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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- On Thursday, Howard picked up a commitment from Georgia prospect Caylin Newton, the younger brother of Carolina Panthers star quarterback Cam Newton. Caylin Newton will be taking his talents to Howard University in Washington, D.C.
The younger brother of former Auburn and current NFL star Cam Newton announced his decision Thursday on Twitter.
As a senior at Grady High School in Atlanta, the 5-foot-11, 185-pounder completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 3,322 yards, 33 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2016. He also led his team rushing, carrying 92 times for 1,036 yards and 13 more touchdowns.
Newton camped at Auburn once and made multiple visits, but the Tigers didn't offer. According to 247Sports, His only other offers were from Hampton, Kentucky Christian and Savannah State.
"To be honest I think (his recruitment) should have gone much better than it did," Grady head coach Earthward Moreland told AL.com. "But moving forward I think he's happy with his decision he's made. He's just going to go from there.
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana, unbeaten since the previous NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches Top 25 Poll, lost ground Tuesday when the newest rankings were announced. The Gold Nuggets are in the "others receiving votes" category for the eighth time in the last nine polls. They're 35th overall with four points. In the previous poll (Dec. 6), they were 32nd with 11 points. Two teams behind XULA in the Dec. 6 voting passed the Nuggets despite a combined three losses between polls. "Can't worry about that," XULA coach Bo Browder said. "We're just trying to get our young team better." XULA, 9-6 and winner of three straight and six of its last seven games, will play its Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opener at 3 p.m. Saturday against Tougaloo at XULA's Convocation Center. The Gold Nuggets tied for second in the GCAC regular season a year ago, then won the GCAC Tournament for a league-record 15th time. Freed-Hardeman is No. 1 for the second consecutive poll. The next poll will be announced Jan. 17.
NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through Jan. 1)
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana will open its 2017 outdoor track and field schedule March 3 at a city rival's meet, the Tulane Early Bird Twilight. Coach Joseph Moses announced Wednesday the eight-meet schedule, which also includes competitions in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Texas. XULA, an NAIA member, will compete at four meets hosted by NCAA Division I members: Tulane, the McNeese Cowboy Relays at Lake Charles, La., on March 11, the Rice Victor Lopez Classic at Houston on March 24-25 and the Southern Miss Invitational at Hattiesburg on March 31-April 1. XULA will compete at a fifth Division I venue — South Alabama's Jaguar Track — in the University of Mobile Invitational on April 7. The Tulane meet and the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships (April 21-22) will be run at the same venue, Tad Gormley Stadium. Xavier also will compete in the Emory Invitational March 17-18 in Atlanta. Student-athletes who meet qualifying standards will be eligible to compete at the season-ending NAIA National Championships May 25-27 at Gulf Shores, Ala. XULA will attempt to win the GCAC women's team championship for the sixth time in eight attempts. The Gold Nuggets won three straight GCAC team titles from 2013-15.
2017 Xavier University of Louisiana Outdoor Track and Field Schedule March 3 (Fri.): Tulane Early Bird Twilight at Tad Gormley Stadium, New Orleans, La. March 11 (Sat.): McNeese Cowboy Relays at McNeese Cameron Communications Track and Field Complex, Lake Charles, La. March 17-18 (Fri.-Sat.): Emory Invitational at Woodruff P.E. Center Track, Atlanta, Ga. March 24-25 (Fri.-Sat.): Rice Victor Lopez Classic at Wendel D. Ley Track, Houston, Texas March 31-April 1 (Fri.-Sat.): Southern Miss Invitational at Southern Miss Track and Field and Soccer Complex, Hattiesburg, Miss. April 7 (Fri.): University of Mobile Invitational at Jaguar Track, Mobile, Ala. April 21-22 (Fri.-Sat.): Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships at Tad Gormley Stadium, New Orleans, La. May 25-27 (Thu.-Sat.): NAIA Outdoor Championships at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium, Gulf Shores, Ala. Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director XULAgold.com XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA twitter.com/xulagold www.facebook.com/xulagold
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Associate head Maryland football coach Mike London is the top candidate for the head coaching job at Howard and could be announced as the Bison's new coach soon, sources confirmed to Inside Maryland Sports early Friday.
London, Maryland's defensive line coach, has spent just one season in College Park after joining first-year head coach DJ Durkin's staff in Dec. 2015 following five season as head coach at Virginia. It was expected the 56-year-old London would be in the market for a head coach job this offseason, but it seem surprising to see him move on to the downtrodden Football Championship Subdivision program in nearby Washington; Howard, a MEAC school that lost to Maryland by 39 points this past season, offers minimal exposure and has had one winning season in the past 10 years.
If London leaves, Durkin will be in the market for a new defensive line coach. The Terps ranked 10th in the Big Ten in rush defense and ninth in passing defense during his year as defensive line coach. They did rank third in the conference in sacks, though, despite the new staff inheriting limited talent on the defensive front. From a recruiting standpoint, London, renowned for his ability to draw talent to Virginia, is the primary recruiter for three three-star commitments in Maryland's 29-member 2017 class: Virginia athlete Dazz Newsome, Virginia lineman Tyran Hunt and Baltimore defensive lineman B'Ahmad Miller. CONTINUE READING
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- After sitting out spring practice last year, the Florida A&M Rattlers will participate in spring football this spring thanks to a successful appeal of APR sanctions. The problem is, Bragg Stadium is in need of a face lift, and that face lift doesn't come cheap.
Last month, it was announced that Bragg Memorial Stadium, home of the Rattlers, needed around $600,000 worth of structural repairs and stair replacements, or else FAMU would have to find a new home turf.
On Wednesday, Athletic Director Milton Overton confirmed that FAMU will play football at Bragg Stadium through a statement issued to WTXL.
The statement reads as follows:
The Florida A&M University Rattlers will play football at Bragg Stadium. Although there are some areas of the stadium which require repairs, our plan is to play the spring game there as well as fall football. Engineers have provided a plan and timeline to complete the immediate repairs before the first home game in 2017.
College football seasons come and go, but the joyous thunder of Jackson State's iconic marching band rolls on
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- It takes two charter planes to move the Sonic Boom of the South from its home in Jackson, Mississippi, to the first event of the season, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 230 musicians are traveling with four band directors, support and medical staff, a security detail, a social media and video unit, cheerleaders and a team of swivel-hipped female dancers called the Prancing J-Settes.
The Sonic Boom of the South is the marching band of Jackson State University, and a leading exponent of the high-stepping, high-energy, razzle-dazzle style that has developed in historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Deep South. Known as “show style,” it combines the military marching band tradition with funky syncopated rhythms and elements of jazz, R&B, pop and hip-hop. The bands play with tremendous power and incorporate tightly choreographed dance routines into elaborate field drills. This unique American art form has honed and perfected itself over many decades and is now breaking through into wider cultural prominence.
Michelle Obama, in her commencement speech at Jackson State in April 2016, declared the Sonic Boom of the South one of the best bands in the country, and told university officials how much she enjoyed watching the band’s performances on YouTube. The Boom, as it’s known for short, played at the 2016 inauguration of Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, and just headlined the annual Jackson Christmas Parade, a holiday tradition drawing thousands of spectators. “We don’t have the very best musicians, or the most precise drill formations,” says O’Neill Sanford, the director of bands at Jackson State. “But no one else can bring the same energy and showmanship, and electrify a crowd of 110,000 people like we can,” he says. “That’s what everyone wants to see.”
GRAMBLING. Louisiana — Spend just a few minutes inside Grambling’s football offices next to Eddie Robinson Stadium, and it’s apparent the Tigers’ staff is eagerly awaiting the 2017 season. The excitement is based off Grambling’s potential to be even more talented and more dynamic than the group that won 11 games, an HBCU national championship and a Southwestern Athletic Conference championship in 2016. Of course, several things need to occur for a repeat in 2017, but the outlook sure is looking nice. “I do believe we’ll have some things in place that can help us be a really good football team. What’s gong to be interesting is the personality and the character,” Grambling coach Broderick Fobbs told The News-Star after the 2016 season. “This team had a lot of character, great character. They had a lot of guys who wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
Curtis Inabinett, Jr. is a well-known musician as well as a Ravenel town council member. Now he is the author of the book "The Legendary Florida A&M University Marching Band: The History of “The Hundred.” In this special edition of 'Quintin's Close-Ups', I speak exclusively with him, one-on-one.
RAVENEL, South Carolina -- Author Curtis Inabinett, Jr., dedicated himself for a seven-year period and delivers the undeniable story of the Legendary Florida A & M University Marching Band. Inabinett’s extraordinary biographical display of words, vividly paints an illustrative mind’s eye view of the famous band from 1946 to 2015, leaving no stones unturned in his quest to deliver the truth.
Released on November 10, 2016, this 296-page 8 by 10 full color book is filled with facts that will instill in readers why ‘The Hundred’ has survived as one of the top marching bands in America. Inabinett tells the story of Dr. William P. Foster, the band’s creator, and how he overcame racism while an undergraduate music major student at the University of Kansas in the early 1940’s. This heartfelt message reveals the power of god and perseverance, and is a must read for all lovers of marching bands, but not only that, Inabinett explores the down side of hazing in marching bands, and how ‘The Hundred’ came back to prominence after a self-imposed suspension in 2012 for a hazing death within its famed band.
Inabinett, who has never formally studied journalism, was awarded the first annual ‘2015 – 2016 Alyce Hunley Whayne Award’ for his book manuscript of ‘The Hundred,’ and spent one week in December of 2015 at the University of Kansas’ Kenneth Spencer Research Library completing research for this book.
The book can be ‘order purchased’ at all Barns & Noble, and Books A Million retail stores. On-line purchases can be made at Page Publishing. You can also purchase eBooks through Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, ITunes, and Amazon.
Media interviews for Curtis Inabinett, Jr., can be secured by contacting Page Publishing at media@pagepublishing.com or by calling 866-315-2708.
DALLAS, Texas — Xavier University of Louisiana outscored Dallas Christian in every quarter and rolled to a 78-42 women's basketball victory Saturday.
Freshman guard Jalyn Hodge, who lives in the Dallas suburb of Plano, Texas, led the Gold Nuggets (8-6) with 11 points. She reached double figures for the first time since XULA's opener.
XULA has won five of its last six games.
Angelle Simon scored a career-high-tying nine points for XULA. Mikayla Bates, Bianca Brown, Kelsee Singleton and Maya Trench scored eight points apiece.
Breana Stoner scored 10 points for the Lady Crusaders (4-9).
XULA produced its largest winning margin on an opponent's floor since an 84-34 victory at Barber-Scotia on Nov. 29, 2002. XULA outscored DCC 39-21 in both halves and produced its largest-ever third-quarter scoring margin, 19-6.
"We had been off 15 days, and I thought we played pretty well at times," XULA coach Bo Browder said. "We're still a work in progress. I was pleased with our post play, and we'll be looking for that same kind of production in the second half of the season."
The Gold Nuggets will stay in Dallas and visit Paul Quinn at 2 p.m. Monday. The Nuggets' next home game will start at 3 p.m. Saturday against Tougaloo in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opener at the Convocation Center.
MIAMI SHORES, Fla. — Xavier University of Louisiana, in its sixth game of the men's basketball season against a ranked opponent, lost 96-68 Saturday to Barry.
Leland Alexander scored 11 points, Donovan Armstrong 10 and Seth Jackson nine for the Gold Rush (3-9). Alexander was 5-of-6 from the floor, 4-of-4 in the second half, reached double-figure points for the fifth time this season and had a career-high three steals. Armstrong did not commit a turnover
Continuing his perfect shooting was XULA's Elex Carter, who was 2-of-2 from the floor and is 7-of-7 in the last three games. At 1:42 of the first half, he made the first 3-point attempt of his collegiate career.
The Buccaneers (10-1), No. 10 in the NCAA Division II media rankings and No. 12 in the coaches poll, had five double-figure scorers. Adrian Gonzalez had 17 points, Elvar Fridriksson 14, Arie Williams and Sawyer Glick 12 apiece and Evan Walshe 11. Fridriksson had 10 of Barry's 25 assists.
XULA had runs to start both periods, outscoring Barry 7-2 in the first 3 1/2 minutes and 5-0 to open the second half.
Barry outshot XULA 65.4 to 47.4 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Gold Rush 32-20. XULA had 12 steals, one fewer than its season best, and Carter had three steals to equal his career high.
XULA will stay in Florida to play Concordia (Canada) Monday and Keiser Tuesday in Keiser's Chuck Daly Classic at West Palm Beach. Starting time both days will be 7 p.m. EST. The next Gold Rush home game will start at 5 p.m. Saturday against Tougaloo in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opener at the Convocation Center. BOX SCORE
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- There’s a feeling you get when talking to Kienus Boulware of Winston-Salem State that his work is not done even though he’s been successful through his first three seasons as a head coach.
Boulware was taking a big leap following in the footsteps of Connell Maynor after the 2013 season. It was Maynor who helped deliver promise after promise about just how good the Rams’ program could be.
When Boulware was elevated from defensive coordinator to head coach, there were skeptics. Boulware is understated, but it’s obvious the right choice was made, and the Rams appear to be trending upward again.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see them back in the Division-II Top 25 next season. They are coming off a 9-3 season in which they won another CIAA title and received a berth to the Division II playoffs, the first for Boulware as a head coach. Boulware also landed a three-year contract extension that will keep him here through the 2020 season.
With a comforting fact that the administration loves what Boulware is doing, it gives the program an even bigger boost of confidence.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump will include a parade composed of 8,000 marchers from 40 organizations including the military, veterans groups and law enforcement, as well as the Boy Scouts of America.
The Presidential Inaugural Committee announced in a release Friday the list of groups that will march in the parade following the Jan. 20 inauguration of the 45th president. All branches of the military will be represented, as will a number of high school and college marching bands.
According to the Presidential Inaugural Committee, participants include: Talladega College Band - Talladega, Alabama
HOUSTON, Texas -- The writing on the wall was too much to ignore for Texas Southern's Derrick Griffin. The dual-sport phenom announced his next step by leaving the Texas Southern men's basketball team to declare for the NFL Draft.
Griffin was a member of the TSU football team before being dismissed in September for breaking team rules, but he was still eligible to play basketball this season.
He signed with veteran NFL agent James "Bus" Cook, who has had notable clients like Brett Favre, Randy Moss, Calvin Johnson, Jay Cutler and Russell Wilson. Griffin plans to continue taking classes in addition to training for a Pro Day and a hopeful invite to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
"It was time for me to go," Griffin said. "Too many signs. I've been waiting on it."
Griffin, a 6-7, 240-pound wide receiver for the Tigers, caught seven passes for 115 yards a touchdown in two games this season. In 2015, he caught 36 passes for 713 yards and 11 touchdowns – all team-highs.
In basketball, Griffin was the SWAC Player of the Year last year as the only player in the SWAC to average a double-double in conference play with 13 points and 11 rebounds per game.
DALLAS, Texas — Xavier University of Louisiana opened a four-game men's basketball trip Thursday with a 50-47 loss to Paul Quinn.
Freshmen Donovan Armstrong and Mike Williams, playing in their home state, scored seven points apiece to lead the Gold Rush (3-8). Chris Ward grabbed a game- and career-high 10 rebounds, and Wesley Pluviose-Philip had a season-best nine rebounds.
Jalen Johnson scored 11 points for the Tigers (2-12), and SirPatrick Reynolds and Jesse Williams scored 10 apiece. Williams grabbed nine rebounds.
XULA led 21-20 at halftime. There were 10 ties and 14 lead changes. XULA missed a 3-pointer on its final possession.
Both defenses were effective. Paul Quinn shot 28.1 percent from the floor — the lowest by a XULA opponent this season — but the Tigers also allowed their fewest points in a game in the last 14 seasons.
XULA shot 37.8 percent from the floor and a season-low 47.6 percent (10-of-21) from the line. The Gold Rush committed 26 turnovers, and XULA's minus-17 turnover margin was its widest since February 2011.
Paul Quinn beat XULA for the first time in their last 13 meetings. The Gold Rush lead the series 17-4, including a 92-73 victory Dec. 1 at XULA.
XULA will play its next three games in Florida. The Gold Rush will play Barry — ranked 10th and 12th in the NCAA Division II polls — at 4 p.m. EST Saturday. Then the Rush will play a pair of games in Keiser's Chuck Daly Classic: 5 p.m. Monday against Concordia (Canada) and 7 p.m. Tuesday against Keiser, No. 23 in NAIA Division II. The next XULA home game will start at 5 p.m. Jan. 7 against Tougaloo. BOX SCORE
ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina -- When Earnest Wilson was tabbed as the new football coach at Elizabeth City State back in February, there was some skepticism.
Wilson, who had spent the previous three season at FCS program Savannah State, was only able to produce a 2-32 record in his first head coaching job.
The coach was able to make his mark in his first season leading the Vikings as ECSU fell a game short of playing for a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association title in November.
ECSU’s success on the gridiron led to Wilson to be named the CIAA Coach of the Year.
The process to hire Wilson took months following the dismissal of former football coach Waverly Tillar in November 2015.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M University is realizing a 30-percent increase in admitted freshmen as of mid-December over this time last year.
William Hudson, vice president for student affairs, also said FAMU has received about an 18 percent increase in freshmen applications compared to last fall.
“For summer 2017 applications, we are seeing approximately a 28 percent increase in freshman applications over last year, and an approximate 29 percent increase in admitted freshman students over last year,” he added.
Hudson said the university expects to continue to see an increase this spring, as students work to meet the May 1 deadline.
“We continue to recruit with a laser focus and have had strong turnouts at our recent recruitment events, such as those held in Atlanta last week and Orlando last month,” Hudson said. “The Orlando recruitment fair attracted thousands of students, and we had a full house at our Atlanta recruitment program.” CONTINUE READING
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- There’s a plan in place for Florida A&M’s athletic department to repay its $7 million deficit, but there are already a few bumps in what’s expected to be a long road.
According to a preliminary chart shown to Board of Trustees members in September, the plan is for the FAMU Foundation to pay $681,833.29 over three years toward the deficit. After that, the Foundation will make yearly payments of $269,593.54 with FAMU’s athletic department making increasing yearly payments until the deficit is paid in full.
In total, the repayment will take 12 years.
The plan calls for some prudent spending by FAMU athletics. Part of Athletic Director Milton Overton Jr.’s corrective action plan to ensure FAMU doesn’t fall further into debt is to use just 75 percent of the department’s annual budget.
In that regard, the FAMU has already hit a snag. As of Dec. 1, the department has a projected $6,981,759 in encumbrances and expenses, which represents 78.12 percent of the $8,937,500 budget. Plus, the athletic department's revenue is projected to fall $651,724 short of that number. CONTINUE READING
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Earl “The Pearl” Monroe says he’ll never forget the best championship he ever won.
“There’s no doubt that title we won at Winston was my highlight,” said Monroe, the leader of Winston-Salem State’s march to the Division II national championship in the 1966-67 season. “You know why it was so special? It was special because of the guys with me and the guy coaching us (the late Clarence ‘Big House’ Gaines).”
Monroe, now 72, won an NBA championship with the New York Knicks in 1973. But his best memories in the game of basketball came his senior season when the Rams went 31-1 on their way to the school’s lone national championship.
That it’s been 50 years is something that Monroe says he knows all too well.
“My knees tell me it’s definitely been 50 years,” he said by telephone recently from his home in New York.
Those aching knees and Monroe are expected to be on hand in February in Winston-Salem when an athletic fundraiser will be held to highlight the anniversary of that special season. Monroe and the late Cleo Hill, two of the most dynamic players in school history, will also have their numbers retired again.
GAMBRILLS, Maryland -- The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) and all other HBCU football standouts -- past and present -- will have the opportunity to showcase their talents for Canadian Football League and Arena Football League scouts at a free agent tryout sponsored by Supreme Sports and Entertainment. The tryout is set for Jan, 21, 2017 in Gambrills, Maryland (Anne Arundel County) at the API Training Center. Representatives from the Montreal Alouettes and Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL, and representatives from the AFL's Tampa Bay Storm are set to be on hand. Various strength and agility drills will take place. Cost to attend is $100 if you register online, and $140 at the door. Interested parties can sign up at http://www.supremese.com/wp/event. . For more information, contact info@supremese.com Canadian Football League Tryout Informational Flyer
JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri -- Lincoln head football coach Steven Smith announced four additions to his staff.
Jefferson City native Phil Pitts has joined the Blue Tigers as the defensive coordinator while his brother Andy will be the defensive backs coach. Rodricel Williams has joined the program as the special teams coordinator and running backs coach while Damien Goosby is the new defensive line coach.
Phil Pitts was the head coach at Helias High from 2011-2014, winning four district championships while posting a 40-15 overall record. Pitts coached 20 all-state players, including one All-American, and led the Crusaders to the state title game twice. Pitts, who was named the Missouri Sportswriters State Head Coach of the Year in 2012, additionally earned four district head coach of the year awards and guided the Crusaders to a top-10 finish in the state four times.
Following his tenure at Helias, Pitts joined the University of Missouri as a defensive analyst and helped the Tigers finish second in the nation in tackles for loss, seventh in both scoring defense and passing yards allowed and ninth in total defense. After the retirement of Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel, Pitts became the head coach at Central High in St. Joseph, Mo., and coached 16 all-conference players, including the conference player of the year, this fall.
Andy Pitts spent this fall as a defensive backs assistant at Northwest Missouri and, on Saturday (Dec. 17), helped the Bearcats win the NCAA Division II national title. Pitts coached with his brother at Helias from 2011-14, serving as the defensive coordinator for a program that set single-season records for sacks (44) and interceptions (22). Over the course of three of those seasons, the Crusaders' defense forced at least one turnover in 33-straight games. Pitts additionally served as the cornerbacks coach at St. Thomas in 2015, helping the program finish with a 14-1 record.
Williams has four years of experience coaching in Tennessee and Florida, including serving as an assistant as ASA Miami in 2015. Williams helped the Silver Storm post an 8-2 record that included five shutouts. Williams previously was a head coach with the Green Dot Charter Schools in Memphis, Tenn.
Goosby spent the last two seasons coaching the defensive line with Smith at Albany State, and directed a unit that led the SIAC, and finished ranked in the top-10 nationally, in each season. Goosby coached a two-time All-American and helped Albany State finish third in the conference in sacks and fourth in rushing defense.
Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations LINCOLN UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
