Arrest made in Alabama A&M football player shooting

An arrest was made in the shooting death of an Alabama A&M football player.

According to the Birmingham News, police arrested and charged Terry Towns with murder and attempted murder. He's accused of shooting Alabama A&M football standout Maurice Thomas and injuring two others. The shooting happened last Friday inside a night club in Bessemer. Police say it started as a fight.

Towns, a 34 year old black male booked on July 3, was being held Friday night on bonds totaling $195,000, according to the Jefferson County (AL) Sheriff's Office. The shootings occurred on July 2, 2010.

Family and friends held a candlelight vigil outside Thomas' visitation Friday night. They leaned on each other for support while remembering the life of Thomas. His cousin said Thomas was more like a brother to her. She remembered when she learned about his death.

The funeral for the 23 year old Thomas will be held at Roosevelt City Church of Christ in Bessemer. Saturday morning.

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Grambling State 50, Mississippi Valley State 7

Grambling plays complete game in homecoming victory over Valley

GRAMBLING, LA -- Quarterback Greg Dillon was a threat through the air and on the ground, and the Grambling defense turned in a dominating performance as the Tigers beat Mississippi Valley State 50-7 on Saturday. Dillon was the driving force behind a GSU offense that piled up 446 yards of total offense. The Grambling defense matched Dillon's effort, holding the Delta Devils to 145 yards of total offense and just six first downs. Ari Johnson gave Grambling an early 6-0 lead with field goals from 22 and 33 yards out. Then Dillon went to work, finding Van Phillips for a nine-yard score and Larry Donnell for a 3-yard score that gave the Tigers a 19-0 lead with a minute to go before halftime.

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Grambling you cam
Grambling halftime show
Miss Valley vs Grambling

Healed up, Grambling quarterback Greg Dillon is looking like old self again

GRAMBLING, LA -- Now that's the Greg Dillon we've come to expect. Grambling's star quarterback -- plagued with turnover problems and injuries in the first half of the season -- returned to form on Saturday, accounting for four touchdowns in the Tigers 50-7 demolition of Mississippi Valley State. Dillon injured his ankle in a Week 4 loss to Oklahoma State, but after a bye week that allowed him to get back to full strength, he looked like the Greg Dillon of old -- the one who earned MVP honors in the 2008 Bayou Classic and the 2008 SWAC Championship game, and led the conference in passing efficiency.

GSU struggling in the red zone

Grambling is still learning how to finish drives. Even in its most recent win, at Alabama State, the Tigers had notable troubles scoring despite making it to the opponent's side of the field. "We've got to start putting points on the board," said Grambling coach Rod Broadway. "We're getting down there and kicking field goals. You can't win a lot of times kicking field goals from inside the 20-yard line. We've got to get that corrected." GSU has scored touchdowns on 13 of 24 trips inside the 20-yard line this season, settling for field goals 9 times, and turning the ball over twice. Back 10- or 15-yards further out, and the numbers nosedive.

Attendance: 10,425@Robinson Stadium, Grambling, LA

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Washington Named Prairie View A.D.

Retaining Cooper-Dyke Top Priority

Fred Washington takes over as the permanent athletics director at Prairie View A&M after serving for 11 months as the interim. Washington replaced Charles McClelland when he left for a similar position at Texas Southern University. "I was originally going to continue as the interim athletics director until Aug. 31, 2009," Washington said in an interview with FOX 26 Sports. "After meeting with Dr. Wright (school president George Wright) I agreed to continue as the athletics director on a full-time basis and we don't have an end date on it.

"I've been really satisfied with the the coaching staff that we have and the commitment that we have from the university and from the Texas A & M system that we are a part of." Panthers athletics has achieved unprecedented success on Washington's watch. Head Coach Henry Frazier led Prairie View's football team to a 9-1 record in 2008, the school's finest season in 50 years.

In women's basketball Head Coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke has the Lady Panthers in first place in the SWAC and in position to capture their third consecutive league championship. In 2007, in just her second year on the job, Cooper-Dyke led the Lady Panthers to their first winning season in school history, a share of the conference title, and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

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JSU gets scare, but holds off feisty Alcorn

Ernest Jones, the first-year Alcorn coach, promised a program-defining victory over Jackson State. He missed on the noun, but he just might have been correct on the adjective. Alcorn didn't get the victory, but the Braves might have defined their program before an announced crowd of 33,005 on an absolutely pristine day for football at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. Trailing 26-0 with five minutes to go in the third quarter, Alcorn scared the stripes off the JSU Tigers, losing 26-21 and throwing into the end zone for the potential winning score in the last minute.

"Thank God," JSU coach Rick Comegy said with a heavy sigh afterward. "That was way too close at the end." Give Alcorn credit. The Braves came into the game at 2-9 and having lost four straight. JSU came in, as SWAC East champions, having won five straight and headed to play an undetermined opponent for the league championship in three weeks.

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Attendance: 33,005 - Capital City Classic @ Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, Jackson, MS

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JSU Tigers in party mood after clinching SWAC East

JSU earns chance to defend its SWAC title with fifth straight victory

First it was head coach Rick Comegy. Next was defensive coordinator Darrin Hayes. They even snuck up on running backs coach Greg Ruffin. Three tubs of celebratory ice water on a brisk Mississippi evening didn't seem the least bit excessive. Jackson State clinched its second consecutive trip to the SWAC Championship Game with a 37-21 victory over Alabama A&M (4-7, 3-3) on Saturday.

"I was wondering why they wanted my headset so quick," Comegy said. "I had a slight inkling something was about to happen. But they fool you out of it. "It was 'exuberating,' but I hope I don't catch a cold from it." The scene that played out on the turf of Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium was equal parts relief and I-told-you-so. A small group huddled on the sideline shouting, "We're goin' to the 'ship, we're goin' to the 'ship!"

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Attendance: 9,046 at Missisissippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, Jackson, MS.

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Southern Jags Return to SWAC Play vs. Prairie View A&M Panthers

Coach Pete Richardson and Southern University face a defensively strong Prairie View A&M team in the "Battle of the Cats" at Houston's Reliant Stadium this Saturday.

Watch SU Jaguars video

By: SU Sports Information Dept.

The "Big Cat" Showdown reaches into the state of Texas this weekend, as Southern takes on Prairie View A&M in Houston in a Western Division showdown.

While the Jaguars come in at 4-3 overall, they are 3-0 in conference play, with wins over Alcorn State, Jackson State, and Texas Southern. Southern has one of the most explosive offenses in the nation, scoring at least 32 points in five of seven games this season, including outputs of 35, 45, and 49 points this month alone.

QB Bryant Lee, the SWAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, has combined for 13 touchdowns in October (7 passing, 6 rushing). The Jaguars are ninth in the nation in total offense (442.1 yards per game), 10th in passing offense (283.7 ypg), and 15th in passing efficiency (149.4 rating). Southern has thrown 16 touchdown passes to just four interceptions.

Prairie View A&M comes in to Saturday's tilt with a 6-1 record, 2-1 in SWAC play. Defense is the bread and butter of the Panthers, who have posted two shutouts this season, including a 15-0 road win last week at the Univ. Arkansas-Pine Bluff. In addition, the Panthers have allowed more than 17 points just once this season. LB Zach East, the reigning SWAC Defensive Player of the Year and 2008 winner of the Preseason Award, anchors the unit that leads the nation in scoring defense (13.1 points per game), total defense (192.1 yards per game), and is fourth in both passing defense (137.1 ypg), and pass efficiency defense (95.42 rating). The Panthers have allowed just six touchdown passes this season while picking off 11 passes.

Southern is looking to keep pace with Grambling State in the West race. The Tigers gave the Panthers' their lone loss this season and need a win to stay in the hunt. Last season, Southern's defense proved to be the difference in a 12-2 win. In the last meeting in Houston in 2006, however, Prairie View earned its first win over Southern since 1971. Reliant Stadium will be the site for this Wild West matchup.

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Substance trumps style in Grambling's victory

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Alabama State vs Grambling
Grambling halftime show, 10/18
Grambling you cam, 10/18

GRAMBLING, LA — For pure entertainment and instant gratification at a Grambling State football game this season, the halftime show is still your best bet. Watching the football team perform requires more patience for a Grambling fan. Stick around for the end result though and you're bound to go home satisfied with the final result. "A win is a win," Grambling's Jeffrey Jack said. "As long as we keep winning and have a chance at a championship — I'm happy."

Grambling won its fifth game in a row Saturday afternoon, beating Alabama State 27-7 at sun-splashed Robinson Stadium. The large, bustling homecoming crowd might be hard pressed to recall many signature moments in the contest, but they left knowing their team knocked off yet another Southwestern Athletic Conference foe. "That's a good win," Grambling coach Rod Broadway said. "I'll say it once and I'll say it again — all wins are good wins and I'll take it." Broadway isn't concerned with style points right now. If this team were tailgating fare, it would be red beans and rice — hearty and filling.

GSU head football coach Rod Broadway

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Attendance: 16,974 (86.6%) at Robinson Stadium, Grambling, LA (Capacity: 19,600).

Season Record: GSU 6-2, 3-0 SWAC; ASU 1-5, 0-3 SWAC.

Southern Jags put it on JSU Tigers

Photo Gallery: SU 35, JSU 28

The aisles suddenly filled inside Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium with just under 14 minutes in the fourth quarter Saturday.The movement wasn't a surprise; Jackson State fans had seen this before. With the Tigers trailing by nine points and trying to rally against Southern, quarterback Tray Rutland threw his eighth interception of the year, including three in the final quarter of the last two games.

Brake lights soon littered Woodrow Wilson Avenue as the misery continued for those in blue and white. A massive announced crowd of 42,513 watched JSU lose its SWAC opener 35-28 to Southern University. "We didn't play well at all tonight, at all," JSU coach Rick Comegy said. "We just have to go back and find out why we're not playing the type of football (we should). That's the bottom line.

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Half-Time Shows JSU Sonic Boom of the South vs. SU Human Jukebox Marching Band
Jackson State University Marching Band

Southern University Marching Band


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ATTENDANCE: 42,513 (70.8%)at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, Jackson, MS (Capacity: 60,042).

Classics fill SWAC's void of money games

Big-money football games are becoming a necessity for Jackson State, which uses the revenue from several games to fund a big chunk of its $6 million athletic department budget. After JSU won its first Southwestern Athletic Conference championship since 1996 last season, it was chosen to play Hampton in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge to open the 2008 season. Athletic director Bob Braddy said the game yielded about $300,000 before expenses.

The Tigers play Tennessee State in the Southern Heritage Classic in Memphis on Saturday for a $300,000 payout. And the Capital City Classic, an annual November game that pits JSU against Alcorn in Jackson, will produce revenues of about $250,000 per team, said Braddy.

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Jackson State beats Stillman 17-7

PHOTO GALLERY:JSU vs. Stillman College

The switch-em-up rotating unit that is the Jackson State offensive line trotted out Saturday with yet another version — still looking for the perfect match. The first group looked lined up in the 17-7 win over Stillman with (from left tackle to right tackle) Mikael Harshaw, Michael Odister, William Davis, Terrael Williams and Talon Boudreaux. The results were better than the season opening loss, but still could still use some improvement.

“As a unit as a whole, we did all right,” Harshaw said. “Shuffling guys in and out, we still have to find our solid line to start with so we can roll with. “That’s what you have to do to find the best five.” The group opened gaping holes that allowed running back Bloi-Dei Dorzan to rush for 111 yards. And Stillman only accounted for one quarterback hurry and three sacks.

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Attendance: 7,950 (13%) @ Veterans Memorial Stadium, Jackson, MS (Capacity: 60,492)

JSU coach satisfied both units know basic packages

Jackson State installed the rest of its offensive and defensive packages during the first two-a-day of training camp Wednesday, coach Rick Comegy said. The Tigers used the 9 a.m. session to put the last of the plays in and the 4 p.m. session to rehash them. "The kids caught on real fast," Comegy said. "Now what we can do is review the review. There's nothing else that needs to go in. We have the package in.

"The only thing we have left is game-planning wrinkles we want to make against the opponent." The Tigers plan to begin specific preparation for the Aug. 31 season opener against Hampton on Monday. JSU will scrimmage Saturday and then be able to solidify a first- and second-string.

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JSU cranks it up under Comegy's watchful eye

The Jackson State football team kicked off its first practice of the 2008 season Monday with an hour and a half evening practice, starting at 7:45 p.m. The players wore helmets and shorts. The workout mainly concentrated on special teams work, but also contained a good amount of individual drills.

"Just want to get them out there thinking football," JSU coach Rick Comegy said. "See how quickly they adjust. ... See the thinking process, especially the younger guys. "There's always talent evaluation, but you can't really tell. ... This at least gives us an inkling."

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