Sunday, December 5, 2010

Saint Augustine's Falcons win Pioneer Bowl

COLUMBUS, GA -- Saint Augustine’s survived a conversion returned for a touchdown in the first half and the absence of standout Walter Sanders to score 14 second-half points and knock off Fort Valley State 20-9 on Saturday afternoon in the Pioneer Bowl. The Falcons ended their season at 9-2 while the Wildcats concluded at 8-3, losing their second game in a month at A.J. McClung Stadium.

Saint Augustine’s Jone’ Jones was named the offensive and game MVP for his three receptions for 54 yards, two going for touchdowns. FVSU’s Ricky Johnson was the defensive MVP. Deonte Toliver rushed for 70 yards on 17 carries for the Falcons, who got 220 yards passing from Joaquin Green and Teddy Bacote.

Wildcats stumble to finish

COLUMBUS, Ga. -- At least this time, Ricky Johnson had a positive momento. But being named the defensive MVP of the Pioneer Bowl didn’t help. “We had this nasty taste in our mouths here (four) weeks ago,” the senior from Fort Valley State said. “It came back.”

FVSU’s sudden quarterback problems were too much to overcome and a struggling offense was the roadblock as the Wildcats fell 20-9 on Saturday to St. Augustine’s in the Pioneer Bowl. A crowd of about 1,500 watched the bowl game between the SIAC and Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium, the site of the Fountain City Classic between FVSU and Albany State.



FVSU Ends Year With Loss in Pioneer Bowl

On Saturday the Fort Valley St. Wildcats made their first postseason visit since 1999. Don Pittman's team entered the Pioneer Bowl shorthanded thanks to the arrest and suspension of standout quarterback Eugene Smith, and the departure of backup Nick Stephens, who decided to leave the team for personal reasons.

Behind center for FVSU was freshman Chris Broomfield, getting his first start. A year ago Broomfiel as the team equiptment manager.

ATTENDANCE: 1,500

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FCS playoffs: UNH rolls past Bethune-Cookman

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. – The University of New Hampshire survived a very shaky second period and roared back in the third behind junior quarterback Kevin Decker on the way to a 45-20 FCS playoff win over Bethune-Cookman University Saturday at Municipal Field.

The Wildcats, now 8-4, head to the NCAA playoff quarterfinal round for the sixth time in the last seven years, and will travel to Newark, Del., to take on No. 3 seed Delaware next weekend. Bethune-Cookman, which won its first 10 games of the season, lost its last two games and finished at 10-2.

B-CU backup QB played tough

DAYTONA BEACH -- It wasn't ideal circumstances for Bethune-Cookman quarterback Jackie Wilson to make his first college start on Saturday. To say the odds were against the true freshman would be an understatement. Wilson wasn't fully recovered from a high ankle sprain sustained two weeks earlier in B-CU's loss to Florida A&M, yet he was the best option for coach Brian Jenkins because Matt Johnson -- the senior who started every other game -- has a shoulder injury.

Playing against a New Hampshire team that has years of playoff experience, Wilson was sacked five times, fumbled twice and threw two interceptions in the 45-20 loss at Municipal Stadium.



Wildcats kept it close early on

DAYTONA BEACH -- Bethune-Cookman sophomore Kory Kowalski nailed a 44-yard punt and then was leveled by New Hampshire's Chris Setian in the second quarter Saturday. Kowalski lay flat on Municipal Stadium's Field Turf as trainers attended to him. Then he got up and fell down again.

Many of the 5,738 fans at Muncipal Stadium had to be wondering what B-CU would do if it had to go the rest of the game without the only healthy punter and kicker on its team. But Kowalski, who bruised his left knee on the play, admitted after the game that his second collapse was just milking the situation, giving B-CU's offense a little time to rest.

Backup QB Decker leads UNH football to 45-20 playoff win

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Making his first start of the season in place of injured starter R.J. Toman, junior quarterback Kevin Decker threw for three second-half touchdowns to lead the University of New Hampshire football team to a 45-20 victory over Bethune-Cookman in the second round of the Division I playoffs on Saturday afternoon.

Tenth-ranked UNH, which improved to 8-4 with the win, will meet No. 3 seed Delaware next weekend in the quarterfinals. The Blue Hens dispatched Lehigh, 42-20, in their second-round game Saturday. The Wildcats won a postseason game for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. Bethune-Cookman, the MEAC champion making its first postseason appearance since 2003, saw its season end with a record of 10-2.



Bethune-Cookman loses in 2nd round of FCS playoffs

DAYTONA BEACH — Game-changing adjustments usually happen on the field. But the decision to bench starting quarterbacks for both Bethune-Cookman University and New Hampshire came just hours before their 1 p.m. kickoff at Municipal Stadium.

BCU coach Brian Jenkins chose to sit Matt Johnson, voted MEAC offensive player of the year, Saturday despite receiving clearance from team doctors for a left shoulder injury. Jackie Wilson, a freshman backup, quarterbacked the Wildacts in a 45-20 loss in the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

Meltdown

DAYTONA BEACH -- For Matt Johnson the toughest game was his last one. And he never got off the sideline. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's Offensive Player of the Year had to stand and watch as his Bethune-Cookman Wildcats succumbed to a second-half offensive barrage that propelled visiting New Hampshire to a 45-20 victory Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Division I playoffs at Municipal Stadium.

"It was hard -- very, very hard. I couldn't even put it in words," said Johnson, who broke his left shoulder blade two weeks ago in a loss to Florida A&M.

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ATTENDANCE: 5,738



BCU Wildcats 2010 a mix of success, promise

DAYTONA BEACH -- It was nearly 10 minutes into the third quarter when it began looking like Bethune-Cookman's football season would finally end on its 12th Saturday of the fall.

New Hampshire quarterback Kevin Decker lobbed a pass toward the right sideline, where receiver Chris Chandler, angling toward the B-CU bench, had a half-step on B-CU defender Dion Hanks. Chandler made the catch; Hanks missed the tackle. As Hanks fell aside, Chandler gathered his footing and took off down the sideline toward the end zone, with B-CU's Chris Perry giving a desperate chase that came up just short.

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Saturday, December 4, 2010

NSU women have already tied last season's win total

Debra Clark is resurrecting the Lady Spartans at Norfolk State
If the early bird really does get the worm, Norfolk State's women's basketball team might eat its way out of its losing ways this season.

The Spartans have been in a decade-long decline that reached its bottom the past three seasons, which produced a combined two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference victories. Included in the stretch was an 0-16 record in the MEAC last season and a 4-23 overall mark. That came on the heels of a 1-27 record in 2008-09.

But as the Spartans head for their MEAC opener at North Carolina A&T today, they feel the tide has actually turned. Norfolk State is off to a 4-1 start this season.

"It seems every time I turn around, someone's asking, 'Hey, what's going on? You guys are winning this season,' " said sophomore point guard Recca Trice. "What's going on is we have some pride and ambition."

I-AA Playoff fever captures Bethune-Cookman football

DAYTONA BEACH, FL -- Author a successful season at the highest level of college football, you're rewarded with a bowl game. It's a trip that includes gift bags, fancy downtown dinners and, depending on the host city, anything from a cow-milking contest to a group hug with Minnie Mouse.

But outside of that marquee world -- where the Alabamas, Ohio States and Floridas reside -- the rest of college football rewards its best with a different type of post-season action, the type recognized by nearly every other sport at every level: Playoffs. Win and continue; lose and go home. Or, in Bethune-Cookman's case, lose and stay home.

Quarterback Matt Johnson still a question mark as Bethune-Cookman hosts New Hampshire today

There will be one anxious moment at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium Saturday when the Bethune-Cookman offense first takes the field. Fans will be waiting to see if No. 13 runs onto the field to take his usual spot in the huddle.

Matt Johnson suffered a dislocation of his left, non-throwing shoulder two weeks ago in the Wildcats' loss to Florida A&M and B-CU coach Brian Jenkins has danced around questions about his senior signal caller's availability since then.

Saturday, however, will finally shed light on the mystery of Johnson, the MEAC offensive player of the year, when BCU takes on New Hampshire in the second round of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium. Game time is set for 1 p.m. and NCAA.com is supposed to have live coverage of the game.

New Hampshire (7-4) at Bethune-Cookman (10-1)
1 p.m. Saturday, Municipal Stadium, Daytona Beach, FL
Local Radio: WELE 1380-AM
LIVE GAME VIDEO BROADCAST VIA NCAA.COM -
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Eddie Poole helps lead Bethune-Cookman into NCAA Division I-AA playoffs

Eddie Poole has a steel rod in his left leg, the result of surgical procedures to support a broken fibula he suffered last year. One would figure, with the changing Central Florida weather this week, that the star Bethune-Cookman wide receiver might be having issues with his repaired leg. Of course, if he was hurting, as Wildcats' head coach Brian Jenkins has come to know, he wouldn't admit it.

"He'll just tell me, 'I ain't coming out, coach,' " said Jenkins, the first year coach who...

Dueling 'Cats face QB dilemmas: Bethune-Cookman, UNH ready for Saturday's battle

DURHAM, NH - Who will be playing quarterback? If it is the expected starters, how well will they be able to play through nagging injuries? Whether you're a University of New Hampshire Wildcat or a Bethune-Cookman Wildcat, those questions are being asked about your own QB and the other team's signal-caller. UNH senior R.J. Toman is nursing an ankle sprain. Bethune-Cookman run-pass threat Matt Johnson has an injured left (non-throwing) shoulder.

The two teams will meet for the first time Saturday in the second round of the 2010 NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. No. 13 Bethune-Cookman (10-1), champions of the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference is hosting No. 10/11 UNH (7-4), which finished third in the Colonial Athletic Association, at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium. Game time is 1 p.m. The game will not be televised. It will be broadcast live on radio (WGIN-AM 930, WQSO-FM 96.7, WASR-AM 1420).

UNH, Jellison now have totake it one game at a time

Thanksgiving was a little bit different this year for Amherst’s Sean Jellison. He was able to spend it at home instead of with his University of New Hampshire football teammates. But the Wildcats reassembled last weekend in preparation for Saturday’s game in Daytona, Fla., against Bethune-Cookman.

It’s the seventh straight post-season appearance for the Wildcats, who recovered from a rocky start to finish 7-4 and gain one of the 20 playoff bids in the Football Championship Subdivision. Because the field was expanded to 20 teams and UNH drew a first-round bye, the Wildcats had Thanksgiving weekend off for the first time in a long time.

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Jackson State new prez must deal with athletic issues

The hiring of a new president at Jackson State could greatly affect the school's athletic program at a time when key decisions have to be made. Carolyn Meyers, who the state College Board approved as the university's new president Wednesday, has two important athletic issues facing her when she begins in January.

Meyers will be in charge of hiring a new athletic director and dealing with football coach Rick Comegy's contract. JSU's current athletic director, Bob Braddy, plans to retire in the summer, and Comegy is heading into the final year of his contract. Meyers was caught by surprise Wednesday when asked about finding a new athletic director.

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Pioneer Bowl: FVSU Wildcats look to rebound from missing playoffs

FORT VALLEY, Ga. -- Not being included in the NCAA Division II playoffs was obviously disappointing for Fort Valley State. But getting three more weeks of practice and getting to play in one of three Division II bowl games and having the chance to end the season on a winning note is a pretty good consolation prize.

It took a little while for the Wildcats to realize it after getting over a loss to end the regular season that kept them out of the playoffs. “You saw some pep in their step,” FVSU head coach Donald Pittman said of recent practices. “Everybody’s about back.”

FVSU takes on St. Augustine’s at 1 p.m. on Saturday in the Pioneer Bowl at Columbus’ A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium, home to the Fountain City Classic between FVSU and Albany State.

Former Huss standout hoping to help St. Aug's to school record

GASTONIA – Stedman Gardner says his St. Augustine’s College football coaches haven’t talked about the Falcons’ opportunity at history in Saturday’s 1 p.m. Pioneer Bowl at McClung Memorial Stadium in Columbus, Ga. “They’re just trying to keep us focused on what’s ahead,” said Gardner, a 2008 Hunter Huss High graduate. “But it would feel great to get in the record book.”

St. Augustine’s (8-2) missed its first opportunity at history when it dropped its regular-season finale to crosstown rival Shaw 10-6 in its Nov. 6 regular-season finale. Then, the Falcons could’ve taken a school-record 9th victory while also advancing to the CIAA championship game for the first time. St. Augustine’s, which restarted its football program in 2002 after a 35-year absence, had previously won eight games in 1950, 1965 and 2005. The 1950 team has a school-best 8-1 record.

The Pioneer Bowl appearance against Fort Valley State (8-2) gives the Falcons a second chance to win their 9th game of the season. The contest is in its 12th season and pits a CIAA team against a SIAC team.

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Stillman dismisses L.C. Cole; Names Teddy Keaton new head football coach

Coach L.C. Cole was 7-15 in two seasons
TUSCALOOSA -  L.C. Cole has been dismissed after two seasons as head football coach at Stillman College. “They were saying they were ready to make a change,” Cole said Wednesday. “That’s all I was informed of. Nothing I could do about it.”

Cole received word of the firing in a meeting on Tuesday with Curtis Campbell, Stillman’s athletics director. “We just thought we needed to go in a new direction,” Campbell said. “Our program wasn’t progressing the way I thought it should be and I just thought it was time to make a change. “I think L.C. is a good coach, but we just felt it was time to make a change at Stillman. I wish L.C. Cole the best and I’m sure he’ll do some great things in the future.”

Stillman names Teddy Keaton as football coach

Two days after dismissing L.C. Cole, the Stillman Tigers have a new football coach. Stillman officials have tapped Teddy Keaton, a 1999 graduate of the college and offensive coordinator at Webber International University in Babson Park, Fla as the new head football coach for the Tigers.

Keaton began his coaching career as an assistant football coach and director of football operation at Stillman. As an assistant coach for six seasons, he served as running backs coach, special teams coach and recruiting coordinator.

Keaton Bio, Read Here

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Friday, December 3, 2010

NCAA Division II Playoffs: Albany State Rams A.D. declares Saturday ‘ASU Day’

ALBANY — The Albany State University Coliseum can hold roughly 10,000 fans.

And come Saturday at 1 p.m. when the Rams host Delta State in the Division II quarterfinals, ASU Athletic Director Richard Williams says he would be shocked to see even one empty seat in the house. “I expect no empty seats whatsoever. I really think, for this game, (the Coliseum) will be busting at the seams,” Williams said Thursday evening, just two days before the Rams kick off in what could be a history-making moment for the football team if it’s able to beat the Statesmen and reach the D-II semifinals for the first time ever.


ASU Rams Quarterback Stanley Jennings SIAC MVP
“I was thrilled last week that we (got 5,392 fans) to come out (to the second-round game) against Wingate being that it was Thanksgiving and the students weren’t in town. And I say ‘thrilled’ because to have that many fans come out, it lets us know that the community — not just Albany State fans, but almost the entire community of Albany — showed up and supported us. I was pleasantly surprised and I think I will be again Saturday.”



GAME TIME: DECEMBER 4, 2010 @ 1:00 PM ET
LIVE INTERNET VIDEO BROADCAST - CLICK HERE
LOCAL RADIO: 98.1 FM (Albany, Ga.)
DELTA STATE INTERNET RADIO - CLICK HERE

Delta State (9-3) at Albany State (11-0), 12 p.m. CST

The Statesmen advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals for fourth time, and first time since 2008, with a convincing 47-24 win over North Alabama last weekend, avenging a 31-7 regular season loss to the Lions. Delta State racked up 524 yards of total offense, including 359 yards on the ground, against the Lions, and held UNA to just 66 yards rushing.

The Rams moved on to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2004 and second time in program history as they fended off a pesky Wingate squad, 30-28, last Saturday. Wingate narrowed the Rams’ lead to just two points, scoring a TD with less than two minutes remaining and then tried an onside kick, but ASU’s LiRonnie Davis recovered the ball to squelch the comeback. Davis also scored two TDs on the day.

DSU sports a balanced offensive attack, and ranks seventh in the nation in total offense with 479.08 yards per game, led by quarterback Micah Davis, and running backs Trevor Deed and Brandon Lucas, who each ran for over 100 yards against UNA. The Rams will counter with the top scoring defense in the nation as they are allowing just 11.55 points per game, and giving up just 217.64 yards per game, which ranks third in Division II.

This will be the first meeting between the two programs. DSU is 10-4 all-time in NCAA postseason play, while the Rams are 3-11.

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B-CU: Change for good

B-CU Coach Brian Jenkins
Bethune-Cookman finished just 5-6 last season and Alvin Wyatt, the winningest coach in school history, was fired after 13 years on the job. The man replacing him, Brian Jenkins, had never been a head coach before and the Wildcats were picked to finish eighth in the nine-team Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

The initial transition was hardly smooth for Jenkins, 39. He dismissed 20 players from the team as he established a strict set of rules for the program. But rather than turn the team against the coach, that proved to be the first step in a fast rebuilding process that has led No. 13 Bethune-Cookman (10-1) into Saturday's FCS second-round playoff game against No. 10 New Hampshire (7-4).

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TSU coach may call his own defense

Nashville, TN - Tennessee State Coach Rod Reed, who helped turned the Tigers defense into the best in the OVC in 2008, is prepared to take over the unit again. Kenny Ingram resigned this week as defensive coordinator after one season. Reed named himself the interim coordinator and said he may decide to handle the job on a permanent basis.

"I'm going to do it on the interim and that could change," said Reed, who replaced James Webster as the head coach this season. "Right now I am more inclined to do it." The Tigers (3-8) finished the season with a six-game losing streak and allowed an average of 26.7 points in that stretch.

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Delaware State Releases Head Football Coach

DOVER, Del. - Delaware State University Athletics Director Derek Carter announced December 2, 2010 that, effective immediately, Al Lavan will not be retained in the capacity of head football coach.

The DSU athletics director said after three consecutive losing seasons, "it is time for a change." Carter added that current defensive coordinator Rayford Petty has been appointed as the team's interim head coach.

"While we can note that there have been some successes during the Lavan era - most notably the 2007 conference championship - the team has not been as competitive following that accomplishment as we believe it should have been," Carter said.

The Al Lavan era included a 63-6 loss at Michigan on Oct 17, 2009, before 106,304 fans. In order to play the Michigan "money game" for $550,000, DSU forfeited a MEAC scheduled league game against North Carolina A&T-- for a rare two defeat day.
"While we hope to build on what we have seen is possible for the Hornet football program, presently we have determined that we need to move the team in a new direction," the DSU athletic director said. "We thank Coach Lavan for the dedication he has exhibited over these seven years."

Lavan ends his DSU tenure with a record of 41-36. His best coaching season took place in 2007 when he led DSU to a championship 8-0 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference record (10-2 overall), which earned the team its first-ever post-season appearance in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

Over the last three seasons under Lavan, the Hornets had a combined record of 12-20, which included the recently concluded 2010 season record of 3-8.

Carter said a national search for a new head coach will begin immediately.

Courtesy: DSU Athletic Media Relations


Delaware State Hornets football: Lavan shocked by firing



Lavan ends DSU era with 41-36 record 
DOVER, DE -- Over the past seven seasons, Al Lavan took Delaware State University's football team to heights it had never known. But the depths of the past three seasons cost Lavan his job Thursday when athletic director Derek Carter announced the head coach had been fired.

"It is time for a change," Carter said. "It's hard anytime you have to make these decisions, but you have to look at the big picture in trying to make the right decision."

Lavan said the move surprised him. "It was not on my mind at all," Lavan said. "I heard it [Thursday] morning for first time. It was unexpected."

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Dr. Carolyn Meyers named Jackson State University's first female chief

Carolyn Meyers describes herself as a "researcher," a "collaborative leader" and a "thinker." She plans to put those traits to use when she takes the helm as Jackson State University's first female president in January. "The university's vision is something that will be crafted with all of us working together," she said Wednesday. "This is not Meyers State University; this is Jackson State University."

The state College Board voted unanimously in favor of hiring Meyers, 64, as JSU's 10th president after she spent the day meeting with faculty, alumni, students and others on campus. "It was really enlightening and heartening to hear and see how committed all of the groups are," Meyers said after the interviews. "I think we have something here that's special and unique and appeals to a lot of people."



Former NSU president gets Jackson State job

JACKSON, Miss. - Jackson State University has hired Carolyn Meyers, the former president at Norfolk State University, as the school's president, making her the first woman to hold the top job there. The Board of Trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning named Meyers to the position Wednesday.

She replaces interim president Leslie McLemore, a political science professor appointed when Ronald Mason left in June to lead the Southern University System based in Baton Rouge, La. Meyers has more than 30 years of experience in higher education. Before working at Norfolk State, Meyers was provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at North Carolina A&T. She begins her new job in January.

PHOTO GALLERIES

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Delaware State University: NOTICE OF PROPOSED CLASS-ACTION SETTLEMENT AND HEARING

TIME SENSITIVE: FAIRNESS HEARING SCHEDULED DECEMBER 20, 2010 AT 3:00 p.m.

ATTENTION: ALL CURRENT, PROSPECTIVE, AND FUTURE FEMALE STUDENTS OF DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY WHO PARTICIPATE, SEEK TO PARTICIPATE, OR HAVE BEEN DETERRED OR PREVENTED FROM PARTICIPATING IN DELAWARE STATE VARSITY ATHLETICS

PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY AS IT ADDRESSES A LAWSUIT THAT MAY AFFECT YOUR RIGHTS.

I. INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this notice is to inform you of a proposed settlement in a pending class action lawsuit brought against Delaware State University (“DSU”) on behalf of all present and future female students of DSU (including currently enrolled female students, female students admitted for the 2010-11 academic year, and prospective female students) who participate, seek to participate, or have been deterred or prevented from participating in, or obtaining the benefits of, intercollegiate athletics at DSU. A class-action settlement, which must be approved by the Court, was reached in this class action, which is captioned or otherwise referred to as Foltz, et al. v. Delaware State University, Civil Action No. 10-149 (LPS) (D. Del.), and which is pending in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware (the “Litigation”).

The plaintiff class in the Litigation alleges that DSU violated, and is continuing to violate, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681-88 (“Title IX”) by: (1) failing to provide equitable athletic opportunities for its female students (“Participation Claims”); and (2) failing to provide equal recruitment resources to women’s varsity athletic teams (“Recruitment Claims”).

The proposed settlement (the “Settlement”) resolves these claims.

READ ENTIRE NOTICE, CLICK HERE
The DSU Equestrian Team legal action prevails and the parties agree to a Settlement Agreement, whereas,  DSU does not admit any fault or wrongdoing. The District Court ratification of the Agreement is expected December 20, 2010, or soon thereafter.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Jenkins on the move?

B-CU Coach Brian Jenkins
It happens at every level of football, so Bethune-Cookman certainly isn't immune to it. A brand new coach finds success early, and it's not long before speculation begins about his near-term future. With coaching vacancies springing up this time of year, the questions are asked.

At B-CU's weekly media availability Wednesday, Wildcats coach Brian Jenkins ducked the question in one way ("I haven't given it any thought") but was very open in another way ("My phone has rung").

"Right now, I'm thinking about winning this game Saturday," Jenkins said of the upcoming playoff game against New Hampshire. "It happens in this sport. It's a question I've been asked, and people are concerned about...

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DSU national title run gets ready for road bump -- Albany State

Delta State faces a tough obstacle of winning the Division II national championship. The 13th ranked Statesmen (9-3) travel to No. 9 Albany State (11-0) in a quarterfinal contest on Saturday at noon. Delta State is coming off its best game of the season, routing North Alabama 47-24 in the second round last week at Parker Field.

“That was the most complete game we put together this year,” Statesmen coach Ron Roberts said. “It was an outstanding performance across the board and a total team effort.” For Delta State to reach the semifinals, the Statesmen will likely need a repeat performance against the unbeaten Golden Rams. Albany State and the Statesmen are ranked one-two in the South Central II Region.

Scouting the Statesmen

ALBANY, GA — The scouting report is in. Delta State, which takes on Albany State on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II football playoffs, is coming to town, and the Statesmen (9-3) will be the second straight team that the Rams (11-0) face for the first-time ever. So what does head coach Mike White and ASU know about them? Not much, aside from watching film, except that they are 10-4 in the playoffs, won the Division II National Championship in 2000 and have an explosive offense.

But just as much as the Rams don’t know about Delta State, the Statesmen don’t know about Albany State. Which is why DSU head coach Ron Roberts and his team are preparing for the best.

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Legendary Coaches Walker and McGowan leads 2010 SWAC Hall of Fame Class

Coach Shirley Gibbs Walker won 493 games at Alcorn State
Birmingham, Ala. - The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) announced its 2010 inductees for the league’s Hall of Fame. The class includes six honorees affiliated with five of the league’s 10 member institutions.

The 2010 inductees are: Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd (Jackson State, baseball), Clyde Duncan (Texas Southern, track and field), Charlie Granger (Southern, football / track and field), Aaron James (Grambling, basketball), Willie “Rat” McGowan (Alcorn State, baseball/ football), and Shirley Walker (Alcorn State, basketball).

Coach Rat McGowan won 701 games and four titles at ASU
The class will be honored on Thursday, December 9 at an invitational reception at the Civil Rights Museum in Birmingham as a part of the festivities surrounding the 2010 Farmers Insurance SWAC Football Championship Game. The inductees will also be made available to media members at the championship’s press conference at the Birmingham Sheraton on Friday, December 10 at 10:00 a.m.

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Battle of UNH and B-CU 'Cats could be classic

DURHAM, NH — Four days before football teams from the University of New Hampshire and Bethune-Cookman square off in the Division I playoffs, the first-ever matchup between the two unfamiliar foes is shaping up to be a handicapper's nightmare.

Bethune-Cookman (10-1) boasts a better record and home-field advantage, hosting Saturday's game at Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, Fla. Meanwhile, the lineup for UNH (7-4) is littered with veterans of past playoff runs and tough CAA battles. So, who's the favorite when these teams square off in the Round of 16 on Saturday?



Hugo Souza headed to playoffs with UNH football

Marshfield, NH - The University of New Hampshire has earned a bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship for the seventh consecutive season, the longest current streak in the nation.

The 7-4 Wildcats will visit Bethune-Cookman University (10-1), champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, in a second-round game Saturday, Dec. 4, in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Souza, a 6-foot, 213-pound free safety, has 83 total tackles (46 solo) and one interception this season for the Wildcats. His tackles, both total and solo, rank Souza second on the team. In four years, Souza has 319 tackles and five interceptions for UNH.

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University of New Hampshire Wildcat Marching Band (Oct. 11, 2010)

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

North Carolina A&T Dismisses Head Football Coach

Coach Alonzo Lee ends A&T career with 5 wins, 16 losses.
Greensboro, NC -- North Carolina A&T State University announced Monday their head football coach Alonzo Lee was dismissed. Lee was named head football coach January 2009 and finished the 2010 season with a 1-10 record.

According to a statement from the school, George Ragsdale, current A&T assistant head football coach, will serve as interim head football coach until a new head coach is named. "Ragsdale's collegiate and professional experience will prove to be beneficial to our football program during this time of transition," said A&T Chancellor Harold L. Martin, Sr.

Aggies Head Football Coach Out After 1-Win Season

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- North Carolina A&T State University has fired head football coach Alonzo Lee after Lee's teem turned in a 1-10 performance this season, the university announced on Monday. Lee was named head coach in January 2009. Before being named as head coach, Lee served as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at A&T from 2003-2005.

A&T fires football coach Lee

Lee was fired Monday after the Aggies went 1-10 with losses to arch rivals N.C. Central and Division II Winston-Salem State. Assistant coach George Ragsdale was named interim head coach while the search for a replacement unfolds. Ragsdale was interim coach for four games when Lee Fobbs was fired during the 2008 campaign. Lee finished his A&T stint with a 5-16 record.

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Hampton improves to 6-1 with overtime win over Georgia State

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University men’s basketball team needed overtime for its sixth straight win Tuesday night, but the Pirates defeated Georgia State 60-56 at the HU Convocation Center.

Georgia State led 36-28 with 13:21 left in the second half, but the Pirates responded with a 16-4 run – a run punctuated at the 6:38 mark by a monstrous breakaway dunk from sophomore forward Koron Reed (Philadelphia, Pa.) to give Hampton a 44-40 lead. Junior guard Darrion Pellum (Hampton, Va.) had 13 of Hampton’s 16 points in that run.



Pellum, Hampton edge Georgia State in overtime, run winning streak to six

Unlike last season, Hampton University (6-1) is winning close games. Reigning MEAC Player of the Week Darrion Pellum scored 21 points to spark HU to its sixth consecutive victory -- 60-56 in overtime over Georgia State at the Convocation Center. Kwame Morgan had 13 points and Charles Funches 11 rebounds for the Pirates. Brandon Tunnell, who had 10 points, hit a clinching free throw for a four-point lead with 3.6 seconds to play. HU overcame 4-for-18 first-half shooting and 20 points and 10 rebounds from the Panthers' Eric Buckner.

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NEXT GAME: Dec. 4,  vs. Howard University at Madison Square Gardens

Even with its problems, S.C. State football has improved under Pough

Quarterback Malcolm Long ends successful S.C. State career with dark clouds of not winning any FCS playoff games in three attempts.

STATESBORO, Ga. - Shared between offensive lineman Johnny Culbreath, linebacker Julius Wilkerson and quarterback Malcolm Long are 35 victories, 11 school career records, three Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships and a black college football national championship.

Defending the legacy they and 11 fellow South Carolina State seniors established in four years would seem unnecessary. Yet Saturday's 41-16 loss at Georgia Southern in the first round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs found head football coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough trying to explain why the lack of postseason success and 0-9 record against non-FCS HBCUs is not a major blemis.

NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament: A Look at the Top Eight Seeds

#1 Florida (27-1, First Round Opponent – South Carolina State 17-22 MEAC Champions) Top-ranked Florida earned the school’s first top seed in the NCAA tournament by making history. The Gators completed the SEC’s first ever undefeated season. Who to Watch: Junior outside hitter Kelly Murphy was among the conference leaders in all offensive categories. Freshmen setter Chanel Brown averages over five assists per set.

For the full the bracket, click here

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Brown named 18th president of Alcorn State University

LORMAN, MS — The vigor of a young man at the top of his game caused both excitement and concern for Braves fans Tuesday. After an all-day listening session to determine the next president of Alcorn State University at its main campus in Lorman, M. Christopher Brown II was officially given the job.

Brown, a Charleston, S.C., native, currently serves as executive vice president and provost at the historic Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn. From 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., Brown answered questions from students, faculty, alumni and leaders from the school and community.

The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning announced its unanimous decision to hire Brown as president after receiving feedback from the various groups.



Christopher Brown hired as Alcorn State University's new president

LORMAN, MS — The state College Board has hired Christopher Brown to become the 18th president of Alcorn State University. Brown, 38, currently is vice president and provost at Fisk University in Nashville. He’s expected to start at Alcorn in January.

Brown, a Charleston, S.C.-native, has been fielding questions from campus constituents for most of the day. In meetings with alumni, faculty, students and others, he discussed his vision for Alcorn, touching on athletics, budgets, student activities and fundraising.

“It feels natural,” he said about possibly leading the state’s land grant HBCU. “I’m convinced that this is where I’m supposed to be, and this is where I’m supposed to serve.”

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SWAC: Hunt for hidden gems

Coast football players fall under the recruiting radar each year. The three in-state SWAC schools -- Alcorn State, Jackson State and Mississippi Valley State -- all plan to find a few hidden gems. SWAC programs usually don’t start recruiting until the first week of December to better utilize their resources in these tough economic times.

“The SWAC programs are going to really get active now that the seasons are over,” Steve Robertson of Scout.com said. “They don’t have the budgets the bigger schools do, so they don’t have a lot of on campus events like summer camps to evaluate a lot of talent. They have to depend on good old-fashion road work and film study.

Recruiting season hits full gear for Alcorn State

LORMAN — Alcorn State’s 2010 season might have ended last on Nov. 20 with a 27-14 loss to Jackson State in the Capital City Classic. But the Braves’ second season is still in full swing. Now that the season is over, Alcorn State coaches are canvassing the state and country trying to find athletes that will keep the Braves’ program heading in the right direction.

In the last three years, Alcorn has improved its record from 2-10 to 3-6 to 5-6. And head coach Earnest Collins said getting quality recruits is critical to continuing the upward trend of the program.

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The Big Apple Classic: Hampton vs. Howard and Virginia State vs. Virginia Union

New York, NY - The Big Apple Classic has announced that hip hop legend Doug E. Fresh is confirmed to participate as a host at the fifth anniversary of the Big Apple Classic on Saturday, December 4, 2010 at Madison Square Garden.

Doug will host the drumline competition portion of the CIAA and MEAC basketball thriller that is known for bringing heart-pounding basketball, electrifying drumlines and other southern black college traditions to the tri-state area. The Big Apple Classic is the only basketball tournament that showcases teams from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) at the world famous Madison Square Garden.

This year's Big Apple Classic starts on December 3 with a kick-off party at Greenhouse and continues on December 4 with rival games between CIAA schools Virginia State University and Virginia Union University and MEAC schools Hampton University and Howard University. Games start at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. respectively.

Thousands of alumni, students, celebrities and other basketball fans are expected at what has become one of the most highly anticipated family and social events of the year. Last year's Big Apple Classic drew more than 10,000 attendees, including celebrities such as Gayle King and the Rev. Al Sharpton. Other highlights include an essay contest for high school students, a Black college fair, a drumline competition, and musical guests.

Event tickets are $29.50 and $54.50. A portion of ticket proceeds will be donated to Every Child USA to support efforts to improve the quality of life of America's children through literacy, health and opportunity.

For a $5 discount per ticket (active starting on Wednesday, Dec. 1) or more information, visit www.thebigappleclassic.com




Internationally celebrated as "The Human Beat Box," Doug E. Fresh rose to fame in the 80's and 90's with hip hop mega hits like "The Show/La Di Da Di," "Keep Risin' to the Top," and "All the Way to Heaven." He remains a highly sought after performer and continues to draw fans of all ages and backgrounds. Doug has been featured on American Idol and most recently he is enjoying new-found attention from the dance craze, The Dougie, which is sweeping college and professional sports games nationwide. The pop culture dance pays homage to Doug's signature dance moves and his iconic status in hip hop as "The World's Greatest Entertainer." The Dougie reached critical mass recently when CNN invited Doug into the studio to teach Wolf Blitzer "how to do The Dougie."

About the upcoming Big Apple Classic, Doug offers: "I think that what the Big Apple Classic is doing to support young people getting an education is very important. Education is key. We are coming to a basketball game, but education is still the focus and I respect that. It's positive and it's fun and that's what I'm all about."

Claflin takes sweep of LeMoyne-Owen

The second half of basketball games haven't always been the easiest for the Claflin Lady Panthers. In at least three of their games, Claflin women's head basketball coach Tiffany Tucker has watched as her squad allowed their opposition to open the final 20 minutes of play with a scoring run while gaining confidence all at the same time. Tuesday night was no exception for the Lady Panthers, but they were able to hang on against LeMoyne-Owen for the 69-64 win.

The home-standing Lady Panthers (2-3, 2-1) struggled to gain a comfortable lead against the Lady Magicians (0-3, 0-1) in the first half until the 8:25 mark. That's when Natalie Davis and Brittani Jones led Claflin on a 13-0 scoring spurt to put them ahead 36-24 with 5:11 to play. Despite allowing LeMoyne-Owen to go on a 6-0 scoring streak to end the half, Claflin went into the locker room with a 41-33 lead at halftime.

Claflin's Salley proves he's motivated in senior year

Eric Salley sped down the court at Claflin's Tullis Arena as teammate JaWan Davis led the Panthers' fastbreak in the final seconds of their game against LeMoyne-Owen.

Davis delicately lobbed the ball toward the goal for Salley to slam home in front of the home fans, but the Smoaks native slipped on a wet spot on the floor. That's probably the only thing that seemingly stopped the Panthers' senior guard who lit the Magicians up for 31 points in Claflin's 61-54 win Tuesday night.

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FAMU has pitchers to spare

Sophomore pitcher Steven Dollar said it best when he described the options that interim head coach Brett Richardson will have when it comes to his pitching staff. "If somebody's arm gets sore, we can just go ahead and pull him out; don't wait another inning," Dollar said.

Having such a choice is huge turnaround for a Florida A&M baseball program that last season had to use just about every player on its roster as a pitcher. The bullpen was so thin that...

FAMU Scores at Will in 93-70 Rout of Webber

TALLAHASSEE | Webber International University failed to stop any aspect of Florida A&M's offense Monday night. The Rattlers scored a season-high 93 points en route at a 93-70 exhibition victory over the Warriors. Webber failed to match up against FAMU's superior size and allowed 46 points in the paint.

"They beat us pretty good on the inside," said senior guard Justin Cockrell, who scored 11 points. "In our conference we should be able to match up pretty good but they beat us with the inside play."

Rattlers lose 7, return 15 to football field next year

When Florida A&M lines up on the football field next season, there shouldn't be too many uncommon faces. The program will lose just seven starters who completed their eligibility at the end of this season. In almost every case, the players who were backups will likely be promoted unless they are beaten out in spring.

In all, the Rattlers will have 15 starters returning, a situation that had coach Joe Taylor beaming with optimism about next season. All of the players who played on special teams also will return. "We have very good reasons to be optimistic," Taylor said Tuesday. "With 15 starters coming back, that simply tells us that we're going to be experienced. We've got a lot to build on."

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