Friday, October 28, 2011

Ram Ramblings: Basketball in October, say it ain't so

Winston Salem, North Carolina -- It’s hard to believe that in the middle of football season I went to go see a basketball game tonight at the Gaines Center. But that’s the nature of college athletics these days with plenty of over lapping. The reason I went to the Gaines Center was to see the new-look WSSU men’s team.

The men played in a Red-White scrimmage which will be their only tune-up before the opener on Nov. 13 at home against Talladega College.

I don’t know what I expected to see but my first impression is the Rams are a lot smaller than in years past. Last season they had four players who were 6-8 or taller and that included the 6-9 Paul Davis and the 6-10 Corey Morris.

The experienced Rams of last season went 19-8 and won the Southern Division but lost in their first round of the CIAA Tournament and the first round of the NCAA playoffs is a distant memory.

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For seniors on NSU Spartans, it's do or die

NORFOLK, Virginia -- All Norfolk State had to do to win a championship in 2007 was win its final MEAC game. Despite needing to win their final three games this season, the Spartans feel even closer to their first MEAC title this time around.

The Spartans should be favored in all three and face championship expectations for the first time since the program moved to the FCS level in 1997. "This has to be it," senior linebacker Corwin Hammond said. "It has to be the year."



In 2007, the Spartans went on the road to play Delaware State in a winner-take-all conference game. The Spartans surprised Delaware State, then ranked No. 10 in the country, by taking a lead before blowing the game in the fourth quarter.

This time, North Carolina A&T is the toughest team on NSU's schedule, but the Spartans have home-field advantage. Afterward come road contests with MEAC creampuff Savannah State and Morgan State, which has a 3-1 MEAC record against suspect competition.

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Thursday, October 27, 2011

Final Eight HBCU Bands Chosen for 10th Annual Honda Battle of the Bands

TORRANCE, California -- The nation’s marching band fans have spoken, and have chosen eight marching bands at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) for the 2012 Honda Battle of the Bands. Now marking 10 years of celebrating the heritage, showmanship and scholarship of HBCU bands, the Honda Battle of the Bands will bring “The Homecoming” to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta for the Invitational Showcase, Saturday, January 28, 2012.



Following are the HBCU marching bands that will earn a $20,000 grant for their music education programs and an all-expenses-paid bus trip to the 2012 Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase:

Albany State University “Marching Rams Show Band” (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
Bethune Cookman University “Marching Wildcats” (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)
Jackson State University “Sonic Boom of the South” (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
Prairie View A&M University “Marching Storm” (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
South Carolina State University “Marching 101” (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)
Tennessee State University “Aristocrat of Bands” (Independent)
Virginia State University “Marching Trojan Explosion” (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association)
Winston-Salem State University “Red Sea of Sound” (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association)



For the eight winning bands, the journey to the Invitational Showcase involved months of practice and training, all in preparation for their Georgia Dome performances, where each band will have 12 dazzling minutes to showcase the musical excellence, distinctive style and superior showmanship that earned them a place in the 2012 Invitational Showcase. The Showcase bands are chosen via online voting, with votes by fans, students and alumni accounting for one-third of the selection criteria, and band directors and school presidents accounting for the balance of the selection process.

This year’s event theme, “The Homecoming,” reflects on the 10th anniversary of the Honda Battle of the Bands and calls for all HBCU marching band alumni, current HBCU students and the many fans of the event to meet in Atlanta for this special anniversary showcase event. The homecoming theme also highlights the importance of marching band culture to black college homecoming celebrations.



“We are excited to be celebrating 10 years of the Honda Battle of the Bands as we continue to support the music education programs of our nation’s HBCUs,” said Marc Burt, senior manager, Office of Inclusion and Diversity for American Honda. “We hope that Black college marching band fans and alumni will attend this year’s Invitational Showcase as we anticipate a great community turnout and even greater performances by the top eight HBCU marching bands.”

The Honda Battle of the Bands website is the sole online destination and clearing house for all HBOB information, updates, polling status, photos and video footage, and is a one-stop resource for all questions about the program. Fans are encouraged to also follow Honda Battle of the Bands on Twitter (@the_honda) and to become a fan of the Facebook page (Honda Battle of the Bands) where they can share memories, photos and engage in trivia, and get updates on the 2012 program. For more information about the Honda Battle of the Bands, please visit www.HondaBattleoftheBands.com.

Best foot forward: Dedicated FVSU's King takes his spot among the top punters in Division II

FORT VALLEY, Georgia -- The scene would have made for a unique picture. Stadium lights still on, family and friends mingling as players emerged from the locker room, the stadium all but empty except for workers. And there was the shot: a punter and his ball.

The punter was Marquette King, a lone figure on the football field, except for a bag of footballs. The game was over, but King’s work – no matter how well he had done his job earlier – wasn’t. There would be King, while teammates dispersed, punting into the night air. That scene has played itself out with regularity since King went from Rutland to Fort Valley State, after some games and after scores of practices.


FVSU Punter Marquette King punts a 76 yard punt against Clark Atlanta.

“He’s definitely one of the most obsessive guys I’ve had,” said Haskel Buff, Fort Valley State’s special teams coach and defensive coordinator. “He takes an unbelievable amount of pride in his job and doing it well.” It’s paying off.

King is fifth nationally in Division II with a 43.8-yard punting average, which leads the SIAC. That figure would rank 26th among all Division I punters.



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SIAC West on line when Stillman meets rival Miles

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama | Trying to bounce back from its worst loss of the season, the Stillman College football team remains in contention for a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference division title.

“If I win, I win the West,” said Teddy Keaton, Stillman's first-year head coach. “If Miles wins, they win the West. This game is bigger than it's ever been. It's the first time that both of these schools have got a chance to play for the SIAC championship. That's huge for both programs. They're both under new leadership. I have great respect for coach (Reginald) Ruffin and the job he's done with his team up there. It's going to be a battle. They have some weapons. They've been playing really good football over the course of the last three or four weeks.

"We've got a lot of kids on our team from Birmingham. They have a lot of kids on their team from Tuscaloosa. So there's a lot of rivalry, a lot of bragging rights that goes into it.”


Last Week: Stillman Tigers took an ole fashion beatdown at FVSU Homecoming.

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Transit authority: Johnson C. Smith basketball adding speed for up tempo attack

Charlotte, North Carolina -- Expect fewer one-man fast breaks from Johnson C. Smith basketball this season. The Golden Bulls were pedestrian last season despite having All-America guard Trevin Parks as one of Division II’s best transition players. The goal this year is to get everyone up to play at a quicker pace.

“This team right now is built around him,” JCSU coach Steve Joyner said. “He had to carry us a number of occasions last year and he has that type of ability, but we’re hoping some of the other young players, especially those freshmen who’ve turned into sophomores, will be able to take more of a leadership role in terms of what we need to do offensively, defensively, rebounding – the whole nine yards.”

“We are a transition team that’s going to get out on the break, but we’re disciplined to the point that if we have to slow the game down and manage the clock we can do that,” said Parks, who averaged 21.3 points and 4.4 assists per game last season en route to earning the CIAA player of the year award. “As a point guard, it starts with me managing the clock and I think I’ll do a good job putting everybody in their correct spot on the court and milking the clock if we have to slow it down.”



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WSSU Notebook: Team returns to full strength for Shaw

Winston Salem, North Carolina -- Winston-Salem State will be at full strength for the first time in weeks when it plays Shaw on Saturday at Bowman Gray Stadium.

Several players who have been held out of recent games with injuries will be available, coach Connell Maynor said. Included in that group are wide receivers Jamal Williams and Patrick Terry, defensive lineman Barry Tripp and linebacker Khendra Reid.

“We are pretty healthy, and I don’t think we’ll have to hold anybody out…,” Maynor said. “We’ve got guys with bumps and bruises, but that’s expected at this point in the season.”

Maynor said that trainers Rob Woodall and Ian Mushinski have done excellent work keeping the Rams healthy.

“They both know that we want guys back to near 100 percent because we’ve got enough depth,” Maynor said. “And the players understand we want them healthy, because it’s a long season.”

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Rams can't afford to overlook Bears

Winston-Salem State, coming off lopsided wins against Livingstone and Edward Waters, will try to remain unbeaten Saturday when it plays Shaw, last season's CIAA champion. The ninth-ranked Rams (8-0) have been steamrolling CIAA opponents and already have clinched a berth in the CIAA championship game, but Saturday's home game is important for many reasons.

To continue their drive to the Division II playoffs, the Rams must keep winning. Shaw, 2-6 and out of contention, could be viewing this as its championship game this season. Kickoff is set for 1:30 at Bowman Gray Stadium.

"It's going to be four quarters of pure football," coach Connell Maynor of WSSU said. "They are the defending champions, and there is no quit in the Shaw players because they've proven it over the years."

The Bears have won four of the last seven CIAA titles, and Maynor said they're better than their record. "The coaching staff over there didn't just wake up and forget how to coach," Maynor said.

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Texas Southern sets 2012 schedule at new stadium

Houston, Texas -- Texas Southern football will begin play in the new TSU/Dynamo Stadium in 2012 with at least six home games, the SWAC university announced Wednesday.

The 22,000-seat stadium is scheduled to open in May. The Tigers' first home game will be Sept. 15 against Jackson State.

TSU's other SWAC home games will be against Alabama A&M (Sept. 22), Grambling State (Oct. 27), Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Homecoming Day (Nov. 3) and Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 17). The Tigers also will host Sam Houston State from the Southland Conference (Sept. 29).

TSU will open the 2012 season against SWAC rival Prairie View A&M on Sept. 1 in the Labor Day Classic. A site has not been determined, but the TSU/Dynamo Stadium is an option.



View: TSU/Dynamo Stadium LIVE Webcam

TEXAS SOUTHERN 2012 TENTATIVE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME
Sept 1 * @ Prairie View Prairie View, TX (Labor Day Classic) TBA
Sept 8 @North Texas State Denton, TX TBA
Sept 15 *Jackson State TSU/Dynamo Stadium TBA
Sept 22 *Alabama A&M TSU/Dynamo Stadium TBA
Sept 29 * Sam Houston State TSU/Dynamo Stadium TBA
Oct 6 *@ Alabama State Montgomery, AL TBA
Oct 13 *@ Southern Baton Rouge TBA
Oct 20 OPEN
Oct 27 *Grambling TSU/Dynamo Stadium TBA
Nov 3 *Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Homecoming) TSU/Dynamo Stadium TBA
Nov 10 *@ Alcorn Alcorn, MS TBA
Nov 17 *Mississippi Valley TSU/Dynamo Stadium TBA
Nov 24 OPEN
Dec 8 SWAC Championship Game TBA TBA



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This Magic City Classic is the biggest yet

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- There's big, and there's bigger. Then, there's the Magic City Classic.
Particularly the one coming up Saturday afternoon at Birmingham's Legion Field.

"Opportunities like this," Alabama A&M football coach Anthony Jones said earlier this week, "are rare."

Oh, there's the usual pomp surrounding the annual football game/fashion show/band battle - not necessarily in that order, of course - but the circumstance is even more intriguing in this, the 70th edition of the event.



Alabama State is 6-0 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. A&M is 4-1. Alabama State is ranked No. 1 in the latest Sheridan Broadcasting Network poll. A&M is No. 5.

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Men's Basketball Team preview: Florida A&M Rattlers

Tallahassee, Florida -- Clemon Johnson was around during the days when Florida A&M was a perennial powerhouse in the SIAC. As a senior, he helped the Rattlers reach the Division II tournament for the final time in 1978.

Hired as the program's new coach this May, Johnson sees no reason his alma mater cannot recapture the glory days of old.

"We expect to win the conference. There's nothing else," Johnson said. "We're definitely going to reach for the sky. I just want them to have the faith in me coaching them."

Johnson carries quite a basketball resume into his first Division I coaching job. As a player with the Rattlers, he set team records for rebounds in a game (25), a season (412) and a career (1,494). All three marks remain intact. Johnson also ranks among the top 20 in career scoring at A&M, with 1,381 total points.



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Xavier does it one more time in NAIA coaches polls

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — Xavier University of Louisiana received one point in both of the NAIA Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 polls for the third straight week. But a bigger national stage awaits the Gold Nuggets and Gold Rush next month.

On Saturday the Nuggets and the Rush won Gulf Coast Athletic Conference team championships and the GCAC's automatic bids to the NAIA National Championships on Nov. 19 at Vancouver, Wash. It was the sixth straight year that both XU teams won the GCAC titles and the third time in four years that both qualified for nationals.

"We won't race again until nationals," seventh-year coach Joseph Moses said. "We can use the break. It'll give us enough time to rest and heal and prepare for nationals."

There will be one more poll before the national meet — it will be announced Nov. 6 — followed by a postseason poll Nov. 23.


NAIA Men's Cross Country
Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses)

RankTeamPointsLast
1Oklahoma Christian (21)5911
2Shorter5672
3The Master's5333
4Southern Oregon5274
5Shawnee State5137
6Friends5125
7Lewis-Clark State4856
8Cal State San Marcos4548
9Aquinas41712
10Oklahoma Baptist40717
11College of Idaho3939
12Bryan37613
13Concordia (Ore.)35311
14Westmont34814
15St. Francis (Ill.)32715
16Southwestern (Kan.)31119
17Wayland Baptist29410
18Olivet Nazarene27618
19Concordia (Neb.)26516
20Eastern Oregon23720
21Biola21621
22British Columbia17522
23Siena Heights16623
24SCAD Savannah15125
25Morningside13424

Others receiving votes: Cornerstone 74, Cumberlands 65, Graceland 43, Milligan 41, Vanguard 38, Great Falls 34, Huntington(Ind.) 32, Rocky Mountain 16, Dordt 13,Berea 12, Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 12, Baker 8,Point Loma Nazarene 4, Xavier 1, Goshen 1,Carroll (Mont.) 1, Dakota State 1, LubbockChristian 1.

NAIA Women's Cross Country
Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses)

RankTeamPointsLast
1Azusa Pacific (18)6491
2Cal State San Marcos (5)6362
3British Columbia5923
4College of Idaho5834
5Friends5735
6Olivet Nazarene5676
7Northwest Christian5237
8Biola5078
9Concordia (Ore.)4759
10Carroll (Mont.)47010
11Morningside45011
12Westmont40716
13The Master's37012
14Lewis-Clark State36114
15Concordia (Neb.)358tie-19
16Shawnee State338RV
17Indiana Wesleyan32418
18Aquinas29124
19Roberts Wesleyan25721
20Embry-Riddle (Fla.)23815
21Saint Xavier22113
22Southern Oregon219tie-19
23Dordt18923
24Taylor18817
25Milligan13225

Others receiving votes: Rocky Mountain 106, Eastern Oregon 101, Viterbo 84, Spring Arbor 61, Point Loma Nazarene 50, Wayland Baptist 25, Northwestern (Iowa) 24, Trinity Christian 19, Texas Wesleyan 11, Cornerstone 6, Huntington (Ind.) 3, Shorter 3, Xavier 1, Park 1, Cumberlands 1, Vanguard 1.
  


By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS