Cary cop wasn’t sure about charge against Frazier

HENRY FRAZIER III
HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

DURHAM, North Carolina — The Cary Police Department officer who initiated the arrest warrant that ultimately triggered the firing of Henry Frazier III from his head coaching duties at N.C. Central University said he was iffy about the charge he was leveling.

Wake County Judge Jennifer Knox on Monday found Frazier not guilty of violating the domestic violence protective order in place to govern the relationship between him and his ex-wife, Lanier Turner-Frazier.

In August, Turner-Frazier contacted the Cary Police Department after reading handwritten notes from Frazier asking her to reimburse him for a $205 parking ticket.

Either Turner-Frazier or her daughter generated the ticket in Washington, D.C., while driving a vehicle registered to Frazier, according to his attorney, Ralph Frasier Jr.

Turner-Frazier testified that she received the notes on Aug. 11 and the next day spoke with Cary police officer B.T. Ready, who said he consulted with a Cary police detective to figure out exactly what crime Frazier might have committed.

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Judge dismisses criminal charge against fired NCCU football coach

RALEIGH — A judge in a Wake County court dismissed a charge against former N.C. Central head football coach Henry Frazier III on Monday that led to him getting fired.

Frazier was charged in August with violating a domestic violence protective order his wife had taken out against him. Frazier said he was trying to get word to her that he was paying for a ticket on their car and that the incident was a misunderstanding.

“I am very happy,” Frazier’s mother, Bessie Harris, said of the ruling. “I haven’t spoken with him directly. He left a message on my answer machine, but I’m happy about that and I knew he wasn’t guilty anyway. But I can’t wait to hear it directly from my baby.”

Attorney Ralph Frasier represented Frazier in court.
 “He intends now to concentrate on restoring his good name, raising his minor children and appealing to the Board of NCCU to set right the wrong that has been foisted upon him by them,” Frasier said in a press release.

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Chasing more than quarterbacks: Former star works on finishing degree

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- Thumbing through a media guide for Winston-Salem State football, Thomas Washington doesn’t see his name listed very often.

That’s because the statistics portion doesn’t include sack totals. If it did, Washington — a three All-CIAA defensive end in the late 1990s — would be near the top of the list.
These days, Washington, 36, is finished chasing quarterbacks and pursuing something more important — his college degree.

He left WSSU after the 1999 season and four years under former coach Kermit Blount with NFL aspirations. He signed a free-agent contract with the Kansas City Chief but injured a knee in his rookie season, and the pro career he dreamed about was derailed.

After the injury and subsequent surgeries, he spent a year in NFL Europe and won a championship with the Berlin Thunder. He returned to the Chiefs but was one of the last cuts in training camp in 2001.

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TSU Men's Basketball Begins 2013-14 Season Practice

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  –  The Tennessee State men’s basketball team started team practices on Monday in preparation of the team’s first contest against the University of Hawai’i on Nov. 8.

The Tigers welcome back six letter winners from a year ago, including reigning All-OVC guard Patrick Miller.

Last year, Miller scored 14.8 points per contest and broke the school’s single season record for assists in a season with 195. He was also one of the team’s main workhorses, averaging 35.9 minutes a game.

The other returnees for TSU are seniors Michael Green and Chaed Wellian, juniors Jay Harris and M.J. Rhett and sophomore Jordan Gaither.

Post players Green, Rhett and Wellian will be called upon to replace Robert Covington and Kellen Thornton who graduated last season. The trio of current Tigers averaged 10 points and nine rebounds combined last season.

This year’s squad will also have to replace Jordan Cyphers and Tashan Fredrick at shooting guard and small forward which could be a job for Harris, Gaither or one of the nine incoming players that the program has brought in.

The newcomers to this year’s club include forwards Alex Bates, Kennedy Eubanks, Ugo Mmonu and Jaylen Reid and guards Jamonte Graham, Jacquan Nobles, Jaleel Queary, Rhyan Townes and Gerald Williams.

Graham, Mmonu, Reid and Townes are true freshmen while Bates, Eubanks, Nobles, Queary and Williams all have some level of prior collegiate experience. 

The Tigers will host Lemoyne-Owen in an exhibition game on Nov. 4 before heading to the Aloha State four days later.

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FAMU Golf Team Wins HBCU Hall Of Fame Tournament

(COURTESY FAMU ATHLETICS)

ATLANTA, Ga. (Sept. 29) – The Florida A&M Rattler golf team captured first place in the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Golf Tournament this weekend at Brown Mill Golf Course in Atlanta, Ga.

The win did not come easy, as the Rattlers had to win in a playoff over defending South Western Athletic Conference champion Alabama State University.

The Rattlers were led by veteran Justin Stills, who carded back-to-back scores of 72 to tie for the Rattlers’ low score. Jonathan Ortiz scored 73 on Saturday, and followed it with a 71 to combine for a 144 as well for the Rattlers. Chase Burkhalter and Kevin Parker, each scored a total of 146 for the two-day tournament. Burkhalter put up a 72 on the first day and 74 on the final day, while Parker carded 76 on the first day, then had the low round of the tournament for the Rattlers with a 70 on the final day. Dominick Vennari carded a 74 and 73, to close out the team with a147 total.

FAMU’s team score of 286 tied them with the Hornets, before the Rattlers would win the tiebreaker for the victory.

The Rattlers travel to Valdosta to compete in the Thomas University Invitational
On Monday, Sept. 30-Tues, Oct.1.

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Fired NCCU coach 'not guilty' in note incident

COACH HENRY FRAZIER III

RALEIGH, North Carolina  — Fired N.C. Central football coach Henry Frazier III’s play call designed to return him to his former job with back pay has gained ground.

Wake County judge Jennifer Knox Monday declared Frazier not guilty of violating a domestic violence protective order in place to govern the relationship between him and his ex-wife, Lanier Turner-Frazier.

Turner-Frazier in August took issue with Frazier over a handwritten communication about a financial matter. She discussed that written contact with Cary Police Department officer B.T. Ready, who generated the warrant that resulted in Frazier’s Aug. 19 arrest.

After the arrest,  NCCU athletics director Ingrid Wicker-McCree terminated Frazier, explaining that the issues between him and his ex-wife had become too much of a distraction for the university.

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Charge dropped against former NCCU head coach

DURHAM, North Carolina -- A charge of violating a domestic violence protective order was dropped Monday against former North Carolina Central University Head Coach Henry Frazier.

Frazier was fired in August - just two days after he was arrested for allegedly disobeying the order which was first issued last year following a domestic dispute with his then wife.

A police report says Frazier wrote a letter to his ex-wife about a parking ticket for a family vehicle she drives, saying he had paid it and would deduct the money from his monthly alimony check. The letter was delivered by the couple's son. But the order states Frazier can't use a third party - like a friend or a family member - to communicate.

Frazier has appealed his firing to NCCU, but it was denied last week. Frazier is reportedly considering legal action against the school.

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TSU Lady Tigers Get to Work on First Day of Practice

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- The Tennessee State University women’s basketball team had its first official day of practice for the 2013-14 campaign on Sunday afternoon in the Gentry Center.

The Lady Tigers will continue practicing for the next 40 days leading up to the season opener at Kansas State on Nov. 8.

“It was a great practice,” said head coach Larry Inman. “We had great attitudes.  It looked like a typical first day as far as execution but we’re changing our system so it will take a while to get that in place. We have a lot of new kids and they were very enthusiastic. We worked hard and had a good time and that is what’s important.”

Tennessee State has four returning letter winners from last season’s squad with eight newcomers joining the roster. 

Junior guard Rachel Allen is among the top returners and will be expected to provide leadership on the court for TSU. The 5-5 native of Clarksville, Tenn., started all 28 games last year while leading the team in assists with 3.4 helpers per contest. Allen finished the season with the best assist/turnover ratio in the Ohio Valley Conference at 1.9. She also ranked eighth in the OVC in assists and 11^th in steals.



 “The first day of practice was good,” commented Allen. “[We have] a lot of new people so we’re just trying to mesh together. I’ve taken more of a leadership role this year so I’m just trying to help my team however I can.”

Redshirt Junior Chelsea Hudson is the only returning post player for the Lady Tigers. In 2012-13, she averaged a team second-best 5.4 rebounds per game while posting 6.6 points per contest.

Senior Alana Morris and sophomore Brianna Lawrence round out the returners for TSU. Morris dished out the second-most assists on the team last season while Lawrence saw action in 25 contests.

 

The 2013-14 newcomers include: Diamond Beatty (5-7*Guard*Fr.), Imani Davis (6-0*Forward*Fr.), Shekinah Gibson (5-10*Guard*Fr.) Alexis Haddock (5-8*Guard*Fr.), LaTeasha Hill (6-0*Forward*Junior), Jayda Johnson (6-0*Forward*Fr.), Jemilah Leonard (5-7*Guard*Freshman) and Julie McCarthy (6-2*Center*Fr.).
 

The Lady Tigers will face Tennessee Temple in an exhibition contest on Friday, Nov. 1 at 6 p.m. in the Gentry Center.

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For now, Seth Higgins is Morgan State's starting quarterback

SETH HIGGINS
QUARTERBACK

BALTIMORE, Maryland - Junior Seth Higgins became the first quarterback this season to start and finish a game for Morgan State, going wire-to-wire in Saturday’s 27-21 loss to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rival Norfolk State.

Higgins, an Edgewood native and graduate who has accounted for the offense’s last five touchdowns (three passing and two rushing), earned coach Donald Hill-Eley’s vote of confidence as the starter for the remainder of the year – with a caveat.

“I think he has, but you know how that thing is,” Hill-Eley said. “As with everything else, you don’t want to become complacent. You like the competition, and as long as they compete and he competes and he has success in moving the ball and the offense, we’ll continue to play him.”

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Higgins completed 5-of-14 passes for 83 yards and one touchdown against the Spartans. He was also intercepted twice, but the last one was off a Hail Mary attempt at the end of regulation. He also led the offense in rushing with 63 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries.

In his last seven-plus quarters, Higgins has ...

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