FAMU volleyball's 98-game MEAC winning streak ends

FAMU Coach Tony Trifonov provides instructions to Maria Gomez, as the Lady Rattlers historic 98 game MEAC winning streak is ended by the Lady Bulldogs.





ORANGEBURG, S.C — The South Carolina State volleyball team did what no other team in the conference could do in 98 regular season matches over a 10-year period: they defeated the seven-time defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion Lady Rattlers of Florida A&M, 3-1, (25-23, 25-19, 18-25, 25-19), and thus ended what has been a dominant streak.

This was FAMU's first conference loss in seven seasons. The Lady Bulldogs (9-18, 2-2 MEAC) controlled the match from the first point and with each point thereafter, S.C. State's confidence increased. Despite dropping the third set, the Lady Bulldogs remained poised to close out FAMU (6-10, 3-1 MEAC). The Lady Bulldogs won in a team effort led by freshman middle blocker Shabree Roberson had a big game as she put down 14 kills with nine assists.

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FAMU's Taylor does it on own terms

FAMU Head Football Coach Joe Taylor (201-77-3 Career Record).

College football’s coaching landscape has changed over the years. Midseason firings and bitter contract disputes sully yesteryears images of coaches patrolling dorm hallways with cowbells ringing, ensuring that every student-athlete made it to class. After a successful 16-year stint at Hampton University, Joe Taylor left for Florida A&M on his own terms.

“It was tough leaving because when you’ve been in a place 16 years, you become a part of the fabric,” said Taylor, who ranks sixth in career winning percentage (.719) amongst coaches at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, ahead of both former Southern coach A.W. Mumford (.717) and current SU coach Pete Richardson (.711). “But I tell people I really didn’t move, I expanded the neighborhood. I’m doing the same thing and the thrill of having the opportunity to try to revive or revitalize the great tradition built by the legendary Jake Gaither was overwhelming.”

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FAMU MARCHING 100

Future looks bright for Prairie View football program

Look how far they’ve come: No longer a football laughingstock, these Panthers are stalking a SWAC championship

PRAIRIE VIEW — Mark Spivey wanted to savor the moment, his last chance to celebrate homecoming as a member of the Prairie View A&M football team. Almost 30 minutes had passed since the Panthers defeated Alabama State 27-6 at Blackshear Stadium in front of 9,257 people, most of whom sported purple and gold while watching Spivey throw for 270 yards and two touchdowns. “It’s an unbelievable feeling to have so many fans here,” he said. “This is much, much different from the first homecoming I played in.”

The sixth-year senior epitomizes the change in attitude and expectations for the Panthers, who enter Saturday’s game at winless Arkansas-Pine Bluff with a 5-1 mark and in the hunt for the school’s first trip to the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game. Winning is no longer treated like the pleasant surprise it brought for most of the 31 seasons before last’s year’s team finished 7-3. Saturday’s victory assured the program of consecutive non-losing seasons, a feat that hasn’t been seen at Prairie View since the 1967 squad finished the last of 22 straight campaigns of at least .500 ball.

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SWAC to roll out first Webcast for Alabama State-GSU game

The Southwestern Athletic Conference will Webcast its first football game this week - Alabama State at Grambling State. Fans can log on to www.swac.org to watch the broadcast. "I think we want to do a lot more," SWAC commissioner Duer Sharp said. "This will be a test run for us. Just to see how it looks.

"We feel confident about it. We'd like to do a lot more, not only with football and men's and women's basketball, but with our Olympic sports. Kind of have it take on the feel of SWAC television." Sharp said the Webcast events will air live, but also be archived for viewers to watch replays at their convenience. Televised games and events will not be Webcast because of those contracts.

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SWAC coach gets official reprimand

UAPB coach apologizes for comments

PINE BLUFF - The Southwestern Athletic Conference won't come down hard on Monte Coleman after the first-year Arkansas-Pine Bluff Coach publicly criticized game officials following UAPB's 21-10 loss to Jackson State last Saturday. SWAC Commissioner Duer Sharp said in a statement Wednesday that the conference would formally reprimand Coleman, adding that "with all athletic competitions, emotions do run high, but that does not condone the comments of Coach Coleman."

Coleman opened his postgame press session Saturday by criticizing referee Anthony Johnson for charging him a time-out during the fourth quarter. "Absolutely horrible,"Coleman said after the game. "Anthony Johnson, he needs to get a zero for this game. He wanted to cost me a time-out because I asked him a question." Coleman also attacked the crew for what he believed was an unnecessary roughing the passer penalty.

"This is the worst officiated game I've ever been a part of in my life,"Coleman said. "They should not get paid. They should be suspended. Every last one of them."

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'07 thriller sets rematch's stage: Hampton vs. NSU

Hampton University (4-1, 3-0 MEAC) coach Jerry Holmes suffered a sudden, convenient bout of amnesia as he tried to remember last year's game against Norfolk State. "What happened last year?" Holmes asked. He turned to the Pirates players sitting beside him at HU's weekly media luncheon. "Do y'all remember?" With no answers forthcoming, Holmes, in his first year as head coach following three seasons as the Pirates' defensive coordinator, faced his audience again. "Any more questions?"

What happened was that Norfolk State (2-4, 1-2 MEAC), which had won just two games against Hampton since 1992, stunned the Pirates with a 20-19 victory when HU kicker Carlo Turavani's 49-yard field-goal attempt with two seconds left sailed wide right. "It felt really good," Spartans senior defensive lineman Dennis Marsh said. "The first year I got here (from Maryland), in '06, they beat us pretty bad (42-13). They try to set themselves apart from us, and for us to come out and beat them, it felt really good."
























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Rivalry brings out emotions--SU vs. FAMU

Cornerback Joe Manning grew up cheering for Florida A&M, the school Southern University will host Saturday night, and rooting against SU, the school he plays for now. “I used to go to the FAMU games and root for FAMU, since that’s the home town,” said Manning, who went to Lincoln High in Tallahassee, Fla., and lives about a 10-minute drive from the FAMU campus. “I grew up hating them (Southern).” There is no more hate for Southern from Manning. Now there is an appreciation that comes from seeing both sides of one of black college football’s best rivalries.

“I love the fans at Southern,” Manning said. “I think the rivalry is great, because the schools have the same type of fans. It makes it like the old days.” Manning, a Florida State transfer, and SU receiver Del Roberts, a North Carolina transfer, are two seniors from Tallahassee, and both said this matchup took on a more emotional element than other games for them a year ago, when SU beat FAMU 33-28 in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge.

Southern University Human Jukebox Marching Band


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