Photo by Tim Wilion
Blount is happy with the way his Rams fought this season.
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WbbU comes up short
to Norfolk State finale
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
One yard short. That is
exactly the deficit that the Rams
were unable to make up last
Saturday at Norfolk State as
WSSU's bid for a new set of
downs with under a minute to
play and down by three points
deep in Spartan territory ended
WSSU's season with a 23-20
loss to Norfolk State University
in Division I-FCS collegiate
football action.
For the sixth time this season
the Rams allowed their oppo
nent to score first as Norfolk
State's Daryl Jones found the
endzone from one yard out at
the 4:43 mark of the first half as
the Spartans capped an 11 -play,
46-yard drive with a score for an
early 7-0 lead.
It would take the Rams eight
minutes to answer the Norfolk
State challenge as fifth-year sen
ior quarterback Monte Purvis
(Winston-Salem/ Parkland),
playing his last game as a Ram,
found Bryant Bayne in the back
of the endzone for a 34-yard
touchdown, Purvis' eighth pass
ing touchdown of the season.
As the Rams attempted to tie
the score at 7-7 with a routine
extra point, the game would get
interesting when Terrell
Whitehead returned the blocked
PAT 83 yards for a defensive
point after touchdown en route
to a 9-6 lead for the Spartans.
WSSU refused to allow a
three-point swing affect their
offensive momentum as Monte
Purvis and the Rams took the
lead from the Spartans only 54
seconds later when Purvis
scored his team-leading 10th
rushing touchdown of the year
from 12 yards out to give WSSU
a 13-9 lead following a Matt
Mitchell extra point.
The Spartans wasted no time
in showing why they sat atop the
MEAC standings for 10 weeks
as they were able to capitalize
on a WSSU special teams mis
take with under one minute to
play in the half as they handed
punter Jamaine Mack and the
Rams their first blocked punt of
the season.
NSU turned the blocked
punt into a 15-yard touchdown
pass from Casey Hansen to
Jamar Johnson as the Spartans
retook the lead at 16-13 headed
into the locker room at half
time.
Another Johnson touchdown
reception, a 21 -yard strike,
increased the NSU cushion to 10
points at the 5:05 mark of the
third quarter as NSU strung
together a 10-play, 69-yard scor
ing drive on their second posses
sion of the second half.
As they have done all sea
son, the Rams responded as
WSSU defensive end and NFL
prospect William Hayes scored
his second career touchdown as
he returned a Keith Newton
forced NSU fumble 24 yards for
a touchdown to trim the
Spartans lead to a manageable
three points, at 23-20, as the
third quarter came to a close.
Offensively the Rams would
become stagnant as WSSU was
unable to record a score on their
final four possessions of the
quarter as Monte Purvis was
able to gairf only nine yards on a
fourth down and ten yards to go
situation with less than one
minute to play in the contest
sealed WSSU's fate and saddled
the Rams with the 23-20 loss.
"These young men fought
hard for us all year," said WSSU
head coach Kermit Blount.
"Obviously you don't like to
finish games this way when you
believe that you should have
won, but these young men real
ly played their hearts out this
season and 1. and my staff, are
extremely proud of them."
Virginia Union
picked to represent
CIAA at Pioneer Bowl
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association has announced
that the Virginia Union University Panthers will represent the confer
ence as participants in the 10th Pioneer Bowl.-,
The Panthers will face the No.
13 Tuskegee University Golden
Tigers on Dec. 1, at Charlie W.
Johnson Stadium on the campus of
Benedict College, Columbia, SC
2 p.m.
The Panthers, led by head
coach Arlington Jones, III, will
enter the Pioneer Bowl with much
to prove after finishing the season
with a 9-2 record; falling short of a
bid to the NCAA D-II Playoffs.
The CLAA is optimistic that
VUU will bring the conference
closer to leveling the score against
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference (SIAC) opponents in
this series. Currently the bowl
nic ptao record stands at 7-2 in favor of the
VUV's Lemar Little SLAC.
"We are both proud and hon
ored to represent our institution and the conference in post season
play. We are going to take our best game and bring back a victory."
said Jones.
Virginia Union's appearance this year will mark the school's sec
ond visit to the Pioneer Bowl. In 2001 Virginia Union faced Tuskegee
in Atlanta, GA. but fell to the Golden Tigers, 28-0.
To purchase tickets to this year 's game and obtain ancillary event
info, please visit www.PioneerBowl.com.
Delaware State ready for playoffs
MEAC champs to play the University of Delaware on Friday
CHRONICLE STAFI REPORT
The match-up between the
Delaware Slate Hornets and the
University of Delaware Blue
Hens will finally happen and it's
the first round of the NCAA D-l
Football Championship
Subdivision (FCS) National
Tournament.
The historic game will kick
off on Friday at Delaware
Stadium in Newark, DE.
Kickoff is 1:30 p.m. and the
game will be televised live on
ESPN HD and simulcast on
ESPN 360.
Hornet head coach A1 Lavan
was interviewed during the live
selection show on ESPNU and
expressed excitement about the
Hornets opportunity in the FCS
playoffs.
"It feels great to have an
opportunity to play in the post
season," said Lavan. "We are
glad to go where ever the sched
ule takes us. I can only say that
we will be at the site that we are
designated to play and our kids
will play hard. We are honored
and happy to be heading north."
The Hornets got their first
trip to the playoffs by securing
the MEAC football title and
automatic berth with a DSU
record 8-0 conference mark and
10-1 overall. The Blue Hens
earned an at-large bid, finishing
the regular season with an 8-3
overall record and 5-3 finish in
the Southern Division of the
Colonial Athletic Conference
(CAA).
Hornet head coach A1 Lavan
was interviewed during the live
selection show on ESPNU and
Photo by Charlie Pftff
Delaware Slate is ready to run wild in the Div-IAA playoffs.
expressed excitement about the
Hornets opportunity in the FCS
playoffs.
"It feels great to have an
opportunity to play in the post
season," said Lavan. "We are
glad to go where ever the sched
ule takes us. 1 can only say that
we will be at the site that we are
designated to play and our kids
will play hard. We are honored
and happy to be heading north."
Recently the Hornets/Blue
Hen match up received national
media attention including a fea
tured article on ESPN.com and
highlighted on tarn s wuisiuc
the Lines. The schools are sep
arated by 45 miles, but have
never competed in football.
This is a historical match-up for
the entire State of Delaware, but
most of all it is the first step for
both in the national champi
onship race.
Note: The Sports Network
announced that Delaware State
University football coach A1
Lavan has been selected one of
16 finalists for the Eddie
Robinson Award, given annual
ly to the National Football
Championship Subdivision
(FCS) Coach of the Year.
In four years, Lavan has
taken a program that had one
winning season in the eight
years prior to his arrival and
turned the Hornets into MEAC
champions. The Hornets are 9-1
heading into the final game of
the regular season and have
earned their first berth in the
FCS playoffs. Lavan is 28-15
overall and 24-8 since 2005. He
has Delaware State ranked No.
10 in the country for the first
time since 1987.
The Hornets have wins over
two Top-25 teams this season
and the Hornets are presently on
a school record nine game win
streak.
Lavan served as the interim
head coach at Eastern Michigan
before coming to DSU. His 35
year coaching resume includes
nine years as a Dallas Cowboys
assistant for Tom Landry and a
stint with the 1990 San
Francisco 49ers Super Bowl
champions.
Hill
from page BI
night.
"We're starting to play well
at the right time," said Mt. Tabor
head coach Barry Stewart. "We
weren't quite gelling at the
beginning, but I'd say we're
coming together pretty well
right about now."
I would have to agree,
coach. So are the Carver
Yellowjackets. This is nothing
new for coach Keith Wilkes and
his team. They always find a
way to advance in the playoffs.
They're so good that I usually
expect them to compete for state
title each year. I really do.
"I'm really proud of the way
the kids have been playing,"
said Wilkes. "I challenge them
every week, and they always
respond well. We've got great
senior leadership. And, every
one has come together. They're
buying into what we've been
telling them. I feel good about
our chances. We've been fortu
nate to have a number one seed.
So, we've just got to take care of
home and keep working."
Carver, which has won 12
straight games, will now host
Asheville. Asheville defeated
Statesville, 24-0 last Friday. Mt.
Tabor will host No. 3 Gastonia
Ashbrook. Both of those games
should be pretty
good. I expect our
teams to hold court,
and move one game
closer to a state title.
Good luck.
Vick reports to jail
Most of you
have already heard
the news about
Atlanta Falcons
quarterback Michael Vick vol
untarily surrendering to U.S.
marshals before his formal sen
tencing on a dogfighting charge.
He opted to go ahead and get
started on his sentence. He was
scheduled to be sentenced
December 10th on the dogfight
ing conspiracy charge but decid
ed to surrender in anticipation of
a prison term.
? ft-Try
Wilkes
I can't say that I would've
went to prison any earlier than I
had to, but I understand where
Vick is coming from. I mean, it
had to difficult to be out. hearing
all that is being said and just
having to endure it all until he
had to formally go to jail.
Besides, I think he s
going to get out early
on good behavior. I
don't think he will do
longer . than 10
months. The longest
he will do is a year if
he's giving a two-year
sentence. That's just
my opinion. I'm no
district attorney.
Experts are saying
Vick could get up to
five years.
Vick is being held at
Northern Neck Regional Jail in
Warsaw, Virginia. I am still trip
ping off the fact that Vick has to
do time for his part in the dog
fighting. I understand that he
was wrong, but prison is not the
answer. I've already expressed
my thoughts on this issue. I will
stick to my disagreement of the
punishment that the former foot
ball star is receiving. It's simply
not worth all of this.
I don't know which is worst,
Vick being treated like a mur
derer or Barry Bonds being
indicted for lying to a grand jury
about knowingly taking
steroids. Somebody needs to do
something about these gas
prices, and stop worrying so
much about athletes. That's just
me, though.
JV basketball coverage
coming
We will begin JV basketball
coverage after the Thanksgiving
break. I've gotten a few e-mails
inquiring about that. I thought
I'd let those people know that
it's coming. So, be on the look
for those stories each week. I
hope that all of you enjoy your
Thanksgiving, and don't eat too
much fried turkey.
Anthony Hill is the sports
editor for The Chronicle . He can
be reached at 722-8624 (ext.
Ill) or ahill@wschronicle.com.
Thompson
from page Bl
and defeat graciously, con
vey a high degree of humility
and integrity, and demonstrate
commitment in the classroom
and to the community.
The 10 finalists are as fol
lowed: Alex Brink (Washington
State University), Jordon Brown
(University of Houston),
Quentin Groves (Auburn
University), Jacob Gutierrez
(University of Oklahoma),
Dionte Johnson (Ohio State
University), Thomas Keith
(Central Michigan University),
Micah Rucker (Eastern Illinois
University), Jarrid Smith
(Florida Atlantic University),
Thompson (Wake Forest
University), Robert Valletti
(Iona College).
All NCAA Division I
schools were eligible to submit
nominations for the ARA
Sportsmanship Award. The
finalists were selected in a blind
process. For more information,
go to
www.arasportsmanshipaward.c
om.
The Awards and
Recognition Association is the
official sponsor of the ARA
Sportsmanship Award. ARA is a
membership organization of
4,000 companies dedicated to
increasing the professionalism
of recognition specialists and
advancing the awards and
engraving industry.
You use parenting instincts every day
Trust the one that says he's not learning the way he should
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