North Carolina A&T Aggies adds 3 recruits

North Carolina A&T has signed three more football players to grants in aid. Two recruits are from Tallahassee, Fla., which brings the total count of Tallahassee players in the 2009 recruiting class to four. The total number of players in head coach Alonzo Lee’s first recruiting class as the Aggies head coach stands at 25.

North Carolina A&T head coach Alonzo Lee

The Tallahassee signees are D’Vonte Graham (5-foot-10, 175 pounds) and Brandon Hoover (6-foot, 205 pounds). Graham, a defensive back, recorded 12 pass breakups and picked off three passes last season. On offense, he caught 30 passes for 379 yards and five touchdowns. “We’re looking for him to be outstanding cover corner for us,’’ Lee said. “He can definitely run. He has been clocked at 4.3 (seconds) in the 40. Plus, he comes from a high-caliber program that is routinely in the state playoffs.”

Hoover, a linebacker, made the 2008 All-State team. He also made the 2008 All Big Bend team. Over his career, Hoover recorded 225 tackles with nine of those stops coming behind the line of scrimmage. “He is another young man who’s going to bring tremendous speed to our team,’’ said Lee. “Hoover was just a steal, so we felt good about the opportunity to be able to land him. They played him at outside linebacker in high school even though he can play the strong safety position. He runs a 4.4 (seconds) in the 40, and we’ll likely look at him to play linebacker here.”

Ivan Coulton (6-foot-6, 235), a linebacker from Ahoskie’s Hertford County High, racked up 17 ½ sacks, 22 tackles for loss and broke up seven passes.

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Ex-Crabbers receiver returns to play for HU

Reginald "P.J." Hicks' long football road has brought him back home. Hicks, a former wide receiver for Hampton High, will play next season for Hampton University, completing a two-year odyssey that took him to Kansas and California. After concentrating on basketball for most of his high school career, Hicks played one season for Crabbers football coach Mike Smith, catching 23 passes for 458 yards and five touchdowns as a senior in 2006. The Crabbers went 9-1 in that regular season but lost their playoff opener.

"(Football) was just always something my mama always wanted me to do," Hicks said, and it ended up being his path to college — albeit a winding one. Hicks, 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, first went to Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College, but couldn't find a spot on a roster crowded at his position. So he ended up at the College of the Sequoias in Visalia, Calif., where he played for one semester.

Hicks is one of four additions to the Pirates' 10-member 2009 signing class announced Feb. 4. The others are T.J. Patterson, a 5-11, 180-pound athlete from Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School in Beaumont, Texas; Jordan Stovall, a 6-2, 185-pound kicker/punter from River View High School in Elgin, S.C.; and Ken Overstreet, a defensive back from West Los Angeles College.

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'Drumline Live' brings marching band tradition to theater stage

"Drumline Live" brings the black marching band tradition to the theatrical stage for the first time in a 62-engagement U.S. tour, followed by dates in Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

When actor Orlando Jones’ character in 2002’s “Drumline” urges his university marching band to “hit ‘em with a little ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’,” the band director’s not talking about serving up a sedate recital of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s famous 1900 orchestral work. This is musical warfare, and the operatic interlude’s dizzying sting of frenetic 16th-note runs becomes a weapon in a half-time battle to outdo high-stepping, percussion-pounding and brass-blasting opponents on the football field.

The film, starring Nick Cannon as a Harlem street performer recruited to join a drumline at a southern university, helped reignite interest in a tradition begun more than 50 years ago at Florida A&M University, where marching-band performances were as much about the high-energy music as the funky, athletic choreography.

“Drumline Live,” a stage show set to take over the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord (N.H.)on Wednesday, March 4, serves up a powerful drumroll in homage to that legacy with a cast of performers from some of the United State’s top Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), institutions established prior to 1964 with the mission to educate black Americans.





NH Weekend recently asked “Drumline Live” creator and musical director Don P. Roberts about the powerhouse production, which features the rousing and rhythmic sounds of the likes of brass masters Earth, Wind and Fire and Tower of Power, along with contemporary hip-hop and R&B selections.

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Wichita Wild (IFL) add Alcorn State's OL Jammal Young

The Wichita Wild of the Indoor Football League (IFL) has added two more players that should impact the team in 2009. The Wild signed former Kansas State defensive back Byron Garvin and former Alcorn State offensive lineman Jammal Young. Garvin was in mini-camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last May after going undrafted in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Garvin's final season for the Wildcats was in 2007. Garvin played in nine games and recorded 42 tackles and two interceptions on the season. Garvin saw action in 12 games as a junior in 2006. The Miramar, FL native tallied 58 tackles, which ranked fifth on the team. Garvin scored the game-winning touchdown vs. Illinois State by returning a fumble. As a sophomore, Garvin started seven games and recorded 30 tackles. Garvin saw action in 11 games on special teams as a freshman.

Young started all but three games in his four years of college. His final season at Alcorn State was in 2008, where he was named to the All-Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Team. Young allowed only one sack in his two seasons with the Braves. Before attending Alcorn, Young started every game for two seasons at Coahoma Community College in Mississippi. In 2006, Young was named to All-Region First Team. He was also named Offensive Lineman of the Year for the Tigers. The Clarksdale, MS native stands at 6-4 and 320 lbs.

Fans are encouraged to call the Wild office at 316-440-5044 to reserve their seats in the brand new Hartman Arena for the 2009 season. Wild season tickets start at $98 for the entire season.

Indoor Football League (IFL) Wichita Wild

FAMU's McGriff and Williams signed by IFL Sioux City Bandits

Former Rattlers DB Earnest Williams

Sioux City,IA -- The Sioux City Bandits of the Indoor Football League are pleased to announce the final signings for the 2009 season announced today by Head Coach Jarrod DeGeorgia.

Earnest Williams: 5'10 190 Defensive Back from Florida A&M (the brother of current Bandit player, Buddy Williams) had an outstanding career at FAMU. Williams selected to play in the American Heritage Bowl at Cal State Fullerton in January 2008. During his senior season he compiled 58 tackles, a fumble recovery, and 1 interception. He finished his career with 171 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, 7 pass breakups, and three fumble recoveries. In 2007, Williams was selected to the All-MEAC Second Team.

Tyrone McGriff: 6'0 230lb Defensive Line from Florida A&M. DeGeorgia will likely move the 6-foot, 230-pound McGriff from the defensive line to linebacker considering his coverage skills and instincts. The Bandits' second-year head coach is looking forward to training camp, where he believes McGriff will push Ralph Scott. McGriff was a 2-time All-Conference 1st team selection, 2006 All-American, and Team MVP his senior season. In his sophomore year, he was 4th in the nation in forced fumbles, and 5th in fumble recoveries. In addition, during the 2006 season he was named the 2006 Sports Network #4 Defensive End in the nation and also named the Conference player of the week 4 times.

Efi Eyo: 6-1 195lb Quarterback. Eyo has experience in the indoor game, which Coach DeGeorgia is excited about. While at Division 3 Benedictine College, he was 77 for 130 for 1,706 yards and 15 touchdowns. Eyo has worked out at several pro-days for teams such as the Washington Redskins and AF2 Austin Wranglers. He also played for the Evansville Bluecats of the UIF in 2007. He played in 8 games for the Wichita Wild in 2008, including 6 starts. He's noted for having run a 4.42 40 yard dash at his Pro Day Workout.

Milton Moses: 6-6, 208lb Defensive Back from Concordia College - Chicago. Moses was an All-Conference track athlete at Concordia. Over his career at Concordia, he had 166 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 6 forced fumbles. His senior season (2007-2008) he was named to the 2nd team all conference and was named the Defensive Team MVP as well as the team's hardest hitter. Moses was ranked 7th in the nation in solo tackles.

Tayler Michels: 6-0, 220 Defensive Back from Minnesota Crookston College. His junior season at Minnesota he had 66 tackles and 3 interceptions. Michels' senior season included 56 tackles and 2 interceptions. In his last three seasons at Minnesota Crookston, he ended up 9th on the list of tackles for the college, and is 5th on the career interception list. He was nominated for Male Athlete of the Year at Crookston College in 2007 and 2008.

The Bandits start Training Camp on Feb. 27 and open the 2009 regular season on March 15th, at the Billings Outlaws. Home opener is scheduled for March 21st, with the Bloomington Xtreme at the Tyson Events Center.

Indoor Football League (IFL) Sioux City Bandits

Washington Named Prairie View A.D.

Retaining Cooper-Dyke Top Priority

Fred Washington takes over as the permanent athletics director at Prairie View A&M after serving for 11 months as the interim. Washington replaced Charles McClelland when he left for a similar position at Texas Southern University. "I was originally going to continue as the interim athletics director until Aug. 31, 2009," Washington said in an interview with FOX 26 Sports. "After meeting with Dr. Wright (school president George Wright) I agreed to continue as the athletics director on a full-time basis and we don't have an end date on it.

"I've been really satisfied with the the coaching staff that we have and the commitment that we have from the university and from the Texas A & M system that we are a part of." Panthers athletics has achieved unprecedented success on Washington's watch. Head Coach Henry Frazier led Prairie View's football team to a 9-1 record in 2008, the school's finest season in 50 years.

In women's basketball Head Coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke has the Lady Panthers in first place in the SWAC and in position to capture their third consecutive league championship. In 2007, in just her second year on the job, Cooper-Dyke led the Lady Panthers to their first winning season in school history, a share of the conference title, and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

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UD-DSU Agree on Historic Four-Game Football Series

DOVER, Del.- Delaware State University and the University of Delaware announced Tuesday that they have reached a formal agreement that will result in the scheduling of four future football contests. In a joint announcement made by DSU acting President Claibourne D. Smith and UD President Patrick T. Harker at Delaware State's Administration Building, the two universities will play a series of games that will take place on Sept. 8, 2012, Sept. 7, 2013 and Sept. 6, 2014. All three games will be played at the University of Delaware's 22,000-seat Delaware Stadium.

The series will kickoff this fall when the two schools will play a scheduled game on Sept. 19, 2009 at Delaware Stadium. The game time and ticket information will be released later this spring. The 2009 game came about when Furman announced earlier this month that it was dropping out of a scheduled Sept. 19 game at Delaware earlier this month in order to schedule a game at the University of Missouri on that date. In addition to Smith and Harker, also taking part in the announcement were Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, Delaware head coach K.C. Keeler, and DSU head coach Al Lavan.

The DSU Hornets and the UD Blue Hens played for a historic first time in 2007 when both teams earned bids to play in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Series. The first round game, won by the Blue Hens by a 44-7 score, drew a Delaware Stadium playoff record crowd of 19,765, was broadcast live nationally on ESPN, and generated extensive local and national media attention.

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