Big Plays Turn 89th Turkey Day Classic Tuskegee's Way

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- Tuskegee turned four big plays into 20 points and knocked down a potential game-tying two point conversion with two minutes left to defeat Alabama State 27-25 in the 89^th Turkey Day Classic.

The exciting game between the two rivals was the opening game for the Hornets in their new on-campus stadium, which featured a sellout crowd in the first game.

“This was a blessing to be a part of this game,” Head Coach Reggie Barlow said. “I have been a part of some really big time games with a nice atmosphere, but this one here was outstanding. Kudos to both sides that came and supported the teams. Unfortunately, it did not end the way the Hornets wanted it to end, but we are still proud of our guys, they fought back at the end but at the end we just did not make enough plays.”

Isaiah Crowell's one-yard run with 2:04 left capped a nine-play, 70- yard drive to bring the Hornets to within two points at 27-25. Greg Jenkins two point-conversion was tipped away from T.C. McWilliams in the back of the endzone and Tuskegee (10-1) came away with the victory.

“Just like most teams, everybody has that one play that you work on a whole bunch and it is your bread and butter,” Barlow said. “You may have some other plays, but this was a play we have been working on a bunch. With a play like that, when it is a one-shot deal, you want to give your quarterback a two-type option. If he can't throw it in the flat, you want him to be able to run it or bring the defense up to him and make the throw, but it didn't work out for us and they did a good job stopping it.”

After Bobby Wenzig's 35-yard field goal midway through the third quarter cut the Tigers lead to 16-12, Tuskegee's Derrick Washington took a pitch and ran toward the sideline before pulling up and throwing a halfback pass to Marquel Gardner. The play covered 57 yards and put the ball at ASU's 19. Two plays later Justin Nared hit Kaleep Williams from 16 yards out for a touchdown. Tuskegee went for two and William Buford was able to convert the conversion and gave Tuskegee the largest lead of the game at 24-12.

On the second play of the final quarter, Jenkins found Jarrett Neely from five yards out to cut the lead to 24-19 with plenty of time left.

After that score Tuskegee put together their best drive of the game. The 15-play, 56 yard drive culminated with Eduardo Murillo's 20 yard field goal that put the Tigers up 27-19. The drive took 8:59 off the clock and left ASU with 5:22 to work with leading up to their final score.

Tuskegee was able to turn its first three big plays into scores in the first half on their way to a 16-9 halftime lead. On Tuskegee's first possession, Justin Nared was able to turn a third-and-17 play into a 42-yard long completion to Marquel Gardner. It was a pass that was tipped up in the air and Gardner grabbed the ball while on his back before it could hit the ground. That set the Tigers up on ASU's 22 and Murillo ended the drive with his first field goal of the game from 22 yards out that gave Tuskegee at 3-0 lead.

Tuskegee's next big play was a 61-yard run from Mike Thornton that led to Washington's six yard score. TU's final play, which may have been their biggest, was a 40-yard touchdown pass from Nared to Gardner with only 31 seconds left in the half to give the Tigers their halftime lead.

ASU's first half scores came on a Crowell three-yard run and a Wenzig 23-yard field goal.

The Hornets finished the game with Crowell rushing for a game-high 118 yards to go along with two scores, and Jenkins finished with 106. It is the second time this season the Hornets boasted two 100-yard rushers in a game.


Jenkins had a solid game throwing the ball completing 20 of his 26 passes for one score and 147 yards. ASU finished the game with 375 yards of total offense.

ASU knew coming into the game they had to stop Washington who entered the game with 1,399 yards in the team's first 10 games. After averaging almost 140 yards per game, ASU held Washington to only 95 yards on 22 carries. Nared finished the game completing nine of his 16 passes for 161 yards and the two scores.

“We knew Washington was a really good running back, and even better in person,” Barlow said. “He is an elusive guy, he runs for power and they have a good scheme that fits his running style. He came out and they gave it to him and the goal was to contain this guy. I thought for the most part the guys did a decent job it is just those big plays that ended up getting us at the end.”

The Hornets finish the season at 7-4. It is the third consecutive season the Hornets have produced seven or more wins in a season.

“There is a lot of emotion, of course, after you lose a game,” Barlow said. “Sometimes you want to be mad and jump up and scream, but no one feels worse than those players. I know the fans really, really want to win, but at the end of the day no one feels like they do because they are the one's going through practices and of course they wanted to open up the stadium the right way. So it was a combination of when you face adversity like we all will, you have to find a way to overcome it. This is right down that line and they have to find a way to get past it, pull their heads up and continue to live life.”
Box Score

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

NEXT GAME, DEC. 1:. Tuskegee University vs. Elizabeth City State University in the Pioneer Bowl, Columbus, Georgia.  The Hornets season ends at 7-4.

ASU Hornets, TU Tigers prep for Turkey Day Classic

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  --  Rivals Tuskegee and Alabama State are putting the final touches on their game plans in preparation for their Thanksgiving meeting in the 89th Turkey Day Classic.

“I do know they have a very, very talented roster, said Alabama State’s defensive coordinator Cedric Thornton during a conference call last week.











TUSKEGEE U. (9-1, 2012 SIAC CHAMPS) vs. ALABAMA STATE (7-3, 7-2 SWAC)
TV: ESPNU
TIME: 4:00 PM ET

Thornton was filling in for Hornets head coach Reggie Barlow.

“A lot of people look at Tuskegee University and say ‘they’re a Division II school; you’re a Division I school.’ They’re a Division II school, but not in talent. On their roster they have a linebacker that’s a University of Florida transfer. They have a running back that’s a University of Missouri transfer, and an offensive lineman that’s an Arkansas State transfer.”

The Golden Tigers roster features freshman Quavon Taylor, a 6-foot linebacker who transferred in from the University of South Florida. Derrick Washington, a 6-foot running back who transferred in from Mizzou and Chris Tolbert, a 6-foot-5 lineman who transferred in from Arkanasas State.

“I do know that they have very good personnel,” said Willie Slater, coach of the Golden Tigers. “The two quarterbacks that they play, as with their defensive linemen, are pretty good. Plus the level of competition they’ve been playing in Division I is a bit higher than what we are used to in the SIAC.”

READ MORE

WSSU’s Carrothers welcomes a challenge

Winston-Salem, North Carolina  --  Anthony Carrothers is small for a college quarterback — just 5-8 and 170 pounds — but he has a big appetite for winning.

Carrothers, a redshirt sophomore, could make his first start for No. 2 Winston-Salem State on Saturday, if senior Kam Smith can’t play against No. 15 Shippensburg in the second round of the Division II playoffs.

That might seem to be a daunting assignment for some players, but the confident Carrothers doesn’t shy away from challenges. Kickoff is set for noon at Bowman Gray Stadium.

“I tell people all the time he threw for 10,000 yards in high school, he won a championship as a true freshman at Grambling (State), and I don’t care how tall he is,” Coach Connell Maynor said. “He’s a winner, and he knows how to play quarterback. Winners know how to win, and they know how to get it done.

“That’s why he’s on this football team.”

READ MORE 

Tennessee State Softball Signs Five to National Letters of Intent

Top (l-r): Gearlds, Grace, Shoulders; (l-r): Stansberry and Woodard Courtesy: Tennessee State Athletics   NASHVILLE, Tennessee   -  Tennessee State head softball coach Jeff Dabney has announced the early signing of five high school seniors. The class of 2017 consists of Liz Stansbury from Palmyra, Mo., and four from Tennessee, Courtney Gearlds (Donelson), Alex Grace (Moss), Sydney Shoulders (Hartsville), and Lauren Woodard (Mt. Juliet).   "We were looking to get more athletic and build depth to create constant competition for positions," Dabney said. "We lose two of our better players to graduation and filling the void is going to be tough, so it was important that we brought in capable speed, power, and pitching to make sure the program continues to move forward with the most athletic kids possible."   Courtney Gearlds IF/OF, Donelson, Tenn., McGavock HS/Worth 95 Gearlds is a four-year member of the McGavock High School team under head coach Alana Thomas and was named team MVP in her past two seasons. She is a three-time All-District recipient and has named to the All-Mid State Third Team as a sophomore and junior.   She has also been a member of the volleyball team for all four years and earned All-District distinctions during her junior and senior campaigns. As a senior, she also claimed a spot on the All-Region team.   Gearlds played travel ball for Charlie Gravat and Ricky Ritchie as a member of Worth 95. Her team qualified and competed in Birmingham, Ala., at the 2012 16-U ASA national championships.   Gearlds plans to study Dental Hygiene with aspirations for a career as a dentist.   Coach Dabney on Gearlds "Courtney is a local kid from literally down the street at McClintock. Her initial impact she made with us was her speed. I like people who can run. She put a ball in play and took off and I was interested. She came to camp and showed her athleticism and I liked what I saw. We sat down and talked with her and found out she is my kind of kid. She is competitive, but a really sweet and down to earth person."   Alexandria (Alex) Grace UT, Moss, Tenn., Clay County HS/Diamond Stars   Grace is a four-year member of the softball team at Clay County High School under the tutelage of Richard Boswell and Randall Walker. She has been selected to the All-Conference and All-District teams in all three seasons heading into her senior year of play. Grace guided her team to three consecutive district championships.   As a freshman, she earned a letter in volleyball before joining the basketball squad as a junior and senior. In her first year with basketball, Clay County claimed the 2012 Tennessee State Championship.   Grace plays travel ball for the Diamond Stars and head coach Jerry Woodard. She is undecided in her potential major at TSU.   Coach Dabney on Grace "She is a good find and I feel she has a big upside. She is a raw prospect with all the physical tools to play at this level, but just not the experience. She is a five-foot-ten kid with the ability to play all nine positions and switch hit. I look forward to see where she ends up during her four-years here. She will come in and will be a hard worker and compete. It will be interesting to see how good of a player she becomes as she progresses through our system."   Sydney Shoulders IF, Hartsville, Tenn., Trousdale HS/Tennessee Xplosion Gold   Shoulders has competed for Cecelia Stricker and Trousdale County High School for the past three years. She has been named to the All-District team in all three of her seasons and selected to the district All-Tournament team in her sophomore and junior years.   Shoulders is also a three-year letter winner in basketball and earned the Offensive Award in each year with the team, as well as the defensive award as a junior. She claimed a spot on the district All-Tournament as a freshman and sophomore and named All-District as a junior.   She was a Wendy's High School Heisman finalist and belongs to the Beta Club and the Interact Club. She serves on the student council and is a part of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Future Business Leaders of America. Her travel team, the Tennessee Xplosion, coached by Brian Drake and Murk Thurman, qualified and competed in the ASA 16-Under national tournament in 2012.   Shoulders intends to major in Nursing at TSU. Coach Dabney on Shoulders "She is a local kid and it was a high priority for us to put a stranglehold on local talent. I don't want to have to constantly run to the west coast to get everybody for your team. She is an athletic kid that plays shortstop for her summer team, as well as some outfield. She has a good arm, runs well and has power at the plate. She is also a great student and great students are easy to coach, in my opinion. She is also competitor and I just love everything she does on the field."   Elisabeth (Liz) Stansbury Infield, Palmyra, Mo., Palmyra R-1 HS/Worth Prospects   Stansbury competed all four years for Palmyra R-1 High School and head coach Brian Wosman. She helped guide her squad to conference championships as a freshman and a senior, as well as four straight district championships. As a sophomore, her Palmyra team finished second at the state championships, before coming back the next year to become State Champions. Stansbury and her teammates returned to the state tournament in her season, completing her career with a fourth place finish.   From her sophomore to senior seasons, Stansbury was an All-Conference, All-District and All-Area selection. She was named to the All-Region team as a sophomore and a senior and was named to the Missouri All-State during her sophomore campaign.   Stansbury was selected as an All-Conference and All-District athlete for the discus as a member of three district championship track and field teams. She is in her fourth year as a member of the basketball team, which claimed a conference championship as a junior. She was also a member of the golf team as a sophomore.   Stansbury plays for Cathy Weathered and the Worth Prospects during the summer and stays active as a member of the Future Business Leaders of America, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and a member of the student council, where she has served as secretary and vice president. She is also a member of the National Honor Society, Society of Academic Achievment, FCCLA and is on the Principal Liaison Committee. Stansbury also volunteers at the Maple Lawn Nursing Home.   As an incoming freshman, she intends to major in Psychology.   Coach Dabney on Stansbury "She is a Coach (Samantha) Buckner find. Buckner is a picky recruiter and Liz showed those intangibles that kept bringing her back. She is a ball player and at the end of the day, that's what you are looking for. We got the chance to actually be around her when she came to camp, to see what she was like as a person and that just sealed it for me. Coach Buckner gets all the credit for finding her talent wise, but Liz sealed the deal with me, because it is important to find good people for the program. She is a winner and a smart kid that plays the game hard."   Lauren Woodard P/Utility, Mt. Juliet, Tenn., Mount Juliet HS/Nashville Nighthawks   Woodard is entering her fourth year as a member of Brad Rowlette's Mount Juliet HS squad. She hit .333 as a freshman, but was used more as a pitcher as a sophomore as she tallied a 29-7 record. Woodard was used in both capacities as she finished 17-6 in the circle and hit .369 with three homeruns and 41 rbi.   The lefty utility player was selected as Rookie of the Year in 2010 at MJHS. Woodard was named to the All-District team in her sophomore and junior seasons as she guided her squad to back-to-back Sub-State Championships and berths to the TSSAA State Tournament.   Woodard also competed in volleyball in high school as a junior and currently plays her travel softball with Larry Spears and the Nashville Nighthawks. During the 2012 summer, her Illusions 16-U team, coached by Tonia Trrussell Martin, competed in the ASA National Championships in Birmingham. She is also a member of Fellowship Christian Athletes and is active in the community with The Bridge Fellowship.   Woodward intends to major in Special Education and hopes to work with children with special needs.   Coach Dabney on Woodard "She is another local prospect, from Mt. Juliet HS. She brings a left handed bat with power potential and played first base, outfield and pitches. The ability to be versatile is important to a softball program. It also brings a different look to the pitching staff and you have to be different at the higher levels. You have to have pitching to compete and you have to have athletic kids to do special things on our field. Lauren brings all that to the table. She does have a lot of development left to go and has a great upside. We feel she hasn't even come close to reaching her full potential and look forward to watching her grow." "They are all great students, which is important to us as a program," Dabney continued. "They all bring different intangibles to our team, but the main thing is they all fit the perimeters we are looking for in all of our classes; the ability to do multiple things."

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Ram Ramblings: NCAA comes to WSSU but it's a good thing

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Not only is Connell Maynor a very good football coach he’s been lucky over three seasons to not have a long list of injuries to key players.

That luck ran out on Nov. 10 when quarterback Kameron Smith, who now holds every passing record in school history, went down in the second half of the CIAA championship game against Elizabeth City State. Smith could still play on Saturday in the second-round of the Division II playoffs but I’m guessing that Anthony Carrothers will get the start instead.

Smith, who is 30-3 as a starter, came at just the right time when he transferred from the U.S. Navel Academy before the 2010 season. Smith came here after Maynor was hired and Smith, who is from Raleigh, turned out to be one of Maynor’s best recruits.

The NCAA came to Winston-Salem about a month ago but it didn’t come looking for violations. Instead, the NCAA came and did a nice story on Smith and the rise of the WSSU football program.



READ MORE

Picture of Grambling's Robinson unveiled at ceremony

GRAMBLING, Louisiana  --  When Steve Skipper was 36 years old, he made his way to Grambling State University to look into the possibility of painting a portrait of Eddie G. Robinson. Unfortunately, he missed Robison by five minutes.

Seventeen years later, Skipper unveiled what is now the official Robinson family commemorative portrait of the legendary football coach on Monday night at the Eddie G. Robinson Museum on the university's campus.

"I have three sons and four daughters, and as they celebrate the gift that God gave me, I want them to be able to celebrate the greatness of Eddie G. Robinson," said Skipper, 53, a Homewood, Ala., native and president of Anointed Homes Art.

 

Doug Williams and James Harris brought Skipper to the attention of the Robinson family. Williams, the head coach of last season's SWAC championship Grambling football team who leads his team into this weekend's Bayou Classic, and Harris, senior personnel executive for the Detroit Lions, played for Robinson, the winningest coach in NCAA Division I football history. The family commissioned him to paint the coach's portrait.
 

READ MORE

Arkansas-Pine Bluff: the ultimate road warriors

COACH GEORGE IVORY

SAN DIEGO, California  --  The Arkansas-Pine Bluff men’s basketball team just returned from a three-game tournament in Hawaii. On Tuesday the Golden Lions bused to Little Rock and took two flights to San Diego ahead of tonight’s 7:30 game at Viejas Arena against San Diego State.

They’ll spend Thanksgiving here, then fly to Spokane, Wash., for a Saturday night game at Washington State.
 

Home for two days, then a road trip to Arizona State and Oregon.
 

Home for two days, then a road trip to Michigan State and Air Force.
 

Home for the holidays, then a two-game tournament in El Paso, Texas.
 

By the time the Golden Lions have their first home date of the season at H.O. Clemmons Arena, against Mississippi Valley State on Jan. 2, they’ll have played 11 games in eight states and five time zones and travelled 20,272 miles, or roughly 4,600 short of circumnavigating the planet.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff coach George Ivory explains it like this: “I tell our guys, ‘This is a life experience, to travel and see the world, to play against these great teams and great coaches. A lot of people will only see them on TV. You get a chance to shake Coach (Steve) Fisher’s hand and play in these big arenas.’

READ MORE