COLUMBUS, Mississippi -- George Irby always knew Elbert Drungo Jr. could make an impact without saying a word.
Growing up in the same neighborhood in Columbus, Irby watched as Drungo Jr. matured into a 6-foot-4, 230-pound young man who earned the nickname "Hog" because he was so big and strong.
"He was kind of a legend in the neighborhood," Irby said.
Drungo Jr. used his teenage physical stature to his advantage to earn a job on a coal truck, which added to his reputation. That job was better than any training in a weight room Drungo Jr. could have gotten because it prepared him for the "work" he would put in Friday nights for the R.E. Hunt High School football team in Columbus.
Irby, a wide receiver on those Hunt High teams, was glad Drungo Jr. was a running back on his team so he didn't have to try to bring him down.
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Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Xavier's Hill, Goode selected GCAC Players of the Week
 Jodi Hill |  Anthony Goode |
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Jodi Hill and Anthony Goode are Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Players of the Week for Oct. 27-Nov. 2.
Hill, a 5-foot-9 junior middle blocker from Prairieville, La., and a graduate of Dutchtown High School, won the women's volleyball award. Goode, a 6-foot senior guard from Baltimore, Md., and a graduate of Milford Mill Academy, is the inaugural winner in men's basketball for 2014-15.
Hill hit .480 during a 3-0 week with only two attack errors and helped Xavier clinch its fourth consecutive GCAC regular-season championship. Hill hit a season-best .600 with nine kills and two blocks at Edward Waters, then had five kills, three blocks and an ace in a home sweep of GCAC runner-up SUNO. She was part of a defensive effort which limited SUNO to a hitting percentage of .089. SUNO entered the match ranked 13th in the NAIA with a .253 hitting percentage and was hitting .326 in GCAC matches.
Hill capped her week by hitting .500 at Philander Smith with a match-high 12 kills.
Goode led Xavier in scoring in season-opening victories against Belhaven (20 points) and Carver (25). His points are the most by a Gold Rush player in the first two games of a season in the last 12 years. Against Carver, Goode matched his career scoring high and grabbed a career-best eight rebounds. He shot 60.9 percent from the floor, 50 percent from 3-point range and 86.7 percent from the line during the week.
This is Goode's second GCAC weekly award; he won in February last season.
Both XU teams will play Thursday. The Gold Nuggets (17-5, 13-0) will visit city and GCAC rival Dillard at 7 p.m. to close their regular season, and the Gold Rush — 3-0 and ranked 13th in the NAIA — will play NCAA Division II's Albany State at 6 p.m. at the Convocation Center.
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information
Director
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
If you love sports, Alabama A&M is the place this weekend
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- If you're a sports fan, then Alabama A&M is the place to be this weekend.We've got SWAC Tournament soccer, volleyball, men's and women's basketball and it's all capped by a key SWAC East Division football showdown with a salute to our military.
The women's soccer team kicks off the SWAC tournament Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at John Hunt Park in Huntsville. The Lady Bulldogs take on Howard University in the first-round match. A&M fell to the Lady Bison 1-0 a couple of weeks ago.
Also Thursday, the Lady Bulldogs host in-state rival Alabama State in volleyball. The 7 p.m. match is at Elmore Gym and will be carried on the SWAC Digital Network. There is no charge for admission.
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Gold Rush are 3-0 after beating Belhaven again
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Morris Wright scored 17 points, and RJ Daniels and Jarvis Thibodeaux produced double-doubles to lead NAIA No. 13 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 78-55 men's basketball victory against Belhaven.The Gold Rush (3-0) defeated the Blazers (0-2) for the second time in six days.
Wright, an All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference guard as a sophomore last season, and Anthony Goode scored 11 points apiece to help Xavier extend a 38-28 halftime advantage. Thibodeaux's basket with 35 seconds remaining closed the scoring and gave Xavier its biggest lead.
Wright made all seven of his free-throw attempts and had four assists, a block, three steals and no turnovers in 33 minutes.
Daniels produced 12 points and 10 rebounds for his second consecutive double-double -- he had none in his previous two XU seasons -- and Thibodeaux had 10 points and a career-best 12 rebounds for his first XU double-double.
Goode scored 16 points and made two of Xavier's four 3-pointers. Reserve guards Troy Salvant and Gary Smith had seven points apiece.
Jordan Bedford, with 18 points, was Belhaven's lone double-figure scorer. Bedford made 5-of-6 3-pointers and is 11-of-17 from long range through two games.
Xavier trailed 8-2 through the first 3 1/2 minutes, then took the lead for good with a 21-4 run. Wright's basket at 12:52 put the Gold Rush ahead to stay, 10-8, and Goode and Smith capped the run with 3-pointers for a 23-12 lead at 9:17.
Xavier outshot the Blazers 44.1 to 40 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 36-26. Xavier committed a season-low 10 turnovers and gained 19 for its largest turnover margin in nearly two years.
The winning margin is the Gold Rush's fifth largest in the series, which Xavier leads 49-13.
This was the lone road game in Xavier's first nine contests. The Gold Rush will play NCAA Division II's Albany State at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Convocation Center.
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
Monday, November 3, 2014
Loyola sweeps XU to end Nuggets' 6-match win streak
NEW ORLEANS -- Lauren Brand had 11 kills and hit .400 Monday to lead Loyola to a 25-15, 25-21, 25-22 women's volleyball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana at The Den.
The Wolf Pack (12-17) gained a two-match season split with the Gold Nuggets (17-5) and snapped Xavier's six-match win streak.
CeCe Williams had nine kills and 10 digs for Xavier. Claudia Haywood had seven kills, Chinedu Echebelem had six kills and 11 digs, and Darian Harris had 13 digs.
Wren Overesch and Eva Allen had eight kills apiece for Loyola, and setter Daniela Lead had 25 assists, 10 digs and two blocks.
Xavier scored the first two points of the match, then the Wolf Pack won 13 of the next 14 points and closed the set on an Overesch kill. Xavier rallied from an 11-4 second-set deficit to a tie at 19 before two Overesch kills and three XU errors gave the Wolf Pack a two-set lead.
Loyola rallied from 14-9 and 19-15 deficits in the final set and closed the match with a 6-1 run.
Loyola outhit Xavier .248 to .151 and had advantages of 39-32 in kills and 4-2 in aces. The Gold Nuggets committed 40 errors, 13 more than the Wolf Pack.
Xavier will conclude its regular season with a 7 p.m. match at city and Gulf Coast Athletic Conference rival Dillard. The Gold Nuggets, who clinched the GCAC regular-season title on Saturday, will attempt to finish unbeaten in conference for the fourth consecutive year.
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information
Director
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Virginia State beats ECSU to stay unbeaten in CIAA
ETTRICK, Virginia -- Sophomore running back Kavon Bellamy records a career-high 139 yards rushing; including a game-high three rushing touchdowns to help lift the Virginia State University football team past Elizabeth City State University on Saturday afternoon, 41-14. VSU is on a four-game win streak.
With the victory, the Trojans improve to 4-2 overall and 3-0 in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association; while the Vikings drop to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in the CIAA.
Virginia State opened the game taking the ball 62 yards in 10 plays to record its first score off a nine-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Tarian Ayres to junior wide out Javion Smallwood, taking the 6-0 lead. The Trojans defense held the ECSU offense to only six plays on its first drive.
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With the victory, the Trojans improve to 4-2 overall and 3-0 in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association; while the Vikings drop to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in the CIAA.
Virginia State opened the game taking the ball 62 yards in 10 plays to record its first score off a nine-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Tarian Ayres to junior wide out Javion Smallwood, taking the 6-0 lead. The Trojans defense held the ECSU offense to only six plays on its first drive.
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UDC Firebirds Top East Coast Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
 Head Coach Lester Butler, Jr. has eight players returning from last year's ECC Championship team. Courtesy UDC Firebirds Athletics |
UDC finished last season with a 21-8 record and won the first ECC Championship in program history. They also made a trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the second time in three seasons since joining the ECC. The 2014-15 edition of the Firebirds has eight returning players on the roster from last year, including All-Conference First Team picks Denikka Brent and Telisha Turner.
LIU Post finished narrowly behind UDC in the poll with four first-place votes and 111 points. The Pioneers won the ECC Regular Season Championship last year and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. They return last year's ECC Player of the Year, Chelsea Williams, who averaged 19.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per-game last season. Williams was named 2014-15 Preseason Player of the Year.
Queens College wraps up the top-three with 89 points. The Knights – three years removed from a one-win campaign, finished last season with 20 wins and advanced to the ECC semifinals last season. NYIT, which received the final first place vote, comes in at fourth in the poll with 85 points.
The Firebirds open the 2014-15 season on November 8th with an exhibition game vs. Division I University of Maryland at the XFinity Center in College Park, MD. The Terrapins are the favorites to win the Big 10 Championship after finishing the 2013-14 season 28-7 overall and advancing to the NCAA Final Four.
2014-2015 ECC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
School Pts. Last Year's Record
1. District of Columbia (6) 116 21-8 (15-5 ECC)
2. LIU Post (4) 111 24-7 (18-2 ECC)
3. Queens 89 20-8 (15-5 ECC)
4. NYIT (1) 85 18-10 (13-7 ECC)
5. Roberts Wesleyan 72 15-14 (10-10 ECC)
6. Molloy 70 14-14 (11-9 ECC)
7. St. Thomas Aquinas 61 12-13 (8-12 ECC)
8. Dowling 38 10-16 (9-11 ECC)
9. Bridgeport 31 7-19 (5-15 ECC)
10. Daemen 30 8-18 (5-15 ECC)
11. Mercy 23 2-24 (1-19 ECC)
( ) - First Place Votes
Preseason Player of the Year: Chelsea Williams, LIU Post (5-7, Sr., G, Copiague, N.Y.)
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Lincoln Lions Win 2014 CIAA Women's Cross Country Championships
After several fourth place finishes at the CIAA Cross Country Championships (2010, 2012, and 2013) and a fifth place in 2011 the Lions finally got over the hump led by Head Coach Damion Drummond capturing their first ever CIAA Championship in 2014.
Senior Shana Brown (Baltimore, MD/Institute of Notre Dame) led the Lions with a third place finish crossing the line with a time of 19:33. Two others placed in the top-10 with senior Alexis Cubbage (North Plainfield, NJ/Union Catholic HS)'s sixth place finish (19:54) and sophomore Sarah Gray (Brooklyn, NY/Midwood HS)'s eighth place finish (20:29). SophomoreGenae Butler (Baltimore, MD/Western HS) was fourth for the Lions with a time of 20:56 arriving in 12th place while seniorAshley Torres (Oxford, PA/Oxford Area HS) (22:27) was 30th, senior Samiyah Salih (Irvington, NJ/Benedictine Academy)(22:46) was 31st, and sophomore Emani Parsons (Brooklyn, NY/Midwood HS) (23:04) was 34th rounding out Lincoln's championship team.
Winston-Salem State finished as the runners-up with 60 points. Shaw (95) finished third and Virginia State (121) took fourth. Virginia State's Taylor-Ashley Bean won the women's 5K, finishing in 19:27.
RESULTS
COURTESY THE LINCOLN UNIVERSITY LIONS SPORTS INFORMATION
Miles defeats Stillman, 26-22, behind 208 rushing yards from Jonathon Clark
FAIRFIELD, Alabama -- Running back Jonathon Clark had a monster night for Miles, rushing for 208 yards in a tight 26-22 win over Stillman.
Clark was the difference in a game that was hotly contested and even in most categories.
Stillman got on the scoreboard first when quarterback Josh Straughan scored on a five-yard sprint into the endzone at the 11:48 mark.
Miles answered with a 27-yard touchdown rush by Xavier Bacon to tie the score at 7-7 at the end of the first quarter.
Alexander Morri scored on a one-yard rush for Miles and, after a missed extra point, led 13-7. Stillman, though, came right back and scored a touchdown on a two-yard run from Dondre Purnell.
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Grambling snuffs out TSU's faint SWAC title hopes
HOUSTON, Texas -- Any chance of Texas Southern earning a share of the Southwestern Athletic Conference West Division title officially ended Saturday. And quickly.
What was a long shot at best of making up a three-game deficit in the standings, TSU's focus now is on maintaining a winning overall record after Saturday night's 35-7 loss to Grambling State at BBVA Compass Stadium.
In winning its sixth straight game, Grambling (6-3, 6-0) controlled the game from start to finish, sending TSU (5-4, 3-4) to its third consecutive loss with two games remaining.
"We're not finishing," TSU coach Darrell Asberry said. "We'll have a great offense one week, we'll sputter another week.
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What was a long shot at best of making up a three-game deficit in the standings, TSU's focus now is on maintaining a winning overall record after Saturday night's 35-7 loss to Grambling State at BBVA Compass Stadium.
In winning its sixth straight game, Grambling (6-3, 6-0) controlled the game from start to finish, sending TSU (5-4, 3-4) to its third consecutive loss with two games remaining.
"We're not finishing," TSU coach Darrell Asberry said. "We'll have a great offense one week, we'll sputter another week.
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FAMU falls on homecoming, fans irked by coaching change
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TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The Florida A&M football team nearly pulled off a much-needed homecoming win, but a quarterback sneak came up short to cap a frustrating week for the Rattlers.
The team rallied despite FAMU athletic director Kellen Winslow making the controversial decision to fire head coach Earl Holmes on Tuesday of homecoming week. Assistant Corey Fuller appointed interim head football coach.
Holmes, a former FAMU player, finished with a 6-16 record at the school and was startled by the timing of the coaching change.
"As a Hall of Famer – FAMU Hall of Fame and MEAC Hall of Fame – on homecoming weekend . . . I don't know," Holmes told the Tallahassee Democrat shortly after addressing FAMU players for the final time. "I'm amazed. Amazed."
The Rattlers (2-7, 2-3 in the MEAC) nearly won despite the ...
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Struggles in red zone deliver latest SWAC loss for JSU
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Ryan Griffin passed the question to Daniel Williams.Williams put both hands on his head and took a deep breath before answering.
“It’s tough,” the sophomore wide receiver said. “I know this is a tough loss. We had plenty of opportunities in the red zone. We were in the red zone a whole bunch of times.”
Jackson State fell to Alabama A&M 25-14 Saturday at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
It was the Tigers’ fourth straight loss.
They couldn’t take advantage of scoring opportunities throughout the game.
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Bethel's last-minute basket edges Gold Nuggets, 68-66
 |
| The 2014-15 Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball team. ROSTER |
The Gold Nuggets (0-2), who lost to a top-10 opponent for the second straight day, got 16 points from Vinnie Briggs, 15 from Eliqua Brooks and 13 from Whitney Gathright. Brooks made three 3-pointers for the second consecutive game.
Jackliann Street had 23 points, 14 rebounds and five assists for Bethel (2-0), and Shamon Pearson scored 16.
Street passed to McKenty for the winning shot and her only points of the second half. Xavier missed a pair of field-goal attempts in the final 40 seconds.
Xavier trailed by five in the final four minutes before tying the score at 64 on Alesha Smith's basket at 1:50 and again at 66 on two Briggs free throws at 1:39.
The Gold Nuggets trailed 12-6 in the seventh minute before producing a 25-8 run which gave them their biggest lead, 31-20. Gathright, Briggs and Brooks combined for 25 points during the surge, which Gathright capped with a 3-pointer at 4:22. Brooks and Trana Hopkins also made 3's during the run.
But Xavier went scoreless on its next seven possessions, and Bethel cut the Nuggets' lead to 31-26 at halftime. The Lady Wildcats continued their rally in the second half, outscoring Xavier 8-0 in the first 2:45.
Donyeah Mayfield passed to Briggs for a basket which gave Xavier its final lead, 53-51, with 8:16 remaining.
Xavier for the second straight day had a higher field-goal percentage but was outscored at the line. The Gold Nuggets outshot the Lady Wildcats 40 to 31.5 percent from the floor, but Bethel was 28-of-30 from the line to Xavier's 17-of-20. Street made 15-of-16 free throws, 13-of-14 in the second half.
"We had chances to win both days but couldn't finish," XU coach Bo Browder. "But we aren't hanging out heads. We're challenging ourselves with a tough non-conference schedule. We're going to make adjustments and get better."
Campbellsville and Bethel both finished 2-0 in the event. Campbellsville, ranked fifth, beat Harris-Stowe 94-46 in Saturday's first game.
Xavier is 0-2 for the first time since 1986-87 and the third time in the Title IX era.
The Gold Nuggets' next game will be their home opener, against NAIA No. 22 Mobile at 7 p.m. Nov. 12 at the Convocation Center. Xavier's first four opponents are ranked.
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
Xavier earns 4th straight GCAC regular-season title
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas -- The Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's volleyball regular-season championship belongs again to Xavier University of Louisiana.The Gold Nuggets defeated Philander Smith 25-10, 25-11, 23-25, 25-16 Saturday to win the title for the fourth consecutive year.
"It's fantastic to be the regular-season conference champs again," second-year XU coach Hannah Lawing said. "However, we are going to channel all of our excitement into focus for the GCAC Tournament. Winning regular season is great but, ultimately, doesn't get us to nationals, which is our goal."
Xavier will play eighth-seeded Voorhees at 10 a.m. Nov. 14 at XU's Convocation Center in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. The semifinals will start at 3 p.m. that day, with the championship match to begin at noon Nov. 15. The tournament winner will receive at automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship.
The Convocation Center will be the site of all XU tournament matches. No. 2 seed SUNO will play host to two quarterfinals and a semifinal Nov. 14.
The victory was the sixth in a row for the Gold Nuggets (17-4, 13-0). Xavier has won 56 consecutive matches against GCAC opponents -- 47 in the regular season -- and 54 straight against HBCUs. Philander Smith is 15-17, 8-5.
"We had a great start against Philander Smith," Lawing said. "We took care of the fundamentals very well, serve and serve receive."
Xavier will close the regular season on the road against two city rivals: 7 p.m. Monday at Loyola, then 7 p.m. Thursday at Dillard in the final conference match.
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
Last-Second Field Goal Allows Central Washington to Edge the Lincoln Blue Tigers, 17-14
ELLENSBURG, Washington – A last-second field completed a 10-point comeback in the final three minutes for Central Washington, as the Lincoln football team dropped a 17-14 decision to the Wildcats on Saturday (Nov. 1).With the game tied at 14 and 1:29 left in regulation, Lincoln had an opportunity to either drive within range of a winning-field or run down the clock. On third down, however, quarterback Owen Jordan was sacked while scrambling and lost control of the football. The Wildcats recovered at the Lincoln 34 with 23 seconds left.
Central Washington's quarterback ran for 12 yards down to the LU 22 on the first play after the turnover, but was tackled back on the 25 while trying to run the ball towards the center of the field. The Wildcats then called a timeout to try the game-winning kick. CWU's kicker had missed from 33-yards and 21-yards earlier in the game, but his kick from 41-yards with one second remaining went through the goalposts, allowing the Wildcats to complete their rally.
The contest, which was played 1,948 miles away from Jefferson City, was the longest road trip in Lincoln history, yet the Blue Tigers turned in their best road performance of the season. After being held to just 61 passing yards the week before, Lincoln got its air game going early against Central Washington. Jordan completed four passes, all to Khiry Draine, for 101 yards in that period, culminating in a 31-yard reception by Draine in the end zone for the first score of the game. Lincoln's lead would remain at 6-0, however, after a bad snap on the point-after try.
The Blue Tiger defense had a dominant first half, keeping the Wildcats off the scoreboard while holding Central Washington to just 78 yards and two first downs. Lincoln also forced two turnovers, with Kareem Joyner recovering a fumble and Robert Daniels intercepting a hail mary attempt at the end of the second quarter. Through the first two quarters, Central Washington had completed just six passes for 26 yards was held to 2-for-10 on third down conversions.
An offensive miscue, however, allowed the Wildcats to get back in the game. On third-and-seven on Central Washington's side of the field, Jordan attempted to hit a receiver in the middle of the defense, but was intercepted. CWU's Kevin Haynes made several players miss then ran straight down the sideline, eventually galloping 73 yards for a touchdown. That play, combined with the bad snap on Lincoln's extra point allowed the Wildcats to take a 7-6 lead into half time.
Lincoln (2-7) had opportunities to extend its lead in the first half, but penalties and the turnover were costly. The interception came after the Blue Tigers had marched down to the CWU 37, and Lincoln had two first downs in the second quarter taken away by offensive penalties.
Central Washington (5-4) started to gets its offense going in the third quarter, picking up eight first downs in that period and twice getting inside the Lincoln 20. On their first red-zone drive, the Wildcats got down to the LU 6, but a sack by Davon Walls on third down pushed CWU back to the 16. Central Washington attempted a 33-yard field goal, but it was no good. On Central Washington's next drive, the Wildcats advanced the ball down to the Lincoln four, but the Blue Tigers once again stopped them on third down. Central Washington once again lined up for a field goal, this time from 21-yards out. Once again the kick was no good, keeping it a 7-6 game through three quarters.
The tide turned back in the Blue Tigers' favor in the fourth quarter, thanks to some big running by Morris Henderson. The senior gained 66 yards on the ground on Lincoln's first drive of the final period, including picking up two big third-and-longs, the second of which resulted in a 17-yard touchdown run. Now leading 12-7, Lincoln opted to go for two, and Jordan found an open Delvon Rouser for the two-point conversion and a seven-point lead.
The Wildcats threatened to tie the game on the next drive, as Central Washington once again found its way down inside the Lincoln 10. This time CWU advanced to the LU 8, where a tackle on third down gave the Wildcats a fourth-and-one. Facing a touchdown deficit the Wildcats went for it, but Joyner and Jeremy Rives stopped the CWU runner for no gain to force a turnover on downs.
The Blue Tigers were only able to gain five yards on their next drive, giving the Wildcats one more chance with just under three minutes left in the game. This time, Central Washington made its drive count, starting with a 25-yard pass completion on second down. A 15-yard completion gave the Wildcats first-and-goal from the Lincoln four, and two plays later Central Washington converted on a quarterback keeper. The extra point was good, tying the contest at 14. That led to the final events of the game, with Central Washington kicking the game-winner with one tick left on the clock.
Jordan finished with 141 passing yards while Draine caught five passes for 110 yards and the score. Henderson rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries while Jordan rushed for 53 yards and Byron Williams gained 21 on the ground. Treston Pulley led the Lincoln defense with 12 tackles, including three for loss, while Joyner had 11 and Paul Dodson finished with eight. Julius Jackson added two tackles for loss.
The Blue Tigers will finish out their home slate next week as Lincoln hosts McKendree on Saturday (Nov. 8). Kick-off for the contest, which will also be Senior Day, is set for 1:00 p.m. CT.
Box Score
Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
COURTESY LINCOLN UNIVERSITY BLUE TIGERS ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
Southern rallies over Alabama State
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BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Austin Howard passed for two touchdowns and ran for one as Southern defeated Alabama State 28-21 on Saturday night in A.W. Mumford Stadium.
The Jaguars overcame one of their sloppiest offensive performances of the season to extend their winning streak to four games. Southern, 6-3 and 5-1 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, hosts Texas Southern next Saturday. The Hornets lost their fourth straight to drop to 4-5 and 3-4.
Howard threw touchdown passes of 18 yards to Willie Quinn and 23 yards to Reggie Travis before running 9 yards for a tiebreaking score with 9:20 left in the game.
Southern trailed 14-12 at halftime but created a scoring opportunity on the second-half kickoff when Gideon Woodson-Levey recovered Jahaad Coleman’s fumble at the ASU 30.
The Jaguars essentially turned the ball back, though, when they lost three yards in three plays and Paul Randle Soden’s punt went for a touchback.
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Jersey of former Southern star Bobby Phills returns to Charlotte rafters
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Bobby Phills’ retired No. 13 jersey has returned to Charlotte.
The Hornets raised Phills’ jersey to the rafters at their downtown arena during a ceremony at halftime of Saturday night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
His widow, Kendall Phills, said: “I’m humbled and filled with unspeakable joy for all of you bringing Bobby’s jersey back home.”
Phills’ jersey was originally raised at the Charlotte Coliseum on Feb. 9, 2000, following his death in an automobile accident. When the Hornets moved to New Orleans, his retired jersey went with the team. Now that the Hornets are back, so too is Phills’ jersey.
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The Hornets raised Phills’ jersey to the rafters at their downtown arena during a ceremony at halftime of Saturday night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
His widow, Kendall Phills, said: “I’m humbled and filled with unspeakable joy for all of you bringing Bobby’s jersey back home.”
Phills’ jersey was originally raised at the Charlotte Coliseum on Feb. 9, 2000, following his death in an automobile accident. When the Hornets moved to New Orleans, his retired jersey went with the team. Now that the Hornets are back, so too is Phills’ jersey.
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Late score lifts Morgan State over Hampton U. 38-35
HAMPTON, Virginia -- In a season of near-misses, Saturday stands out as especially frustrating for Hampton University.
The Pirates twice erased double-figure deficits and were two minutes from a signature win. But a poor start and the inability to defend in critical situations doomed HU in a wild 38-35 loss to Morgan State on a soggy, wind-blown Homecoming at Armstrong Stadium.
"Guys never quit," HU coach Connell Maynor said. "We came back and took the lead a couple times. We just weren't able to hold on. We've got to do a better job of finishing and seizing the moment and the opportunities and make the plays, and get off the football field and get the W. We're right here every game. We've got to do something to get it turned around."
Herb Walker's fourth touchdown of the game, a dancing, shifty 17-yard screen pass reception with 1 minute, 13 seconds, lifted Morgan State in a game that turned into a back-and-forth scorefest. The two teams combined for five touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
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FAMU Homecoming attendance beats last year
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Despite rumors of fans, players and coaches potentially boycotting in the wake of the firing of head coach Earl Holmes, Florida A&M had its best turnout all year in terms of football attendance.
The Rattlers lost their homecoming game 12-10 to Norfolk State, but 18,663 fans came to see the game. The turnout topped last year’s attendance by more than 3,000 people, and was the best turnout since 2011.
Homecoming attendance had been steadily declining since a record-breaking 30,459 people showed up in 2010 to watch the Rattlers take on Morgan State in a season when FAMU claimed a share of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title.
Earlier this week, the President’s Alumni Advisory Board for Athletics cited rapidly declining attendance as a reason for Holmes’ firing. The board released a statement saying turnout has dropped from an average of 18,000 per game at Bragg Memorial Stadium to 7,500 this season.
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Saturday, November 1, 2014
Week 10: HBCU ScoreCard
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SATURDAY NOVEMBER 1, 2014
OVC
Eastern Kentucky 56, Tennessee State 42 Highlights
» Watch Replay 
SWAC
Arkansas Pine Bluff 24, Mississippi Valley State 14
Grambling State 35, Texas Southern 7
Southern 28, Alabama State 21
Alabama A&M 25, Jackson State 14
MEAC
Morgan State 38. Hampton 35
Howard 17, Delaware State 10
South Carolina State 59, Savannah State 7
Norfolk State 12, Florida A&M 10 (Homecoming)
Bethune-Cookman 34, North Carolina Central 20
CIAA
Winston-Salem State 61, Shaw 10
Johnson C. Smith 14, Saint Augustine's 10 (Homecoming)
Bowie State 28, Lincoln (Pa.) 7
Virginia Union 14, Elizabeth City State 7
Fayetteville State 31, Livingstone 28 O.T.
Virginia State 40, Chowan 7
SIAC
Kentucky State 47, Lane 14
Tuskegee 28, Central State (Ohio) 25
Albany State 40, Benedict 14
Clark Atlanta 34, Paine 0 (Homecoming)
Miles 26. Stillman 22,
Morehouse 24, Fort Valley State 21
OTHER CONFERENCES
West Chester 58, Cheyney 0
Notre Dame College 42, West Virginia State 10
Ava Maria 30, Edward Waters 7
Wayland Baptist 34, Texas College 8 (Homecoming)
Alderson-Broaddus 62, Virginia University Lynchburg 21
Samford 55, Corcordia-Selma 0
Langston 38, Oklahoma Panhandle State 17
Central Washington 17, Lincoln (Mo.) 14
Catching Up With Emerson Boozer, ex-Maryland State and Jets running back
Emerson Boozer reflects on picking Maryland State (now UMES): "Going there was the smartest move I ever made."
HUNTINGTON STATION, New York -- Come autumn, Emerson Boozer's thoughts turn to ... leaves?
"They're a pain to rake," said Boozer, 71, onetime running back for Maryland State (now UMES) and the New York Jets. "There are 25 big oak trees in my yard, and they really shed. Sometimes I use a leaf blower, which is even louder than the noise you heard at Jets games at old Shea Stadium — unless there was an irate fan sitting next to you."
Boozer played 10 years for the Jets, retiring in 1975 as the team's career rushing leader (5,135 yards). He also left with a Super Bowl ring, from New York's 16-7 upset win over the Colts for the 1968 championship. Forty-six years later, that game is still a buzzword.
"At a friend's birthday party last weekend, Super Bowl III came up again," Boozer said by telephone from his home in Huntington Station, N.Y. "Someone asked me what it felt like to be 17-point underdogs that day. I told him that, as far as the players were concerned, we were even up with the Colts.
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Note: Boozer's SuperBowl III Teammate and Starting Fullback was former Florida A&M University head coach and NCAA College Football Hall of Famer, William "Billy" Joe. Joe's career in coaching span 33 years -- coaching at Cheyney, Central State (Ohio), FAMU and Miles, ending with a record of 243 wins, second behind the great Eddie Robinson at Grambling State. Maryland State (UMES) football program was shut down in 1979, due to funding shortfalls.
Brihm leads Bethune-Cookman to 34-20 victory over North Carolina Central
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman quarterback Larry Brihm stood on the South Carolina State sideline a week ago and watched his team lose its first conference game of the season.This past week, the coaches told the redshirt freshman to be ready, his time was coming.
It came midway through the first quarter Saturday.
Brihm replaced starter Quentin Williams after two possessions and went on to lead the Wildcats to a 34-20 victory against North Carolina Central before a sparse crowd of 3,661 on a blustery day at Municipal Stadium.
Anthony Jordan, who sat out the past two games because of off-the-field issues, scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns as the Wildcats rallied from a 20-13 deficit.
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ASU takes care of business against Benedict
COLUMBIA, South Carolina — Albany State moved a big step closer to the SIAC championship game with a 40-14 victory over Benedict on a cold and windy Saturday at Charlie W. Johnson Stadium.
Jarvis Small rushed for 234 yards and four touchdowns and the defense of the Rams (6-2, 6-0 SIAC East) rendered the Tigers (4-5, 2-4) ineffective until the second half.
“We’re just happy to get the win,” Albany State head coach Mike White said. “We came out expecting a hard-fought ballgame and we got that. Now, we’ve got to get ready for next week’s game.”
With the win, Albany State looks to next week, when it plays Fort Valley State in the Fountain City Classic. A victory would send the Rams back to the conference championship game.
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Jarvis Small rushed for 234 yards and four touchdowns and the defense of the Rams (6-2, 6-0 SIAC East) rendered the Tigers (4-5, 2-4) ineffective until the second half.
“We’re just happy to get the win,” Albany State head coach Mike White said. “We came out expecting a hard-fought ballgame and we got that. Now, we’ve got to get ready for next week’s game.”
With the win, Albany State looks to next week, when it plays Fort Valley State in the Fountain City Classic. A victory would send the Rams back to the conference championship game.
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South Carolina State pounds Savannah State, 59-7, for Homecoming victory
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- Exclude the drizzling rain and chilly winds which initially dropped temperatures to near-freezing level, it was a perfect Homecoming Saturday at Oliver C. Dawson for the host team
The Bulldogs overwhelmed winless Savannah State 59-7 before a loyal audience of 10,031 that braved the inclement conditions. In maintaining a share of first place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, S.C. State (6-3, 4-1) scored touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams for the second straight week in posting the most lopsided Homecoming win in the Buddy Pough era.
“We got out, we got a good start, got a couple of scores and from that point, we were just trying to continue to just keep it moving that way,” he said. “It was not a very hard football game from the beginning and then, at that point, it’s just kind of hard to keep it going that way. So, I was glad the fact that our kid seem to come through pretty healthy and I look forward to seeing where we go from here.”
S.C. State managed 264 total yards of ...
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The Bulldogs overwhelmed winless Savannah State 59-7 before a loyal audience of 10,031 that braved the inclement conditions. In maintaining a share of first place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, S.C. State (6-3, 4-1) scored touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams for the second straight week in posting the most lopsided Homecoming win in the Buddy Pough era.
“We got out, we got a good start, got a couple of scores and from that point, we were just trying to continue to just keep it moving that way,” he said. “It was not a very hard football game from the beginning and then, at that point, it’s just kind of hard to keep it going that way. So, I was glad the fact that our kid seem to come through pretty healthy and I look forward to seeing where we go from here.”
S.C. State managed 264 total yards of ...
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Central State Marauders push Tuskegee to the brink; fall short on last possession
WILBERFORCE, Ohio -- Entering Saturday with a perfect 5-0 record in conference play, the SIAC leading Tuskegee University Tigers narrowly escaped the cold and windy conditions with a 28-25 win over the Central State Marauders.
After CSU's opening drive ended with a bad snap on a John Adams field goal attempt. Tuskegee jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead with drives of 65 and 89 yards, both capped off by Michael Thornton touchdowns. Winning their last 5 games by an average point margin of 33.6 points, the Tigers looked to be on schedule for another one sided outcome.
CSU quarterback Michael Wilson would derail any plans of a TU blow out, leading the Marauders on a 43 yard drive with a 15 yard strike to tight end Roy Reed. After a failed extra point attempt, the Tuskegee lead was cut to 8.
Narrowly missing a blocked punt on the next TU drive, the Marauders regained possession at the Tuskegee 43 and found the end zone again on a Moses Vine 4 yard run with 3:03 left in the 2nd quarter.. Opting to go for 2 points, a Michael Wilson rush came up a yard short as the score remained 14-12 in favor of the Tigers going into halftime.
The 3rd quarter did not go as planned for Coach Pearl and the Marauders as Tuskegee found the end zone again on their first two possessions. Thornton, who finished with a game high 198 rushing yards, found daylight for a 57 yard touchdown run to push the Tiger lead to 21-12.
Later in the quarter, backup quarterback Justin Nared put the Tigers up 28-12 with a 27 yard pass to Larry Cobb.
With Tuskegee driving in Central State territory, CSU's Gervell Morgan and Kevin Carter stripped the ball from Thornton. Freshman Okoye Bozeman recovered the loose ball and ran 50 yards down to the Tuskegee 45 before being forced out of bounds.
Wilson would finish the drive with his second rushing touchdown of the afternoon from 8 yards out to cut the lead to 28-19 at the 3:57 mark of the 3rd quarter. The CSU defense came up with another crucial play early in the 4th quarter as Dashad Tucker forced another Thornton fumble at Central's 22 yard line.
Driving down to the Tuskegee 31 yard line, Coach Pearl decided to go for it on 4th and 18. His decision payed off after Wilson's heave to the end zone deflected off two Tuskegee defenders and into the arms of Christ Murray for a 31 yard touchdown.
With the score 28-25, Tuskegee drove down to Central's 19 yard line. The Tigers ran an unsuccessful fake field goal pass play to give the ball back to Wilson and the Marauders with 4:55 remaining. After two first downs on the drive, the Marauders were just outside of kicker John Adams range at the 40 yard line. Facing 4th down with 5 yards to go, Wilson's pass to running back Isaiah Grooms fell incomplete with 1:10 left as TU took over on downs and was able to run the clock out to end the game.
With the win Tuskegee, improved to 7-2 overall and 6-0 in the SIAC West Division. Central State, which had its 3 game home winning streak snapped, fell to 3-6 and 2-4 in the division.
Wilson finished with 157 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air and ran for another 193 yards on the afternoon. Tucker finished with 10.5 tackles to lead the CSU defense.
Central State will finish the season next Saturday when they host Lane College at 1 pm. The senior class will be honored in a ceremony during pregame.
COURTESY CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
After CSU's opening drive ended with a bad snap on a John Adams field goal attempt. Tuskegee jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead with drives of 65 and 89 yards, both capped off by Michael Thornton touchdowns. Winning their last 5 games by an average point margin of 33.6 points, the Tigers looked to be on schedule for another one sided outcome.
CSU quarterback Michael Wilson would derail any plans of a TU blow out, leading the Marauders on a 43 yard drive with a 15 yard strike to tight end Roy Reed. After a failed extra point attempt, the Tuskegee lead was cut to 8.
Narrowly missing a blocked punt on the next TU drive, the Marauders regained possession at the Tuskegee 43 and found the end zone again on a Moses Vine 4 yard run with 3:03 left in the 2nd quarter.. Opting to go for 2 points, a Michael Wilson rush came up a yard short as the score remained 14-12 in favor of the Tigers going into halftime.
The 3rd quarter did not go as planned for Coach Pearl and the Marauders as Tuskegee found the end zone again on their first two possessions. Thornton, who finished with a game high 198 rushing yards, found daylight for a 57 yard touchdown run to push the Tiger lead to 21-12.
Later in the quarter, backup quarterback Justin Nared put the Tigers up 28-12 with a 27 yard pass to Larry Cobb.
With Tuskegee driving in Central State territory, CSU's Gervell Morgan and Kevin Carter stripped the ball from Thornton. Freshman Okoye Bozeman recovered the loose ball and ran 50 yards down to the Tuskegee 45 before being forced out of bounds.
Wilson would finish the drive with his second rushing touchdown of the afternoon from 8 yards out to cut the lead to 28-19 at the 3:57 mark of the 3rd quarter. The CSU defense came up with another crucial play early in the 4th quarter as Dashad Tucker forced another Thornton fumble at Central's 22 yard line.
Driving down to the Tuskegee 31 yard line, Coach Pearl decided to go for it on 4th and 18. His decision payed off after Wilson's heave to the end zone deflected off two Tuskegee defenders and into the arms of Christ Murray for a 31 yard touchdown.
With the score 28-25, Tuskegee drove down to Central's 19 yard line. The Tigers ran an unsuccessful fake field goal pass play to give the ball back to Wilson and the Marauders with 4:55 remaining. After two first downs on the drive, the Marauders were just outside of kicker John Adams range at the 40 yard line. Facing 4th down with 5 yards to go, Wilson's pass to running back Isaiah Grooms fell incomplete with 1:10 left as TU took over on downs and was able to run the clock out to end the game.
With the win Tuskegee, improved to 7-2 overall and 6-0 in the SIAC West Division. Central State, which had its 3 game home winning streak snapped, fell to 3-6 and 2-4 in the division.
Wilson finished with 157 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air and ran for another 193 yards on the afternoon. Tucker finished with 10.5 tackles to lead the CSU defense.
Central State will finish the season next Saturday when they host Lane College at 1 pm. The senior class will be honored in a ceremony during pregame.
COURTESY CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
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