MVSU Delta Devils showcase skills at Green & White Game

ITTA BENA, Mississippi  --   The White team, consisting of the Mississippi Valley State offense, came away with a 51-25 win Saturday over the Green squad (MVSU defense) at the Green and White scrimmage game at Rice-Totten.

One of the largest spring game crowds in school history flocked to campus to witness what the Delta Devils would be like under new head coach Rick Comegy. 

"I was very pleased with the crowd," said Comegy. "I want to thank the crowd for coming…..They came out and supported these guys and I'm happy about that."

The first-year head coach said he saw some positive things Saturday, especially on the defensive side of the ball. 

"I saw some good things from a defensive stand point of view," said Comegy," and I saw us score some points. And I saw some running backs that could run the football pretty good."

MVSU alternated running backs throughout the game, with John Johnson, Jeremy Dobson, Cody Gilchrist and Dwayne Springs sharing carries. Dobson, a sophomore from Byram, exploded for a 21-yard gain midway through the game. 

Patrick Ivy, Carl Davis, Marcus Reed and Rashad Jones all split time at quarterback. Davis, a senior Mobile, Ala. native, connected with Trey Ford on a 50-yard TD to give the White team a 21-6 lead. Ivy threw a late TD pass to Joshua Rice to give the White squad a 44-19 advantage. 

Defensive linemen Byron Scott, Sean Fugate and Jeremiah Russell along with linebacker Brandon Powe all played well and did a great job of getting to the quarterback. 

Although the spring game is over, the Delta Devils will continue spring practice this upcoming week.

 

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Pharrell Williams has key to being "happy" but not one to city?

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VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia -- Gymnast Gabby Douglas has one. So does Super Bowl champ Plaxico Burress. (That was before he did a stint in prison on gun charges.)

But homegrown singer, songwriter and superstar Pharrell Williams?

No key. Not even a key ring.

While the whole world is dancing to Pharrell's infectious hit "Happy," Virginia Beach City Hall is barely tapping its feet.

"We're very proud of Pharrell and we look forward to honoring him when the opportunity is right," a city spokesman replied by email Friday after I inquired about honors - past or present - for the Princess Anne High School grad. "In fact, we would be very HAPPY to do so!"


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Rolland, Fakler lead XU Nuggets to repeat as GCAC champ

NEW ORLEANS -- Led again by juniors Devinn Rolland and Catherine Fakler, Xavier University of Louisiana repeated as women's team champion at the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Tad Gormley Stadium on Saturday.

Rolland won three individual events -- the long jump and the 100- and 200-meter dashes -- for the third consecutive year. Fakler won the 1,500, 3,000 steeplechase and 5,000 and anchored the Gold Nuggets to victory in the 3,200 relay by nearly 46 seconds.

Fakler won the 1,500 for the third consecutive year, repeated as steeplechase and 5,000 champion and finished second in the 800. She won the 5,000 by nearly 90 seconds.

The Gold Nuggets, No. 14 in the NAIA National Team Computer Rankings, scored 213 points and won the conference team championship for the third time in four years. Dillard was second with 168 points, followed by Edward Waters with 143, SUNO with 26 and Voorhees with 19.

In the men's division, Xavier's Kwame Jackson won the 5,000 for the third consecutive year, and Brent Kitto won the 1,500. The Gold Rush were fifth of six teams with 34 points; Dillard outscored Edward Waters 178-153 for the title.

Xavier got meet records from Fakler in the steeplechase (12:01.53) and 5,000 (19:50.14) and Rolland in the 100 (11.66). Rolland's 100 time was a personal best.

The Gold Nuggets scored 30 more points than they did in their 2013 title run. They scored in 16-of-19 events, and 18 individuals scored. Xavier took the top four places in the 1,500 and 5,000.

Also winning for Xavier were Angelica Alexander, a repeat champion in the high jump, and freshman Terri Cunningham in the 400 hurdles. Cunningham scored in four events and was the Nuggets' No. 3 scorer with 21 1/2 points. Fakler scored 40 1/2 points, and Rolland scored 32.

Joining Fakler on the champion 3,200 relay were Briana Simms, Ashley Flournoy and Zahri Jackson.

Also finishing second for the Nuggets were Hannah Finnegan in the 5,000, Simms in the steeplechase, Tramaine Shannon in the 400, Flournoy in the 1,500 and the 400 relay team of Kaylee Moore, Rolland, Shannon and Chelsea James.

The women's team championship is the 19th on the conference level in coach Joseph Moses' nine seasons at Xavier. Moses led the Rush and Nuggets to eight GCAC cross country titles apiece from 2006-13.

Xavier's next event will be the Southeastern Invitational at Hammond, La., on Friday.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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With choices to sort out at QB, Spartans add an option

COURTESY NSU ATHLETICS

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- Norfolk State coach Pete Adrian is weighing his options in more ways than one.

As he spends a good chunk of the spring identifying a frontrunner at quarterback, he's installing a modified offense that includes an option wrinkle as a second read.

But don't confuse the Spartans for Navy; the option is in the playbook, but it's not anywhere near the front page.

"We might go three weeks and not run an option," Adrian said Saturday morning at Dick Price Stadium, after NSU's seventh practice of the spring and its first with full contact. "It all depends what the defense is going to give you."

The scheme, which will operate under new offensive coordinator Donald Hill-Eley, sends a man in motion through a one-back backfield and gives the quarterback the true option of pitching the ball if necessary.

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Curtis High School's Mohamed Bah accepts track and field scholarship to Howard University (video)

STATEN ISLAND, New York  --  Curtis High School assistant track and field coach Donald Pierce has a vision of senior Mohamed Bah returning to the school years down the road with a new title.

"I definitely can see myself calling him ‘Dr. Bah,’ ” Pierce said. “These sort of student-athletes just don’t come along very often.”

Bah signed a national-letter-of-intent this week to attend Howard University in Washington, D.C., on a full athletic scholarship, but that significant news was almost a backdrop to the West Brighton resident’s impressive overall resume.

Bah said he plans on entering the pre-med program at Howard with an eye on ...



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New athletic director Jason Horn couldn't be happier at Xavier

JASON HORN
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
Photo Courtesy: XU Athletics

NEW ORLEANS  --  New Xavier athletic director Jason Horn has bounced around the college world at schools both large and small.

Horn, who started on Monday, said he enjoys smaller athletic departments. Xavier is his smallest college athletic department yet and he couldn’t be happier.

 

“I remember talking to the last athletic director at Arizona State and he had about 225 employees,” Horn said. “How do you get to know 225 employees? It’s just a big moving machine.” 

 

And how many employees does Xavier have in its athletic department? Horn pulled out a small piece of paper with names and telephone numbers and quickly counted them up.

 

“About 20,” he said.

 

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Tennessee State Dominates Boston/Moon Relays

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  --  The Tennessee State track and field teams recorded 13 first-place finishes during the two-day Boston/Moon Relays in the sole home outdoor meet of the season.

Amber Hughes started the day with a win in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 13.92 and Oetia Prince continued the trend by clocking a 13:44.83 in the 3000 meter steeplechase.

In the field events, Brittani Logan recorded the longest throw in the shot put with a toss of 13.59 while Angel Davis placed first in the discus (39.90).

 Hughes, Ashontae Jackson, Quanisha Sales and Clairwin Dameus came in first in both the 4x100 (45.75) and 4x400 (3:52.30) in two of the final relays of the day.

Jerome Henderson took home titles in the 100 (10.73) and 200 meters (21.20) and Quamel Prince followed suit in the 800 meter (1:53.64).

The Flying Tigers were tops in the 400-meter events, too, as Michael Johnson won the dash (48.43) and Jaleel Michael bested everyone in the hurdles (53.48).

Prince, Johnson, Michael and Emmanuel Thornton easily won the 4x400 meter relay with a time of 3:15.31 and Tyler Anderson rounded out the winners with a leap of 7.39 meters in the long jump.

TSU will next travel to Lexington for the Kentucky Relays on April 18 as a final preparation before the OVC Outdoor Championship on May 2.

Results (,pdf)

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