Northview's Brown committs to Prairie View A&M

DOTHAN, Alabama  --  Northview outside linebacker Trey Brown committed to play college ball late Thursday night to Prairie View A&M, a Southwest Athletic Conference (SWAC) member in Texas.

This past year, Brown recorded 85 tackles (8.5 a game) with three quarterback sacks, helping Northview to a 5-5 record. The 85 tackles were second best for LaBrian Stewart’s Cougars.

“They came all the way from Texas to Dothan, Al., to recruit me and that made me feel good,” Brown said. “They have a good coaching staff and I felt it was the right fit for me.”

Brown said he had offers from Tuskegee, West Alabama, Miles College and Clark College and that Alabama State, Arkansas State and Georgia State also expressed interest in him, but had not made any offers.

This past season was only Brown’s second year at linebacker.

“I played running back up to my junior year, so I am more of an athlete on defense,” Brown said.

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FAMU football search down to final four

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- The search for a new head football coach at Florida A&M is down to four candidates, including two that were players at FAMU.

Athletic Director Derek Horne said Friday he expects to begin interviewing the finalists as early as Jan. 2, when FAMU resumes business following the holiday break. While Horne didn’t name the four, interim head coach Earl Holmes and former FSU assistant coach John Eason are expected to be interviewed.

The four names have been submitted to interim president Larry Robinson, and each of them will be asked to make plans to be on campus during the first week of January, Horne said. Twenty-three candidates applied for the position, which became vacant when Joe Taylor retired from coaching college football in early November.

Former FAMU coach Rubin Carter, who was fired and replaced by Taylor in 2008, was one of the candidates. His former assistant Charles Huff also applied, but neither is believed to have made the final cut.

In addition to Holmes, who played at FAMU during the 1990s, and Eason, who was a Rattler during the 1960s, two other former Rattlers applied. They are Ja’Juan Seider and Terry Beauford. Willie Simmons, a former player at Shanks High School who is now offensive coordinator at Alcorn State, also was among the applicants.

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UVU Wolverines End Homestand Against N.C. Central

OREM, Utah -- Utah Valley University looks to gain a season split with North Carolina Central on Saturday afternoon at 4:05 p.m. in the UCCU Center. The Wolverines (6-7) fell 70-52 in Durham to the Eagles (5-6) on Nov. 27.  "North Carolina Central completely outplayed us in our first meeting," said UVU coach Dick Hunsaker. "They were more physical, quicker to the ball, they out-hustled us and dominated at every position. They know they can beat us."

On Wednesday, UVU beat Troy for the second time in overtime this season after picking up a double-OT victory on Dec. 8 in Alabama. The Wolverines' last three victories have all come in overtime.

In Wednesday's 67-64 overtime win, Ben Aird finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and three blocks with Nick Thompson adding 13 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. Holton Hunsaker scored 13 including six in overtime and Antoine Hosley chipped in 10 off the bench for UVU.  N.C. Central has played just three games since the Nov. 27 contest against UVU, picking up a win over North Carolina A&T in its MEAC opener on Dec. 1. Since, the Eagles have suffered pair of narrow defeats against Eastern Kentucky and, most recently, by three points on Dec. 19 at Drake.


COURTESY UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

WVIAC Football: Fairmont State picks Woodman as new Falcons’ football coach

HEAD COACH JASON WOODMAN
FAIRMONT STATE UNIVERSITY
FIGHTING FALCONS

FAIRMONT,  West Virginia —  Jason Woodman has been named the 18th head football coach at Fairmont State, Director of Athletics Rusty Elliott announced today. Woodman, a 2002 Fairmont State graduate, returns to his alma mater with extensive success at the Division I and Division II levels.

Woodman will be formally introduced as the head coach at a press conference on Saturday, Dec. 22, at 1 p.m. at the Feaster Center. The press conference will be webcast live on FightingFalcons.com.

“We are very excited to welcome back Jason Woodman to his alma mater,” Elliott said. “Jason is a great, young coaching talent who has worked for some of the best in the business and he has already had a lot of great experiences during his career.”

He spent the previous two seasons as the offensive coordinator at Bowie State where Bulldogs set several school records and has ranked among the best in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).

Prior to his stint at Bowie State, Woodman worked for two years at Concord as the wide receivers coach and special teams coordinator and helped resurrect the Mountain Lion program.

Woodman began his college coaching career with three seasons at Louisiana State University (2004-2006) under head coaches Nick Saban and Les Miles. Woodman worked as a graduate assistant under Jimbo Fisher, then the Tigers’ Offensive Coordinator.

When Florida State hired Fisher in 2007, Woodman followed to Tallahassee to work under legendary head coach Bobby Bowden.

The following year, Woodman was hired at California University (Pa.). With Woodman as running backs coach, the Vulcans went 13-1, winning their first outright Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship and setting a school record for wins in a season while helping the Vulcans to the national semifinals.

Woodman and his wife, Kari, have four children, sons Taner, Knox and Brodi and daughter Kinleigh.

COURTESY FAIRMONT STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern's football attendance ranked number one in SWAC

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Southern University football finished the 2012 season ranked No. 9 in the Football Championship Subdivision in average home attendance and No. 1 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, the university recently announced.

Southern posted an average home attendance of 16,602 with only four home contests at the 25,500-seat A.W. Mumford Stadium. The Jaguars also played in the No. 2 (vs. Grambling), No. 4 (vs. Florida A&M) and No. 21 (vs. Texas Southern) overall highest attended single games.

"This year's significant increase in home attendance and uptick in Bayou Classic attendance was the result of a multifaceted marketing and social media campaign and robust community outreach combining with an improved on-the-field product," said William Broussard, Southern athletics director. "We were able to host 750 area youth and over 1000 prospective high school students through various initiatives and do much more through discounted/group sales."

As a result, Southern football produced a 28 percent increase year-over-year.

Southern, by virtue of the Bayou Classic, also ranked No. 4 in total home accumulated attendance at 112,389.

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No more waiting for Morgan State's Anthony Hubbard

BALTIMORE, Maryland  --  As the team bus left Baltimore and headed south to Norfolk, Anthony Hubbard’s mind began racing.

In a few hours, he would take the court for the first time as a Division I men’s basketball player when Morgan State would play the University of Texas at San Antonio and he wasn’t sure what might happen.

For a year, the Woodbridge resident had waited for this opportunity after the NCAA ruled he had to sit out a year after transferring from Iowa. Hubbard never played for the Hawkeyes, but he had signed a national letter of intent and received institutional aid while attending summer school there. Morgan State applied for a waiver, but to no avail.

Then of course, there was Hubbard’s back story beyond Iowa. At age 18, Hubbard went to jail for almost four years for an armed robbery he and three other boys committed in Woodbridge on Dec. 13, 2003.

When he was released from prison on Dec. 20, 2007, Hubbard had straightened out his life and saw a bright future ahead of him.

Still, as excited as he was about finally suiting up for Morgan State, there was no denying the impact of the moment.

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Close to home, HU Avant thrives as on-court leader

HAMPTON, Virginia  -- Keiara Avant wasn't ready to leave.

After averaging a double-double at Indian River High School and receiving a couple of out-of-state scholarship offers, the Chesapeake native wanted to continue her basketball career close to home.

She loved having her family in the stands - a little extra motivation, she said, that helps her play harder. She wanted the hand-made signs, the cheers and the familiarity.

When Hampton coach David Six extended her an offer, the choice was simple. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference school felt like - and was close to - home.

"Having my family come to the games, support me, it's just great," Avant said. "Hampton blue is strong in my family."

The senior said at least six of her relatives are Hampton alumni. They've watched her and the Pirates win three consecutive MEAC championships.

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