8/3/2019 Black College Sports Page: Vol 18, No 16

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FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 15 - 21, 2011

© AZEEZ Communications, Inc. Vol. XVIII, No. 16

SIAC, CIAA AND MEAC TITLES CLAIMED;

THREE GET NCAA DIV. II PLAYOFF BIDS

ADRIAN: His Spartans

clinched program's first-

ever MEAC title and FCS

playoff berth with win at

Morgan State.

Norfolk State Sports PhotoTHREE

DOWN,ONETO GO

  Three black college teams are among the

field of 24 announced Sunday for the 2011

NCAA Division II Football Championship.

The CIAA placed two teams in the field,

undefeated champion Winston-Salem State 

(11-0) and runner-up Elizabeth City State

(8-3). They will be joined in the playoff field

by SIAC runner-up Albany State (8-3).

The Rams of Winston-Salem State under

head coachConnell Maynor, kept their record

perfect Saturday with a 38-18 win over Eliza-

beth City State in the CIAA Championship

game in Durham, N.C. (See championship

game story) and enter the playoffs as the No.

1 seed in Super Region I.

By virtue of that seeding, the Rams get a

first-round bye and will host a second round

game at Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston-

Salem on November 26.

The Rams, who now have two wins over

ECSU this season, could meet their CIAA

rivals again as the Vikings, under head coach

Waverly Tillar, are seeded fourth in the

region, and play a first-round game Saturday

Three teams earn D2 playoff berths 

BCSP Notes

at No. 5 California (Pa.). The winner will face

the Rams next Saturday.

ECSU will be making its third appearance in

school history in the NCAA Division II Playoffs

(1981, 2006). In 1981 the Vikings lost in the

opening round to Northern Michigan 55-6 and

in 2006 ECSU hosted its first ever home playoff 

game and dropped a 17-10 decision to Delta

State.

Following its 20-17 loss to Miles in the

SIAC Championship Game Saturday (see story

below), Albany State moved to No. 6 in NCAA

Super Region Two and will travel to play at No.

3 North Greenville on Saturday (12 noon). The

winner will travel to play No. 2 Mars Hill, who

G A M E S T H I S W E E K

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19

MEAC

Hampton vs. Morgan State in Hampton, VA 1p

NC A&T vs. NC Central in Greensboro, NC 1:30p

Delaware State vs. Howard in Dover, DE 12n

Savannah State vs. SC State in Savannah, GA 2p

32nd Florida Classic  - ESPN Classic - Live

Florida A&M vs. Bethune-Cookman in Orlando, FL 2:30pSWAC

Capital City Classic  

Alcorn State vs. Jackson State in Jackson, MS 1p

Prairie View A&M vs. Alabama A&M in Prairie View, TX (HC) 2p

Arkansas-Pi ne Bluff vs. Texas Southern in Pine Bluff, AR 2:30pINDEPENDENTS

Tennessee State vs. Jacksonville State in Nashville, TN 2pNCAA DIV II PLAYOFFS - FIRST ROUND

Elizabeth City State vs California (Pa) in California, PA

Albany State vs. North Greenvill e in North Greenvill e, SC 12n

CHAMPIONSHIP

FOOTBALL GAME RECAPS

COOPER

THOMAS

Norfolk State wins MEAC, FCS playoff bid;SWAC races go down to the wire

SCORES

CIAA Championship Game

W-Salem St. 38, Eliz. City St.18SIAC Championship Game

Miles 20, Albany St. 17

MEAC

B-Cookman 59, Savannah St. 3

Florida A&M 31, NC Central 10Hampton 42, Delaware State 6Norfolk State 47, Morgan St. 14SC State 30, NC A&T 22SWAC

UAPB 15, Miss Valley St. 3Grambling St. 29, Tex. S'thern 25

Jackson St. 34, Alabama A&M 6Prairie View A&M 40, Alcorn St.14Southern 26, Alabama State 23INDEPENDENTS

California (PA) 43, Cheyney 3Charleston (WV) 42, W. Va. St. 20Concordia-Selma 12, Stillman 7Edward Waters 38, S. Virginia 15

SW Assemblies 31, Texas Coll. 20S. Nazarene 38, Langston 34St. Francis (IN) 50, Central St. 29Tenn. State 35, Tenn. Martin 30

Urbana 69, Lincoln (MO) 14Va. Univ of L'burg 40, G. Mason 0

LUT WILLIAMSBCSP Editor 

  The CIAA and SIAC conferences (see

championship game stories) were not the only

ones to crown a champion Saturday as Norfolk

State added its name to the title list.

The Spartans, in the seventh year of head

coach Pete Adrian's tenure, wrapped up its

regular season Saturday with a 47-14 win overMorgan State to claim its first-ever MEAC

gridiron title in 15 years in the league.

The win also gives the champion Spartans

(9-2, 7-4), ranked 20th nationally in the latest

Sports Network  FCS poll, another first – the

conference's automatic bid to the Football Cham-

pionship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs.

Adrian, who took over at Norfolk State in

2005 after spending seven years as a defensive

assistant and coordinator atBethune-Cookman,

led the Spartans to their first winning season as

a Div. I program in 2007 and followed that up

with the program's first back-to-back winning

seasons in Div. I in 2009 (7-4) and 2010 (6-5).

This year's team took the next step.

"I think team chemistry has been the differ-

ence," Adrian said on Tuesday's MEAC Telecon-

ference. "I said back in the off-season, in January

and February when we went to work, that if weplayed hard we'd have a chance to win.

"We've been very solid on defense, solid in

the kicking game and solid on offense."

The Spartans have a week off as they await

the announcement of their first round FCS playoff 

opponent this Sunday.

Meanwhile, a trio of MEAC teams have

some unfinished business in their final regular

season games Saturday that may play into the

FCS playoff picture.

Both Bethune-Cookman andFlorida A&M

enter Saturday's season-endingFlorida Classic in

Orlando's Citrus Bowl at 7-3 overall and tied with

South Carolina State (6-4 overall) for second

in the MEAC with 5-2 conference marks.

The Florida Classic winner with have an

argument for playoff inclusion as will S.C.

State, who finishes its regular season Saturday

at Savannah State (1-9, 1-6).

FAMU beat SC State in head-to-head com-

petition but lost MEAC games to Hampton and

Howard. B-CU beat league champion Norfolk

State but suffered conference losses to SC State

and North Carolina A&T. SC State beat B-CU,

but fell to FAMU and Norfolk State in conference

play.

"The thing that I have a problem with and

most other coaches have a problem with whether

they will speak up or not, is seeing teams that have

a worse record that get into the playoffs in front

of teams that are in the MEAC," said B-CU head

coachBrian Jenkinson Tuesday's teleconference.

"To me that's unbelievable and something needs to

be looked at about that because surely if teams in

the MEAC had a worst record, they surely wouldn't

let us in.

"I'm seeing some teams that are 6-4 that are

slated to go to the playoffs. And you got teams like

us and FAM and South Carolina State who have a

chance to have a better record than those teams. I

think people need to take notice of how tough our

conference is. Anybody in our conference can beat

anybody any given day."

In the SWAC, this past Saturday's results

means races in the East and West Divisions will

come down to games over the final two weeks of 

the regular season.

In the East,Alabama State lost its final SWAC

game to Southern 26-23 to finish 7-2 in confer-

ence play while Alabama A&M lost to Jackson

State, 34-6 to fall to 6-2 headed to its season finale

Saturday at Prairie View A&M.

If Alabama A&M wins Saturday, the Bulldogs

will win the East and represent the division in the

Dec. 10 Championship Game in Birmingham.Jackson State, who also has a 6-2 conference mark

and finishes its season Saturday vs. Alcorn State, is

ineligible for the division or conference champion-

ship. If A&M loses, Alabama State will represent

the East.

In the West Division, three teams are still alive.

Prairie View and Grambling State are tied at the

top with 5-3 SWAC marks. Both Arkansas-Pine

Bluff and Southern are just a game behind at 4-

4.

Prairie View can win the division and a cham-

pionship game berth if it defeats Alabama A&M.

If Prairie View loses, Grambling can win the West

and play in the championship game with a  Bayou

Classic win Nov. 26 over Southern.

If both Prairie View and Grambling lose, Arkan-

sas-Pine Bluff can capture the division crown with

a win Saturday at home vs. Texas Southern.

THE GLOW OF VICTORY: Norfolk State head

coach Pete Adrian and his happy troops bask in

the sunlight of victory after their 47-14 win over 

Morgan State Saturday clinched the school's first

outright MEAC football championship and FCS

playoff berth.

Norfolk State Sports Photo

MAYNOR TILLAR WHITE

has a bye in the opening round, on Saturday, November

26th at 12 noon.

This will be the 13th playoff appearance in the

Albany State's history including their eighth consecutive

appearance, all of which have come under head coach

Mike White.

An interactive NCAA Division II Playoff bracket

can be found at http://www.ncaa.com/interactive-

bracket/football/d2/2011.

McNeill, Keaton lead 2011 CIAA

all-conference team, award winnersThe CIAA announced its 2011 all-conference and players of the year

last week in voting conducted by the league's Football Coaches Associa-

tion.

 Elizabeth City State

running backDaronte Mc-

Neill, who led the conference in rushing (1,435 yards,

143.5 yards per game) and scoring (20 TDs., 148 points)

was named offensive player of the year and Winston-

Salem Statedefensive backAlton Keaton(78 tackles, 54

solos) was named defensive player of the year. Keaton's

teammate, Dominique Fitzgerald, who led the league

in punt returns, was named special teams player of the

year.

ALL-CIAA FIRST TEAM

OFFENSE - TE: Anthony Faulcon, Sr., ECSU; OL: Sanerivi Reupena, Sr. ECSU;Baron Coffin, Sr., ECSU; Larry McDonald, Sr., FSU; Markus Lawrence, Jr., WSSU;Darrell Billiot, Sr., WSSU; WR:Jamian Smith, Sr., SAC; Robert Holland, Jr., CHOWAN;QB: Kameron Smith, Jr., WSSU; RB: Daronte McNeill, Jr., ECSU; Nicholas Cooper,

Sr., WSSU; PK: William Rudd, Sr., VSUDEFENSE - DL: Brad Davis, Jr., ECSU; John Davis, Sr., ECSU; Derrick Johnson,Jr., JCSU; Tim Green, Jr., LINC; LB: Daron Jones, Sr., LIN; Brandon McElwee, Sr.,

LIN; Jeremy Pruitt, Sr., VSU; DB: Kenny Turner, Sr., BSU; Nigel Ross, So., ECSU;Josh Scales, So., FSU; Alton Keaton, Sr., WSSU; P: Tyler Robb, Sr., JCSU; PR:Dominique Fitzgerald, Sr., WSSU

SECOND TEAMOFFENSE - TE: Michael Byrd, Sr., WSSU; OL: Rico Avellano, So., JCSU; MichaelGriffin, Sr., VSU; Francisco Clifford, Sr., VSU; James George, Sr., VUU; Daven Gray,So., WSSU; WR: Tyron Laughinghouse, Jr., SAC; Matthew Coston, Jr., LIN; QB:

Teddy Bacote, So., SAC; RB: Kevin Swain, Jr., ECSU; Colon Bailey, So., FSU; KR:James Proctor, Jr., Sr., BSU; PK: Alejandro Suarez, Fr., WSSU;DEFENSE - DL: Shonquez Nelson, So., SAC; Charles Deas, Sr., SHAW; StanleyPorter, Sr., SHAW; Akeem Ward, Sr., WSSU; LB: Tyheim Pitt, So., LIV; Chaz Rob-

inson, So., SAC; Carlos Fields, So., WSSU; DB: Patrick Charles, Sr., CHOW; JoshBrooks, Jr., ECSU; Jamil Berry, Sr., SAC; Antonio Harris, Sr., VUU; P: William Rudd,Sr., VSU; PR: Tyron Laughinghouse, Jr., SAC

McNEILL

Morehouse's Carter named top player as

SIAC postseason awards handed outATLANTA—Morehouse running back David Carter, Albany State

quarterback Stanley Jennings and Albany State linebacker Jamarkus

Gaskins were the top award winners as the Southern Intercollegiate

Athletic Conferenceannounced the 2011 SIAC Foot ball All-Conferenceteam as voted by the SIAC Football Coaches Association.

Carter, a native of Marietta, GA, was named the

SIAC player of the year after leading the conference in

rushing and scoring with 1,495 yards (149.5 yards per

game) and 19 touchdowns (114 points), respectively,

both of which currently rank fourth nationally in Divi-

sion II. The 5-10, 225-pound junior, a two-time All-

SIAC first team selection, set a new NCAA Division

II record for most rushing yards in a half with 251.

Jennings, a native of Marietta, GA, was named

the top offensive player. He leads the SIAC with 2,312

yards and 23 touchdowns. The 6-2, 250-pound senior

also ranks second in the SIAC with 231.2 passing yards

per game, 2,378 yards of total offense, and passing efficiency at 133.5.

In 10 games, Gaskins, a native of Tifton, GA, finished with 61 t ackles

and a conference-leading 12 sacks. The 6-2, 218-pound senior linebacker

is fourth in the SIAC with 14.5 tackles for loss and totaled three fumble

recoveries and a forced fumble in t he regular season.

Fort Valley State running back Travis Richmond was selected as

SIAC Freshman of the Year. In eight games, Richmond rushed for 574yards on 92 carries and five touchdowns while also catching 14 passes for

81 yards. Richmond, who was also an All-SIAC second team selection,

averaged 71.8 rushing yards per game which ranks third in the SIAC.

Miles College Head Coach Reginald Ruffin was selected as SIAC

Coach of the Year. In his first season at Miles College, Ruffin led the Golden

Bears to the first-ever SIAC West Division title, finishing with a 5-2 record

in the SIAC and 6-4 overall. Ruffin led Miles to an SIAC title in Saturday's

championship game.

CARTER

CIAAWinston-Salem State 38, Elizabeth City State 18  Running backNicholas Cooperran for 163 yards and scored

three second-half touchdowns as undefeated South Division

champion Winston-Salem Stateheld

off a late charge and subdued North

Division champElizabeth City State

38-18 before a capacity crowd at the27th CIAA Championship Game in

Durham, N.C. Saturday.

The Rams (11-0), in just their

second year back in the CIAA after

a five-year flirtation with moving

up to NCAA Div. I status, and in its

second year under head coach Con-

nell Maynor, now will enter the Div.

II playoffs as the top seeded team in

the Super Region I (see related story).

But to accomplish both tasks, the Rams had to battle the

Vikings (8-3), a team WSSU had narrowly defeated 22-17 early

in the regular season.

Leading just 10-6 at the half Saturday, the Rams appeared

to blow the game open when they scored two quick touchdowns

to open the second half, both on short Cooper scoring runs to go

up 24-6, needing just two plays in each to reach paydirt.

An end-around by Jameze Massey on the first play from

scrimmage after the second-half kickoff covered 61 yards and set

up Cooper for a 3-yard TD run that put the Rams up 17-6.

After ECSU drove 47 yards in nine plays to reach the WSSU

15, WSSU defensive back Alton Keaton sacked ECSU quarter-back Creven Powell, stripped him of the ball, scooped it up and

ran 64 yards to the ECSU 14. Two plays later Cooper took it in

from one yard out for the 24-6 lead.

But ECSU fought back. The Vikings put together an 8-play,

61-yard scoring drive that started late in the third quarter and

culminated on the first play of the fourth quarter on QB Creven

Powell's 14-yard pass to wideout Billy Wiggins. After a failed

two-point conversion attempt, ECSU trailed 24-12.

On the second play of WSSU's ensuing drive, Massey 

fumbled and ECSU recovered at its own 40. Four plays later, fac-

ing a fourth-and-2 from the ECSU 48, star running back Daronte

McNeillbroke loose on a 52-yard scoring run to bring the Vikings

within 24-18 and swing momentum the Vikings' way.

But the Rams were not to be denied. They drove 70 yards in

nine plays, with Cooper carrying four times for 55 yards includ-

ing the last 20, to go back up 30-18. The Rams would later add a

safety and another score, this one by fullback Tyrone Gholston

from 24 yards out after going 64 yards in seven plays, all on the

ground, in the waning minutes for the final margin.

WSSU scored ten points in the first quarter on placekicker

Landon Thayer's 27-yard field goal and QB Kameron Smith's9-yard pass to Tehvyn Brantley. McNeill scored on a two-yard

second-quarter run for ECSU's first half points.

For the game, WSSU totalled 426 yards of total offense, 339

on the ground led by Cooper's 163 yards in 24 carries. McNeill

ran for 145 yards on 26 carries to lead ECSU.

SIACMiles 20, Albany State 17

  Milessophomore placekickerPatton Chamberskicked thru

a 29-yard field goal with just :09 seconds left to give the West

Division champion Golden Bears a 20-17 upset win over East

Division titleist and defending conference champ Albany State

in the inaugural SIAC Championship Saturday at Clark Atlanta's

Panther Stadium.

It's the first time since 2000 that either Albany State or

Tuskegee didn't win the SIAC. With only four winning seasons

since 1963 and a 3-8 record in 2010, Miles seemed like an unlikely

candidate to break through. But first-year coachReginald Ruffin 

led Miles to the West division championship and won the league's

first championship game.

The game-winning drive started with 3:20 left in the game

right after Albany State's Brandon Hamilton missed a 38-yard

attempt to break a 17-17 tie. With junior quarterback David

Thomas at the helm, Miles (7-4) started from its own 31 and

reached the Albany State 12. Thomas passed

for 26 yards to Vondragu Hudson on third-

and-12 and scrambled 12 yards to the Albany

State 12. Chambers' kick knuckled low and

 just cleared the crossbar.

"I was hoping we got closer because I

don't like taking those 40-yard kicks under

pressure," Chambers said.

Miles stymied the SIAC's No. 2 pass-

ing offense. ASU QB Stanley Jennings, the

league's two-time offensive player of the year,

completed 11 of 23 passes for 126 yards with

an interception. His 21-yard touchdown pass

to Jessie Atkins staked Albany State to a 9-7

lead late in the first half.

Miles answered in the third quarter when Thomas ran in from

five yards for a 14-9 advantage and added a Chambers' 34-yard

field goal late in the period to lead 17-9. Albany State quickly

answered with Nathan Hoyte's 2-yard touchdown run, whichwas set up by Jennings' 38-yard pass to Hoyte. Hoyte added a

two-point conversion run to tie the score at 17-17 with 13:26

left.

Miles scored first in the game on Thomas's 29-yard pass to

Antonio Pitts, the final play in a 12-play, 80-yard drive.

Hoyte finished with 147 yards on 21 carries to earn ASU

MVP honors. Miles RB Jordan Lewis ran for 100 yards on 20

carries and Thomas ran for 46 yards and a score and passed for

158 yards (13-23-1) and a TD to earn the Miles MVP.