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Sports
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
The News Argiis Page 7
WSSU recruits N.C. and S.C
talent on National Signing Day
LaTasha Miles
Sports Editor
Jordan Holloway
REPORTER
National Signing Day, Feb. 5
is one of the most important
days of the year for college
football fans, teams, and fans.
It's the day that college-
bound high school football
players sign letters of intent
for the university they will
play for in the fall.
Winston-Salem State inked
14 signings — making the 2010
recruiting class the first since
the University decided to pass
on completing the transition
and become a Division-I
school and remain a member
of the Mid-Eastern Atlantic
Conference. Thirteen of the 14
Ram recruits are in state.
“I think that this recruiting
class is a very high number of
recruits to sign at the Division-
II level on signing day," said
Connell Maynor, first-year
head football coach at WSSU,
in a recent press release.
"Most people are going to
think that this many student-
athletes signing is unusual but
it was the quality of the ath
letes that dictated how [many]
young men we signed.
"We usually don't like to
sign a lot of guys on National
Signing Day.
We usually wait to try to get
the guys who don't receive the
Division-I offer that they think
they will get, but the guys that
we have in here have impecca
ble credentials and we
couldn't pass on the opportu
nity to take these guys.
"These young men could all
step in and immediately con
tribute for us. It is a testament
Recruits
continued on Page 8
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Kaieb Carter
- 6-4,280-pound offensive lineman from Wilson High School in Florence, S.C.
- All-Area, All-Region and All-Slate selection, member of the North-South All-Star team,
bench presses 275 pounds, squats over 400 pounds and clocled the 40-yard dash at
4.98 seconds.
Duvontae Covington
- 6-2, 285-pound defensive lineman from Dudley High School in Greensboro.
- Played on both the offensive line as an offensive taclle and on the defensive line as a
defensive end.
Davin Gray
- 6-3, 310-pound defensive lineman from Glenn High School in Kernersville. ’
- 62 total tackles and 10 sacks in his senior seasori.
Jermaine Kesler
- 6-2, 303-pound defensive tackle from Lumberton High School in Lumberton.
- Started in the 2009 Shrine Bowl, finishing the season with 65 total tackles.
- Chose WSSU over offers from Wingate, UNC-Petnbroksi and Duke.
DeAngelo Johnson
- 6-1, 280-pound defensive lineman from Mallard Creek High School in Ctiarlotte.
- Winner of ail 20 games over the span of his junior and senior seSsonl!
Jalaquon McNeill fi?f ^
- 6-0, 185-pound linebacker from Lumberton High School irf®hbertori^
- Recorded 114 tackles, three interceptions and four sacks nafjnior se^n,
Thomas Warren
- 6-2, 280-pound offensive lineman from Mt. Tabor High Scnooi m Win«9rt-Salem.
- An All-Central Piedmont Conference selection; helped Mt. Tabor HS to an 11-2 record.
Vernon Brandon
- 5-11, 185-pound quarterback, attends Hoke County High School in Raeford.
- Clocked at 4.6 seconds in the 40 yard dash, and a vertical leap of 36 inches.
Maurice Lewis
- 5-11, 190-pound tailback, attends Lumberton High School in Lumberton.
- Ran for over 2,000 yards as a senior, averaging 150 yards a game.
Graham Love . „ ^
- 6-2,195-pound wide receiver, attends Panther Creek High School in Cary.
- A Tri-9 All-Conference selectiorj'in his junior and senior seasons.
Anthony Short .
- S-S/l 75-pound wide receiver from Butler High School in Matthews, N.C.
- A memberof the undefeated 2009 NCHSAA 4AA State Championship team.
DeShean Townsend
- 6-3. 210-oound quarterback from South View High School in Fayetteville.
- ^ed thT2008 and 2009 Mid-South Conference Offensive Player of the Year, passed
for over 2000 yards each season, recorded 45
touchdowi#1n last two seasons.
Eric V\^olff
- 6-2 180-pound Wide receiver from Hoke County High School in Raeford,
- Hari 70 ratches 1219 yards and 17 touchdowns his senior season.
- A First-Teai^ AH-Southeastern Conference, First-Team All-State and a 4A All-State
honoree.
-°Tl80*^Id !^d0 receiver/free safety from Red Springs High School in Fayetteville,
also a star on the basketball court for Red Springs.
COACH'S 'GAMIs BAI-I-'
Awarded to Paul Davis
LaTasha Miles
Sports Editor
Paul Davis, from Clio, S.C. is a jun
ior on the Rams basketball team. The
former student of Marlboro County
High School is a forward majoring in
physical education recreation.
Rams head coach Bobby Collins
selected him as the recipient of the Coach's Game Ball.
Davis, also known by the nickname "Mr. Double Double,"
averages 10 points and nine rebounds a game.
"There has been a consistent all around effort on his part,"
Collins said.
"He has achieved that or fallen one point or rebound short.
There is consistency given from him every game."
During the Feb. 13 game against Morgan State, Davis
scored a WSSU career-high of 32 points. His previous high
was 19 points. He also tied with a career-high of 15 rebounds.
Stokes dismissed,
replaced by Mebane
LaTasha Miles
Sports Editor
Lady Rams basketball coach
Dee Stokes was released Feb.
9 despite in November calling
the 2009-2010 season her last
at Winston-Salem State to
focus on other endeavors.
Stokes, who coached her
final game Feb. 8, a 67-26 loss
against MEAC rival
Hampton, has been involved
with coaching for 16 years
and head coaching at WSSU
since 2006. Stokes finished
with less than 20 wins during
her four seasons as head
coach.
"We are truly grateful for
Coach Stokes' service to the
University and to our stu-
dent-athletes," Athletic
Director Bill Hayes said.
Hayes also said that he
thinks that her resignation in
November had a huge impact
on the players and that play
ing quality athletics just was
n't there.
"I thought that a change
was necessary," Hayes said.
"I thought that it [the
change] might provide the
momentum where we can fin
ish the season off with some
energy and excitement."
The Lady Rams have accu
mulated three wins this sea
son, the last one a 66-65 over
time victory over
Presbyterian in Kentucky
Nov. 22.
Hayes added that Stokes
will not be moved into
another position to fulfill her
contract.
Stokes was replaced by
interim coach Walter Mebane
from Durham Feb. 10.
Hayes said that Mebane
was selected because of his
coaching experience, which
spans more than 28 years.
Collegiately, Mebane served
Stokes
continued on Page 8
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