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SPORTS/tlJe CljatlijBE $iitt
Thursday, October 12,2006
ECSU success
changes CIAA
OK, so I was wrong. It happens.
Bowie State won’t be ^virming the football championship
this year.
I was right on one accoimt, however. Mike Lynn is a good
recruiter, but his coaching skills leave much to be desired.
For the second straight year, the Bulldogs are a disappoint
ment. Last year, Bowie blew a 17-0 lead to North Carolina
Central in the championship game and lost. Then they got
nipped in the Pioneer Bowl by a Tbskegee team
they should have beaten.
This year was supposed to be theirs. OK,
maybe some of us in the media, i.e. me, bought
into the hype, but one look at their recruiting
class, along with the players returning, and it
was hard not to get excited. But next to
Fayetteville State, Bowie has to be the most
disappointing team in the conference.
The Bulldogs’ loss to Morgan State should
have been a barometer of things to come.
Despite being Division I-AA, BSU owned
Morgan last year. And should have again. Instead, the
Bulldogs self-destructed and lost 28-20 after leading 13-0.
It’s been downhill ever since as BSU has lost three straight
games.
So, instead of Bowie, it’s going to be Elizabeth City State in
the championship. The Mighty Vikings are for real. Just ask
St. Augustine’s. That 49-0 score was no fluke. The Falcons did
do their part to beat themselves, but a year ago, ECSU still
wouldn’t have capitalized.
Coach Waverly Tillar, one of the more charismatic coaches
in the league - just attend a football luncheon sometime - has
a decent defense and three good quarterbacks with rifles dis
guised as throwing arms.
As congenial as 'Pillar is at the podium, he’s just the oppo
site on the field. Deep into the fourth quarter against the
Falcons, the Vikings were still throwing the ball.
“’That’s just the way our guys play the game,” 'Pillar said.
“It’s the nature of our offense.”
Yeah stick to that story, coach. We think it’s payback time -
for alot of folks.
St. Aug’s coach Michael Costa R-E-A-L-L-Y needs a Shaw
game about now. 'Phe Falcons had won the previous two
meetings. The teams didn’t schedule each other this year, but
Costa could use some good PR.
Against ECSU, the Falcons didn’t look that bad in 2002,
their first year back after reinstating football. The most trou
blesome aspect was the lack of discipline displayed.
St. Aug’s is averaging a league-worst 145 yards in penalties
per game. Stupid penalties at that: fllegal procedures, delay
of game, offsides. During one drive against the Vikings, the
Falcons were first-and-10 at the ECSU 20. Four downs later,
it was fourth-and-30.
This is not a yoimg and inexperienced team. Yes, losing
defensive player of the year Tyrone Pettaway and offensive
Please see ELIZABETH C1TY/3C
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sports
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Wf)e Cljarlotte ^osit
Golden Bulls focused on St. Augustine’s
Continued from page 1C
happened in school history.
'Phe Livingstone win was
Smith’s largest margin of vic
tory this season and the
Bulls’ first shutout since a 26-
0 win against Elizabeth City
State in 1998. It was
McNeill’s first victory against
Livingstone in four tries.
“We’ll celebrate ...then
start thinking about St.
Aug’s,” Smith linebacker Ed
Wilson said.
For the first time this year.
Smith dominated with
defense. The Bulls held
Livingstone to 156 yards,
including 33 on the ground
and special teams turned in a
score when De’Audra Dix
opened the second half with a
90-yard kickoff return for a
touchdown and 16-0 Smith
advantage.
Although Smith didn’t have
to push offensively, McNeOl
wants to see improvement in
order for the Bulls to stay
within a game of West
Division leader N.C. Central.
TTie Bulls gained just 227
yards against Livingstone,
but it was more than enough
to win.
“We know as
we get closer in
the division,
we’re going to
have to do a
better job of
grinding things
out and a betr .
ter job of con
sistency on
offense,” he said.
'Prue to form, Smith wasn’t
spectacular on offense, but
steady. Quarterbacks Carlton
Richardson and Donja Good
were mistake-free in the
passing game and the Bulls
didn’t turn the ball over,
which didn’t give Livingstone
a chance to rally late. Sure,
they were conservative, but
it’s working.
“Personally, I don’t take a
McNeill
lot of chances at the end of
the game,” McNeill said. “If
we’re up by three scores,
we’re going to grind it, we’re
going to let people come and
beat us defensively. I’m not
going to give any team a
chance to just beat us by try
ing to do things that make no
sense to do, especially with
the new NCAA rules”
designed to speed the time to
finish games.
“We have a wonderful
coaching staff,” said WUson,
who tallied nine tackles, a
sack and forced fumble
against Livingstone. “They’re
putting us in position to
m£ike plays, they’re coaching
us, getting us to do the things
we need to do in practice. We
couldn’t ask for no more.
We’re really buying into what
they’re telling us this year
and we’re advertising it every
week.”
Smith’s success is a sur
prise in the CIAA, where the
Bulls were picked to finish
last in the West in preseason
polls. But the seeds of a
breakthrough season were
sewn during last year’s 0-10
campaign. It took some fine-
tuning through junior college
transfers that brought in
players like Wilson, but the
components were in place.
“For the 85 or 90 guys who
started camp with us, we
knew what we could do just
based on the way we played
the year before,” McNeill
said.
“And knowing a couple of
recruits and people we added
were going to definitely help ■
us win games. The return of
(backup quarterback and for
mer three-year starter)
Goodson is a perfect example.
It’s something other people
hadn’t expected, but we’re not
beat until we’re beat and for
60 minutes, we play the best
we can.”
Bobcats guards find benefit to shortcomings
Continued from page 1C
world,” said Knight. ‘We’ve
been used to having to cany
our teams.”
'Their positive attitude even
rubbed off on some pf the
players watching from the
bench.
“It was' extremely disap
pointing, but in any situation
I’m in I try to take something
positive from it,” said Sean
May, who only played in 23
games before suffering a sea
son ending right knee injury.
“It helped me see the game
from another perspective. Tb
see and imderstand you can
still pick up a lot of things
from just watching.”
“Those guys had to go
through a lot of things last
year,” added May. “A lot of
close games we lost, but it’s
just going to help us with
more experience...for this sea
son.”
Yet, even with the positive
spin on last season, these
guys are all glad to be start
ing the pre-season as a com
plete unit.
“There were times we
wouldn’t have minded having
a bit more help,” said Knight.
(joing into the third season
with a clean bill of health for
the team, Felton feels a
weight has definitely been
lifted off his shoulders.
“Now we can add me and
[Knight] out there splitting
the time as point guard...add
Adam [Morrison] and Matt
[Carroll] out on the wing...it
is going to be a lot of fim,”
said Felton. ‘With Gerald
Wallace going back to his
position at the three spot, it’s
going to be amazing.”
“I just sit aroimd here and
snule now,” he added, with
his trademark grin. So far
this season, the whole team
does.
North Meek tailback Vereen proves his mettle
Continued from page 1C
total in county history. He
also scored a pair of touch
downs to help North to a 19-0
win.
GOING FOR 100:
Independence High will try
for its 100th straight win
Friday at East Mecklenburg.
The Patriots have been any
thing but perfect this season,
but have found ways to win.
With the best defense in the
county, and perhaps the
state, look for Independence
to control tempo on that side
of the ball. Of course, it’ll help
to give Leak the ball early
and often.
OH, BEHAVE: If you’re
going to East, arrive early
and leave the drama home.
Extra security will be on
hand just in case.
TOP GAME: Butler at
Myers Park. The Mustangs
need a win to stay in con
tention in the Southwestern
4A. Butler is chasing
Independence, too.
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