Jackson State's special teams stand out

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- The first unit that came to coach Rick Comegy’s mind after Jackson State’s 19-14 win against Southern was the special teams.

Despite Jackson State’s defense making key stops in the final minutes Saturday, Comegy highlighted the contributions that took place in the third phase of the game.

“Special teams, I thought, did a fine job in doing what they had to do, getting the ball kicked and doing whatever they could do to stop (the returns),” said Comegy, whose team improved to 3-2 overall and 3-0 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. “Special teams really came through and did a good job.”

Freshman Darcy Williamson has bettered his punting accuracy.

Two of his four punts in Saturday’s game came in the fourth quarter. The first pinned Southern (2-3, 2-1 SWAC) inside its own 15-yard line, and the next punt was caught by Virgil Williams on their 25, but he was quickly tackled by Wesley Jackson.

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Donald Hill-Eley explains why Morgan State stood on visitors' sideline

HEAD COACH DONALD HILL-ELEY
MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL

BALTIMORE, Maryland - When the Morgan State football team took the field at Hughes Stadium in Baltimore for Saturday’s home and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener against Norfolk State, the Bears did not run to the sideline closest to their fans, their marching band and their cheerleaders.

Instead, the team stood on the visitors’ sideline – in front of the Spartans’ fans, marching band and cheerleaders.

After the 27-21 loss, Morgan State coach Donald Hill-Eley explained his decision to have the team stand on the opposing sideline.

“We have about 14 freshmen that are playing. And when we’re on the home side, you’re accessible to the crowd and everybody that’s coming over and talking to the kids,” he said. “It’s so much distraction going on that we figured that you move them over and we could have the focus of those kids. Not looking back and seeing their parents in the stands, not having former players walk up and down the sideline because there’s just so many different types of things that go on in the game.

"So, we just figured that we would move them to the other side and at least we don’t have to coach kids out of the stands. You’ve got enough trying to play the game on the field. You shouldn’t have to try to manage the sideline.”

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UAPB/Steelers great L.C. Greenwood dead at 67

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania  --  L.C. Greenwood, the relentless defensive end who made up one quarter of the Pittsburgh Steelers' "Steel Curtain" defense of the 1970s, has died. He was 67.

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's office said Greenwood died Sunday from undisclosed causes just before noon at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital.

A six-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, Greenwood played for the Steelers from 1969-81, helping Pittsburgh win an unprecedented four Super Bowls in a six-year span. Greenwood, Joe Greene, Ernie Holmes and Dwight White formed the bedrock of the defense that helped turn a perennial loser into a dynasty.

"L.C. was one of the most beloved Steelers during the most successful period in team history and he will be missed by the entire organization," Chairman Dan Rooney said in a statement. "He will forever be remembered for what he meant to the Steelers both on and off the field."

Greenwood was taken in the 10th round of the 1969 NFL draft - nine rounds after Greene - out of Arkansas A&M (now Arkansas Pine-Bluff). He blossomed into a tenacious pass rusher who ...


L.C. Greenwood is honored at the Bone Bash at the Arthritis Foundation in
Pittsburgh, PA, October 2012.

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XU's Howell, Flowers win South Regional doubles title

 Kourtney Howell

Brion Flowers

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana's top-seeded Kourtney Howell and Brion Flowers defeated Brenau's third-seeded Dominika Jasova and Maria Perdomo-Medina 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7-2) in the women's double final of the USTA/ITA NAIA South Regional Championships at XU Tennis Center on Sunday.

The victory made Howell and Flowers the first from the XU women's program to qualify for the USTA/ITA National Small College Championships. That event will be played Oct. 10-13 at Fort Myers, Fla.

Jasova and Perdomo-Medina rallied from a 4-2 third-set deficit and fought off a pair of match points in the 12th game, but Howell and Flowers were uncatchable after scoring the first three points of the tiebreaker. Howell and Flowers each hit a pair of winners, and Jasova missed on a shot down the line to end the 2-hour, 29-minute match.

"I just tried to play the tiebreaker like we had a million points to play, and we wanted to win every point," Howell said. "We did not want to give Brenau anything. No freebies."

Flowers missed the Nuggets' first fall tournament last week because of a strained back -- she was cleared Monday to return to workouts -- then won four times in doubles, twice on Sunday, with Howell in her 2013-14 debut.

"Just a little soreness," Flowers said. "But my back was good every day of the tournament."

Auburn Montgomery won the other three main-draw titles and also advanced to the National Small College Championships. Zinolabidine Jouini defeated teammate Othmane Lalami 6-3, 6-4 in the men's singles final, top-seeded Nicolas Pinones and Miguel Grifol beat William Carey's Jody Claassen and Philipp Mueller 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4 in the men's doubles final, and top-seeded top-seeded Jade Curtis beat second-seeded Jasova 7-5, 6-3 for the women's singles title.

In singles semifinals, Jasova rallied to defeat fifth-seeded Flowers 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-1). Jasova trailed 5-2 in the second set and 5-4 in the third.

Howell and Flowers defeated Georgia Gwinnett's Rocio Fernandez and Victoria Svennson 8-5 in the doubles semifinals. Jasova and Perdomo-Medina beat AUM's second-seeded Curtis and Chanel Cunningham 8-5 in the other semifinal.

Xavier's other Sunday participant was the men's doubles team of Jordan Harrell and Nikita Soifer, who lost 8-3 to Pinones and Grifol in the semifinals.

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

XU Gold Nuggets win at Talladega in 3; win streak at 6

 

TALLADEGA, Alabama  -- Xavier University of Louisiana defeated Talladega 25-15, 25-15, 25-13 in Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's volleyball Sunday to improve its win streak to six.

The streak is the longest for the Gold Nuggets (12-7, 4-0) since winning six straight last November. The school record is eight consecutive victories, accomplished twice in 2011.

The Nuggets won a conference road match for the second straight day. They won at Edward Waters on Saturday morning, then bused about 400 miles to Talladega.

"It was a long weekend for us," XU coach Hannah Lawing said. "Talladega wasn't our best match, but we worked through it."

Xavier is 4-0 all-time against Talladega.

Xavier has won 32 consecutive matches against GCAC opponents since the start of the 2011 season. The Gold Nuggets' win streak in regular-season conference matches is 26, which dates to October 2010. The longer streak includes GCAC Tournament matches.

Xavier's next matches will be Saturday at the Convocation Center -- 1 p.m. against GCAC and city rival Dillard, 4 p.m. against St. Thomas (Texas).

 

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

XULAATHLETICS

XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

 

Quite The Classic: Fayetteville State edges Elizabeth City State

ROCKY MOUNT, North Carolina  --  The look was exactly what Elizabeth City State wanted.

With Fayetteville State’s safeties splitting near the end zone and the Broncos’ middle linebacker shallowing to cover the short pass, the middle of the field was wide open.

Quarterback Casey Turner knew it would be, and that’s exactly where receiver Javoris Bryant was heading.

In the final minute, Bryant hauled in two big passes at the Vikings drove the field, looking for the game-winning touchdown in the 16th annual Down East Viking Football Classic.

But for a few minutes after Turner’s pass bounced off Bryant’s hands, he hunched over in the end zone. When he finally made it to the sideline, he collapsed again as coaches rushed to his side to console him.

Bryant’s last-minute drop highlighted a string of missed opportunities in the red zone and finalized Elizabeth City State’s 31-27 loss Saturday to Fayetteville State, ending the Vikings’ six-game winning streak at the Classic.

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Texas College wins thriller

PLAINVIEW, Texas -- Ja’Marius Allen hauled in a 53-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Curtez Griffin with 15 seconds remaining to lift Texas College to a 36-29 win over Wayland Baptist Saturday at Greg Sherwood Memorial Bulldog Stadium in Plainview.

It was the Steers (1-3, 1-0) first victory of the season, while the Pioneers fall to 0-4 and 0-1. It was also the Central States Football League opener for both teams.

The final drive was set up when TC linebacker Charles Jones stripped the Pioneer runner and recovered the football at the Texas College nine.

“Charles (Jones) had another great game for us at linebacker, and his recovery there late when they were driving really fueled the team and our offense just made the plays,” TC coach George Cumby said. TC took over with 1:21 left in the game and trailing 29-28.

Griffin, who stepped in for woozy starter Vincent McNeil in the third quarter, directed the Steers on the winning drive. Facing a fourth-and-16 at his own 20, Griffin connected with Joshua Isaac for 27 yards and first down.

On the next play, Griffin lofted a pass to Allen, who caught the ball, between three defenders at the five and leaped into the end zone.

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