6 Wednesday, December 6, 2000 The Compass
Sports
Another Losing Season
Men's Basketball Schedule
DEC 9 Wilmington College
DEC 16 Winston-Salem State
DEC 20 Caldwell College
JAN 3 Johnson C. Smith
JAN 4 Fort Valley State
JAN 7 Virginia State (Norfolk Scope)
JAN 16 St.Augustines
JAN 20 Fayetteville State
JAN 23 Benedict
JAN 25 St.Paul's
JAN 27 Virginia Union
JAN 30 Bowie State
FEB 3 Shaw
FEB 6 Livingstone
FEB 10 St.Paul's
FEB 13 NCCU
FEB 17 Virginia State
FEB 20 Bowie State
FEB 24 Virginia Union
Feb 25-Mar 3 CIAA Tournament
Elizabeth City, NC - 7:30 p.m.
Elizabeth City, NC - 7:30 p.m.
Caldwell, NJ - 7:30pm
Charlotte, NC - 7:30p.m.
Ft.Valley, GA - 7:30p.m.
Norfolk, VA - 8:00p.m.
Raleigh, NC - 7:30p.m.
Fayetteville, NC - 7:30p.m.
Columbia, SC - 7:30p.m.
Elizabeth City, NC - 7:30 p.m.
Elizabeth City, NC - 7:30 p.m.
Bowie, MD - 7:30 p.m.
Elizabeth City, NC - 7:30 p.m.
Elizabeth City, NC - 7:30 p.m.
Lawerenceville, VA - 7:30 p.m.
Durham, NC -7:30 p.m.
Petersburg, VA 7:30 p.m.
Elizabeth City, NC 7:30 p.m.
Richmond, VA 7:30 p.m.
Raleigh,NC
Vikings Win Season Opener
Derek Lyons
Shannon Penn
sepenn@mail.ecsu.edu
As the final whistle sounded to end
another disappointing season for Eliza
beth City State University football, a
number of questions began to arise.
The most notable question was, "Why
was the team so bad?"
Coming into the season, ECSU Vi
king fans held great expectations for
Coach Wright and the team. The coach
ing staff felt the defense would be the
strongest aspect of the team. Unfortu
nately, a number of key defensive play
ers were academically ineligible to play
for the season. This led to the starting
and playing of inexperienced freshmen.
Due to their lack of experience, the team
gave up too many "big plays" in key
situations of games.
The number of injuries also contrib
uted heavily to the Vikings' disappoint
ing season. Defensive Tacklers,
Rashaun Spencer and Anthony White,
Quarterback, John McCoy, Wide Re
ceiver, Ervin Barret and Fullbacker,
Robert Dorlus were all key players lost
due to injuries. The losses of Spencer
and White hurt the defensive line, and
thus made it hard for the team to stop
the runs. The losses of McCoy and
Barret hurt the passing game. McCoy
was the team's starting Quarterback,
and without him the offensive seemed
to lack leadership. Barret was a major
DEC 6
Benedict
DEC 16
Winston-Salem
JAN 3
J.C.Smith
JAN 4
Ft. Valley State
JAN 9
Shaw
JAN 13
Va State
JAN 16
St. Augustine's
JAN 20
Fayetteville State
JAN 23
Benedict
JAN 25
St. Paul's
JAN 27
Virginia Union
JAN 30
Bowie State
FEB 3
Shaw
FEB 6
Livingstone
FEB 10
St.Paul's
FEB 13
NCCU
FEB 17
Virginia State
FEB 20
Bowie State
FEB 24
Virginia Union
Feb 25-Mar 3
CIAA Tournament
threat, which spread the field and made
the passing game as effective as the
running game. Without the threat of
an effective passing game, opposing
teams were able to focus on the run
ning game.
Coach Wright was quick to point out
that a lack of effort was not a factor in
the team's disappointing season. "The
team played hard and gave it there all
in every game and in every practice,"
said Wright.
According to Running Back, Rashaun
Askew, the team did not perform up to
their expectations and at the level they
knew they could play. "We as a team
mentally defeated ourselves," said
Askew.
Though there were many losses dxir-
ing the season. Coach Wright feels that
there were several positive things that
took place. For instance, the team
gained a great deal of experience, es
pecially for the freshmen, who will
hopefully be more coordinated and
knowledgeable next season, and Alvin
Wilson was named the CIAA Defen
sive Player of the Year. Also, the senior
Linebacker amassed 90 tackles and 3
sacks during the season.
Once again, the fans of ECSU have
to wait yet another year to see whether
or not the football team will rise to
their expectations.
Elizabeth City, NC 7:00pm
Elizabeth City, NC 5:30pm
Charlotte, NC 5:30pm
Ft.Valley, GA 5:30pm
Raleigh, NC 5:30pm
Elizabeth City, NC 5:30pm
Elizabeth City, NC 5:30pm
Fayetteville, NC 5:30pm
Columbia, SC 6:00pm
Elizabeth City, NC 5:30pm
Elizabeth City, NC 5:30pm
Bowie, MD 5:30pm
Elizabeth City, NC 5:30pm
Elizabeth City, NC 5:30pm
Lawerenceville, VA 5:30pm
Durham, NC 5:30pm
Elizabeth City, NC 5:30pm
Elizabeth City, NC 5:30pm
Richmond, VA - 5:30pm
Raleigh, NC
pullsome@hotmail.com
The Elizabeth City State Uruversity
Vikings are loaded with leadership and
talent. Under the direction of Coach
Barry Hamler, the Vikings plan to make
this year a memorable one.
In a pre-season pick, the mighty Vi
kings were picked to finish second be
hind defending Eastern Division
Champions, Virginia Union, and they
may be able to do so or even rank
higher if the team continues to play as
they did the night of their season
opener.
On the night of their season opener,
ECSU's men's basketball team survived
a second half scare from Voorhees to
win their home opener 70-69. The Vi
kings were led by junior, forward,
Clayton Mercer who led all scorers with
23 points.
Mercer, the only consistent scorer for
the Vikings, scored 16 of his 23 points
in the second half to help lift tiie Vi
kings over the Tigers. ECSU won the
game despite blowing a 22 point lead
in the first half.
The Vikings started the game like a
top 10 team was suppose to play. The
team jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the
first five minutes. With just under 10
Derek Lyons
pulIsome@hotmail.com
The Lady Vikings of Elizabeth City
State University were picked to finish
first in the Eastern Division ahead of
Bowie State. Seniors, Raquita Washing
ton and Krista Zeigler, along with
Daminica Moody were named to the
All-CIAA pre-season team.
The Lady Vikings tipped off their
2000 season on Nov. 21 at Tuskegee.
The 2000-2001 predicted order of fin-
minutes left in the first half, the Vi
kings were up 26-4. The Vikings, who
are young and inexperienced showed
no signs of that. The men looked more
like a veteran group of stars. The de
fense only allowed 26 points in the first
20 minutes of the game.
As each team went to the locker
room, it seemed that the Vikings were
headed for the blowout. But a different
Tiger team returned for the second half,
out-scoring the Vikings 43 to 28.
After shooting 73 percent from the
field in the first half, the Vikings went
9-24 in the second half. With about three
minutes left in the game, Voorhees fi
nally took the lead at 58-59. After they
scored, Mercer went to the line and
sank two free throws that put the Vi
kings up for good. For the rest of the
game, the Vikings would produce big
plays from Tyrone Smith, who finished
the game with 11 points and Sidney
Gainey. With under 40 seconds to go.
Smith drove 10 defenders with a cross
over dribble, but moments before that,
Gainey, who had struggled from the
field, drained a tumaroimd jump that
put the Vikings up by five.
Everyone cheered as the Vikings de
feated the Tigers 70-69.
ish for the Eastern Division is as fol
lows: Elizabeth City State University,
Bowie State, Virginia State, Virginia
Union, St. Paul's College and Shaw
University.
The 2000-2001 predicted order of fin
ish for the Western Division is as fol
lows; Johnson C. Smith, Winston-Sa-
lem State, Fayetteville State, North
Carolina Central University and Saint
Augustine's College.
Congratulations on
your quest to become
CIAA Champions.
Women's Basketball Schedule
Lady Vilings Picl^ed to Win tlie
Eastern Division