5C
0*0
SPORTS/tinje Cljarlotte
Thursday, September 28, 2006
^ For the Week of Sept. 26 -Oct. 2, 2006
RISIN’
FROM
THE
ASHES
T LANE, PRAIRIE VIEW LOOKING TO EARN
RESULTS, RESPECT ON THE GRIDIRON
DSD Sports Photo
WINTON: DSU QB to
lead Hornets' attempt
to knock off BCSP top-
ranked Hampton in
Dover,
2006 BLACK COLLEGE FOOTBALL (Results, Standings and Weekly Honors)
Athletic Association
BP wwit
ON
THE
RISE
COLE: Second-year
Lane coach has
Dragons in the thick
of the SIAC race with
a 5-0 record, 2-0 in
the league, after an
0-10 mark in his first
year.
SCORES
SATURDAY, SEPT, 23
Alabama A&M 19, Texas SouSiem 14
Alabama Stale 33, Alcorn State 28
B-Cookman 22, Norfolk State 21
Carson-Newrran 27, Virginia St. 21
Coastal Carolina 33, SC State 14
• Edirboro 28, Cheyrey 6
Fairmont St. 14, W. Vrginia State 0
FlordaA&M 25, W-Salem State 21
Hampton 26, Morgan Stale 7
Howard Payne 16, Paul Quinn 9
Jackson St 29, Miss Wiley State 24
JC Smith 40, Va. Union 37,5 OTs
La.-Lafayette 48, NCA&T7
Lane 23, Clark Atlanta 15
Langston 28, Prairie View 7
Lenoir-Rhyne 17, Benedict 0
Liberty 28, Savannah State 0
Lincoln 22, Kentucky Wesleyan 10
Livingstone 7, Bowie State 3
Malne-Orono 62, Shaw 12
Mars Hill 14, Saint AigusCrre's 7
Morehouse 17, Concordia 13
Newberry 49, Eliz. City Slate 33
NC Central 27, Southern 20
N. Greenville 48, Edward Waters 19
Rutgere 56, Howard 7
S. Illinois 48,Ark.-Pine Bluff 16
St. Paul's 24, Fayetteville St, 21
Tuskegee 34, Fort Valley State 20
Vanderbilt 38, Tennessee State 9
SUNDAY, SEPT. 24
Miles 21, Stillman 14
BCSP TOP TEN
1. HAMPTON (4-0) - Beat Morgan State, 26-7, NEXT; At No.
3 Delaware State.
2. N. C. CENTRAL (4-0) - Defeated No. 4 Southern, 27-20.
NEXT: At Bowie State in CIAA title game rematch.
3. DELAWARE STATE (2-1) - Idle. NEXT: Hosting top-ranked
and defending MEAC champ, Hampton.
4. BETHUNE-COOKMAN (3-1) ■ Beat Norriolk State on late
FG, 22-21. NEXT: At Morgan State.
5. ALABAMA A&M (3-1) - Beat back Texas Southern, 19-14.
NEXT: Idle.
6. GRAMBLING STATE (0-3) Idle. NEXT: Looks for first win
vs. Prairie View in Dallas at the Cotton Bowl.
7. MILES (3-1) - Beat Stillman, 21-14. NEXT; At Savannah
Stale,
8. SOUTHERN (2-2) - Lost to No. 2 NC Central, 27-20. NEXT:
Hosting Alabama State.
9. NORFOLK STATE (2-1) - Lost to No. 4 Bethune-Cookman
22-21. NEXT: Hosting NC A&T.
10. LANE (5-0) - Earned its fifth straight victory, 23-15 over
Clark Atlanta. NEXT: At Stillman.
HOW THEY DID IT
FANTASTIC FINISHES
- J.C. Smith 40, Virginia Union 37
It took five overtimes but JC Smith (3-1,1-1) got a 22-yard TD
run from Yannick Murray to come away with a victory in
Richmond, Va. VUU (2-2, 1-1) fought back from a 21-0 deficit
to pull even at 28 with 1:18 left on a Lemar Little to Herb
Jones seven-yard TD pass. The teams traded touchdowns and
missed two-point conversions in one overtime. In the fifth OT,
VUU got a 26-yard field goal before JCSU’s game winner.
- No. 5 Alabama A&M 19. Texas Southern 14
A&M (3-1. 2-1) shutout TSU in the second half (2-2, 2-1) and
scored once in the third and fourth quarters to stave off an upset
bid from the Tigers who led 14-7 at the half.
- No. 4. Bethune-Cookman 22, Norfolk Stale 21
The Wildcats (3-1, 2-0) got a 35-yard field goal from PK Jesus
Cortez with 3:29 to play capping a 12-play 71-yard drive to
knockoffNSU (2-1,0-]).
- Florida A&M 25, Winston-Salem State 21
FAMU (2-2) RB Anthony Edwards scored on a one-yard run
with 36 seconds left to propel the Rattlers past WSSU (1-3).
- NC Central 27, Southern 20
The Jags (2-2), shutout for three quarters, scored three TDs in
the final stanza but couldn't overcome the Eagles.
BCSP NFL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
FOR GAMES OF 9/24-25
DEFENSE
ANTOINE BETHEA, S, Indianapolis
(HOWARD) - Rookie led the Colts wth
eight solo tackles and four ossists in win
over Jacksonville.
NICK COLLINS, DB, Green Bay
(BETHUNE-COOKMAN) - Led the
Packers for the second week in a row
in tackles, posting six with one assist, in
win over Detroit.
OFFENSE
STEVE McNAIR, 6-2,235, QB, Tennessee (10th year,
ALCORN STATE) - Completed 23 of 41 passes for.264
yords and one TD, a three-yarder to TE Todd Heap,
with no interceptions os the Ravens stayed unde
feated with o \Mn over Cleveland.
E. DIVISION
Eliz. City Slate
Si. Paul's
Virginia Union
Bowie State
Stew
Vrginia Stale
W. DIVISION
N.C. Central
J. C. Smitti
Si. Augustine's
FayetteVlle Stale 0 2 14
ClAAPUViRSOFTHE WEEK
RECEIVER CHARLES fUTRaU Sr., WR,
NCCU • 4 roc., 140 y*., 73-yan3 TO teeWton
OFFENSIVE BACK CURTIS RICH, Jr.. QB,
ECSU-15-ot-30,203 y0s.,4TDs
ROOKIE STADF0RD8R0WN,Fr.,QB,NCCU
•llkil-20,0inls..167ycJs,1TD
SPECIALTY DE'AUDRA DIX, Jr., OB, JCSU •
BlkO 2 FGs. 40-yarO pi TO, 91 -yard KO I9l. TD
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN ROBERT DUNCAN,
Sr., C, NCCU
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN COURTLAND
COARD, Jr., NG. NCCU • 2 ills.. 1 t«li. 3>. Is
/E BACK BRIAN DENNIS, So., DB,
«1. puni, 30-yata TO, 1 ini, 81,6s
' Athletic CcwFEReNce
Hampton 3 0-40
BethuneHJookman 2 0 3 1
Delaware State 10 2 1
Florida A&M 112 2
Norfolk Stale 0 12 1
Morgan Stale 0 113
SC State 0 113
NC A&T State 0 10 3
Howard 0 2 0 3
It Winston-Salem Slate 12 13
Ulneliglblelorile
MEAC BUYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSE PRINCETON SHEPHERD, Sr., QB,
HAM- 12-of-18,0 iris., 121 yds, 3TDs, 47 rustr
Athletic CONPEfience
CONF ALL
MED ABOUR-RAHMAN, Fr., PK. MHC •
2-2 or PATS, 21-yanJ field goal
SPECIAL TEAMS CHRISTOPHER KHAN, So.,
’ Athletic CwfERENce
DIV ALL
£. DIVSION W L W L
Jackson State 10 2 1
Alabama A&M 2 13 1
Alabama State 2 12 2
Miss. Valley St. 2 2 2 2
Alcorn State 0 2 0 3
W.'DIVSION
Texas Soultiem .21 22
Prairie Vew ASM 112 1
Southern 112 2
Ark. Pine Bluff 12 13
Grambllng Slate 0 10 3
SWAC BUYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSE JAY PECK, Jr., RB, AU0. ST. •
3loat.,l96yat(ts.2TDs
NEWCOMER LELANO JONES. So., OB.
INDEPENDENTS
Tennessee Slate 2 2 0
Langston 1 1 0
Texas College 1 1 0
Concordia 1 3 0
Central Slate 0 1 1
Savannah Slate 0 2 0
Paul Quinn 0 3 0
Lincoln (Mo.) 0 3 0
Cheyney 040
Edward Waters 0 5 0
BUYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSE KEN JOHNSON, RB, CONCOR
DIA- 12 carries, 97 yards. 17-yatd TD rmir
loss Ki Morehouse
TIONTI POWELL. RB, WSSU • Carried 13
lines lor 114 yards iMoss 10 FAMU.
DEFENSE COREYSWINNIE,WSSU-Tw)
Three undefeateds, one big surprise
LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor
Headed into the final week of September there are
three undefeated teams in black college football.
Two are no surprise - two-time defending MEAC
champ Hampton (4-0), ranked 12th in this week’s
Sports Nenvork NCAA Div. I-AA poll, and defending
CIAA champ North Carolina Central (4-0), ranked
7th nationally in the latest NCAA Div. 11 football poll
at D2football-com. They are 1-2 in the latest BCSP
ranking.
The other is 5-0 Lane. After a winless fO-10)
2005 campaign and not having a winning season since
1995, its unblemished mark is more than a surprise. It's
close to a shock.
Picked to finish last in the 10-team SIAC by the
conference's coaches in the preseason, second-year
head coach Johnny Cole knew something they didn't.
He can recruit. And that's just what he did bringing in a
whopping 38 transfers, most from the junior college
ranks and 10 from Div. lA programs, to lead a quick
turnaround of the Dragons' fortunes. It also helped that
Cole, who was hired in the summer of 2005, has had a
full year to pull things together.
"We just didn't have the personnel," Cole said of'
last year's struggles. "We got in here so late we didn't
know what to expect. Our season turned out to be our
spring practice. The end result was the 0-10."
The former Tennessee State and Alabama State
offensive guru while working under his brother, former
TSU and ASU head coach L.C. Cole, has the Dragons
in the thick of the conference race with a 2-0 maik
headed into this week's game at Stillman. In addition
to its winiess 2005 season, Lane hasn't finished with a
winning record since 1995. Respect, Cole said he
understand.s, is a ways off,
"We’re probably the only 5-0 team in the country
that's not ranked," said Cole Tiiesday from his office.
"We're fighting for respect every week. 1 keep telling
my guys that the teams we’ve beat, haven't beat many
people. So we've got plenty of work to do."
Lane's offense currently leads the SIAC averag
ing 30,8 points per game, up significantly from the 19,1
points per contest it scored last year, next to last in the
league. Quarterback Sherard Ellis and wideouts
Jacoby Jones and Edward Williams are the key
weapons. Cole said every NFL team in the league has
been in to scout Jones and Williams. Jones, at 6-3.198,
has 4,4 speed and doubles as a dangerous kick returner.
Through five games he leads the league in all purpose
yards (173 ypg.) including 26 receptions for four TDs
and both a kickoff and punt return for scores. Williams is
listed at 6-4,210 and runs 4.5.
But the biggest improvement has been on defense
where Cole sports eight new starters led by DT James
Cooper and DE Anthony Jones. The Dragons are giv
ing up 13-5 points per game, tops in the SIAC and down
significantly from the league-worst 38.4 ppg. they sur
rendered last year.
Games of the Week
Delaware State (2-1,1-0) is the only MEAC team
to beat Hampton (4-0,3-0) during its two-year reign as
champion. That 28-23 win in 2004 for the Hornets in
head coach A1 Lavan's first year however, was sprinkled
with controversy.
Though Lavan nor Hampton head coach Joe
Taylor says they can track down where the rumor start
ed, word spread that DSU had excessively watered the
field and grew the grass to slow down the quick Pirates,
Both coaches play down the truth or significance of the
rumor but that doesn't make Saturday's return match in
Dover (6 p.m.) any less intriguing.
In his third year, Lavan has the Hornets looking as
much like a challenger to the Pirates' as anyone. DSU
running back Emmanuel Marc is currently the league's
top rusher (121.7 ypg.) and the Hornets (215.7 ypg.) rank
just behind Hampton (215.8 ypg.) in rushing offense,
DSU QB Vashon Winton is just behind Hampton QB
Princeton Shepherd in league passing stats and both
have thrown just one interception. Both defenses have
given up just eight touchdowns though Hampton has
played one more game.
"We're going to have to slow Hampton’s running
game down, cut down on their big plays and contain their
kick returners," said Lavan on Tuesday’s teleconference.
"We've got to play well in all three areas of the game,
offense, defense and special teams."
The CIAA has a showdown of its own Saturday as
defending champion N.C. Central (4-0,2-0) and Bowie
State (2-2,0-1), teams that met in last year's CIAA title
game, square off at Bowie (2 p.m.) in the 3rd Prince
GAMES THIS WEEK
SATURDAY, SEPT., 30
Chaileston (VWj vs. W. Va. State in Charleston, VW 1:00pm
Howard vs. Fort Valley State in Washington, DC ItOOpm
Kentucky State vs, Clark Atlanta in Frankfort, KY 1:00pm
Millsaps vs. Lincoln (MO) in Jackson, MS 1:00pm
NW Oklahoma State vs. Langston in Alva, OK 1:00pm
Cental St. vs. Va. Union in Wilberforce, OH 1:30pm
St. Augustine's vs. Eliz. City State in Raleigh, NC 1:30pm
Saint Paul's vs. Johnson C. Smith in Lawrenceville, VA 1:30pm
West Chester vs. Cheyney in West Chester, PA 2:00pm
Norfolk State vs. NC A&T in Norfolk, VA 4:00pm
Texas Southern vs. Jackson State in Houston, TX 4:00pm
Edward Waters vs, Webber in Jacksonville, FL 5:00pm
Miss Valley State vs. Concordia in Itta Bena, MS 5:00pm
Stillman vs. Lane in Tuscaloosa, AL 5:00pm
Benedict vs. Albany State in Columbia, SC 6:00pm
Delaware Slate vs. Hampton in Dover, DE 6;00pm
Livingstone vs. Shaw in Salisbury, NC 6:00pm'
Morgan State vs. Bethune-Cookman in Baltimore, MD 6:00pm
Savannah State vs. Miles in Savannah, GA 6:00pm
W-Salem State vs. C.Carolina in Winston-Salem, NC 6:00pm
Southern vs, Alabama State in Baton Rouge, LA 7:00pm
Texas College vs. Paul Quinn in Tyler, TX 7:00pm
HOMECOMINGS
Virginia State vs. Fayetteville State in Petersburg, VA 1:30pm
CUSSICS
3rd Prirtce Georges Classic - NCCU Webcast
Bowie Slate vs. NC Central in Bowie, MD 2;00pm
13th Annual Gateway Classic
Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. Tuskegee in St. Louis, MO 4;00pm
Sfafe Fair Classic
Grambllng Slate vs. Prairie View A&M in Dallas, TX 6:00pm
Silver Dollar Classic
Alcorn State vs. Morehouse in Los Angeles, CA TBA
TV GAMES
18ih Atlanta Football Classic - Fox Sports South
Tennessee State vs. Florida A&M in Atlanta, GA 3:00pm
George's Classic. BSU comes in smarting from two consecu
tive losses while NCCU is following a big road win (27-20)
over a Div. I-AA opponent, SWAC power Southern.
Three other Classics are on tap this week. Defending
SWAC champion Grambllng State (0-3, 0-1) looks for its
first win vs. Prairie View (2-1,1-1) at the Stare Fair Classic
at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Tuskegee (3-1) faces
Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-3) at the Edward Jones Dome for the
13th Gateway Classic in St. Louis. Alcorn State (0-3) faces
Morehouse (2-3) at the LA .Coliseum in the revival of the
Silver Dollar Classic and Tennessee State (2-2) and Florida
A&M (2-2) tangle at the J8ih Atlanta Classic to be televised
live on Fox Sports South.
Frazier, Prairie View working on a plan
by ROSCOE NANCE
Special to the BCSP
Prairie View A&M coach Henry Frazier likes to
say that his Panthers aren’t the same football team that
lost an, NCAA record 80 consecutive games in the '90s
and has been the doormat in the SWAC most of the last
30 years.
Exhibit A is Prairie View's 26-23 overtime victory
against perennial SWAC power Southern two weekend^
ago, their first victory against the Jaguars since 1971.
The Panthers (2-1, 1-1) can further state their case
Saturday - and make amends for their lackluster perform
ance against Langston last weekend in a game that was
suspended due to thunderstorms with them trailing 28-7
in the third period - when they play defending conference
champion Grambllng State in the State Fair Classic at
the Colton Bow! in Dallas.
"Beating Grambllng would make us a legitimate
contender (for the SWAC championship)," Frazier, in his
third season at Prairie View, says.
Given the Panthers' recent history against
Grambling, merely staying on the field with the G-Men
should count for something, Grambling has scored at least
50 points in each of the last two games against Prairie
View,
"Grambling has the best talent in SWAC," Frazier
says. "They have the mystique and the nostalgia, if you
will. If we can keep the game close, I think we have a
chance of winning."
Frazier says the Panthers' poor performance against
Langston may have been a blessing in disguise. It was "a
wakeup call" that didn't cost them a defeat, .
"It let us know that we're not as good as we thought
we were after beating Southern," Frazier says. "We're still
a work in progress."
Frazier doesn’t expect the same type of letdown he
experienced against Langston, not in front of 50,000 fans
in a game against the most storied team in black college
football.
"This is what you play college football for," he says.
However, Frazier didn't expect a letdown going into
the Langston game either. The Panthers had a good week
of practice, and there were no signs of complacency after
beating Southern. In fact, he said the Panthers had 100%
SWAC Photo
FRAZIER: His three-year plan to revive Prairie
View football and get the Panthers to challenge
SWAC powers Grambling and Southern is a
work in progress. Prairie View meets Grambling
Saturday at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
participation at their Sunday meeting and session,
which was unusual following a victory of that mag
nitude.
"I guess we expended more energy against
Southern than I thought we did,” Frazier says,
adding that in the past the Panthers had an open date
the week before playing Grambling but he wanted to
keep working and sustain the team’s momentum.
Despite the Panthers misstep against Langston,
an NAIA team that on paper they should have beat
en, Frazier is confident that the program is gaining
solid footing.
During his watch. Prairie View:
• This season defeated Southern for the first
time since 1971.
• This season had its first shutout since 1987
(37-0 vs. Edward Waters).
• Last season had its first back to back confer
ence wins (vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Jackson
State) since 1971.
• Last season defeated Jackson State for the
first time since 1971.
• Last season won its first conference game
since 1988.
• Last season beat cross-town rival Texas
Southern in consecutive seasons for the first time
since 1963-64.
Frazier, 38, has a history of reviving down
trodden programs. He played quarterback at Bowie
State University, When he arrived on campus, the
Bulldogs had a 32-game losing streak, the longest in
the nation at the time. He led them to the Division
II playoffs in 1988. In 1989, he quanerbacked
Bowie to the only CIAA championship in school
history.
In 1999, Frazier took over as head coach at his
alma mater, which had had only one winning season
since his last year as quarterback. He led the
Bulldogs to a 5-4 record his first season even
though he wasn't hired until July, He ended his
tenure as the winningest coach in Bowie State his
tory with a '26-24 record in five seasons, which
included three consecutive winning campaigns,
"1 see us being one of the top programs not just
in SWAC, but in lAA football." he says. "That was
my goal at Bowie, to have one of the top Division II
programs in (he nation. That's what we did, build a
Top 20 program in five years. I think this can be one
of those deals here at Prairie, develop a Top 20 pro
gram in five years."
Frazier uses a three-pronged approach to build
ing a program. He calls it what, when and why.
"The first year we're teaching our philosophy,"
he says. "This is what our offense is. This is our
defense. This is how we act off the field. This is
how we act in (he locker room. This is how we act
in the study hall, the dining hall.
"The second year we're leaching when - when
you run this play, when you lift, when you go to
study hall. The third year is why. Now they under
stand why we lift, why we condition at 2 o'clock in
the afternoon. Why we have study hall. Why we run
this play when teams are in certain techniques, why
we run a certain play when teams are in this cover
age. Once you get them to understand the why, your
job becomes a little easier. There is definitely a plan
in place."
How well Prairie View plays against
Grambling will provide some insight as to how well
that plan is working and if these indeed are not the
same cellar-dwelling Panthers of a decade ago.
OAZEEZ Communications, Inc. VOL. XIII, NO-9