Thomas expects loud fans at Southern

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Alcorn State coach Johnny Thomas on Monday used the word “hostile” twice, first describing the crowd and then the environment at A.W. Mumford Stadium, while discussing Saturday’s game at Southern.

However, avoiding a duplicate of the firestorm that began with Jackson State coach Rick Comegy’s remarks on the same Southwestern Athletic Conference teleconference the week before, Thomas quickly explained he meant “hostile” in a positive manner.

“They’re going to be excited, loud and ready for the football game,” Thomas said.

A week earlier, Comegy talked about the upcoming game at Southern as being played in a “hostile situation.”

“I know a lot of people aren’t taking their families. They’re leaving their kids here,” Comegy said.

Those remarks eventually drew a Tuesday statement regretting any misunderstanding from the school’s president and a Wednesday reprimand from the SWAC.

Before a 32-26 victory over Southern in front of 24,600, including a large contingent of Jackson State fans, Saturday, Comegy did not come on the field during pregame warmups and, when he took to the sideline with his team, was flanked by law enforcement representatives.

The game was Comegy’s first at Mumford Stadium.

There were no apparent major incidents Saturday.

Alcorn’s run at SU

Alcorn has won its last three games at Mumford Stadium — 22-20 in 2002, 36-34 in ’03 and 38-16 in ’05.

Thomas said there is no common thread to the successful run.

“I don’t know what it is. I certainly can’t put my hand on it,” Thomas said.

The biggest victory of those three came in 2003, when Donald Carrie, with a Southern defender wrapped around his waist, threw a 24-yard touchdown strike to Charlie Spiller with 40 seconds left in the game. That was the only loss that season for SU, which won the SWAC and black college national titles with a 12-1 mark.

Close first win

In a game matching winless teams, Alcorn escaped from Texas Southern with a 22-20 victory Saturday after a 23-yard field-goal try from TSU’s D’Javan Conway went wide right as time expired. TSU, behind third-string quarterback Donnie Shorts, drove 72 yards with no time outs in the final 1:11 to set up the try.

“Our team now has some confidence,” Thomas said. “We still need to make tremendous improvement on offense, defense and special teams. We can’t play the way we did against Texas Southern against Southern.”

TSU outgained Alcorn 309-147.

Quick look at Southern

Of Southern, Thomas said, “Southern has a winning tradition, outstanding coaching staff and a quality football program. Going down on the Bluff is going to be a tremendous challenge.”

Quick look at Alcorn

Of Alcorn, SU coach Pete Richardson said, “Offensively, they have seven or eight starters who are seniors. (Nate) Hughes is one of the finest wide receivers in the whole conference. Defensively, they’re going to create a lot of pressure. They’re going to play man-to-man (in the secondary).”

Notes

After going 0-11 in 2000, Alcorn has had six straight winning seasons — going 7-4 in 2003 and ’04 and 6-5 in the other four seasons. SU true freshman P Josh Duran is 35th nationally in punting, at 40.5 yards per punt.

Streaking JSU Tigers eye penalty woes

By Kareem Copeland, Clarion Ledger

THE JSU GAME
What: Jackson State vs. Grambling State
When: noon Saturday
TV: ESPN Classic

Life is sweet around the campus of Jackson State with the football team winning four straight games.

The Tigers (4-2, 4-0 SWAC) rank in the league's top four in total offense, total defense, scoring offense and scoring defense.

And a victory over Grambling State (5-1, 5-0) on Saturday would leave JSU as the lone undefeated team in conference play.

But two statistical categories loom over the team, waiting to wreak havoc at an inopportune time.

Jackson State is dead last in penalty yardage (105.2 ypg) and No. 6 in turnover margin (minus-1).

The Tigers pulled out a 32-26 victory over Southern last weekend, but were flagged nine times for 53 yards. The Jaguars were plus-3 in turnovers.

JSU was flagged eight times for 142 yards in a 32-20 win over Alabama State two weeks ago. The Hornets were plus-1 in turnovers.

Neither game would have been as close if not for JSU penalties and turnovers.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Jackson State receiver Chris Johnson was tabbed SWAC Offensive Player of the Week after five receptions for a career-high 160 yards and a touchdown.

Prairie View A&M defensive end Jon Johnson was the defensive representative after 10 tackles, one for loss, three quarterback hurries and a sack in a 17-6 win over Alabama State.

Grambling State freshman running back Frank Warren was named Newcomer of the Week after 92 rushing yards on 17 carries, including two touchdowns.

Grambling State's Tim Manuel was the top specialist of the weekend. The senior averaged 43.1 yards on seven punts, downing three inside the 20-yard line. Manuel also connected on a 45-yard field goal and three extra points.

Jackson State University Sonic Boom of the South Marching Band and the J-Settes (10/13/2007) leaving Southern's A.W. Mumford Stadium after VICTORY over Jaguars.

A welcome opportunity for JSU

By REGGIE BENSON, Times Sports Staff

Once hoping to land at Tennessee, Johnson is thankful to be at A&M

Two years ago, Rashad Johnson was headed to the University of Tennessee. At least, that was the plan. However, those plans were derailed and he landed at Alabama A&M instead.

The Vols' loss has clearly been the Bulldogs' gain as Johnson has emerged into a key contributor at wide receiver in his first season.

A 5-foot-10, 185-pound freshman from Mobile, Johnson had an outstanding senior year at Murphy High School, catching 37 balls for more than 700 yards and 12 touchdowns. A number of schools recruited Johnson, but he wanted to play at Tennessee.

That dream ended when Johnson failed to make the required score on the ACT. Then Jones got in trouble with the law when one of his friends picked him up from work in a stolen car.

"We got pulled over," Johnson said. "I had no idea it was a stolen car."

With few options, Johnson's mother spoke with then-A&M offensive coordinator Stan Conner.

"Coach Conner told me if I came up here and got eligible, I could get a scholarship and play," Johnson said.

Johnson isn't on scholarship yet, but if he keeps playing the way he has through the Bulldogs' first six games, he'll certainly earn one.

Johnson has just only nine catches, but four have gone for touchdowns, which is second on the team. He is averaging 16.2 yards per catch, third-best on the squad.

That's not bad for a guy who wasn't invited to training camp until after it began.

"I guess they figured I really didn't want to play," said Johnson, who was named A&M's offensive player of the week after catching three passes for 40 yards, including a pair of touchdowns in the Bulldogs' 33-28 win over Southern more than a week ago. "I was determined to play. I sat out last year and I realized how much I loved football.

"I went out there with the mind-set I wanted to play and showed them what I could do."

Receivers coach Willie Totten noticed Johnson on his first day of practice.

"It was a Wednesday night," Totten said. "He was wearing No. 46 and we were doing 1-on-1s. He had great acceleration. He was aggressive. He's got a little different attitude than some of our other receivers. That caught my attention.

"I knew he could help us. He kept getting better and better and I told Coach (Anthony) Jones we needed to consider him. He was hungry. He was very attentive to what we were doing."

It didn't take Johnson long to make an impact.

He had just two catches for 14 yards in the season opener against Tennessee State, but had three catches for 94 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the home opener against Clark Atlanta, including a 65-yarder.

Johnson managed just one catch over the next three games, but he came up big against Southern as A&M hung on for a big conference road win.

"Coach Totten told me to be patient and just keep running my routes," Johnson said. "I had to wait until my number was called and that's when I stepped up."

Johnson hauled in a 12-yard touchdown pass from Kelcy Luke to stake the Bulldogs to an early 7-0 lead. Later, Johnson threw a key blocked that allowed wide receiver Gerald Stockdale to find Thomas Harris with a 55-yard touchdown pass. Then, early in the second quarter, Luke found Johnson with a 18-yard touchdown pass.

While Johnson was happy with the touchdown catches, he was more thrilled about throwing the block that led to Harris' touchdown.

"When Stockdale came in motion, I knew his man was going to come with him," Johnson explained. "As soon as he got the ball, he faked like he was going to run the ball and his man came crashing down. I pushed him as far as I could to the sideline and Stockdale was able to throw it to Harris."

Johnson hopes to continue his strong play Thursday night when A&M hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff in a Southwestern Athletic Conference game. Kickoff is at 6:30 and the game will be televised live on ESPNU.

While Johnson is happy to be at A&M, Jones is equally excited to have him on the team. "He's been a great addition to our program," Jones said. "He just needed polishing. Coach Totten has done a great job of grooming him. "While he's been a great addition to our program, we've been a great addition to him and his development on and off the field."

Totten agreed.

"After the Clark Atlanta game, he came to me and said thank you," Totten said. "I didn't understand what he meant at the time. He said 'I appreciate you giving me a chance.' That still sticks with me today.

"He wants to prove to people that he's not the person people think he is. Those are the things that encourage me about Johnson. He's got a great attitude and he's trying to find his place in society. ... This football program is probably saving Johnson's life."

Bethune Cookman women's golf captures Rutgers Invitational Tournament title

by BCU Sports Information

Wildcats beat Ivy League power Yale by nine strokes in victory

Piscataway, N.J. - Freshman Kimberly Wong posted her third consecutive Top 5 finish of the fall season over the weekend while leading Bethune-Cookman University women's golf team to a much-heralded first place trophy at the Rutgers Women's Invitational in Piscataway, N.J.

Bethune-Cookman is looking like one of the best teams on the east coast right now as they played their way to their second first place title of the season, while finishing second in the only other tournament thus far. The Wildcats shot a two-day score of 624 (+48) to finish nine strokes ahead of the field of 18 teams.

Kim Wong, only a freshman mind you, continues to blaze her way towards all kinds of B-CU freshman records as she collected a two-day score of 154 (80 / 74) for her season low in a 36-hole event to finish third overall for the weekend. She has now finished amongst the top five golfers overall in every tournament she has suited up for the Wildcats this season. All-America honors certainly appear to be in the future of this young golfer.

Photo: BCU's Fern Grimshaw collected her first Top 10 finish of the fall.

Yale University--a perennial power amongst the Ivy League, rode the strength of its top golfer Ellie Brophy to finish second place as a team. The Bulldogs shot a team total of 633 (+57).

Meanwhile, junior golfer Becky Dowell still remains as one of the most steadfast golfers in the past four seasons at B-CU as she finished tied for fourth overall. Dowell's 154 (+10) allowed her to finish alongside Siena's Katelynn Mannix.

For Dowell, this was her first top five finish of the campaign, while registering her second top 10 mark for the fall.

Transfer Emma Tayler was just behind her fellow Wildcat golfers with a 158 (+14) for a sixth place finish, and her third top 10 finish of the season. Tayler is now second on the team in total wins-losses with a 190-13 record.

Also shooting well for the `Cats was sophomore Maria Garrido with her first-ever top 10 finish at Bethune-Cookman with a two-round mark of 160 (+16) to tie for ninth place. Alongside Garrido was junior Fern Grimshaw, just another in a long line of great European student-athletes to cross the path of B-CU head coach Dr. Gary Freeman, with a 160 (+16) as well.

For Grimshaw, it was her first top 10 finish of the fall season, as well as her second top 20 finish.
Sophomore Maria Urquiola posted a 164 (+20) to tie for 24th place in the tournament.

B-CU is now, as a team, 35-1 this season ... making this the best start for the Wildcats in recorded history.

Brittany Lambertson earned a medal in second place for St. John's as she scored a 151 (+7) on rounds of 77 and 74 for the Red Storm. St. John's finished third as a team.

Siena (645) would be fourth, while Bucknell, Rutgers and USC Upstate all posted a 666 to finish tied for fifth overall.

WSSU Notebook: $5 million field house and new practice facility will be ready for next season

COMPILED BY JOHN DELL, Winston Salem Journal

• The Rams have 11 seniors on the roster, but Blount wishes they could stay with the team for one more year.

Next season, the Rams will have full access to a $5 million field house being built near Bowman Gray Stadium and also will have a new practice facility.

“The only thing that I regret with this bunch of seniors is they will miss a lot of stuff that we will have next season,” Blount said. “From the field house to the new practice facility, they won’t get to use those things, but these guys are important because they laid the foundation that helped us get to where we are.”

Photo: Head Football Coach Kermit Blount

• Linebacker Juan Corders is questionable for Saturday’s game at Bethune-Cookman with a foot infection.

Corders, a sophomore, stepped on something in his bare feet while the team was in Indianapolis earlier this month. The Rams beat Florida A&M 27-23, but Corders hasn’t been the same since the team got back.

“I’m worried whether he will be ready to go or not,” Coach Kermit Blount said.

Defensive coordinator Mike Ketchum said that if Corders doesn’t play, it would hurt the Rams’ defense. Corders has 17 tackles and two sacks this season.

“After we got back from Indianapolis they drained (the infection), but you can’t be too careful,” Ketchum said. “We’ll have to be careful to make sure he’s all right before we send him out there again.”

• One of the most unusual offenses in the MEAC is Bethune-Cookman’s “Wyattbone” which is named for Coach Alvin Wyatt. The offense is a triple-option attack that mixes in the I-formation and sometimes uses split backs.

Defensive coordinator Mike Ketchum of WSSU said that facing the Wyattbone always presents problems.

“They are really going to attack your defensive ends, your outside linebackers and your strong safety,” Ketchum said. “If they get the fullback going up the middle, then it’s really going to be tough to deal with. If you can make them go wide and the more their quarterback has to handle the option, the more likely you can force them into mistakes.

“It’s a different ballgame against them. When you build your defense on speed and aggressiveness and are always going hard, you really have to be assignment-oriented against them.”

• After taking a chartered flight to Indianapolis for the Circle City Classic in their last game, the Rams are back to their usual mode of transportation for Saturday’s game at Bethune-Cookman. They will take the long bus ride to Daytona Beach, Fla., for their sixth road trip in a row.

Monte Purvis said that he and his teammates should be used to all the traveling.

“We’ve been up and down the highways all season,” he said, “so if you aren’t used to it by now, you will never get used to it.”

The Rams are 2-3 on the road this season, but will get to play three straight home games after Saturday.

NSU notebook: Spartans stand 6th in FCS in home attendance

By VICKI L. FRIEDMAN , The Virginian-Pilot

Saturday's crowd of 27,756 was the largest at Price Stadium since the inaugural game was played there in 1997. Before Saturday's total, the crowd of 26,970 that watched the Spartans defeat Virginia State 33-7 in the Labor Day Classic on Sept. 1 was the second-largest.

Norfolk State is sixth nationally in Division I-AA with an average attendance of 19,920. Ahead of NSU: Montana, Delaware, Appalachian State, Youngstown State and Southern University. North Carolina A&T is the closest MEAC school at No. 11, averaging 12,803 fans.

Not so special

Daryl Jones described Saturday's victory against Hampton as "extra special," but one area where the Spartans weren't clicking was special teams. Particularly abysmal was NSU's coverage on punts and kickoffs, which almost cost the Spartans the game.

Among the blunders:

Maury grad James Butts recovered an onside kick that allowed Hampton to attempt a field goal in the final seconds.

Before that, Hampton scored its final touchdown after a 28-yard punt by Brian Jackson allowed the Pirates to start the drive at the NSU 41.

After Jones' second touchdown put the Spartans ahead 20-10 in the fourth quarter, Dennis McPhearson returned the following kickoff 48 yards to the NSU 20. That led to a Hampton field goal.

"Our special teams stunk," NSU coach Pete Adrian said. "Our kickoff coverage was horrendous. Our kickoff returns weren't very good. We made some crucial mistakes that could have cost us the ballgame.

"But the nice thing about our football team is nobody complains. They just say, 'Let's go to work.'"

One game at a time

Spartans fans might be riding high with dreams of a playoff bid after knocking off Hampton and preseason favorite South Carolina State, but Adrian and the NSU players refuse to entertain the notion.

"If you're focusing on something like playoffs, that's basically distracting you," senior linebacker Maguell Davis said. "I'd rather keep playing hard and we'll look back - and then I think we'll be pretty happy with the results."

Hampton University-S.C. State will be televised

BY MARTY O'BRIEN, Daily Press

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference announced Monday that Saturday's South Carolina State at Hampton University football game will be televised via tape delay on ESPNU.

Kickoff for the game is set for 2 p.m. The ESPNU telecast will begin at 8 p.m.

"We are very elated that ESPNU decided to add this game to our TV package," MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas said. "With this game on ESPNU, fans will be able to see two outstanding teams as they vie for the conference championship."

South Carolina State (3-3, 2-1 MEAC) was picked during the preseason to end the three-year run of Hampton (4-2, 2-2) as conference champion. The Pirates and Bulldogs shared the title in 2004, but the Pirates have earned the MEAC's automatic playoff berth three consecutive seasons.

Both are fighting to remain in the conference and playoff races after losing on consecutive weekends at Norfolk State. The Spartans beat S.C. State 20-13 in overtime on Oct. 6, then followed with a 20-19 win on Saturday over Hampton.

"We're not conceding anything," Hampton coach Joe Taylor said. "We feel if we go 9-2, with wins over Princeton (48-27 on Oct. 6) and Southern Illinois (the Pirates' opponent on Nov. 17), we still can get playoff consideration.

"Televising this game is great exposure. The biggest thing is that it gives

Talk about silly stuff: How band leader hit wrong note

Before I read this story, I knew it had to be a black man involved because if several fights between high school students break out in a stadium that seats 10,000 people (after the game is over), it had to be caused by the music the marching band was playing. I am beginning to wonder if anyone can find a college degree and a ounce of common sense within the resume of any of these local Hampton cops.

Moreover, I don't get the correlation--fight(s) with non-band members; cops that can't hear; high school band playing louder than FAMU, Southern or Norfolk State in the 5th Quarter; band director arrested because he would not stop students performance in outdoor football stadium. The entire city should be marching against this injustice to Mr. Smart.

One question for the cops? How did you hear on your radios when the stadium was full with 10,000 screaming fans in the stands and both bands were playing during the game? Wasn't the decibels 1000X louder then, than when Mr. Smart was arrested. Case closed!


By PETER DUJARDIN

Hampton High's Tory F. Smart is on administrative leave after his arrest for failing to stop playing.

Photo: Band Director Tory F. Smart

HAMPTON -Even after Phoebus High School beat rival Hampton High School on the football field late Friday night, the bands were still going at it.
But as people filed out of Darling Stadium by the thousands at about 9:30 p.m., several fights broke out. Police, trying to quell the disturbances, were having a hard time hearing each other on their radios. So they asked both bands — on opposite sides of the stands, going back and forth in a traditional, competitive duel — to stop the music.

While the Phoebus band eventually stopped playing, police say, Hampton High School's band played on — to the point that officers at the game arrested Hampton High's band director, Tory F. Smart, on an obstruction charge. Police said he ignored "at least four" demands to stop.

Smart, 31, a band teacher at the school in addition to his director role, is on paid administrative leave as school investigators try to piece together what happened in the bizarre twist capping the greatly anticipated game between two undefeated rivals.

A few officers, police say, asked Smart to cut his band's music.

"He was asked directly to stop playing, and disregarded the officers' orders," said Hampton police spokeswoman Paula Ensley.

"The last time, he was told, 'If you don't stop you'll be arrested for obstruction.' And he continued to play, after which time he was taken into custody."

But Alfred L. Davis Jr., the band director at Hampton University who has worked closely with Smart in the past, said he thinks the incident was the result of miscommunication between Smart and the police.

"I've known Tory for a long time," Davis said. "He was great as my assistant. This comes as a shock to me ... He is an outstanding person."

Though Davis did not witness the arrest, he said police must have simply overreacted to the misunderstanding. "I'm very sure that's what happened," Davis said.

Ensley said there were 40 officers assigned to the game, which had 10,000 spectators. "We needed to get everyone out safely," she said, saying Smart understood the police orders, but decided to keep his band playing.

Sam McGill, who provided some security services at the game, said he was on the Phoebus side of the stadium, so didn't see Smart get arrested. But when he drove his truck out of the stadium, he said, he saw Smart seated on a chair, surrounded by police officers, with his band gone.

Smart was transported away in a police car, but released on a summons to appear in court at a later date.

He did not return several phone calls left on his home and cell phone Monday morning and afternoon.

He is on administrative leave with pay from Hampton High School pending the outcome of the investigation, said School Department spokeswoman Ann Stephens. Obstruction is a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine.

Smart, who was hired at Hampton High School in July 2006 as both band director and a teacher of band classes, is the son of former Hampton University band director Barney E. Smart, who died in 2004 after leading the university's band for 14 years.

The younger Smart, a percussionist by expertise, worked as the assistant band director at Delaware State University under Davis. Smart was also a graduate assistant for Hampton University's band, also under Davis.

In an interview before a game this month against Heritage High School at Darling Stadium, Smart said he has tried to bring some pizazz to the band since he arrived at Hampton High School just over two years ago.

"The main thing I wanted to do was add a little excitement," he said Oct. 5. "When I first got here morale was a little low. And music seems to make the world go 'round, and makes everybody feel good ... so we wanted to give the kids an opportunity to play the songs they wanted to do and add a little music education into it at the same time."

He likened the band's combination to a "home-cooked meal ... Everybody likes what we're cooking. Right now it smells good, but you can always add a little spice with it."

As for his philosophy about the battle of the bands between schools, he said: "We're going to give everybody a run for their money ... As long as they do it with respect and making it fun, that's what it's all about."

Asked what was in store for the game against Phoebus, Smart said: "A surprise."

What happened
When a fight broke out after Friday night's football game between Phoebus and Hampton, police asked both bands to stop playing. Hampton's band continued to play on despite repeated demands, police said, and the director, Tory F. Smart, was arrested and charged with obstruction. He is on paid administrative leave.

Rested WSSU Rams ready to move on

Photo: WSSU Head Football Coach Kermit Blount

By John Dell, JOURNAL REPORTER

WSSU, coming off open date, is headed to Bethune-Cookman

There have been times in recent years when a week off has come at the wrong time for Winston-Salem State. But last Saturday’s open date couldn’t have come at a better time, according to Coach Kermit Blount.

“We needed it, that’s for sure,” said Blount, whose Rams were back at practice yesterday in preparation for Saturday’s game at Bethune-Cookman. “It just gave everybody a chance to take a step back because we’ve been going at this pretty hard since August.”

The Rams (3-3) are coming off a 27-23 win over Florida A&M on Oct. 6 in Indianapolis. Blount was pleased with his team’s effort and with getting the victory, but he was a little worried about a hangover effect of such a big win.

“I hope they aren’t still celebrating because it’s time to get back to work,” Blount said before yesterday’s practice. “I think these guys realize that we have more work to do this season, and it starts this week in practice.”

Blount said that the Rams had just two short practices last week, and he gave them the weekend off, something that quarterback Monte Purvis took advantage of.

Purvis, who has been nursing a sore left shoulder, said he mostly watched football and stayed on the couch.

“This break came at a good time for us seniors because it lets us know that we only have five more games left in our careers,” Purvis said. “I think in four of these next five games we lost to them last year, so we want to make up for that.”

Even though Purvis didn’t have very good passing numbers against Florida A&M, his grasp of the offense and confidence level in the second half was evident.

Photo: QB Monte Purvis

The Rams had two key series against the Rattlers in which Purvis used his savvy and his feet to gain valuable yardage. They scored touchdowns on both drives.

Purvis has rushed for 299 yards on 101 carries this season, and while the average is just three yards a carry, his leadership has been invaluable. He didn’t have a turnover in the win over A&M, and in the previous game against Howard, an overtime loss, he passed for a career-best 261 yards.

“I’m real happy for Monte for a lot of reasons,” Blount said. “He’s a local kid, and it’s tough to play in your own backyard and play consistently because he probably knows more people in this town than anybody on our team. Everywhere he goes, he’s the subject of criticism with somebody saying something negative.”

Purvis, a three-year starter, hasn’t backed down from any of this season’s challenges.

“His maturity, that’s been the biggest part,” Blount said. “To see him mature and grow into a leader and do the things I knew he was capable of doing all along is great to see. It’s his last season, and I think he’s having fun. I’ve seen him go from being a quiet guy to being the jokester in the locker room.”

The Rams have been learning a new offense under coordinator Nick Calcutta, and Purvis has picked it up.

“Hopefully, this break doesn’t slow us down (but) just enhanced us a little more,” Blount said. “It gave those guys a chance to rest and hopefully the guys … got that rest they needed.”

Blount said that part of the reason for the Rams’ resurgence in the past two games has been the play of the line.

“It’s been a matter of them continuing to learn this new system,” Blount said. “That system we ran last year and the year before is totally different than what we are doing this year.

“I think the great part of it is I have some real great football coaches on staff, and they have put in the time and energy to get this done and it’s taken the pressure off me.”

WSSU women's basketball team has influx of new players

Photo: WSSU Head Women's Basketball Coach Dee Stokes
http://www.coachdeestokes.com/

By John Dell, JOURNAL REPORTER and staff reports

Stokes, staff welcome nine fresh faces as Rams' practice starts

Dee Stokes, the coach of the Winston-Salem State women’s basketball team, has wasted little time assembling a team of her own recruits.

Stokes, whose team will begin practice Saturday, has nine new players thanks to one of the largest recruiting classes in the country.

“We actually signed 10 players, but we lost one of them to academics,” said Stokes, whose first WSSU team went 8-21 last season.

“We’ve got eight freshmen and one junior-college player among all the new players.”

The only returning player is guard Keoshia Worthy, a senior from Augusta, Ga., who averaged 6.2 points a game last season.

“I’m a lot more excited,” Stokes said of her second season at WSSU. “We’ve got our own players in now, and the kids have been hitting their preseason conditioning pretty well.”

Stokes’ new team will be on display tonight at 5:30 at the Gaines Center as part of Ram Madness, when both the men’s and women’s teams will officially begin practice.

Three players graduated, two others were cut, one transferred and another player quit. This opened several scholarships, and Stokes and her assistants went into action.

“We are a young team, but hopefully we’ll be energetic,” Stokes said. “When you teach them something new they are like sponges, they just soak it up. That’s one benefit of having such a young team.”

Among the players who might make the biggest impact, according to Stokes, is 5-8 guard Patrice Wade, a junior-college transfer. She will give the Rams needed experience after one season at Arkansas Little-Rock and at a junior-college last season.

Nora Campbell, 6-2 is expected to help the Rams in the post. But she was involved in a car accident last summer, according to Stokes, so it will take time for her to be 100 percent.

“Once she gets back and is totally healthy, I think she can do some nice things for us,” Stokes said.

Stokes says that the Rams needed to improve in the frontcourt.

She said that freshman Vontisha Woods, a 6-0 forward from Danville, Va., should help Campbell.

“If we can get her to play hard every second, then she’ll be something else,” Stokes said. “She can score and is very athletic.”

Among the other new players are Rene Rector, a 5-6 point guard from Winston-Salem who is a former star at Mount Tabor, and forward Nikki Kee, who played at Greensboro Dudley.

“Teaching young kids in a way is a little easier,” Stokes said.

“They may have some bad habits but we are trying to change those habits.”

Despite the youth of her team, Stokes has high expectations.

“We are bigger at the guard position, and we really had to be,” Stokes said. “We are still a little lean in the post, but we’ll be OK. We’ll address that in the next recruiting class.”

The Rams will play a full MEAC schedule and a challenging nonconference schedule starting with a road game at Virginia Tech on Nov. 14.

“I think staying healthy and not hitting the wall too early will be key for us,” Stokes said. “You are going to hit the wall with young kids, so how I handle that will be important as well. You have to back off some when that happens.”

Photo: WSSU cheerleaders expression shows displeasure towards 8-21 record of last season. Major improvements are expected this season for the Lady Rams.






2007-08 Lady Rams Basketball Roster

No. Name Ht. Pos. Cl. Hometown/Last School

03 Jalesa Byrd 5-10 Guard/Forward FR Charlotte, NC/Myers Park HS
11 Nikki Kee 5-8 Forward FR Greensboro, NC/Dudley HS
13 Nora Campbell 6-2 Center FR Long Island, NY/St. Anthony's HS
14 Corbin Bradford 5-7 Guard FR High Point, NC/High Point Andrews HS
15 Keoshia Worthy 5-7 Guard SR Augusta, GA/USC Upstate
20 Quintoya Mobley 5-11 Forward FR York, SC/York HS
21 Montague Austin 5-6 Guard FR Greensboro, NC/Dudley HS
22 Rene Rector 5-6 Guard FR Winston-Salem, NC/Mount Tabor HS
23 Patrice Wade 5-8 Guard JR Clarksville, TN/Chattanooga State
34 Vontisha Woods 6-0 Forward/Center FR Danville, VA/George Washington HS

Coaching Staff

Dee Stokes - Head Coach
Michelle Fortier - Assistant Coach
Kristina Baugh - Assistant Coach
Angie Abraham - Assistant Coach

Former WSSU Legends pitching in to raise money

By John Dell, JOURNAL REPORTER

In order to have a better future, Winston-Salem State is turning to its past for help.

Banking on the fame of the pro careers of Earl “The Pearl” Monroe and Timmy Newsome, Winston-Salem State is hoping to raise money for an endowed athletics scholarship.

“It starts with money,” said Newsome, a former Dallas Cowboys’ running back who spent nine seasons in the NFL. “When you move into the next level like they are doing, you need a lot more financial resources to be competitive. It doesn’t just start with basketball and football - you have women’s sports that need financing as well.”

A Celebration of Champions banquet will be held Nov. 2 on campus at 6 p.m. at the Anderson Center. It will celebrate the 40th anniversary of WSSU’s NCAA Division II basketball championship and the 30th anniversary of its 1977 and ’78 CIAA football titles.

The cost is $50 a ticket, and there are fewer than 200 tickets available.

Monroe was the star of the 1966-67 basketball team that went 31-1 and became the first historically-black college to win a national championship.

“We’re trying to raise a little bit of money so that maybe we can attract some of those athletes who might want to go elsewhere,” said Monroe, who lives in New York.

Monroe, who was named one of the top 50 NBA players of all-time, said that giving back to the university is something that the late Big House Gaines always stressed.

“Coach used to tell us all the time, even after we were long gone from school, that giving back is the right thing to do,” Monroe said. “So when you think about Winston-Salem State competing in Division I, you have to get those top-notch players. I think this is an opportunity to try and give back and to get those kinds of players that can help this school.”

The ’77 and ’78 football teams, which were coached by Bill Hayes, were two of the best teams in school and CIAA history. They went 11-1 each season and were led by Newsome and fellow running backs Randy Bolton and Arrington Jones.

The quarterback was Kermit Blount, who ran the Veer offense to near perfection. Blount, who is in his 15th season as the football coach of his alma mater, said that recognizing past teams is important.

“This is huge,” Blount said, “because what it does is show our younger generation that nobody ever forgets what you do if you have done it in a positive way. I think this will shine a light on this football team and teams to come because we are honoring these championships.”

Newsome and Jones, who is the head coach at Virginia Union and has his team 6-0 this season and ranked 20th in the nation in Division II, were both drafted by the NFL coming out of WSSU in the late 1970s. Newsome had a nine-year career with the Cowboys and played fullback, tailback and even some at tight end.

Newsome, the second-leading rusher in school history with 3,843 yards, said that raising money for the athletics program means much more than it used to.

“It’s vitally important that we have individual giving to supplement everything else, because if you don’t you are going to put a mediocre product on the field,” Newsome said. “And that’s just unacceptable for Winston-Salem State’s athletics.”

Newsome, who lives in Dallas and is a former member of the board of trustees at WSSU, is grateful that the school is starting to recognize its athletics past more and more.

“Reaching back and going into yesteryear and bringing back players from that period is vitally important,” Newsome said. “It helps your giving, and you can’t expect former athletes to give unless you bring them back and show them your vision of where the athletic program is going. It’s like we are key stakeholders in the program, and we like coming back and seeing a winner.”

Newsome and Blount were asked who was the best back in the potent lineup of the ’77 and ’78 teams. Both tried hard to stay humble.

“My ego tells me that I was,” Newsome said. “But in all honestly, I thought Arrington Jones was a better back. He had better skills and better feet. I think in time I developed into a good runner, but he came to Winston-Salem State with a great pedigree.”

Said Blount with a laugh: “No, it was me.

“Each of those guys did something tremendously well. Timmy was a lot faster than people gave him credit for, and Randy probably ran harder than all of them. Arrington just made you miss, so they all had what it took for us to be successful.”

Newsome said: “I think clearly it was the best backfield in CIAA history. And the only reason Kermit didn’t play in the NFL was his size.”

Those Rams dominated their competition. In 1977, they went 11-0 but bypassed the Division II playoffs to play in the Gold Bowl in Richmond, Va. where they lost to S.C. State 10-7. The next season they went 11-0 again, won their first playoff game (17-0 over California State Poly) and then lost to Delaware 41-0 in the second round.

Where no SCSU team has won before: Bulldogs prepare for trip to Hampton

By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer

Improved play by his team or catching an opponent having a bad day on defense?

It's an answer South Carolina State head football coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough hopes is proven to be the former going into Saturday's showdown at Hampton University. After putting up a season high in points (49) and total yards (611) against Florida A&M, the Bulldogs (3-3, 2-1) will look to carry over its newfound momentum into another Homecoming matchup with the Pirates (4-2, 3-2).

"I think that we found at least a method to get our offense going," he said Monday. "What we done is we simply focused on things that (quarterback Cleve McCoy) seems to do well and go to work from there. It seems to be pretty good."

McCoy's performance against FAMU (14 of 19 passing for 178 yards, 136 rushing yards) earned him his third career Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week award. He was one of four Bulldog players who won conference honors along with defensive back Markee Hamlin, linebacker Julius Wilkerson and offensive lineman James Lee.

Getting McCoy comfortable, as well as being able to work on offensive execution with key players like tight end Octavius Darby who were unavailable for practice paid off in the Bulldogs' best offensive showing in 27 years.

With Fall Break taking place, the Bulldogs held an even rarer Monday afternoon practice. Going to a place where no SCSU team has never won and playing before a national audience for the second straight week, Pough said it's important for his team to remain sharp.

"That's a concern the fact that we hadn't won there before," he said. "We just got to go in and play at least at a level that's as good or better than what we played last week. It's Homecoming, it's a great crowd. I think the most important part of the whole thing is not necessarily where we're playing but how we play. If we play well, then we should be okay."

SCSU's last visit to Armstrong Stadium saw it take a 10-0 lead, only to surrender two second-quarter touchdown passes by Antwan Smith in losing 14-10. Last year's game won by the Bulldogs 13-6 as their defense once again held the Pirates scoreless in the second half.

Although Hampton's coming off a 20-19 loss to Bay rival Norfolk State, Pough believes the Pirates will be at their best on Saturday.

"We'll see the very best that they have," he said. "Anytime your backs are against the wall, they are going to give you their best shot. You can add to the fact that this will be their largest crowd of the year at their stadium, that gives them extra incentive to play very, very well. It will be as good a Hampton team that has played all this year. It will be similar to what happened when they played Princeton (a game they won 48-27) and some of the other people they've beaten up on."

A major battle is expected upfront where Lee will line up against preseason MEAC Defensive Player of the Year Kendall Langford. Pough hinted how Lee fares against the Pirates' athletic defensive line could have some NFL draft ramifications.

"All of the pro scouts have been in here talking...and they told us that the true measure of James Lee will be once we play Hampton because Hampton's got two guys that are possible first-round guys. Langford for sure and (Marcus) Dixon possibly and when you see (Langford) on tape, he may be as active as any defensive lineman I've seen in a long time. He ran Cleve down last year. He ran Will Ford down last year. Those guys are extremely, extremely active as far as defensive line front personnel is concerned. They don't have (Justin) Durant, but the cupboard ain't bare."

A win not only places SCSU in the race for the MEAC title, but will also give Pough a .500 record against every MEAC team since his arrival in 2002. He's 2-3 against the Pirates, accounting for the Bulldogs only wins in the series.

Another motivation for the Bulldogs is extending their 13-0 record in nationally-televised games under Pough. ESPNU carried the SCSU/FAMU game on tape delay and will do the same this past weekend at Hampton.

"Anything that we can find out at this point that gives us more incentive to win this football game, we'll try and use," Pough said. "But, our overall perspective is to win each game now as we go and hopefully, the other situations would take care of themselves favorably for us as we attempt to continue to win."

BULLDOGS vs. PIRATES

WHO: South Carolina State (3-3, 2-1) at Hampton (4-2, 3-2)
WHEN: Saturday at 2 p.m.
WHERE: Armstrong Stadium in Hampton, Va.
TV: ESPNU (tape delay at 10 p.m.) on Channel 160 on Digital Time Warner Cable, Channel 609 on DirectTV and Channel 148 on The Dish Network
RADIO: WQKI 102.9 FM

SN's FCS College Football Poll (10/15/07)

If you put stock into sports polls, here is one for you to kick around the MEAC and SWAC. Unfortunately, the Tigers, Jaguars, Spartans, Pirates, Bulldogs, and Hornets will continue to beat each other and fall off the face of the polls, especially this one controlled by Sports Network.

Why is it Appalachian State got upset by Wofford, but is ranked #5 and Wofford #7; or Norfolk State beats Hampton by 1 point in the last seconds of the game and conference power Hampton falls from #18 to #27 by the so called experts? If Delaware State is #15, then Hampton should be at least a #17 and South Carolina State #19. Grambling gave Pitt competition for a half before the depth became a factor, and it gets only a ranking of #23. What's wrong with this picture?

Congratulations to the Spartans of Norfolk State University, the new Tidewater power in the MEAC. NSU received their first ever ranking in the FCS polls which is great. NSU has played Division I football for ten years and never won anything but the opportunity to play everyone for their homecoming game. But this year--they are for real and maybe an FCS championship contender. We forgive you NSU for that 0-59 showing at Rutgers.


Sports Network's FCS College Football Poll

Team (First-place votes) Record Points Previous Rank
1. Northern Iowa Panthers (35) 6-0 2,577 2
2. North Dakota State Bison (23) 6-0 2,443 3
3. Montana Grizzlies (40) 6-0 2,431 1
4. Massachusetts Minutemen (4) 5-1 2,280 4
5. Appalachian State Mountaineers (3) 5-1 2,231 5
6. McNeese State Cowboys (2) 6-0 2,154 6
7. Wofford Terriers (3) 6-1 2,113 8
8. James Madison Dukes 6-1 1,883 9
9. Southern Illinois Salukis 6-1 1,735 7
10. Hofstra Pride 6-0 1,700 10
11. New Hampshire Wildcats 4-2 1,468 13
12. Youngstown State Penguins 5-2 1,444 12
13. Nicholls State Colonels 5-1 1,326 14
14. Delaware Blue Hens 6-1 1,275 15
15. Delaware State Hornets 5-1 1,054 17
16. Yale Bulldogs 5-0 1,006 16
17. Western Illinois Leathernecks 5-2 935 19
18. Richmond Spiders 4-2 705 20
19. Cal Poly Mustangs 4-2 633 22
20. Montana State Bobcats 4-2 584 11
21. Eastern Kentucky Colonels 5-2 514 23
22. Eastern Washington Eagles 4-2 319 NR
23. Grambling State Tigers 5-1 306 25
24. Elon Phoenix 4-2 293 NR
25. Norfolk State Spartans 5-1 237 NR
Others receiving votes: Eastern Illinois 204, Hampton 175, Alabama A&M 166, The Citadel 160, San Diego 153, Georgia Southern 64, Villanova 44, Central Arkansas 21, Holy Cross 19, Fordham 15, South Carolina State 14, Jackson State 10, Furman 8, Lehigh 8, Northern Arizona 8, Southern 8, Jacksonville State 7, Illinois State 6, Lafayette 6, Harvard 3, Missouri State 2, Sam Houston State 1, South Dakota State 1.

Gallery: Southern University Human Juke Box answers JSU Tigers

Southern University Human Jukebox Marching Band and the Dancing Dolls

Gallery: JSU came, they saw and they conquered Southern University Jaguars!

Jackson State University Sonic Boom of the South Marching Band and The Dancing J-Settes

Southern University's Holliday savors return

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

The guy enjoying the start of Southern’s basketball season most is easily senior guard Joe Holliday.

There’s the smile. There’s the bounce in his step. There’s the command and excitement as he calls out to or congratulates teammates.

Holliday missed all of last season with a hip condition — rheumatoid arthritis amid the ball-and-socket joint.

His season ended in late January after playing in just four Southwestern Athletic Conference games.

“It’s a blessing to be back,” Holliday said. “I’m taking it one day at a time. &hellip I have to make the best of it. I should last the whole year.”

A year ago, Holliday, a former Lee High standout, had transferred from Copiah-Lincoln Community College and was expected to make a big difference.

Instead, he played in 15 games, starting just two, and averaged 5.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game as Southern went 10-21.

“I felt like I was just taking up space last year,” Holliday said. “I’m not for that. It hurt.

“Last year, it was very painful sitting on the end of the bench. I want to just make a difference. That’s all I really want to do.”

For three months, Holliday was more out of than in the lineup, and finally the decision was made to let him rest.

“The pains were too sharp for me,” Holliday said.

Holliday started running and playing some in April and then played in a YMCA summer league.

Photo: Senior Joe Holliday is happy to be playing in 07/08.

Though Holliday, 23, likely will eventually need hip replacement surgery within a few years, he said he’s doing much better. The rest helped, and so has a disciplined regimen of stretches and hip thrusts.

“I’ve got my movement back, my coordination back,” Holliday said. “I’m extremely happy. I feel my game has gotten better.

“As long as it’s not bothering me, I’ll keep on pushing.”

He said he’s lost about 15-20 pounds from last season.

“Just to see him out doing what he’s doing right now is encouraging for me, and I’m hoping we can get him through the year, where he can play full speed,” SU coach Rob Spivery said. “If so, it’s obvious he’s going to be able to help us out. So far, so good with him.

“He’s got the quickness we’re looking for at that position. He can shoot it. That’s what we missed last year. We brought him in expecting that. When he wasn’t able to go, we lost a lot.”

SU begins Nov. 10 at Southern Methodist. The Jaguars also have an exhibition Nov. 3 against Tougaloo College.

“It’s life,” Holliday said. “You just make the best of it.”

Just once

SU, which had “Early Night Madness” on Friday night, had scheduled two two-hour practices Saturday, but Spivery instead opted to stretch the first one to three hours and not go another practice.

“I thought we working well,” Spivery said. “And any time it’s going well, you hate to quit, so we threw it all into one.”

SU returns to practice Monday.

Wollman transfers, sits

Walk-on guard McCall Wollman, a transfer from Division III George Fox University in Newbert, Ore., can practice but will not play this season.

Wollman is likely the first white men’s basketball player at Southern.

“In our recruiting, if we can find and diversify our team, that’s what we want to do,” Spivery said. “It’s just a matter of being able to identify the guys to recruit. He wanted to be here. That’s a good start.”

Talley commits

Duncanville (Texas) senior point guard Brian Talley has committed to Southern.

If Talley signs in the early period, which begins Nov. 14, that could conclude Southern’s signing class.

The Jaguars aren’t expected to have any more scholarships available for next season.

SU will lose only two seniors after this season — Holliday and center Joseph Jack. Guard Geri Guillory, listed as a senior, is expected to earn a fourth season of eligibility and return.

Talley, 5-foot-9, averaged 7.7 points and 3.5 assists as Duncanville went 39-0 and won the 5A state championship.

According to the Dallas Morning News, Talley chose SU over Boise State, Florida Atlantic, Prairie View A&M, North Texas and Wichita State.

Notes

Junior college transfer Earnest Jones, a small forward, will be out at least another week with a stress fracture in his lower left leg. Walk-on sophomore forward Derrick Richardson, a former Capitol player who went to Copiah-Lincoln Community College, will have knee surgery Oct. 19 and miss this season. He’ll get a medical redshirt.

Norfolk State's Adrian has his faster, deeper Spartans in unfamiliar territory

Photo: Norfolk State University Head Football Coach Pete Adrian.

The Virginian-Pilot, Bob Molinaro

Call Pete Adrian the Rainmaker. He's ended the drought at Norfolk State.

Five times in a row, and nine out of 10 years, Hampton University defeated the Spartans, often in relatively routine and gruesome fashion, before Saturday's turn of events.

Surprising? Not especially, Adrian said.

"Now we have guys who can make plays," he said.

Norfolk State made enough plays - just enough - to turn aside its long-time nemesis 20-19, a victory more than any other this season that adds credence to the notion that Adrian, in his third season, is building something solid and real. In the process, Norfolk State beat its first ranked opponent in 19 tries.

"Before, we didn't have guys who could make plays," he said. "Now I think you can see that we do."

The Rainmaker needed playmakers; simple as that. It's a concept that badly eluded Adrian's immediate predecessors on Corprew Avenue.

Adrian has brought in better players and done a good job of coaching those he inherited, which results in greater depth and flexibility, not to mention five victories so far this season. The last time Norfolk State won five games was 2002.

"This year," he said, "we've been able to win the fourth quarter. If we were able to win the fourth quarter last year, we could have been 8-3."

If that sounds a little far fetched, check the facts: Four of Norfolk State's seven losses last season were by nine points or less. Those Spartans lost a lot of fourth quarters.

This team has been stronger at the end because, among other things, Adrian is able to call on reinforcements for his defensive line, rotating seven players so that all are rested enough to give their best effort. The results show: The 16-yard scramble by quarterback T.J. Mitchell that brought Hampton to within an extra-point of tying the game marked the first second-half touchdown surrendered by the Spartans against I-AA opponents.

"You just can't play with 11 guys," Adrian said. "Throughout the game, we probably play 18 on defense."

Photo: r-Sr. QB Casey Hansen, 6-5/235 brings consistency to the Norfolk State offense.

This game turned on a lot of plays - most notably the blocked point after touchdown by Norfolk State's Don Carey, and Hampton's missed 49-yard field goal in the closing seconds - but the Spartans maintained control for most of the second half because of their defensive stance.

"Hampton could not run on us," Adrian said. "We knew they couldn't run the ball, so we were able to bring the heat. As soon as we had them in second-and-9, or second-and-8, we knew they were going to throw and we could bring pressure."

A fierce blitz, coming from several angles, kept Hampton's passing game at bay in this Battle of the Bay, especially near the goal line. The Spartans' defense could dictate play because, Adrian said, "We've just got more speed."

Norfolk State's pressure led to a first-half Spartan safety when Mitchell was called for intentional grounding as he was being hassled in the end zone.

Adrian's defense often felt pressure itself, thanks in large part to Norfolk State's poor special teams play.

"In the old days, with the field position we gave them, they would have scored," said Adrian.

The victory leaves Norfolk State tied for first in the MEAC, a storyline people could only have hallucinated a few weeks ago.

"It's been the Slaughter of the Bay," Adrian said of recent Hampton-Norfolk State eyesores.

But these aren't the bad old days.

The Rainmaker has made sure of that.

Alabama A&M notebook

Huntsville Times

Injured Moody, Baxter back at practice

Tight end Charles Moody and wide receiver Nate Baxter returned to practice Sunday as Alabama A&M began preparations for Thursday night's home game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Kickoff is 6:30 and the game will be televised live on ESPNU.

Moody, who injured his left arch in the second quarter more than a week ago against Southern and never returned, practiced for the first time since sustaining the injury. Meanwhile, Baxter practiced for the first time since sustaining a severely sprained right ankle against Mississippi Valley State a month ago.

"Those two guys benefited from having some time off," A&M coach Anthony Jones said. "They got through practice pretty good and hopefully they'll feel better tomorrow and by gametime they'll be close to 100 percent."

Moody is A&M's second-leading receiver with 21 catches for 214 yards and two touchdowns. Baxter has five catches for 48 yards and one touchdown.

Jones likes practice: After taking Friday and Saturday off, the Bulldogs practiced for more than two hours Sunday and Jones was encouraged with his team's effort.

"It was a good practice," said Jones, although a few players were late. "We put in our game plan. Everybody was attentive. It was a good start for us."

Due to the short week, Jones said the Bulldogs had to alter practice.

A&M, which usually has Monday off, will practice tonight, Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning in preparation for Thursday's game.

Jones hits links: Jones spent the early part of last week on the golf course, but despite giving the players a couple of days off, he found himself back in the office over the weekend.

"I finished the game plan Friday and I finished the practice schedule Saturday," he said. "I worked some every day, but it was nice. I got a chance to spend time with my family."

Furthermore: Five different players have scored rushing touchdowns for A&M, while seven different players have caught touchdown passes. ... A&M has scored 29 touchdowns through six games. The Bulldogs scored 40 all of last season. ... Eighteen different players have at least 10 tackles or more. ... A&M has fumbled only four times in six games and has lost only one of them. ... Quarterback Kelcy Luke threw just eight interceptions last season. He has thrown six through six games this season. ... Luke threw 16 touchdown passes last season. He has 16 already this season.

Reggie Benson

McCullough takes lead for B-CU 'D'

By BRENT WORONOFF, Daytona Beach News Journal

DAYTONA BEACH -- Ronnie McCullough's teammates might be enjoying an extended break of 16 days between football games, but Bethune-Cookman's leading tackler would just as soon have suited up during the bye week.

McCullough has had more than enough time off during the past year. Now he's ready to play. But that's not news to anyone who has seen him in action the past two games.

The senior linebacker covered more ground than the sprinkler systems in collecting a total of 34 tackles against Morgan State and Delaware State.

"I think I was just rusty the first couple of games," McCullough said. "I'm getting back into game shape. I'm just starting to feel like me again."

That's got to be a good sign for the Wildcats (2-4, 0-4 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference), who will try to snap a three-game losing streak next Saturday in a home game against Winston-Salem State.

McCullough, who transferred from South Florida before his junior season, was B-CU's leading tackler for most of last year, despite missing two games and most of a third with a hyper-extended knee. He played in the final six games at less than 100 percent and sat out spring drills as a precaution.

Then just prior to preseason camp, he pulled a hamstring, forcing him to miss all of preseason practice and the season opener against Jacksonville.

"I worked out and ran in the spring, but I didn't do too much contact. Missing spring and missing summer, I pretty much only had three days of practice before South Carolina State."

McCullough still led the Wildcats with 11 tackles against the Bulldogs. But he seemed to take his game to another level three weeks later when he tallied 20 tackles -- the fifth highest game total in school history -- in a loss to Morgan State on Sept. 29. McCullough was named MEAC Defensive Player of the Week for that performance.

Five days later, in a nationally-televised Thursday night game against Delaware State, McCullough collected a game-high 14 tackles, including 2.5 for losses.

Despite missing one game, McCullough leads the Wildcats with 63 tackles, 18 more than second-leading tackler Bobbie Williams. The linebacker also has a team-high eight tackles for losses.

"He's the catalyst of our defense," B-CU coach Alvin Wyatt said of the 6-foot-1, 230-pound linebacker. "He's a super athlete. He's our leader over there."

McCullough said it is no coincidence that he and the rest of the front seven have stepped up since middle linebacker Rodney Hughes returned from surgery on a fractured bone in his hand.

"Getting Rodney back has helped," McCullough said. "It's always good to have another aggressive linebacker out there with you.

"I feel like the defense is on the same page now. Everyone is flying around making plays. When you eliminate the thinking part of the game, and you're just reacting and playing to what you see, that allows everybody to pick their game up."

JSU football: Jackson State vs. Grambling

Photo: Jackson State quarterback Jimmy Oliver fights for yards in the first quarter.

Last week: Jackson State defeated Southern 32-26
Saturday: vs. Grambling State, noon (Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, Jackson)
TV: ESPN Classic
Radio: JSU Network (WOAD-1300 AM)

ON OFFENSE

For homecoming, Jackson State faces one of the league's top quarterback-running back combinations for the second consecutive week. Freshman Frank Warren ranks No. 3 in the SWAC with 88 rushing yards a game and has scored two twice. Junior Brandon Landers is No. 3 in total offense (210 ypg) and No. 3 in passing yards (1,265). Grambling State is No. 3 in scoring (26.5 ppg), No. 3 in rushing (151.1 ypg) and No. 4 in passing (212.7 ypg). The Tigers hung 359 yards on Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Friday.

ON DEFENSE

One of the most feared units in the SWAC. The Tigers are holding teams to 14.7 points and 283.7 total yards. Grambling State is plus-7 in turnover margin, having recovered 12-of-13 forced fumbles and picking off seven passes. Grambling State also has twice as many sacks as its opponents (12-6). Zaire Wilborn, Jeffrey Jack and DeMichael Dizer return as three of the top five tacklers from 2006. Nigel Copeland has a 28-yard interception return for touchdown.

INTANGIBLES

A matchup of the last two teams undefeated in Southwestern Athletic Conference play. The contest could be a preview of the SWAC Championship game in Birmingham on Dec. 15.This is a chance for the East and West Division leaders to make a midseason statement.

- Kareem Copeland