JCSU victorious on homecoming 26-19 over Virginia Union

Charlotte, North Carolina – The Johnson C. Smith University football team defeated Virginia Union University 26-19 on Saturday afternoon inside the Irwin Belk Complex during their homecoming contest. JCSU improves to 4-3 overall and 3-1 in the CIAA; while the Panthers drop to 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the conference.

The Golden Bulls continue to make new history this season. Head coach Steven Aycock has already picked up four wins just seven games into the year. JCSU had not produced a plus three-win season since 2006; they finished 7-4 in the standings. That season was also marked the last time Johnson C. Smith had been 3-1 in the CIAA.

Aycock earns his first career victory against Virginia Union and their head coach Michael Bailey in his third season (1-2). This is also the first homecoming win for Aycock. Johnson C. Smith is 3-0 at home this year.

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ECSU Vikings win triple overtime thriller, 43-41 over Virginia Union

RICHMOND, Virginia -- It took three extra sessions however the Elizabeth City State University Vikings shook off a bye week's worth of rust to top Virginia Union University at their Homecoming 43-41 in a triple overtime win Saturday at Hovey Field.

In tailback Daronte McNeill, the Panthers saw no effects of ECSU's week off. True to form, McNeill torched the Panther defense for 235 (233 net) yards on 41 carries and a career best 4 touchdowns.

After the Vikings took a 41-35 lead on the first possession of the third overtime via a 9-yard rushing score by Kevin Swain, McNeill broke the goal line for a two-point conversion which proved to be the winning score margin.

By himself, McNeill gained one more yard than the entire Virginia Union rushing output.

For the most part, the ECSU defense kept the Panthers at bay on Saturday giving up only 232 yards of total offense. The Viking offense finished the day with a season high of 524 yards overall on 94 plays from scrimmage.

The Panther's Richard Rodwell got his only touchdown of the afternoon in the final overtime, but his follow-up rush for the two point conversion to force a 4th overtime failed and the Vikings escaped with the win.

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Chowan Hawks Hurt by Turnovers, Fall to Virginia Union 43-29

RICHMOND, Virginia – Chowan University could not overcome six turnovers against Virginia Union University, as they fell to the Panthers 43-29 on Saturday. The Hawks fall to 1-4 on the season (0-3 in CIAA play), and VUU is now 4-2.

The Panthers totaled 479 yards of total offense, much of which was aided by Chowan miscues. After Virginia Union scored on their first offensive drive, they forced a fumble on Chowan's first play from scrimmage. Chowan forced a Panther punt, however, to thwart their drive.

The Hawks began their next possession on their own four yard line, following the punt. Again, on the first play of the drive, Virginia Union stopped Hawks running back JR Williams in the end zone for a safety. With 9:36 left in the first quarter, VUU owned an 8-0 lead.

The Chowan defense picked up as the quarter went on, and David Fulton intercepted a VUU pass with 5:11 remaining in the first quarter. Four plays later, Adrian Ferns found the end zone to bring the score to 8-6. Chowan's attempt at the two-point conversion failed.

On Virginia Union's next drive, quarterback Cheston Hickman rushed it in from 52 yards out to extend their lead to 15-6. They again struck on their next drive, going 46 yards on six plays. 45 seconds into the second quarter, the Panthers had a 22-6 lead.

The Hawks responded later in the second quarter, as Patrick Charles took Chowan's second interception to the VUU 42 yard line. Three plays later, freshman quarterback Jordan Roby found Robert Holland in the end zone to bring the score to 22-14.

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WSSU storms past Virginia Union 67-16

Coach Connell Maynor

RICHMOND, Va. -- Winston-Salem State had its own version of an air show Saturday night in a dominating 67-16 victory over Virginia Union. The Rams, opening up their explosive offense early and often, were clicking on all cylinders while the Panthers (2-1) were left to wonder what happened.

Quarterback Kameron Smith of the Rams opened the game with six straight passes. But when he wasn't moving the offense through the air, he handed off to running back Nic Cooper. Smith completed 15 of 28 passes for 238 yards and four touchdowns. Cooper had his second straight 100-yard game rushing with 113 yards on 12 carries, scoring two touchdowns.

The Rams (2-0) had just a 20-3 lead at halftime, but it turned into a laugher in the second half.

"I wanted triple digits," said center Markus Lawrence, who helped the Rams rack up 493 yards of offense. "If they weren't ready to play, that's their fault. We were ready to play."

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WSSU Maynor wants fewer mistakes

Richmond, VA - To make a solid run at the CIAA title, Winston-Salem State will have to get more disciplined. That much was evident last week in the season opener, a sloppy 22-17 victory over Elizabeth City State. The Rams had 11 penalties and several mental errors and looked out of sorts for most of the game.

Coach Connell Maynor of WSSU said he hopes today's 7 p.m. game at Virginia Union (2-0) will be different.

"It's a little disappointing," said Maynor, referring to his team's 399 yards of offense and only three touchdowns last week. "We had a lot of penalties that killed our drives. I always tell the guys other teams can't stop us, but we can only stop ourselves, and it was a classic case of that."

The Rams went backward several times at key points because ...

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Virginia Union weathers storm, Saint Augustine's in opener

Richmond, Virginia - The wind gusted violently from north to south, shaking the bleachers and whistling across the field. The sideways rain felt like pushpins against the skin. The American flag flapped mercilessly from side to side and looked as if it would rip from its pole. And yet, a football game was played at Virginia Union.

What was billed as "The only game in town" became maybe the only game on the East Coast, which was hit Saturday by Hurricane Irene. Despite some of the worst conditions imaginable, the game went on, and Virginia Union defeated Saint Augustine's 12-0 at Hovey Field.

"We knew there'd be rain," VUU coach Michael Bailey said. "But you don't stop football for rain. You stop it for lightning and tornadoes. That wasn't in the picture, so we felt like we could get it in. This wasn't the first time we've played in rain."

Bailey, who also serves as Union's athletic director, said he made a joint decision with VUU President Claude Perkins to proceed with the game. Saint Augustine's coach Michael Costa didn't object.

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Div. II schools scoff in Irene’s general direction, open 2011 season

Richmond, VA - What, you thought a lil’ ol’ hurricane that’s already claimed the lives of at least eight people as of this posting was going to stop a pair of schools in its path from getting their season-opening football on?

Rain-soaked, wind-swept child please.

Just as the leading edge of Hurricane Irene was making its way into the state of Virginia early Saturday afternoon, Div. II schools Virginia Union and Saint Augustine’s were scheduled to kick off their 2011 season. And, of course, they decided to go ahead and play the opener as scheduled.

And, of course, the game was slightly affected by the weather conditions.

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Virginia Union University Panther Profile - Week 1

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10th Annual Palmetto Capital City Classic - BC vs. VUU

Columbia, SC - Benedict College will kick off the 2011 season Saturday, September 3, when it hosts Virginia Union in the 10th annual Palmetto Capital City Classic.

Kickoff is set for 5:00 p.m. at Charlie W. Johnson Stadium.

Benedict is coming off a 5-6 season, but the Tigers rallied to that finish after starting off the year 0-4. Head coach Stan Conner says a win to start off the new year would be tangible evidence that the team's hot finish to 2010 had carried over into 2011.

The events leading up to the game include a golf tournament, high school band challenge, pre-game parade featuring high school and college bands, a gospel concert and a game-day concert.

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VISIT: PALMETTO CAPITAL CITY CLASSIC

Livingstone Blue Bears Advance to CIAA Semi-Finals in Thrilling 59-58 Upset Victory Over Virginia Union

CHARLOTTE, NC – For only the second time in school history the Livingstone men’s basketball has advanced to the semifinals of the 2011 CIAA Basketball Tournament after a thrilling 59-58 upset victory over the Panthers of Virginia Union University, the second-seeded team out of the CIAA’s Northern Division.

“This win says a lot about our program with a victory over a team like Virginia Union,” CIAA Coach of the Year James Stinson said. “It shows our players that we are not second-rate to anyone.”

Livingstone, the third seed out of the Southern Division, advances to Friday’s semifinals against the winner of the Winston-Salem State/Fayetteville State contest. The semifinal contest is scheduled for a 9 p.m. tip on Friday at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, NC. This is Livingstone’s first trip to the semi-finals since 1998.

Livingstone Shocks VUU in CIAA Tourney 59-58

Virginia Union University's Braxton Byerson scored 21 points while teammate Gregory Redford grabbed 11 rebounds, but Livingstone College downed VUU 59-58 in the quarterfinals of the 2011 CIAA Tournament on March 3 in the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, N.C.

The loss ended VUU's season and gave the Panthers a final record of 15-9.

VUU trailed by 10 at halftime, 39-29, but fought back in the second half to take a three-point lead with 1:15 left in the game, but Livingstone was able to hit the shots to win the game.

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CIAA Tournament: McCaffity steps up for Saint Augustine's Falcons

Falcons 6-2 Freshman F/C Umeka Benson

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Saint Augustine's College has relied on seniors Allison Sikes and Le'Kiesha White all season, but it was another senior who helped the Falcons win their first-round game in the CIAA women's basketball tournament Monday afternoon.

Crystal McCaffity scored 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting, including a perfect 4-for-4 from the 3-point line, in a 69-53 victory over Virginia Union at Time Warner Cable Arena. Freshman forward Umeka Benson, the CIAA rookie of the year, added 13 points and 13 rebounds. Benson, who came off the bench, was named Food Lion MVP of the game.

The victory sends the Lady Falcons (18-10 overall), the No. 4 Southern Division seed, to Tuesday's quarterfinal round. They face Elizabeth City State, the top Northern Division seed, at 7 p.m. The Lady Falcons defeated the Lady Vikings in their only matchup 69-64 on Jan. 20 in Elizabeth City, N.C.

Saint Augustine’s College beats Virginia Union in CIAA first round

Senior guard Crystal McCaffity from Havelock, NC led the Lady Falcons of Saint Augustine’s College over Virginia Union University 69-53 in the first round of the CIAA Tournament. McCaffity scored 14 points to lead the Lady Falcons.

Saint Augustine’s College maintained control of the game and only trailed once to Virginia Union University in the game. The Lady Falcons led at halftime 32-20.

Charlotte native and CIAA Rookie of the Year, Umeka Benson added 13 points and 13 rebounds for the Lady Falcons in their victory. Her efforts won Benson the Food Lion MVP of the Game honor.

Photo Gallery: 2011 CIAA Basketball: Opening Day 

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Oakley likes to listen, then he makes his point

Don't let the touch of gray in Charles Oakley's hair lead you to think he's going soft. "Everybody that knows Oak knows how he is. He only knows one way - tough," Charlotte Bobcats center Kwame Brown says. "That's how he played. That's how he is as a man. He's straightforward and in your face."

Oakley might be 47 years old now - eight years removed from his NBA playing career - but the toughness that defined him remains. It's one of the reasons he was called to join coach Paul Silas' staff as an assistant after Larry Brown was fired.

The thick, muscular 6-foot-9 frame that was instantly recognizable to a generation of NBA fans remains.


Videographer: ESNEWS
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WSSU wears down Virginia Union

RICHMOND, Va. -- As Andrew Jackson and the rest of the his Winston-Salem State teammates skipped into the locker room after dispatching Virginia Union 59-54 Saturday night, they couldn't help but brag.

"We are deep," Jackson said as he high-fived a bystander. And the rest of the Rams agreed as their solid 10-man rotation wore down the Panthers. The Rams got 17 points from Shelton Carter, who had one of his better games of the season, and 14 more from Jackson as they picked apart a zone defense that usually is one of the CIAA's best.

The Panthers (3-4, 1-1 CIAA) employ an extended 2-3 zone to make teams shoot over them, but the Rams penetrated it at key times and never were really threatened after building an 11-point lead at halftime.

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Globetrotters helped shape VUU history

In March 1941, Virginia Union scheduled a game against the Harlem Globetrotters. What followed was one of the most devastating losses in Union history, and the repercussions still can be felt today.

Before 1947, Virginia Union didn't have its own basketball court. The Panthers played at either the Municipal Recreation Center or on the stage of the Richmond Landmark Theatre, then known as The Mosque. They didn't have a bus, either. Fans would drive players from campus to the court, watch them play and drive them back.

The Belgian Building, the current home of Virginia Union's basketball team, wasn't built in Richmond. It was constructed in 1939 for the New York World's Fair. The federal government awarded the building to VUU in 1941.



Harlem Globetrotters true to their name

The worst trip Hi Rise Brown ever endured went from Dubai to London to New York to Miami to Brazil to Argentina. The journey lasted 37 hours. "Everyone got their bags except me," Hi Rise said.

Just as the name suggests, a big part of being a Harlem Globetrotter is traveling to all corners of the earth. Hi Rise, a 6-5 forward from the Chicago area, has flown on a Blackhawk helicopter in Iraq and walked on the Great Wall of China.

In their 84 years, the Globetrotters have visited 120 countries. Handles Franklin, a 6-1 guard from Harrisburg, Pa., has been to more than 50 countries in his four years as a Globetrotter.



Link: Photo gallery - Globetrotters in Richmond

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Virginia State Trojans turn the table on Virginia Union Panthers

RICHMOND, VA - The Virginia State University football team tallied three touchdowns on offense and two on defense en route to a 35-7 drubbing of Virginia Union in a CIAA game on Saturday. The matchup, which was the 101st between the two teams, came 380 days after VUU hung a school-record 490 rushing yards on VSU in a 31-3 blowout.

The Trojans counted those days, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to turn the table on their cross-town rivals. "I definitely marked in on my calendar," said VSU running back Antwain Lyde. "This was a time when we had to get our revenge from last year."

And that's exactly what the visitors did on a beautiful afternoon at Hovey field in Richmond.

Panthers Fall to Trojans 35-7

Virginia Union University's Jerell Washington rushed for 150 yards and a touchdown, but Virginia State University downed VUU 35-7 in the Panthers' home finale of the 2010 season.

Washington's yards came on 27 carries and accounted for VUU's only score on the day. VUU's Antonio Harris had eight tackles on the day while Fletcher Redd had two sacks. The loss dropped VUU to 3-6 overall on the season and 3-4 in CIAA play. Virginia State raised it's record to 7-2 overall and 5-1 in CIAA play.

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Virginia Union 44, Johnson C. Smith 21

Virginia Union University's Cheston Hickman completed 10 of 18 passes for 175 yards and Tarian Donaldson and Jerell Washington rushed for two touchdowns apiece as VUU beat Johnson C. Smith 44-21 at Hovey Field. The win sent 7,650 fans home happy who took part in the 2003 Homecoming game.

Washington rushed for 91 yards on 12 carries and Donaldson had 69 yards on 15 carries. Joseph Jean-Pierre had seven receptions for 135 yards.

The Panthers (2-5) blocked two Golden Bull punts, and both resulted in touchdowns for VUU. In the first quarter, VUU's Damon Ramsey blocked a punt and Derek Parker recovered. Three plays later, VUU scored their first touchdown on a one-yard run by quarterback Ares McGlone-English.

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Attendance: 7,650

VUU overcomes miscues to earn 55-31 win over Lincoln (Pa.)

Virginia Union first had to beat itself. After that, Lincoln went down easily as the Panthers claimed a victory in their home opener, 55-31 against the Lions. Quarterback Aris McGlone-English threw for five touchdowns and added another on the ground, finding a way to overcome an early stretch of penalties, miscues and even a punt where the team fielded only 10 players.

"We've just got to be smarter," coach Michael Bailey said. "Winning is good, but we need to learn to be more disciplined." Once they did, the Panthers showed that this year's edition is potent in the air, with McGlone-English finding his favorite target, Joseph Jean-Pierre, seven times for 80 yards and three TDs.

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Winston-Salem State to play home game in High Point

HIGH POINT, N.C. -- Winston-Salem State University is bringing college football back to High Point for the first time in 60 years. The 2010 Furniture City Gridiron Classic will feature the WSSU Rams against the Virginia Union Panthers Saturday, Aug. 28, at Simeon Stadium, the largest stadium in High Point. High Point College played its last football game in 1950, but the Panthers played at Albion Millis Stadium.

Simeon Stadium is usually host to high school football and soccer games. But 15 years ago, WSSU Athletic Director William "Bill" Hayes, then head football coach of North Carolina A&T State University, worked with High Point community leaders Ed Price and Ray McAllister to bring an Aggie game to High Point. "I worked with Price and McAllister to build the strongest Scout Reach program in America right here," Hayes said. "We tried to get a game here because young people were always interested in sports, but we never could make it happen."



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