Grambling wins young gun duel

SHREVEPORT, LA — There is a new trend in the Alcorn State-Grambling State rivalry — freshman quarterbacks stealing the show. Last year, it was Alcorn State's Brandon Bridge, who single-handedly kept the Braves in the game. In Saturday's Port City Classic, however, it was Grambling's D.J. Williams who took on the starring role.

Williams tossed a pair of touchdowns in his first collegiate start and GSU held off a late Alcorn rally to give coach Doug Williams a 21-14 victory in his return to Grambling. Even when D.J. Williams did not have a hand in a touchdown, he set them up.

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Defense answers call for Grambling

As a first-time starting quarterback, Grambling freshman D.J. Williams refused to make Saturday's Port City Classic matchup with Alcorn State all about him. Instead, he put the onus on the Tigers' defense.

"I've been telling those guys, 'We're putting it on y'all,'" Williams said. "They're the best defense in the SWAC and they showed it (Saturday) night."

The Tigers defense definitely did its job against Alcorn, leading the way in Grambling's 21-14 victory. A year after watching Alcorn quarterback Brandon Bridge torch them for 408 passing yards, the Tigers were ready for the sophomore known as Air Canada.

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Florida A&M Rattlers able to hold off pesky Fort Valley State

Tallahassee, FL - Just before kickoff Saturday, Bragg Stadium fans got to watch an animated version of a rattlesnake slam around a wildcat that was prowling the Florida A&M campus.

The crowd went wild. As it turns out, the video on the stadium's big screen was nothing more than hype, as the Rattlers spent Saturday evening trying to find ways to escape the Wildcats from Fort Valley State University.

In the end they did, 28-22, but it wasn't pretty. Penalties, missed tackles and a Division-I transfer by the name of Antonio Henton made it a tough opening night for the co-defending MEAC champion.

"I knew (the Wildcats) were coming to play us," FAMU coach Joe Taylor said. "I knew they had some athletes." The Rattlers' own blunders also made for a tough afternoon on the sidelines for Taylor and his staff.

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FAMU Women's Basketball Player Stabbed, Killed

The late Shannon Washington

Tallahassee, FL - The Tallahassee Police Department responded to a report of a stabbing at 3025 South Adams Street this morning at approximately 2:03 AM. Officers located victim Shannon Washington in the apartment, with a knife wound to her neck. The victim was initially treated by officers on-scene, until EMS arrived.

She was then transported to the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. The victim was a FAMU student-athlete, who was a member of the women’s basketball team. TPD has been in contact with university officials.

TPD Victim Advocates have been working with the FAMU Athletic Department, and the victim’s teammates.

Suspect Starquineshia Palmer was still at the apartment upon the arrival of officers.

The investigation determined she did not live in the apartment, but traveled to Tallahassee from Central Florida to visit the victim for the weekend. The victim and Palmer began to argue in the early morning hours, resulting in Palmer stabbing the victim with a kitchen knife.

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MUG: Starquineshia Palmer
  (Courtesy Leon County Sheriff's Office)

NOTE: The late Ms. Washington was a heralded student-athlete that was expected to become the cornerstone of coach LeDawn Gibson's 2011/12 Lady Rattlers basketball squad. The Illinois Valley Community College standout was a two-time junior college All-American and two-time 1st team all-conference player. The 5'11" guard averaged 19 points, nine rebounds, five steals and five assists per game. The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tenn., honored her for her play last season.

The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame recognizes the country's top players on all levels, from pro to high school. In making the team, Washington's jersey will hang in the ring of honor at the museum in Tennessee, where she is among other greats such as Candace Parker (Univ. of Tennessee), Sue Byrd (Univ. of Connecticut) and Britney Griner (Baylor). The jersey will hang until May 2012.

Ms. Washington was a native of Sarasota, Florida, where she was a graduate of Riverview High School.

Starquineshia Palmer, age 20, has been charged with first degree murder by the Leon County Sheriff Office. 

-beepbeep

Jackson State Tigers start fast, finish slow

Jackson, MS - A preseason filled with much hype and many expectations for Jackson State's pass-happy offense started off oh-so sweet on Saturday with a 60-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Casey Therriault to Rico Richardson on the first play of a season-opening 42-2 victory over Concordia College.

The rest of the afternoon - at least for that once high-powered, high-flying offense - was submerged by Tropical Storm Lee's whipping winds and driving rains, and stalled by familiar issues for this team: inefficient pass blocking and a lackluster run game.

"I think we can be a little bit crisper. I think we can execute a little bit better than we executed today," JSU coach Rick Comegy said. "This team has it in them, and we're going to get it out of them."

Therriault, one of the most prolific passers in the nation last year, completed 15 of 32 for 218 yards, his third fewest in one dozen games at Jackson State.

PHOTOS: JSU - Concordia

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Tropical Storm Lee postpones Xavier's match at Loyola

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's women's volleyball match at city rival Loyola was postponed due to deteriorating conditions caused by Tropical Storm Lee.

The Gold Nuggets and the Wolfpack were scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. Sunday. XU coach Christabell Hamilton said she will attempt to reschedule the match.

The Associated Press reported Saturday afternoon that Lee stalled just before making landfall and threatened to dump more than a foot of rain across the northern Gulf Coast and into the Southeast in coming days. The storm's center was about 45 miles southwest of Morgan City, La., Saturday afternoon, spinning intermittent bands of stormy weather, alternating with light rain and occasional sunshine. Maximum sustained winds were 60 mph.

The next match for Xavier (1-1) will start at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Spring Hill. Judson (Ala.) will be the Nuggets' next home opponent — 7 p.m. Thursday at The Barn.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

The cadence of high-stepping marching bands

“A Cadence Unheard” documentary by Adrian Carroll and Gerard Farrow

Durham, N.C. - Students in the Southern and Hillside high schools’ marching bands rose before dawn in the swelter of summer heat. They arrived at their schools the first week in August for band camp – long days of practice, practice, practice. They were preparing – and still are preparing -- for halftime performances at football games, but also for the annual Adrian Carroll Battle of the Bands, held each October.

This year it will happen Oct. 16 at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium at N.C. Central University. It’s more than just a battle between high-stepping high school marching bands, which includes previous winner Ballou High from Washington, D.C. It’s also an exhibition of HBCU bands, including NCCU, Winston-Salem State and Howard University.



For the past year, Carroll and filmmaker Gerard Farrow of The Farrow Agency @Impression House, both based in Washington, have been documenting the work that goes into the annual battle, as well as the culture surrounding predominately black marching bands. The result, a documentary called “A Cadence Unheard,” will debut Oct. 9 on FOX50.

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Early lead holds up for WSSU

Rams Coach Connell Maynor

ELIZABETH CITY -- Winning ugly took on a whole new meaning for Winston-Salem State in its season opener Saturday night. WSSU scored three touchdowns in the first half of a penalty-marred game, then held on to defeat Elizabeth City State 22-17.

The teams combined for 22 penalties, and there was a bank of lights out at Roebuck Stadium, making the south end of the stadium more like a dungeon than a football stadium. Despite all that, the Rams won their CIAA opener.

"They had a game under their belt, and it was our first game under the lights," coach Connell Maynor of the Rams said. "We made some mistakes, and we knew we would make some, but the thing is what do you do when adversity hits? Our guys kept fighting and they hung in there."

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