Norfolk, VA - No more replays. No more jokes. Safety Ricardo Volcin put an end to all of them late in the first half, breaking on an out route and returning an interception 46 yards for a touchdown and breaking open a 37-3 win for Norfolk State in the Labor Day Classic.
Head coach Pete Adrian estimated NSU dropped five interceptions the previous year. "He replayed it at least 30 times," Volcin said. "Every time I came in, he was making gestures like, 'Oh, I can't catch a ball. Oh, I need stick 'em or something.' "
It was the sixth consecutive win in the Labor Day Classic series for Norfolk State over rival Virginia State, with the Spartans winning by an average of 26 points.
If there were fans who believed, themselves, that the Trojans had a chance before the opening kickoff, Volcin's return convinced them otherwise. The Trojans had been thoroughly outplayed by that point but trailed just 13-0, twice reducing long NSU drives to field goals.
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Monday, September 5, 2011
Virginia University of Lynchburg football team plays first game in decades
Lynchburg, VA - Deep in the third quarter, with zero points on the scoreboard, Virginia University of Lynchburg’s football team pulled off a clutch pass that put the ball in the end zone. “Touchdooooown” boomed the announcer at Aggie Stadium in Greensboro, N.C. to a crowd almost 12,000 spectators.The contingent of about 200 fans from Lynchburg erupted into cheers.
“They’re coming back, boy. The Dragon’s on the prowl,” said VUL president Ralph Reavis from his perch in the bleachers. Though the VUL Dragons ultimately lost to North Carolina A&T, 38 to 7, the team made history by playing its first game in over five decades.
In 1954, VUL — a small, historically black college nestled behind Campbell Avenue — disbanded its football team. The revival of the football program is part of a large-scale effort to bring back sports on campus. VUL plans to launch a total of 13 men’s and women’s sports teams this year.
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UNC-Pembroke tops Fayetteville State, 33-27, to claim 3rd straight Two Rivers Classic
Fayetteville, NC - UNC-Pembroke senior linebacker Fred Williams weaved through a maze of bodies and located the Two Rivers Classic trophy, which was hoisted above the heads of several teammates.Williams, a Terry Sanford High School graduate, couldn't resist the urge. With a 33-27 victory against Fayetteville State in hand, he applied his lips to the coveted hardware.
"This rivalry means a lot to me," Williams said. "Just to win it three years in a row, it's something special, so I had to get that kiss in at the end."
UNC-Pembroke improved to 3-0 in the brief series, going ahead for good on a 15-yard touchdown run by Travis Daniels with ...
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Fayetteville State drum major Sharmila Lever rules the band, field for 8 minutes
Fayetteville, NC - Sharmila Lever can finally take a moment to relax. With the halftime show finished and Fayetteville State's Marching Bronco Express band back in the bleachers at Nick Jeralds Stadium, Lever removes her oversized drum major hat and raises a full bottle of water to her lips.
Sweat is covering her cheeks and seeping through her white headband, the remnants of a taxing eight-minute performance. "It's the longest eight minutes of your life," she says. As the head drum major at Fayetteville State, Lever oversees those eight minutes. And actively participates in them.
A 23-year-old Pine Forest High School graduate, she has one semester remaining to earn an elementary education degree, one football season left to serve as an extension of FSU band director Alfred Davis.
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Sweat is covering her cheeks and seeping through her white headband, the remnants of a taxing eight-minute performance. "It's the longest eight minutes of your life," she says. As the head drum major at Fayetteville State, Lever oversees those eight minutes. And actively participates in them.A 23-year-old Pine Forest High School graduate, she has one semester remaining to earn an elementary education degree, one football season left to serve as an extension of FSU band director Alfred Davis.
Sloppy Play Sends Shaw To 16-13 Defeat to Stillman
Tuscaloosa, AL - Shaw's offense could not find a rhythm, while the defense held homestanding Stillman to only 212 yards on the game, but gave up two touchdowns on the way to a 16-13 loss at Stillman Stadium."I don't think this team has a sense of urgency right now and until we have a sense of urgency we're going to have more nights like this one. Stillman didn't beat us, we beat us," said Shaw head coach Darrell Asberry.
The tale of the tape came on the ground, where Stillman's ball control offense rolled up 171 yards while Shaw lost five. The Tigers attempted only seven passes on the night - connecting on five - for 41 yards. As a team, Shaw was 18 for 32 for 176 yards with one interception.
The offensive woes were foremost in Asberry's mind after the game. "Offensively we need to improve at the quarterback position and we need to improve at the running back position right now. Defensively I thought we played Shaw football, we just didn't make one or two plays."
The performance by the defending CIAA champions baffled Shaw fans, but Asberry sees a difference in this team compared to his championship teams. "This team does not have a swagger or sense of arrogance about them. The championship teams had an arrogance to them. I saw that chemistry beginning in the second half, but we just ran out of time."
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Sunday, September 4, 2011
Saint Augustine's rips Catawba, 30-5
DURHAM, NC — It’s not easy to rush for minus-24 yards and still win easily, but Saint Augustine’s showed the world how it’s done on the steamy field turf of Durham County Stadium. Catawba entered a new season with high hopes, but exited Saturday’s opener with an 0-1 mark. Saint Augustine’s picked off four passes and ripped the Indians 30-5.
“We made too many simple mistakes and missed too many assignments,” safety L.J. McCray said. “That let them keep momentum the whole game.” Catawba’s awful outing merged bad luck (three of those four picks were deflections) with bad timing and bad execution.
“We looked like absolute garbage,” said disappointed Catawba coach Chip Hester, who wasn’t in a sugar-coating mood. “We looked like an inexperienced, bad football team, and that’s not to take away anything from Saint Aug’s because they looked good.”
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“We made too many simple mistakes and missed too many assignments,” safety L.J. McCray said. “That let them keep momentum the whole game.” Catawba’s awful outing merged bad luck (three of those four picks were deflections) with bad timing and bad execution.
“We looked like absolute garbage,” said disappointed Catawba coach Chip Hester, who wasn’t in a sugar-coating mood. “We looked like an inexperienced, bad football team, and that’s not to take away anything from Saint Aug’s because they looked good.”
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Bowie State capitalize on Assumption quarterbacks’ miscues
Unfortunately for Assumption College football coach Cory Bailey, that’s what the Greyhounds did yesterday, turning the ball over three times before intermission, and five times overall, in a 28-7 loss to Bowie State in the season opener for both teams. Assumption used three quarterbacks, who combined for four of the five turnovers.
Sophomore Derek Fernandes threw an interception that was taken back 40 yards for a touchdown, and lost a fumble in the second half. Fernandes replaced freshman Sean Mayo after the first-year player injured his ankle. Kevin Bumpus, another freshman, started the second half, lost a fumble and was picked off.
“We’re young at a lot of spots,” Bailey said. “When you’re young at quarterback, turnovers kill you.”
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