Gold Rush drop to 3rd after trading places with Keiser

NEW ORLEANS — The drop was inevitable, but the momentum is still building.
     
Xavier University of Louisiana switched positions Tuesday with Keiser in the NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25. The Gold Rush dropped from second to third, and the Seahawks moved to No. 2 after their 6-3 victory March 27 against XULA.
     
It was the first time since April 1, 2014, that the Gold Rush dropped in the national rankings. The XULA men had spent the previous 15 polls at No. 2.
     
But coach Alan Green isn't dealing with despair. His team won twice at home this past weekend against NCAA Division I opponents, including a come-from-behind 5-4 victory Saturday against Troy. What he saw that day encouraged him.
     
"If we can continue to play like we did against Troy, we're going to feel pretty good about our chances at nationals," said Green, who led the Gold Rush to national runner-up finishes in 2016 and 2017.
     
XULA (10-8), which has played six ranked teams this season, will play three more in the next five days. The Gold Rush will play host to NAIA No. 13 William Carey at 2 p.m. Thursday — start time was pushed back one hour — then travel to Pensacola, Fla., for matchups with two NCAA Division II teams: No. 12 Valdosta State at 3 p.m. Saturday and No. 8 West Florida at noon Sunday.
     
XULA climbed from fifth to fourth in the women's rankings, making it the first time ever that both XULA teams are in the national top four simultaneously.
     
XULA has the longest active streak of top-25 appearances in NAIA men's tennis. Here are all the Gold Rush active poll streaks:

     •  92 consecutive appearances in the top 25 . . . streak began April 4, 2007.
     •  83 consecutive appearances in the top 20 . . . streak began April 30, 2008.
     •  68 consecutive appearances in the top 15 . . . streak began Feb. 1, 2011.
     •  62 consecutive appearances in the top 10 . . . streak began May 3, 2011.
     •  24 consecutive appearances in the top 5 . . . streak began Jan. 26, 2016.
     •  22 consecutive appearances in the top 3 . . . streak began March 1, 2016.
 

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through April 8) Rank Previous School Record Points 1 1 Georgia Gwinnett [14] 21-0 374 2 3 Keiser (Fla.) 13-5 362 3 2 Xavier (La.) 10-8 350 4 4 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 8-0 338 5 7 Mobile (Ala.) 17-1 312 6 6 William Woods (Mo.) 6-5 310 7 8 Cumberland (Tenn.) 14-1 309 8 9 Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) 7-3 294 9 11 Campbellsville (Ky.) 11-3 272 10 5 Northwestern Ohio 6-5 266 11 10 Arizona Christian 16-5 252 12 12 Middle Georgia State 9-3 238 13 14 San Diego Christian (Calif.) 8-5 227 14 13 William Carey (Miss.) 7-3 224 15 15 Reinhardt (Ga.) 11-2 222 16 16 Westmont (Calif.) 6-7 185 17 19 Union (Ky.) 10-4 173 18 17 Asbury (Ky.) 7-1 169 19 18 Coastal Georgia 10-6 160 20 21 Tennessee Wesleyan 8-3 144 21 20 Lawrence Tech (Mich.) 17-3 140 22 23 Indiana Wesleyan 24-5 107 23 22 McPherson (Kan.) 6-3 104 24 25 Point (Ga.) 13-6 100 25 24 St. Thomas (Fla.) 6-6 77 Others Receiving Votes: Texas A&M-Texarkana 61; Loyola (La.) 60; Bethany (Kan.) 36; Aquinas (Mich.) 29; Cumberlands (Ky.) 27; Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) 24; Judson (Ill.) 9; Marian (Ind.) 7; Missouri Valley 4; Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 4; Hastings (Neb.) 3 Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications XULAgold.com XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA  twitter.com/xulagold www.facebook.com/xulagold

Delaware State anticipating Milstead era

DOVER, Delaware -- Delaware State will open coach Rod Milstead’s first season against Buffalo and play four times at home as part of an 11-game schedule.

The Buffalo game Sept. 1 is one of two games against FBS schools, the second two weeks later at Western Michigan on Sept. 15.

Six of the Hornets‘ first seven games are on the road. Their games at Alumni Stadium are against MEAC members North Carolina A&T (Oct. 6), North Carolina Central (Oct. 27) and Savannah State (Nov. 3) as well as Virginia-Lynchburg (Nov. 17).

2018 Delaware State Schedule

Sept. 1, at Buffalo
Sept. 8, at Saint Francis
Sept. 15, at Western Michigan
Sept. 29, at Norfolk State*
Oct. 6, North Carolina A&T*

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For HBCU marching bands, it’s all ‘about the showmanship’

ATLANTA, Georgia — Five drum majors approach midfield and snap into high-stepping formation, capes swirling as they spin and drop into splits before hopping up and bending backward until their hats scrape the ground.

When they dart toward the sideline, Bethune-Cookman University’s 300-piece marching band and its 14 Karat Gold Dancers surge onto the field, performing Mary J. Blige’s 2007 hit “Just Fine” for a crowd of more than 62,000 at the 16th annual Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase in Atlanta.

High-energy routines like Bethune-Cookman’s are the norm for marching bands at many historically black colleges and universities, keeping people near their seats instead of the concession stands. But the bands are more than a halftime show; their popularity has spread through pop culture, music and film.

“It’s about the showmanship,” said James Oliver, band director of the Mighty Marching Hornets at Alabama State University. “We are a show band. Our shows must be entertaining to our fans. HBCU marching bands are so much more different than the corps-style bands. It’s entertainment on a whole other level.”

Known for incorporating the latest chart-topping R&B and hip-hop hits into their performances, HBCU bands have appeared alongside some of the biggest names in music.

Florida A&M’s Marching 100 performed with Prince for his spectacular Super Bowl halftime show in 2007. Southern University’s Dancing Dolls squad accompanied Madonna at Super Bowl 46 and Beyoncé at her 2013 halftime show. Southern, FAMU and Grambling State have performed at 12 Super Bowls in all.



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Takeaways from Jackson State's second spring scrimmage

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State wrapped up its second spring scrimmage Monday morning before the rest of campus could wipe the sleep from its eyes.

The Tigers got started at 5 a.m. and fit more than 20 possessions into the two-and-a-half hour practice, and head coach Tony Hughes said he was pleased with the effort.

"Today was a good day," he said. "...I thought we made some plays on both sides of the ball, and guys continued to improve. A lot of it (today) was about our execution and the focus it takes to execute at a high level on a consistent basis."

Here's some takeaways from today's scrimmage.

Defensive wins
As Monday's scrimmage wore on, the intensity continued to build on defense. They showed the ability to tackle in space and made several stops over the final handful of possessions.

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Rattlers' first spring scrimmage in the books

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M's first spring football scrimmage is in the books. And while new coach Willie Simmons gave the Rattlers a passing mark, a learning curve is expected.

Simmons, who is implementing new offensive and defensive systems, liked his team’s effort and energy.

FAMU’s defense set the tone early in Sunday's scrimmage, forcing a couple turnovers and three-and outs. The offense, behind quarterback Ryan Stanley and receiver Chad Hunter, settled in and finally found its rhythm.

FAMU coaches were active during the scrimmage, teaching, instructing and stressing fundamentals and mindset.

“For a first scrimmage, I thought both sides of the ball did some really good things,” Simmons said of the scrimmage that was delayed a day by inclement weather.

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Florida A&M Rattlers Release Complete 2018 Football Schedule - 6 Home Games at Bragg Stadium

COURTESY: FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

TALLAHASSEE, Florida --The Coach Willie Simmons era at Florida A&M University will start with six (6) home games at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee. FAMU Director of Athletics Dr. John Eason has completed the Rattlers upcoming football schedule and designated October 6 conference game with Norfolk State University Spartans as the 2018 Homecoming game.

Absent from the schedule is Hampton University Pirates who have moved on to the Big South Conference in their exit from the Mid-Eastern Athletics Conference (MEAC).  The Rattlers will not play the Delaware State Hornets in 2018, who has welcomed first-time head coach and alum Rod Milstead.

The Rattlers will open the season with Fort Valley State Wildcats in the 2nd Annual Jake Gaither Classic/FAMU Hall of Fame Football Reunion on Labor Day Weekend, on Sat. Sept. 1 at Bragg Memorial Stadium.  FAMU retained the #3 position in FCS home attendance for 2017 with an attendance mark of 19,048, trailing only FCS powerhouses James Madison (21,724) and Montana (23,535). 

Fort Valley State and FAMU played before a capacity crowd in the 2011 season opener with the Division II Wildcats finishing the game leading the Rattlers in almost every significant statistical category. The final score -- FAMU 28-22.



On Sat. Sept. 8, the Rattlers travel to Division I FBS Troy University for its first road contest of the season. Lead by head coach Neal Brown, the sixth-youngest head coach in the FBS, Troy football has gone through a renaissance over the past three years. The wins have been plentiful for Brown’s Trojans with 22 victories over a 27-game period dating back to the end of his first season in 2015. Troy set the school’s FBS record for wins in back-to-back seasons as the Trojans won 10 games in 2016 and then followed with 11 victories in 2017, including the upset of the season in college football as Troy knocked off No. 22 LSU in Death Valley.

FAMU welcomes the Jackson State University Tigers on Sat., Sept. 15 to Bragg Memorial Stadium. With 25,500 seats, Bragg may be too small for the huge crowd expected to come see the best of the SWAC -- the JSU Sonic Boom of the South Marching Band vs. the FAMU Marching 100. With the Celebration of the Rattlers 1978 1-AA (FCS) National Championship and 1978 National Black College Championship, Bragg Stadium will be lit with the magnificent sounds and showmanship of the Boom and the Marching 100. 

Florida A&M knocked off Jackson State 15-10 in the 1978 NCAA 1-AA National Championship Playoffs. The Rattlers, coached by Rudy Hubbard won the first FCS (1-AA) National Championship defeating University of Massachusetts 35-28 in the Pioneer Bowl in a blinding snowstorm at Memorial Stadium, Wichita Falls, Texas on Dec. 17, 1978.

Jackson State won the last outing with the Rattlers on a game winning 49 yard Hail Mary pass from quarterback LaMoniez Ivy to wide receiver DeSean McKenzie with one second left on the game clock for a Tigers 22-17 win. A Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium crowd of 39,217 watched as the Rattlers took at 17-16 lead over JSU with 46 seconds left in the game.




Week 4, Sept. 22 the Rattlers remain at home for the first MEAC contest of the season as they host the Savannah State Tigers for a celebration of FAMU's 1998 Black College Football National Championship. The 11-2 Rattlers, coached by College Football Hall of Famer William "Billy" Joe made it to the 1998 NCAA FCS Quarterfinals defeating Troy 27-17 and falling to Western Illinois 24-21 as the Gulf Coast Offense sputtered.  This will be Savannah State final season at the FCS level as the Tigers move down to Division II after this season as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).

Week 5 is payback Saturday as the FAMU Rattlers travel to Durham to face the  North Carolina Central Eagles for a Sept. 29, 4 p.m. MEAC contest.  If the Rattlers have any chance of making it to the 2018 Celebration Bowl in Atlanta on Dec. 15, this is a must win situation for FAMU.  The Eagles have been one of the most consistent programs in the MEAC for the past four years and the road to the championship requires two victories in North Carolina.  The Eagles also welcome a new interim head football coach in former Eagle defensive coordinator Granville Eastman.  

The Rattlers welcomes FAMU'ly for Homecoming 2018 and the Norfolk State University Spartans on Oct. 6. This is also an important MEAC conference game as the Rattlers build steam for contention of a spot in the 2018 Celebration Bowl.  The Spartans are not your typical homecoming cupcake and conference games are always difficult in the MEAC.  This will be a well-fought contest.



The Rattlers cannot afford to look ahead to the biggest game of the year on Oct. 13 in Greensboro with defending Black College Football National Champion and 2017 Celebration Bowl Champion, North Carolina A&T State University.  No need to hype this game as the Aggies will show the Rattlers how much improvement they have made under new FAMU Coach Willie Simmons.  

North Carolina A&T will be without legendary coach Rod Broadway who has retired, but that should not matter.  His replacement is Broadway's former defensive coordinator Sam Washington, who has built the most consistent defense in FCS in the Grambling State Tigers and A&T Aggies who's rapid rise to powerhouse status including wins over FBS Charlotte and Kent State.

FAMU earns a much needed Bye Week on Oct. 20 to regroup for the big push forward.

The Rattlers theme for the Oct. 27 home game with Morgan State Bears is Breast Cancer Awareness.  The Bears from Baltimore welcomes a new interim head coach in Ernest T. Jones, formerly the associate head coach and defensive coordinator at Morgan State.  Jones previously served as the head football coach at Alcorn State in 2008.

On Sat. Nov. 3, FAMU is scheduled to face the much improved Howard University Bison in Washington, D.C.  The Bison finished 2017 with a record of 7-4 under first year head football coach Mike London Sr.  London delivered a signature FBS win for the Bison defeating UNLV 43-40, with freshman star quarterback Caylin Newton, brother of Carolina Panthers three time all-pro quarterback Cam Newton.  Coach London has made a big impact on the MEAC in a very short period of time.  London has proven he can coach, but more importantly he has aggressively upgraded the talent level of Bison football with recruits like Newton.  

Nov. 10 is Senior Day on the Hill with the Rattlers playing a Oliver "Buddy" Pough coached team for the final time.  South Carolina State University Bulldogs will make their presence felt at Bragg Memorial Stadium as Coach Buddy Pough ends a 16th year career at his alma mater.  Pough has a shot to become the all-time winningest coach in South Carolina State history.  Pough only trail legendary Coach Willie Jeffries for the most wins at SCSU.  Coach Pough current career record is 120-64, 94-33 MEAC.  

For the Bandheads, the FAMU Marching 100 and the SCSU Marching 101 has a rich history that is intertwined by Rattler brothers Lindsey B. Sarjeant, Arranger and Music Department Chairman and Director of Jazz Studies at Florida A&M University, and the late Ronald J. Sarjeant, retired director of bands and arranger of the Garnet and Blue at SCSU, and former director of bands/arranger at Tuskegee University. The two gifted prodigies of the late Dr. William P. Foster are difference makers today in the lives of thousands of young men and women that have studied music under their guidance. The battle between the two bands should continue to be epic in 2018.



The Florida Blue Florida Classic is scheduled for Sat. Nov. 17, 2 p.m. at Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida between rivals Florida A&M and the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats. Coach Simmons and the Rattlers will be ready to strike and start a new legacy of dominating B-CU. The Wildcats have a streak going and has beaten the Rattlers for the past 7 seasons. Last year, the Rattlers fell 29-24 before 47,819 fans ending the season with a 3-8 record. The Rattlers and Wildcats record attendance for this neutral site annual rivalry is 73,358.  Since the game inception in 1973, over 1.8 million fans have attended this annual FCS battle for Florida supremacy.

The undefeated Rattlers (0-0) has a fresh start in 2018. Three goals stand tall before the Rattlers and are within reach with hard work and Rattler Nation fan support -- NCAA FCS National Playoffs, 2018 Celebration Bowl and #1 in FCS home attendance for 2018. The Marching 100 should have a great season too with the world stage awaiting the legendary band, as an invitation to perform at the 2019 Rose Bowl Parade has been accepted by Florida A&M University.

Florida A&M University will share two home game dates with Florida State University for Sept. 22 (Savannah State) and Oct. 27 (Morgan State). Hotel rooms may be in short supply so book early.
 
The schedule is subject to change as ESPN and the MEAC have not announced its Thursday Night schedule of HBCU televised games. Be a part of the Rattler back to dominance renaissance. Buy your reserved season tickets now at: FAMU Athletics Football Tickets.  Go Rattlers!

FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY 2018 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (Print Copy)

DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME (ET) Jake Gaither Classic/FAMU Hall of Fame/Football Reunion Sat, Sep 01 Fort Valley State Bragg Memorial Stadium TBA Sat, Sep 08 Troy at Troy, Alabama TBA 1978 Championship Celebration Sat, Sep 15 Jackson State TALLAHASSEE, FL • Bragg Memorial Stadium TBA 1998 Championship Celebration Sat, Sep 22 Savannah State * TALLAHASSEE, FL • Bragg Memorial Stadium TBA Sat, Sep 29 North Carolina Central * at Durham, NC 4:00 PM HOMECOMING 2018 Sat, Oct 06 Norfolk State * TALLAHASSEE, FL • Bragg Memorial Stadium TBA Sat, Oct 13 North Carolina A&T * at Greensboro, NC 1:00 PM Breast Cancer Awareness Sat, Oct 27 Morgan State * TALLAHASSEE, FL • Bragg Memorial Stadium TBA Sat, Nov 03 Howard * at Washington D.C. TBA SENIOR DAY Sat, Nov 10 South Carolina State * TALLAHASSEE, FL • Bragg Memorial Stadium TBA Sat, Nov 17 Bethune-Cookman * at Orlando, Florida (Camping World Stadium) 2 PM

* Conference Games
Note: Schedule subject to change.  Game time to be announced at later date.

2018 Investing in Champions Annual Giving Campaign

Ticket, Hotel Information For MEAC-SWAC Challenge

ATLANTA, Georgia -- Get ticket and fan hotel information for the 2018 MEAC-SWAC Challenge in Atlanta on Sunday, Sept. 2 as Prairie View A&M football takes on North Carolina Central.

The Panthers and Eagles will play at Georgia State Stadium, with game time TBA.

Game tickets are $15, $25, and $35, plus applicable taxes and fees. All seats inside Georgia State Stadium will be reserved.  PVAMU will be on the East Sideline with sideline seating in sections 127-135. The Marching Storm will sit in sections 100 and 101.

North Carolina Central will be on the West sideline in front of Sections 109-119.

The interactive Ticketmaster map is currently available to pick your seat.  Click HERE

The MEAC/SWAC Challenge has also set up a limited number of room rates at $119 per night.

DSU nears decisions on hiring new hoop coaches

Jareem Dowling

DOVER, Delaware -- With the NCAA basketball season finishing this week, Delaware State University’s coaching search could also be coming to a close soon.

The Hornets have openings for both a men’s basketball and women’s basketball head coach since Keith Walker and Barbara Burgess were dismissed on Feb. 22.

One candidate who has emerged for the men’s vacancy is Jareem Dowling, according to various reports. The basketball website HoopDirt.com reported there is interest between the two parties.

Dowling is currently an assistant at North Texas who just won the College Basketball Invitational Tournament over San Francisco less than a week ago.

Dowling is from Wilmington and is a Howard High graduate. He played at MidEastern Athletic Conference rival Maryland Eastern Shore in 2004 and 2005 after two years at Cecil College in Maryland.

His attachment to Delaware doesn’t end there.

Dowling was previously the head coach at Scotland Performance Institute, a prep school in Scotland, Pennsylvania where he had multiple players from Delaware on his roster.

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B-CU Football Endures Heat, Rain in Wednesday Workout

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman Football continued spring practice on Wednesday afternoon, as the Wildcats worked out at Municipal Stadium in a humid and warm – mixed with periods of rolling showers – Daytona Beach, Florida.

Under the watchful eye of Head Coach Terry Sims – recently completing his third season at the helm of the Wildcats program in Daytona Beach, the Wildcats endured temperatures in the mid-80s on Wednesday. There was no wind at all, adding to the heat range and feeling of humidity for the Cats. Rain came down at the beginning of practice mixed with sunshine, but would stop after just two of the 26-period practice session. The remainder of practice saw sunny skies with no shade whatsoever at Larry Kelly Field.

"Calm down and see it," calmly expressed Offensive Coordinator Allen Suber.

That summed up the majority of the day's practice on the offensive side of the ball as he spoke with quarterback Jabari Dunham during that exchange of words.

Rotating between Dunham and redshirt junior Akevious Williams under center, the signal callers were asked to see the play happen and make the reads quickly during 7-on-7 action. The quarterback duo made solid performances with downfield passes and short passes out of the backfield to the running backs. But it was the way the two read the defense before making the play that Suber harked upon to his backfield tandem.

"Calm down. See what they're giving you. Go through your progressions. But do it on the rhythm we work on every time. Ok?"

Those were the words from the second-year offensive coordinator that was a standout and All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) quarterback of his own rights for the Maroon and Gold back in 2002 and '03.

However, it was the defense that moved at a faster pace on this day.

Darrin Hayes, the defensive backs assistant coach, was heard screaming, "That's it" to his players after making the interception or deflection on passes from Dunham and/or Williams, respectfully.

Aside from a perfect pass to the back of the end zone from Dunham to a streaking Anthony Cruz, the defense stole the day's practice session. The cornerbacks, watched by Assistant Coach Terry Williams, as well as the safeties with Assistant Coach Hayes were in position to make the play(s) for the majority of the eight-period 7-on-7 drills.

The running backs, led by Assistant Coach Carl Franks, came out of the backfield quickly, including a big burst from Tupac Isme on one delayed handoff from Dunham that caught the defense unaware.

"It was a defensive effort today," said Terry Sims afterwards. "As a defensive guy, I love when they are in sync with each other as a unit. I know the offense will get there quickly. I have no doubts about that. But it's always good to see the defense moving at a faster pace, collectively."

Bethune-Cookman continues preparation for its first scrimmage of the spring scheduled for Saturday, April 7, at Municipal Stadium. This scrimmage will be closed to the public.

Follow Bethune-Cookman Football on Twitter (@BCUGridIron) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (@BCUathletics), Instagram (@BCUathletics), Snapchat (@BCUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/BCUathletics).