sky, Mid-Eastern Athletic, Southland and Northeast conferences all had their nationally ranked first-place squad go down.
Bethune-Cookman's road loss to South Carolina State was the least surprising, but it left the MEAC in a scramble with six of its 11 teams having one loss each. Having played an extra conference game already, North Carolina A&T is 4-1 and holding a slight edge on Bethune, South Carolina State, Morgan State, North Carolina Central and Norfolk State, which are 3-1 each. But South Carolina State has pivotal wins over Bethune and North Carolina A&T, and that could lead to the Bulldogs earning the automatic playoff bid at the finish line.
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Magic City Classic 2014: 2-Minute Drill of A&M 37, Alabama State 36
The Bulldogs were behind but they never got down. Not emotionally, anyway. They stuck to their guns and kept striving. That had to be difficult with Alabama State seeming to go down the field at will. But A&M found enough defense to stay within striking distance. Ultimately, they struck with the game-winning touchdown.
KEY MOMENT
Fans couldn't leave their seats after Lee found Tevin McKenzie on the 49-yard pass that gave A&M the lead. They had to sit tight as the Hornets drove down the field. The game wasn't settled until the Hornet freshman Preston Clark missed a field goal in the final seconds.
WHAT FANS ARE SAYING
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