Elizabeth City, NC – Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) officially welcomed Adrian Jones as the new head football coach during a press conference today at 11 a.m. in the Marion D. Thorpe Administration Building. The decision reflects ECSU’s commitment to driving continued HBCU student-athlete success. 

ECSU Interim Chancellor Catherine Edmonds shared her enthusiasm for the hire, noting Jones’ reputation as a mentor and leader. “Coach Jones brings a wealth of experience, a strong commitment that aligns perfectly with the values and visions here at ECSU,” said Edmonds. “We look forward to his leadership to inspire our student-athletes, elevate our program and bring a renewed sense of pride and purpose to our university community.” 

Speaking to an audience of ECSU board members, administrators, faculty, students, and community members, Jones outlined his vision for the HBCU football program, focusing on academic excellence, competitive performance, and community engagement.   

“We want to cultivate a championship mindset. Our program will be consistent and the championship will come. We are going to be student-athletes first and foremost and we are going to represent this university with pride. Offense, we are going to be efficient, exciting, and explosive. Defense, we are going to be relentless,” Jones said. 

Adrian Jones, a native of North Carolina, brings a record of HBCU coaching excellence, including championship victories.  

According to a Dec. 20 press release, Jones holds a bachelor’s degree in recreational therapy and a master’s degree in school administration from North Carolina Central University. During his time there, he also excelled as a student-athlete where he achieved both academic and athletic success, finishing as an All-Conference Defensive Back (’96, ’97), Division II All-American Defensive Back (’96), Streets & Smith All-American Defensive Back (’96), and All-Conference Punt Returner (’94). Jones is married to Dr. Kamala Uzzell-Jones and has a daughter, Jayla. 

During the news conference, Jones left no stone unturned as he gave honors to former ECSU athletic director Claude Mackey, PhD, and hall-of-fame quarterback Councilman Johnnie Walton, who were both present. 

The news conference concluded with a Q&A session, where Jones addressed recruitment plans, his coaching philosophy, and goals for the upcoming season. Jones shared ambitious plans to recruit in the states of North Carolina and Virginia and bring the program to a high note. 

“Elizabeth City is a goldmine, and I know we can flourish here. You have my word,” Jones said.  

The university community expressed excitement about the program’s future under Coach Jones’ leadership.  

James M. Dubose, Jr., director of athletics, said, “You’ve heard it here first. We have not won a CIAA football championship since 1971, but it’s our time now. Coach Jones is going to take us back to that level.” 

With Coach Jones as the lead, the institution has a hopeful future of growth, success and continued Viking pride. 

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Elizabeth City, NC –– North Carolina-based HBCU Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) announces Adrian Jones as the 15th Head Coach of the Vikings football program. Coach Jones brings a wealth of experience, leadership, and a proven track record of success to the ECSU athletics family.

“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Jones to Elizabeth City State University,” said James M. DuBose Jr., ECSU Athletics Director. “He embodies the values and vision we strive for in our athletics program. We are confident that Coach Jones will elevate our football team to new heights and inspire our student-athletes both on and off the field.” 

Coach Jones comes to ECSU from Shaw University, where he served as the Head Coach. During his tenure, he led the HBCU to multiple winning seasons and 49 All-CIAA Conference selections. Jones spent time coaching at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) (’03 -’07) and (’14 -’16) where he won three Conference Championships and a Black College National Championship in 2006. He also experienced a successful career as the head coach at his alma mater, Southern Durham High School, where he won several Conference Championships and an NCHSAA State Championship in 2013. 

 “Elizabeth City State University has a proud history and a passionate community. I look forward to partnering with our ECSU family and our student-athletes to build a program that reflects excellence, discipline, and a commitment to success both on the field and in the classroom” said Coach Jones. 

A native of Durham, NC, Coach Jones holds a bachelor’s degree in recreational therapy and a master’s degree in school administration from NCCU. During his time there he also excelled as a student-athlete where he achieved both academic and athletic success, finishing as an All-Conference Defensive Back (’96, ’97), Division II All-American Defensive Back (’96), Streets & Smith All-American Defensive Back (’96), and All-Conference Punt Returner (’94). Jones is married to Dr. Kamala Uzzell-Jones and has a daughter Jayla.  

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Virginia Union University (Grade: A+)

• Preseason Rank: 2nd
• Final Standing: 1st (6-1 conference, 7-3 overall)
• Offensive Ranking: 1st in Total Offense (479.4 yards/game, 61 TDs)
• Defensive Ranking: 4th in Total Defense (295.2 yards/game, 22 TDs allowed)

Highlights:

• Jada Byers, the CIAA Offensive Player of the Year, dominated the field, amassing 1,497 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns. He set school records with 5,311 career rushing yards and 70 touchdowns. This includes a single-game record of 324 yards and six touchdowns against Bowie State.
• Virginia Union clinched the CIAA Championship, defeating Virginia State in a decisive victory.
• The Panthers secured a spot in the NCAA Division II playoffs, representing HBCUs on the national stage.
• VUU’s loss to Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU), did not count as conference defeats due to CIAA scheduling rules impacted by St. Augustine’s absence from football this year.

Summary: Virginia Union showcased exceptional prowess on both offense and defense, leading the CIAA. This reinforced its status as a powerhouse among HBCU football programs.

Johnson C. Smith University (Grade: A)

• Preseason Rank: 4th
• Final Standing: 2nd (5-2conference, 8-2 overall)
• Offensive Ranking: 3rd in Total Offense (378.4 yards/game, 32 TDs)
• Defensive Ranking: 1st in Total Defense (246.2 yards/game, 17 TDs allowed)

Highlights:

• Head Coach Maurice Flowers was named CIAA Coach of the Year after leading the Golden Bulls to an impressive season.
• Benari Black, the CIAA Defensive Player of the Year, led a stout defense with 113 tackles. He spearheaded the top-ranked defense in the conference.
• JCSU achieved significant victories over Tuskegee and Morehouse from the SIAC, and delivered Virginia Union their only on-field CIAA loss.
• Despite their strong performance, they suffered a crucial conference loss to Fayetteville State.

Summary: JCSU exceeded preseason expectations. They solidified their reputation within the CIAA and HBCU football. The team combined a formidable defense with strategic coaching. This made them one of the season’s standout teams.

Virginia State University (Grade: B)

• Preseason Rank: 1st
• Final Standing: 3rd (6-1 conference, 7-4 overall)
• Offensive Ranking: 2nd in Total Offense (385.7 yards/game, 43 TDs)
• Defensive Ranking: 2nd in Total Defense (283.5 yards/game, 19 TDs allowed)

Highlights:

• The Trojans secured a notable win against Benedict from the SIAC.
• Bruno Onwuazor earned CIAA Lineman of the Year, contributing to an offense that averaged 6.3 yards per play.
• Defensive Rookie of the Year, Marquis Edmond, bolstered an already strong defense.
• Virginia State’s only victory over a team with a winning record was against Benedict, limiting their impact against top-tier opponents.

Summary: Virginia State showed statistical strength. However, they fell short in securing wins against leading teams within the CIAA. This impacted their overall grade. This happened despite their perfect conference record adjusted by CIAA rules.

Go to Page Two for more CIAA grades

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The UNC System Board of Governors has eliminated its policy requiring diversity, equity and inclusion offices at all public universities in the state. The vote passed with several other policies on the board’s consent agenda.

“Our public universities must take a stance of principled neutrality on matters of political controversy,” Hans said. “Faculty and students are free to weigh in on all manner of current events and high-profile issues, while university staff must exercise restraint.”

Anti-DEI bills in Florida led to five jobs being lost at the University of Florida, including the chief diversity officer position. The BOG said in a statement that the DEI policy removal does not require the elimination of identity-based centers.

“Campuses will continue to implement programming and services to assist students of different backgrounds to improve academic performance,” the UNC System said in a statement. “As long as programs comply with legal requirements for institutional neutrality and nondiscrimination.”

Only two members of the board voted against the anti-DEI measure – both of them HBCU graduates. They were North Carolina A&T graduate Joel Ford and Florida A&M alumna Sonja P. Nichols.

The UNC System includes five HBCUs: Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University and Winston-Salem State University. 

The latter three of those institutions – NC A&T, NCCU and WSSU  – are all looking for new chancellors.

North Carolina Central released a statement on Thursday.

“We are dedicated to providing our students with training and programs that help them thrive. This dedication is the cornerstone of ‘The Eagle Promise,’ a pledge we make to our scholars, promising they’ll be ready to pursue and succeed in their future endeavors with our supportive environment.”

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The state lottery commission reports that more than $105 million was lost in the state on sports betting in the first full month since it became legal. The number was $66 million for March, which only accounted for the final two-thirds of the month. Eighteen percent of that money goes back to the state, coming out to more than $30 million in tax revenue so far.

The five public HBCUs stand to benefit from the move. Those HBCUs are Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, N.C. Agricultural & Technical State University, N.C. Central University, and Winston-Salem State University. Up to $300,000 annually will go to these universities along with Appalachian State University, East Carolina University, University of North Carolina at Asheville, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, University of North Carolina at Pembroke and University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Millions will also go to the Department of Health and Human Services for gambling addiction education and treatment programs and youth sports iniatives.

Once all the primary money has been distributed, twenty percent of what remains will be distributed evenly among the 13 state universities to support collegiate athletic departments.

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After three years as head coach at Elizabeth City State University, Lewis left the HBCU coaching world, accepting the same position at UNC Asheville. The move was announced by the school on April 12. Lewis put together a 61-29 record over her three seasons at ECSU, appearing in three straight CIAA tournament championships, winning one.

In a remarkable move of class, Elizabeth City State University decided to host a farewell celebration to honor its departing coach.

Prior to accepting the job last week, Lewis offered thanks via social media for the opportunity to become a head coach at ECSU.

“Thank you @ECSU Momma said people ought to know you’ve been there and you better leave it better than you received it. I pray I’ve done that. #VIKINGPRIDE3X,” she wrote.

While we’ve seen many jilted feelings when coaches leave, Elizabeth City State is showing that they have a lot to be thankful for during the brief Lewis era. ECSU was suffering through futility in HBCU basketball for over a decade, unable to put a winning season together. But when Lewis arrived it was a different story. Taking her skills as a former player at NC State and the WNBA, along with assistant coaching experience in college, things turned around immediately with three straight 20 win seasons.

ECSU lost to Fayetteville State 69-54 in this year’s championship game in Baltimore. The Lady Vikings won the championship game the previous season versus Shaw University.

On Thursday night the Vikings will get an opportunity to say thank you once last time and offer their good-byes. If Lewis continues on this upward trajectory in her career, ECSU can always say it give her the first crack at a head coaching position and treated her well throughout the entire journey.

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Her winning and resume as a player, caught the eye of UNC Asheville Athletic Director Janet R. Cone.

“We are so excited to have Tynesha Lewis as our next head women’s basketball coach,” said Cone. “Her experiences as a player at NC State and in the WNBA and as a successful head coach at Elizabeth City State demonstrate that she knows how to compete and win at a high level, that she cares deeply about her student-athletes and their holistic development on and off the court and that
she places a high value on doing things the right way. Tynesha will work tirelessly in getting our women’s basketball program to a place of consistent competitive excellence.”

A Decade of Futility

Elizabeth City hadn’t had a winning season in over a decade before Lewis arrived on the HBCU campus in Northeastern North Carolina. Things turned around immediately with three straight 20 win seasons under her watch. Lewis spent three seasons as an assistant at North Carolina Center prior to coming to ECSU.

Lewis played collegiately at NC State University before being drafted by the Houston Comets as the 31^st pick in the 2001 WNBA Draft, She played in the WNBA for six seasons, which also included stops with the Charlotte Sting and the Minnesota Lynx.

ECSU lost to Fayetteville State 69-54 in this year’s championship game in Baltimore. The Lady Vikings won the championship game the previous season versus Shaw University.

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“On a pound-for-pound basis, we expect that North Carolina is going to be one of the better states for sure,” said Gary Deutsch, the chief financial officer for BetMGM, one of the eight operators in North Carolina. “There’s fervent sports-fan interest. The population of fans for the different colleges down there should make that a big source of excitement.”

The state budget also allocated $1.16 million for each of the 13 athletic departments from sports betting revenue in the 2024-25 budget. So the 10 initial programs (including HBCUs) could see close to $2 million for the fiscal year that starts July 1 as the state reaps the benefits of sports betting.

Universities in North Carolina cannot use state funds for athletics unless they are specifically marked for sports. This often leads to heavy reliance on student-athletics fees. So when sports betting was on the table in the state a few years ago, legislators and athletics directors discussed a plan to help bring in additional revenue for the state’s smaller programs. It took a while to pass, but it happened last summer and now HBCUs, as well as others, stand to benefit from mobile sports betting in North Carolina.  

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Junior Rashauna Grant had an outstanding performance with a double-double, filling the box score with 12 rebounds and 10 points.

NyAsia Blango had a great start with two explosive three-pointers and finished the game with 18 points, 2 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals. This achievement earned her the title of Food Lion MVP of the game.

This win means the Elizabeth City State women’s basketball team will advance to the CIAA Championship game for the third straight season. The Championship game will take place on March 2nd at the CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.

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HBCU Gameday has reached out to Elizabeth City State athletics officials for a statement.

Gray was hired as interim head coach at ECSU in May 2022. He went 13-16 during the 2023 season, his lone full season at ECSU. The team is currently 4-11 after losing 72-67 to Livingstone College in Salisbury on Saturday. ECSU is currently on a four-game losing streak. 

Though the Elizabeth City State University job was his first as a head coach, Gray has extensive experience as an assistant. 

Andre Gray started as a middle school coach in the Raleigh area before moving to the high school level and returning to Methodist to start his college career back in 2001. From there he went to Wingate then Gardner-Webb and Western Carolina. He spent three at UNC-Wilmington and had a cup of coffee as an assistant at Winston-Salem State before stops at UNC Greensboro, and UNC Charlotte. Most recently, Gray was an assistant to LeVelle Moton when the Elizabeth City State job came open. 

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Jackson State leads the SWAC with nearly 30k. That’s an impressive number, but it is a significant drop from its 2022 number. Norfolk State got a slight bump as it led the MEAC. North Carolina A&T got another sellout it’s first season in the CAA.

Here are the numbers of attendance at each HBCU homecoming game. All numbers were taken from official box scores from each school’s athletic website.

MEAC

Norfolk State-24,976

South Carolina State-22,269

North Carolina Central-13,626

Howard-7,684

Delaware State-6,300

Morgan State-Canceled

SWAC

Jackson State-30,947

Alabama A&M-26,391

Florida A&M-22,338

Southern-21,492

Alcorn State-21,012

Alabama State-17,995

Prairie View A&M-14,224

Arkansas-Pine Bluff-13,469

Bethune-Cookman-9,458

Mississippi Valley State-8,752

Grambling State-8,657

Texas Southern-6,352

CAA

North Carolina A&T-21,500

Hampton-13,811

CIAA

Winston-Salem State-8,200

Virginia Union-5,250

Shaw-5,022

Livingstone – 4,501

Bowie State-4,395

St. Augustine’s-3,719

Fayetteville State-3,680

Elizabeth City State-3,579

Johnson C. Smith-3,452

Virginia State-3,409

Lincoln (PA)-2,117

Bluefield State-N/A

SIAC

Tuskegee-31,726

Clark Atlanta-19,597

Savannah State-12,723

Fort Valley State-12,113

Morehouse-10,213

Benedict-8,589

Albany State-8,371

Kentucky State-2,898

Edward Waters-2,472

Lane-1,753

Allen-905

Central State-N/A

Miles-N/A

Other

Tennessee State-13,975

West Virginia State-3,954

Lincoln (MO)-3,333

Virginia University-Lynchburg-1,753

Florida Memorial-1,200

Langston-N/A

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The 2023-24 women’s preseason team features five returning players from the 2022-23 All-CIAA squad and the 2022-23 men’s preseason team features three returners from last year’s all-conference team.

The reigning Women’s CIAA Player of the Year Amaya Tucker of Winston-Salem State and the reining Women’s Defensive Player of the Year Anyssa Fields of Lincoln (PA) headline the conference’s preseason team. Tucker ranked third in conference scoring during the 2022-2023 season, averaging 15.3 points per game, Fields ranked 4th overall in conference rebounds per game (7.9) and 15th overall in steals (1.7).

Bowie State led all vote getters with three, followed by Elizabeth City State, Virginia Union and Winston-Salem State with two and Lincoln (PA), Saint Augustine’s and Fayetteville State each had one selection on the women’s team and seven schools in total were represented among the preseason honorees.

On the men’s side, Fayetteville State’s Tyler Foster and the reining CIAA Rookie of the Year Ezekiel Cannedy of Johnson C. Smith highlight the Men’s 2023-2024 Preseason Team. Foster was an All-CIAA Team selection last season and was also a member of the conference’s All-Rookie Team. Tyler was the league’s 6th leading scorer during the 2022-2023 season, averaging 13.8 points per game while Cannedy was 5th overall in scoring with a 15.1 points per game average. Livingstone’s Kyree Temple is the only other returning player from the 2022-2023 season to be named to this season’s Preseason Team.

Winston-Salem State, Elizabeth City State and Shaw had two selections each. Nine schools are represented among the men’s preseason honorees.

Fayetteville State men and Elizabeth City women were chosen by league coaches to finish first in the conference overall and first in their respective Southern and Northern Divisions.

Last season, the Lady Vikings of Elizabeth City State won their first-ever CIAA Basketball title. Led by first-year Head Basketball Coach, Tynesha Lewis, Elizabeth City State defeated Saint Augustine’s, Bowie State and Johnson C, Smith in the 2023 CIAA Basketball Tournament before downing Shaw, 55-40, in the championship game. The Lady Vikings finished the regular season third in the North with an overall record of 20-11 and were 9-7 in CIAA action.

Winston-Salem State Head Coach Cleo Hill led the Rams to their second CIAA crown under his leadership. The Rams finished the 2022-2023 season with a 21-9 overall record and 9-7 mark in league play. WSSU claimed three wins in the opening, quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, defeating Saint Augustine’s (65-49), Claflin (60-52) and Virginia Union (45-44) before knocking off Lincoln (PA) in the CIAA Championship game by a score of 62-57.

2023-24 All-CIAA Women’s Basketball Preseason Team

Backcourt
Amaya Tucker, Winston-Salem State*
Anyilah Bryant, Fayetteville State
NyAsia Blango, Elizabeth City State
Anii Harris, Bowie State
Kennedi Simmons, Winston-Salem State

Frontcourt
Anyssa Fields, Lincoln (Pa.) *+
Ny Langley, Virginia Union *
Lauren Banks, St. Augustine’s *
Katerra Myers, Bowie State
Jessica Adams, Elizabeth City State
Saniha Jackson, Bowie State
Zoila Martinez, Virginia Union

* – Returning 2022-23 All-CIAA Selection 
+ – Returning 2022-23 Women’s Defensive Player of the Year  

2022-23 CIAA Women’s Basketball Predicted Order of Finish

Northern Division

Southern Division

2023-24 All-CIAA Men’s Basketball Preseason Team

Backcourt
Ezekiel Cannedy, Johnson C. Smith
DJ Thomas, Shaw
Jaquantae Harris, Elizabeth City State
Isaac Parson, Winston-Salem State
Reggie Hudson, Lincoln (Pa.)

Frontcourt
Tyler Foster, Fayetteville State *
Khyree Temple, Livingstone *
Nemo Johnson, St. Augustine’s
Jaylen Alston, Winston-Salem State
Tre Richardson, Elizabeth City State
Shayne Saigo, Shaw
Tahj Harding, Virginia Union

* – Returning 2022-23 All-CIAA Selection 

2023-24 CIAA Men’s Basketball Predicted Order of Finish

Northern Division

Southern Division

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“The kid (tight end Ethan Nowlin) celebrates and we have it on video and we can hear the kid say ‘I told you I’d get him coach,’” Massey said via John Dell of the Winston-Salem Journal. “Then he pointed to Trevor and celebrated some more…. That’s unacceptable.”

Willard was down for several minutes and had to be carted off the field. He eventually returned to the sideline wearing an air cast, but he’s likely to miss at least a month, according to Massey. 

“In the 2000’s you learned to block near the thigh but not below the knee,” Massey said. “I just hate it for Trevor because he might miss the rest of the season if the MRI is bad.”

Massey said he sent a total of six plays to the league for review.

HBCU Gameday reached out to Elizabeth City State head coach Marcus Hilliard who said he was unaware of anything being submitted to the CIAA about his team being ‘dirty.’

“We haven’t had any word from the CI (AA) because it wasn’t anything dirty with those blocks.

Hilliard contends that the Willard injury, specifically, was not a dirty play. 

“I mean, it’s unfortunate. You know, it’s football,” Hilliard said of the injury. “Things happen and I’m praying for the young man and his recovery and hopefully he’s not out for the rest of the season. But, you know it was unfortunate, his leg got caught. I’m not sure the other five plays, but we definitely got plays, too that could be questionable.”

Hilliard didn’t deny that Nowlin celebrated after the ill-fated play, and stated that he was immediately reprimanded by the ECSU, though he did eventually return to the game. 

“We took him out of series, but we reprimanded him on the spot and then once I saw it on film, you know, that got dealt with,” Hilliard said. “It was not a dirty play. The celebration is what I harped on to let them guys know we don’t do that here at Elizabeth City.”

The two teams combined for a total of 10 unsportsmanlike penalties and WSSU’s Elijah Williams was ejected for throwing a punch later in the game. WSSU and ECSU did not shake hands after the game.

“That was an emotional game, and we just felt like emotions were running high,” Hilliard said. “So we didn’t want any further interaction with the guys to go on. So we just felt like it was best for me and Massey to shake hands and we go about our way.”

That may have been the end of it on Saturday night, but clearly, Massey wants a closer look at the game. The ball is now in the CIAA’s court. 

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“The reality is that’s a buy-in win. New offensive staff – there’s some good things,” head coach Robert Massey said after the game. “Like I said, we got the improvement we won in a good fashion, by a couple of points. So, we just got room, has got to continue to build up there. I’m excited, but at the end of day, we got to go right back to work.”

Elizabeth City State actually outgained WSSU and won the time-of-possession battle, but malfunctioned with 11 penalties for 69 yards as it fell to 1-2 on the season. 

Winston-Salem State put up 245 yards of offense, including rushing for 113 yards and two touchdowns on 32 attempts. Running back Asa Barnes led the way with 92 yards and one touchdown. 

The offense was under the direction of quarterback Daylin Lee, who threw one touchdown and rushed for another in the win in his first game at Bowman Gray Stadium.

“It was amazing,” Lee said. “The first couple of drives it kind of hit me – I’m playing in Bowman Gray as a Winston-Salem State Ram. It was something special. The atmosphere is way different and I just love it here.”

The freshman from Shelby, NC hit R.J. Mobley for a 10-yard touchdown in the second half after ECSU had cut the lead to 10-7 midway through the third quarter. Lee was key in that third quarter, engineering two touchdown drives and executing Winston-Salem State offensive coordinator Chris Barnette’s offense in a manner that really put the game out of reach.

Massey said that Lee won over the coaching staff in fall camp, which helped him win the starting job ahead of the opener against North Carolina Central. 

“When a kid starts making progress and continue to improve, we have to give him the opportunity,” Massey said. “and I think he’s done an outstanding job with the opportunity that’s been given to him.”

WSSU will look to put a win streak together next week when it hosts CIAA newcomer Bluefield State University at Bowman Gray.

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She eventually transitioned to the Red team where she became one of the faces of the program, which consistently went viral online and made multiple television appearances. Martin and her WSSU teammates even starred in the music video “Jump,” where they danced alongside pop/R&B star Ciara in the summer of June 2022.

Destiny Martin became perhaps the first HBCU cheerleader to take advantage of NIL legislation that allowed collegiate athletes to work with businesses using their name, image and likeness when she became an ambassador for Champion Apparel’s “Get It Girl” campaign in 2022. 

Now she’ll be taking her talents and business acumen east to Elizabeth City State.

“Being the head coach for ECSU confirms that all my hard work within the stomp-and-shake community is not in vain and I am very grateful to be in a position to pour into others,” Martin said. “I am extremely excited for what’s to come this season!”

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Smith was industrious between his freshman season and his sophomore season on the field, taking advantage of the new NIL capabilities for student-athletes and becoming a brand ambassador for dozens of companies.  

New head coach Dawson Odums brought in a run-heavy philosophy to NSU, which figured to bode well for Rayquan Smith. But injuries and a crowded backfield limited him to 26 carries for 119 yards in four appearances, as well as a touchdown catch against Wake Forest.

Following the 2021 season, Smith put his name in the transfer portal. However, he stayed at Norfolk State and turned his attention to track and field. 

Participated in two meets, where he placed in the top 10 in all four throws at the MEAC Outdoor Championships in 2021. He was eighth in the shot put (40-11.5) and discus (124-4) and ninth in the hammer (118-1) and javelin (112-10).

After earning his bachelor’s degree at Norfolk State, Smith will head about an hour south to Elizabeth City State. ECSU went 2-8 last season under first-year head coach Marcus Hilliard. 

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During the post-game press conference head coach Tynesha Lewis talked about manifesting this championship before the team even left North Carolina for Baltimore.

In October of 2022, the Vikings unveiled their brand new $150,000 locker room. As part of the locker room decor, the team wanted a mural-like wrap for the back of the lockers to highlight historical moments.

How does this relate to Elizabeth City State winning the championship?

Well, before heading to the CIAA tournament Lewis instructed the staff to leave the back of the lockers blank, because she wanted to wrap the lockers with championship pictures from a tournament they had yet to play

“The back of the lockers needed a wrap and I specifically told them to leave it blank because we wanted the [championship] picture we took out there on it. We spoke it into existence, they walked it and here we are,” said Lewis to the media.

Last year, ECSU found itself the CIAA championship game but walked away without the trophy, falling to Lincoln University.

This year, Lewis understood she had a team with a “we” over “me” mentality, and believed in the history they were about to make.

“This is for the Elizabeth City State University. They deserve it, everything ECSU has gotten, they got it out of the mud. Nobody gives us anything; we earned it, we fought for it, we dug it out, and now we are here and God knows I am grateful,” said Lewis.

Tynsha Lewis understands the grind of both perseverance and hard work.

During her collegiate years at NC State, Lewis helped lead her team to the 1998 Final Four and an appearance in the 2001 Sweet Sixteen.

Tynsha Lewis then went on to be the 31^st pick in the 2001 WNBA Draft landing in Houston with the Comets.

From there she played six seasons in the WNBA:

Houston Comets (2001 -2003), Charlotte Stings (2003-2005), and Minnesota Lynx (2005-2006.) Lewis would also go on to be the assistant coach at NC Central for three seasons.

Now in her third season with Elizabeth City State, Coach Lewis is confident that she has a team willing to do what it takes to be successful both on and off the court.

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It was the first tournament title for ECSU, who lost in the 2022 championship game to Lincoln.

The Lady Vikings (20-10) used deft playmaking and a balanced offensive attack in avenging two regular season losses to the Lady Bears. They assisted on 16 of 19 made baskets and had nine players get in the scoring column.  

Dy’Jhanik Armfield led the Vikes attack with 13 points, Maryan Hashim added 10. Siran Pitts and Akyia King had 8. ECSU was also spurred by a 40-25 rebounding edge. 

Blango leads the way for ECSU

ECSU floor general, 5-7 junior guard Dy’Nasia Blango, who had 30 points in a quarterfinal win over Bowie State, was named the tournament most valuable player. She had three points in the semifinal win over defending champion Lincoln. She had just three points in the championship game but tied for the team high with four assists.  

Shaw (18-14), who finished 0 of 8 from 3-point range, was led by Brittany Seymour’s nine points. 

Both ECSU and Shaw came in as giant killers. Shaw knocked of 2nd-seed and defending champion Lincoln in Friday’s semifinals. ECSU downed upstart 8th-seed J. C. Smith in the semifinals. JCSU had eliminated top seed Fayetteville State in the first round.

2023 CIAA Women’s All-Tournament Team

Ny Langley, Virginia Union

Raija Todd, Virginia State

Kania Pollock, Lincoln

Shaniya Jones, Johnson C. Smith

Tori Reid, Johnson C. Smith=

Ky’Jhanik Armfield, Elizabeth City State

Brittany Seymor, Shaw

Tanayja London, Shaw

Akyia King, Elizabeth City State

Ny’Asia Blango, Elizabeth City State – MVP

John B. McLendon Sportsmanship Trophy

Johnson C. Smith

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In Friday afternoon’s first women’s semifinals here at CFG Bank Arena, they held off upstart eighth-seed Johnson C. Smith 53-52 to earn their second straight trip to the CIAA women’s championship game. 

Deja vu all over again

Five-seven junior guard Dy’Jhanik Armfield led the Lady Vike’s with a game-high 20 points. Armfield was ECSU’s lone double-figure scorer. It was a similar winning formula used in a 76-54 blowout win vs. fourth-seed Bowie State in Thursday’s quarterfinal round. In that game, junior guard NyAsia Blango was the lone double-figure scorer for ECSU with 30 points. 

“She can do it all,” Lewis said of Armfield’s play. “Dy can score at all three levels, She can get to the rim. She can do this any given night. We have several players who can do this which takes the pressure off them individually. That means if somebody has a bad night, it’s not going to cost us the game.”

Blango had early foul trouble and finished with just two points in the semifinal win.

Elizabeth City looking for more

The win puts the Lady Vikings (19-10) in the championship game for the second straight season. They will face the winner of the 8 p.m. women’s semifinal between 2nd-seed Lincoln (Pa.) and 6th-seed Shaw.

A year ago, ECSU lost 67-52 to Lincoln in the women’s championship game.

We didn’t come back to get second,” Lewis said in the postgame press conference. “And that’s the mindset.”

ECSU never surrenders the lead

The Lady Vikings scored the game’s first nine points and led 15-11 after one quarter. Armfield had 11 first-half points as ECSU built a 34-23 halftime lead. They entered the fourth quarter up 47-38 before the Golden Bulls (13-16) mounted their comeback.

JCSU scored the first five points of the period, the last on two free throws by all-CIAA forward La’Zarea Bowens to cut the lead to 47-43 with 6:44 to play. They got even closer at 51-48 when all-CIAA guard Shaniya Jones nailed a 3-pointer with 3:44 left. ECSU got its last basket on a drive by Maryam Hashim at the 3:15 mark. 

JCSU’s Tori Lane coverted in the lane with three minutes left and the lead was down to three, at 53-50. After securing three offensive rebounds, JCSU cashed in on two Bowen free throws to pull to within 53-52 with 1:34 to play.

Armfield missed a 3-pointer on ECSU’s possession. JCSU took some time off the clock before turning the ball over on an errant pass with just under a minute left. Another Lady Vikings miss gave JCSU the ball with just over 30 seconds left. They dribbled the clock down before Jones tried a shot in the lane that missed. A mad scramble ensued under the basket with ECSU gaining possession and calling a timeout. After a review, the refs gave the ball to ECSU with three-tenths of second left on the clock. ECSU inbound the ball as the clock expired.

Bowens’ 19 points and 7 rebounds led JCSU. Jones added 16 points.

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Employing a stifling woman-to-woman defense and exploiting a decided height advantage, the Lady Vikings (18-10) jumped up early on the Lady Bulldogs (14-12). They built a 21-12 first-quarter lead and were never headed in rolling to a 76-54 quarterfinal win. 

After 55-44 and 61-51 losses to BSU in the regular season, the victory puts ECSU in Friday’s 2 p.m. semifinal vs. eighth seeded Johnson C. Smith. ECSU lost to Lincoln in last year’s tournament championship game.

Blango sets the pace

Five-seven junior guard Nyasia Blango set the pace for ECSU. She scored 13 first half points including three baskets from 3-point range as the Lady Vikings built a 38-27 halftime lead. ECSU scored the first 11 points of the second half to push the margin beyond 20 points, at 49-27 with 6:51 left in the third quarter. 

Blanco drained another 3-pointer from way downtown at the 1:31 mark of the third quarter. She then punctuated the period with a buzzer-beating jumper. ECSU entered the final period up 58-34. 

BSU (14-12) cut the lead below 18, at 64-48, with 4:59 left, but could get no closer.  

Blanco finished with a game-high 30 points. She was the only ECSU player to score in double digits. Five-nine junior forward Akyia King had 10 rebounds in leading ECSU to a decided 39-25 edge off the boards. 

Junior guard Seanice Lyons had 17 points to lead BSU. Anii Harris added 12. 

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“I was so excited I was bouncing off the walls before the game. So it was awesome to get a first win,” Gray said without a pause. “I should go ahead and retire while I’m undefeated.”

Gray may be a rookie head coach, but he’s a long-time fixture in the North Carolina basketball scene. He started as a middle school coach in the Raleigh area before moving to the high school level and returning to Methodist to start his college career back in 2001. From there he went to Wingate then Gardner-Webb and Western Carolina. He spent three at UNC-Wilmington and had a cup of coffee as an assistant at Winston-Salem State before stops at UNC Greensboro, and UNC Charlotte. A year ago he was an assistant to LeVelle Moton when the Elizabeth City State job came open. 

ECSU Director of Athletics James DuBose was looking to shake up the basketball program after taking over as interim AD last fall, and he made Gray his first hire as interim baseball coach in less than 60 days into his new job.

After taking the job in May, Gray was given the task of rebuilding Elizabeth City State University basketball. Considering that he’d been the lead recruiter at most if not all of his stops as an assistant, that was right up his alley.

“Well, I’m a relationship guy. I think the only reason I’ve been able to survive in this business for so long,” Gray said at the podium on Wednesday morning. “I started the year with 22 guys on the roster and not one of them I met before we stepped foot on campus. It was our first time – our first team meeting. That was the first time we each met face-to-face for the very first time. So to build a culture and build a program – everyone I took – I didn’t know these guys individually, but I knew people that I trusted that had relationships with them.”

One of those players was Amadou Faye, a 6’11 big man who might as well be 7-5 in the CIAA. He played at St. Petersburg Community College before being pulled into Gray’s orbit. 

“My old from JUCO introduced me to Coach Gray and after the first phone call and he just convinced me. Sometimes you just smell something good and I just followed my intuition.”

Monday, Faye was named the CIAA Men’s Defensive Player of the Year after finishing the regular season ranked second in Division II in blocks per game (3.4). His 7.4 rebounds per game ranked third in the CIAA and the sophomore from Dakar, Senegal also averaged 7.1 points per game for the Vikings in the regular season. He recorded at least five blocks in six games, including six in Tuesday night’s win to go along with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Another JUCO find, Tre Richardson, had a big game for Elizabeth City State University as well. The 6’4 junior from Louisville, KY by way of Odessa Community college scored a team-high 15 points off the bench for ECSU, who will play no. 1 seed Virginia Union on Wednesday night. 

“That’s kind of by design. We want the other team not to know who’s going to kill them that day,” Gray said after the game. “So the guys sacrificed a lot, stats-wise. So we don’t necessarily get all individual awards, but that’s by design. We’re playing for something bigger than that.”

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Saint Augustine led by three at the half (30-27), but managed just 7 points in the 3rd quarter, which put them down 10 heading into the 4th. After clawing back to take a 52-51 lead, the Lady Falcons struggled to hang on and the Lady Vikings secured the win in CFG Bank Arena.

The Lady Falcons were led by Lauren Banks with 17 points, along with grabbing six rebounds, two steals and two assists. Taniyah Greene was the next highest scorer with 14 points. Ariyanna Brown finished the night with 10 points, 6 rebounds and four steals.

As a team Saint Augustine struggled mostly in the third quarter. They only banked 2 of 14 field goal attempts and went 0 for 3 at the 3-point line. Going into the final quarter the Lady Falcons majorly improved their field goal percentage to 36% and tallied nine 3-point buckets.

UP NEXT

The Lady Falcons’ season concluded with an 8-17 overall record and 4-13 conference record

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Chowan (7-1, 7-3) simply overwhelmed the struggling Vikings (2-6, 2-8) from the opening drive.  The Hawks only needed 1:07 to score when Rashad McKee threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to Malik Tobias.  That touchdown was one of five engineered by McKee (three passing, two rushing). ECSU’s only points were sparked by Chowan’s punt returner Justin Foreman fumbling the ball and ECSU’s Devan Joslin recovering the ball just outside of the redzone.  ECSU then capitalized on a pass interference call, followed by a 3-yard Jaree Pitt touchdown rush. Wide receiver Zion Riddick was able to successfully convert a two point play by completing a pass.

Overall, Chowan produced 474 yards of total offense, which was more than triple the 151 yards of offense mustered by ECSU.  McKee paired 172 yards passing with 89 rushing yards, including a 45 yard rushing touchdown.  Tobias hauled in four receptions for 110 yards and two touchdowns.  Shavon Harkless rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown.  Defensively, Montre Moore, the CIAA’s leading tackler, had seven tackles to reach 100 total tackles for the year. Cameron Rampersaud, the Alabama State transfer, had seven tackles, two tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. Wynton Ruth led ECSU’s rushing attack with 54 yards.  Teonne Porter paced ECSU with eight tackles, while Raevon Freeman had six tackles and two tackles for loss. 

Chowan’s ascension to the North Division crown ends a string of four straight championship appearance by Bowie State. The appearance will be the Hawks’ first ever, and forces a rematch with Fayetteville State. Chowan fell to FSU 13-10 in week five.  The loss ends a tumultuous season for ECSU, who struggled on offense for much of the year and was unable to win a game away from home. 

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The forecast track issued by the National Hurricane Center shows Ian, currently a category 3 hurricane and expected to strengthen, will be reduced to a tropical depression by the time its remains pass through central South Carolina on Saturday. That would mean heavy rains for the area, likely to occur during the game.

“Due to the potential impact of the hurricane on Columbia and the surrounding area, it is in the best interest of safety to play the game on Thursday rather than Saturday afternoon,” South Carolina Athletics Director Ray Tanner said in a news release.

“I appreciate the cooperation of South Carolina State head coach Buddy Pough, the South Carolina State administration and the Southeastern Conference officials who worked closely to make the appropriate operational adjustments in order to accommodate this change in the schedule,” Tanner said.

The game was scheduled to be televised, and Tanner says an announcement on that was expected later on Tuesday.

All tickets issued for Saturday will be honored on Thursday night, according to the school. A reunion honoring the 2010-13 football teams at South Carolina has been postponed.

Other HBCU football games impacted by Hurricane Ian

Multiple HBCUs were pondering their plans on Monday as Ian posed an increasing threat to the footprint of multiple athletic conferences. In the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Fayetteville State announced that its game with Chowan, has been moved to Thursday. The game between Elizabeth City State and Johnson C. Smith will also be moved to Thursday evening. There was no announcement on the Lincoln-Winston-Salem State game, which is the home opener for the Rams as well as homecoming.

Campbell announced on Tuesday afternoon that its game with unbeaten NC Central would be moved to a noon kickoff from the original 6 p.m. start. Three games in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference could be impacted, although there was no decision announced on Miles-Albany, Benedict-Fort Valley State, Morehouse-Edward Waters, and Kentucky State-Savannah State.

Edward Waters canceled classes on Tuesday at 4 p.m. and will remain closed through Friday. The school says it will make a decision on its football game on Thursday.

On Monday, Bethune-Cookman said it had already made plans to move its practices to Alabama to prepare for Saturday’s game against Alabama A&M. The school issued a mandatory evacuation, and students were to convert to remote learning on Tuesday.

Florida A&M announced on Tuesday that its home game against Mississippi Valley State would be played as scheduled on Saturday.

As of 2 p.m. Ian had sustained winds of 120 mph and was moving to the north at 10 mph.

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That applies in the department of athletics as well as the university as a whole. The man charged with pushing Elizabeth City State forward in athletics is James M. Dubose.

Dubose was hired as interim AD by ECSU Chancellor Dr. Karrie G. Dixon this spring after serving for nearly a decade at Winston-Salem State in a number of capacities. Even as an interim, he began to reshape the department not long afterward. ECSU parted ways with men’s basketball coach Shawn Walker Sr., and brought in Andre Gray to take over that program as a counterpart to Tynesha Lewis, who led the women’s basketball program to the CIAA Championship Game. 

Dubose inherited new football coach Marcus Hilliard, who was hired a few months prior to Dubose’s arrival. Although the ECSU alumnus wasn’t his hire, he was a finalist for the WSSU job for which Dubose was tasked with helping oversee a few months earlier. 

Here’s what he had to say about that as well as other issues regarding ECSU athletics.

How did your previous experience shape you for this role?

“Networking is key. Being able to pull on your network to bounce ideas, get support. Being able to find people to build a team. One of the things I’ve tried to do is make sure that we built our team so that it could better support our student-athletes. And as we do that…making updates to how we operate, how we function on a daily basis to make sure that our student-athlete experience is the best that it can possibly be.

We believe that if something happens at a major school in the country, one of the larger D1 schools, that we should be able to do the same things here, that our student athletes deserve the same experience. So our goal is to make sure that we speak to the entire student-athlete, not just the athlete, but the student.”

What is the alignment with the new football coach

Well, yes, we did connect in another search I had at another place. So he was a finalist for another position and just worked out that we were able to reconnect. It’s been great. He and I talk every day. I’m at practice every day. We meet almost every day together to really look at, the vision for the program, the direction we’re going in who we’re bringing in. 

When I got here, I shared with all of the coaches I wanted to win. I wanted them to win in the classroom first and then in competition. And we’ve had all of our coaches add to their rosters, increase roster size, increase what they needed from a student-athletes to be able to to win a championship.

So I asked them why they didn’t win, and I told them to go out and get what they needed to win. It is very important that we bring the right people as far as coaches, as far as student-athletes. But it’s been an honor to have the opportunity to work with Coach Hilliard. I’m very excited by the direction of the program and everyone should be able to look out… The ECSU Vikings are on the trail.”

What does HBCU Gameday look like at Elizabeth City State

“Well, my goal is that everybody leaves with a wow. I want to give everyone a wow and want to make sure that this becomes not just a football game day, but it’s an experience for everyone that attends. We’re going to bring in bounce houses and we’re going to have vendors set up. We will have food trucks and we’ll have boats from the Coast Guard.

We’re bringing in new sponsors. We’ve got two TV games, two televised games. That hadn’t happened here for football in many, many, many years. So we’re really adding to our game day. We’re going to have some in-game giveaways. We’re going to start our season out appreciating this community, appreciating our students. So on the first game here in Roebuck Stadium this year, September 17th, some people from Winston-Salem State are coming down to try to paint our stadium red, but we’re going to make sure it remains blue because we’re going to bring in all of our employees from Elizabeth City Public School System.

They’re going to share with us that day. We’re going to honor them and thank them for what they do for this community and educating young minds across this community. We’re also going to celebrate our students here at ECSU. Every student who comes to the game, we have a special gift just for them, because we want them to know that they are major part of everything that we do here in athletics.”

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“It’s real now. We’re into our 10th day of practice and the game is almost here,” Hillard said before Wednesday’s practice. “We’re getting right into it and getting the guys in shape. I think that’s been the biggest thing for me, just making sure our guys are in shape because we got our first game down in Columbia (SC). It’s going to be hot.”

Hilliard was hired last December and he said his priority was to build his program along the line of scrimmage – something you would expect from a former defensive lineman and defensive line coach at CIAA North rival Virginia Union. 

“Everything starts up front,” Hilliard said. “So we wanted to go out and get these offensive and defensive linemen and this is how we’re building, with those big guys and, of course, and transfer pieces.”

A big get for Hilliard and Elizabeth City State has been Traveon Freshwater, a transfer from East Carolina. The Elizabeth City native was a three-star edge rusher at Northeast High School, and was recruited by the in-state ACC programs before starting his career down the road in Greenville. He transferred to ECSU shortly after Hilliard’s arrival and he’s right where he wants to be.

“The coaches and the team felt like family,” Freshwater said of his choice to return home. “From Day One, once I committed, a bunch of guys on the team started reaching out to me just to welcome me to the team. Ever since then I knew this was the right place to be.”

Hilliard knows he’ll need more than just solid line play to compete. But somehow, he always finds his way back to talking about line-play. 

“Getting a signal caller –  a quarterback. Right now we brought in like three guys and we’re still evaluating. So just trying to build it like that. But up front is where we want to start and build this program and just get better up front. I know in our league – we’re an upfront league –  and you’ve got to have those guys up front in order to be successful.”

Elizabeth City State had perhaps the most talent at the wide receiver position. Cameron Saunders, Zion Reddick and Jo Hayes are all talented playmakers who showed flashes last season during ECSU’s 3-7 season. 

“Those guys will be tremendous,” Hilliard said. “Those guys helped Elizabeth City win those games that they had last year.”

After fielding strong teams during the first half of the 2010s, Elizabeth City State fell on hard times as a program, mirroring what the school went through as a whole. Since reaching the CIAA title game back-to-back years in 2012, ECSU has yet to finish above .500. The school has turned things around, doubling its enrollment numbers over the last couple of years. Hilliard is hoping to bring a similar resurgence to the football program. But it won’t be easy, especially in the CIAA North. 

“Like I told the guys: just to make it out of our division is a gauntlet,” he said. “You still got Virginia Union, they’re going to be pretty strong this year. Virginia State is always good. Chowan… everybody in our division. And they’re going to be good but, it’s wide open. We’re up for the challenge and we’re ready to compete. We’re going to be right up there and we’re looking to surprise some people along the way.”

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Teams from the CIAA’s North Division have won the last four CIAA football titles — the last three by Bowie State (2018, 2019 and 2021) with Virginia State taking the crown in 2017. One reason could be that the North Division teams play tougher non-conference schedules than their South Division counterparts.

Looking at the schedules of CIAA teams in 2022, the same could apply.

Top of the heap

Bowie State (12-2, 7-0 CIAA) is the current conference kingpin as it enters its first season in 13 years without head coach Damon Wilson, who moved over to lead Morgan State of the MEAC. The Bulldogs are ranked seventh nationally in the Lindy’s Magazine Div. II preseason rankings and 10th in the Versus D2 college rankings that came out a week ago.

Former BSU player and assistant under Wilson, Kyle Jackson, takes the reins of the Bulldogs on an interim basis for the 2022 season. He inherits another tough non-conference schedule that will likely prepare the CIAA-favorite Bulldogs when conference play begins.

Last year, after a close 32-24 loss on the road to MEAC member Delaware State to open the season, BSU got a hard-fought home win over Saginaw Valley State (28-19) and a road win at New Haven (27-13) before starting its CIAA schedule.

Jackson and Bowie State open at home this season on Sept. 3 vs. New Haven, ranked 18th in the 2022 Lindy’s preseason NCAA Div. II national rankings. New Haven’s loss last year to BSU came in a 10-2 season. The Chargers went on to win the 2021 Northeast-10 conference championship and then won a first round Div. II playoff game over conference rival Bentley. They lost in the second round to Kutztown, 10-7.

New Haven is the preseason pick to repeat as NE-10 champion.

A special date at SVSU

The Bulldogs then play at Saginaw Valley State on Sept. 10 before beginning CIAA play vs. Shaw on Sept. 17.

This year’s Bowie State game at SVSU will include a unique collaboration of common ground that will highlight the history and experience of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). BSU will combine with SVSU to offer several educational and cultural events in the days leading up to the Saturday football game, including appearances at SVSU by Bowie State’s renowned Symphony of Soul marching band, and joint programs hosted by faculty of both institutions.

“While our athletic teams and those of other HBCUs often compete against non-HBCUs in various sports, the experience is often limited to the athletic contest,” said Clyde Doughty, director of intercollegiate athletics at Bowie State. “This partnership between Bowie State and SVSU provides extraordinary learning opportunities for representatives of both schools and their communities. I am not aware of any similar ventures that have ever been undertaken.”

SVSU finished 7-4 a year ago. After its loss at Bowie State, SVSU battled eventual Div. II national champion and fellow Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference member Ferris State in a 47-45 loss. Ferris State went on to win the GLIAC title and beat Valdosta State in last year’s D2 championship game, 58-17.

SGSU was picked fourth in the GLIAC this year after a 4-3 finish last year.

There will likely be an indication how Jackson and the Bulldogs will fare without Wilson and departed quarterback Ja’rome Johnson and star running back Calil Wilkins, after these early games.

Bowie State in preseason rankings

Bowie State is picked seventh in the Lindy’s Magazine 2022 NCAA Div. II preseason poll. Riding a stingy defense a year ago, the Bulldogs got a 17-7 win over Fayetteville State to win its third consecutive CIAA crown. They then posted a 31-10 win over Lenoir-Rhyne in the first round of the D2 playoffs and a 13-10 win over Newberry in the second round to reach the national quarterfinals.

BSU lost to eventual national runners-up Valdosta State, 41-17 in the D2 quarterfinals. In its toughest CIAA contest in 2021, BSU staved off four TD passes from QB Chauncey Caldwell and over 200 rushing yards from Darius Hagins to pull out a 51-44 win over Virginia State.

BSU will play at Virginia State on Sat., Oct. 8.

CIAA football: N. Div. contenders

Virginia Union (6-4, 5-2), who finished behind BSU in the N. Div. last year, also has a tough non-conference opponent early. The Panthers, in their fourth season under Dr. Alvin Parker, travel to 2021 Div. II runners-up Valdosta State on Sept. 10 after opening at home on Sept. 3 vs. Virginia-Lynchburg. Valdosta State, who walloped VUU 51-7 a year ago, is ranked first or second in most preseason Div. II polls.

Virginia State (3-6, 3-4), with new head coach Dr. Henry Frazier III at the helm, opens on the road on Sept. 3 at Lenoir-Rhyne. The Bears finished 8-3 overall last year, 6-2 in the South Atlantic Conference behind champion Newberry. Both made the Div. II playoffs where they lost to Bowie State. It was the third straight Div. II playoff appearance for LRU. The Bears are picked second in the SAC and come in ranked 16^th in the Lindy’s preseason poll.

Chowan (7-3, 4-3), who finished between VUU and VSU in the North a year ago, begins the season with home games vs. middle-of-the-road SAC teams Barton on Sept. 1 and Tusculum on Sept. 10. Mark Hall is in his second year leading Chowan.

CIAA football: South Division schedules

Four-time South Division champion and 2022 division favorite Fayetteville State (8-2, 7-0) is led by seventh-year head coach Richard Hayes. The Broncos open at home vs. UNC-Pembroke of the Mountain East Conference. The game is dubbed the Two Rivers Classic and is set for Sept. 3. They last met in 2016 with UNC-P defeating FSU 50-28. UNC-P was 6-5 last year, 6-4 in the MEC.

FSU follows that with a Sept. 10 date at home vs. Wingate, who finished 8-3 a year ago including a 40-21 win over FSU at Wingate. Wingate also beat Shaw 20-7. Wingate lost to Newberry and Lenoir-Rhyne in last year’s SAC race. The Bulldogs are picked third in the preseason behind Newberry and Lenoir-Rhyne.

Shaw (6-4, 5-2), the second choice in the S. Div., opens at Wingate on Sept. 3 before travelling to Wayne State on Sept. 10. The Wayne State Warriors are picked sixth in preseason GLIAC projections. Shaw is led by Adrian Jones, also in his seventh season.

Winston-Salem State (3-6, 3-4) also has an interesting start to its first season under Robert Massey now that his interim tag has been removed. The Rams open on Sunday, Sept. 4 in Canton, Ohio vs. Central State in the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic.

The Rams then renew an old CIAA rivalry the following Saturday (Sept. 10) as they travel to Durham to face North Carolina Central of the MEAC. This will be the 46th meeting between the Rams and the Eagles with NCCU holding a slight 23-22 series advantage by virtue of last season’s close 20-13 triumph.

The schedules

NORTH DIVISION

BOWIE STATE

Date Opponent Time

9/3 New Haven 1

9/10 @ Saginaw Valley State 1

9/17 @ Shaw 1

9/24 @ Saint Augustine’s 1 

10/1 Livingstone (HC) 2

10/8 @ Virginia State 4

10/15 Virginia Union 12n

10/22 Chowan 1

10/29 @ Elizabeth City State 1 

11/5 Lincoln 1

CHOWAN

9/1 Barton 6

9/10 Tusculum 1

9/17 Johnson C. Smith 1

9/24 Winston-Salem State 6

10/1 @ Fayetteville State 7 

10/8 @ Lincoln PA 1

10/15 Virginia State (HC) NA

10/22 @Bowie State 1

10/29 @ Virginia Union 1

11/5 Elizabeth City State 1

ELIZABETH CITY STATE

9/3 @ Benedict 6

9/10 Livingstone in Rocky Mt. NC 4

9/17 Winston-Salem State 12n 

9/24 @ Shaw 1

10/1 @ Johnson C. Smith 1

10/8 @ Virginia Union 1

10/15 Lincoln (PA) (HC) 1

10/22 Virginia State 1 

10/29 Bowie State 1 

11/5 @ Chowan 1

LINCOLN (PA)

9/3 @ Delaware State 2 

9/10 @ Central State 1 

9/17 Fayetteville State 7

9/24 @ Johnson C. Smith 12n 

10/1 @Winston-Salem State 1:30  

10/8 Chowan (HC) 1

10/15 @ Elizabeth City State 1

10/22 Virginia Union 12n 

10/29 Virginia State 1 

11/5 @ Bowie State 1

VIRGINIA STATE

9/3 @ Lenoir-Rhyne 6 

9/10 Bluefield State 6 

9/17 Saint Augustine’s 6 

9/24 @ Livingstone 4

10/1 Shaw 6

10/8 Bowie State (HC) 4

10/15 @ Chowan ?

10/22 @ Elizabeth City State 1

10/29 @Lincoln (PA) 1 

11/5 Virginia Union 12n

VIRGINIA UNION

9/1 VA-Lynchburg 7

9/10 @ Valdosta State 5 

9/17 Livingstone 6

9/24 @ Fayetteville State 4 

10/1 Saint Augustine’s 1

10/8 Elizabeth City State (HC) 12n

10/15 @ Bowie State 1

10/22 @ Lincoln (PA) 12n

10/29 Chowan 12n

11/5 @ Virginia State 12n

South Division

FAYETTEVILLE STATE

9/3 UNC Pembroke 7 

9/10 Wingate 7 

9/17 @ Lincoln PA 7

9/24 Virginia Union 4 

10/1 Chowan 7 

10/8 Saint Augustine’s (HC) 2

10/15 @ Livingstone 1:30

10/22 @ Johnson C. Smith 1

10/29 @ Shaw 4

11/5/ @ Winston-Salem State 4

JOHNSON C. SMITH

9/1 @ Bluefield State 6 

9/10 @ Allen 6

9/17 @ Chowan 1

9/24 Lincoln (PA) 12n 

10/1 Elizabeth City State 1

10/8 Shaw 1 

10/15 @Saint Augustine’s 1

10/22 Fayetteville State (HC) 1

10/29 @ Winston-Salem State 1

11/5 @ Livingstone 1:30 

LIVINGSTONE

9/3 Catawba 6

9/10 Elizabeth City State in Rocky Mt., NC., 4

9/17 @ Virginia Union 6

9/24 Virginia State 4

10/1 @ Bowie State 2

10/8 Winston-Salem State 1

10/15 Fayetteville State (HC) 1:30

10/22 @ Shaw 1

10/29 @ Saint Augustine’s 1 

11/5 Johnson C. Smith 1:30

ST. AUGUSTINE’S

9/1 @ Tusculum 6 

9/10 Limestone 1 

9/17 @ Virginia State 6 

9/24 Bowie State 1 

10/1 @ Virginia Union 1 

10/8 @ Fayetteville State 2

10/15 Johnson C. Smith (HC) 1

10/22 Winston-Salem State 1 

10/29 Livingstone 1 

11/5 @ Shaw 1

SHAW

9/3 Wingate 4

9/10 @ Wayne State 6 

9/17 Bowie State 1

9/24 Elizabeth City State 1

10/1 @ Virginia State 6 

10/8 @ Johnson C. Smith 1

10/15 @ Winston-Salem State 1:30 

10/22 Livingstone (HC) 1

10/29 @ Fayetteville State 4

11/5 Saint Augustine’s 1

WINSTON-SALEM STATE

9/4 Central State in Canton, OH 4

9/10 @ NC Central 6

9/17 @ Elizabeth City State 12n

9/24 @ Chowan 6

10/1 Lincoln (PA)  (HC) 1:30

10/8 @ Livingstone 1

10/15 Shaw 1:30 

10/22 @ Saint Augustine’s 1 

10/29 Johnson C. Smith 1

11/5 Fayetteville State 4

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That was perhaps the feeling Wednesday for head coaches and players at the 2022 CIAA Media Day at Roanoke’s Holiday Inn Valley View.

Damon Wilson, who led Bowie State for 13 years, has moved to Morgan State with former linebackers coach Kyle Jackson taking the helm of the Bulldog program on an interim basis. Jackson says, ‘not so fast’ to the rumors of BSU’s impending demise.

The CIAA football champions

“The biggest key is setting the standard of expectations,” Jackson said. “When I talk to the guys, I let them know the standard is the standard regardless of who’s here, who’s not here.”

Jackson is a former middle linebacker who played under Wilson in 2009 and 2010 and joined Wilson’s coaching staff in 2017. He also echoed his former mentor’s mantra of ‘tradition never graduates.’

“Things are not going to change much,” Jackson said of his 12-2 team that was undefeated in conference play (8-0) and won an unprecedented two games in the NCAA Div. II playoffs to reach the national quarterfinals.

“We saw how far we could really go (last season). It opened a lot of eyes to the potential the Bowie State program has. A lot of those guys are returning.”

Bulldog stalwarts

Chief among the BSU returnees is Joshua Pryor, a 6-4, 260-pound senior defensive lineman who accompanied Jackson to the proceedings. Pryor had his three championship rings prominently displayed on his fingers.

Pryor would likely have been the league’s preseason defensive player of the year had one been chosen. Often facing double teams, he posted 73 tackles, six sacks and 21.5 tackles for 84 yards in losses last season. Pryor has 28.5 sacks, 66 tackles for losses of 343 yards in his three seasons at BSU.

“I will have double-teams, they’re going to run away from me,” Pryor said, “but I know my guys are going to be there at the end of the day. We all have our job to do and that’s execute.”

BSU also returns hard-hitting defensive backs Myles Woolfolk (75 tackles) and Raymond Boone (58 tackles) and linebacker Wesley Bowers (58 tackles). Boone had been rumored to be joining head coach Deion Sanders at Jackson State but Jackson said he is returning to the Bulldogs.

On offense, Jackson has to find replacements for two-year starter JaRome Johnson at quarterback and 1,000-yard rusher Calil Wilkins.  

CIAA football: North Division challengers

Bowie State’s chief challenger in the North Division may come from a source familiar with the Bulldogs’ tradition.

New Virginia State head coach Dr. Henry Frazier III could be considered the architect of the Bowie State program. Frazier was a successful quarterback for the Bulldogs from 1986-89 and served as head coach from 1999 to 2003 where he coached Damon Wilson.

He moved to Prairie View A&M from 2004 to 2010 and won the SWAC championship in 2009. Frazier spent two years at NC Central in the MEAC before returning to help Wilson as a special assistant during the 2018 and 2019 championship years. He replaced Reggie Barlow at VSU late, in May of this year.

“I have experience with that,” Frazier said of his late arrival. “I got the Bowie (head coaching) job on July 22 and we still had a winning season. So I figure we’re ahead of the curve right now.”

Frazier also said Barlow did not leave the cupboard bare. “It’s not empty. There’s players and talent there. Walking into this situation is my best situation in terms of Bowie, Prairie View or (NC) Central. Coach Barlow and his staff did a good job of signing a pretty good class, 23 or 24, we brought in another ten freshmen and another 12 to 15 transfers on top of that. So, we’ll have players. It’s just a matter of them following my lead.”

Virginia Union and Elizabeth City State

Virginia Union has been the closest to dethroning Bowie State in the North. The Panthers finished 12-5 in the division over the last three seasons under Dr. Alvin Parker, finishing second, a game behind Bowie State twice (5-2 last season).

“That’s the game (vs. Bowie State) that’s been stopping us every year,” Parker said. “We win that game any one of the three years and we’re playing in Salem (site of the championship game). We feel good about what we’re doing and we have a process at Virginia Union that’s tried and true. It creates championships.” The Panthers play at Bowie State this season on Oct. 15.

Coach Parker brought along sophomore running back Jada Byers (914 yds., 5.4 yards per carry) who led the league with 12 rushing touchdowns. He earned offensive freshman of the year honors. “I feel this is the season we get it done,” Byers said.

Marcus Hilliard is the new coach returning to lead his alma mater, Elizabeth City State. The Vikings have not had a winning season since 2012. Hilliard played for former ECSU coach Waverly Tiller in the early 2000s when the Vikings were perennial contenders for N. Div. and conference honors. He has been a defensive guru at both ECSU and VUU and wants to return ECSU to its former standing. The 2022 theme for the Vikings is ‘Restore the Culture, A new era at ECSU football.’

“Coach Hilliard has come in not just to create a football team that is going to compete on Saturdays but build a program that can compete for years to come,” said Zion Riddick, ECSU’s all-CIAA kick returner and wide receiver.

Hilliard was the defensive coordinator on that 2012 ECSU team that made it to the championship game. “We had a good run before,” Hilliard said of his time playing and coaching with Tiller. “Putting my impact on the team and bringing back some of the good things we did in the past, that’s my goal. We’ve been down, so we’re trying to change the infrastructure. I just want to put my stamp on that.”

Chowan and Lincoln (Pa.)

Chowan, particularly in the last two seasons with Bryce Witt at quarterback, has been an offensive juggernaut and threat in the North. The Hawks led the CIAA in total (432.2 ypg.) and scoring offense (38.5 ppg.) last season.

Second-year head coach Mark Hall will enter 2022 without Witt (2,864 passing yards, 31 TDs, 4 ints.) or standout wide receiver/kick returner Imeek Watkins (68 rec., 886 yds., 10 TDs). Wideout Laurence King (51 rec., 658 yds., 8 TDs) returns.

Chowan finished 7-3 overall, 4-3 in CIAA play in Hall’s first season. Defensive Rookie of the Year Isaac Anderson (37 tackles, 8 sacks, 20 TFL), a 6-3, 260-pound tackle, is the top returning defender.

Lincoln enters its third season under Josh Dean coming off a 1-9 season, 1-6 in the CIAA. The head coach said he’s taking on more responsibility this season. Junior defensive back Eric Best said he believes the team is coming together

CIAA football: Top of the South Division

The real chasers of Bowie State are again led by head coach Richard Hayes’ Broncos of Fayetteville State. After dominating the South Division, FSU has fallen to the Bulldogs in the CIAA championships game in each of the past three campaigns. They have won four straight S. Div. titles.

They are still searching for their first championship in seven years under Hayes. The championship game losses to BSU have been by 30-10 (2018), 23-7 (2019) and 17-7 (2021) scores. “We feel like we’re very competitive (vs. BSU). We’ve started slow every year, turned the ball over early,” Hayes said. “If we can eliminate those things, I think we’ll have a good chance in the end.”

FSU will feature the league’s top returning quarterback, Khari Lane, who was voted the preseason all-CIAA quarterback. Lane threw for over 2,000 yards with 20 TDs and only five interceptions. Brandon Barnes-Bowman (5 ints.) leads the defense.

Sixth-year head coach Adrien Jones has guided Shaw (6-4, 5-2 S) past Winston-Salem into second in the S. Div. behind FSU. The Bears are 0-5 during Jones’ tenure vs. FSU including a close 15-12 fourth-quarter loss a year ago.

The Bears return the league’s top ground attack (194.8 ypg.) with top returning rusher, junior Sidney Gibbs (948 yds., 5.7 ypc., 94.8 ypg., 6 TDs.) and Andre Braxton (508 yds., 10 TDs). All-CIAA offensive linemen and Antavious Zachery and Tyreese Bobbitt are also back in the fold.

“They (the offensive line) were the MVPs of our team,” Jones said. “We’ve got a lot of toys on our offense. We’ve got to be dynamic in anything we do, offense, defense and special teams.

“I think that we have the football team to beat Fayetteville State but we’re gonna have to play disciplined football, we’re going to have to be smart coaches and put out our guys in the right situations at the right time.”

Winston-Salem State and others

After two seasons, Robert Massey had the interim tag removed and plans to get Winston-Salem State back to elite status. That development has helped the Rams, in effect, start over.

“We have additional coaches added to the staff, obviously that we needed,” Massey said “It’s (having the tag removed) helped us from the recruiting standpoint. It’s put us in position to bring in about 40 freshman. We’ll bring in about 20 transfers. We want to build this program, basically starting over. But at the same time, we want to compete for a championship.”

The Rams (3-6, 3-4 S) had just junior DB Elijah Banks on the preseason all-CIAA team.

Johnson C. Smith (1-7, 1-5 S), Livingstone (1-8, 1-5 S) and Saint Augustine’s (1-7, 1-6 S) were able to muster just one win last season.

Maurice Flowers enters his first season leading JCSU. The former Fort Valley State head man is returning to his alma mater and his hometown of Charlotte, NC. Flowers said he’s brought in 55 freshmen to turn the Golden Bulls program around. He will feature all-CIAA graduate wide receiver Reggie Bryant who hauled in 49 catches for 693 yards and seven TDs a year ago.

Sean Gilbert enters his second season leading Livingstone. He said a new blue turf is ready for the Bears’ stadium while construction on a new track is being finished. He said his young and green team should be better and more competitive. Sophomores Jade Echols at middle linebacker and Malik Head at defensive tackle are the top defenders. Andrew King is a key transfer.

David Bowser enters his second season with double-duties of athletics director and head football coach at St. Aug’s. He hopes to shore up a defense that gave up 218 rushing yards and 33.4 points while scoring just 11 points per game last season. Defensive tackle Marcus Davis, the student body president, and sophomore cornerback Jeron Hinton are leaders on that side of the ball. Soph QB Christopher Perkins leads the offense.

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Bowie State is still the top dog until it isn’t

BSU’s football squad underwent a number of changes, including a revamped coaching staff after former head coach Damon Wilson bolted for Morgan State, and the subsequent player transfers and graduations.  Nonetheless, the preseason poll respects their body of work in naming the as the team to beat.  BSU’s cupboard is not bare — after all, it has a number of players with significant playing time, including the bulk of its offensive line (with two All-CIAA preseason selections), and headlined by defensive lineman Joshua Pryor on defense.  Interim head coach Kyle Jackson retained some of the staff, including last year’s offensive coordinator Tyrae Reid.  So, the hunted remain so.

The CIAA experienced a DI-fueled talent drain

There are some not-as-obvious reasons for those transfers.  Primarily, the NCAA granted players an extra year of eligibility, and some players retained eligibility on the field but continued to meet their graduation requirements. Plus, the CIAA schools’ graduate program offerings are rather light in some cases (which may be one reason why Livingstone is seeking to become a University and offer graduate programs). 

Some of the top players who graduated and transferred to the FBS include Virginia Union wide receiver Charles Hall (now at Arizona State), BSU defensive end Jonathan Ross (now at South Florida), and Chowan long snapper Corbin Robertson (now at Baylor).  Other prominent transfers include former Chowan kicker Jude McAtamney (BCS Rutgers), Livingstone defensive back Jordan Robinson (BCS Appalachian State) and BSU defensive backs Raymond Boone (FCS Jackson State), Demetri Morsell (FCS Southern), and Jordan Carter (FCS Southern).

Wide receiver may be the deepest CIAA position 

The conference isn’t known as a passing league, but there’s generally a good receiver on most teams that get a lot of the targets when they do put it in the air.  Elizabeth City State’s triumvirate of Zion Riddick, Cam Saunders, and Jo Hayes combined for 1313 yards and 13 touchdowns. That group doesn’t include recently graduated Brandon Joyner, meaning that they could be even more potent this season.  Johnson C. Smith has the conference’s third-leading receiver in Reggie Bryant returning. Chowan has Laurence King, who could step into the leading role after Imeek Watkins gradating. Lincoln (Pa) should benefits from Dah’mear Triplett’s return. Triplett was a CIAA second-team selection in 2019 as a freshmen before transferring to FCS Towson. Now, he has an opportunity to bolster the Lions’ passing attack. 

Fayetteville State undergoing changes again

FSU has been so successful that it keeps being forced to find a new offensive coordinator every season.  This year, Howard Feggins takes the helm on offense.  He was previously the running backs coach Colorado State-Pueblo, a school that has a similar run-heavy offensive philosophy as FSU.  CSU-Pueblo had some of the nation’s most productive running backs during Feggins’ tenure, and that bodes well for a Broncos squad that will likely be running back by committee to start the season.

Can they kick it? Yes, they can

VUU’s Marvin Holmes and Lincoln (PA)’s AJ Laudet were two of the nation’s best punters by punting average.  Winston-Salem State’s Jobanni Esparza, Shaw’s Devin Verstegeen, and FSU’s Elton Andrew also return, meaning that tight football games in the Southern Division could come down to a kicking contest.

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Elizabeth City, NC – Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) has permanently appointed James DuBose, Jr. as the next athletic director, beginning July 15, 2022. DuBose has been serving as interim athletic director since April 11, 2022, and will continue his oversight of the university’s 11 women’s and men’s teams in the Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association (CIAA).

Since joining Elizabeth City State, DuBose has achieved several notable accomplishments for the university, including securing two televised games for the 2022 football season, adding new athletic corporate sponsorships, hiring additional coaches and support staff in the athletics department, and developing partnerships with campus and community organizations.

“James is a seasoned athletics administrator who has quickly made a positive impact in moving several initiatives forward for the university’s Athletics Department,” says ECSU Chancellor Karrie G. Dixon. “We are pleased that he will continue this trajectory in creating a winning program that is laser-focused on our student-athletes.”

James DuBose came to Elizabeth City State from Winston-Salem State University (WSSU), where he served in a variety of roles, most recently as senior associate athletic director for Development and Administration. In that position, he assisted with day-to-day operations, external relations, fundraising and budget strategies and scholarship portfolios. In addition, DuBose supervised athletic training, cheerleading, facilities and events, football, gameday operations, marketing, sports information and strength and conditioning. DuBose also held senior leadership positions at WSSU, including director of Tickets, Promotions and Events, director of Fundraising, and associate athletic director.

DuBose is a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success, as well as the National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD), where he is a recipient of a 2022 NAADD Diversity Initiative Program award.

“The Viking community has quickly embraced me and supported the new departmental strategies I’ve started executing since arriving at ECSU this spring,” states DuBose. “My priorities center around creating the best collegiate experience, both inside and outside the classroom, for our student-athletes and showcasing their talents to the already supportive ECSU family, our fans, the regional community and the nation. I remain thankful to Chancellor Dixon for offering me this opportunity to lead and elevate a stellar Division 2 athletic organization.”

DuBose is a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Agricultural Economics. He earned both a master’s in Sports Management and a graduate certificate in Athletic Administration from Southern New Hampshire University. He received the 2022 Distinguished Scholar Award from Southern New Hampshire. He is married to Teshuna Worrells DuBose, and they have two sons, Jamond and Jameson.

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“I started getting the ball a lot more,” Hayes told HBCU Gameday. “I made a lot of plays, finally was able to get some film senior year. I still wasn’t awarded any offers. Went to a lot of camps, showed out – was in front of college coaches took a lot of visits at the end of the year – but things just never worked out.”

Knowing that he wanted to play college football, Hayes was determined to find a way. It came via a high school teammate that was headed just over the state line at ECSU. So he got the coach’s information and advocated for himself.

“I text the coach and he was like, Hey, you can come in, but you can be a preferred walk on. I was like, ‘That’s all I need. All I need is a chance,” Hayes said. “And then especially since Elizabeth City isn’t too expensive, it was kind of a win-win because it’s close – it’s only 45 minutes away –  and then it’s not ultra-expensive. Paying out of pocket definitely is tough – but it wasn’t too bad where I had to be paying $40,000 a year – if that makes sense.” 

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Hayes redshirted as a freshman in 2019. Then COVID-19 came and ground everything to a halt, eventually canceling the entire 2020 season for the CIAA. Hayes took advantage of the time off, getting up at 5 AM Monday through Friday to work out and more. Something he calls “stacking days.”

“I started watching film every day, started working out two times a day and going to sleep on time. I’m not partying and I’m not drinking. I’m not smoking,” Hayes said. “I’m not doing the extra things that people see as distractions because I knew where I wanted to get and I knew what I was trying to do.”

That hard work paid off when football re-started at ECSU after an impressive stint at spring ball. He then earned a scholarship and was named to that CIAA’s all-rookie team as a punt returner and receiver. Although he says he still has a way to go, he has already seen the fruits of his effort come to fruition.

“It just came with time, effort and just consistency,” Hayes said. “And when I was down bad and when I was nobody and nobody thought I was going to be anything… I always just believed in myself and I didn’t need anybody else.”

Hayes said he wrote down a list of goals, and one of them was to get a NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) deal. He recently achieved that, becoming an endorser for Body Armor, a sports drink product. Again, it’s something that he actively pursued to make happen. 

“I got to the point where I would literally call it a customer service line and just speak to a random representative and be like, Hey, I’m Jo Hayes, I play for Elizabeth City,” he said.

Eventually, Body Armor contacted Hayes, and he’s now on its roster. Once again, his persistence paid off

While he’s been achieving his goals and aspirations, Hayes has been focused on helping those coming behind him do the same. So he put together a football camp for the youth of the 757. 

“I wanted to do something different, give back to the community. Cause just where I’m from, it’s a lot of violence, a lot of things going on,” Hayes said. “So I feel like kids need that outlook. They need that that they need to see some better than what they see on an everyday basis.”

The camp will take place on July 9 and is open to ages 8-14 at just $20 each. The camp “Hayes Stacking Dayz” will feature a deep roster of current and former college athletes along with him. 

“I’ve been having this thought in my mind for the past two years, but with COVID and everything else like that, the opportunity just wasn’t there,” Hayes said. “And a lot of people that do this, they wait until they get in the NFL. But now, with the NIL thing, I thought it was just a perfect time really to do it.”

Parents may register their children here.

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Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) announces Andre Gray will serve as Interim Men’s Basketball Coach for the upcoming season.  Gray comes to ECSU from North Carolina Central University where he has served as the men’s basketball program Assistant Coach since July 2021.  Gray’s contract with ECSU officially started May 16 following the departure of former coach Shawn Walker, but his full-time status with the Athletic Department begins Monday, May 23.

“Chancellor Dixon and I thank Andre for taking on this interim role to keep the team moving forward,” says Elizabeth City State University Interim Director of Athletics James DuBose.  “He has been honing his recruitment, player development, academic advising, and game planning skills for several decades, and his experience is a welcome addition to the team.”

Gray has been part of the North Carolina collegiate basketball landscape since 2001 when he got his start as an Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at Methodist College in Fayetteville.  He went on to scout, run program operations, lead player conditioning efforts, serve as defensive coordinator, and much more at Wingate, Gardner-Webb, Western Carolina, UNC-Wilmington, Winston Salem State, UNC-Charlotte, UNC‑Greensboro, and NC Central universities. 

Gray has recruited and developed:

He holds school record wins at UNC-Greensboro, Western Carolina, and Wingate universities, and made history when he helped the first team from the South Atlantic Conference — the Wingate Bulldogs — to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in 2007.  Gray graduated from the NCAA ACE Program for rising minority coaches, and is a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division I Assistant Coaches Committee.

“I am thankful to Chancellor Dixon and Interim Director of Athletics James DuBose for this opportunity,” says Andre Gray.  “To serve as head coach in the CIAA, even on an interim basis, is a dream come true and an honor I do not take for granted.  ECSU has cultivated a culture that provides student-athletes an elite experience, supporting their success in the classroom, on the court, and in the community.  We will make the Viking family proud.”

Gray is originally from Elizabethtown, North Carolina, and earned a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Methodist College in 1998.  He is pursuing a master’s degree in Sport Management from Western Carolina University which will be completed in June 2022.

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“Earlier today, ECSU parted ways with former men’s basketball coach Shawn Walker.  We wish Shawn the best in his future endeavors and appreciate his time with the Vikings.” 

This was Walker’s second stint as head coach at his alma mater.

Walker led Elizabeth City State to a 40-46 record since taking over the program again in 2018, including a 14-13 mark during the 2021-2022 season. His teams registered just one win in the CIAA Tournament, a one-point victory over Winston-Salem State in his first season at the helm. Last season was the program’s only one above .500 during his most recent stint.

Walker was brought back to his alma mater by George L. Bright nearly four years ago. In March, Bright was let go by ECSU, and former Winston-Salem State University assistant AD James Dubose was named interim director of athletics and is expected to assume the position permanently.

Prior to his latest stint at his alma mater, Walker spent three seasons as head coach at Grambling State University. He led GSU to a 25-68 record during his stint there – including a 16-17 record during the 2016-17 season. However, GSU chose not to renew his contract.

The Roper, NC native played his college basketball at ECSU in the 1990s before getting into coaching. He coached the women’s basketball program for one season (2001-2002) before taking over as men’s head coach. Walker compiled a 196-172 record in thirteen seasons at Elizabeth City State during his first stint.

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When Emory thinks about being a trailblazer, it’s hard for her to really wrap her head around it.  
 
“To be honest with you, I did not think me,” said Emory. “I’ve always seen myself as somebody who was just doing what I loved at the time. I didn’t see myself as someone who was carving any type of path. I was in awe of my surroundings and loving everything about the energy of athletics.” 
 
Emory opened a door for numerous Black women in leadership in CoSIDA and paved a path for me to become the first Black woman to serve as CoSIDA President in 2022-23. 

 
Without April on the Board, I don’t know that I would have ever thought that being on the CoSIDA Board – or even being in any leadership position – would have been possible as I’d never seen anyone that looked like me doing it â€¦ until April Emory.  
 
As she reflects back on her time in our athletic communications profession, Emory shared some of those who she considers trailblazers.   
 
“When I think of a trailblazer, I think of who this award is named after, Mary Jo Haverbeck, the late associate SID at Penn State.  I had the pleasure of knowing throughout my career. She was a confidant of mine and somebody who I would call and ask for advice,” noted Emory.
“She is who I think of. I would never in a million years think that I would be in the running for an award like this. This is very humbling. Sometimes we’re so busy doing our jobs and wanting to do well … you just want to do things that are going to be a good reflection on the people you love and the thing that you love, and that’s all that I was doing.”  
 
A theme for Emory throughout her career has been making herself and those that she loves proud. There is no doubt she has done just that.
 
“You try to go out and do the best that you can,” Emory reflected. “I was just working hard and wanted to be happy with the effort I put forth. You just want to be able to look into the mirror and even when the accolades or acknowledgements aren’t there, know that your work would speak for itself.”  
 
While Emory is currently out of college athletics, doing freelance communications and event planning, she is so proud of where the CoSIDA organization is currently. In many ways, Emory helped build this foundation.
 
“I don’t think there is any organization that is more impactful on college athletics than CoSIDA,” said Emory. “There is so much that we do on behalf of our institutions and conferences, in being able to tie everything together. We’re the foundation of so many angles in collegiate athletics.
 
CoSIDA has done a good job of recognizing how important diversity is and evolving with society as a whole. The organization always has its finger on the pulse and has led by example.” 
 
When asked about those that she considers trailblazers, she lands on her Nanny, her grandmother Gladys.  

“When I think about a trailblazer I think about my grandmother,” Emory noted. “She’s 93, strong and feisty. When I think about someone who through life’s curveballs has done the best with the cards that were dealt and still found a way to lift others up; making a way out of no way. Nanny is the epitome of trailblazer for me.” 
 
If you know April, you know that she has no shortage of people in her corner and she’s thankful for each one of them.  
 
“There have been so many people that have been good to me along the way,” said Emory. “My parents, my sisters, my grandmother. Monique Smith and the entire CIAA family have all played such an important role. I gained so much encouragement and lasting friendships from my extended CoSIDA family… there are too many to mention. My girls/colleagues in the business and in life, Shera (White), Tiffani (Sykes) and Myra (Blow) are my “go-to’s” when it comes to being able to laugh and enjoy life and being able to embrace change as it comes.” 
 
Personally, I want to thank you April, from one Trailblazer Award winner to another, thank you for carving a path for me to become CoSIDA’s first Black female President! Without your example I would have never been able to dream so big.

This story is written by Jessica Poole and originated on CoSIDA.com

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Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) announces James M. DuBose, Jr. has been named the university’s Interim Athletic Director.  DuBose will assume leadership of ECSU’s athletic department on April 11, 2022.

“We are delighted to have Mr. DuBose join our Viking family,” said ECSU Chancellor Karrie G. Dixon.  “ECSU is committed to excellence; he will provide the passion and strategic vision needed to support our student athletes, build community partnerships, and continue to strengthen our athletic programs.”

DuBose joins the Viking family from Winston-Salem State University where he has served in a variety of roles, most recently as Senior Associate Athletic Director for Development and Administration.  In that position, he assisted with day-to-day operations, external relations, fundraising and budget strategies, and scholarship portfolios.  DuBose also provided direct supervision to athletic training, cheerleading, facilities and events, football, gameday operations, marketing, sports information and strength and conditioning.

“I am grateful to Chancellor Dixon for this opportunity to lead the best Athletics Department in the country,” said James M. DuBose, Jr.  “I am committed to academic and athletic excellence, and together, we will ensure our student-athletes, coaches, staff, and the entire ECSU Viking family have an elite experience.  This is truly a humbling honor, and I am excited to lead Viking Athletics into the next chapter.”

DuBose is a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success, as well as the National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD) where he was named a recipient of a 2022 NAADD Diversity Initiative Program award.  While at Winston-Salem, DuBose earned the 2017 Weston Spirit Award from the Department of Athletics, as well as the 2017 Chancellor’s Award for Stewardship.  He is a graduate of the 2018 Leadership Winston-Salem Class and serves on the Board of Directors for the Winston-Salem Police Foundation.

DuBose graduated from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics, and earned his Master’s in Sport Management and a Graduate Certificate in Athletic Administration from Southern New Hampshire University.  He is married to Teshuna Worrells DuBose and they have two sons, Jamond and Jameson.

The post Elizabeth City State names interim athletic director appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

The men’s basketball program tipped off the season playing against ACC schools North Carolina State and North Carolina.

While both football and men’s basketball have struggled during Bright’s tenure, ECSU’s women’s basketball program had its best season in years recently. It went 21-8, making it to the CIAA Championship game against Lincoln University. 

Elizabeth City State has battled with enrollment issues for much of the last decade but has recently seen enrollment grow upward, and athletics has been identified as an area of growth for the university. 

Bright holds a Bachelor of Arts in music performance from Claflin University; a Master of Arts in rehabilitation counseling from South Carolina State University; and is currently working on his doctorate in Educational Leadership and Administration from East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania.

The post Elizabeth City State parts ways with AD appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

The CIAA Tournament was not the same after the conference lost seven teams that moved on to form the Div. I Mid Eastern Athletic Conference in 1971. 

It may have gotten better!

While I went off to Howard University in 1972 and followed the Bison into the MEAC ranks, the CIAA tournament hit another gear. 

The Spartans steal the show

Beginning in 1971, the crowds continued coming to the tournament in Greensboro as Norfolk State became the dominant team of the decade. It began with my homeboy, Morrell James of Langston High School in Danville, Virginia, winning the 1971 MVP award after the Spartans beat Shaw for the title. Shaw rode the outstanding play of point guard Ray Haskins to their first-ever tournament final game.

Head coach Bob Smith guided the Spartans to tourney championship wins in 1971 and 1972 before Charles Christian took over in 1973. Christian, an ultra-successful high school hoops coach in Tidewater Virginia, guided the Spartans for the next six years to four more (1974, 1975, 1976, 1978) tournament titles, the last two as the tournament moved back to Hampton. It gave the Spartans six tournament championships in the decade of the 70s. Christian stepped down after the 1978 title.

James, Michael Sneed (1972), the great Eugene Cunningham (1976 & 1977) and Robert Isabelle (1978) gave the Spartans seven MVPs and eight titles between 1968 and 1978. Norfolk and Isabelle knocked off Hampton with future NBA star Rick Mahorn in the 1978 finals.

As Christian left, Dave Robbins stepped up and in at Virginia Union. And things were never the same. 

The White Shadow

Robbins was the first white head coach in CIAA history and he faced a barrage of criticism when he took the job. But he put all that aside and went about the business of bringing winning to the league like never before. 

Over the next 30 years, Robbins kept Virginia Union and the CIAA on the national radar. He won back-to-back CIAA tournament titles early, in his second and third years leading the Panthers (1979 and 1980),. The message to all detractors was that he meant business.

Robbins went on to capture three more tournament titles in the ‘80s (1985, 1987 and 1989). He four-peated in the 1990s, taking all the tournament crowns from 1992-1995., and capped it off with another three-peat from 2004 to 2006 before he retired in 2008. 

The rest of the story

But those CIAA Tournament titles are only half the story. When he didn’t win the CIAA, his teams still went on to the Div. II playoffs. His teams made 21 appearances in the NCAA Div. II national tournament. He produced four DIv. II national players of the year in Charles Oakley (1985), A. J. English (1990), Derrick Johnson (1994) and Darius Hargrove (2006). He produced eight consensus first team Div. II all-Americans.

He processed five future NBA players in Oakley, English, Ben Wallace, Terry Davis and Jamie Waller. 

His 713-194 career record included three NCAA Div. II national championships in three decades — 1980, 1992 and 2005. He is the only head coach to ever accomplish that.

No one had a run like Dave Robbins.

In 1982 and 1983, Hampton won their first titles in CIAA history in back-to-back championship runs under former Maryland State playing legend Hank Ford. The 1982 title featured 6-8 center Greg “Dunkin'” Hines, who took the MVP award as the Pirates downed Saint Augustine’s. In ‘83, it was guard Tony Washington that was the MVP and led Hampton to a win over Norfolk State in the finals. 

CIAA Tournament’s greatest, hottest battles

There were perhaps no greater or more heated battles in CIAA history than those between Christian’s Norfolk State’s teams and Robbins’ VUU Panthers, particularly when Christian returned to the helm of the Spartans from 1981-1990. 

In the mid-1980s, the court battle was led by Robbins’ 6-8 powerful forward Oakley vs. Christian’s lithe guard Ralph Tally. The Oakley-Tally battles are something of legend. Their teams met in the tournament championship games every year from 1985 thru 1987. 

Norfolk State won in 1984 over Saint Augustine’s 68-64 but lost to VUU in the D2 playoffs, 58-56. VUU beat NSU 67-65 in the ’85 CIAA finals. NSU took down VUU 77-75 in the ’86 title game. They then downed the Panthers 70-60 in the D2 playoffs. VUU won again over NSU in the ‘87 championship game, 79-73. Tally was tournament MVP in ’84. Oakley and Tally shared the award in ’85. Tally won it again in ’86.   

Tally was the Div. II national player of the year in 1987 after averaging 28.5 points per game as a senior. Oakley took the award in 1985. Only the aforementioned VUU players under Robbins and Shaw’s Ronald “Flip” Murray in 2002 have been D2 Players of the Year from the CIAA since. 

From 1983 thru 1990, either a VUU player (Oakley ’83 and ’85, Terry Davis ’88 and ’89) or a Norfolk State player (David Pope ’83 and ’84, Tally ’85 thru ’88) were CIAA players of the year.  

The Eagles rise

Only a couple of years later in 1989, after Oakley and Tally finished their epic battles, North Carolina Central did what Winston-Salem State,“Big House” Gaines and Earl Monroe did some 20 years earlier.

The Eagles, under head coach Mike Bernard, lost in the CIAA tournament championship game to Robbins and tournament MVP Terry Davis. But they went on to claim the 1989 Div. II national title over Southeast Missouri State, 73-46. The defensive-minded Eagles’ 27-point margin set a new NCAA championship record.

The 1990s began with Christian winning another title for Norfolk State before stepping down, this time for good. The new-look Spartans rode the play of MVP Darren Sanderlin to the title over Hampton. 

Hampton came back the next year (1991), behind MVP Sheldon Owens, to take the title over Robbins and the Panthers. But Robbins came back with a vengeance for his early 90s four-peat. It was during those four championship years that the tournament came back South to Winston-Salem in 1994 and stayed in North Carolina before moving to Baltimore this season. Current VUU coach Jay Butler was a member of those championship teams from 1993 to 1995. 

Virginia Union’s most powerful team?

The 1992 team had one of Robbins’ most versatile players, 6-5 forward and Tournament MVP Reggie Jones and a phalanx of players just like him. That may have been Robbins’ strongest team that went on to thrash Bridgeport 100-75 for the D2 national championship. Jones, national player of the year Derrick Johnson and Warren Peebles, the CIAA tourney MVP in 1994, were members of that championship team.

 1993 saw the retirement of WSSU’s Gaines after 47 years as the face and heart of the CIAA. The 1995 MVP was rugged VUU 6-7 center Ben Wallace, who went on to stardom in the NBA.

Bernard took over at Norfolk State in 1991 and took home the championship trophy in 1996. St. Augustine’s under Norvell Lee, after knocking on the door several times, finally pushed it in in the 1997 season to win its first title.

WSSU returned to the winner’s circle in 1999 and 2000 as Rick Duckett led the Rams to back-to-back titles. Johnson C. Smith, under Steven Joyner Sr. and tough tournament MVP Antoine Sims captured the first-ever championship for the Golden Bulls in 2001. 

Going out with a bang!

Shaw’s Murray led the Bears to their first-ever tournament title in 2002 under Joel Hopkins. Cleo Hill Jr., the son of the CIAA legend, was an assistant on that Shaw team. He came back as the head coach to lead the Bears to another title in 2011 and is currently the head coach at his dad’s alma mater, Winston-Salem State.

Robbins’ last run was the three titles from 2004 to 2006 including the national championship run in 2005. That title squad featured two-time CIAA Player of the Year, Darius Hargrove, who was also the tournament’s back-to-back Most Outstanding player in 2004 and 2005. 

Since Robbins retirement in 2008, JC Smith under Joyner won back-to-back crowns in 2008 and 2009. James Stinson of Livingstone won back-to-back crowns in 2015 and 2016. Lonnie Blow, the current coach at Virginia State, won Saint Augustine’s second title in 2010 before winning titles at VSU in 2016 and 2019.

Butler won his first title at VUU in 2018.

The post CIAA Tournament retrospective, Part III appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

Only the SWAC men and women on Monday (Jan. 10) were able to get in a full slate of games without a postponement or cancellation.

The MEAC has had the most cancellations or postponements with 17 of the last 19 men’s games not hitting the court. MEAC women’s programs have almost been hit as hard as 13 cancellations or postponements have occurred since just before the new year. 

That means it’s hard to get a bead on the top prospects or teams in the young season.  

HBCU Basketball – SWAC

Southern posted the best non-conference mark in the SWAC at 5-7. Sean Woods’ Jaguars (4-0 SWAC) have won their first four SWAC games to jump to the early lead in conference play. NC A&T transfer forward Tyrone Lyons (13.7 ppg.), 6-4 Murray State transfer Brion Whitley (12.5 ppg.)and 6-1 senior guard Jayden Saddler (11.6 ppg.) are leading the Jaguars. 

Southern plays at Grambling State Saturday (5:30 p.m.).

Alcorn State (4-12, 3-0) won just one of 13 non-conference games but head coach Landon Bussie has the Braves off to a 3-0 start in league action behind the play of Prairie View transfer Lenell Henry (13.0 ppg.). Alcorn has a key date with preseason favorite Texas Southern (5-8, 3-1) Saturday at 3 p.m.

The Braves then host Prairie View (1-11, 1-3) on Monday. 

HBCU Basketball – MEAC

On the Div. I level — men’s teams in the MEAC or SWAC — only the 10-4 MEAC defending champion Norfolk State Spartans under Robert Jones entered the new year and conference play with an above .500 record.

The Spartans have been led by 6-1 senior guard Joe Bryant’s 14.2 points per game. Six-nine redshirt senior forward Kris Bankston (11.2 ppg.) and 6-2 junior guard Christian Ings (10.5 ppg.) are other double-figure scorers. Bryant tallied a game-high 29 points as the Spartans knocked off Delaware State Wednesday, 80-51 for in their first conference tilt.

They hope to add to that record Saturday (4 p.m.) at  Howard (6-6), who had the second-best non-conference slate. It will be the first conference game for Howard and an early indicator of just how good the Bison are.

Head coach Kenny Blakeney’s squad has six players scoring in double-digits led by 6-10 sophomore forward Steve Settles’ 13.1 points per game and senior sharpshooter Kyle Foster’s 14.6 ppg. off the bench. Foster has made 42 of 82 3-pointers to lead the conference at .512 shooting from behind the arc. His 3.5 3s per game is also tops in the conference. 

Norfolk State plays at Maryland-Eastern Shore on Monday (4 p.m.).

MLK Special on FOX

After the Norfolk State game, the Bison are set to host Notre Dame Monday (Jan. 17) at 2:30 p.m. in a special game on FOX Sports honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the day of his national holiday. The coverage will include special messages from prominent figures sharing stories of Dr. King and what his legacy means to them. 

The matchup marks the first time in its history that Notre Dame will visit and play at an HBCU campus.

Brey / Blakeney connection

The coaches, Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey and Howard’s Blakeney, have a lot in common. Both began their hoop careers playing under late legendary head coach Morgan Wooten at local DeMatha High School, one of the top prep programs in the nation. Brey also became an assistant on the bench with Wooten before he launched his college coaching career.

Blakeney played under Mike Kryzyzewski collegiately at Duke. Both Brey and Blakeney also worked as assistants under Coach K. Blakeney was also on Brey’s staff at Delaware before he became head coach at Notre Dame.

Two of Howard’s best players – Settles and freshman point guard Elijah Hawkins (12.6 ppg., league-best 7.0 assists per game) are DeMatha products. 

Howard alumnus to call the game

The game was originally scheduled for MLK Day in 2021 but was cancelled as the teams battled COVID-19 issues.

Howard alum Gus Johnson, now a play-by-play announcer for FOX College Hoops, will call the game with NBA vet and College Hall of Famer Jim Jackson providing analysis.

Host Mike Hill and analysts Steve Lavin and Donny Marshall will provide pregame, halftime and postgame coverage on-site from Howard’s Burr Gymnasium. FOX COLLEGE HOOPS TIP-OFF begins at 2:00 p.m. on FOX.

HBCU Basketball – CIAA

A traditional MLK weekend game in the CIAA will pit Virginia Union and Virginia State Saturday in Ettrick, Va. (4 p.m.). Jay Butler’s  VUU squad (10-3) is undefeated in league play at 3-0. Lonnie Blow’s Trojans of VSU are 5-7 overall, 2-3 in the CIAA.

VUU has a date Monday at Saint Augustine’s and Wednesday at Bowie State. 

Fayetteville State (8-5, 3-0 S) and Lincoln (10-4, 4-0 N) are the early CIAA division leaders. FSU is at J. C. Smith Monday (4 p.m.) and at Livingstone Wednesday (7:30 p.m.). Lincoln is at BSU Saturday (4 p.m.) and hosts Elizabeth City State Wednesday (8:30 p.m.). 

HBCU Basketball – SIAC

Benedict (11-3, 7-0 N) and Miles (9-3, 4-1 S) are the leaders in the SIAC North and South respectively. Benedict is on the road at Morehouse Saturday (2 p.m.) and at Albany State Monday (7 p.m.). Miles hosts Central State Saturday (3 p.m.) and Kentucky State Monday (7:30 p.m.).  

HOOPS GAMES THIS WEEK

SAT., JAN. 15

CIAA

Fayetteville State @ JC Smith 4

Lincoln @ Bowie State 4

Virginia Union @ Virginia State 4

W-Salem State @ St. Augustine’s TBA
Elizabeth City State @ Shaw 5

Livingstone @ Claflin 7:30

MEAC

NC Central @ SC State 4

Norfolk State @ Howard 4

Coppin State @ Morgan State 4

SIAC

Allen @ Albany State TBA

Savannah State @ Ft. Valley State TBA

Benedict @ Morehouse 2

Central State @ Miles 3

LeMoyne-Owen @ Kentucky State 4

Spring Hill @ Lane 5

Clark Atlanta @ Edward Waters 6

SWAC

Texas Southern @ Alcorn State 3

Florida A&M @ Arkansas-Pine Bluff 5:30

Bethune-Cookman @ Miss. Valley St. 4

Alabama A&M @ Alabama State 4:30

Prairie View A&M @ Jackson State 5:30

Southern @ Grambling State 5:30

BIG SOUTH

Presbyterian @ Hampton 5:30

NC A&T @ High Point 7

OVC

Morehead State @ Tennessee State 4

OTHERS
Central Oklahoma @ Lincoln (MO)` 3

W. Va. State @ Alderson Broaddus 4

Langston @ Mid-America Christian 4 

MON., JAN. 17

CIAA

Virginia Union @ St. Augustine’s 4

MEAC

Notre Dame @ Howard 2:30

Norfolk State @ Md.-E. Shore 4

SIAC

Benedict @ Albany State 7

Allen @ Morehouse TBA

Central State @ LeMoyne Owen 7

Clark Atlanta @ Savannah State 7:30

Kentucky State @ Miles 7:30

Tuskegee @ Lane 8:30

SWAC

Prairie View A&M @ Alcorn State TBA

Texas Southern @ Jackson State 7:30

B-Cookman @ Arkansas-Pine Bluff 7:30

Florida A&M @ Miss. Valley State 7:30

OVC

Tennessee Tech @ Tennessee State 2

TUES., JAN. 18

Spring Hill @ Fort Valley State 8:30

WED., JAN. 19

CIAA

JC Smith @ St. Augustine’s 

Claflin @ Winston-Salem State 7:30

Shaw @ Virginia State 7:30

Fayetteville State @ Livingstone 7:30

Virginia Union @ Bowie State 7:30

Elizabeth City State @ Lincoln 8:30

SIAC

Albany State @ Allen 4

BIG SOUTH

Hampton @ Radford 6:30

NC A&T @ UNC-Asheville 6:30

OTHERS

W. Va.State @ Glenville State 7:30

The post HBCU Basketball Rundown: Jan. 15 – 19, 2022 appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

Bowie State was the first to bar spectators back in December. Since then Fayetteville State, Johnson C. Smith and Virginia Union have done the same. Winston-Salem State announced on Wednesday that it will allow fans in the C.E. Gaines Center – but they must have a negative COVID-19 test regardless of vaccination status.

It will be interesting to see when – or if – these restrictions will be lifted this season by the individual schools. The big question is whether or not fans will be able to attend the CIAA Tournament which is set to make its Baltimore debut at the end of February. A source tells HBCU Gameday officials from CIAA schools are expected to discuss the tournament in the next few weeks.

For now, fans of CIAA basketball will have to get their fix via the paywalled CIAA Sports Network or get busy used to searching for testing sites to watch their favorite teams in person.

Jan. 6 CIAA Basketball Preview

Virginia State at Winston-Salem State

Things are looking up for Virginia State women’s basketball after a couple of down seasons. VSU enters Thursday’s matchup 7-5 overall having won six of its last seven games, including all three of its CIAA matchups. Guard Natalia Leaks leads the way for VSU with 14.1 ppg and also averages better than seven rebounds per game. The WSSU women return home 4-4 overall, but that includes losses to Division I Appalachian State and two games against nationally-ranked Alaska Anchorage. They have only played once in the last month – an 82-55 thrashing by Lincoln – but are 2-0 at home. WSSU does have a two-game winning streak against VSU dating back to the 2018-19 season.

The Virginia State men enter Thursday’s contest 4-6 overall, beating Claflin on Dec. 21 to end a six-game losing streak and pick up their first win in the CIAA. VSU is led by BJ Fitzgerald, who is currently fourth in the conference in points per game (16.8), fifth in field goal percentage (49%), second in free throw percentage (84%) and fifth in three-point field goals per game (2.2). VSU has also had WSSU’s number under Lonnie Blow with seven consecutive wins in the series.

WSSU, the defending CIAA Champions from 2020, comes in 6-4 overall. The undersized squad hangs its hat on defense, holding opponents to just 38 percent shooting from the field and allowing just 62.1 points per game. Its leading scorer is Devante Cooke who averages 13.8 points per game as WSSU averages just 66 points per game. It is next to last in rebounding (31.9 rpm) and dead last in offensive rebounding (8.2).

Elizabeth City State at Livingstone

Elizabeth City State women come into Thursday’s matchup with a 10-2 record, the best in the league. ECSU leads the league in field goal shooting at just under 43 percent and holds opponents to a CIAA-best 34.6 percent from the field while also leading the league in rebounding margin, grabbing 8.2 more rebounds per game than its opponents.

The Livingstone women — well they have their work cut out for them. LC scores a league-low 48.6 points per game and gives up the ball a league-high 24 times per game.

ECSU’s men enter January 2021 looking like a contender in the CIAA North. It leads the CIAA in turnover margin, turning the ball over just 14 times per game while forcing opponents into more than 16 per game, including a league-high 9.64 steals per game. The guard tandem of Zach Hobbs (16.8 ppg ) and Jayden Beloti (11.6) are tough and Hobbs leads the CIAA with two steals per game.

Livingstone enters January as the best offensive team in CIAA basketball, averaging 82.6 points per game. It is also its worst defensive team, giving up 86 per game. Leading the way is big man Nevar Elmore who is currently third in the league in scoring at 17.1 ppg while shooting a league-high 66 percent from the field. 

The post CIAA basketball tips off January with uncertainty appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

ELIZABETH CITY, NC- Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) announces Marcus Hilliard has been named the Vikings Football Head Coach. A former ECSU Assistant Head Coach, Defensive Coordinator and 2004 alum, Hilliard returns to ECSU with a historied knowledge of the program, authentic home-grown Viking pride, and a vision to revive the program, restore the culture, and bring about a new era and brand of Viking football to ECSU. Coach Hilliard will take over the Vikings football program effective January 2022. 

“We are thrilled to have Coach Hilliard back at ECSU,” said Elizabeth City State University Chancellor Karrie G. Dixon. “He was a respected professor and helped lead our football program for 13 years, and we welcome him back home to the Vikings. Our students are fortunate to have a coach with a winning record and passion for the game.” 

Hilliard replaces Anthony Jones, who was dismissed following the end of the football season.

In 2018, Hilliard was nationally recognized by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) as the Division II Assist Coach of the Year. 

“Coach Hilliard is the right person for this job. From running our defensive line to helping recruit new talent, coach understands our team and our campus. He has helped develop star athletes over his career, and we look forward to seeing what he’ll do with the Vikings football team,” said Athletic Director George Bright. 

Hilliard has spent the previous three seasons as the assistant head coach at Virginia Union University (VUU), where he is also the co-defensive line coordinator. Hilliard is responsible for leading the Panthers defensive unit, managing the football budget and scholarships, and serving as the professional football scout liaison. 

Prior to his arrival at VUU the Goldsboro, NC, native spent 14 seasons climbing the ranks at ECSU while playing a pivotal role in the development of the program. During his eight years as the defensive coordinator for ECSU, Coach Hilliard produced a combined 16 All-CIAA First Team, Second Team and Honorable Mention performers. 

“I’m excited to be back home and ready to get to work,” said Hilliard. “This opportunity is not one that I take lightly. The opportunity to impact such a group of talented student-athletes on and off the field is why I wake up and do this job every day. It’s my obligation to every player that puts on that ECSU jersey agreeing to trust the process and join me on this journey. I’m glad to be here and looking forward to restoring ECSU football.” 

The post Elizabeth City State hires Marcus Hilliard as new head coach appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

“Jones is a hard-working, valued, highly respected and experienced coach and has made a positive impact on the lives of many student athletes, and we are grateful for his commitment, investment, and care,” AD George L. Bright said. “I wish him the best of success professionally and personally.” 

Serving as the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach in his first year with the Maroon Tigers, he was promoted to head coach in 1999. After going 2-8 in his first season, Jones led the Tigers to the first back-to-back eight-win seasons in school history. He was named SIAC Coach of the year both times. The 2000 campaign (8-3) qualified him and the Tigers as the second most improved team in NCAA Division II.

Jones then joined Alabama A&M University, serving 12 years as the head football coach and finishing as the second-winningest coach in school history. In 2006, he led the Bulldogs to their first and only SWAC title in football and tied the school record, which he set with nine victories the previous year. The Bulldogs posted back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2005 and 2006. The 2006 SWAC Coach of the Year led A&M to five Eastern Division title games and finished his tenure at the university with a record of 83 wins and 57 losses.

Jones led the A&M Bulldogs to six-game winning streaks five times during his tenure at A&M and never had back-to-back losing seasons. Following second consecutive eight-win season (8-2), Jones was one of three finalists for the 2001 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award. He was a finalist again in 2002, his inaugural season at A&M when he became just the second coach in the university’s history to win the Magic City Classic and Homecoming in his first year as head coach.

Anthony Jones overall record is 107-93.

The post Anthony Jones out as Elizabeth City State coach appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

“I wanted to make sure we played the big boys – we played NC State and that we take on Carolina on Friday,” Dr. Dixon said after the game. “I’m very happy that we were able to play my alma mater, but moreso that the guys came out here with a great attitude and they came out here with an attitude to play well and we saw that demonstrated. We didn’t win the game, but that’s okay because it was a win-win and great exposure for our team.”

NC State won the exhibition game against ECSU 87-68, but it wasn’t a cakewalk. ECSU actually outshot and out-rebounded (38 to 35) its ACC foe on the evening in addition to getting more points in the paint (42 to 24).

The down fall for the Vikings was turnovers. The bigger Wolfpack pressed on defense all night long, leading to 27 turnovers. More than a third of their points (30) came via turnovers. They also held a solid advantage at the free throw line, attempting 33 on the night and hitting 23 of them. 

Still, it was a solid performance for a team that hasn’t played since February of 2020.

Grad student Zach Hobbs led ECSU with 15 points while teammates Brandon Beloti and Charles Page added 10 points each.

Elizabeth City State alumni, students show up

ECSU also had a sizable cheering section in the nearly 20k seat arena on the outskirts of the state capital. A few busloads of students along with local alumni not only showed up – taking advantage of free admission – they showed out. There where plenty of audible fans in blue helping to turn the ACC Arena into a Triangle version of the Robert L. Vaughan Center back home.

Elizabeth City State will look to replicate those vibes on Friday when the team returns to the Triangle to take on the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Dr. Dixon its definitely looking for a repeat.

“We brought a lot of energy into this arena. We brought two busloads of our students, our alumni turned out. It was an exciting game, and so we’re so proud of our Vikings. They played competitively, they did a great job on the court and we just know now – it’s only up from here.”

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ECSU (3-2, 3-5) opened the scoring on a fast moving first quarter with a 2-yard rushing touchdown from Kevin Caldwell.  Chowan (2-3, 5-3) responded with two long touchdown scoring passes, a 79-yard strike from Bryce Witt to Imeek Watkins, and a 75 yards from Witt to Ja’Quan Albright.  ECSU responded with a 32-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback De’Abrie Smith to Zion Riddick.  ECSU was able to score again by Khalil Turner’s blocking of Luis Orellana’s punt, and Shai Wheeler recovering the ball in the endzone. 

Chowan was able to seize the lead in the second quarter when Witt found Watkins again for an 8-yard touchdown pass.  In the third quarter, Chowan extended their lead in the third quarter when Witt connected with Samuel Dunn for a 38-yard touchdown pass.  ECSU responded in the same quarter when Smith connected with Josiah Hayes for a 5-yard touchdown pass.  ECSU scored a go ahead touchdown with 4:12 left in the game, as Smith passed for his third touchdown of the game, this time to Riddick from 16-yards out. 

ECSU’s demonstrated some resilience to pick up the win.  Chowan outgained ECSU 510-280 yards, including more than doubling ECSU’s passing output (474-226).  Despite the significant disparity, one particular event stood out.  Chowan was leading 28-25 and had an opportunity to extend their lead in the early fourth quarter when they were within the ECSU 10.  On fourth-and-3, ECSU’s defense was able to limit a Witt to Watkins pass to two yards, forcing a turnover on downs.  While ECSU converted on all three red zone attempts, Chowan’s ability to convert on two of the three red zone attempts proved to be a key difference in this game.

Smith led Elizabeth City with 160 yards and three touchdown passes, while Caldwell passed for 66 yards and had the aforementioned touchdown run.  Riddick had five receptions for 84 yards and two touchdowns.  Witt lead Chowan’s offense with 474 yards passing and four touchdowns, while Watkins had 11 receptions for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, Juanya’ Majette lead ECSU with 10 tackles, and Zaire Edwards had 2.5 of Vikings six sacks. Chowan’s Isaac Anderson had two of the Hawks’ seven sacks.

ECSU’s win stops a two-game losing skid.  The Vikings host Virginia Union (3-2, 4-4) next week.  Chowan’s losing streak is now at three games after starting the season 5-0.  The Hawks travel to Virginia State (3-2, 3-4) next week. Both games can be found on the CIAA Sports Network.

The post Elizabeth City State latest to knock off Chowan appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

After starting her career in television and media, she taught a college course on public speaking. She says she fell in love with the classroom atmosphere and began to transition to education. From there she went into administration, eventually spending a decade at the UNC System at the behest of Erskine Bowls and Dr. Harold L. Martin, current chancellor at North Carolina A&T.

“A lot of them are seeing the advantages of that. I talked to students who came from as far as California or Alaska on our football team. And I asked them how did you hear about ECSU and why did you choose ECSU? And both of them on different occasions said “we saw how much it cost and we wanted to play ball.” 

-Chancellor Dixon on NC Promise Tuition’s impact on athletics

Dr. Dixon took over as Elizabeth City State’s chancellor on an interim basis in 2018 before being hired permanently. 

Along with the serious business of re-routing the Vikings’ enrollment ship, she also understands the importance of athletics to the university’s overall growth. 

Dr. Dixon took the time out to chat with HBCU Gameday about the role that athletics is playing in growing her university from a brand awareness and enrollment perspective. To that end, ECSU will tip off the 2021 basketball season by taking on her alma mater – North Carolina State University. A week later, it will make the trip to Chapel Hill to take on the University of North Carolina.

“This is something I’ve been working on since I started here at ECSU,” Dr. Dixon said. “Playing some of the big teams in our UNC System. We’re all sister institutions. It just made sense for some of the larger institutions to play us. Of course, we’re the smallest – let’s put some completion out there.”

Of course, ECSU will be a huge underdog in both games. That’s just the reality when the smallest school in the 16-member UNC System plays two of the biggest. For Elizabeth City State and its student-athletes, it is about letting people know who they are and that they are still here. 

“It gives my student-athletes an opportunity to play in an arena – two different places – that they never played before. To have visibility, have people see and watch their talents,” Dr. Dixon said. “Whether not we win or lose the game, it doesn’t matter – they have that platform now. People see their talents. They get to be out there and play these guys who are DI, ACC teams, and really put their talents out there as part of their competition.” 

Dr. Dixon talked about those games as well as the business of keeping the CIAA thriving and much more in the interview. 

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In Norfolk State’s first home game in nearly two years, and the first home contest for new head coach Dawson Odums, Carter completed 23 of 30 passes for 353 yards and five touchdowns to tie the school’s Division I single-game record for TD throws. The 675 yards of total offense NSU amassed are a new school record, and the 63 points are also a school Division I-era record.

The Spartan pass rush also came up strong, sacking ECSU quarterbacks eight times (tied the most in the D-I era) and holding the Vikings to negative-49 yards rushing, the fewest in a game by a Spartan opponent all time.

Carter connected with Justin Smith for 55 yards on the first play from scrimmage to set the stage for the rest of the game. Two plays later, Kevin Johnson scored on a 2-yard run.

Carter threw TD passes of 19 yards to Smith and 18 yards to Marcque Ellington later in the quarter as Norfolk State opened up a 21-0 lead. Both Smith and Ellington caught two TD passes from Carter on the night, with Smith (team-high five catches, 118 receiving yards) eclipsing the 100-yard mark in the first quarter.

Running back J.J. Davis got into the scoring act with a 1-yard TD run early in the second quarter, his first of two on the night. He added a 72-yard TD run in the third quarter and finished with a team-high 121 rushing yards on eight carries.

Carter capped a 35-point first half for the Spartans with a 32-yard TD pass to Da’Kendall James nine seconds before the intermission. The only thing keeping the Spartans from a bigger tally Saturday was five lost fumbles, four of which came in the first half.

Ellington hauled in a 16-yard TD catch and Smith scored on a 13-yarder in the third quarter. Davis ripped off his long touchdown run in NSU’s first play from scrimmage in the fourth quarter, bursting through the right side of the offensive line untouched.

Lex Henry accounted for NSU’s final touchdown of the night with a 19-yard TD run midway through the fourth quarter, the first TD of his career. He was one of seven Spartan running backs to log carries Saturday. As a team, NSU ran for 322 yards on 42 attempts, a 7.7-yard average.

Carter’s five touchdown passes tied Maurice Selby for most in a Division I game in school history. Selby accomplished the feat in 1998 vs. Morgan State. Carter had thrown four TD passes in a game three times previously.

The 63 points surpassed NSU’s 61 scored in a four-OT loss to Bethune-Cookman in 2005 as the most points NSU has scored in its history as a Division I program.

Defensive ends Chris Myers and Sage Beuchert-Irvine both recorded two sacks of NSU’s eight total. The Spartans tallied 13 tackles for loss with 13 players having at least half of a TFL.

Kevin Caldwell threw for 339 yards and four touchdowns for the Vikings (0-3), three in the fourth quarter alone.

NSU returns to the road for another non-conference tilt next Saturday, a 12 noon kickoff at St. Francis (Pa.)

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NORFOLK, Va. — The Norfolk State football team (0-2) plays its first home game in nearly two years – 665 days, to be exact – when old CIAA rival Elizabeth City State (0-2) comes to Dick Price Stadium for a 6 p.m. kickoff Saturday.

Saturday’s game will be broadcast on ESPN+ as well as on Blazin’ Hot 91.1 FM and both the TuneIn and Sirius XM App. The game can also be heard on SiriusXM channel 392.

 The Spartans opened the year with back-to-back Division I FBS road games, including a 41-16 loss to Wake Forest last Saturday. Against the Demon Deacons, the Spartans racked up 336 yards of total offense and their 16 points scored were their second-most ever in 15 games against FBS opposition. Juwan Carter threw two touchdown passes in the loss, one each to Rayquan Smith and Anthony Williams.

NSU last played a home game in the 2019 finale on Nov. 23, 2019, a 20-17 OT loss to S.C. State.

SERIES HISTORY
• This marks the 57th meeting all-time between NSU and Elizabeth City State, making the Vikings the most frequently played opponent for Spartan football.
• NSU leads the series 33-22-1.
• The last meeting came on Sept. 4, 2016, a 20-12 NSU win at Dick Price Stadium.

NSU IN WEEKLY MEAC HONORS
NSU quarterback Juwan Carter was named the MEAC Offensive Player of the Week and left guard Jalen Powell earned Offensive Lineman of the Week for their performances against Wake Forest.
• Carter passed for 195 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for 37 more yards.
• Powell graded out at 95 percent on his assignments and helped the Spartans gain 336 total yards.

SCOUTING THE VIKINGS
Elizabeth City State also enters this week with an 0-2 record. The Vikings opened the year with a 47-6 loss to Fayetteville State on Sept. 4, then dropped a 35-27 decision to Bluefield State last Saturday.

Against Bluefield State, ECSU held a 27-21 late in the third quarter, but BSU outscored the Vikings 14-0 in the fourth quarter to come away with the win. ECSU passed for 259 yards, 185 by De’Abrie Smith. Zion Riddick caught eight passes for 91 yards.

Through two games, ECSU is allowing 41 points per game. The Vikings have also committed six turnovers so far.

ECSU was picked to finish fifth in the CIAA North Division and seventh overall in the CIAA standings.

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CIAA football teams who looked really good (despite the small sample size)

Fayetteville State dominated Elizabeth City State.  FSU flaunted its depth at running back, with four running backs making meaningful contributions. Most notably, FSU scored on all six red zone trips. Defensive Lineman Keyshawn James (11 tackles, 6 Tackles for Loss, 3.5 Sacks) really punished the Elizabeth City State offense, while defensive back Joshua Williams had a pick-six.  The only negative for FSU in this game is ball security, with three fumbles and one lost fumble.  That lack of security could be costly against a more potent opponent.  

Next up — Traveling to #18 Wingate (1-0) from the South Atlantic Conference

Bowie State found itself down 19-0 to Delaware State after the first quarter, but then settled down to outscore DSU 24-6 over the next three quarters.  Losing by eight points is a pretty good feat for any squad playing up a division, even if the defeat stings (no pun intended) for the BSU faithful that’s used to winning.  Bowie certainly outgained Del State 345-191, but it also had to make up for a lot…A LOT…of miscues.  Quarterback Ja’rome Johnson threw more interceptions (four) than touchdowns (three), and also was responsible for one of two fumbles lost.  Johnson also had to take on five sacks. Plus, BSU committed a lot of penalties (13 penalties for 130 yards) that stalled their drive or extended DSU’s drive. Still, there’s a lot to feel good about in this game. All that, and they still only lost by eight points! K Alen Omerhodzic is now the heir to the kicking throne, and made a 36 yard field goal.  Defensive Back Demetri Morsell scored again, and BSU offset its 30 percent third down conversion rate with a two-for-three effort for fourth down. Next up — Hosting Saginaw Valley State (1-0) from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference on September 11.

Chowan won against Mars Hill in overtime, but it didn’t have to be this way.  Chowan’s raced to a 24-7 lead, and slowly get Mars Hill back into the game.  The CU defense allowed Mars Hill to score on the last drive of regulation to tie the game, before standing tall in overtime.  Quarterback Bryce Witt has two reliable targets now, with wide receiver Laurence King joining Imeek Watkins and proving dangerous catching the ball and returning punts.  Nonetheless, any Chowan fan has to feel good about how the defense played after last year’s inability to stop much of anything opponents threw at them.  Cleanup areas include penalties (11 for 75 yards), as some penalties allowed Mars Hill to extend drives. Next up — Traveling to Tusculum (1-0) from the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) on September 11.

Virginia Union found itself locked into a 21-all stalemate with Hampton to begin the fourth quarter before being outscored 21-7 in the fourth quarter. The star of the show on offense had to be wide receiver Charles Hall (6 receptions, 182 yards and a touchdown). This game was nothing more than Hampton wearing down Union (611 yards of offense, combined with 10 for 14 on third-down conversions), and should serve them well going into this week with just as tough of an opponent. Next up — Hosting #6 Valdosta State (1-0) from the Gulf South Conference on September 11.

Struggling out of the gate

Virginia State struggled mightily against top 10-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne.  I wouldn’t panic just yet, as VSU is breaking in a new quarterback (or two), and has a stable of running backs that should serve the offense well as the season goes on.  Yes, L-R scored a lot of points, but that was a very seasoned team that played in the spring and not so much an indictment of VSU’s defense at this point in the season. VSU will need to figure things out quickly, because their next opponent is just a slightly less potent version of what they faced this past week. Next up — Traveling to Ohio Dominican (0-1) from the Great Midwest Athletic Conference

Shaw was the team that succumbed to Wingate, though it was a better showing (30-7) than a couple of years prior.  The offense just couldn’t sustain drives, and its passing game (74 yards) wasn’t quite there. It was nice to see linebacker Devon Hunt on the field leading the charge.  Shaw has higher aspirations, and this game is best seen as a good measuring stick.  Next up — Traveling to Davidson, a FCS member.

Yes, its early. Yes you should be worried.

Elizabeth City State was on the wrong end of Fayetteville State’s thumping.  How bad was it for ECSU? Five players registered negative rushing yards, the offense registered negative rushing yards overall.  The time of possession was about even between the two teams, but FSU gained quadruple the amount of total offense in the same time. Ouch. Next up — Hosting former CIAA member Bluefield State (0-1) which hung tough in its first game in over 41 years.

Livingstone lost to a Clark-Atlanta squad, but showed quite a bit of promise that may allow them to avoid the CIAA South basement.  The defense looks really stout, but offense and special teams really put them in some tough spots with 3 and outs and turnovers. The Blue Bears will need to learn to finish drives if they want to challenge for even the middle of the pack in their division. Oh, and check the penalties too. Next up — Traveling to SIAC-East favorite Savannah State.

St. Augustine’s resided on the Struggle Bus for long stretches at a time.  Tusculum’s defense ran all over SAU, and averaged 6.7 yards a carry.  Not a good statistic when much of the CIAA loves to run. SAU also didn’t convert a single third down, although it did convert two fourth downs.  The defense was just on the field too long, like eight minutes more than the offense.  Yikes. This week isn’t going to be any easier. Next up — Traveling to Limestone from the SAC.

Lincoln laid an egg in a shutout loss to Lock Haven.  Lock Haven is a perennial bottom feeder in its conference, and that alone speaks volumes about Lincoln’s continued offensive struggles. Lock Haven scored its three touchdowns because of some special teams miscues and turnovers gave them a really short field. Two of the scoring drives were less than 30 yards.  It’s going to be a long season for Lincoln. Sigh. Next up — Hosting SIAC member Central State (0-1).

CIAA football teams that did not play Week 1: Winston-Salem State travels to SAC member Catawba (1-0), and Johnson C. Smith hosts SIAC member Allen (0-1)

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Quarterback K’hari Lane was the beneficiary of the Broncos dominance on the offensive line. The former three-star quarterback from the University of Arizona was super-efficient in his debut in the blue and white. Lane completed 12 of 17 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns, compiling an efficiency rating of 184.6. He also ran for a touchdown.

“We wasn’t asking him to win the game, we just needed him to manage our offense. We have a lot of weapons on our offense,” head coach Richard Hayes said after the game. “Get those weapons the ball in space and let them do what they do.”

It’s no surprise to see Joshua Williams’ name among the Week One honorees. The senior defensive back started his season off with four solo stops (five total) and an interception that he returned for a touchdown. The Fayetteville native is a legit pro prospect and is on the senior bowl watch list.

Rounding out the list of honorees for Fayetteville State was senior defensive lineman Keyshawn James. He was a dominant force, registering a team-high 11 tackles, including four solos, and six tackles for loss. He also accounted for 3.5 sacks as FSU overwhelmed ECSU’s offensive line from start to finish.

“That’s who he is,” Hayes said after the game. “People in the CIAA are going to have trouble blocking him all year.”

Other Award-Winners include:

WR Charles Hall, Virginia Union

Hall had a huge game against FCS-DI Hampton with six catches for 182 yards, including a 83-yard pass from quarterback Khalid Morris. The junior from Trenton, NJ also hauled in a 39-yard touchdown pass from teammate Jaden Reavis.  

RB Jaylon Boyd, Chowan

Boyd ran for 70 yards on 20 carries, averaging 3.5 yards per carry. The redshirt freshman also ran for two touchdowns, including the game-winning score in overtime to help the Hawks defeat Mars Hill 30-24. 

LB Jaylon Burton, Chowan

Burton totaled a team-high 10 tackles with two solos and a half sack in Chowan’s 30-24 win over Mars Hill. The Norfolk, VA native also had one QB hurry and helped the Hawks defense hold off the Lions in overtime to help seal the game.  

Special Teams Zion Riddick, Elizabeth City

Riddick returned five kickoffs against Fayetteville State for 137 yards, including a 61-yarder late in the fourth quarter. The All-CIAA returner also scored the Vikings only points of the game on a 15-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kevin Caldwell. 

Rookie DB Corneilus Booker

In his first collegiate game, Booker led SAU with eight total tackles, including five solo stops, and finished with a game-high three pass break-ups. 

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ELIZABETH CITY, NC- The Elizabeth City State University Vikings Men’s Basketball team is slated for a 28-game schedule tipping off the 2021-22 season with a pair of exhibition games at North Carolina State University (Nov. 1) and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (Nov. 5).
 
Head Coach Shawn Walker enters his 15^th year at the helm of Elizabeth City State University Men’s basketball. Walker is an ECSU alum that broke numerous records as a player and has led the men’s basketball program on two different occasions over the past two decades. 
 
November 12-13 the Vikings will participate in the PSAC-CIAA Challenge being hosted on the campus of Kutztown University in Kutztown, PA. 
 
The Vikings return home to host the University of Charleston on November 17 at 7 PM. The contest marks the first of a six-game non-conference slate going into mid-December.
 

“We have a very competitive and challenging 2021-22 non-conference schedule with teams that are at the very top of their respective leagues and regions,” said Walker. “In addition to a CIAA conference slate that is always high level. We are excited and hopeful to return to the hardwood this season expecting to be a much-improved team.”
 
Conference play gets underway in the R.L. Vaughan Center on December 16 as the Vikings host the Panthers of Claflin University for the first doubleheader of the season. ECSU will also face conference opponents Saint Augustine University (Dec. 18) and Fayetteville State University (Dec. 20) playing a total of four home games in a week.
 
Elizabeth City MBB is set to bring in the new year in the Virgin Islands playing in the US Virgin Island Classic against Fisk University (Dec. 31) and Bloomfield College (Jan. 1). 
 
The Vikings will have a brief break before returning to action with a North Carolina road trip making stops at conference opponents Livingstone College (Jan. 6) and Johnson C. Smith University (Jan. 8).
 
The conference schedule allows the Vikings to end the season hosting seven of ten contests at home in the R.L. Vaughan Center starting with Virginia State University on Jan. 22 and concluding with Bowie State University on Feb. 19 to close out the regular season.
 
The 2022 CIAA Basketball Tournament will be held February 21-26 in Baltimore, MD.
 

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