Morgan State Lady Bears Leave Mark At Terrapin Invitational; Place Third

LANDOVER, Maryland -- The Morgan State women's indoor track and field team had an outstanding weekend, while competing in the Terrapin Invitational at the Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex.
 
The Lady Bears would place third with a total of 79 points, had 12 members place in the top-10 and produced four individual or relay team winners.
 
Host Maryland captured the overall team title with 111 points, while Towson finished second with 103 points. Navy came in fourth with 69 points and fifth-place Johns Hopkins rounded out the top-five with 42.5 points.
 
Annastacia Barham won the 200 meter dash in a time of 25.23, while Kevena Jones placed second, crossing the line in a time of 25.54. Jones also placed third in the 60 meter dash in a time of 7.86 seconds.
 
Infinnatie Rowe earned gold with her first-place finish in the 800 meter run, finishing with a winning time of 2:12.94. Valencia McDowell placed fourth in a time of 2:14.73.
 
Rowe, Barham and McDowell teamed up with Brittany Meads to lead the Lady Bears's 4X400 meter relay team to victory after running a time of 3:49.35.
 
Meads would also place second in the 400 meter dash, crossing the line in a time of 59.05, while Naomi Brownfinished third with a time of 59.52.
 
Jailah Mason captured Morgan State's lone gold in the field events, with her jump of 5-feet-8.50 to win the high jump.
 
Jasmyn Hall would place fifth in the shot put with a toss of 42-6.00.
 
Morgan State will be in action on Saturday, Jan. 27, when they travel to the Naval Academy to compete in the Navy Joint Meet Invitational in Annapolis, Md.
 
Terrapin Invitational
Landover, Md. (PG Sports & Learning Complex)
Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018
 
Standings
1. Maryland, 111 points
2. Towson, 103 points
3. Morgan State, 79 points
4. Navy, 69 points
5. Johns Hopkins, 42.5 points
6. Howard, 36 points
7. Richmond, 33 points
8. Maryland Eastern Shore, 30 points
9. Loyola-Md., 29 points
10. Coppin State, 25 points
11. UNC Wilmington, 24 points
12. Delaware State, 23 points
13. Mount St. Mary's, 20.5 points
14. George Washington, 20 points
15. American, 15 points
16. Virginia State, 11 points
17. Bowie State, 8 points
17. Mary Washington, 8 points
19. Wesley, 4 points
20. District of Columbia, 1 point
 
Morgan State Finishes
 
60 Meter Dash
3. Kevena Jones         7.86
Preliminaries
11. Zhane Washington            8.03
40. Daijah Davis-Hines           8.51
 
200 Meter Dash
1. Annastacia Barham            25.23
2. Kevena Jones                     25.54
 
400 Meter Dash
2. Brittany Meads        59.05
3. Naomi Brown          59.52
8. Kimani Davis           1:00.73
17. Ashley Souffrant   2:25.32
 
Mile Run
13. Aureilya Harris      5:29.16
33. Saloni Hebron       5:55.56
 
800 Meter Run
1. Infinnatie Rowe       2:12.94
4. Valencia McDowell 2:14.73
13. Chantai Smith       2:20.33
 
60 Meter Hurdles
8. Lenaami Morton      9.14
 
4X400 Meter Relay
1. Morgan State A       3:49.35
(Valencia McDowell, Annastacia Barham, Brittany Meads, Infinnatie Rowe)
 
Shot Put
5. Jasmyn Hall            42-6.00
23. Jaida West            34-11.00
 
High Jump
1. Jailah Mason           5-8.50
 
Long Jump
16. Zhane Washington15-10.50
 
Triple Jump
Bria Hill                        No Height
 
Kevin C. Paige, MSU Athletic Communications

Rush top Bulldogs in OT for ninth road win of season

HAWKINS, Texas — Jeff Dixon's basket with five seconds remaining in overtime Friday gave NAIA No. 22 Xavier University of Louisiana an 85-83 men's basketball victory against Jarvis Christian.
     
The Gold Rush (16-5) outscored the Bulldogs 9-2 in the final three minutes after Jarvis Christian had the ball and an 81-76 lead. The victory was XULA's ninth on the road this season and fourth this month.
     
XULA freshman Rayshawn Mart scored a career-high 20 points, and he followed his offensive rebound with two free throws to tie the score at 74 with seven seconds remaining and send the game into overtime.

BOX SCORE
     
Dixon, the NAIA Division I leader in total assists, had 14 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals. Sophomore guards Innocent Kukulu and Donovan Armstrong scored 10 points apiece. Kukulu reached double figures for the first time since November, and Armstrong — playing in his home state — did it for the first time this season.
     
Chasten King scored 24 points, Eric Stewart 17 and Sam Auguste 16 for the Bulldogs (3-15), who dropped their ninth in a row. Stewart made five of Jarvis Christian's 10 3-pointers.
     
XULA led 38-22 in the 15th minute and 42-31 at halftime, but the Bulldogs rallied to lead three times in the final five minutes of regulation, including 74-72 after Auguste made 1-of-2 free throws with 24 seconds remaining.
     
In Alfred Williams's two seasons as XULA head coach, the Gold Rush are 5-0 in overtime games — 2-0 this season.
     
The Gold Rush will play Gulf Coast Athletic Conference and city rival SUNO at 7:30 p.m. Monday at XULA's Convocation Center. One fan will have an opportunity to win free Raising Cane's food for one year.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
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Gold Rush drop road doubleheader to Ragin' Cajuns

LAFAYETTE, Louisiana — Xavier University of Louisiana won a pair of singles sets in the nightcap but lost a pair of dual matches Friday to Louisiana-Lafayette, both times by 4-0 scores.

The XULA men (0-3), ranked second in the NAIA, will play their home opener at noon Sunday against city rival Loyola at XULA Tennis Center. The XULA and Loyola women's teams also will compete at that time; the Gold Nuggets are ranked 10th.

The brightest highlights for the Gold Rush were in the second dual, where Samir Chikhaoui led Eli Lago 7-6 (7-3), 2-2 at No. 2 singles and Chris Anders was tied with Pierce Gilheany 1-6, 6-4, 2-2 at No. 4 when the Ragin' Cajuns (4-4) clinched the team victory.

In the opener, XULA's Catalin Fifea and Pierre Andrieu dropped first sets in singles but led in the second set — Fifea by 5-3 against Arthur Libaud at the top flight — when the Cajuns clinched. Also leading were Chikhaoui and Andrieu at No. 2 doubles — 4-3 against Libaud and Jamie Fraser — but that match was not completed after the Cajuns clinched the doubles point.

Vlad Kramarov and Pearse Dolan won a pair of singles matches for the Ragin' Cajuns. Dolan clinched the opener with his 6-0, 6-1 victory against Gabriel Niculescu at No. 4, and Nico Sojka beat Niculescu 6-0, 7-6 (7-5) at No. 5 to clinch the second dual.

The teams endured a 93-minute rain delay. The duals had been moved up one day because of a forecast for rain Saturday.

All three XULA dual losses this season have been to NCAA Division I opponents.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Trip to MTSU On Tap for TSU Men's Tennis

TENNESSEE STATE (4-0)
at MTSU (4-1)
Sunday, Jan. 28 | 4 p.m.
Adams Tennis Complex | Murfreesboro, Tenn.

SOCIAL MEDIA:  Twitter - @TSU_Tigers & @TSUTennis | Instagram - @TSUTigers | #BigBlueRising

LIVE STATS: Statbroadcast.com

STARTING SERVE: After four shutouts against Mississippi Valley State during opening weekend of the spring schedule, the Tennessee State men’s tennis team are set to take the short drive to Murfreesboro, Tenn. to play the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Sunday, Jan. 28 at 4 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT: Freshman Stefan Koruga proved a valuable asset to the Tigers as he joined the sole senior on the team, Shashank Nautiyal at the No. 1 doubles spot to defeat MVSU’s Jordan Freeman and Kenneth Milton, 6-0 three times over the course of the weekend.

Larry Sloan and Kato Richardson helped secure the doubles point in each match, paving the way for the Tigers to clutch the singles points.

Sophomore Larry Sloan played at No. 1, Shashank Nautiyal at No. 2, Stefan Koruga at No. 3, Pavle Popovic at No. 4 and Kato Richardson at No. 5 – each going undefeated each day and across all courts.

ROSTER: 

NAME	YR.	HT.	WT.	HOMETOWN (PREV. SCHOOL)
Stefan Koruga	Fr.	6-1	148	Novi Sad, Serbia (Gymnasium Jovan Jovanovic Zmaj)
Jackson Gwinn	So.	6-4	205	Nashville, Tenn. (Wheaton College Massachusetts)
Shashank Nautiyal	Sr.	5-8	134	Delhi, India (Ball State)
Pavle Popovic	Fr.	6-2	167	Uljma, Serbia (O.S. Branko Radicevic)
Kato Richardson	So.	5-10	135	Hendersonville, Tenn. (Hendersonville HS)
Larry Sloan	So.	5-7	137	Newnan, Ga. (Northgate HS)

2017-18 MEN'S TENNIS COACHES
Monroe Walker III	Head Coach
Kyle Burton	Graduate Assistant

UP NEXT: The men will join the women as they host the Rhodes Lynx at Vanderbilt Saturday, Feb. 3 at 5 p.m.

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Langston Volleyball Adds Two for 2018

LANGSTON, Oklahoma -- Langston University head volleyball coach Jacob Rodriguez announced the addition of two incoming student-athletes for the 2018 season. The Lions would like to welcome Serena Torres and Antonese Tatum to Langston University.

Serena Torres joins the Langston Lady Lions as an incoming freshman after playing at Dove Science Academy in Oklahoma, City, Okla. The 5'2 freshman is projected to play outside for the Lady Lions in fall 2018.

"I am very excited to add Serena (Torres) to the Langston volleyball family, I met her two years ago when she was playing 16's club volleyball and back then she was very explosive and still is," Rodriguez noted. "She has a great swing, always finds a way to get the kill and knows how to play the game at a high level. When you combine her worth ethic and spirit with her versatility and athleticism she's definitely going to be an impact player for us."

Antonese Tatum joins the Langston Lady Lions as another incoming freshman after playing at Dunbar High School in Fort Worth, Texas. The 5'7 freshman is projected to play outside as well for the Lady Lions in fall 2018.

"Antonese (Tatum) is another exciting addition to our roster; she brings great athleticism, awareness and versatility to the front row," Rodriguez added. "Her height and speed definitely help us defend the net, she possesses a strong swing and she's very competitive. Going into this year we have very high expectations for Antonese and we're looking forward to her reaching and eclipsing those goals."

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Morehouse Maroon Tigers Climb Higher in Three Polls

ROSTER

ATLANTA, Georgia -- Climbing higher and higher, Morehouse has moved up the National Association of Basketball Coaches national poll to #10 and up to #11 in the D2SIDA national poll of Top 25 teams.

This was the first time Morehouse has cracked the NABC Top 10 since 1990.

The uptick in the polls includes games through January 21 and does not include last night's thrilling overtime win over Benedict (15-5).

In the D2SIDA regional polls released yesterday, Morehouse moved up from #2 to #1 in the NCAA South Region, as voted on by the sports information directors association.

At 17-0; 12-0, Morehouse sits atop the SIAC East Division, ahead of Clark Atlanta, Claflin and Benedict.

D2SIDA's regional poll has Clark Atlanta tied at #3, Claflin at #7 and Benedict at #10. Clark Atlanta is #22 in the national poll.

NABC's national poll has Claflin at #24. CAU is not ranked.

SCHEDULE NOTE:
The Morehouse at Claflin game, in Orangeburg, SC, which was originally scheduled for Saturday, February 3, has been moved to Wednesday, January 31.

MOREHOUSE COLLEGE MAROON TIGERS SPORTS INFORMATION

Clark Atlanta University Panthers Ranked 22nd Nationally by D2SIDA

ATLANTA, Georgia -- The Clark Atlanta University men's basketball team, with their 18-1 record and 13 consecutive wins, have gotten noticed nationally.

Head Coach Darrell Walker's Panthers have been ranked as the 22nd best Division II men's basketball team in America, according to D2SIDA which released their rankings Tuesday, Jan. 23.

The Panthers, the defending Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champions, are 12-0 in the SIAC and have the conference's only team ranked in the top 3 in both scoring offense and scoring defense.  The Panthers are tied for first place in the SIAC East with Morehouse.

Four Panthers average in double digits in scoring – Akil Douglas (13.2 ppg), Jamal Pollydore (11.6 ppg), Austin Donaldson(10.9 ppg), and Shelvick Henry (10.4 ppg) – while three others (Jalen Mitchell, Anthony Williams and Damien Davis) each average nine points a game.

CAU's most recent win was a 97-82 victory over Claflin University, a team that was ranked 20th in the nation by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, on Jan. 22.

The Panthers are on the road for their next three games – Jan. 29 at Paine College, Feb. 3 at Benedict College, and Feb. 5 at Claflin.  The next home game is at L.S. Epps Gymnasium on Feb. 8 against Morehouse.

CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Firebirds’ 4x400M Relay Team Shatters Season-Best to Highlight UDC’s Performance at Terrapin Invitational

LANDOVER, Maryland -- The University of the District of Columbia women's indoor track & field team competed in the Terrapin Invitational hosted by the University of Maryland on Saturday, January 20th at the Prince George's County Sports Complex.

The highlight of the meet for the Firebirds came in the 4x400M Relay event where the four-some of Niasia Harding, Shannell Hibbert, Dajour Jones and Aisha Dozier blazed a new season-best time of 4:11.16 to place 10th of 17 teams. This time beat UDC's previous season best by nearly six seconds.

Individually, junior transfer Shaneika Bowra impressed in both the 60M and 300M events. She finished the 60M in 8.07s to place 16th of 49 competitors, and she ran the 300M in 44.54s to place 21st of 40. Senior Stacy-Ann Rowe ran a season-best time of 8.18s in the 60M to place 23rd, and sophomore Niasia Harding finished a remarkable, 8th out of 40 competitors in the 300M with a time of 42.71s in her first ever collegiate running of the event.

Results

Meanwhile, freshman Dajour Jones was 2nd in Section 5 and 16th of 28 competitors overall as she ran the 600M in 1:47.18, and sophomore Shannell Hibbert ran the 60M Hurdles in 9.64s to finish 8th of 38 competitors.

The Firebirds have next weekend off before they compete Saturday, February 3rd at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Invitational in Princess Anne, MD.

UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

UAPB’s Ivory sees this team as championship caliber

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -- Getting off to a hot start in Southwestern Athletic Conference play might be an understatement for what the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions have done. A historic start under UAPB Head Coach George Ivory in his 10th season at the helm of the men’s basketball program is more like it.

Since 2008, the Golden Lions haven’t ever started off 7-0 in SWAC play. In 2010, the Golden Lions won the SWAC tournament as a two seed, after finishing the regular season with a 14-4 conference record.

Ivory spoke on the understanding that the guys have with each other, and how they know where they are and where they’re trying to go.



“This is the best start that we’ve ever had since I’ve been here,” Ivory said. “I think the guys have a very humble approach and a great understanding of what we’re trying to do. Anybody can beat you on any night, and we’re staring to be consistent from night to night.”

The Golden Lions solidified their legitimacy in their past two games out in Texas against Prairie View A&M and Texas Southern. PVA&M and Texas Southern aren’t right there in the middle of the pack behind UAPB and Jackson State, but anytime teams go out there it’s hard to win.

For example, before UAPB took down Texas Southern 74-72 their last home loss was in February of 2015, and their home winning streak was at 27. For the past few years, Texas Southern has been a perennial power in the SWAC, winning the conference tournament three out the past four years.

CONTINUE READING

N.C. Central, Prairie View to meet in MEAC-SWAC Challenge

ATLANTA, Georgia -- The 2018 MEAC-SWAC Challenge will be a matchup of “firsts” when North Carolina Central and Prairie View A&M square off Sept. 2 at Georgia State Stadium in Atlanta.

The HBCU programs will be playing each other for the first time. MEAC member North Carolina Central will appear in the season-opening Challenge for the first time and SWAC member Prairie View will be seeking its first win in the 14-year-old series. Both programs also will have first-year coaches, N.C. Central’s Granville Eastman on an interim basis and Prairie View’s Eric Dooley.

CONTINUE READING

Reese's Senior Bowl: Players from Southern, N.C. A&T and S.C. State measure themselves against players from bigger, better-known schools

MOBILE, Alabama — Coming out of high school, Danny Johnson (Southern), Brandon Parker (North Carolina A&T), and Darius Leonard (South Carolina State) were snubbed by big schools. They were either too short (Johnson), too slow (Parker), or not smart enough (Leonard). The stereotypers of football had their chance. Now, it’s too late s now.

Johnson, a 4.0 GPA student who finished with a criminal justice degree in 3½ years, speaks for all three alums of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) here at the Reese’s Senior Bowl when he says with a smile, “I know my rights.”

And, those are? “I have a right to be here.”



It’s a play off the Colin Kaepernick Foundation program and it has to do with self-empowerment. Johnson, Parker, and Leonard were jets of enthusiasm this week at the Senior Bowl, the college football all-star game that attracts entire scouting staffs from NFL teams. You show out here and you enhance your draft status.

Johnson, Parker and Leonard spent four seasons proving they belonged in college football. This week, they are proving they belong in the NFL.

Here is a snapshot of each player’s week:



CONTINUE READING

Lincoln Announces its 2018 Football Schedule

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pennsylvania -- Lincoln University, a member of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) has announced its 2018 football schedule.

The Lions, who finished 0-10 overall and 0-7 in CIAA games, will have four home games in 2018 along with six road contests. The 2018 season will be the Lions 11th since reviving the program back in 2008. Football began at Lincoln 124 years ago in 1894 when the Lions played Howard University in the first collegiate football contest between two black colleges in the north.

"We are excited about the upcoming season as we pay homage to over 10 years of football's return to Lincoln University, " said Lincoln Athletic Director Harry Stinson III. "Adding new out of conference opponents and playing a Division I institution gives us more opportunities to showcase our university in the state of Pennsylvania, in our region and in our recruiting areas."

Season tickets for the 2018 season will soon be available for purchase at a special price of $54.00 for the four home games. This special price will be available until June 1. "Our season ticket package of $54 is a great way for you to engage in Lincoln's tradition of football at a nominal cost, "adds Stinson. "We want to sell-out all of our games. The 2018 season proclaimed as the "Year of the Lion" is going to be exciting and one you do not want to miss."

Lincoln will open the season at home with a non-conference contest against the Broncos of Fayetteville State University on Saturday, September 1st. In their last matchup, Fayetteville State defeated the Lions 49-17 in 2015 and is 3-0 lifetime against the Lions.

The following weekend (Sept. 8), the Lions will travel to New Britain, Connecticut to take on Division I FCS institution Central Connecticut State University. The game will be the first matchup between the Blue Devils and the Lions.

On September 15th, Lincoln will close out the non-conference portion of the schedule with a road contest against Clarion University, a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). This will also be Lincoln's first ever contest against Clarion.

The Lions 2018 conference campaign will begin on September 22nd with a road contest against Livingstone College. The Lions will return home for their first CIAA home game of 2018 the following weekend (Sept. 29) when they return to Lions Stadium to host Johnson C. Smith University in the two team's final cross-divisional game.

The CIAA Northern Division slate will start on October 6th at Virginia Union University. The game will be 45th meeting between the two squads dating back to 1916. The Lincoln-Virginia Union series is Lincoln's oldest amongst the current CIAA schools.

Lincoln will return to Lions Stadium for their homecoming game against Elizabeth City State University on Oct. 13 before a road trip to Ettrick, Virginia to face the 2017 CIAA Champions, Virginia State University.

The Lions final home game of the season will be on October 27 when Lincoln hosts Bowie State University. The Lincoln-Bowie State game will be the Lion's Senior Day game.

The regular season will come to an end on November 3rd when the Lions visit Murfreesboro, North Carolina to face Chowan University.

All game times and further info on purchasing tickets will be announced at a later date.

The 2018 Lincoln University Football Schedule
Sept. 1 Fayetteville State
Sept. 8 @ Central Connecticut State
Sept. 15 @ Clarion (PA)
Sept. 22 @ Livingstone
Sept. 29 Johnson C. Smith
Oct. 6 @ Virginia Union
Oct. 13 Elizabeth City State
(Homecoming game)
Oct. 20 @ Virginia State
Oct. 27 Bowie State
(Senior Day)
Nov. 3 @ Chowan

THE LINCOLN UNIVERSITY LIONS ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

East Coast Conference to Add Lincoln University as Associate Member for Baseball and Women's Soccer

WEST BABYLON, New York -- The East Coast Conference announced the addition of Lincoln University as an associate member in the sports of baseball and women’s soccer on Thursday afternoon. The Lions will start conference play in the two sports beginning in the 2018-19 season.

Lincoln, located in Lincoln University, Pennsylvania (southeast Pa.), is the first degree-granting Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the United States. The Lions, Division II members since 2010, are members of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). However, the CIAA does not sponsor championships in the sports of baseball and women’s soccer, allowing the Lions to join the ECC in those select sports.

“We are pleased to bring on Lincoln University as an associate member for 2018-19,” said ECC Commissioner, Dr. Robert Dranoff. “The opportunity to help provide to this historic institution and its baseball and women's soccer student-athletes a conference affiliation was important for our ECC institutions and we look forward to working alongside President Brenda A. Allen and Director of Athletics Harry Stinson to offer a great experience for all involved.”

Lincoln’s Athletic Director, Harry Stinson III, added, “We are excited to join the ECC and join a great conference with institutions who excel academically and athletically. Our goal is to always provide great opportunities for our athletic teams to compete for conference championships and joining the ECC strategically positions our women's soccer and baseball teams with a great opportunity. We look forward to working with Dr. Dranoff, his staff, and the fellow institutions of the ECC.”

The addition of Lincoln will increase the number of schools participating in the ECC to eight in baseball and 10 in women’s soccer. With both sports previously having an odd number of teams competing, the Lions will fit seamlessly into scheduled byes on e
ach team's conference schedule.

Lincoln also becomes the 10th associate member in the ECC. The Lions join Adelphi University, Chestnut Hill College, Felician University, Franklin Pierce University, Kutztown University, Lincoln Memorial University, and Wilmington University, all of whom compete in women’s bowling, as well as indoor track & field participants, Holy Family University and Georgian Court University.

EAST COAST CONFERENCE ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Robert Brazile reflects on JSU career & being a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Patients have to wait a while to see a doctor. In the case of Dr. Doom, it's even longer. Robert Brazile found out five months ago that he would be a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I visited Brazile at his home near Mobile, Alabama to reflect on his storied career with Jackson State and the Houston Oilers.

"You see, I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve, " Brazile said. "But Christmas Eve is every night, I can't get any sleep! You work on bits and pieces here, bits and pieces of your enshrinement speech."

Seven straight Pro Bowls and five 1st-team All-Pro selections are some of the reasons the Oiler is on the Canton radar. How he ended up on Jackson State's radar in 1971 is a story worthy of a bronze bust.



"Everybody thought I was going to one of the big schools, Alabama or Auburn," Brazile said. "But my senior year I broke my arm, and everybody got off of me. I had a best friend, his name is Rickey Young, and we wanted to go to college together. Troy State came and invited us up for a weekend. So we signed a letter of intent. My mom and dad wanted to come visit, to see where we were going to school at, they had never heard of Troy State. So we get in my dad's car. When we got to Troy State everybody was suntanning, wasn't nobody in class. My mama said turn this car around, and you two find another school. I had a cousin that played at Jackson State, his name was Anthony Gibbs. Said could you call Bob Hill, see if we could meet him? Went over to Bob's house, we knocked on the door, we woke him up. Bob came out, he never looked at me. He looked down at Rickey's legs and said yeah I'll take you. But you gotta make my team. That's the reason I ended up with 80. I was a tight end. I just wanted a position."

CONTINUE READING

'I play big': Danny Johnson, first Southern player at Senior Bowl in 23 years, showcasing skills against the big boys

MOBILE, Alabama -- On this particular day, A.W. Mumford Stadium was an easy find for Phil Savage.

“Because the lights were on,” Savage laughed. “(Everything else) was pitch black.”

The Southern football team begins practice at 5:30 a.m., the reason it was dark when Savage visited campus last fall to evaluate one of the Football Championship Subdivision’s best players. Savage, a former NFL general manager and current executive director of the Senior Bowl, left that practice with all the information he needed.

Danny Johnson was going to the Senior Bowl.



Months later, Johnson was here on a sun-splashed day Thursday, donning his Southern helmet, orange Senior Bowl jersey and white pants and chasing down NFL-caliber wideouts like LSU’s DJ Chark and Missouri’s J’Mon Moore. He’s again showcasing his skills, this time in front of hundreds of NFL executives and pro scouts, and he’ll do it again Saturday in the Senior Bowl, televised on NFL Network from Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

It is the grandest of stages for a small-school cornerback like Johnson, an East Feliciana graduate who must face questions from scouts about his college competition.

CONTINUE READING

All-First Coast FCS team: Tracking the best area products in 2017-18

JACKSONVILLE, Florida -- The First Coast was not only represented well at the highest level of college football in 2017-18, but made quite an impact on the Football Championship Subdivision circuit, too.

The Times-Union’s fifth annual All-First Coast FCS team featured 137 players with ties to the area, the third most representation of local players since we began this series in 2013. Only the 2013-14 (147) and ‘14-15 teams (145) have featured more players with ties to the First Coast than this one. Fleming Island leads the way with 10 players at the FCS level, followed by Fletcher (nine) and Raines and First Coast (eight apiece).

Sports writer Clayton Freeman charts the 2017 Times-Union All-FCS squad.

Pos., Player, Class (*redshirt), Local tie, College, Update
OL Sam Baptiste, Sr., Ware County, Alabama State, Started at right tackle and earned first-team All-SWAC honors.

ATH Jamari Smith, GS., Fletcher, North Carolina A&T, Rushed 69 times for 389 yards, 2 TD; also caught 25 passes for 277 yards and 2 TD.

CONTINUE READING

Nuggets earn highest preseason ranking in three years

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana was 10th Tuesday when the NAIA announced its 2018 women's tennis coaches preseason team rankings.

It's the first time since 2015 and the third time overall that the Gold Nuggets are in the preseason top 10. XULA was 19th in the 2017 preseason poll before finishing at 10th in the postseason.

XULA is in the top 25 for the 49th consecutive time. That streak began May 1, 2012. Dating to Feb. 25, 2004, the Gold Nuggets appeared in 94 of the last 104 polls. (The 2005-06 season, when XULA did not compete intercollegiately, is not included.)

The top 16 teams from the 2017 postseason all were in the top 16 Tuesday, though with minor shuffling. Keiser made the biggest climb in that group, moving from fifth to third. Nine of the top 16 teams, including XULA, have the same ranking as they did eight months ago.

Two-time defending NAIA national champion Georgia Gwinnett received all 14 first-place votes. The Grizzlies are No. 1 for the 13th consecutive poll dating to April 26, 2016.

The Gold Nuggets' schedule includes 10 dual matches against teams in the preseason top 25 — two each against No. 6 William Carey and No. 9 LSU-Alexandria, one each against Georgia Gwinnett,

No. 8 San Diego Christian, No. 13 Mobile, No. 14 Cumberlands, No. 15 Arizona Christian and No. 16 SCAD Atlanta. Also scheduled is Westmont, among "others receiving votes" and 30th overall.

XULA is one of the NAIA's top programs. The Gold Nuggets will try to qualify for the national tournament for the seventh consecutive year, the 10th time in 11 years and the 12th time overall.
There will be eight more polls this season, with the next on Feb. 13. From that date rankings will be updated every two weeks through May 7.'

XULA is one of six NAIA schools with women's and men's teams earning top-10 preseason rankings. The others are Georgia Gwinnett, Keiser, Lindsey Wilson, William Carey and William Woods. XULA's men, the Gold Rush, are ranked second.

The Gold Nuggets opened their 2018 season Saturday with a 7-0 loss at NCAA Division I South Alabama. They'll play their home opener at noon Sunday against city rival Loyola at XULA Tennis Center.

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records from previous season)
RANK PREVIOUS SCHOOL RECORD POINTS
1 1 Georgia Gwinnett [14] 26-0 374
2 2 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 22-5 357
3 5 Keiser (Fla.) 16-8 343
4 3 William Woods (Mo.) 14-10 339
5 4 SCAD Savannah (Ga.) 13-3 336
6 6 William Carey (Miss.) 21-4 306
7 7 Indiana Wesleyan 37-9 302
8 8 San Diego Christian (Calif.) 15-4 299
9 9 LSU-Alexandria (La.) 19-4 277
10 10 Xavier (La.) 7-14 262
11 12 Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) 16-6 246
12 11 Northwestern Ohio 19-7 240
13 13 Mobile (Ala.) 24-5 232
14 14 Cumberlands (Ky.) 16-9 213
15 16 Arizona Christian 17-9 208
16 15 SCAD Atlanta (Ga.) 13-7 204
17 20 Middle Georgia 13-8 167
18 21 Campbellsville (Ky.) 12-12 159
19 19 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 10-12 148
20 22 Georgetown (Ky.) 16-8 138
21 RV Brenau (Ga.) 8-15 133
22 RV Coastal Georgia 11-10 110
23 RV Southwestern (Kan.) 17-5 104
24 24 Tennessee Wesleyan 12-7 79
25 25 St. Thomas (Fla.) 4-10 66
Other Receiving Votes: Cumberland (Tenn.) 59, Huntington (Ind.) 54, Missouri Valley 52, McPherson (Kan.) 49, Westmont (Calif.) 46, Reinhardt (Ga.) 36, Hastings (Neb.) 13, Asbury (Ky.) 11, Marian (Ind.) 10, Southeastern (Fla.) 5, Baker (Kan.) 3

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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