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NEW ORLEANS — Brianna Pace and Christopher August, fastest finishers for Xavier University of Louisiana at Friday's Southern Miss Invitational cross country meet, are the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Runners of the Week for Aug. 31-Sept. 6.
Pace, a freshman from Junction City, Kan., and a graduate of Junction City High School, received the GCAC honor for the first time. August, a junior from Spring, Texas, and a graduate of Klein Collins High School, earned the award for the second consecutive week and the second time in his career.
Pace ran 5,000 meters in 21 minutes, 58 seconds to place 11th out of 28 women. She led the Gold Nuggets to a second-place finish in team scoring. Xavier, an NAIA school, finished ahead of NCAA Division I member Louisiana-Monroe, which placed fourth.
August scored his second consecutive top-10 finish and the eighth of his career. He ran the 5K in 17:15 to place seventh out of 21 men.
Xavier will compete Saturday morning in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Festival at Lafreniere Park in Metairie, La., a suburb of New Orleans. The women's 5K will start at 7:50, and the men's 5K will start at 8:25. It will Xavier's third meet of the season.
NEW ORLEANS — Taylor Reuther's 10 kills and 11 digs and Kayla Jones' 11 third-set digs carried Xavier University of Louisiana to a 25-15, 25-14, 25-21 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference volleyball victory against Talladega at the Convocation Center.
It was the GCAC opener for both teams. The Gold Nuggets (5-4) have won 60 in a row against GCAC opponents, 49 in the regular season.
Reuther, a three-time first-team All-GCAC player, produced her second consecutive double-double and third of the season. Jones produced all her digs after replacing Darian Harris as libero to begin the final set. It was the first time this season that Jones reached double figures.
Claudia Haywood had six kills and a season-high five blocks for Xavier, and CeCe Williams had five kills, two blocks and a career-high five assists.
Carla Novaes, who shared GCAC Preseason Player of the Year honors with Haywood, had nine kills, nine digs and two blocks for Talladega (0-6). Gabrielle Bailey served two aces.
Xavier seized first-set momentum with a 9-2 run which gave it a 14-8 lead. The Gold Nuggets closed the second set with a 10-4 run and closed the match with a 13-4 run after trailing 17-12 in the third. A Talladega attack error put Xavier ahead to stay, 21-20, in the third.
Xavier hit a season-high .240 — .269 in the final two sets — and limited the Lady Tornadoes to minus-.054 hitting. The Gold Nuggets had advantages of 37-18 in kills, 46-32 in digs and 6-3 in blocks.
Xavier will play GCAC opponent Edward Waters at 6 p.m. EDT Friday in Jacksonville, Fla. The next XU home match will start at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 19 against the GCAC's Tougaloo.
NOTES Xavier is 9-0 all-time against Talladega. They'll meet again Oct. 17 at Talladega, Ala. . . . The Gold Nuggets have won 59 in a row and 65 of their last 67 matches against HBCUs . . . It was the first time that the Gold Nuggets played on Labor Day. Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director XULAgold.com XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA twitter.com/xulagold www.facebook.com/xulagold
NORFOLK, Virginia – Hampton’s Twarn Mixson was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Offensive Player of the Week, the conference announced today. South Carolina State’s Javon Hargrave was named Defensive Player of the Week.
N.C. Central’s Nigel Macauley earned Rookie of the Week honors while teammate Clevonne Davis was selected as the Offensive Lineman of the Week. North Carolina A&T State’s Caleb Gabriel and Howard’s John Fleck were selected as Co-Special Teams Players of the Week, respectively.
Mixson (WR, 5-10, 166, r-Jr., Charlotte, N.C.) recorded seven receptions for 135 yards with four touchdowns in the Pirates’ 35-20 win over Kentucky State. He tied a school single-game record with four touchdowns in the home opener.
Hargrave (DL, 6-2, 300, Sr., Salisbury, N.C.) collected seven tackles, with six solo, against Arkansas Pine-Bluff.Hetallied 4.5 tackles for a loss of 16 yards and 2.5 sacks, along with two quarterback hurries, and was named the team’s Most Valuable Player in the 11th Annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney.
Macauley (PK, 5-11, 195, Fr., Fayetteville, N.C.) accounted for 16 points with three field goals, including a long of 44 yards, in his first collegiate game against Saint Augustine’s. He also booted seven extra point attempts to help the team to a 72-0 victory.
Davis (OG, 6-2, 305, Sr, Miramar, Fla.) graded out at 99-percent of his blocking assignments, with seven pancake blocks, and without allowing a sack or committing a penalty in the Eagles’ home opening win over Saint Augustine’s. His efforts helped pave the way for the Eagles to amass 447 yards of total offense and 72 points for the victory.
Fleck (P/PK, 6-2, 205, Sr., Indianapolis, Ind.) averaged 45.5 yards on eight punts, including an 83-yard effort that set a new school record, against Appalachian State. He also had a 50 yarder, with two inside the Appalachian State 20-yard line.
Gabriel (KOR, 5-9, 165, So., Raleigh, N.C.) returned a kickoff 92 yards, in the second half, for his first career kickoff return touchdown in the win over Shaw. Other Top Performers
Darius Banks (HAM) finished the game with 80 return yards, on three attempts, against Kentucky State.
Colby Blanton (FAMU) posted 395 yards on ten punt attempts (39.5 avg.) with a long of 51 yards against South Florida. He also scored FAMU’s only points, his first collegiate points, on a 21-yard field goal.
Quinn Billerman (NCCU) threw three touchdowns and accounted for 11 yards of total offense in the Eagles’ home opening win over Saint Augustine’s.
Akil Blount (FAMU) collected 11 tackles, five solo, with one for a loss of 13 yards and one breakup.
Reggie Hunter (NCCU) posted a team-high seven tackles, six solo, with 2.5 for a loss of three yards against Saint Augustine’s.
Malik Golson (DSU) caught seven passes for 74 yards, with a long of 27, against Liberty.
Mike Jones (NCCU) broke a 46-year old school single-game record with 145 punt return yards on five attempts, including a long return of 48 yards, against Saint Augustine’s.
Denzel Keyes (NCAT) caught a career-high six receptions for 119 yards with two touchdowns in the Aggies’ victory over Shaw.
Brandon Parker (NCAT) received a 92-percent grade on assignments, with two pancake blocks, as he led the Aggies’ offensive line that piled up 413 yards of total offense in a win over Shaw.
Gabriel Sherrod (DSU) blocked a 42-yard field goal attempt and collected 3.5 tackles for a loss of 15 yards against Liberty. He recorded seven tackles, with five solo, in the season opener.
DeAndre Sangster (NSU) had a career-high 101 receiving yards on six catches with one touchdown against Rutgers.
Keevon Thompson (NCAT) rushed for 84 yards on 15 carries in the season opening win over Shaw.
Michael Young (HAM) graded out at 95-percent of his assignments and tallied three pancake blocks as he aided the Pirates rack up 400 yards of total offense against Kentucky State.
Caleb York (SCSU) finished with 11-of-20 for 123 yards passing and rushed for 20 yards on four carries with one touchdown against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Neither Southern nor Mississippi Valley State has a moment to waste as they prepare for their Southwestern Athletic Conference opener Thursday night in Itta Bena, Mississippi.
Both teams spent Sunday breaking down film of their lopsided season-opening losses a day earlier — the Jaguars lost at Louisiana Tech 62-15, and the Delta Devils lost at New Mexico 66-0 — before plunging back into practice Monday.
“Thank goodness for Labor Day,” Valley coach Ricky Comegy said Monday during the weekly SWAC coaches teleconference. “Since we don’t have classes today, we’re going to get as much done as we can.”
Comegy was a few minutes late for his turn on the conference call. He said he lost track of time during a staff meeting as the Devils accelerated their preparation. Under the circumstances, he could be forgiven for mistakenly referring to Southern’s opening opponent as Georgia Tech.
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Prairie View A&M quarterback Trey Green and defensive end Ahkeem Barton, Southern wide receiver Willie Quinn and Jackson State defensive back Derrick Bobo have been recognized by the Southwestern Athletic Conference as football players of the week for their outstanding performance in competition during Sept. 3-6.
Offensive Player of the Week – GreenGreen accounted for three total touchdowns and 248 yards of offense in the Panthers’ 38-11 win over Texas Southern. The redshirt junior threw for 167 yards and a score, and he added 81 yards and two more touchdowns on the ground. Green's week 1 output surpassed all of his offensive production from the 2014 season.
Defensive Player of the Week – BartonBarton was a large part of Prairie View’s defensive play versus Texas Southern, as the sophomore notched five tackles (2.5 TFL) and also collected two sacks for the Panthers defense, which held Texas Southern to 291 total yards of offense in a winning effort. With his efforts, Barton has already tied his 2014 total output in the sack department.
Special Teams Player of the Week – QuinnQuinn racked up 197 return yards, including a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, in Southern’s loss versus Louisiana Tech. For Quinn, it was second kick return score of his career, and fifth overall return for a touchdown. It is also the longest return for Quinn in his career, surpassing a 98-yard return touchdown he notched in the 2013 season.
Newcomer of the Week – BoboBobo made six stops – all solo – in Jackson State’s loss to Middle Tennessee State. For the redshirt junior, it was his first in-game action of his collegiate career after missing last year due to injury.
BERKELEY, California -- If you didn't come to see one of the best bands in the HBCU system, then you were probably reminded that blowouts were only acceptable back in high school or "pop warner" football. In the first quarter alone, the Cal Bears scored five touchdowns and forced two interceptions.
The Bears recorded a school record for the amount of points scored in the first half. In their season opener, Cal demolished the Grambing State Tigers 73-14. In front of a sellout crowd, the Bears continue their tradition of winning season openers. They've won 12 of their last 14 home openers. The 73 points scored is the second highest total in the teams "modern era" history.
"At the end of the day, Grambling State has got some good players, there's no doubt about that," said Cal's head coach Sonny Dykes. "At the same time, you have to be able to put in perspective, we've talked to our team about that. Understanding the competition is going to do nothing but get better, and we've talked about that."
Yesterday's competition was amongst the marching bands only. Bears quarterback Jared Goff threw three touchdowns for 309 yards in the first half. The defense returned ...
Joe Bullard has been the Voice of the Marching 100 since 1975.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Longtime radio host and voice of FAMU's Marching 100, Joe Bullard, has lost his wife to cancer.
Carolyn Bullard died Sunday evening at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. She had been battling cancer.
Joe Bullard is known for closing out his radio broadcasts on WHBX-FM 96.1 JAMZ each day by saying: "God never meant for us to face the tough times alone. That's why he gave us each other. Take it from me, worry about nothing, pray about anything and thank the man above for everything."
We convey our deepest condolences to Joe, the Bullard family, friends and the FAMU community.
CHESTNUT HILL, Massachusetts -- With the victory over Maine in the rear view mirror, it's time for Boston College to turn the page and begin the process of preparing for their next opponent. On the field, there will be adjustments to make and skills to coach up. Next Saturday's game is an important step in the road to bowl eligibility and in the development of young college football athletes.
The Howard Bison are coming to town, the second consecutive FCS team on the BC schedule. Since BC already defeated Maine, a win or loss won't impact the five remaining games on the rest of the schedule BC will need to obtain bowl eligibility.
Howard is a tremendous institution. A historically black university (HBCU), it sits in the heart of the nation's capital in Washington, DC. It's a top-150 university according to U.S. News and World Report, and its place in American history was secured by its role through in the Civil Rights Movement.
On the athletics fields, Howard is a small sports school, competing in the HBCU-comprised Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, having won five Black College National Championships. The "Showtime" Marching Band has been a staple for over 140 years, and their performances rank among the best any of us could ever see.
NORFOLK, Virginia – Former Norfolk State defensive back Keenan Lambert was claimed off waivers Sunday by the Oakland Raiders and added to the team's 53-man roster for opening day, giving NSU a pair of active NFL players heading into the regular season.
Lambert was released Saturday by the Seattle Seahawks, the team that signed him as an undrafted free agent in the spring. Barely 24 hours later, Lambert was a member of the Raiders, who open the 2015 regular season next Sunday against Cincinnati.
Lambert was limited to just two preseason games with the Seahawks due to an injury, but saved his best performance for last. Lambert had a team-high seven tackles Thursday in Seattle's win over – of all teams – the Raiders.
Lambert was a first-team All-MEAC player for the Spartans as a redshirt senior last fall, helping NSU rank No. 2 nationally in total defense among FCS teams. Lambert started 40 games and played in 47 over his four years on the field in an NSU uniform, amassing 206 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and eight interceptions.
Lambert gives the Spartans two former players on opening-day NFL rosters. In addition, another former Spartan defensive back, Don Carey, will again be on the opening-day roster for the Detroit Lions. This will be Carey's fifth season with the Lions, whom he joined in 2011 after playing the 2010 season with Jacksonville. Carey was a sixth-round draft choice of Cleveland in the 2009 NFL draft, but never played for the Browns. He has 147 tackles and three interceptions in his NFL career.
Coincidentally, both Lambert and Carey play safety and both are products of Norfolk high schools. Lambert attended Maury High and Carey went to Booker T. Washington.
Also Sunday, former NSU linebacker Lynden Trail was placed on the injured reserve list of the Houston Texans, according to media reports. Houston signed Trail in April as a free-agent and played in three preseason games with the team. Trail missed the Texans' preseason finale due to a quadriceps injury.
Matt Michalec, Asst. AD/Communications NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Tennessee State used a furious fourth quarter comeback to claim a 24-14 victory over Alabama State in the 17th John Merritt Classic. A crowd of 20,055 showed up to Nissan Stadium for the Sunday night game.
Tennessee State (1-0) exploded on both sides of the ball as they outscored the Hornets 21-0 in the final stanza. The defense helped by forcing four fumbles and a three-and-out, giving the offense opportunities and great field position.
The Tigers broke through for its first touchdown of the game on the third play of the fourth quarter as O’Shay Ackerman-Carter hit Patrick Smith across the middle for a 19-yard touchdown. It was the first career touchdown for both players and brought TSU to within four points of ASU at 14-10 with 14:22 remaining in the contest.
The Tigers would get the ball back less than a minute later as defensive end Latrelle Lee forced the first fumble of the quarter. TSU would need just three plays to travel 36 yards and took its first lead of the game 17-14 on a 12-yard run by running back Tom Smith.
The Big Blue defense needed just 1:32 to hand the ball back over to the offense as safety Javon Brandon caused another turnover. The Tigers ate some time off the clock as they extended the lead to 24-14 as running back Telvin Hooks crossed the goal line from five yards out with 6:15 remaining on the clock.
The Tigers would limit the Hornets to just seven more plays over three possessions to secure the victory.
TSU would move the ball in the first half, only to come up short, scoring three points over the first 30 minutes. On the opening drive, the Tigers held to ball for ten plays, but was forced to punt.
Alabama State (0-1) wasted no time with its first possession as Daniel Duhart went over the top to Joshua Davis for an 82-yard touchdown pass.
Davis broke free over the middle of the field as Duhart hit him in stride. It was clear sailing for the sophomore wide out as the two TSU defenders ran into each other.
TSU tried to respond on the following drive, but had to start on its own three yard line after a fumble on the kickoff. The Tigers covered 75 yards on 16 plays, taking off 6:45 from the clock, but came up empty as Lane Clark missed a 39-yard field goal wide right.
Clark would redeem himself as he connected on a 31-yard field goal with one second remaining before halftime.
The Tigers trailed at halftime 7-3, despite controlling the ball for 21 minutes opposed to two seconds shy of nine minutes for ASU. During that time the Tigers ran 46 plays for 182 yards, while holding the Hornets to 142 yards on 21 plays.
After the big scoring play by ASU, the Big Blue defense allowed just 60 yards on 20 plays for an average of three yards per play.
In the third quarter, ASU received another bog play to set up its second score of the game. Duhart found Lawrence Oliver over the middle for a 52-yard pass play. Two plays later, the Hornets would find the end zone as Duhart called his own number from a yard out to extend the ASU lead to 14-3.
On the game, the Hornets totaled 314 yards, but amassed 134 on the two big pass plays. The Tiger defense would hold ASU to 180 yards on 54 plays for the remainder of the game, good for 3.6 yards per play.
TSU finished with 330 yards on 81 plays. Ackerman-Carter was 20-37 for 188 yards with an interception and a touchdown. He also carried the ball nine times for 38 yards and was named Offensive MVP for his efforts.
Sophomore safety Javon Brandon was named Defensive MVP for the classic as he totaled six tackles, one for loss, and forced a fumble, while recovering another.
Patrick Smith led all Tiger receivers with six catches for 64 yards.
The Tigers will travel to Memphis on Saturday, Sept. 12 to face Jackson State in the Southern Heritage Classic.
Notes:
Official attendance for the game was 20,055, which was the largest for the John Merritt Classic since 25,209 were in attendance when TSU took on Southern in 2011. It is 11th time in the event’s 17-year history that attendance has been more than 20,000.
TSU improves to 7-19 when trailing at the half under Head Coach Rod Reed and 5-21 when trailing after the third quarter under Reed.
The Tigers move to 5-1 in season openers under Head Coach Rod Reed.
TSU avenges last year’s 27-21 loss to the Hornets and moves to 11-2 versus Alabama State in the all-time series.
TSU has gone 3-0 versus ASU in the John Merritt Classic and 12-5 overall in the John Merritt Classic.
TSU improves to 392-141-19 versus HBCUs and 15-4 in the Rod Reed era.
TSU won the coin flip and elected to receive the opening kickoff.
TSU legend Ed “Too Tall” Jones was honored during the coin toss and halftime of the game.
The temperature was 88 degrees at kickoff.
Official kickoff was 6:02 p.m.
TSU converted a fourth-down conversion on the opening drive. TSU went 12-for-23 on fourth-down conversions last season.
With 2:30 left in the second quarter, TSU gave up its first sack of the season. The Tigers’ offensive line had gone 216 pass plays without yielding a sack dating back to last season.
The first sack of the season for TSU was recorded by sophomore defensive end Latrelle Lee in the third quarter. TSU finished the 2014 season fourth among FCS teams with 3.58 sacks per game.
TSU Head Coach Rod Reed
“This is a different team, and I liked what I saw from it tonight. We had some adversity early on, but we came in at halftime and made some adjustments. We didn’t panic as a staff, our players didn’t panic.”
TSU Offensive Coordinator Jeff Parker
“We just continued to stay with our game plan. The guys just made the adjustments at halftime. They gave us both a three-man front and a four-man front, and we made the adjustment and did a great job.”
-- On the fourth quarter comeback
“He did a great job. He held the ball a little long a couple of times, but he did an excellent job. He did as well as we expected.”
-- On freshman quarterback O’Shay Ackerman-Carter
TSU Defensive Coordinator Osita Alaribe
“I thought we started off slow. We gave up the big play at the beginning and settled down a little bit. Then we gave up another big play, but other than that, I thought the guys played well. A lot of these guys are playing in their first college football game today. I thought they persevered through the adversity that we faced with those two plays.”
-- On how the defense played
TSU red-shirt senior running back Tom Smith
“I think we came out pretty slow today, and we got together at the end of the game and came together as a team.”
-- On the offensive’s performance
“It’s a load off our shoulders. We had to show the world what we are about and we had to get it together. Now that we know we can play and beat anybody, we are ready for any challenge.”
-- On winning the first game of the season
TSU junior defensive tackle Rodney Edwards“We started off slow and didn’t have a pass rush at first, but we figured it out and were able to get back there.”
-- On the defensive line
“We needed it. We needed the first win, and it’s great to get revenge from last year.”
-- On winning the season opener
“It feels like home. I’ve been playing here for three years, so I’m used to playing here, but it’s fun out there.”
-- On playing at Nissan Stadium
COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
ORLANDO, Florida -- South Carolina State, after a slow start, exploded for 28 second-half points for a 35-7 win over the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff in the 11th annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge at The Orlando Citrus Bowl Sunday in a contest that was delayed almost two hours due to weather conditions.
The contest was the season opener for the Bulldogs, representing the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, and the Golden Lions of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, who were meeting for the first time in their history.
The victory for Coach Buddy Pough’s team was the third in as many appearances in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge, a game sponsored by Disney and ESPN, which broadcast the contest live. In its two previous trips to the event, S.C. State defeated Alabama State 27-14 in the inaugural contest at Birmingham in 2005, and earned a 35-31 victory over Grambling in 2009, after the event was moved to its present site – Orlando.
The Bulldogs, who after winning the toss deferred to the second half, stopped UAPB and took ...
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Luke Wingo and Lamonte Thompson appeared to be in midseason form as the University of North Alabama opened the season with a 34-17 win over Miles College at Legion Field tonight. Thompson ran for 173 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries, and Wingo ran for a score and passed for another as the Lions, of the Gulf South Conference, built a 27-3 lead in the fourth quarter over former UNA player Reginald Ruffin and the Golden Bears, of the SIAC.
A sequence late in the first half turned the game for the Lions. Wingo atoned for a goal-line interception moments earlier with 1-yard TD toss to Dre Hall just eight seconds before halftime to put the Lions in front 14-3.
Thompson capped his night with a 30-yard TD run late in the fourth quarter. In three games against Miles, Thompson has gained 462 yards and scored five touchdowns.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The Florida A&M Department of Athletics will release a survey today on the main athletics website www.FAMUAthletics.com. The survey, as touted by Director of Athletics, Milton Overton Jr., will be used to develop the strategic plan of the athletics department.
The survey is directed toward anyone who is interested in the success of FAMU Athletics.
“We’re going to survey our fans, we’re going to survey our board of trustees, we’re going to survey students, faculty and staff…all the folks who believe that FAMU is important…,” said Overton.
The survey is available online, but can be available in hard copy format by contacting the FAMU ticket office starting Tuesday. The data will be compiled and rolled into what is important to FAMU’s constituents, which will be heavily weighted into the athletic department’s strategic plan.
The survey will be open for a limited time, so please fill out a survey and let us know what’s important to you!
COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
ORLANDO, Florida -- Coaches typically go out of their way to eliminate any and all distractions come football season.
But South Carolina State coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough didn't have much of a choice and had to embrace the hype. As a participant in Sunday's MEAC/SWAC Challenge, his team spent the weekend participating in numerous bowl-style events such as a Legends Banquet and a Battle of the Bands.
But come Sunday, he hopes South Carolina players' focus shifts solely to football. The Bulldogs will take the field against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the 11th annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge — a matchup featuring historically black colleges and universities. The game is set to kickoff at 3:30 p.m. at the Citrus Bowl and will be broadcast on ESPN.
"You've got to be aware of the fact that you go down there to play a football game," Pough said during a teleconference. "College ought to be fun. This football thing is hard enough as it is without us trying to make it any extra tough on our kids. So when we get an opportunity to give them a chance to have a good time — especially good, wholesome, clean fun like you have at a Disney-style resort — then we have to take advantage of it."
Freshman Ruby Hunt-Thompson, XULA representative on 9-player Mariner Invitational all-tournament team.
BRUNSWICK, Georgia — It was an equal-opportunity victory for Xavier University of Louisiana's volleyball team in its first of two matches Saturday during the Mariner Invitational.
Eight Gold Nuggets had four or more kills, and 10 had three or more digs to help Xavier earn its first victory in three tournament matches — 25-16, 25-21, 8-25, 25-21 against Martin Methodist.
Xavier (3-4) will play its final match at 5 p.m. EDT against Bryan.
Freshman Ruby Hunt-Thompson led Xavier with 11 kills and reached double figures for the second time in the tournament and the third time this season. But there were a slew of other contributors, not all coming from the Nuggets' experienced senior class.
Junior Ralitsa Hadzhistoyanova had career highs of 32 assists and 10 digs in her first XU double-double. Sophomore Jada Broussard had four kills, a career-high-tying five digs and her first ace of the season. And sophomore Aliyah Wilson had career highs of four kills and two blocks in the second set and sparked a 7-0 closing rally.
"I had a good warmup," said Wilson, a walk-on who had two career kills and two blocks prior to the match. "I had to be on my toes. I was ready."
It was the first match this season where coach Hannah Lawing used all 14 players. "That wasn't the plan going in," Lawing said, "but the way we started, we were able to hold momentum and make as many subs as we wanted."
An early 11-1 run keyed the first-set victory, but it never was that easy for the Nuggets again. Xavier trailed by at least three points in each of the final three sets and rallied from a 15-12 deficit in the fourth. The Nuggets, a four-time defending champion in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, unc
haracteristically trailed 18-2 in the third.
But the Nuggets endured and scored their first victory in four tries against Martin Methodist (0-8). It was the teams' first meeting since 2010.
What mattered most to Lawing "was that we successfully ran a 6-2 offense," with starter Franziska Pirkl sharing the setting with Hadzhistoyanova. Pirkl had 10 assists but ended the match with a powerful kill from the right side.
Belen Albertos Asencio had 10 kills and eight digs for Martin Methodist, and Domynique Kloss had four of the RedHawks' nine aces. Xavier tied a season high with seven aces, two apiece by Hadzhistoyanova and Harris.
Xavier hit a season-high .227 and had a season-high six blocks, three by Haywood.
SELMA, Alabama -- Concordia College Alabama took a seven-point lead into halftime Saturday against Lane College during its home opener at Memorial Stadium, but the Hornets couldn’t hang on in a 17-14 loss.
The Hornets’ Kristofer Kimble fumbled a kickoff return inside Concordia’s 10-yard-line to set Lane up for the game winning score in the third quarter. The Dragons took advantage as quarterback Marcus Reynolds ran it in from 6 yards out to put Lane up 17-14 with 7:54 left in the third quarter.
Neither team would score the rest of the way.
“We talked about that in the beginning — the team that does not make the foolish penalty usually will win and we had too many,” said Concordia head coach Stanley Conner.
Both offenses struggled to move the ball the majority of the game.
Lane struck first on a 61-yard touchdown pass thrown by Terrance Ayers to Omari Hamilton, who appeared to take the ball away from a well-positioned Hornets’ defender on the play. The score gave Lane a 7-0 lead with 5:10 left in the opening quarter.
ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina -- Elizabeth City State University scored on six of their first seven possessions and cruised to a 71-0 shutout of Virginia University of Lynchburg Saturday night at Roebuck Stadium.
Lovie Banks-Rose, Jr got the first of the evening’s eight offensive touchdowns on a 27 yard scoring reception just 1:26 into the contest. ECSU got three more scores in the opening quarter; a 50 yard fumble recovery by Malcolm Cherry and rushing TDs from Josh Joyner and Ronald Gray to take a 28-0 advantage.
Rose was the recipient of another TD pass, this time from Jaquez Riles, a 50 yard bomb with 11:04 to go in the first half.
Overall the Vikings rolled up 627 yards of total offense on 75 plays from scrimmage and defensively held the Dragons to a paltry 62 yards of total offense.
The ECSU defense wreaked havoc on the VUL quarterbacks all evening, sacking the Dragons’ signal callers eight times for a loss of 56 yards. Stephen Williams led all Viking defenders with 9 tackles (6 solo) while Darren Wilson chipped in with 8 tackles including one and a half sacks for a loss of 13 yards.
As dominating at the performance against the Dragons was, it will not affect the Vikings in the win column. Earlier this summer the NCAA deemed VUL one of 30 teams that would be considered a non-countable opponent for the 2015 season, a decision that was reached after ECSU’s schedule was released.
ECSU will travel to take on Benedict College next Saturday in Columbia, SC. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00pm.
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – The Johnson C. Smith University football team was able to get into scoring position three times but came up empty on each trip and dropped a tough 14-0 decision to visiting Wingate in the first home night game since 2009 at the Irwin Belk Complex on Saturday.
In the first quarter, Wingate wasted no time, jumping up 7-0 on their first drive by marching 80 yards in 13 plays. The Bulldogs capped the drive when quarterback Kyle Johnson scampered in from nine yards out at the 8:27 mark to put Wingate up 6-0. Caleb Baird's point-after made it 7-0.
JCSU, led by freshman quarterback Jordan Lane (Charlotte, N.C.) was unable to respond on their initial drive, only managing six yards before junior punter Matias Lambrecht (Venice, Fla.) boomed a 59 yard punt to force the Bulldogs to start on their own 20 yard-line.
The JCSU defense came up big on a fourth down conversion attempt by Wingate when senior linebacker Austin Jacques (Springdale, Md.) tackled Bulldog receiver Jody Fuller after only a five yard gain, giving JCSU the ball with 1:54 left in the first quarter. The JCSU offense again struggled to get anything going, managing 10 yards in their next possession before punting back to Wingate.
After a scoreless second quarter, Wingate took the 7-0 lead into the halftime break, but JCSU responded on the opening drive of the third quarter, driving to the Wingate 23 yard line. On a second down play, JCSU would make a crucial mistake, fumbling a pitch that was recovered by Wingate's Robert Wallace on the Bulldog 21 yard line.
Wingate took advantage of the turnover, marching 79 yards in eight plays, capped by a 38 yard completion to Fuller. Baird knocked the point after attempt through to provide the 14-0 lead.
JCSU then drove to the Wingate one yard line on their first drive of the fourth quarter, but another JCSU mistake would bite the Golden Bulls, as Wingate forced the fumble and recovered it at the Wingate 3 to thwart the drive.
The Golden Bulls were not able to get back inside the Wingate 30 yard line late in the game and following a fourth down sack from Bulldog linebacker Eric Mapoles, Wingate took over and ran out the clock, taking the 14-0 win.
Wingate quarterback Kyle Johnson finished with 141 yards, going 14-for-19 with one touchdown toss on the evening. Receiver Jody Fuller hauled in five passes for 64 yards while teammate Jordan Berry also caught five passes for 39 yards. Lawrence Pittman led the way on the ground, rushing for 94 yards on 19 carries.
JCSU got 44 yards from freshman running back Desean Binyard (Winston-Salem, N.C.) while Lane got 192 yards on a 13-for-24 performance. Junior receiver Fred Scott (Stone Mountain, Ga.) hauled in five passes for 99 yards for JCSU. Defensively, Austin Jacques finished with nine tackles, including five solo hits while Carlo Thomas (East Orange, N.J.) and Jamaal Tutt (Atlanta, Ga.) each had eight tackles on the night. Michael Grant (Bluffton, S.C.) also had a productive night, registering seven tackles and had one interception.
JCSU will return to action next Saturday, traveling to Frankfort, Kentucky to take on Kentucky State. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
BRUNSWICK, Georgia -- Xavier University of Louisiana defeated a pair of Tennessee teams Saturday to finish 2-2 in the Mariner Invitational women's volleyball tournament.
The Gold Nuggets (4-4) defeated Martin Methodist 25-16, 25-21, 8-25, 25-21, then dominated in the fifth set to defeat Bryan 25-21, 26-24, 22-25, 18-25, 15-6.
Taylor Reuther had 25 kills and 23 digs in two matches, including 16 kills -- a season high -- 14 digs and five assists against Bryan. Darian Harris had a season-best 30 digs.
Reuther (Dominican alum) and Harris (McGehee) are seniors.
The Gold Nuggets hit .733 in the deciding set against Bryan, a conference champion a year ago.
Sophomore Jada Broussard matched her career high of 10 kills against Bryan and had a career-best seven digs. Against Martin Methodist, freshman Ruby Hunt-Thompson led the Gold Nuggets with 11 kills, and Ralitsa Hadzhistoyanova had career highs of 33 assists and 10 digs.
Xavier, four-time defending champion in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, will play its GCAC opener against Talladega at 7 p.m. Monday at the Convocation Center. Admission is free.
CHEYNEY, Pennsylvania – Running back Stephen Scott (Baltimore, MD/Bethel College) eclipsed the Lions' single-game rushing record with 179 total yards and three rushing touchdowns lifting the Lions to a 29-22 season opening win over Cheyney in the annual Battle of the Firsts on Saturday, Sept. 5. Lincoln leads the all-time series 13-2-1 and won the last three meeting against their rival.
The Lions attacked the Wolves often and early in the opening stages of the rivalry game. After the stifling defense held Cheyney to a quick punt, their offense took the field and scored the game's first points on a 32-yard made field goal by sophomore Brett Arkelian (Clovis, CA) (7:40). Lincoln found success when they fed running back Stephen Scott (Baltimore, MD/Bethel College) the ball against the Cheyney defense. Scott tallied 108 first half rushing yards and had a pair of touchdowns. His first score was his career-long rush of 77-yards with 4:10 remaining in the first quarter. The next touchdown was a one yard score in the second quarter.
The Lions racked up 179 total yards of offense in the first half to Cheyney's 147. With 28 seconds left in the second quarter Cheyney connected on a 28-yard pass and catch for a touchdown, cutting the Lincoln advantage to 17-6 at the half. Senior James Thomas (Los Angeles, CA/Oaks Christian Academy) blocked the extra point attempt for the Lions. Senior Brion Robinson (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook HS) had his first interception of the season picking off the Wolves quarterback midway through the second quarter.
In the next quarter Lincoln extended the lead to 23-6 at the 10:47 mark on a 64-yard touchdown reception by senior Brandon Rowe (Harlem, NY/Hudson Valley CC) from senior Edward McKenzie (Paterson, NJ/Lackwanna College). The Wolves responded with a touchdown of their own on the ensuing possession collecting 80 yards on eight plays in a 23-12 contest. The momentum shifted towards Cheyney, as their defense picked off Lincoln's offense and returned an interception for a 32 yard touchdown. The Wolves converted on a two-point conversion and trailed the Lions 23-20 with 7:12 left in the third quarter.
Lincoln went back to Stephen Scott (Baltimore, MD/Bethel College) on the next drive as the fourth quarter approached. The Lions used 13 plays and covered 57 yards breaking out to a 29-20 lead at the 13:40 mark in the quarter. Scott had eight touches on that drive and scored his third rushing touchdown of the rivalry game from 8-yards out. Cheyney added on two points of their own by blocking the point-after-attempt and returned it for a score.
Ahead by a touchdown the Lions defense forced two turnovers in the final quarter to seal their third straight victory over Cheyney. Freshman Mikeal Mays forced a fumbled that was recovered by sophomore Dequann Pittman (Washington, DC/Overlea HS) with 12:38 left in the game. The next huge play came from sophomore Mark Price (Philadelphia, PA/Charles Carroll HS) with 1:11 remaining on an interception in the endzone. Price's turnover allowed the LU offense to run the clock out and down Cheyney in the annual Battle of the Firsts, 29-22. The LU defense forced three turnovers while the offense converted on 3-of-4 attempts in the redzone.
Stephen Scott (Baltimore, MD/Bethel College) shined on television setting several single-game rushing records for the Lions. Scott had the most carries (30), most net yards rushing (179), most rushing touchdowns (3), and the longest rush from scrimmage (77) in a single game. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry and one reception for two yards.
Quarterback Edward McKenzie (Paterson, NJ/Lackwanna College) finished 8-of-15 for 120 total passing yards and one touchdown. He hooked up with four different receivers led by junior Larquise Hobbs (Lansing, MI/J.W. Sexton HS). Hobbs had four catches for 30 yards while senior Bradley Martin (Philadelphia, PA/Vermillion CC) had two catches for 24 yards.
Defensively, Mark Price (Philadelphia, PA/Charles Carroll HS) had a team-high seven solo tackles and an interception to lead the Lions. Brion Robinson (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook HS) also finished with seven tackles and an interception that was returned for 39-yards. Junior Rhamir Thomas (Washington, PA/Youngstown State University) had five tackles while James Thomas (Los Angeles, CA/Oaks Christian Academy) and freshman Courtney Wright (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Coral Glades HS) both had four tackles each.
Lincoln moves to 1-0 and travels to Rocky Mountain, NC to battle North Carolina Wesleyan in their next game on Sept. 12th at 1p.m.
ETTRICK, Virginia -- The Virginia State University Trojan Football team takes a tough loss in the season opener against California University of Pennsylvania on Sept. 5. The Trojans began their 2015 season at home falling short to the Vulcans 35-16. Today's loss marks the second consecutive season opener loss at home for the Trojans.
On their first drive, Cal. PA launched a pass down the field to the Vulcans Kowan Scott for a 50 yard touchdown. Junior quarterback Tarian Ayres (Dillwyn, VA) linked up with senior wide receiver Gene Holloman, Jr. (Virginia Beach, VA) for 2 first downs on the first VSU drive that resulted in 11 plays for 41 yards before the Trojans defense returned to the field after going for it on 4th and 3. Cal. PA stretched their lead 14-0 with a 90 yard pass to Gary Brown on 2nd and 13. The Trojans remained scoreless to end the first quarter.
The Trojans switched the play up in the 2nd quarter as wide receiver Willie Stubblefield (Highland Springs, VA) completed a 20 yard pass to Ayres to put the Trojans on the board. Sophomore kicker Mathew Hillquist (Glen Allen, VA) enters the game for a field goal attempt moments before halftime to chip away at the Trojans deficit. The kick by Hillquist was good for the Trojans to enter halftime down by 19.
Trailing the Vulcans 9-21 the Trojans didn't revisit the end zone again until the last 45 seconds of the ball game, where Ayres completes a 27 yard pass to Stubblefield.
Ayres completed 57.7% of his passes, throwing for 244 yards. Stubblefield led the Trojans in receptions, recording 4 catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. All-CIAA preseason pick senior widereciever Jaivon Smallwood (Virginia Beach, VA) contributed 4 receptions for 36 yards. All- CIAA preseason pick junior running back Kavon Bellamy (Hampton,VA) rushed for 40 yards on 14 carries and contributed 34 yards on 2 receptions.
All-CIAA preseason pick junior Brandon Lynch (Norfolk,VA) led the Trojans defensively with 12 tackles and senior Dontrell Jones (Hampton,VA) contributed 6 tackles. All-CIAA preseason pick senior defensive lineman Ray Prosise (Petersburg, VA) recorded 1 tackle before leaving the game in the third quarter with an injury. Defensively the Trojans came up with 3 big time sacks from Lynch, junior defensive lineman Devin Claiborne (Hampton, VA), and sophomore defensive lineman Lyndon Thomas (Portsmouth, VA).
Despite their efforts the Trojans could not come out with the win today. "We just gotta come out ready to work and turn up our focus this week. We can't dwell on the lost," said Senior Team Captain Jaivon Smallwood.
The Trojans will keep the ball rolling as they travel down to Greenville, TN to face Tusculum College next week at 1 p.m. VSU's radio station, 91.3 WVST, will have live radio coverage of the game and you can also follow the game via LiveStats.
Tickets to all Virginia State Athletic events that charge admission can be purchased by calling (804) 524-5656 or visit www.govsutrojans.com. The ticket office is located on the 1st floor of the VSU Athletic Office: 20720 4th Ave. Petersburg, VA 23806.
For more information on VSU Trojans Football, follow Trojans Athletics on Twitter @VSUsports, or call 804-524-5030.
August scored his second consecutive top-10 finish and the eighth of his career. He ran the 5K in 17:15 to place seventh out of 21 men.
