Durant FB Jamarlon Hamilton commits to FAMU Rattlers

PLANT CITY,  Florida  --  Durant fullback Jamarlon Hamilton, a Tampa Bay Times first-team all-Suncoast pick, has orally committed to Florida A&M, Cougars head coach Mike Gottman said Saturday morning.

The 5-foot-10, 235-pound senior was the offensive centerpiece of Durant’s first unbeaten regular-season in school history, rushing for 1,340 yards and 20 touchdowns. He had eight games of 100 yards or more, including a season-high 187 yards and five touchdowns in a season-opening win over Freedom, which boasts at least three major-college recruits.

 

Hamilton was also the Cougars’ leading rusher in 2011, totaling 1,117 yards and nine touchdowns. He finished his high school career with 2,963 rushing yards and 38 touchdowns.

 

Ranked No. 77 in the HomeTeam 100, Hamilton is the nephew of former NFL running back and Plant City and Florida A&M alum Derrick Gainer.  Gainer, won two Super Bowl rings while playing with the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s.

 

Florida A&M now has two commitments from Durant, including senior linebacker Chris Smith.

  

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Nicholls State gives Gold Nuggets their first loss of season

HOUMA, La. -- Eva Castiglioni, Emma Pitre and Marie Aubert won in doubles and singles Saturday to lead Nicholls State in a 4-0 women's tennis victory against NAIA No. 13 Xavier University of Louisiana.

The Colonels (3-2) earned their third consecutive victory. The Gold Nuggets are 1-1.

Aubert and Isla Brock clinched the doubles point with their 8-4 victory against Amanda Materre and Simone-Alyce Ewell at the second flight. Castiglioni clinched the dual by defeating Amber Brown 6-2, 6-4 at No. 5 singles.

Three singles matches were not completed, and Xavier won a set in each. Xavier's Kourtney Howell led Natalia Cardiff 7-6 (7-4), 3-4 at No. 1, and Materre led Rachel Howie 3-6, 6-1, 5-0 at No. 3. Ewell split sets with Brock at No. 4 before Brock forged a 4-1 lead in the third.

In the other doubles matches, Cardiff and former XU recruit Parija Maloo beat Howell and Brion Flowers 8-5 at No. 1, and Castiglioni and Pitre defeated Brown and Nicole DeLoach 8-4 at No. 3. Pitre beat DeLoach 6-0, 6-0 at No. 6 singles, and Aubert beat Flowers 6-2, 6-3 at No. 2.

"We almost had a chance for a comeback," XU coach Alan Green said. "We came out tentative in doubles, and I think it set us back a lot. We picked it up in singles, but Nicholls State did just enough to close us out."

Despite Green's disappointment in his doubles teams, the combined XU games won in those three matches were more than the Nuggets achieved in 9-of-10 duals against NCAA Division I teams a year ago. Nicholls State is the first of nine Gold Nuggets opponents from that level this season.

The Gold Nuggets' next match will start at 3 p.m. Feb. 15 at Prairie View A&M. The next home dual will start at 2 p.m. on Feb. 23 against McNeese State.

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

SC State Football Players Presented Superlative Awards

ORANGEBURG, SC – SC State football players were presented their 2012 team and individual superlative awards Saturday (02-02-13) during the 11th annual Orangeburg Touchdown Club (OTC) banquet Monday at The Cinema.

The group also recognized an All-Area high school team as chosen by The Times and Democrat, the local newspaper
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James Mitchell, the Director of Football Development at Duke University, was guest speaker for the event.

Only three of the team's ten (10) superlative awards went to seniors. RB Chris Merrill of Simpsonville was the recipient of the special teams Big Dog Award; DL Leon Smith of James Island took the Top Defensive Lineman honor; and LB/S Cortney Ingram of Milledgeville, Ga. was named the MVP on defense.

Others earning outstanding team awards were: r-junior QB Richard Cue of Florence, MVP on offense; junior C/OL Tristan Bellamy of Johnston, most valuable offensive lineman; sophomore RB Jalen “Scoot” Simmons of Charlotte, top running back; junior WR Tyler McDonald of Summerville, top wide receiver; junior P/PK Nick Belcher of Sumter, specialist award; sophomore LB Justin Hughes of Virginia Beach, Va., top linebacker; and sophomore defensive back Steven Murphy of Kingsland, GA., top defensive back.

Three Bulldogs were also recognized for post season honors – WR Lennel Elmore and Bellamy for earning All-MEAC honors and freshman DT Javon Hargrave, who made the College Sports Journal freshman All-America squad.

SC State head coach Buddy Pough and his staff also recognized the SC State seniors and presented game balls to an offensive and defensive player for each of the Bulldogs' five wins.

The List of Superlative Award Winners:

Top Running Back: Jalen Simmons, So., Charlotte, NC
Outstanding Receiver: Tyler McDonald, Jr, Summerville, SC
Outstanding Offensive Lineman, Tristan Bellamy, Jr., Johnston, SC
Outstanding Defensive Lineman: Leon Smith, Sr., James Island, SC
Outstanding Linebacker: Justin Hughes, So., Virginia Beach, Va.
Offensive MVP: QB Richard Cue, r-Jr, Florence, SC
Defensive MVP: LB/S Cortney Ingram, Sr., Milledgeville, GA
Outstanding DB: Steven Murphy, So., Kingsland, GA
Special Teams MVP: RB Chris Merrill, Sr., Simpsonville, SC
Specialist Award: K Nick Belcher, Jr., Sumter, SC

COURTESY SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

NSU Spartans stop Coppin State after another late scare

BALTIMORE, Maryland  --  Norfolk State has made a habit of building a sizeable, second-half lead, only to make things very uncomfortable before escaping with a victory.

The Spartans were at it again Saturday at Coppin State. For much of the contest, they pushed the Eagles around inside and made outside shots. They were on the verge of a blowout at the Physical Education Complex.

Then, the turnover-plagued Spartans wobbled late again. But after nearly blowing an 18-point advantage, Norfolk State regrouped behind its defense and junior guard Pendarvis Williams for an 80-70 victory before an announced crowd of 3,342.

Norfolk State (13-10, 8-0) remained in first place in the MEAC with its seventh consecutive victory, while handing Coppin State (5-18, 2-6) its ninth defeat in 11 games.

After taking a 35-25 lead at halftime, then turning that into a 64-46 bulge with 7:30 left, the Spartans - thanks to a portion of its 24 turnovers - had to hold off late-charging Coppin, which went on a 22-10 run to pull to within 74-68 with 1:20 to go.

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Southern coach Dawson Odums set to hire three coaches

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Six weeks after being named Southern’s new head football coach, Dawson Odums seems to have a handle on who will make up his first coaching staff.

Odums said Tuesday he has offered jobs to three new assistants and is waiting for the university to approve their hiring.

Chennis Berry is in line to coach the offensive line, Lorick Atkinson the linebackers and Chris Coleman the wide receivers.

Those three additions would bring the number of Southern assistants to eight.

Odums, who served as Southern’s interim coach for the final nine games of the 2012 season, said the only other hire he plans to make is a video coordinator.

“Other than that, that’s going to pretty much be it, and we’re going to see if we can’t go win some football games,” Odums said.

Odums said he is undecided on which of the eight assistants would serve as his offensive and defensive coordinators, but indicated both sides of the ball could have co-coordinators. The former Southern defensive coordinator said he will help coach the defense but will not again serve as a coordinator.

Five assistants return from last year’s staff.

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Ram Ramblings: Talking with Earl the Pearl is always worth it

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  It’s not everyday that a living NBA legend calls, but Earl “The Pearl” Monroe returned a phone call on Friday morning.

I find it kind of funny that Monroe can return a phone call but certain football and basketball coaches from other CIAA schools can't seem to do it. But that's a blog for another time.
 Monroe, 68, called from his home in New York where he had just gotten out of the hospital after three days. He had a lung infection and it’s something he said he has battled since he was a child.

“It crops every now and then but it was bad enough to where I had to go to the hospital,” Monroe said in a raspy voice.

Despite not being 100 percent Monroe, a 1967 graduate of WSSU who helped the Rams win the 1966-67 Division II title, talked at length about this weekend. The school will unveil seven new banners tonight at the Livingstone game at the Gaines Center to honor six past players and the 1963 CIAA championship team.

It's all part of ...



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XU will be site of Pink Day/Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser

NEW ORLEANS — There will be coaches in sneakers and players trimmed in pink Saturday when Xavier University of Louisiana plays Talladega in XU's Pink Day/Coaches vs. Cancer basketball doubleheader at the new Convocation Center.

The men's game will start at noon, followed by the women's game at 2 p.m. The Convocation Center, with comfortable chairback seating for nearly 4,000, is at 7910 Stroelitz St., New Orleans LA 70125.

"This is part of college basketball's annual effort to help with awareness in the fight against cancer," XU women's coach Bo Browder said. "We plan to introduce those in the Xavier community who have been affected by cancer."

The XU basketball programs will raise money during the games for cancer research through donations and the sale of commemorative T-shirts.

Both XU teams are ranked in this week's NAIA top-25 coaches polls. The Gold Rush (19-4) are 13th, and the Gold Nuggets (17-4) are 14th. Both teams seek to repeat as Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season champions; the XU men are tied for first in the GCAC with Philander Smith, and the women are a game behind co-leaders Talladega and SUNO.

The regular season will end Feb. 23.

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