Saay What! MEAC/SWAC sports and people

by beepbeep

Saay What, ya'll!

Morgan State University men basketballers nearly pulled off an upset of the Connecticut Huskies last night in the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic at Storrs, Connecticut. The Bears in their season opener, held the Huskies to 42 percent shooting from the floor, busted a 14-2 run in the second half and tied UConn at 52 with seven minutes remaining in the game. However, the Huskies prevailed 69-65 over the Bears.

MSU head coach Todd Bozeman crew was able to overcome a 37-28 first half lead over the Bears and outscore UConn 37-32 in the second half. Guard Reggie Holmes came off the bench for MSU to throw down 6 of 12 shots to lead the Bears with 18 points; Boubacar Coley hit a double/double with 12 points and 10 rebounds; and senior guard Jamar Smith popped in 16 points to lead the Bears. Morgan State shot 50 percent from 3-point land (11-22), had 11 steals and 24 personal fouls. UConn shot 24-33 free throws (72%) where as, Morgan hit only 4-9 (44%). If they quit fouling ya'll, the Bears walks away with the win. Coach Bozeman is in his second season at Morgan State and it appears the Bears are ready to compete...

What the heck is the Atlantic Sun Conference? Well--anyhow, Alabama A&M University Bulldogs drops two games to start the season in the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic at Rupp Arena to Gardner-Webb University 69-55 in the first round and Central Arkansas 69-59 in the consolation game. That Gardner-Webb bunch pulls off the upset of the season by embarrassing the #22 ranked Kentucky Wildcats 84-68 before 20,000 Kentucky fans in their home arena. Yep, the Southeastern Conference gets steamrolled by the Atlantic Sun and Gardner-Webb University, a 2,474 student private school located in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. The Runnin' Bulldogs accomplished something above and beyond anything it had ever achieved in the sport. You can hold your heads up Alabama A&M Bulldogs as you held the Running' Bulldogs to 69 points, which Kentucky could not...

Photo: Head Coach Clemon Johnson, UAF

Former Florida A&M University and Philadelphia 76ers basketball star Clemon Johnson got a great start to his head coaching career as the new leader of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks. Coach Johnson's team was able to put it on cruise control in two wins over Simpson University 110-84 and 93-81 on November 1 and 3rd, respectively. Just how good the Nanooks will be this season under Coach Clem Johnson will be revealed tonight in a Division I game at California and November 15, in the BP Top of the World Classic, where the Division II UAF club will face Tennessee State University Tigers in the hosted Division I classic. Johnson earned both his undergraduate degree in Economics and a Master's Degree in Sports Management from FAMU. You can read more about the 6 foot-10 inch Clemon Johnson and the UFA basketball program at: http://www.uaf.edu/news/featured/07/coaches ...

The Aggies of North Carolina A&T State University are becoming a total embarrassment to Division I football. The Florida A&M University Rattlers were able to kick a field goal in the final minute of their homecoming contest to beat the Aggies 24-21 at Bragg Memorial Stadium for NCA&T's record 26 consecutive loss. We don't mean to rag on the Aggies but these guys are virgins when it comes to laying someone out and winning a ball game. Their last recorded victory came in the 2005 season and they now lead all of Division I with the current losing streak. Maybe the Aggies can pull off an upset at South Carolina State on November 17, 2007 at Charleston, South Carolina. Probably not on a well coached Buddy Pough team that fell short on the hype of being the favorite to win the MEAC. Coach Lee Fobbs Jr. is currently 0-21 in his second season as the head of the Aggies football program and if they don't win their final game with SCSU, it will give NCA&T two consecutive 0-11 virgin seasons. We understand abstention, but this is a bit much to stomach.

Aggies, please do your fans a favor and schedule Livingstone College or Savannah State as your 2008 season opener and end this streak. Strike that last suggestion--Savannah State University school colors does have Orange, so they probably will beat you too. Substitute Texas Southern University Tigers, who have their own dreadful losing streak going with 12 consecutive loses that should be at 14 by next season with UAPB and UHouston left on their schedule for this season. Saay What! ...

FAMU's Wesley Taylor #20 kicks winning field goal in last week homecoming game with North Carolina A&T State University. Rattlers win 24-21.

Hampton University head football coach Joe Taylor announced on Wednesday that T.J. Mitchell will be the starting quarterback against Florida A&M University Rattlers on Saturday at 1:00 p.m., in Armstrong Stadium. However, expect Herbert Bynes to play against FAMU, also. Mitchell had been benched in favor of freshman Herbert Bynes for arguing with teammates during games for missed plays during two previous games. This two head monster at quarterback may cause problems for FAMU as both played well in the 31-24 win last week over Bethune Cookman.

Expect Jeremy Gilchrist to hook up with T.J. to break the Hampton school record of 977 yards, held by Houston Texans Jerome Mathis. Gilchrist is currently 25 yards shy of this record and has 63 receptions on the season. The Rattlers owe the Pirates big time for a 59-7 azzkicking they received last season in Bragg Stadium. FAMU r-freshman Eddie Battle is expected to continue his development at quarterback with senior QB Leon Camel providing much needed leadership. FAMU sensational freshman running back Philip Sylvester leads the MEAC in all-purpose yards averaging 159.8 yards per game. The Pirates leads the MEAC in scoring offense (30.2 per game), 4th in scoring defense (22.0 per game), 1st in passing offense (238.0 per game), 1st in punting (39.3 net/P, 44.8 average yards)and first in first downs. On paper, Hampton beats FAMU in just about every statistical category, but nothing is worst than tangling with angry Rattlers. FAMU will not get blown out this weekend by the 5-4,4-3 MEAC Pirates. The Rattlers are 3-6,2-4 MEAC in a disappointing season...

Saay What! brothers. The Florida A&M University Volleyball Team played just well enough to knockoff the University of North Florida at home on Tuesday night by a score of 30-25, 27-30, 30-22, 30-27 for a total 3-1 score. The Lady Rattlers are 13-6 on the season and usually plays to the level of the competition, which is not good especially playing a club that is 4-25 like the Ospreys. FAMU was coming off a spirited showing against #3 ranked Texas where they loss 3-0 to break a 14 game Rattlers win streak. The Lady Rattlers are undefeated in MEAC play and have a 96 game win streak intact in the conference. FAMU Seniors Hannah Uckelmann and Iva Lakic were honored and played their last home game as Rattlers. The next match is at South Carolina State Lady Bulldogs on November 10, 2007, at 5:00 p.m., Orangeburg, S.C....

Senior running back Chad Simpson, Morgan State University is MEAC leading rusher with 248 att/1272 yards, 12 TDs/10 games, 5.1 average/127.1 yards per game. Simpson is 2nd in all-purpose yards with 1589 yards at 158.9 per game.

The lotto question of the day--will Morgan State Bears end the football season on a winning note and with a winning record? Standing in the Bears (5-5, 4-3 MEAC) way for a winning season are the South Carolina State University Bulldogs (5-4, 4-2 MEAC), who have won 22 of the last 23 games in the series. MSU Coach Donald Hill-Eley is very close to leading the Bears over the hump but it will take a monster game (i.e. 250+ yards) from MEAC leading rusher Chad Simpson and a complete shutdown of SCSU running back Will Ford and quarterback Cleve McCoy for the Bears to win. This is going to be Morgan's Superbowl, so expect Hill-Eley to have the Bears in championship form and successfully pull off the upset. Saay What! Bears win...

Will it be #10 ranked Delaware State (8-1, 7-0 MEAC) or #26 ranked Norfolk State (7-2, 6-1 MEAC) crowned as MEAC Champions this Saturday? It's any body's guess, but Delaware State has found a way to overcome adversity the past few weeks to keep their undefeated conference record intact. However, the DSU Hornets does not dominate in any conference statistical category but just find ways to win. Norfolk State is a half game behind DSU in the MEAC standings.

On the other hand, Norfolk State Spartans has "the bus" at running back, who can takeover a running game. I'm speaking of none other than senior Daryl Jones who is tied for #2 in MEAC rushing with 989 yards and 12 TDs on 211 carries. Jones is a 250 pound load to tackle and will run over you in a one-on-five situation. If the Hornets focus solely on stopping Jones and company, the Spartan quarterback Casey Hansen will go over the top for completions to keep the drives alive. In ten seasons of division I football, NSU has never had a winning season nor won a MEAC championship in football. The Spartans should be ready to jump on the bus with Daryl Jones for this contest.

Delaware State has too much riding on this game to let Norfolk State march into Alumni Stadium and steal the victory. Not only will a win give the Hornets the MEAC crown and automatic bid to the NCAA FCS playoffs, but a date with in-state #6 ranked University of Delaware Hens (8-1, 5-1 CAA) in the first round of the playoff. UD and DSU have never met on the football field although they are both in the FCS and are located only 40 miles apart. Saay What!! This should be sufficient motivation for Coach Al Lavan Hornets to tell the Spartans to beat it, literally and musically. Expect DSU to clobber MEAC upstart Norfolk State, as it has been proven by Howard and SCSU that they can be stopped for -15 and 56 yards rushing. The Hornets balanced attack with several NFL prospects (junior RB Kareem Jones, junior QB Vashon Winton, senior WR Shahee McBride and senior kicker Peter Gaertner) may provide the MEAC with the best opportunity to get past round one of the FCS playoffs. Just beat it, Norfolk State University! Just beat it...

Norfolk State University Spartan Legion Marching Band (playing: "Beat It.")

FAMU Volleyball falls to Texas 3-0

The Florida A&M University Volleyball Team got an early introduction to what they can expect in the NCAA Volleyball Tournament as they faced NCAA #3 ranked Texas Longhorns in Austin on November 2, 2007. The Rattlers were competitive but were soundly beaten by a superior team with quality depth, before 1457 Texas fans. The Rattlers were led by Hannah UCKELMANN, Jovana BLAZESKI and Iva LAKIC, in defeat.

Texas has won 14 consecutive contests since their opening Big 12 loss on September 12, 2007, at #1 ranked Nebraska.

The experience should benefit the Lady Rattlers as they sharpen their play for the upcoming Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and NCAA volleyball tournaments. FAMU will be competing for their 7th consecutive MEAC title and the league's automatic bid to the NCAA volleyball tournament. Rattlers coach Tanio "Tony" Trifonov will be seeking the 10th overall MEAC title for FAMU and his 8th title as the FAMU head coach. He's done an incredible job and is very,very impressive as a coach and recruiter, and runs the FAMU program the right way. Trifonov should be named NCAA volleyball coach of the decade, if such a list exists.

The Texas loss ends the Lady Rattlers string of 12 consecutive victories, who were last defeated by Tulane on September 15, 2007, in Tempe, Arizona at Crowne Plaza Phoenix Airport Classic.

The FAMU Lady Rattlers are scheduled to return to non-conference action on November 6, 2007, against the University of North Florida at 6:00 p.m. in Gaither Gymnasium, Tallahassee, Florida. The Rattlers final conference match for the regular season is scheduled for November 10, 2007, at 5:00 p.m., at South Carolina State University, Orangeburg, S.C.

FAMU Volleyball is in great hands with Rattlers coach Tanio "Tony" Trifonov. Iva Lakic, #16 is a senior MB from Valjevo, Serbia, Valjevo High School.

Looking ahead, the Lady Rattlers will be defending their conference championships and 96+ consecutive winning matches in the MEAC, at the MEAC Volleyball Tournament on November 16-17, at Holland Hall (Hampton University) Hampton, Virginia and will closeout the regular season with a non-conference match at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida on November 21, at 12:00 p.m.

-beepbeep
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by University of Texas Media Relations

AUSTIN, Texas -- The No. 3 Texas Volleyball team used three double-digit kill performances, including a 14-kill effort by sophomore opposite hitter Ashley Engle to edge Florida A&M, 3-0 Friday night at Gregory Gymnasium.

The Longhorns 30-21, 30-20, 30-20 victory moved UT to 18-3 on the year and 13-1 in Big 12 play, while FAMU fell to 12-6 on the season. Texas out-hit Florida A&M .366-to.132 on the night and out-blocked the Rattlers 13-to-3.

Engle led the Texas attack, notching 14 kills on .462 hitting and adding eight digs, five total blocks and a service ace. Sophomore outside hitter Destinee Hooker posted a team-high 17 kills on .361 hitting, while junior middle blocker Lauren Paolini totaled 13 kills and recorded just one attack error.

In game one, Hooker paced the Texas charge, posting eight kills on 14 swings and leading a 7-0 UT run that gave the Horns an early 9-3 advantage. The Longhorns did not lead by more than six until late in the game when Paolini and Hooker led Texas on a 4-0 run that moved the margin to 29-20. Hooker recorded two kills during the rally and Paolini recorded one kill before teaming with Hooker on a block that setup game-point. Paolini's fourth kill of the game closed out the first frame and gave UT a 30-21 win.

Engle came on strong for Texas in the second stanza, highlighting a 5-0 run that blew open the game and gave the Longhorns a 16-7 edge. The Rattlers battled back to close the lead to five points, however, four kills by Engle down the stretch allowed Texas to stretch the lead back to eight at the 26-18 mark. Florida A&M added two more points, but the Horns closed out the second game at the 30-20 mark on a block by Paolini and senior setter Michelle Moriarty.

The Longhorns took advantage of a series of early kills by Paolini in the third frame, claiming a 14-6 lead on her fourth kill of the game. Senior outside hitter Jen Christian came on late in the game, connecting for three kills to help Texas push its lead to as many as 10, but the Rattlers narrowed the lead to seven at the 27-20 mark, but three straight UT blocks, including junior outside hitter/defensive specialist Kiley Hall's first career block closed out the third game, 30-20.

Moriarty steadied the Texas attack on the night with 53 assists and 12 digs, marking her seventh assist/dig double-double of the season. Paolini led the Longhorns offense with a .545 attack mark and paced the defense with a career-best 10 total blocks. Senior libero Alyson Jennings headlined Texas with 13 digs in the victory and freshman outside hitter Juliann Faucette added 11 digs of her own.

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POSTGAME QUOTES

Volleyball head coach Jerritt Elliott, University of Texas

General Comment: It was good to play a non-conference match against someone who is probably going to win their conference. We were definitely not firing on all cylinders tonight, and I don't know if it was that we weren't inspired or not motivated or what exactly was effecting us. The thing that I look at as a coach is the habits and the mentality that we come into the match with. I felt like we could have played at a higher level and that we could have been smoother, but again, the bottom line is that we were able to find a "W". Our blocking numbers were solid and I felt like we did a better job in game three after we had talked things over at the break, and there is a positive to that.

On adjusting to Florida A&M: They played a really deep perimeter and they left open the tips. Our players decided to continue to hit until game three when we started tipping and scoring which made things pretty easy. There are defenses for each system and you have to be able to adjust and make those adjustments.

On playing Florida A&M: We didn't know what we would get from Florida A&M. We just know that they usually dominate their opponents and they have a lot of foreigners. In the past, they have been a really strong NCAA team, so we felt that this team was going to win their conference and give us an opportunity to do work on some things and stay fresh.

On what they expected from Florida A&M and how they lived up to those expectations: Well we really didn't have any film on Florida A&M, so we didn't really know what they were going to come out with. We knew that they set to the outside a lot, but that's all we had to go on. Serving wise we knew not to serve to the libero, because she was passing really well. Offensively we just tried to find the holes and place the ball to score. I think we were surprised on both sides. I think we were surprised at how we were playing, and also how they were handling themselves. We could have played better, and they were stepping up their game for us.
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Volleyball Box Score
2007 Longhorn Volleyball
Florida A&M vs #3 Texas (Nov 02, 2007 at Austin, Texas)

Florida A&M ATTACK SET SERVE SRVDEF BLOCK GEN
## Name GP K E TA PCT A SA SE REDIGBS BA BEBHEPOINTS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 CORZO,Cinthya....... 3 2 0 11 .182 1 0 0 2 8 0 0 0 0 2.0
9 GOMEZ,Maria......... 3 2 3 8 -.125 0 0 1 0 2 1 1 1 0 3.5
10 MANZO,Zaira......... 3 2 0 6 .333 28 1 1 0 10 0 0 1 0 3.0
12 UCKELMANN,Hannah.... 3 6 0 11 .545 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 6.5
15 BLAZESKI,Jovana..... 3 12 8 42 .095 0 1 1 0 14 0 1 2 0 13.5
16 LAKIC,Iva........... 3 10 7 43 .070 1 0 0 2 5 0 1 0 0 10.5
7 EGOAVIL,Susan....... 3 0 0 0 .000 1 0 1 2 10 0 0 0 0 0.0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals.............. 3 34 18 121 .132 33 2 4 6 50 1 4 5 0 39.0

TEAM ATTACK PER GAME TOTAL TEAM BLOCKS: 3.0
Game K E TA Pct Sideout Pct
1 11 7 47 .085 15-29 51% GAME SCORES 1 2 3 TEAM RECORDS
2 11 3 33 .242 16-30 53% Florida A&M......... (0) 21 20 20 12-6, 6-0 MEAC
3 12 8 41 .098 15-29 51% Texas............... (3) 30 30 30 18-3, 13-1 Big 12

Texas ATTACK SET SERVE SRVDEF BLOCK GEN
## Name GP K E TA PCT A SA SE REDIGBS BA BEBHEPOINTS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Faucette, Juliann... 2 7 3 21 .190 1 0 2 1 11 0 1 0 0 7.5
3 Paolini, Lauren..... 3 13 1 22 .545 1 2 1 0 5 2 8 0 0 21.0
4 Moriarty, Michelle.. 3 1 0 3 .333 53 0 0 0 12 0 2 0 2 2.0
8 Doris, Jennifer..... 3 6 2 11 .364 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 6.0
10 Engle, Ashley....... 3 14 2 26 .462 1 1 2 0 8 1 4 0 0 18.0
21 Hooker, Destinee.... 3 17 4 36 .361 0 1 2 0 3 0 1 4 0 18.5
9 Klein, Chelsey...... 2 0 0 0 .000 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0.0
11 Hall, Kiley......... 2 0 0 0 .000 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 2.0
12 Lewis, Alexandra.... 1 0 0 0 .000 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
13 Christian, Jen...... 2 4 2 12 .167 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 5.0
16 Jennings, Alyson.... 3 0 0 0 .000 0 1 0 0 13 0 0 0 0 1.0
Team................ 1 0.0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals.............. 3 62 14 131 .366 56 6 9 2 56 5 16 5 2 81.0

TEAM ATTACK PER GAME TOTAL TEAM BLOCKS: 13.0
Game K E TA Pct Sideout Pct
1 20 6 46 .304 16-22 72% Site: Austin, Texas (Gregory Gymnasium)
2 22 5 42 .405 16-20 80% Date: Nov 02, 2007 Attend: 1457 Time: 1:26
3 20 3 43 .395 16-21 76% Referees: Richard Bleau, Debbie Stanford

1 2 3 Total
Tie scores 3 3 1 7
Lead changes 3 1 0 4

PBS Florida Crossroads: The Making of the Band, The FAMU Marching 100

The Florida A&M University "Marching 100” was featured on PBS’s Florida Crossroads television show on October 30, November 1, and November 4, 2007, which aired on PBS and other public, educational and government channels throughout the State of Florida. The 30-minute documentary, "The Making of the Band: The FAMU "Marching 100," focused on the members of the Marching 100, who spoke candidly about what it takes to be a part of the world renowned tradition.

For your pleasure and enjoyment, the entire program is provided below in a sequence of three parts of the program. Dr. Julian E. White, director of bands and chairman of the Florida A&M University Department of Music, shares impartial insight to the internal workings of this 61 year old institution, which was created by Dr. William P. Foster. You don't want to miss watching this straightforward documentary of the Florida A&M University Marching 100. Enjoy!

Part I: PBS Documentary, "The Making of the Band: The FAMU Marching 100"


Part II: PBS Documentary, "The Making of the Band: The FAMU Marching 100"


Part III: PBS Documentary, "The Making of the Band: The FAMU Marching 100"

MEAC/SWAC Two Minute Drill

by beepbeep

The implied competition between Florida State University and Florida A&M University is inevitable based on their location, less than one mile apart in Tallahassee. In football, the FBC FSU Seminoles are now trying to keep pace with the FCS FAMU Rattlers at the NFL level as it relates to the quarterback position. Both schools have one signal caller in the NFL, but FAMU’s quarterback Quinn Gray, Jacksonville Jaguars is the only one to have started a game, leading his team to victory over Tampa Bay last Sunday 24-23. Quinn is 28 years old in his fourth year with the Jaguars and this was his first start as an NFL quarterback. Brad Johnson, who is 39 years old played for the Seminoles in 1988-91 and is currently a backup on the Dallas Cowboys in his 16th NFL season. The big question that everyone wants to know is what has FSU been doing with all those blue chip high school All-Americans since 1991?...

Photo: Former MEAC and current Jaguar QB Quinn Gray appeared in NFL Europe in 2003 and led the Frankfurt Galaxy to the World Bowl Championship.

Talking about losing streaks, a few are totally baffling in our view. North Carolina A&T Aggies now has the fourth longest streak in NCAA Football Championship Subdivision history at 25 straight losses. They are playing at Florida A&M’s homecoming this Saturday at 3:00 p.m. This would not be a good time for the Aggies to end their streak as the Rattlers are battling their own problems with a four game losing streak. This makes for a very interesting subplot to the FAMU vs. NCA&T game this weekend, as someone’s streak will end. Who will it be--Aggies or Rattlers?...

Don’t laugh at the MEAC as the SWAC has its own losing streaks. Steve Wilson’s Texas Southern University Tiger squad losing streak has hit 11 consecutive games. The Tigers are 0-8 this season and are scheduled to face the Southern Jaguars this Saturday at home in Reliant Stadium. Wilson may be headed in the wrong direction, as he holds the distinction of having a combined 4-37 record at TSU. This season, he has served as his own offensive coordinator, but his Tigers record is worst than last year's record as shown below:

• 2004 0-11
• 2005 1-10
• 2006 3-8
• 2007 0-8

The Tigers are nowhere near to being a decent team and will have to improve play significantly to beat Southern, Arkansas-Pine Bluff or the University of Houston that are remaining on their schedule for 2007...

Jackson State University all-star basketball player Trey Johnson was cut this week by the New Orleans Hornets. Based on published reports and comments by Coach Byron Scott, Trey played well, had a basketball IQ off the charts and can play at this level. You may recall that Johnson averaged 29.1 at JSU and led the Tigers to the SWAC championship and into the NCAA tournament last season. Coach Scott was quoted in the Times-Picayune, "he knows everything we’re doing already; he knows the plays better than some of the guys who have been here a couple of years which is scary, and that’s the truth.” Johnson averaged 13.8 minutes in five exhibition games, shot 40% for 4 points with 1.8 assists per game. No reason was given for the cut other than the Hornets wants to keep a roster spot vacant in case someone gets injured on their 14 man squad. All NBA teams can carry up to 15 players and the Hornets are carrying 14 guaranteed contracts already on the roster. Johnson and his agent are now evaluating other opportunities to play overseas or in the NBA developmental league...

What’s wrong with the leadership at Morgan State University? Donald-Hill-Eley is in the final year of his contract and negotiations have stalled over the university’s offer of a one-year contract extension. Hill-Eley has nearly completed six years in rebuilding the Bears football program to total respectability. Morgan State earned their first victory in 13 years against Florida A&M University this past Saturday for a life-time record against the Rattlers of 4-18. Without a long term contract, Hill-Eley will be placed in an impossible position for recruiting outstanding student-athletes to the Morgan program. He has had three winning seasons and has increased the graduation rate of his players to 61 percent. The 38 year old head coach holds a Master’s degree in Counseling which has become very useful in working with students coming from non-traditional backgrounds. We know people come and go all the time, but Hill-Eley brings a special quality of leadership to the Baltimore community and to the university. It is about more than wins and losses, which are important but not the sole measure of a good coach...

Tennessee State University starting quarterback Antonio Heffner right ankle injury was worst than expected. When surgeons opened up his ankle last Friday, they discovered two fractures on two different bones, which required installing screws and a plate. Coach James Webster indicated that Heffner is expected to be fully recovered for the 2008 season, but will be unavailable for spring practice as more time in needed for proper healing and recovery. Heffner was having an outstanding season before the injury happened in the Eastern Kentucky game. He was the Ohio Valley Conference leading passer completing 96 of 171 passes for 1486 yards and 10 touchdowns...

Photo: TSU junior quarter back Antonio Heffner surgery is completed and he is in recovery for the 2008.

The 2007 Magic City Classic which features Alabama A&M University Bulldogs and Alabama State University Hornets in their annual battle for state SWAC supremacy has moved up the economic ladder with 68,593 in attendance. The Birmingham classic out performed the 2007 Atlanta Football Classic by 11,603 fans, which had 56,990 in attendance to see Tennessee State University (OVC) and FAMU (MEAC) in their annual neutral site battle. Only the Bayou Classic featuring Grambling State and Southern University and the Florida Classic, featuring FAMU and Bethune Cookman are in a position to surpass this attendance number on the HBCU circuit for this season...

The Volusia County medical examiner’s office has released the medical report regarding the death of 20 year old Avery Atkins who died on July 5, 2007. Atkins was a former football player at Bethune Cookman University, transferring to the Wildcats from the University of Florida Gators. The medical examiner’s report rules his death as accidental after ingesting too much of the drug Ecstasy. Port Orange police Lt. Frank Surmaczewicz said Friday that Atkins’ death has been ruled accidental and that his department has closed the case. “This was definitely not a suicide, but a drug overdose.” he said. The findings also showed that Atkins inhaled some carbon monoxide but not enough to kill him. He was found dead in a car inside his aunt’s garage around 8:30 a.m. on July 5. Atkins played only three games for Bethune Cookman University before dropping out of school and attempting to return to the University of Florida program. Atkins won the Orlando Sentinel's 2004 Central Florida Defensive Player of the Year Award and signed with UF Coach Urban Meyer as a cornerstone of Meyer's first recruiting class...

The MEAC leading rusher, senior Chad Simpson, Morgan State University broke the one thousand yard barrier by rushing for 69 yards and one touchdown last Saturday against Florida A&M. In nine games, Simpson has rushed for 1056 yards on 216 attempts for 11 touchdown, with a 117.3 yards per game average. His longest run from scrimmage was 56 yards. Simpson averages 4.9 yards per carry and is second in the conference in all purpose yards averaging 152.7 yards per game. He trails only FAMU's fabulous freshman running back Philip Sylvester who leads the MEAC with 170.8 yards per game in all purpose yards...

Photo above: Chad Simpson breaks one against Hampton University.

Florida A&M Volleyball knocks off Mercer Bears

Macon, Georgia - The FAMU Lady Rattlers Volleyball team improved to 12-5 on the season as they defeated the Mercer University Bears of the Atlantic Sun Conference 3-2 (30-22, 32-34, 28-30, 30-22 and 15-9)this afternoon. The Bears put up a gallant battle and were led by sophomore Jen Darty who had a career-high 11 blocks and 11 kills for her first double-double of the season. Her efforts however, was not enough to overcome the strength of the Lady Rattlers as the Bears fell to 8-17 on the season.

For the Lady Rattlers, Jovana Blazeski and Iva Lakic led the way, tallying 27 and 26 kills, respectively. Five players recorded double-digit digs, led by Susan Egoavil with 28 and Zaira Manzo with 21. Manzo also dished out a match-high 65 assists to notch a double-double for FAMU. The Bears did have a good night at the net out-blocking the Lady Rattlers 18-6.

The Bears dominated early on in the first game of the match, taking a 10-3 lead over the Lady Rattlers, who were able to close within three to trail 14-11. Mercer then scored four consecutive points and extended it to a 10 point lead. FAMU freshman Jovana Blazeski took over when the score reached 27-17 and the Lady Rattlers went on a four point run. Several kills by Mercer's Drennan Dexheimer and an error by Blazeski provided the gift Mercer needed to win the first match 30-22.

The Lady Rattlers quickly re-focused and battled Mercer in game two with 24 ties, 10 lead changes and did enough to win the match 34-32.

FAMU jumped all over the Bears in game three taking a 15-5 lead, but let up on Mercer who climbed back into the contest with a 4-0 run, and 8-1 run to narrow the Lady Rattlers score to 29-28. A kill was converted by Lakic to take the win for FAMU 30-28 in the third set.

The Lady Rattlers played poorly in the fourth set, allowing Mercer to take a 12-9 lead, and after two runs by the Bears of 8-1 and 8-2, FAMU fell 22-30.

The Lady Rattlers took an early 6-2 lead in the final game and three straight kills by FAMU the lead. FAMU cruised to a 15-9 win giving the Lady Ratters the 3-2 victory for the contest.

“It wasn’t for lack of effort because we out-blocked and out-aced our opponent, but we were not disciplined enough to finished games every opportunity we had,” said Mercer Volleyball head coach Noelle Hughes. “It was a close, hard-fought match and we proved to ourselves once again that we can play with the best of them.”

The Lady Rattlers stars were: Cinthya Corzo, Maria Gomez,Zaira Manzo, Hannah Huckelmann,Jovana Blazeski, Iva Lakic, Susan Egoavil and Coach "Tony" Tanio Trifonov.

Photo: The Lady Rattlers celebrate their 96 match winning streak in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference over SCSU on Oct 19th.

FAMU next match is on the road at Austin, Texas facing the University of Texas at 6:00 p.m. ET. The Lady Rattlers next home contest is November 6, 2007, 6:00 p.m. in Tallahassee Gaither Gymnasium against the University of North Florida.


Volleyball Box Score

Florida A&M vs Mercer (Oct 30, 2007 at Macon, Ga.)


Florida A&M ATTACK SET SERVE SRVDEF BLOCK GEN
## Name GP K E TA PCT A SA SE REDIGBS BA BEBHE
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 CORZO,Cinthya....... 5 4 0 13 .308 3 2 0 1 11 0 1 0 0
9 GOMEZ,Maria......... 5 11 6 22 .227 1 0 2 0 4 1 1 0 0
10 MANZO,Zaira......... 5 4 2 8 .250 65 0 1 0 21 0 4 0 4
12 UCKELMANN,Hannah.... 5 8 4 22 .182 0 0 0 0 4 0 4 0 0
15 BLAZESKI,Jovana..... 5 27 20 82 .085 1 1 1 0 20 0 0 1 0
16 LAKIC,Iva........... 5 26 12 72 .194 3 1 0 2 11 0 0 0 0
7 EGOAVIL,Susan....... 5 1 0 1 1.000 1 2 0 4 28 0 0 0 0
TEAM................ 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals.............. 5 81 44 220 .168 74 6 4 8 99 1 10 1 4

TEAM ATTACK PER GAME TOTAL TEAM BLOCKS: 6.0
Game K E TA Pct
1 16 11 50 .100 GAME SCORES 1 2 3 4 5 TEAM RECORDS
2 22 9 59 .220 Florida A&M......... (3) 22 34 30 22 15 12-5
3 19 9 45 .222 Mercer.............. (2) 30 32 28 30 9 8-17
4 14 13 47 .021
5 10 2 19 .421

Mercer ATTACK SET SERVE SRVDEF BLOCK GEN
## Name GP K E TA PCT A SA SE REDIGBS BA BEBHE
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 HANSCH, Libby....... 2 0 1 11 -.091 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0
4 DARTY, Julie........ 5 16 6 41 .244 2 1 0 0 1 0 6 0 2
5 DORRIS, Karen....... 5 23 4 62 .306 3 1 1 2 8 0 3 1 0
8 JANSEN, Kelly....... 5 4 1 8 .375 55 1 1 0 11 0 6 0 7
11 DARTY, Jen.......... 5 11 2 29 .310 0 2 1 0 5 2 9 1 0
12 DEXHEIMER, Drennan.. 5 9 2 32 .219 1 1 1 0 10 0 0 0 0
3 VRVILO, Erica....... 2 1 2 8 -.125 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
7 TUCKER, Claire...... 5 0 1 1-1.000 1 0 1 1 25 0 0 0 0
9 GEBBEN, Chelsea..... 5 0 0 1 .000 2 1 2 2 8 0 0 0 0
14 DAVIS, Allison...... 5 0 0 0 .000 0 1 0 1 8 0 0 0 0
16 HURLEY, Krista...... 3 3 0 6 .500 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0
17 THOMAS, Autumn...... 1 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals.............. 5 67 19 199 .241 64 8 7 6 77 2 32 2 9

TEAM ATTACK PER GAME TOTAL TEAM BLOCKS: 18.0
Game K E TA Pct
1 15 1 44 .318 Site: Macon, Ga. (University Center)
2 20 6 57 .246 Date: Oct 30, 2007 Attend: 68 Time: 2:12
3 12 7 41 .122 Referees: Tim Meyers, Mark Prater
4 15 4 36 .306 Game 5-Yellow Card to FAMU Coach
5 5 1 21 .190

2007 Magic City Classic: Battle of the Bands- ASU Hornets vs. AAMU Bulldogs

A record crowd of 68,593 came to Legion Field this past Saturday to enjoy the battle between the Bulldogs and the Hornets in the Magic City Classic. Alabama A&M University won the football game 13-9 and the winner of the battle of the bands is still undecided. You pick the winner of that contest...

Alabama State University Marching Hornets and Stingettes


Alabama A&M University Marching Maroon and White Band and the Dancing Divas


AAMU Band vs. ASU Band, The 5th Quarter - Magic City Classic 2007, Part I


ASU Band vs. AAMU Band, The 5th Quarter - Magic City Classic 2007, Part II

LOL: Things that make you go hummmmmm...

I'm sure everyone that has played an instrument in a high school band has aspirations of playing in a better band. This film clip shows a few students and their reaction to seeing and hearing the opponent band performing a half-time dance routine. The unseen performing band, the Tennessee State University Marching Aristocrat of Bands, and the fans on the video clip--members of the Austin Peay State University Marching Band drum section on Sept. 15, 2007, in Clarksville, TN. TSU beat APSU 33-32 in overtime, but I'm sure these fellows didn't care as they were looking forward to the 5th quarter so they could get their grove on with the TSU Band.

Draw your own conclusions...welcome to the Ohio Valley Football Conference, y'all!

Austin Peay State University Marching Governors Band