TUSCALOOSA, Alabama (Oct.27, 2011) | The Miles College Golden Bears squeaked by rival Stillman College to claim the Southern Intercollegeate Athletic Conference Western Division title with a 9-7 victory, one year after going 3-8 and finishing in near the bottom in the conference.
The Golden Bears (6-3) won with a suffocating defense, holding the Tigers (6-3) to just 210 yards of offense and forcing three interceptions, including two in the fourth quarter. They also got just enough offense, led by quarterback David Thomas who went 17 of 25 for 180 yards.
“It’s been a long time coming for Miles College,” first-year coach Reginald Ruffin said. “I asked these guys to just to buy, and these guys have bought in.”
The Golden Bears got off to a fast start, starting the game with a trick play. Quarterback David Thomas threw a 50-yard bomb to D.J. Fife on a flea-flicker pass on the first play from scrimmage. Several plays later, running back Jordan Lewis took a pitch in from four yards out for the score, diving into the end zone to cap off the scoring drive. The extra point was blocked.
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Sunday, October 30, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Seniors eye another upset in FVSU home finale
Fort Valley, Georgia -- Senior night is always an emotional one for a team, regardless of how a season has gone. The players preparing for their final home game start thinking about how fast their career has gone and how their lives have changed.
It’s no cakewalk for coaches, for similar reasons. They’ve watched players grow from green, wide-eyed freshmen who were either timid or arrogant upon arrival turn into young men. The Wildcats will honor 16 seniors before the home finale, and it will be a little painful for the FVSU coaches to watch.
Nine position players are basically starters, and one position player, wideout Demario Barber, is one of the nation’s top punt returners. Nearly all in the group are regulars who get substantive snaps. Head coach Donald Pittman noted how many played only on special teams as freshmen and can only wonder about if they had been redshirted.
“If those guys would be able to play next year?” Pittman said. “Wow. What an impact.”
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It’s no cakewalk for coaches, for similar reasons. They’ve watched players grow from green, wide-eyed freshmen who were either timid or arrogant upon arrival turn into young men. The Wildcats will honor 16 seniors before the home finale, and it will be a little painful for the FVSU coaches to watch.
Nine position players are basically starters, and one position player, wideout Demario Barber, is one of the nation’s top punt returners. Nearly all in the group are regulars who get substantive snaps. Head coach Donald Pittman noted how many played only on special teams as freshmen and can only wonder about if they had been redshirted.
“If those guys would be able to play next year?” Pittman said. “Wow. What an impact.”
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Maynor, WSSU Rams have sights set high
Winston Salem, North Carolina -- Coach Connell Maynor approaches a familiar football intersection driving a John Deere utility vehicle that resembles a golf cart as it climbs the rocky hill from the Winston-Salem State practice field to Bowman Gray Stadium.
The green cart, adorned with a tiny Rams decal on the front, matches the recreational tastes of a former quarterback who shoots around par during golfing months.
On October's final Saturday afternoon, though, golf takes a back seat beside bags of workout footballs while Maynor strives to scratch out a win against Shaw. The Rams, 8-0 and No. 9 in the NCAA Division II coaches' poll, look perfectly situated, having clinched a spot in the CIAA title game.
Despite routing the field by an average score of 48-16 thus far, the Rams could still blow their NCAA ride. Cruise control remains a dangerous illusion, which WSSU discovered last season when St. Augustine's and Shaw derailed the roaring red revivalists. Shaw intercepted a disastrous screen pass and converted a short touchdown drive for the second defeat.
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The green cart, adorned with a tiny Rams decal on the front, matches the recreational tastes of a former quarterback who shoots around par during golfing months.
On October's final Saturday afternoon, though, golf takes a back seat beside bags of workout footballs while Maynor strives to scratch out a win against Shaw. The Rams, 8-0 and No. 9 in the NCAA Division II coaches' poll, look perfectly situated, having clinched a spot in the CIAA title game.
Despite routing the field by an average score of 48-16 thus far, the Rams could still blow their NCAA ride. Cruise control remains a dangerous illusion, which WSSU discovered last season when St. Augustine's and Shaw derailed the roaring red revivalists. Shaw intercepted a disastrous screen pass and converted a short touchdown drive for the second defeat.
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Kirk's work helps Xavier Gold Nuggets defeat Faulkner in five
EW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- Freshman Moira Kirk had 23 kills, the most by a Xavier University of Louisiana player this season, to rally the Gold Nuggets in a 25-19, 14-25, 17-25, 25-20, 15-12 women's volleyball victory Friday against Faulkner.
Kirk had three kills in the final seven rallies to help the Gold Nuggets (17-6) rally from a 17-14 deficit in the fourth set, then she closed the match with consecutive kills after Xavier trailed 3-0 and 9-5 in the fifth.
"I wish I had a team full of Moira Kirks," Xavier coach Christabell Hamilton said. "I say that because of her heart. She plays hard every day, whether it's a match or practice. She always gives me 100 percent, and sometimes she exceeds that. She's a leader by example."
Kirk also had four blocks and an ace and hit a team-best .364 in 44 attacks. Chinedu Echebelem had 10 kills, eight digs and three blocks, and Taylor Reuther had eight kills, 16 digs and a career-best five blocks. Xavier also got 11 digs from Celeste Poe and a career-high 17 digs from Kia Smith, whose dig set up Kirk's winning shot.
"Kia Smith played a great match," Hamilton said. "She's continued to fight for playing time. She's gotten more time recently, and today she stepped up."
Neysa Hernandez had 14 kills, 10 digs, two blocks and two aces for Faulkner (18-17), which dropped its fourth straight. Kelsey Bell had 10 kills and 23 digs, and Abbie Melvin had 19 digs.
Xavier took the lead for good in the deciding set with a 7-1 run. Echebelem and Jeanay Butler blocked Brittnay Renfroe's attack to tie the score at 10, and Reuther's lone ace put the Nuggets ahead to stay.
"Man, we were in some trouble in the fifth," Hamilton said. "I just told them that we've got to stay together and keep fighting."
It's the second time in the program's four seasons that Xavier won after trailing two sets to one, and it's the first time in five tries that the Gold Nuggets defeated Faulkner. This is the first Xavier team with three five-set victories in a season.
Both teams committed 48 errors. Xavier outhit Faulkner .155 to .154 and had a 71-67 advantage in digs, but the Lady Eagles had advantages of 54-48 in kills, 8-4 in aces and 9-7 in blocks.
Xavier will travel to Gulf Coast Athletic Conference and city rival SUNO for a 6 p.m. match Saturday. The Gold Nuggets have clinched a share of the GCAC regular-season championship and need a victory against SUNO or Dillard to win the title outright. SUNO and Dillard are both 7-2 in conference, and they're the only teams which can catch Xavier.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
Kirk had three kills in the final seven rallies to help the Gold Nuggets (17-6) rally from a 17-14 deficit in the fourth set, then she closed the match with consecutive kills after Xavier trailed 3-0 and 9-5 in the fifth.
"I wish I had a team full of Moira Kirks," Xavier coach Christabell Hamilton said. "I say that because of her heart. She plays hard every day, whether it's a match or practice. She always gives me 100 percent, and sometimes she exceeds that. She's a leader by example."
Kirk also had four blocks and an ace and hit a team-best .364 in 44 attacks. Chinedu Echebelem had 10 kills, eight digs and three blocks, and Taylor Reuther had eight kills, 16 digs and a career-best five blocks. Xavier also got 11 digs from Celeste Poe and a career-high 17 digs from Kia Smith, whose dig set up Kirk's winning shot.
"Kia Smith played a great match," Hamilton said. "She's continued to fight for playing time. She's gotten more time recently, and today she stepped up."
Neysa Hernandez had 14 kills, 10 digs, two blocks and two aces for Faulkner (18-17), which dropped its fourth straight. Kelsey Bell had 10 kills and 23 digs, and Abbie Melvin had 19 digs.Xavier took the lead for good in the deciding set with a 7-1 run. Echebelem and Jeanay Butler blocked Brittnay Renfroe's attack to tie the score at 10, and Reuther's lone ace put the Nuggets ahead to stay.
"Man, we were in some trouble in the fifth," Hamilton said. "I just told them that we've got to stay together and keep fighting."
It's the second time in the program's four seasons that Xavier won after trailing two sets to one, and it's the first time in five tries that the Gold Nuggets defeated Faulkner. This is the first Xavier team with three five-set victories in a season.
Both teams committed 48 errors. Xavier outhit Faulkner .155 to .154 and had a 71-67 advantage in digs, but the Lady Eagles had advantages of 54-48 in kills, 8-4 in aces and 9-7 in blocks.Xavier will travel to Gulf Coast Athletic Conference and city rival SUNO for a 6 p.m. match Saturday. The Gold Nuggets have clinched a share of the GCAC regular-season championship and need a victory against SUNO or Dillard to win the title outright. SUNO and Dillard are both 7-2 in conference, and they're the only teams which can catch Xavier.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
Savannah State meets Hampton on homecoming Saturday
Savannah, Georgia -- There are still four games to go in the football season for the Savannah State Tigers. After losing six of the first seven, you might think first-year coach Steve Davenport would be looking at younger players.
But Davenport isn’t using the final part of the season as an audition for next year. Particularly today on the Tigers’ homecoming.
“We’re not at that point,” said Davenport, whose squad meets Hampton University at 2 p.m. at T.A Wright Stadium. “I don’t want to toss the seniors aside just for the sake of looking at young kids. We’re going to play the best players. The guys we have playing are the older guys and they’re the best players.
“Our mentality the whole time is we’re going to play the best players. If the results aren’t good enough, then we have to go out and get better players.”
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But Davenport isn’t using the final part of the season as an audition for next year. Particularly today on the Tigers’ homecoming.
“We’re not at that point,” said Davenport, whose squad meets Hampton University at 2 p.m. at T.A Wright Stadium. “I don’t want to toss the seniors aside just for the sake of looking at young kids. We’re going to play the best players. The guys we have playing are the older guys and they’re the best players.
“Our mentality the whole time is we’re going to play the best players. If the results aren’t good enough, then we have to go out and get better players.”
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Friday, October 28, 2011
Scouting report: Morgan State vs. Delaware State
Morgan State (4-3, 3-1 MEAC) vs. Delaware State (2-5, 0-4 MEAC)Time: 1 p.m.
Radio: 88.9 FM
Series: Morgan leads series 30-23
MSU Gamenotes
What's at stake: Morgan State, which is tied for first place in the MEAC, will face the struggling Hornets on the road as both teams are coming off bye weeks. Before the break, the Bears had won two straight, including a dominant 52-3 victory at North Carolina Central on Oct. 29. Meanwhile, the Hornets have plummeted in the standings. After winning its first two games of the season, Delaware State has lost five straight under first-year coach Kermit Blount. The Bears have not won at Delaware State since 2003, when they claimed a 53-36 victory.
Key matchup: Morgan State running back Travis Davidson rushed for a game-high 142 yards and three touchdowns in the Bears' rout of N.C. Central two weeks ago. The junior leads the team with 455 rushing yards this season and five touchdowns. Running backs have had no problem against the Hornets, who have allowed more than 200 rushing yards per game this season. The Delaware State defense has allowed a MEAC-worst 441 yards per game.
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Spears makes return to SU as Alcorn coach
Baton Rouge, Louisiana -- This weekend's game will be a homecoming of sorts for so many more than the Southern University faithful. Sure alums, former faculty members, administrators and fans from all over will converge on the Baton Rouge campus on Saturday in anticipation of seeing old friends, watching a little football and hearing the SU band, also known as the Human Jukebox perform.
But as Southern (2-5, 2-3 Southwestern Athletic Conference) prepares to host Alcorn State (2-4, 1-4) Saturday at 5:30 p.m. inside A.W. Mumford Stadium, the Jaguars are also aware it will be a homecoming for several players and coaches from the visiting team.
Alcorn first-year head coach Melvin Spears, a Clinton native, grew up a short drive away from the SU campus.
Michael Roach, a Baton Rouge native and a 1985 graduate of SU, is Alcorn's assistant head coach/defensive coordinator. Roach played football at SU and later coached at the school after graduation. Until last year, he was also the head coach at Southern Lab, which is located on the SU campus.
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But as Southern (2-5, 2-3 Southwestern Athletic Conference) prepares to host Alcorn State (2-4, 1-4) Saturday at 5:30 p.m. inside A.W. Mumford Stadium, the Jaguars are also aware it will be a homecoming for several players and coaches from the visiting team.
Alcorn first-year head coach Melvin Spears, a Clinton native, grew up a short drive away from the SU campus.
Michael Roach, a Baton Rouge native and a 1985 graduate of SU, is Alcorn's assistant head coach/defensive coordinator. Roach played football at SU and later coached at the school after graduation. Until last year, he was also the head coach at Southern Lab, which is located on the SU campus.
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