Alcorn State eyes back-to-back SWAC championships

LORMAN, Mississippi — Alcorn State jumped to the top of the Southwestern Athletic Conference heap in a hurry.

The Braves won their first SWAC championship in two decades last year by beating Southern 38-24 in the title game. With veteran quarterback John Gibbs Jr. returning, fourth-year coach Jay Hopson says his team has a chance to win another title.

Gibbs, the league's co-offensive player of the year last season, threw for 2,842 yards, 21 touchdowns and just seven interceptions in 2014 while also running for 1,006 yards and 11 touchdowns. He'll have several of his top running backs and receivers returning.

The defense will have several new faces after losing multiple key contributors. The defensive line will be anchored by Darien Moody, who had 10½ tackles for a loss, including 7½ sacks. Warren Gatewood is back in the secondary after a team-high 16 pass breakups last season.

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Jackson State hopes to bounce back from losing season

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State hopes an experienced offense can help the program bounce back from its first losing season since 2009.

LaMontiez Ivy returns after throwing for 3,209 yards, 22 touchdowns and 14 interceptions last season. His top four receivers also return, including Daniel Williams, who caught 72 passes for 990 yards and nine touchdowns.

Second-year coach Harold Jackson will still have to find several new starters along the offensive line and improve a running game that ranked last in the Southwestern Athletic Conference last year with just 102.2 yards per game.

Jackson's first season leading the Tigers was difficult, but the program did get a needed boost when it beat eventual league champion Alcorn State in the regular season finale.

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Mississippi Valley trying to improve in Comegy's second year

ITTA BENA, Mississippi — Rick Comegy led Mississippi Valley State to one huge victory during his first season leading the program.

Now the veteran coach believes the Delta Devils can make those moments a little more common.

Mississippi Valley is trying to improve on a 2-9 record last season, which included the first victory over Jackson State in 20 years. The unexpected win over its in-state rival was a brilliant moment in an otherwise difficult season — the Delta Devils lost by at least two touchdowns in six Southwestern Athletic Conference games.

Mississippi Valley returns quarterback Quantavius Peterson, who threw for 874 yards, six touchdowns and seven interceptions last season while splitting time with now-departed Patrick Ivy. Peterson was also a running threat, with 297 yards rushing and five touchdowns.

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New Alabama State coach faces big learning curve in camp

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Brian Jenkins has had a steep learning curve with his Alabama State football team.

The new Hornets coach wasn't able to hold spring practices because of low Academic Progress Rate performance under his predecessor, Reggie Barlow. Jenkins also said he only watched "a little bit of film" from last year's team.

"We just haven't had enough time to look into what they did last year," he said. "We didn't have spring ball so we had to make sure that we came up with some ways to creatively get the guys to understand our scheme. We couldn't waste time on anything from the past.

"Our total concept and attitude was just to make sure that we introduced them to everything in our program and have them fully focused on our program."

The Hornets aren't eligible for the new Celebration Bowl featuring the champions from the Southwestern Athletic Conference and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference because of the APR scores.



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B-CU's Jhomo Gordon Becomes Winnepeg Blue Bombers Starter

JHOMO GORDON
WR, 6-0, 195 LBS
HOMETOWN: PALM BAY, FL
CFL WINNEPEG BLUE BOMBERS

WINNIPEG MB, Canada -- Robert Marve may already be a household name in Winnipeg, but on Friday it appears the 26-year-old will make his first career start.

All signs are pointing in that direction after Marve took first-team reps on Wednesday, the team's only full practice during this short week as the Bombers get set to take on the Toronto Argonauts on Friday.

In addition to Marve, wide receiver Jhomo Gordon will be making his pro starting debut. The 21-year old Gordon impressed the Bombers at their mini-camp in Florida in April and has been awaiting his chance. The Bethune-Cookman grad will replace injured Darvin Adams at wide receiver.

TorontoArgonauts

WinnipegBlue Bombers

Preview

Friday, Aug 14   8:00PM ET

      

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Florida A&M Quarterback Battle Close As Camp Continues

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M hit the field twice on Thursday, and head coach Alex Wood said he is pleased so far with the Rattlers efforts.

It is no secret Wood has had some work to do, as he looks to turn around a 3-9 program. As far as the offense goes, he said everyone is starting to gel together, and the quarterback race? It's closer than ever.

Wood said Carson Royal, who saw the most action in the spring game, is still in the lead, but Kenny Coleman is looking better and better each day.



Wood will not name a starter until game week, but the most important thing is the offense is starting to vibe.

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Prairie View Willie Simmons Mic'd Up

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- Head coach Willie Simmons is mic'd up for Thursday morning's workout at the PVAMU practice fields.

 

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There’s no doubt Livingstone is better

SALISBURY, North Carolina -- Bigger, faster, stronger, deeper, tougher. All those positive adjectives apply to a Livingstone College football program that is on the upswing.

Livingstone has quietly trended in the right direction every year since the 0-11 quagmire of 2010. The recent records: 1-9, 2-8, 3-7, and then 5-5 last fall in head coach Daryl Williams’ second season. Last fall, the Blue Bears flirted with the program’s first winning campaign since 1998, although three straight road trips and key injuries created a slide from the euphoria of 5-2 to a final balance sheet of 5-5.

That’s not a losing season, but it’s not a winning season, either.

We lost our top receiver (Jalen Hendricks) and our senior running back late in the year and that hurt us,” safety Billy Moore said. “They went down and our quarterback (Drew Powell) had to try to put too much on himself. But no excuses. "



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Prairie View A&M Panthers Insider: Soccer preseason (Day 4)

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- Head soccer coach Abe Garcia talks about his newcomer-laden team on Thursday of the first week of practice.



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Southern’s Martin Henry has played a variety of positions during his football career. Now, he’s settling in as inside linebacker with the Jaguars.

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Change is the only constant in Southern linebacker Martin Henry’s life.

Stemming back to his days of high school ball in his hometown of Philadelphia, it’s easier for Henry to name positions he hasn’t played. From quarterback to long snapper, he’s done everything a coach has ever asked him.

That’s why this season, most likely his last in organized football, is so strange. For the first time in his career, Henry will line up at the same position for the second consecutive season as the Jaguars’ starting inside “buck” linebacker.

“I was playing outside (linebacker) when I first came here. … Now I’m playing the inside, and I had to adapt to that because it was part of me buying into the program,” Henry said.

“Now, I’ve bought into the program, and I’m playing the same position, for the first time in my life, back-to-back, and I feel real good; I feel real confident and everything is just second nature.”

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Southern offensive line taking shape

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern is getting close to figuring out its starting offensive line and its rotation.

It’s also preparing for the unexpected.

Offensive line coach Chennis Berry insists on players practicing on both sides of the line and sometimes at multiple positions to be prepared for unexpected, though not necessarily unlikely, developments.

“His motto is you stay ready so you don’t have to get ready,” tackle Eric Janeau said.

The importance of that approach was driven home to the Jaguars last season.

“It came in very handy,” guard Jamal Boulden said.

All-Southwestern Athletic Conference guard Anthony Mosley was declared academically ineligible before the season started. Two linemen were pulled from the team bus before it left for the season opener at Louisiana-Lafayette because they weren’t academically certified. Tackle Reginald Redding missed several games because of a concussion.

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Dawn of Blount era at JCSU

2015 Golden Bulls Football

Sat Sep 05 2015 6:00 PM | Charlotte, N.C.

Wingate University
Courtesy: JCSU Athletics

Fans can purchase tickets online to all four of the Golden Bulls home games by clicking here.

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Johnson C. Smith football has a new coach. New players. New questions.

When fall drills open on Thursday, head coach Kermit Blount will start a reclamation project the entire CIAA is watching. Blount, who is Winston-Salem State’s career wins leader with 90, inherits a Golden Bulls program that has gone through four head coaches in the last 11 years. Since 1993 when Blount took over at WSSU, JCSU has gone through seven coaches.

PHOTO GALLERY: JCSU FOOTBALL PRACTICE

The questions that are most pressing include:

1. Does Blount still have a winning hand?

This is the toughest challenge of his career. Blount was always in the hunt for CIAA titles at Winston-Salem State because the program was adequately funded, got alumni support and had a tradition of success.

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JSU working place-kickers hard

RYAN DEISING
Courtesy: Jackson State Athletics

JACKSON, Mississippi -- It turns out kickers aren’t exempt from the dog days of training camp.

Jackson State place-kicker Ryan Deising is finding that out all too well after the Tigers completed their seventh day of camp on Thursday afternoon.

“(My legs are) still in recovery mode, we’ve been doing a lot of running,” Deising said. “(It affects my kicking) a good bit, but I can’t use that as an excuse. I need to be ready to go whenever I come out on the field.”

At SWAC Media Day, Deising, who was named to the BOXTOROW preseason All-American team earlier this week, said he worked on strengthening his legs this offseason, and that is getting put to the test with all the conditioning the team has done during camp.

Deising, who was preseason All-SWAC first team, connected on ...

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FAMU linebacker and Godby grad confident heading into 2015 season

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- William “Luke” Helms has a base of support — both on and off the field — because he chose to stay close to home for his college football career.

Helms, a junior linebacker and a leader on Florida A&M’s defense, came to the Rattlers in 2013 from Godby. He said whenever FAMU brings on a local recruit, he already has a history with the player.

“You’ve always got a base,” Helms said.

“You always see the people around and there are some guys who remember me from high school or I remember them. There’s that interesting dynamic. You don’t have to build a relationship, it’s already there because we played against each other.”

He added, “Of course, you’ve also got family and friends in town.”



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UMES Women's Basketball Signs Five Newcomers

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland – After a successful run in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament in 2015, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Women’s Basketball program announced the signing of five new recruits for the upcoming season: Tantania Brown (Washington, D.C.); Ciani Byrom (Greensboro, N.C.); Keyera Eaton (Winston-Salem, N.C.); Jean Martin (Jacksonville, Fla.); and Tori Morris (Herndon, Va.).

“This is one of the toughest classes we’ve recruited,” said UMES Women’s Basketball Fred Batchelor. “These ladies bring the mental aspect and physicality we need to make us better.”
 

Brown arrives to UMES from Anacostia H.S. in our nation’s capital. In her senior season, Brown guided her squad to a 19-10 overall record and the 2015 District of Columbia Interscholastic Athletic Association (DCIAA) Championship.
 

“I am going to max out and give it my all,” said Brown. “I will continue to work hard and help my team in any way I can.”
 

The three-sport honor roll student-athlete will major in communications in the fall.

 

"Tan has a lot of heart and toughness,” said Coach Batchelor and added that, “her determination to survive will help her on the court and beyond basketball too.”

In her final season, Byrom guided her club to the 2015 National Championship after going 29-2 overall. In her efforts, she was named 2015 National Most Valuable Player (MVP). Furthermore, the North Carolina native was a four-time All-Star for her club team.

“I am very competitive,” Byrom stated. “I am going to strive to get better and keep the intensity going every game.”

The two-sport lettermen graduated Cum Laude and will study criminal justice for the Lady Hawks.

“Cece is a triple-threat guard,” said Batchelor. “She’s aggressive and quick on both ends of the floor. She will make a huge impact on our league sooner than later.”

Fellow Tar Heel Keyera Eaton attended RJ Reynolds H.S. in Winston-Salem, the same high school as the late ESPN sports anchor Stuart Scott. In her senior year, Eaton helped the squad to a 27-1 overall record.
 

“I want to continue to get better,” said Eaton. “I want to be a strong role player and important factor to the team.”
 

Additionally, she was a two-time All-Conference selection and an All-Northwest honoree.
 

“Keke is a high motor, intangible player that impacts both ends” Batchelor added. “Her length and quickness allows her to attack the basket at-will.”

 

Ra’Jean Martin hails from Jacksonville, Fla. where she attended The Potter House Christian Academy. The four-year lettermen won three state championships while accumulating a 38-5 overall record in her final season.
 

“I want to become great,” Martin explained. “I want to get better every day and shoot a high percentage from three-point range.”
 

Martin plans to study aviation in the fall semester.

 

“Ra’Jean has a desire to be great,” Batchelor said. “She’s a wrecking ball on both ends. Her toughness, heart, and drive will bring her success.”

 

Morris is the lone transfer on the team, arriving from Western Athletic Conference (WAC) competitor Grand Canyon (Ariz.). Last season, she played 25 contests with four starts as a sophomore. In high school, Morris was a two-time All-Arlington County selection at Bishop O’Connell H.S.
 

“I want to help the team win a MEAC Championship,” said Morris. “I am striving to get better each day and be ready when my number is called.”
 

The Virginia product will sit out this season due to NCAA transfer rules.
 

“Tori is a solid player with great touch around the basket,” Batchelor stated. “She’s got great footwork and a variety of low-post skills.”
 

The five newcomers join a veteran cast, consisting of 10 returners, led by All-Rookie selection Moengaroa Subritzky (Auckland, New Zealand) and 2015 MEAC Defensive Player of the Year Alexis Udoji (Randolph, Mass.).

  

For complete news of Hawk athletics, please visit www.umeshawks.com.

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Jalana Ellis: From Canada to Jackson State, Mississippi

JALANA ELLIS
COURTESY JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jalana Ellis' proclivity to punctuate conversations with "pardon," a side effect of her Canadian upbringing, draws occasional teasing from teammates. Her output on the soccer pitch, however, leaves little need for apologies. The 5-feet-4-inch junior central midfielder from Brampton, Ontario, is set to pace the Jackson State University Tigers as they attempt to reclaim the Southwest Athletic Conference Title the team won in 2013. Since driving more than 1,100 miles south to the JSU campus from her hometown just northwest of Toronto, the 20-year-old has started every game and led the team in points during each of her two seasons. JSU named her Offensive Player of the Year as a freshman, and she earned a spot on the SWAC All-Conference First Team as a midfielder last season.

It was back at the start of her senior year at St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School in Brampton when Ellis committed to not letting her competitive soccer career end with the last whistle of the high-school season.

"In Canada, not many girls get scholarships to Canadian schools," Ellis says. "They don't focus on athletic scholarships as much as they do academic."

So Ellis looked south for college.

Intrigued by historically black college environments, which are absent from Canada, Ellis reached out to the Tigers' then-first-year head coach Dean Joseph in the fall of her senior year.

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Howard, Texas Southern Scheduled for MGM Grand Main Event

COURTESY TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

LAS VEGAS, Nevada  --Another in-season tournament schedule has been officially completed, as the slate for the MGM Grand Main Event (to be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas) was announced Wednesday by BD Global Sports. The tournament consists of two four-team brackets, with the teams in the Heavyweight Bracket (Clemson, Creighton, Massachusetts and Rutgers) getting to host at least two home games before heading to Las Vegas for games November 23 (Monday) and 25 (Wednesday).

In the Heavyweight Bracket semifinals November 23, Clemson will take on UMass with Creighton/Rutgers being the other matchup. The consolation and championship games will be held two days later.

There’s also a Middleweight Bracket, with UTSA and Central Arkansas meeting in one semifinal and Texas Southern and Howard in the other. Those four teams will play two road games apiece against the teams in the Heavyweight Bracket before they play in the afternoon sessions in Las Vegas November 23 and 25.

COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

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Culver Column: Intense coaches bringing new life to FAMU

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- FAMU football practice is pretty exciting these days.

Some of it, obviously, comes from the new coaches. There’s a new sheriff in town and his deputies (assistant sheriffs?) are bringing plenty of fire to practice. But the players are bringing so much more to the table, compared to what I saw toward the end of last season.

Every player I’ve spoken to so far has said at some point: “Intensity.”

The intensity level is always at maximum on the practice field, for better for worse.

I’m inclined to believe it’s for the better.

When I arrive at practice, I can hear coaches screaming even before I exit my car. They aren’t necessarily berating players, unless they’ve done something wrong, it’s just the usual volume of practice.

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SCSU Bulldogs Release 2015-16 Men’s Basketball Schedule

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- The South Carolina State University men's basketball program released its 2015-16 schedule,  featuring nine (9) Power Conference  schools and a slate that includes 11 home games, and 18 road contests including  MEAC Conference and non-conference play.

"This coming season will mark my second full season at the helm of our Men's Basketball program.  I am genuinely excited about the opportunities we have this season to restore our brand of excellence with our  program," said SC State head coach Murray Garvin. "We have many of our key players from last season's squad returning add with that our new additions to the team. We will be prepared for our out of conference slate, by the time MEAC play starts and we should have all the kinks out and ready to compete."

The Bulldogs start play in a Garnet & Blue intrasquad scrimmage on Nov. 7 at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center, before opening up the regular season on the road against intrastate rival College of Charleston on Nov.13 in Charleston, SC.

The first home-opener of the season will be against Voorhees College on Nov. 16, followed by a trip to the blue grass state to participate in the Eastern Kentucky Hoops Classic in Richmond, KY. First matchup for SCSU in the EKU Classic will be Longwood on Nov. 20, followed by Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 21, and Ball State on Nov. 22.

SCSU then returns to Orangeburg in non-conference action against Barber-Scotia on Nov.29, before heading out to the Midwest to take on Big 12 giant Kansas State on Nov.29 in Manhattan, KS in a televised event.

The Bulldogs have early road MEAC battles in the sunshine state with Florida A&M on Dec. 5 in Tallahassee, Fla. and Bethune-Cookman on Dec. 7 in Daytona Beach. SC State returns home for the last time in the 2015 season, when the host Jacksonville University on Dec. 12.

Garvin and his team, then embark on a five-game road swing during the holiday season beginning with  two contests versus Atlantic 10 schools, starting with Duquesne University on Dec. 16 in Pittsburgh, PA and St. Bonaventure on Dec. 19 in St. Bonaventure, NY.

The Bulldogs then return to the Carolinas to take on the Pirates of Eastern Carolina of the American Athletic Conference on Dec. 22 in Greenville, NC. Following a very short break the Bulldogs then take off on a visit to the great state of Ohio to battle Big Ten foe The Ohio State University on Dec. 27 in Columbus and Akron University on Dec. 30 in Akron. The Ohio tour will conclude with the Bulldogs first opponent in 2016 versus Miami of Ohio in Oxford on Jan.2.

"We will be tested early and often in the first half of our schedule," said Garvin. "Our team must capitalize daily on our preseason strength and conditioning and early practices in preparation for this very challenging schedule."

After the holidays, SC State returns to MEAC play with a four-game home stand beginning with North Carolina Central (Jan.9), N.C. A&T State (Jan. 11), Delaware State (Jan.16), and UMES (Jan. 18). The Bulldogs then hit the road for a three-game conference swing beginning in the Commonwealth state of Virginia to battle with Norfolk State on Jan. 23 and Hampton on Jan. 25, before heading north for a showdown against the Hornets of Delaware State on Jan. 30 in Dover, Del.

Three straight home games follow with Coppin State (Feb. 6), Morgan State (Feb. 8) and Savannah State (Feb.13), then the Bulldogs are back on the road for a three-game MEAC swing against UMES (Feb.21) in Princess Anne, MD, Howard (Feb. 23) in Washington, DC, and Savannah State (Feb.27) in Savannah, GA.

The Bulldogs close out the regular season at home against Bethune-Cookman on March 3.

The 2015 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament will be held March 7-12 at the Norfolk Scope Arena.

"This season we would like all of the Bulldog faithful to mark their calendars and come out and support our Men's Basketball team, at home and especially on the road!"

Dates and times are subject to change.

SC State brings back eight letter winners from last year's squad that finish 7^th in MEAC play. The Bulldogs welcome three JUCO transfers to a veteran team including, one guard and two forwards.

Garvin also welcomes back redshirt senior forward Luka Radovic and junior center DouDou Gueye who missed the entire 2014-15 campaign due to injury. Both returnees will add much needed depth in the frontcourt position.

For more information on South Carolina State University basketball, please call the Office of Athletic Media Relations at (803) 536-7060 or visit the official Bulldog website at www.scsuathletics.com.

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SCSU ‘Scoot’ running for big senior season

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- JALEN "SCOOT" SIMMONS (Redshirt Sr., Running Back, 5-8, 205, Charlotte, NC) — The first 1,000-yard rusher since Will Ford (MEAC’s & S.C. State All-Time Leading Rusher) in 2009 returns to lead a high-powered offense for the Bulldogs this season. Missed the entire 2013 campaign due to shoulder injuries only to return to lead S.C. State to its 16th Mid-Eastern Athletic Championship in school history and second straight.

* LAST SEASON: The leading rusher for South Carolina State with 209 carries for 1,154 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Ranked third in the MEAC in rushing last season behind All-MEAC running backs Tarik Cohen (N.C. A&T) and Her Walker Jr. (Morgan State), Simmons is looked upon to have a breakout senior season for the Bulldogs in 2015.

* SIMMONS’ OUTLOOK ON THE SEASON: “Of course the goal is to win the MEAC Championship outright and not share with any teams this season. My goal is to stay healthy and have another year season and perform better than I did last season.”

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As Fayetteville State's new athletic director, Anthony Bennett comes home

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina -- Anthony Bennett said he saw more numbers with 910 area codes calling his phone Wednesday than at any point since leaving Fayetteville for Winston-Salem State five years ago.

The news that the Laurinburg native and Fayetteville State alum had been named the Broncos' new athletic director had been making the rounds.

There were more than a few people from back home that wanted to congratulate him.

"Family, friends, mentors, I've heard from all of them," Bennett said. ". I know a lot of people there are supportive of the athletic department and supportive of me. I look forward to working with everybody."

The school's Board of Trustees met Wednesday afternoon and unanimously voted to make the move official. Bennett, 42, will start Sept. 1, becoming the school's seventh athletic director since 1986. The school offered him an at-will contract that will pay him $113,000 per year.

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Texans Rookie tight end Khari Lee (BSU) adjusting to ‘faster game’

HOUSTON, Texas -- Lining up in his three-point stance at the line of scrimmage, Texans rookie tight end Khari Lee didn’t hesitate.

The former undrafted free agent from Bowie State got into his pattern Wednesday with a quick outside release and caught the football cleanly. Lee also held his own as a blocker, walling off defenders to create some push upfront to open up a pathway for the running backs to run through.



Making his bid for a spot on the 53-man roster or on the 10-man practice squad, Lee is adjusting on the fly to a much higher level of football after being a Division II All-American selection and a three-time All-CIAA selection.

“As a tight end, I bring versatility and physicality and my willingness to help this ball club, make this ball club and help this team win,” Lee said. “I think it’s even as far as my catching and blocking. I can run the route as well as I can block the man in front of me.

“At this level, you have to improve your technique and work at it. As a rookie, there’s a lot of little things to learn. The vets, they are used to reading coverages. The faster you can shorten that learning curve, you’ll be fine. It’s a lot faster game now.”

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Florida A&M Camp Report: Video - From The Sidelines

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Come meet the Rattlers! Fan Day is set for Aug. 22 at 2 p.m. at the Al Lawson Center. Come out and meet the new coaching staff and 2015 Rattler Football Squad.....and....#SEEYOUINBRAGG!



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Ram Ramblings: Definitely a new vibe at WSSU's first practice

WINTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- I did see some familiar faces at WSSU’s first football practice today but most of them were the assistant coaches.

It was definitely a different vibe during this first practice of the season and I think it was different because of all the new players on campus. You would have to expect that after losing 35 players from last season’s 9-2 team there would be some turnover.

What was odd also about the first practice was that most of the players didn’t have helmets. Because of a snafu in delivery of the helmets only about 40 or so of the 120 players in camp were issued helmets.

Hopefully all the players will have helmets by Thursday’s second practice.

What I did find amusing was how many quarterbacks ran through drills. I counted three No. 5 jerseys who were quarterbacks. I’m pretty sure that one of those No. 5-wearing quarterbacks was Kevin Sousa, the Wake Forest graduate.

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Strike up the band: First AAMU football scrimmage is Aug. 15

NORMAL, Alabama -- Alabama A&M's first football scrimmage of the fall will come with a little more fanfare than the normal scrimmage.

Scheduled for Saturday, the scrimmage will also include a couple of local high school bands who will perform during the practice and at "halftime."

The Bulldogs will hold the scrimmage under controlled game-type conditions at Louis Crews Stadium. It is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. and the public is invited.



On Monday, the team held its 11th and 12th practices of the fall with an intense, full-pads morning session and a 7 p.m. session in shells (shoulder pads, shorts and helmets). The evening workout was originally scheduled for the afternoon but was moved because of heat concerns.

The Bulldogs will have one practice Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. (full pads) and return to two-a-days Wednesday at 2 p.m. (shells) and 7:30 p.m. (full pads). They have off Thursday to attend the first day of class and are back at practice Friday at 7 p,m. All practices are open to the public.

Alabama A&M kicks off the season Sept. 5 at the University of Cincinnati.

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