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Southern University Head Baseball Coach Roger Cador
That loud, bold belly-laugh could’ve only come from one place. That wide, toothy grin could’ve only come from one face. Thursday afternoon at Lee-Hines Field, members of the Southern University baseball team took turns at the plate, pounding line drives and ground balls in final their batting practice before the season opener.
Suddenly, a sound came from one end of the third-base dugout — that loud, distinct laugh. It belonged, of course, to Roger Cador. From the look (and sound) of it, he was in his element. The winter weather had given way to a sunny, mild day, and another baseball season neared. What could be better?
“I was very concerned with the way things were going,” a smiling Cador said. “But the weather we have now — oh, it feels like spring. Life is good. It’s a beautiful day. ... Of course, when you get to be my age, everything is beautiful.”
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Privateers, Jaguars Open 2011 Baseball Season This Weekend
BATON ROUGE, La. - The University of New Orleans baseball program will open its 2011 campaign on Friday when it travels to face in-state rival Southern in the first game of a split three-game series at Lee Hines Field.
First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 6 p.m. with the series moving to Maestri Field on Saturday for a 4 p.m. start before turning to Baton Rouge for the series finale at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
There will be no live audio or video over the weekend, with live stats and Twitter updates planned for Saturday's home contest.
UNO posted a 13-39 mark last year and will compete as an NCAA Division I Independent in 2011 as part of the school's intended reclassification to NCAA Division II competition.
The Privateer baseball program previously participated as an NCAA Division I Independent from 1980 through 1987 under coaches Ron Maestri and Tom Schwaner, qualifying for the NCAA tournament on six separate occasions during the eight-year span of time, including a 1984 College World Series appearance, the first by a Division I program in the state of Louisiana.
This year's squad under head coach Bruce Peddie will have a different task laid before them.
With just three scholarship players on the roster, the team will proceed to play a schedule full of Division I opponents and just 11 contests on the Lakefront.
Of the three weekend starters against Southern (25-22 in 2010), just Friday starter Cory Myers (0-2, 10.24 ERA in 2010) has pitched for the Privateers.
Saturday starter Zach Kelt and Sunday starter Robert Ormbsee are making their first appearance for UNO after transferring in from Hinds Community College and LSU-Alexandria, respectively.
Nolan Church is the top returning bat for the Privateers after leading the team with a .328 batting average last year. JUCO transfers Cameron Wheeless at third base and Andrew Garcia in the outfield could also factor in offensively for UNO.
SU has two former Privateer players on the roster in Clint Ourso and Roddarick Jones.
Ourso made 13 appearances as the third-string catcher for the Privateers last season, while Jones who is sitting out this season, was the regular left fielder for UNO in 2009 and 2010.
Jaguars' head coach Roger Cador will send RHP Daniel Garcia to the mound on Friday and LHP Jesse Holiday on Saturday with a starter. Garcia will be making his first appearance since posting a 4-1 record with a 3.08 ERA in 2009 with Holiday going 5-0 with a 4.17 ERA in 2010 with four starts amongst 13 appearances. A Sunday starter has not been named.
Following this weekend's series, UNO will face nationally-ranked LSU on Tuesday at Alex Box Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Morgan State and the Virginia Military Institute will play each other in men's basketball Feb. 19 for the first time as part of ESPN's Bracketbuster weekend.
The Bears (12-10, 8-3 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) are returning to Hill Field House after a two-game road trip in which they beat Bethune-Cookman and South Carolina State. It is Morgan State's third appearance in ESPN Bracketbusters.
The Keydets (15-11, 8-8 Big South) have won three games in a row, most recently topping Liberty, 79-69, at home. VMI has a 7-3 record in nonconference matchups this season -- 1-2 in away games. Morgan State is 4-7 in its nonconference games, with a 2-1 home record.
It had been 25 days since the Kentucky State men’s basketball team last played in the Exum Center, a place where the Thorobreds have lost just once this season. Wednesday’s game against Morehouse College is a perfect example why.
Despite having senior starters Tony Johnson and Alex Somerville tied up with fouls for much of the first half, K-State stuck with Morehouse, wearing the Maroon Tigers down in the final three minutes of the game to earn an 82-75 win.
All 10 of KSU’s available players played in the game, and all 10 Thorobreds got on the board, including a game-high 18 points from sophomore Patrick Dawson. “We’re a team that does it by committee,” KSU coach Clarence Moore said. “A lot of guys need to do a lot of things for this team to win. Obviously they did that tonight.
ATLANTA, Ga. - The Georgia State baseball team kicks off its much anticipated 2011 season with a three-game series against Southwestern Athletic Conference contender Texas Southern, beginning Friday at 4 p.m. at the Field at Panthersville. Game two with the Tigers will be Saturday at 1 p.m. The series wraps up Sunday with game three, also at 1 p.m.
Junior Justin Malone, GSU's career winning percentage leader, will get the start in Friday's season opener for the Panthers.
Georgia State returns seven players from last year's starting lineup that led the nation in runs per game at 10.5. In all, 22 letter winners are back from the 2010 squad that shattered ten school season records including batting average (.356), hits (751) and home runs (82).
Georgia State has been picked to finish second in the Colonial Athletic Association this season...
Fri., Feb. 18 Jackson State vs. Florida A&M - 12 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 18 University Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. FAMU - 3 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 18 JSU vs. UAPB 6 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 19 FAMU vs. Prairie View A&M - 12 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 19 UAPB vs. FAMU - 3 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 19 JSU vs. PVAM - 6 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 20 JSU vs. PVAM - 12 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 20 UAPB vs. PVAM - 3 p.m.
Jackson State, under the direction of fifth-year head coach Omar Johnson, will open its 2011 season with its annual JSU Tournament from Friday, Feb. 18-20 at Robert "Bob" Braddy Field.
On Friday the Tigers will play FAMU at noon, followed by a nightcap against the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 6 p.m. On Saturday, the Tigers will face Prairie View A&M at 6 p.m., followed by a single-game on Sunday to close the weekend at noon against a second game against Prairie View A&M.
During the wee hours of Thursday morning, sleep finally began to settle in for David Duncan. The thought of being the pitcher who would start the Brett Richardson era at Florida A&M kept Duncan awake several hours past his normal bedtime. He will be making his first start 23 months after he suffered an injury to his pitching arm that required Tommy John surgery.
"I'm trying to stay cool about it but last night I was just thinking about it for hours," Duncan said. "I probably stayed up until about 2. "It's just exciting. I can't wait and I'm ready to go out there and give it all I've got."
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama baseball team (0-0, 0-0 SEC) opens the 2011 season with the Tide playing host to the Alcorn State Braves (0-0, 0-0 SWAC) in a three-game weekend series. The two teams will break in a new year at The Joe on Friday at 6:05 p.m. Game two is slated to begin at 2:05 p.m. on Saturday with Sunday's first pitch scheduled for 1:05 p.m.
SATURDAY IS DOUBLE DAY AT ALABAMA
On Saturday, Alabama fans can enjoy two Crimson Tide games for the price of one. The baseball team will host Alcorn State at 2 p.m., followed by a 6 p.m. game between Alabama and Arkansas in men's basketball. Fans can use their men's basketball ticket to gain admittance into both the baseball and basketball games.
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Alcorn State is coming off a season that saw the Braves post a 27-28 overall record and finish fifth in the Southwest Athletic Conference (SWAC) with a 15-8 record. ASU returns 20 letter winners, including 14 position players (six starters) and six pitchers (two starters). Alcorn State's season came to an end when they lost 15-2 to Grambling in the championship game of the SWAC Tournament.
Rodney Warren returns for his senior season after leading the Braves with a .392 average a year ago. As a junior, Warren had 69 hits in 176 at-bats, with 15 doubles, six home runs and 47 runs batted in. The Braves return the heart of their lineup, as Eduardo Gonzalez and Kilby Perdomo also return. Gonzalez led the 2010 team with 78 hits and tied Perdomo for the team lead with 54 RBI. Gonzalez posted a .353 average, 16 doubles, a team-best four triples and six dingers. Perdomo was the team's leader in home runs with 10 and runs scored with 61 and finished third on the team with a .348 average.
Other returners, Cole Vicars and Kenneth Rowan hit .317 and .313, respectively, last season. The top returning pitcher for ASU is Steve Easter. The junior posted a 7-4 overall record as a sophomore, which included six complete game performances. He led the team with 81 strikeouts, while his 99.2 innings pitched ranked second most and his 4.96 ERA was third best on the team. Cederic Pomerlee made 15 appearances with 13 starts as a junior and finished the season with a 5-7 record and a 5.45 ERA. Pomerlee had 79 strikeouts in 76.0 innings pitched.
CollegeBaseballInsider.com recently released its 2011 Players to Watch in the MEAC List, and the North Carolina A&T baseball team was well represented.
The Aggies start the 2011 season Friday afternoon at 1 against Campbell University from War Memorial Stadium. The program is coming off of one of its best seasons ever. N.C. A&T (31-26, 15-3) won 30-plus games for the first time in school history, and set a school record for conference wins. In the process, head coach Keith Shumate advanced the Aggies to their fourth MEAC Championship Game in six years.
Baseball insiders are recognizing the outstanding job Shumate is doing with the Aggies program. CollegeBaseballInsider.com named him the best "in-game" coach in the MEAC. Other Aggies receiving top honors included junior second-baseman Marquis Riley. He was recognized as the toughest hitter in the conference to strikeout. Riley struck out only five times last season, second fewest in the nation.
Junior outfielder Xavier Macklin, who has mostly played in left field during his career, was voted as the best defensive outfielder in the league. The acknowledgement shows that he is an all-around outstanding player. Macklin was voted as one of the three best pure hitters in the conference as well as being named as one of the three best power threats.
Junior Esterlin Paulino closed out the honors for N.C. A&T. He was voted as one of the three best starting pitchers. Paulino was the 2010 MEAC Pitcher of the Year after posting a 9-2 record and a league-best 3.38 ERA.
The Aggies are picked to finish second in the MEAC behind perennial champion Bethune-Cookman. Riley, Macklin and Paulino made the MEAC's preseason all-conference team. Paulino was predicted to win MEAC Pitcher of the Year. The Aggies also return leading hitter and 2010 MEAC Rookie of the Year Kelvin Freeman.
By Courtesy: NC A&T Sports Information Release: 02/17/2011
Dover, Del. - It's time to "play ball" at Delaware State University, as a new baseball season gets underway this weekend.
The Hornets will open the 2011 campaign tomorrow (Feb. 18) with a three-game series against the nationally ranked Arkansas Razorbacks at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. The series begins with a 4:05 p.m. (ET) contest on Friday. The first pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Delaware State returns 15 letter winners, including seven players who started at least 30 games, from its 2010 squad. The Hornets were 13-36 overall and 8-10 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) last season.
Arkansas is ranked 24th in two major preseason polls after posting a 43-21 overall record in 2010.
The Morehouse football program, under coach Rich Freeman, continues to build a higher Division II profile. After offensive tackle Ramon Harewood was selected in last year's NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens, the Maroon Tigers made the first playoff appearance in school history.
The pros have shown interest in at least five more Maroon Tigers, who are considered late-round draft picks or possible free agents, and 11 teams have been in contact with defensive tackle Derrin "The Freight Train" Nettles, the SIAC defensive player of the year.
"I hadn't heard a whole lot lately," Freeman said. "We spoke with someone from the Saints earlier. They were real high on him. I really think that Nettles, if he doesn't get drafted, he'll get into somebody's camp. We are talking about kid who bench-presses 500 pounds."
NORFOLK, VA – The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) will host its Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships, Thursday-Saturday, February 17-19, at the Prince George Sports Complex in Landover, Md.
The competition on February 17 at 1 p.m. with the women's weight throw followed by the men's weight throw at 2:30 p.m.
The championships will continue on Friday with the men's heptathlon and women's shot put competition at 9 a.m. Other field events on Friday's slate include the men's and women's long jump, the men's pole vault final, and the women's high jump. The afternoon continues with the men's and women's 800m run, 60m hurdles, 60m dash, 200m dash, and 400m dash. The men's and women's distance medley relay will round out the day's events.
The Southern University football team has long played in the Bayou Classic, matching up with rival Grambling every year. Now, the Jaguars will head east to play in the Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic.
100 Black Men of Atlanta announced Wednesday that Southern and Florida A&M will square off Sept. 24 in the annual game.
First played in 1989, the Atlanta Football Classic matches Historically Black Colleges & Universities in the Georgia Dome. Southern and Florida A&M have both played in the game, but it’s the first time they will face each other in it. The halftime show features a battle of the bands.
Organizers of the Atlanta Classic ensured the revival of one of the oldest rivalries in college football Wednesday afternoon when they officially announced Southern University as Florida A&M's opponent in the September game.
The games between the two programs go back to the years when Ace Mumford coached at Southern and Jake Gaither at FAMU. When the Jaguars and Rattlers meet on Sept. 24 it will be their first since 2008.
Both teams signed a four-year deal in 2007, but had been able to keep the agreement because of conflicting commitment to their conferences. The 100 Black Men of Atlanta have signed both teams to a two-year deal to play in the annual Classic
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Junior Rotnei Clarke and sophomore Marshawn Powell led the University of Arkansas men's basketball team with 14 points each to a convincing, 94-55, victory over the Florida A&M Rattlers at Bud Walton Arena on Wednesday night.
The Razorbacks improve to 16-9 on the year while Florida A&M falls to 11-15. The Hogs end their non-conference schedule 10-0 at Bud Walton Arena this season.
"I am certainly happy to close out our non-conference schedule that way," Arkansas head coach John Pelphrey said. "Florida A&M had won four straight games and was playing their best basketball of the season. I thought that our defense played well in the first half and that the team was unselfish across the board. It was nice to be able to play everybody."
HOUSTON – The former head baseball coach at TSU, Candy Robinson, has passed away after a long battle with cancer, the university said Wednesday.
Robinson was 70 years old.
"Coach Robinson has been an integral part of the athletics department for more than two decades, and his contributions will always be remembered," said Texas Southern Athletics Director Charles McClelland. "Candy’s loss to the TSU athletics family will be one that cannot be replaced."
Former Texas Southern baseball coach Candy Robinson died Tuesday morning after a lengthy battle with cancer.
Robinson, the longest-serving coach in program history, retired from coaching in 2008 after leading the Tigers for 19 years, later becoming the director of baseball operations. He was 332-571-2 during his tenure at TSU, coaching the program to its only Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament titles and NCAA appearances in 2004 and 2008.
Atlanta, GA — The 78th annual SIAC Basketball Tournament will return to Atlanta, Georgia, Monday, February 28th through Saturday, March 5th in the Atlanta University Center.
The first two rounds of men’s and women’s action will take place March 2nd and 3rd at Clark Atlanta University’s L.S. Epps Gymnasium and Morehouse College’s Frank L. Forbes Arena. All games will then move to Forbes Arena on March 4th and 5th for the semifinal round and championship games.
This year’s tournament will also feature the SIAC college fair on February 28th from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. as well as the SIAC cheerleading & dance competition on March 1st at 7 p.m. Both events are open to the public.
Last year’s tournament and events drew nearly 11,000 patrons throughout the week.
2011 SIAC Basketball Tournament Schedule of Events:
Monday, February 28th, 2011
SIAC Basketball Tournament College Fair
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: Clark Atlanta University Student Center
Note: Live remote by V-103
Contact: Tina Jones, 404-221-1041, Email: tjones@thesiac.com
Tuesday, March 1st, 2011
SIAC Cheerleading & Dance Competition
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: L.S. Epps Gymnasium at Clark Atlanta University
Note: Doors open at 6:00 p.m., Tickets on sale at the door (Admission is $3)
Contact: Tina Jones, 404-221-1041, Email: tjones@thesiac.com
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011
Opening Round of the 2011 SIAC Basketball Tournament
Time: *12 p.m., **2 p.m., **4 p.m., **6 p.m., and **8 p.m.
Locations: Frank L Forbes Arena at Morehouse College & L.S. Epps Gymnasium at Clark Atlanta University
Note:*There is only one game in this time slot which takes place at Forbes Arena, **There are two games in this time slot
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
Quarterfinal Round of the 2011 SIAC Basketball Tournament
Time: **2 p.m., **4 p.m., **6 p.m., and **8 p.m.
Locations: Frank L Forbes Arena at Morehouse College & L.S. Epps Gymnasium at Clark Atlanta University
Note: **There are two games in this time slot
Friday, March 4th, 2011
Semifinal Round of the 2011 SIAC Basketball Tournament
Time: 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m., and 8 p.m.
Location: Frank L Forbes Arena at Morehouse College
Note: 2-hour remote with Greg Street & V-103
Saturday, March 5th, 2011
Championship Saturday
Time: 5 p.m. (Women’s) & 8 p.m. (Men’s)
Location: Frank L Forbes Arena at Morehouse College
Note: V-103’s Greg Street will broadcast live from 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Ticket Info: General Admission: $15, Student Admission: $10, Advance General Admission tickets on sale at http://www.thesiactickets.com/.
Elizabeth City State’s baseball team has been practicing under some difficult conditions. That is why last weekend’s season-opening three-game road swing, which produced three wins, came as a bit of a surprise to coach Terrance Whittle
The Vikings won twice at Morehouse in Atlanta on Saturday, 8-1 and 13-6, then followed that with a 10-7 win over Paine in Augusta, despite having only had three outdoor practices and not facing live pitching because of rain and winter weather.
AUGUSTA, GA-The Elizabeth City State University baseball team will return home with a perfect record intact as they downed Paine College 10-7 Sunday afternoon.
Pitcher Kerich Randolph pitched 7 innings striking out nine against on one hit.
Offensively the Vikings stayed hot with four different players going 2-4 on the afternoon. Tony Wiggins and Clifton Taylor both tallied two singles each while Phillip Dodson finished with a double and a single. Kyle Meads, who hit a three-run homer in the Vikings' opener against Morehouse, hit a triple and a double on the afternoon
ATLANTA, GA- Elizabeth City State University Vikings completed a doubleheader sweep of Morehouse College downing the Maroon Tigers 13-6 in game two on Saturday afternoon.
Weston Dodson collected his three RBI on a three run homer while Hasten Simmons and Khatim Butler both added 2 RBI apiece in the seven run victory. Freshman Cameron Cecil, who was relieved by Hertford, NC native Brad Miller, pitched four shut-out inning in his first appearance.
TUSCALOOSA, AL | Currently at the top of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the Stillman College men’s basketball team proved why when it took on the Claflin University Panthers on Monday. The Tigers beat the Panthers on Senior Night, 62-55.
“We really played together as a team tonight,” Stillman coach Michael Grant said. “We did a pretty good job of taking care of the basketball, we just really took our time and then we hit our open shots. Any time you can get hit your open shots and hit your free throws, you have a shot and that’s what we did tonight.”
After a slow start where both teams remained scoreless for the first five minutes, Claflin scored first with a basket by senior center Efe Uwadiae. Stillman (17-5, 15-4 in SIAC) answered back a just 35 seconds later on a field goal by Tiger senior guard Rakee Anderson.
GREENSBORO, N.C. — With its 74-63 victory over first-place Hampton on Monday night, N.C. A&T took an important first step toward climbing the MEAC ladder.
Playing in their fourth straight game without guard Nic Simpson, the Aggies (12-14, 7-5) weathered 27 points from Kwame Morgan to pull away from the Pirates (19-6, 9-3) in the final minutes in the Corbett Sports Center.
Simpson, who likely will be sidelined until the final week of the season with a knee injury, is A&T's second-leading scorer at 14.6 points per game. "This team has really stepped up. They really have. It just doesn't show all the time," A&T coach Jerry Eaves said. "To have lost Nic, the team has made a decision they can win."
GREENSBORO, N.C. - There were times on Monday when it looked like North Carolina A&T's streak would end without much of a fight.
That is until the Aggies started to fight. They took conference-leader Hampton's best shots, and kept getting off the canvas. But missed opportunities on the offensive end, and made Hampton free throws finally finished off the Aggies in a 74-66 loss to the Pirates.
The loss brought to an end one of the most impressive streaks in MEAC history. The Aggies went four years without losing to a conference opponent at home. The winning streak lasted 30 games. It lasted so long; no current player on the roster was an Aggie when the streak began.
"A streak like that says you have had one of the better programs for a long time," said N.C. A&T head Patricia Cage-Bibbs.
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NEXT GAME: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19 @ SOUTH CAROLINA STATE, 2 P.M., ORANGEBURG, S.C.
There was a bit of a celebration in the locker room of the Florida A&M women's basketball team at the Lawson Center. And, it had nothing to do with the fact that the Rattlers are now in sole possession of third place in the MEAC.
The postgame merriment Monday night was spurred by the Rattlers reaching a team goal for the first time in a conference game when they defeated Delaware State University 68-46. The 46 points allowed was the cause for celebration.
Holding conference opponents to 55 or fewer points is one of the team's goals set by coach LeDawn Gibson, but FAMU has not been able to do so against a conference opponent until Monday night.
Simply put — there is no place like home for the Florida A&M men's basketball team.
Amin Stevens scored 16 points and the Rattlers fought off a late surge from Delaware State University for a 69-63 victory to complete a four-game home stretch without a loss at the Lawson Center. The Rattlers improved to 10-1 at home and extended their consecutive win streak to seven on their home floor.
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NEXT GAME: FEBRUARY 19, 2:00 P.M. @ HOWARD UNIVERSITY, WASHINGTON, D.C.
NORFOLK, VA – Saadia Doyle led all scorers with a career-high of 38 points en-route to a 66-49 rout over Norfolk State (8-14, 1-11) on Mon. Feb. 14. Doyle also pulled down a game-best 10 off the glass and went 17-for-20 from the charity stripe. The sophomore is now 47 points away from 1,000. With the win, the Lady Bison improve to 7-5 in conference play.
HU (11-15, 7-5 MEAC) started the game with seven unanswered points – capped by an Adele Walton three-pointer. The Lady Bison pushed the advantage to double-digits, 13-2, with a pair from the line by Doyle at the 13:10 mark. Howard kept its double-digit lead throughout the half and went into intermission with a comfortable 21-point cushion, 33-12.
In the first 20 minutes, Howard held the Spartans to just 20 percent shooting (5-for-24) while going 12-for-22 from the field for a 54 percent clip.
In the second period, the Spartans rattled off nine straight to make it 35-22 at the 14:25 mark. The Lady Bison ended the run with a jumper by Holmes. Howard led by as many as 18 (51-33) midway through the half, but Norfolk used a 10-4 run to cut it to 55-43 at the 7:25 mark. The Spartans would not get any closer, however.
For the game, the Lady Bison shot 43.5 from the field (20-for-46) and converted 22 Spartan turnovers into 29 points. Prior to today’s matchup, Norfolk lead the meac in field-goal percentage, shooting 40 percent on the season. However, The Lady Bison held the Spartans to 28.8 percent from the floor. Howard also edged NSU on the glass 37-33 – including 27 defensive rebounds.
Tamoria Holmes was the only other HU player to finish in double-digits with 11 points and five rebounds. Kara Smith chipped in with seven points, four boards, and four assists.
For Norfolk State, Sarah Daily was the only player to finish in double figures with 10 points. Whitney Long tallied nine nine points behind 3-of-6 shooting from behind the arc.
Howard is back in action on Sat. Feb. 19 when it hosts Florida A&M for its annual Pink Zone initiative. The game is slated for 2 p.m.
By Jamilah Corbitt, Assistant Director of Sports Information Howard University
Coach Steve Davenport may be a newcomer on the scene, but he is determined to make Savannah State University's football team the team to watch in 2011.
The married Atlanta native and father of one, has always had a love of sports dating back to his days as a All-American wide receiver at Southwest Dekalb High School and a wide receiver for Georgia Tech.
"I was a little league baseball player and never played football until I got into high school and I've always been a sports guy," Davenport said.
The new head coach started off 2011 by hiring former Georgia Tech football players William Bell, Thomas Balkcom, C. Angelo Wyatt, Greg Lester and former All-Pro wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons, Terance Mathis, as his new assistant coaches.
"I have the up most confidence in the gentlemen I hired and have known them for quite some time," Davenport said.
In addition to the five assistant coaches, Davenport has landed 24 recruits from various parts of the country. Davenport is confident the new recruits will be the boost that SSU needs.
" I think these guys are good football players and good students as well," Davenport said." I think they will be a tremendous asset to the SSU community."
Hampton, VA - The Winston-Salem State Lady Rams claimed their first Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association indoor track & field championship Sunday after a specatular two-day effort at the meet. The Lady Rams finished the meet with a team total of 99 points, topping second-place Johnson C. Smith's 95 total points. It was the strong performances in the middle distance and relay events that propelled the team to its first indoor track & field championship in school history.
"We knew what we had in our athletes and believed in them and this weekend, they performed," WSSU interim head track & field coach Inez Turner said. "We used a great strategy and everybody stepped up."
The Lady Rams played to their strengths as the team dominated middle distance and field events at the meet. After winning the women's distance medley relay on the first day of the meet, the Lady Rams kept things going on the second day, taking four of the top five spots in the women's 800m run. Freshman Brittney Killebrew, the 2010 CIAA Women's Cross Country champion, took first place in the women's 800m run with a 2:27.44 while sophomore Manuela Rigaud added a strong second-place finish in 2:28.75. Fellow sophomore Tyrah Winfrey took third in the event with a 2:29.06 while senior Ashley Fraser added a fifth place finish at 2:33.19.
HAMPTON, Va. - Saint Augustine's College took its 13th straight men's title, and Winston-Salem State earned its first women's crown Sunday in the 2011 CIAA Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Boo Williams Sportsplex.
Led by men's field MVP Orlando Duffus and men's track MVP Josh Edmonds, the Falcons scored 155 points to run away with the win. Winston-Salem State was second with 80 points and Bowie State was third with 68 points.
The Lady Rams won the women's championship in their first year back in the CIAA after an attempted move to Division I. Their victory snapped Saint Augustine's College's steak of 14 consecutive league titles. Led by women's field MVP Dedricka Thomas, the Lady Rams scored 99 points to nip Johnson C. Smith, which finished second with 95 points. Virginia State placed third with 70 points.
Both Duffus and Edmonds sparked the Falcon men. Duffus won the triple jump, tied for third in the high jump and placed fifth in the long jump. Edmonds won the 200 dash, ran the second leg on the winning 4x400 relay team which included Dahmyir Owens, Jameel Walcott and Antonio Abney, and placed second in the 400 dash for the Falcons.
Thomas of the Lady Rams finished second in the long jump, high jump and triple jump. Shermaine Williams of Johnson C. Smith was named track MVP after winning the 60 hurdles, the 60 dash and the 200 dash.
By Saint Augustine's College Sports Information Office
Last season, Michael Robertson shepherded a young Texas Southern baseball team to the best record in the program's Division I history and the Southwestern Athletic Conference's Western Division title. One year later, Robertson returns a veteran-laden team that is poised to again be a force in the SWAC.
The Tigers lost just two seniors from last season's 30-26 squad that went 18-6 in the SWAC and fell in the semifinals of the conference tournament. They retained all three of their weekend starting pitchers and two stoppers in the bullpen. The roster is stocked with potent hitters.
The ingredients are there for another successful run.
North Carolina native Broadway, served 22 years as a Division I, FBS defensive assistant coach, mostly under Steve Spurrier at Florida and Duke. He also coached at East Carolina and North Carolina. His resume includes: a Division I-A National Championship (1996) at Florida; CIAA Championships (2005, 2006) as head coach at N.C. Central; CIAA Coach of the Year Award (2006); and 2006 AFCA National Coach of the Year (Division II) award.
Not bad for a former defensive lineman, that played his college ball at North Carolina and spent his entire career coaching the defensive line. At Grambling State, Broadway compiled a record of 35-14 and won the SWAC Championship in his second season (2008) as head coach of the Tigers.
Frazier has served as the head football coach at his alma mater, Bowie State University (1999–2003) and at Prairie View A&M University (2004-2010). The former CIAA quarterback was able to lead PVAMU to a 43–30 record, including the 2009 SWAC Championship. Coach Frazier was recognized for his total body of work in resurrecting the Panthers program and was honored with the Eddie Robinson Award in 2009. This award is given annually to college football's top head coach in the Division I, Football Championship Subdivision (1-AA). Upon his resignation at Prairie View A&M in December 2010 to take the NCCU job, Frazier was the second winningest coach in Prairie View A&M football history.
Coach Kermit Blount has gained the reputation over the years as a builder of men. Blount has served in his career as an offensive coordinator (1984-89) under College Football Hall of Fame Coach Willie Jefferies at Howard University and South Carolina State University. Blount won a MEAC championship in 1987, before returning to his alma mater, Winston Salem State University, as the head coach (1993).
He won two CIAA championships (1999, 2000) and improved the WSSU players' graduation rate from 42% in 1993 to 80% by 2009.
Both Gary Harrell and Steve Davenport are first time head coaches, but each has assembled a coaching staff that is ready to compete. Let's not forget the success of Bethune-Cookman's Coach Brian Jenkins that lead the Wildcats to a portion of the MEAC Championship and the FCS Playoffs in his first season as a head coach. He too, was a long time assistant Division I, FBS position coach. With Coach Joe Taylor at Florida A&M, the American Football Coaches Association Region 2 and 2010 MEAC Coach of the Year - Brian Jenkins at Bethune Cookman, Oliver "Buddy" Pough at South Carolina State, Donald Hill-Eley at Morgan State, Pete Adrian at Norfolk State, and Donovan Rose at Hampton, the MEAC has the potential to become a powerhouse football conference overnight.
It is no longer a league for under-achieving players and under performing coaches. Expectations are high for great performances not only in the classroom, but on the gridiron and weight rooms as well. The administrations have raised the bar. The fans are demanding more for their financial support of the athletic programs. And athletic directors know their jobs are on the line if they do not deliver a championship product on the field.
Let's not forget parity of the conference this past season which ended in a three-way tie for the championship. Florida A&M ruined Bethune-Cookman's perfect, undefeated season and earned a share of the conference crown with the Wildcats and South Carolina State. The Bulldogs and Wildcats lost in the initial round of the FCS playoffs, with B-CU earning a first round bye.
The 2011 season will be even more exciting with the infusion of proven winners -- Broadway and Frazier--both bringing a championship mentality and wide-open brand of football over from the Southwestern Athletic Conference. We all know how well Grambling State and Prairie View dominated the SWAC competition under the experienced eyes of Broadway and Frazier. Expect more of the same in the MEAC.
What Delaware State lacks this season in pure athletic talent, Coach Blount will make the Hornets competitive right away with a powerful offensive game and tough defense. The only question is how quickly can Savannah State and Howard become competitive with new commitments from their Administrations. We believe they hired the right guys for their situations, but they need time to put the pieces together to build the programs.
Parity is the right word to use in describing the new MEAC, as there will be "no cupcakes" in this conference in a 2-3 years. At least not in football competition.
So get ready to move over Colonial Athletic, Southern, and Ohio Valley conferences as its a new day in the Football Championship Subdivision.
High Quality Players returning to HBCUs
If you don't believe me, check out the outstanding haul of three and four-star players that signed National Letters of Intent with MEAC institutions. Who would have thought that Bethune-Cookman would ink 2010 Florida Mr. Football, record-setting quarterback Quentin Williams. Williams led Tampa Jefferson (15-0) to the 3A state championship and rewrote the Florida passing record lists, with new standards for yards in a season (4,451) and career (10,384) and TDs in a season (56) and career (109).
Florida A&M may have the second best class overall, signing 24 of 25 players on their draft board, including quarterback Tyler Bass, a transfer from Memphis, Casey Turner, a star running back transfer from Rutgers and a bunch of stud linemen to build depth on both lines. Coach Taylor describes the class as his best ever, since taking over the Rattlers program. Don't expect the Rattlers to not make the FCS playoffs in 2011, as Taylor has a stable of smart and athletically sound players returning.
S.C. State as always, snatched the best skill players in the state and is loaded with redshirt talent from last year's signing class. The Bulldogs will be in contention again for the conference championship and a playoff berth, if they can survive a September schedule with road stops at Central Michigan, Bethune-Cookman and Indiana University (Bloomington) before their home opener with Delaware State.
Coach Pough also has a difficult month of October, with Norfolk State on the road and NCCU coming in for an early homecoming. Georgia State is next at home for the Bulldogs and you may not want to call the Panthers a "cupcake," who went 6-5 in its first season, knocking off both SSU and NCCU at the Georgia Dome.
MEAC improving in Attendance
The FAMU brand is also at the top in Football Championship Subdivision in 2010 home attendance. The Rattlers were ranked #11 out of 117 FCS (#2 in HBCUs) programs in home attendance with 15,913 average for four home games.
This was better than Division I, FBS program attendance at Eastern Michigan 15,885, Miami (OH) 15,559, Ball State 8,947, Bowling Green 13,306, Buffalo 12,981, Akron 10,105, Florida Atlantic 14,425, Idaho 12,730, New Mexico State 15,906, San Jose State 14,474, Western Kentucky 14,577 and Western Michigan 14,255.
South Carolina State was ranked #13 out of 117 FCS programs (#3 in HBCUs) with a 14,862 average for five home contests. This was better than nine of the twelve Division I FBS programs listed above.
The Rattlers and Bethune-Cookman attracted 61,712 to their annual neutral site Florida Classic battle at the Orlando Citrus Bowl with a national television audience watching. The same was repeated with the Atlanta Football Classic, FAMU vs. Tennessee State with 52,202 in attendance. The game was televised live by Versus nationally.
Let us share with you another positive fact about the MEAC.
The NCAA data does not include neutral site games into the average per home game computations. In other words, the MEAC's best attended games--the Florida Classic and the Atlanta Football Classic are not included in the average attendance numbers. If it was included in the data for 2010, FAMU average attendance would be 29,594 or 4,000 fans per game average better than FCS #1, Appalachian State.
And Jackson State's Southwestern Athletic Conference leading average would be 27,564, not 24,140 as indicated in the report.
So, what does that tell you?
The MEAC did better in attendance in 2010 than some Sun-Belt, Western Athletic and Mid-American conference teams playing on the Division I, FBS level.
With the World-renowned Florida A&M University Marching 100, the Rattlers helped University of Miami set its third highest attendance record at Sun Life Stadium with 53,674 in 2010. Expect more of the same when the Rattlers visit University of South Florida on September 17, 2011. The last FAMU game in 2005 drew an announced crowd of 43,122, then the second-largest crowd ever to see the USF Bulls at Raymond James Stadium.
MEAC programs like the FAMU brand is returning to its former glory with top student-athletes selecting the Rattlers and the MEAC over FBC programs. No doubt, Florida A&M and other conference programs have a better academic reputation and a very long history of placing great players into the NFL.
For some parents, the MEAC institutions offers an opportunity for guaranteed success both in the classroom and in the field of completion. More importantly, most student-athletes are walking away in 4-5 years having earned their undergraduate degrees and ready to take on the challenges of life.
With the MEAC experimenting with video replay for ESPN televised games next season, the conference front office has really gotten serious about the quality of its football. Now that everyone is on the same page, it will be interesting to see how the out-of conference schedule plays out.
Out-of-conference schedules stronger
Viewing the few schedules that have been released so far, 2011 should be a bumper year in attendance and support for the MEAC with high quality opponents filling out the schedules. Here's a quick look of the 2011 MEAC out-of conference games:
BCU vs. Miami, Oct. 1 BCU vs. Fort Valley State, Oct. 15 FAMU vs. Fort Valley State, Sept. 3 FAMU vs. South Florida, Sept. 17 FAMU vs. Southern, Sept. 24 SCSU vs. Central Michigan, Sept. 1 SCSU vs. Indiana, Sept. 17 SCSU vs. Georgia State, Oct. 15 SSU vs. Albany State, Sept. 3 SSU vs. Southeastern Louisiana, Sept. 10 SSU vs. Appalachian State, Sept. 17 NCAT vs. Appalachian State, Sept. 10 NCCU vs. Rutgers, Sept. 1 NCCU vs. Central State, Sept. 10 NCCU vs. Elon, Sept. 17 NSU vs. VSU, Sept. 3 NSU vs. West Virginia, Sept. 10 NSU vs. Charles Southern, Sept. 14
Hampton vs. AAMU, Sept.3
We are always reminded that the reason most women come to the games are for the half-time shows. With new members Savannah State and North Carolina Central, expect major improvements in their marching band programs along with their quick growth in football competition. The SSU Tigers have a tremendous upside, and having a head coach that coached and recruited in Atlanta and the backwoods of Georgia is a major plus. The former Georgia state high school coach of the year recruited the region as a position coach at the University of Alabama-Birmingham and played his college ball at Georgia Tech.
Georgia Avenue in Washington, D.C. may never be the same again, with new Bison athletic director Louis "Skip" Perkins and Gary "the Flea" Harrell on board. Perkins is a local product from Fort Washington, Maryland (Prince George's County) and is very familiar with the local football landscape at the high school level. He comes to Howard from the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, where he had much success as the athletic director over the Golden Lions program.
Harrell is a Miami native that would love to get some of that Florida speed on the Bison team. With Ted White on board as the Bison offensive coordinator, there is no doubt that the 2011 Bison will be the most improved team in the MEAC.
You would think that Morgan State would recruit those strong musicians that plays in the Coppin State pep band, to give it more brass horsepower. But that's another story for another day. As you can see below, most of the MEAC bands are improving--NCCU, SCSU, NSU and B-CU are becoming world-class music organizations, like their teacher -- the Florida A&M University Marching 100.
Who said competition wasn't good for the MEAC? Iron does sharpen iron!
by beepbeep 2/13/11
Credits:
1. North Carolina A&T State University Blue and Gold Marching Machine & Golden Delight Dancers, Videographer: SpeechlessQue; 11/13/2010.
2. Savannah State University Coastal Empire Sound Explosion Marching Band & The Klassy Kitties Dancers, Videographer: TheOProductions1907
3. Howard University ShowTime Marching Band & Oh La La Dancers, Videographer: HUReaction
4. Bethune-Cookman University Marching Wildcats & 14 Karat Gold Dancers, Videographer: MarchingsportHD
5. Delaware State University Marching Band 'The Approaching Storm and D'Elegance Dancers' Videographer:8to5pros
6. Norfolk State University Spartan Legion Marching Band and Hot Ice Dancers, Videographer: freezezone1
7. Morgan State University "Magnificent Marching Machine & Foxy Dancers" Videographer: pvimaging
8. South Carolina State University Marching 101 Band & Champagne Dancers, Pt.1&2, Videographer: Biranandrew
9. Hampton University Marching Force Band and Ebony Fire, Videographer:JayHowEdu
10. North Carolina Central University Marching Sound Machine Band & The Exquisite Ladies of the eClipse; Part 1&2, Videographer: Music213
11. Coppin State University Eagle Band, Pt. 1&2, Videographer: Anakoni2012
12. Florida A&M University Marching 100, Videographer: ThePoopFly
13. Florida A&M University Marching 100, Videographer: sonyadenise1974
