Category: Sports

Last year it was a war. Are you ready?

ATLANTA—The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced its football players of the week for the fifth installment of the 2013 SIAC Football Season as voted by the SIAC Sports Information Directors Association.

Kentucky State University junior running back Jacquise Lockett and Stillman College sophomore quarterback Josh Straughan were selected as Co-Offensive Players of the Week. Lane College senior defensive back Jack Howard is the SIAC Defensive Player of the Week.

After a breakout performance in Saturday’s 21-17 win over Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University true freshman Montavious Taylor is the SIAC’s Newcomer of the Week. SIAC Lineman of the Week was awarded to Tuskegee University senior offensive tackle Devonte Jones, and Kentucky State University junior kickoff returner Jakar Turner is the SIAC Special Teams Player of the Week.

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COLUMBIA, SC-Miles College gained 261 yards rushing and took advantage of three turnovers to pull Miles Football way from a close game and defeat Benedict 27-13 on Saturday afternoon at Charlie W. Johnson Stadium.

In a game that was tied 7-7 at the half, the Golden Bears , (2-2, 2-0 SIAC) scored 20 second half points to win its second consecutive game. Quarterback Demetrice Price went 13-for-19 passing for 116 yards, but had two rushing touchdowns to lead Miles. Running back Emmitt Terry finished with 83 yards and a score and Denzel Veale broke a 63-yard run late in the fourth quarter to end hall hopes of a Benedict comeback.

The Golden Bears scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:05 left in the third quarter. A poor snap on fourth-down from midfield resulted in a 14-yard loss for Benedict punter Brian Curry, his second attempt of the day he failed to get off. The Golden Bears took over at the Benedict 37 and needed just four plays to score, with Terry Emmett running the ball in from eight yards out. The PAT by Jason Coste missed, giving the Golden Bears a 13-7 lead with 3:49 left in the third quarter.

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DALLAS – Benedict College senior safety Martin Epps has been selected as one of 170 national semifinalists for the 2013 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments.®

The NFF Awards Committee will select up to 16 recipients, and the results will be announced via a national press release on Thursday, October 31. Each recipient will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship, and they will vie as finalists for the 2013 William V. Campbell Trophy. Each member of the 2013 National Scholar-Athlete Class will also travel to New York City to be honored Dec. 10 during the 56th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. One member of the class will also be announced live at the event as the winner of the William V. Campbell Trophy.

The William V. Campbell Trophy, endowed by HealthSouth, recognizes an individual as the absolute best scholar-athlete in the nation. The 170 semifinalists represent the most ever since 2006 when the NFF increased the nomination standards to require a minimum cumulative 3.2 GPA.

Epps is one of 24 student-athletes from Division II, and the only representative from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

“This is a tremendous honor for Benedict College and our football program,” Willie Washington, Benedict College Director of Athletics, said. “We are very proud of Martin Epps and are appreciative that his hard work in the classroom and on the football field are being recognized with this honor.”

A senior biology major from Augusta, Ga., Espps led the Tigers in total tackles in 2012 with 78. He has a 3.42 GPA, with plans to attend medical school after graduation in December, finishing his degree in just three and a half years.

Epps was named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-Super Region 2 team in 2012.

“We take great pride in the record participation by the number of schools in the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards program this year,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning whose sons Peyton (William V. Campbell Trophy winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. “It is important for us to showcase that success on the football field starts with winners in the classroom and the community. This year’s record-breaking number of nominations further illustrates the power of our great sport in developing the next generation of influential leaders.”

Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.

“The NFF would like to personally congratulate each of the nominees as well as their schools on this tremendous honor,” said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. “We are extremely proud to highlight each semifinalist’s achievements, which show that football players can balance between academics and athletics at the highest level. There is no question that the NFF Awards Committee will have an incredibly difficult task in selecting the finalists from among this esteemed group.”

Named in honor of Bill Campbell, the chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF’s Gold Medal, the award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and increases the amount of the recipient’s grant by $7,000 for a total post-graduate scholarship of $25,000. A total distribution of $300,000 in scholarships will be awarded at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner, pushing the program’s all-time distributions to more than $10.4 million. Launched in 1959, the NFF scholar-athlete program became the first initiative in history to award post-graduate scholarships based on both a player’s academic and athletic accomplishments. The William V. Campbell Trophy, first awarded in 1990, adds to the program’s mystique, having previously honored two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and five first-round NFL draft picks. In 2011, the NFF and Fidelity Investments launched a multi-year initiative between the two organizations to celebrate the scholar-athlete ideal and a joint commitment to higher education. As part of the initiative, Fidelity became the first presenting sponsor ever in the 55-year history of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards program. Fidelity also helped launch the NFF Faculty Salutes initiative, which recognizes the contributions of the faculty athletics representatives at each of the institutions with an NFF National Scholar-Athlete. As part of the initiative, the NFF will present each of the faculty representatives with a plaque and a $5,000 check from Fidelity Investments to support the academic support services for student-athletes at each school.

SIAC article here

ATLANTA—The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced its football players of the week for the fifth installment of the 2013 SIAC Football Season as voted by the SIAC Sports Information Directors Association.

Kentucky State University junior running back Jacquise Lockett and Stillman College sophomore quarterback Josh Straughan were selected as Co-Offensive Players of the Week. Lane College senior defensive back Jack Howard is the SIAC Defensive Player of the Week.

After a breakout performance in Saturday’s 21-17 win over Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University true freshman Montavious Taylor is the SIAC’s Newcomer of the Week. SIAC Lineman of the Week was awarded to Tuskegee University senior offensive tackle Devonte Jones, and Kentucky State University junior kickoff returner Jakar Turner is the SIAC Special Teams Player of the Week.

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Special Teams, Defense Propels Fort Valley State Victory Over Benedict
Fort Valley State 34, Benedict 30

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Fort Valley State University scored 20 points off a pair of blocked punts and an interception return, and then held off a late Benedict rally to defeat the Tigers 35-30 in the annual Augusta City Classic played Saturday afternoon at Lucy Laney Stadium.

Quarterback Eugene Smith also threw for 197 yards and a touchdown, completing 12-of-22 passes , and Jonquez Sanders to lead the Wildcats, (2-2, 2-0 SIAC), to its second consecutive victory, after starting the season 0-2. Ja’Bioas Glenn scored on a 34-yard interception return and was named Defensive MVP of the Classic.

After starting the season 2-0 Benedict, now 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the SIAC, was held to -16 yards rushing on the day, although quarterback Marcus Graham was sacked four times and had -32 yards rushing on 11 attempts. Graham completed 15-of-42 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns, but also threw three interceptions.

Fort Valley took an early 13-0 lead after scoring on a blocked punt that was recovered in the end zone by Stefon Harper and a Jamie Walker 9-yard touchdown reception from Smith. Benedict responded with 17 unanswered points after Rodney Hall took a Fort Valley State kickoff 90-yards, which was followed by a 5-yard Thomas Gillie touchdown reception and a Eduardo Hernandez field goal, which gave the Tigers a 17-13 lead minutes before the half. Before the period ended, however, Brian Curry’s second punt attempt was blocked, which was recovered by Calvin Jackson, which gave the Wildcats a go-ahead score.

Fort Valley will have its home opener next week against Tuskegee, while Benedict will also host Miles for its home opener for the season.

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Atlanta, GA—The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced its football players of the week for the fourth installment of the 2013 SIAC Football Season as voted by the SIAC Sports Information Directors Association.

After leading his team to a come-from-behind victory against Kentucky State over the weekend, Stillman College sophomore Josh Straughan was named SIAC Offensive Player of the Week, while SIAC Defensive Player of the Week was awarded to Miles College junior Julante English after the linebacker had a stellar performance leading the Golden Bears to their first victory of the season over Albany State.

Newcomer of the Week was awarded to Miles College’s Demetrice Price, who led the offensive charge for the Golden Bears in his first start of the season at quarterback. Tuskegee University All-American senior Christopher Tolbert was awarded SIAC Lineman of the Week and Benedict College junior Rodney Hall and Fort Valley State defensive back Ja’Bioas Glenn were named Co-SIAC Special Teams Players of the Week.

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ATLANTA—The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced its football players of the week for the third installment of the 2013 SIAC Football Season as voted by the SIAC Sports Information Directors Association.

After leading his team to a victory over Elizabeth City State University over the weekend, Albany State University junior running back Adrian Alexander was named SIAC Offensive Player of the Week, while SIAC Defensive Player of the Week was awarded to Fort Valley State University senior rover DeRon Furr.

A trio of Morehouse College players, true freshman quarterback Monquavious Johnson, sophomore offensive lineman Ajene Robinson, and senior running back/ kickoff returner Thomas Williams were named SIAC Newcomer, Offensive Lineman and Special Teams Players of the Week, respectively.

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Atlanta, GA—The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced its football players of the week for the second installment of the 2013 SIAC Football Season as voted by the SIAC Sports Information Directors Association.

Kentucky State University junior running back Jacquise Lockett was named SIAC Offensive Player of the Week, while SIAC Defensive Player of the Week was awarded to Tuskegee University sophomore linebacker Quavon Taylor.

Kentucky State University freshman linebacker Travon Spencer was named SIAC Newcomer of the Week. Benedict College junior Stevon Wilkerson and Tuskegee junior Kaleep Williams were named SIAC Lineman of the Week and Special Teams Player of the Week, respectively.

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Atlanta, GA—The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced its football players of the week for the first installment of the 2013 SIAC Football Season as voted by the SIAC Sports Information Directors Association.

Benedict College’s sophomore quarterback Marcus Graham was named SIAC Offensive Player of the Week and Stillman College junior defensive back was named SIAC Defensive Player of the Week.

Newcomer of the Week was awarded to Morehouse College freshman Lake McGuffie, while Lane College’s Trevante Jones was named SIAC Lineman of the Week. Kentucky State University senior defensive back Ed Dunaway was named SIAC Special Teams Player of the Week.

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WACO, TX–Tuskegee University, the defending SIAC Football Champions, will open up the season as the 24th ranked team in the nation, as the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Preseason Top 25 poll was released today.

The Golden Tigers received 124 votes to earn the ranking and will open its 2013 season on September 7 against Alabama A&M at the Louis Crews Classic in Huntsville, Ala.

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Miles was in the driver’s seat of the SIAC for the first nine weeks of the season, until hopes of defending the SIAC championships were diminished by Tuskegee in the final week of the season resulting from a 27-17 loss to the eventual SIAC Champions. As a consolation prize, the Golden Bears earned its first playoff berth in school history, where the team suffered a disappointing loss to West Alabama. Once again, Miles will be a heavy favorite to return to Atlanta for the SIAC Championship game and the Division II playoffs. While the task will be daunting, veteran head coach Reginald Ruffin will have his team up for the challenge in every phase of the game.

“Everything is all about finishing, and we did not finish the game against Tuskegee. That’s what we harped on,” said Miles College head coach Reginald Ruffin. “We have to execute and finish.”

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