D'Iberville (Miss.) standout signs with Xavier Gold Rush

NEW ORLEANS — Evan Howard, a 6-foot-8 forward from Biloxi, Miss., and D'Iberville High School, has signed a men's basketball scholarship with Xavier University of Louisiana.
    
Howard is averaging 8.5 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots per game and shooting 54.5 percent from the floor this season for D'Iberville, which is 17-10 and has clinched its first winning record in 10 years. Howard has produced five double-doubles, scored in double figures seven times and grabbed 10-or-more rebounds 12 times.
    
As a junior in 2014-15, Howard averaged 10.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks. He had seven double-doubles, 15 games with 10-or-more points and 10 games with 10-or-more rebounds. He was the first D'Iberville player to be selected to Mississippi's North/South All-Star Game for juniors.
    
Howard will be a pre-pharmacy major at Xavier during the fall 2016 semester.
    
"Evan is a great kid and a great student-athlete who works real hard at his game," D'Iberville coach Lorenzo Wright said. "One of the best things about him is that he gets it done in the classroom. Then he backs it up by stepping on the floor and playing well."
    
Xavier is 17-8 and has clinched a 16th consecutive winning season and a 25th consecutive non-losing season, both school records. The Gold Rush compete in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference and qualified for the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship each of the past five seasons.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Nelson wins first GCAC weekly award; Salwan repeats

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Brandi Nelson is the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week in women's tennis for the first time in her career, and Karan Salwan is the men's honoree for the second consecutive week.
    
Nelson, a junior from Jonesboro, Ga., and a graduate of Faith Academy, won in doubles and singles Saturday in a 6-3 home loss to NAIA No. 6 William Carey. Nelson and Charlene Goreau defeated Sara Valero Marin and Nataliia Baliaeva 8-6 at the top doubles flight, then Nelson beat Alexia Rycroft 7-5, 7-5 at No. 3 singles.
    
Salwan, a junior from New Delhi, India, and a graduate of Modern School, teamed with Kyle Montrel for an 8-0 victory against William Carey's Andreas Brune and Aleksei Tumakov at No. 1 doubles. Then Salwan beat Vivien Versier 6-4, 6-1 at No. 1 singles. The Gold Rush, also at home Saturday, won 8-1 against the NAIA's seventh-ranked team.
    
The Gold Nuggets, 1-1 and ranked 11th in the NAIA, will visit LSU-Alexandria, a 2015 NAIA National Championship qualifier, at noon Saturday in Alexandria, La. Both XU teams will visit NCAA Division I's Nicholls State at 11 a.m. Sunday in Thibodaux, La. The Gold Rush are 2-2 and ranked fourth.
    
The next XU home dual will start at 3 p.m. Feb. 25 for the men against Troy of NCAA DI.

 

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information DirectorXULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Rams Boulware likes 2016 football schedule

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Winston-Salem State’s football schedule will have a different feel this fall.

Although the Rams once again will open against UNC Pembroke on Sept. 3 at Bowman Gray Stadium, they will have two different nonconference opponents than in past years. They will play at Catawba on Sept. 10, and then play Virginia Union on Sept. 17 at Bowman Gray Stadium in a designated nonconference game.

Boulware, who will enter his third season as head coach, was pleased with the way the Rams finished 2015 with their fifth straight CIAA championship game appearance. What made the offseason better was that the Rams upset Bowie State 17-14 in the championship game to finish 6-5 and win their third conference title in the last five seasons.

The Rams, however, have missed out on the Division II playoffs for two straight seasons, and the goal is to get back there.

“The schedule is right in front of us and we know what we have to do get back to those NCAA playoffs,” Boulware said Monday. “We are still in the process of completing our recruiting class for this fall, but we are also pleased with how the schedule looks.”

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Hampton Pirates Releases 2016 Football Schedule

COURTESY: HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

HAMPTON, Virginia --  The Hampton University football team has released its 2016 schedule, a slate that includes five home games.

"It's a good schedule," head coach Connell Maynor, who is entering his third season, said. "We get an FBS program to start in Old Dominion and that will be tough, but we look forward to the challenge. It's a tough conference schedule; we won five MEAC games last year, so we're gonna see if we can get those five again this year and then pick up the other three."

The season will open on the road, as the Pirates head to Norfolk, Va. to take on FBS foe Old Dominion on Sept. 3. Hampton will then have their home opener on Sept. 10, taking on William & Mary at Armstrong Stadium at 6 p.m.

Three straight on the road follow, starting with the Nation's Football Classic against rival Howard on Sept. 17. The Pirates will then have their bye week, before heading to Greensboro, N.C. on Oct. 1 to take on North Carolina A&T.

The road trip will wrap up in Dover, Del. on Oct. 8 against Delaware State.

Hampton's Homecoming will be on Oct. 15 against Morgan State at 2 p.m., before the Pirates hit the road again on Oct. 22, traveling to Tallahassee, Fla. to take on Florida A&M.

Three straight home games will follow, starting with a tilt against South Carolina State on Oct. 29. The Pirates will then play host to Savannah State on Nov. 12, before celebrating Senior Day on Nov. 19 with the Battle of the Bay against Norfolk State.

All three of those games are set to kick off at 1 p.m.

The Pirates will close out the regular season on Nov. 26 at Coastal Carolina, which is in the process of transitioning from FCS to FBS.

"It's a tough way to start the year, and a tough way to end it," Maynor said. "But we look forward to the challenge."

Dates and times are subject to change.

For more information on Hampton University football, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

2016 Hampton University football schedule

Date		Opponent	Location	Time
9/3/2016		Old Dominion	Norfolk, Va.	TBA
9/10/2016		William & Mary	Hampton, Va.	6 p.m.
Nation’s Football Classic/Battle of the REAL HU
9/17/2016	*	Howard	Washington, D.C.	TBA
10/1/2016	*	North Carolina A&T	Greensboro, N.C.	TBA
10/8/2016	*	Delaware State	Dover, Del.	2 p.m.
Homecoming
10/15/2016	*	Morgan State	Hampton, Va.	2 p.m.
10/22/2016	*	Florida A&M	Tallahassee, Fla.	3 p.m.
10/29/2016	*	South Carolina State	Hampton, Va.	1 p.m.
11/12/2016	*	Savannah State	Hampton, Va.	1 p.m.
Battle of the Bay
11/19/2016	*	Norfolk State	Hampton, Va.	1 p.m.
11/26/2016		Coastal Carolina	Conway, S.C.	TBA

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Morgan State Head Football Coach Lee Hull Accepts Position with NFL's Indianapolis Colts

INTERIM HEAD COACH FRED FARRIER
MORGAN STATE FOOTBALL

Bears Offensive Coordinator Fred Farrier named as Interim Head Coach

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Morgan State University head football coach Lee Hull today informed university officials that he has accepted a position with the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. Hull led the Bears to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship and its first Football Championship Subdivison playoff appearance in school history in 2014, during what MSU called its football program's "Return to Greatness" season. 

Hull resigned his position today after two years as Morgan's head football coach to accept a position as wide receivers coach with the Indianapolis Colts.

"We were pleased with the direction Coach Hull was taking our football program," says Athletics Director Floyd Kerr. "We are sorry to see him leave but, of course, wish him well and continued success in his future endeavors."

Kerr has named current Bears offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Fred Farrier as interim head coach, providing some continuity to the program, he says. Farrier was recruited by Hull to be the team's offensive coordinator, a role he had filled for the past two years. He will serve as interim head coach until a permanent replacement is identified.

A native of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Farrier joined the Bears after spending a pair of seasons as the passing game coordinator at RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute). His tutelage of the quarterbacks was instrumental in the RPI Engineers' offensive resurgence. Prior to joining RPI, Farrier served four seasons as the head coach of Kentucky State (2005-09). He coached the Thoroughbreds to an average of over 30 points and 375 yards per game. He also had a punting unit that earned national rankings and saw nearly 30 student-athletes capture postseason honors for athletic and academic achievements. Farrier also has college coaching experience from his tenure at Shaw University, where he was the associate head coach and offensive coordinator in 2004.

COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Jackson State icon Willie Richardson dies

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State legend Willie Richardson died on Monday afternoon, a university spokesperson confirmed.

Sharon-Grisham Stewart, Hinds County chief medical examiner/coroner, confirmed that Richardson died of natural causes.

Richardson, 76, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003. He played nine seasons in the NFL, mostly for the Baltimore Colts and appeared in Super Bowl III. Richardson was first-team All Pro in 1967 and made the Pro Bowl in '67 and '68.

"He could do anything with the ball (as a player). Last time I played golf with him he shot even par at age 75. Everything he did athletically was smooth. He made everything look easy," Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum historian Rick Cleveland said. "He always had a kind word for everybody. Last time I saw him was at the press conference to name Fred McNair the head coach at Alcorn (last week). Here's a Jackson State guy showing up for the head coach at the rival school and he did it just because he said so many times in life people don't get what they deserve. He wanted to be there for Fred because he was getting what he long deserved. He was just a kind guy."

Richardson was drafted by the..

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UNLV Football To Open 2016 By Hosting Jackson State

Rebels and Tigers will tangle in special Thursday matchup on September 1.

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- UNLV will open its 2016 football season by hosting Jackson State University as part of a unique partnership between the two schools and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), Director of Athletics Tina Kunzer-Murphy and LVCVA Chairman Lawrence Weekly announced Monday.

The game will be played Thursday, Sept. 1 at Sam Boyd Stadium. Kickoff time and TV information are still to be determined. Individual tickets to the game will go on sale during the summer. Group and season tickets are available now by calling (702) 739-FANS or visiting unlvtickets.com.

Festivities around the game will include more than just the on-field matchup as Jackson State’s famed marching band, the Sonic Boom of the South, cheerleading squad and popular dance squad, the Prancing J-Settes, will travel to Las Vegas and appear at other events, including a public pep rally, as well as at the stadium.

“We wanted our season-opener to stand out as we celebrate the program that head coach Tony Sanchez is building here and this will be more than just a game, it will be a party,” Kunzer-Murphy said. “UNLV is excited to help the LVCVA promote our community through helping us bring in a historic FCS program.”

Jackson State, a historically black college (HBCU), is a member of the tradition-rich Southwestern Athletic Conference and has produced Pro Football Hall of Famers Walter Payton, Jackie Slater and Lem Barney. UNLV hosted JSU once before, downing the Tigers 39-2 on Oct. 4, 1975. The Rebels are 3-0 all-time in games played against teams in the SWAC as they also downed Alcorn State and Prairie View A&M during the 1974 season.

“Las Vegas is a world-class city with an impressive listing of sporting events to match, including a variety of championship events that attract top professional and collegiate athletes and the most dedicated sports fans,” said Weekly. “We are excited to add the proud history of Jackson State football to our extensive lineup with the upcoming matchup against UNLV this football season and we look forward to welcoming the school’s fans to Las Vegas to experience everything our city has to offer.”

ABOUT THE LVCVA
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is charged with marketing Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination worldwide, and also with operating the Las Vegas Convention Center and Cashman Center. With more than 150,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone and almost 11 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space citywide, the LVCVA's mission centers on attracting ever- increasing numbers of leisure and business visitors to the area. For more information, go to www.lvcva.com or www.lasvegas.com.  Rebels will open
their spring practice on March 7.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA LAS VEGAS ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS