Maddox struggled out of the gate during his first of seven seasons at Benedict. In the 2018-19 season Benedict finished with a 4-24 overall record. The following season the Tigers nearly reached the 500 mark going 14-16 overall. In the shortened COVID season of 2020-21 Benedict only played in 10 games going 9-1. The following three seasons would be the high water mark for Maddox winning 22, 22 and 23 games in those season respectively.

But this past season ended much like the first season with Benedict finishing 6-22 overall. The Tigers were 6-14 in the SIAC, losing all of its out of conference games.

Maddox came to Benedict after serving as head coach at Florida Memorial University for three seasons. The major achievement on his resume prior to coming to Benedict was being an assistant at Mountain State University where he helped lead the Cougars to the 2003-04 NAIA Division I national championship.

As a player Maddox attended Edward Waters College where he averaged 14 points and six rebounds before transferring after two seasons. He finished his career at Mountain State.

Artis Maddox replaced Fred Watson who left Benedict for Miles College after the 2017-18 season. Maddox lost the SIAC Championship game in 2023, and was knocked out of the tournament early in 2024 but still received an at-large bid to the NCAA playoffs. The Benedict men last won an SIAC Championship in the 2014-15 season under Watson.

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SIAC coaches and sports information directors voted on the players selected for each team as well as the league’s Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year.

Miles College guard Alvin Miles was named the SIAC Player of the Year while Golden Bears head coach Fred Watson earned Coach of the Year honors. Fort Valley State forward Hassane Diallo earned Defensive Player of the Year honors, Lane guard Elijah Greer Dawson received Newcomer of the Year, Edward Waters forward Myles Hosten notched Freshman of the Year honors while Morehouse guard Cedric Taylor III earned Elite 16 honors.

Miles, a native of Memphis, Tenn., was one of the SIAC’s top 10 scorers this season, averaging 15.9 points per game (10th in the conference). He became the first player in program to earn the league’s top player award since Avery Brown accomplished the feat in 2020. Miles was the only SIAC player this season to score 400 points, grab 100 rebounds and notch 100 assists. He finished with double-figure production in 22 of the Golden Bears’ 26 contests while recording seven games of 20 or more points.

Diallo registered 177 rebounds with 120 coming on the defensive side of the ball in 28 games this season. He also finished second in the league in blocked shots (42) while registering 22 steals and averaging 10.5 points per contest.

Dawson averaged 16.8 points while shooting 44.4% from the field, dishing 3.0 assists and connecting on 76.9% from the free throw line per game in 18 contests this season. Beyond his scoring, Dawson averaged 4.1 rebounds per game while tallying a total of 39 steals and six blocks on defense.

Hosten averaged 8.0 points while shooting 38.8% from the floor and notched 4.8 rebounds in 13 games this season.

Watson registered his third Coach of the Year honors at Miles and the ninth of his career. He led Miles to a SIAC-best 23-3 mark that includes a 19-1 record in conference play and a perfect 12-0 mark at home, the Golden Bears best record inside Knox-Windham Gymnasium in program history.

Player of the Year

Alvin Miles

Defensive Player of the Year

Hassane Diallo

Newcomer of the Year

Elijah Greer Dawson

Freshman of the Year

Coach of the Year

Myles Hosten

The complete listing of the SIAC all-conference selections and individual awards winners can be found below.

All-SIAC First Team

• Shakur Poteat, Albany State
• Alvin Miles, Miles
• Walter Peggs, Jr., Miles
• Cedric Taylor III, Morehouse
• Lavar Miller Jr., Kentucky State

All-SIAC Second Team

• Kevin Sesberry, Tuskegee
• Jalen Williams, Clark Atlanta
• Prince Davies III, Edward Waters
• Kusamae Draper, Tuskegee
• Blaise Wallace, Albany State

All-SIAC Third Team

• Steven Lyles, Spring Hill
• Shemani Fuller, Clark Atlanta
• Corey Trotter, Miles
• Aziel Blackwell, Kentucky State
• Khalil Genwright, LeMoyne-Owen

All-SIAC Freshman Team

• Myles Hosten, Edward Waters
• Rocco Lamuno, Spring Hill
• Abdoul Sacko, LeMoyne-Owen
• Brandon Peters, Morehouse
• Christian Gary, Albany State

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COLUMBIA, S.C. – Malaqhi Jones scored the game-winning touchdown on an eight-yard pass from Charles “Tre” Simmons with no time left on the clock as the Benedict College Tigers won their first HBCU football game of the season with a 31-28 victory over Edward Waters on Thursday night in an ESPN 2 nationally televised game.

 
After an Edward Waters punt, the Tigers took over from their own 20-yard line with just 35 seconds left in the game. Simmons threw a 19-yard pass to Shantarius Williams, then a 14-yard pass to Jalen Leary, before connecting with Jones for a 39-yard pass to the 8-yard line. Benedict had to spike the ball to stop the clock with four seconds left.
 
Rather than attempt a field goal and tie the game, head coach Ron Dickerson Jr. made the decision to go for a touchdown and try to win the ESPN 2 primetime HBCU football matchup.

 
“I looked at those kids and they told me, ‘Coach, you can count on me. We know you believe in us, and we believe in you.’ So I just went with it, and it worked out. That’s a group of young men that believed in each other, and great things happened.”

Jones beat his defender to the left corner of the end zone and caught the game-winning pass. Benedict improves to 1-2 on the season, and 1-1 in the SIAC. Edward Waters falls to 1-3 overall and 1-1 in the SIAC. Jones finished the game with four receptions for 88 yards and caught three touchdowns.

The Benedict College Tigers built a 23-7 first half lead, but then saw Edward Waters rally to take a 28-25 lead in the third quarter on ESPN.

Benedict took an early 14-0 lead on a pair of quick scores. Jaxon Williams returned the game’s opening kickoff 75 yards, then on the next play, Simmons completed a 16-yard pass to Troy Hillman for a touchdown, giving the Tigers a 7-0 lead just six seconds into the contest. Edward Waters fumbled on the first play after the ensuing kickoff, and Omari Terry recovered the ball. On the next play, Simmons completed a 21-yard touchdown pass to Jones for a 21-yard touchdown pass, putting Benedict up 14-0 with less than a minute into ESPN showdown.

After Israel Nwokocha tackled EWU’s Greg Marsh in the end zone for a safety to give Benedict a 16-7 lead, Benedict took the ensuing free kick and drove for another touchdown, with Simmons and Jones connecting again for a 20-yard touchdown. That gave Benedict a 23-7 lead with six minutes still left in the first quarter.

Edward Waters drove the field and scored on a 22-yard pass. On the extra point try, Nwokocha blocked the kick, and James “Trey” Caver returned it 90 yards for a two-point score, making it 25-13.

Edward Waters cut the lead to 25-20 before the half. Edward Waters then took the opening kickoff of the second half and drove 69 yards on 13 yards that ate up more than seven minutes off the clock. Edward Waters capped off the drive with an eight-yard touchdown run, and followed with a successful two-point conversion pass to take a 28-25 lead. Edward Waters converted on three third-down plays on the drive, including a 12-yard pass on third-and-eight.

Markell Davis had eight tackles to lead the Benedict defense, and had a forced fumble. Nwokocha had seven tackles, one tackle for loss and the blocked kick.

The Benedict College Tigers are on the road next week, traveling to Atlanta for another HBCU football to take on Morehouse College at 1 p.m.

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INDIANAPOLIS — For the 11^th time in the last 13 years, the Benedict College baseball team has been named the NCAA statistical champion for stolen bases per game. The NCAA recently announced the statistical champions for the 2024 season. Columbia, South Carolina HBCU Benedict College stole 160 bases in 39 games, for an average of 4.10 stolen bases per game.
 
Under head coach Selwyn Young, the Tigers have stolen 3,075 bases during his 16 seasons, an average of more than 192 per season.
 
In 2024, the Tigers had seven HBCU baseball players reach double figures in stolen bases, led by Jamell Mitchell Jr., who had 34 total stolen bases. His 0.89 stolen bases per game ranked fourth in Division II last season and led the SIAC. Justin Murray finished with 19 stolen bases out of 21 attempts.
 
The Tigers went 14-25 during the 2024 season.
 
The 2025 season will open on Feb. 15 with a SIAC doubleheader against Miles College. Miles finished third in the nation in stolen bases per game, while another SIAC school — Savannah State — was second.

About Benedict College baseball coach Selwyn Young

Selwyn Young begins his 15th season as head baseball coach for the Benedict Tigers.

He is Benedict’s all-time winningest baseball coach with 251 wins His record over eight seasons is 251-226 for a .526 winning percentage. He won his 100th game in 2013 and became a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association Century Club. He won his 200^th game in 2017 and was honored by the Benedict Booster Club with their Annual Outstanding Achievement Award.

He built the baseball field that the Tigers play on, competing their 5th year playing there, and has now added a brand new completed construction of an outfield wall, with school colors built, financed and donated by Coach Young.

No school in NCAA history has put up the stolen base numbers that Benedict College has under Young. During his 10 years with the Tigers, they have stolen  a total of 2,147 bases. The South Carolina HBCU holds the top five spots in the NCAA Division II record book for season stolen bases. They all took place during a 5-year period from 2009-2013 when the Tigers stole 1,371 bases. The Tigers swiped 334 bases in 403 attempts over 41 games during the 2013 season to rank No. 1 in NCAA Div. 2 history. During the 2022 season, Benedict once again led the NCAA in stolen bases with 272. Bradon O’Connor broke the NCAA single season record for stolen bases with 97.

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Playing at Benedict in the early 1970s, he was one of the best-known centers throughout the SIAC and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). He ranked eighth in the nation in rebounding as a sophomore, averaging an astounding 22.5 rebounds per game, and had a game-high 35 in one game. He was a three-time selection to the all-SIAC, all-NAIA teams, and was a Small College All-American after his sophomore season.

A’ja Wilson’s father also played for Big Wilt’s Smalls Paradise team in the famed Rucker Basketball League in New York, where he played with and against some of the biggest names in basketball — Nate “Tiny” Archibald, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, John Shumate, Connie Hawkins, Tommy Boswell, Charlie Criss, Henry Bibby, Swen Nader, Kevin Joyce, Alex English and many others.

Roscoe Wilson went on to have a stellar overseas career after a short stint with the New York Nets of the ABA, eventually settling into coaching. He later served as head coach at Morris College and Benedict College.

It would have been great to see her at Benedict or any HBCU, but A’ja Wilson averaged 24.7 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 4.3 blocks a game throughout her high school career at Heathwood Hall Episcopal and committed to Dawn Staley and South Carolina. And the rest is history. 

Fifty years after Roscoe Wilson tipped off his professional career, A’Ja Wilson has not only followed in her father’s footsteps – she’s more than made her own.  

“He got me to where I am now. And he’s going to get me to where I would like to be as well,” Wilson said in a 2016 interview. “But without him putting that basketball in my hand, there would be no A’ja Wilson.”

The center for the Las Vegas Ace is putting up prime Shaq numbers: She’s averaging roughly 28 points, 12.5 rebounds and nearly three blocks per game through the first seven games of the WNBA season.

Wilson has been a star since she arrived in the WNBA back in 2018, and she’s apparently just hitting her stride. 

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ATLANTA, Ga. — HBCU Benedict College long-time Director of Athletics Willie Washington will be enshrined in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Hall of Fame on July 10 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, in conjunction with the SIAC Football Media Day.

Washington has guided Benedict College athletics for 36 years, including 10 years in a dual role of head men’s basketball coach and athletic director. During his illustrious HBCU career, Benedict College has won the prestigious SIAC Commissioner’s Cup, presented to the top athletic men’s and women’s program in the conference, more than any other school in the league. Benedict College swept both the men’s and women’s trophies four times in school history. All told, Benedict has won 10 of the 18 trophies since the inception of the Commissioner’s Cup award in 2014, including winning the men’s trophy for the 2023-24 school year.

During his tenure, the South Carolina HBCU expanded its athletic program from eight to 14 sports, including the return of football, and saw Benedict rejoin the SIAC after years of success in the NAIA’s Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. He was named the NAIA Southeast Region Athletic Director of the Year in 1999.

During his long HBCU career, Benedict teams have captured 50 SIAC championships — eight in women’s basketball, six in women’s track and field, six in men’s tennis, five in men’s basketball, five in men’s cross country, five in women’s tennis, four in men’s track and field, four in cheerleading, three in women’s cross country, two in football, one in softball, and one in men’s golf.

“Your contributions to the success of Benedict College Athletics for over 30 years are legendary,” wrote SIAC Commissioner Anthony Holloman in a congratulatory letter. “For most people, that would have been enough, however, I want to commend you for your work as a mentor, public servant and role model for thousands of young men.”

“I could not be more proud of Coach Willie Washington on this well-deserved acknowledgment of his distinguished career as a mentor, coach, and an athletic administrator.  Induction to the Hall of Fame is a fitting tribute to his nearly 40-year career,” said Benedict College President and CEO Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis.

“In addition to a proven record of cultivating and developing winning athletic programs, I have found him to be a leader who is committed to excellence,” wrote Dr. David H. Swinton, President Emeritus of Benedict College, in his nomination letter of recommendation. “He also inspires greatness in those who work with him, and most importantly, in the student-athletes who are part of the athletic program at Benedict College.”

More than anything else, Mr. Washington is someone with great integrity and character,” wrote Dr. Derrick Johnson, Associate Dean of Athletics at Fresno (Calif.) City College, and a former Benedict coach and athletic administrator. “As a profound leader, he has always been able to get the best from his staff and colleagues. I have worked with Mr. Washington on several projects, and I have witnessed his professional approach on humanitarian issues and injustices that impact the overall students at the College. I have witnessed Coach Washington utilize his platform to combat hunger, homelessness, violence, and social injustices that have impacted the community in Columbia, S.C.”

“Coach Washington has always worked very hard to inspire greatness in those who work with him, and most importantly, in the student-athletes who are part of the athletic program at Benedict College. Coach Washington has been a pillar of leadership and excellence within the Benedict College athletic community,” wrote Verna C. Mayers-Fakunle, CEO of Inspired Strategies, LLC, who said Mr. Washington has been an “integral part of my life as an employer, mentor, colleague, and friend for over twenty-six years.”

Willie Washington arrived on the campus of Benedict College in 1988 as the head men’s basketball coach and athletic director and took the Tigers to immediate success. He guided the Tigers to the NAIA national tournament four times, nine conference championships, and eight consecutive EIAC Coach of the Year Awards. During his tenure as basketball coach, his teams never had a losing season. The Benedict athletic program won six EIAC Commissioner Cups, the hallmark of excellence for the school with the best athletic program during its stay in the EIAC.

In addition to the athletic success of the Benedict teams under Washington’s leadership, he also focuses on the overall well-being of the student-athletes. Under Washington’s leadership, the overall grade point average of the entire student-athlete population has increased to over a 3.0 on a consistent basis, and Benedict had its first two Academic All-Americans in 2015, a third in 2017, and another in 2023. He has also been instrumental in Benedict receiving grants from the NCAA to help student-athletes complete their degrees, as well as a Choices Grant to help with alcohol education. In 2020, he spearheaded two successful NCAA grant applications to add an Academic Counselor and Assistant Track & Field Coach to the athletic staff. In 2010, the athletic department won the NCAA Division II National Community Engagement Award of ExcIellence.

Mr. Washington has served, or currently serves, on a number of athletic committees, boards and foundations. Washington served on the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Committee, and is a former member of the NCAA Division II Management Council, Chairman of the SIAC Athletic Directors Committee, the NCAA Honors Committee, and the NCAA Diversity and Inclusion Committee. In recognition to his dedicated service in the advancement of youth in his community, the S.C. State Conference of the NAACP awarded Mr. Washington the Presidential Citation Civic Leadership Award in 2012. Washington also serves as the Chairman of the Board of the Laurinburg Institute, a historic African American preparatory school in Laurinburg, North Carolina.

In addition to the SIAC Hall of Fame, Willie Washington has previously been inducted into the Laurinburg Hall of Fame in 2016, and the Finney Hall of Fame by the Renaissance Foundation in 2018. He is also a member of the Allen University Athletic Hall of Fame, the Benedict College Athletic Hall of Fame, and the EIAC Hall of Fame.

He is a 1974 graduate of HBCU Tougaloo College, where he was a member of the men’s basketball team, and recently celebrated his golden anniversary. He received his undergraduate degree in Health, Physical Education and Recreation, and earned a Master’s Degree in Health and Physical Education from Jackson State University.

The SIAC Hall of Fame ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. on July 10 in the College Football Hall of Fame. The SIAC Hall of Fame is steeped in HBCU tradition with the likes of NFL Hall of Famers Shannon Sharpe and John Stallworth, Olympic gold medalist Alice Coachman, and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Coach John Chaney, who have been honored in previous classes. He becomes the second Benedict representative in the SIAC Hall of Fame, joining Benedict College graduate and former chair of the United State Olympic Committee Dr. Leroy Walker, whom Washington considers a mentor.

Along with Willie Washington, the 2024 SIAC Hall of Fame class includes: Kimberly Duggar (Fort Valley State), Frank Walker (Tuskegee), Harold Hubbard (Savannah State), Jacoby Jones (Lane), Mabel Sanders (Savannah State), and William King (Tuskegee).

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COLUMBIA, S.C. – William Partlow is one of 10 of the newest inductees into the prestigious South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame. Primarily recognized as a ground-breaking high school basketball coach, Partlow also served as head basketball coach and Athletic Director at South Carolina HBCU Benedict College for seven years.

“It was a great time at Benedict, because they had all those buildings going up, and they had a marvelous president back then in Ben Payton,” Partlow said during Monday’s press conference prior to the induction banquet at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

After eight successful years as head basketball coach at Booker T. Washington High School, where he won five state championships, he was recruited to come to Benedict College as head men’s basketball coach and athletic director at the Columbia, SC HBCU.

Booker T. Washington was playing its rival C.A. Johnson at the University of South Carolina’s large Carolina Coliseum, as a lead-up to another big HBCU rivalry basketball game between Benedict and Allen. Payton watched Partlow’s team and was impressed.

“He was making a change in coaches, so he liked the system we were running and he called me over for an interview, and we reached a deal,” Partlow said.

“I’d say I had moderate success,” Partlow said. “First of all, we didn’t have a gym for two years. They tore the old gym down and opened up the new one in 1974, I believe. But I had some good years there. I beat South Carolina State twice and lost to them by one point the last time we played them. We were competitive.”

He also remembers having the nation’s top rebounder in Roscoe Wilson, a Benedict College Athletic Hall of Fame member, who also later coached the Tigers.

“Roscoe Wilson, A’ja’s daddy I call him now, played for me for four years. We were NAIA, and he led the nation in rebounding. I said, ‘Roscoe, why do you go to the boards so hard?’ He said, ‘Coach, you’ve got all those New York boys down here, and I wouldn’t be on the floor if I didn’t go get the ball.’ But Benedict was a good experience, and it prepared me for San Francisco because I was Athletic Director and basketball coach there.”

William Partlow left his post at the HBCU to become the first African-American athletic director at San Francisco State, where he served for 18 years before retiring.

During his successful high school coaching career, Partlow is known for coaching players who later went on to be very successful coaches. The long list includes South Carolina legendary high school coach George Glymph, and Carl Williams, who won three high school championships at three different schools. At San Francisco State, he hired two young football coaches who later went on to great success in the NFL — Andy Reid, who has won three Super Bowls, and Mike Holmgren, who won one Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers.

William Partlow attributes much of his success as a coach and administrator to his organizational skills. He earned his undergraduate degree in mathematics from another HBCU, Johnson C. Smith, so structure and organization were important.

He was offered his first job at C.A. Johnson to be a math teacher. Coaching basketball was secondary. After several good years at C.A. Johnson, he was offered the job at Booker T. Washington. Against the advice of friends and co-workers, he took the job.

“The best move I ever made was to take the job at Booker T. Washington High School. I was advised not to take the job by my friends and co-workers at C.A. Johnson High School, where I was working then, because they said those kids were so tough and unruly, you won’t be able to handle them. But I said, ‘No, that background pretty much is like my background, coming from a single-parent home.’ So I went over there, where we sat down, and decided that my players would go to all their classes, you would be there on time, they would respect their teachers, and respect their fellow students and the administration. They adhered. We went on in my first year and won the first state championship in boys’ basketball at Booker T. Washington in the 44-year history of the school. I had 12 seniors on that team. We had George Glymph, who was a starter. We were able to send all 12 of them to college, and nine graduated. Our teams in the future did the same thing, we won state championships in five of the next eight years. And we had kids playing college basketball all across the country. I’m very, very happy I took that job.”

After a lifetime of impacting the lives of young people, the now 90-year-old William Partlow is honored to be a member of the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame.

“It’s been a beautiful ride, and this induction is icing on the cake.”

For more information on the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Class of 2024, visit their website.

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PHOENIX — Benedict College senior forward Tim Moore has been selected as one of 16 national participants in the 2024 State Farm Dark Horse Dunker competition.

Intersport, producers of the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships, announced details for the 2024 State Farm Dark Horse Dunker competition, a social media fan voting competition featuring 16 of the nation’s top under-the-radar players from all levels of college basketball. This four-week competition will culminate with the winner having the chance to compete in the King’s Hawaiian College Slam Dunk Championship on April 4 in Phoenix.
 
Fans will determine the winner by voting on the event’s Twitter (@CollegeSlam) and Instagram (@College_Slam) channels in a bracket-style competition. The Twitter voting window for each round will run for the duration of each round and the Instagram voting window for each round will run for the final 24 hours each week. First-round voting begins today at Noon CT and runs through Friday at Noon CT. The athlete with the most votes in each matchup will move on to the next round. The final round will take place March 20-24.

 
The schedule for each voting round will go as follows:
•Round One: March 4 at Noon CT through March 8 at Noon CT (16 Players)
•Quarterfinals: March 11 at Noon CT through March 15 at Noon CT (8 Players)
•Semifinals: March 18 at Noon CT through March 22 at Noon CT (4 Players)
•Finals: March 25 at Noon CT through March 29 at Noon CT (2 Players)
 
The player that ultimately receives the most votes in the final round will be selected to compete in the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships, an event featuring some of the best college dunkers and 3-point shooters in the country. The 2024 State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships will air live on ESPN during college championship weekend in Phoenix at 6 p.m. MST on April 4.
 
Moore was named first-team All-SIAC after averaging 15.5 points per game, which ranks seventh in the SIAC. He also led the SIAC in field goal percentage at 58.6 percent and ranked 13th in rebounding at 6.2 rebounds per game.

The following are the 16 Dark Horse Dunkers competing in the contest for their chance to showcase their talents in the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships:
 
Christian Adams, LeTourneau
Akol Arop, Florida Southern
Andre Ball, Cal State Dominguez Hills
Ryan Davis, Ripon College
Collen Gurley, Mount Union
Jermaine Hall, Jr., California (PA)
Brendon Hamilton, Westfield State
David McCullough, Florida Tech
Tim Moore, Benedict
Ikenna Okeke, Missouri S&T
Jake O’Neil, College of Idaho
JJ Ramey, University of the Cumberlands
Ali Sabet, Loras
Elijah Simmons, Ottawa University Arizona
Kendrick Tchoua, Indianapolis
Malik Whitaker, Fort Lewis
 
Three players who won the State Farm Dark Horse Dunker competition have gone on to win the Slam Dunk Championship, including Marcus Lewis (Eastern Kentucky) in 2014, James Justice (Martin Methodist College) in 2012, and Jacob Tucker (Illinois College) in 2011.
 
For more information about the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships follow @CollegeSLAM on Twitter and @College_Slam on Instagram.

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The day had everything you want from your rival games as the women brought the drama with Allen’s 65-53 come-from-behind win over Benedict and the men allowed the home crowd to brag as Benedict College defeated Allen University 81-62. 

The women’s game was close throughout with Benedict (3-15, 1-10) leading at the half 30-27. Allen (5-10, 2-8) took a 48-46 lead with 7:38 left in the fourth quarter after a Victoria Zidor steal and score off of an errant Benedict Collegeinbound pass, followed by a Kashay Hankerson fastbreak layup. The Yellow Jackets were able to get separation down the stretch and ended with a dagger three as time was about to expire. 

It was pure jubilation at the final buzzer as the Yellow Jackets got a much-needed win according to first-year head coach LaToya Jones. 

“Regardless of this being a rivalry game, we had been seeking a win for a long time,” she said. “We hadn’t experienced a win since before Thanksgiving and we had been working hard and coming close, working hard and coming close. I think this win really just solidified our confidence. We kept our confidence and we didn’t come down to what our record said.”

“Battle for Taylor Street:” Benedict vs Allen Photo Gallery

“This means a lot because this was a team win, this was a grit win against a great team, a team with a rich history of championships,” Jones added.“It was a rivalry so I knew it was going to be tight, but I knew that if we kept our heads and we stayed in the fight, we were going to be ok.” 

Nari Coe led the way for Allen University with 19 points and five rebounds, followed by Hankerson with 13 points and two rebounds. 

Alaysia Nash was the leading scorer for Benedict College, finishing with 13 points and four rebounds. Madison Golden was next with 10 points and eight rebounds. 

The men’s game was decided early as the Benedict Tigers (15-2, 9-2) jumped out to an early 16-9 lead and never looked back. Allen (9-9, 5-6) made a 20-9 run in the third quarter to cut the lead to 13, but that was as close as they would come as the Tigers closed it out. 

Asanti Prince led the Tigers in scoring with 25 points, followed by Time Moore with 14. Malachi Moore posted a double with 11 points and 13 rebounds. Gob Gabrial was the final Tiger in double digits with 11 points. 

For Allen, Jordan Edmond was the high-point man with 25, followed by G’Shan Aldridge with 12. 

The Tigers have been playing with heavy hearts in January after the passing of JV player Garry Cappers II, affectionately known as Deuce. Benedict has dedicated this season to him and is currently on a two-game winning streak after recording the only two losses of the season. Head coach Artis Maddox credited his team for their resiliency as well as the community for their support. It’s one of the best starts in the last 25 years and Maddox said he’s pleased with what they’ve accomplished so far. 

“I’m very happy, I’m very pleased with where we are. If somebody had told me 17 games in, we would be 15-2, I’dda took that before the season started,” he said. “We’re right where we need to be and now we just have to take it one game at a time and try to go 1-0 each game.”

Round two of The Battle For Taylor Street will be Saturday, Feb. 17 at 1 and 3 p.m. 

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Garry Capers II, affectionately known as Deuce, passed away right before the Tigers were preparing for their game against Clark Atlanta.
Deuce was a member of the Benedict College JV team and according to Tiger assistant coach Phillip Jackson, had a significant impact on the team as just a sophomore.

“We have two guys that’s actually on our roster who were on our JV roster and [Duece] was one of those kids that was up next,” he said. “Our JV team conditions with us, they do individual workouts with us, so he meant a lot to a lot of guys.”

The Tiger community honored Duece with a balloon release on MLK Day before joining his loved ones at his funeral the following Sunday.

Jackson said Deuce was the type of player that could motivate the team without saying a word.

“He let his game speak for itself. He was a very, very good young man, very coachable,” Jackson said. “Very humble, very soft spoken. He would go out there and give you everything that he had.”

Jackson added that Deuce was a planner and a doer.
“He was a young man, but at this particular stage in his life, he just wanted to be on the varsity team. He was making strides to do that and like i said, he was up next.”

The Tigers hit a slight skid as they played with heavy hearts, losing a tough one to Clark Atlanta in overtime and one to Morehouse. They bounced back against Albany State and head into the crosstown rivalry game against Allen with some momentum.

Allen’s men’s team comes to the contest with a 9-8 record and have won two of its last three. The game will be at HRC Arena on Benedict’s campus at 3 p.m.

On the women’s side, Allen is 4-10 on the year and looking to end its seven-game losing streak on Saturday. They face a Benedict team that is 3-14 on the year and looking to end a two-game losing streak of its own. Tip-off for that contest will be at 1 p.m

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“Tonight we have a team meeting,” he said. “I’m going to go over my plan with them and then I’m going to let them tell me if they want to be here. If they don’t again, it’s not personal. If they do, then you know we have a roadmap and a journey that I’m very excited about. I have been recruiting.. As soon as we get done here, I’m gonna make sure the coaches that we talked about earlier are employed by Benedict and we will get some great quality young men and their families here.”

In a press release issued by the school, Director of Athletics Willie Washington said Dickerson made an impression as someone who will be able to continue the success Benedict has had in recent years.

“After reviewing hundreds of applicants for the head coaching position, coach Dickerson quickly stood out as someone who could step in immediately and continue the successful ways of this program,” he said. “His experience at a wide variety of football levels, as well as at both HBCU and non-HBCU programs, will enhance our football program and take us to new heights. I believe his hard work ethic runs in his blood, learning from his father who was a legendary coach.”

Dickerson comes to Columbia from the University of West Florida where he served as offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach. He is accustomed to winning as well as the Argonauts won back-to-back Gulf South Conference championships and advanced all the way to the NCAA Division II semifinals in 2022.

He takes over a Benedict College team that is fresh off its second consecutive SIAC Championship and when asked if he felt any pressure following in walking in former head coach Chennis Berry’s footsteps, he confidently and sternly said “no.”

“He did a great job, you understand what I’m saying? But like I said, his name was Coach Berry. My name is Coach Ron Dickerson Jr. and we are totally different people. The standard is mine. The vision is Benedict’s. I appreciate what he did, he did a great job. Yes, he has set the bar. But today, this is Ron Dickerson Jr.’s program.”

With National Signing Day right around the corner, Dickerson said he doesn’t feel rushed. He also indicated his Benedict College program will lean heavily on the transfer portal in year one.

In terms of on-field identity, Dickerson said the offense remains to be seen, but he already has big plans for the defense. He noted that he is excited to make sure both sides of the ball are operating smoothly.

“First and foremost, the honor of being the head coach, I don’t have to coach positions anymore. I get to oversee and make sure all the little things are done right,” he said. Now will I still want to coach wide receivers? Yes, because that’s in my DNA and I’ve been blessed to put a lot of young men in the NFL. Offensively, it’s going to be a surprise. Defensively, we’re going to be very aggressive. We’re going to pressure when we need to, but we’re going to be smart. We’re going to have athletes on the field and we’re going to have young men who are very smart on the field. So, you’re going to see a defense that puts pressure and really confuses quarterbacks.”

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COLUMBIA, S.C. — Benedict College President Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis and Director of Athletics Willie Washington are proud to announce the hiring of Ron Dickerson Jr. as head football coach for the Tigers.

Dickerson has a long successful history as a football coach, bringing more than 27 years of coaching experience to the Tigers.

He comes to Benedict after serving the last two seasons at the University of West Florida, helping the Argonauts to back-to-back Gulf South Conference championships, a 20-6 record, and a berth into the NCAA Division II national semifinals in 2022. He served as the UWF Offensive Coordinator and wide receivers coach last season, helping the Argos rank 17th in the nation in passing offense, and 20^th in the nation in total offense. As the team’s wide receivers coach in 2022, he guided a passing attack that ranked fifth in the nation in passing yards per completion.

“Benedict College was fortunate to have had a robust pool of applicants for the Head Football Coach position,” Artis said. “After a long and thorough search, we believe Coach Dickerson is the ideal person to take Benedict College football to the next level.  We welcome he and his family to Benedict and to the City of Columbia!”

“After reviewing hundreds of applicants for the head coaching position, Coach Dickerson quickly stood out as someone who could step in immediately and continue the successful ways of this program,” said Washington. “His experience at a wide variety of football levels, as well as at both HBCU and non-HBCU programs, will enhance our football program and take us to new heights. I believe his hard work ethic runs in his blood, learning from his father, who was a legendary coach.”

“I have an incredible respect for Benedict College and its commitment to excellence,” Dickerson said. “The tradition-rich history of this program is unmatched across the landscape of HBCUs, and I look forward to continuing that moving forward. My family and I feel truly blessed and look forward to becoming a part of the Benedict community. I want to thank Director of Athletics Willie Washington and President Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis for their belief in me to lead this program.”

Dickerson takes over a Benedict program that is coming off back-to-back SIAC championships and HBCU Division II national championships. The Tigers went undefeated during the regular season in 2022 and 2023 and advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs both years.

Prior to joining West Florida, Dickerson spent the 2019 season as the Assistant Head Coach and Special Teams Coordinator at Jackson State. While there, he developed the weekly game plan and coached the Tigers’ wide receivers.

He worked for two seasons at Morgan State from 2017-18 where he developed the top special teams units in the MEAC and ranked in the top five nationally in blocked kicks as the Associate Head Coach and Special Teams Coordinator.

Dickerson was the head coach at Gardner-Webb from 2011-12 where he compiled a 7-15 record and had 10 players earn All-Big South Conference. He then served as the Offensive Coordinator at Robert E. Lee High School in Montgomery, Ala. from 2014-17.

He coached under Houston Nutt at Mississippi for four seasons from 2007-10, developing two All-Americans and four All-SEC wide receivers. The Rebels finished second in the SEC West twice and won a pair of Cotton Bowl Classics in Jan. 2009 and 2010.

He got his start as a position coach working with running backs in six seasons at Louisiana-Monroe and Missouri State from 2002-07.

Dickerson obtained some professional coaching experience with the Las Vegas Outlaws of the XFL and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2000-02, coaching running backs and special teams.

He started his coaching career under his father, Ron Dickerson, at Alabama State in 1997 as the Run Game Coordinator.

During his extensive coaching career, Dickerson has been responsible for 29 All-Conference players, seven All-Americans, and has seen 14 former players advance to the National Football League.

Ron Dickerson Jr. Playing Card Gallery

Dickerson had a strong collegiate and professional playing career as a running back and kick return specialist. Following a four-year career in football and track at Arkansas, he spent two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and one with the Philadelphia Eagles. Dickerson then played two years with NFL Europe, playing for the London Monarchs and Scottish Claymores, winning the NFL Europe Championship in 1996 with the Claymores.

He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Recreational Education from the University of Arkansas in 1996.

Dickerson and his wife, Kendreah, have three children: Kristen, Ashten and Keegan.

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WACO, Texas — Benedict College head football coach Chennis Berry has been named Region 2 Coach of the Year for the second year in a row, the American Football Coaches Association announced today.

The AFCA recognizes five regional Coach of the Year winners in each of the Association’s five divisions: Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III, and NAIA. The winners are selected by Active members of the Association who vote for coaches in their respective regions and divisions.

These winners will be honored on Tuesday, January 9, during the 2024 AFCA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.

Chennis Berry guided the Tigers to their second consecutive undefeated regular season, SIAC Championship, NCAA playoff berth, and No. 1 seeding in Super Region 2.

The Tigers rank No. 1 in the nation in scoring defense, allowing opponents just 10.7 points per game during the 2023 season. Benedict also ranks first in team sacks and second in tackles for loss and passing yards allowed. Offensively, the Tigers ranked 15^th in scoring offense (39.8 points per game) and 26^th in total offense.

Super Region 2 includes all members of the SIAC, Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), Gulf South Conference (GSC), and South Atlantic Conference (SAC).

AFCA National Coach of the Year: The AFCA will announce the 2023 National Coaches of the Year winners in FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA on Tuesday, January 9th. The Regional winners in each division are finalists for National Coach of the Year.

Division II
Region 1: Jim Clements, Kutztown University
Region 2: *Chennis Berry, Benedict College
Region 3: Josh Lamberson, University of Central Missouri
Region 4: Paul Simmons, Harding University
Region 5: Pete Sterbick, Colorado School of Mines
*-2022 winner

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Benedict led 19-14 at halftime but could not maintain the momentum as Lenoir-Rhyne scored 21 unanswered points to take a 35-19 lead with just over nine minutes remaining. Benedict would score on a third connection from Dennis to Harden with 5:49 remaining but was unable to get any closer.

The loss ends Benedict’s season at 11-1 for the second consecutive year in the NCAA Division II playoffs at the hands of a South Atlantic Conference team. Last year, Wingate came into Columbia and knocked off the top seed.

Now all eyes will be on Columbia to see where – if anywhere – head coach Chennis Berry lands as he figures to be in the mix for several FCS head coaching jobs after going 22-2 in his last two seasons at Benedict.

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Just over 24 hours after winning its second consecutive SIAC title, Benedict was awarded the top seed in the NCAA Division II playoffs for the second season in a row. 

Benedict is the number one seed in the D2 Super Region II, which includes the SIAC and CIAA as well as the South Atlantic Conference and the Gulf South Conference. The remainder of the field will be announced later. 

BC enters the postseason 11-0 after a dominant performance in the SIAC championship game over Albany State. It brought a similar record last season when it fell to Wingate in the second round after a bye.

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Albany State held pace with Benedict early holding the Tigers to just three points in the first quarter. In the second quarter Benedict executed a couple of explosive plays to ignite its offense. Aeneas Dennis found Caden High for a 28 yard score with 12:13 remaining in the second quarter for a 10-0 lead.

With 7:46 remaining Dennis connected with Reginald Harden for a 55 yard touchdown pass as BC pushed the lead to 17-0 on the extra point attempt. Albany State scored on a field goal with nine seconds remaining in the half to make it a 17-3 game just before the half.

Defense gets on the board

The dominant Benedict defense put some points on the board to start the third quarter. Jayden Broughton strip sacked ASU quarterback Jhaydon Sullivan at the Albany State two yard line. Loobert Denelus recovered the ball for a score and a 23-3 lead.

Dennis would show on the next offensive possession that he could get it done on the ground with a 72 yard rushing touchdown and Benedict pushed the lead to 30-3. Albany State answered with a scoring drive to trim the lead to 30-10 on a Dionte Bonneau five yard touchdown run.

But the BC defense wouldn’t allow any more points and the Tigers put up a field goal and two additional touchdowns in the fourth quarter for the 47-10 final.

Benedict finishes the regular season 11-0 with back to back SIAC Championships, and should head into the NCAA Division II playoffs as a No. 1 seed in its region. This will mark back to back playoff appearances for the Tigers. The Tigers were in the same position last season but ultimately lost to Wingate after an opening round bye.

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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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“Pretty cool that there’s obviously other college teams, college programs in the city of Columbia,” Beamer said. “A lot that we have to offer here and both those teams had phenomenal seasons and got a lot of respect for them. 

Allen University and South Carolina have a direct tie as the private school practiced at the state flagship school before its own practice field was complete.

“My kids won’t have to get up early in the morning to travel to different places. My hat goes out to some of the community at the University of South Carolina for allowing us the opportunity to be able to use their facilities at times to be able to get our practices in. But now it feels good to have your own.”

Allen University AD Jasher Cox appreciated the acknowledgment by Beamer. 

“It’s quite uncommon for a head football coach from a Power 5 school, like Coach Shane Beamer, to take a moment during his weekly press conference, which typically focuses on his own program, to express this sentiment. We truly appreciate it, Coach!”

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Albany State started the day on the outside looking-in at the SIAC championship picture. It handled its business by knocking off Fort Valley State 13-7, giving it a 6-2 SIAC record to match its inter-state rival. It then got some help from Miles College as it defeated Tuskegee University at home, creating a four-way tie for second place. 

Albany State will face the undefeated Benedict College Tigers (8-0) at Lakewood Stadium on November 11 at 1 p.m. ET.

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Defending CIAA champion Fayetteville State University is the other HBCU that would qualify for the D2 playoffs if they started today. FSU has bounced back from opening losses to UNC Pembroke and Lenoir-Rhyne to run off seven consecutive wins in a row. That was enough to clinch the CIAA Southern Division crown for the sixth consecutive season with Saturday’s win over Shaw University. That run has it in the seventh spot, meaning it would play the no. 2 seed for the right to play Benedict in the second round.

Super Region II is composed of two conferences made up of PWIs – South Atlantic Conference and Gulf South Conference – in addition to the CIAA and SIAC. Delta State (MS), Valdosta (GA) State, West Florida, Lenoir-Rhyne and Mars Hill currently make up no. 2-6.

Sitting outside the top seven is West Georgia (6-2) along with Fort Valley State (6-2) out of the SIAC and Virginia Union (8-1) of the CIAA. Both FVSU and VUU are set to take on in-state rivals on Saturday, with championship game implications for both of them. 

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IRVING, Texas — The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today the finalists for the 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy®, college football’s premier scholar-athlete award that annually recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. Among the 16 national finalists is Benedict College senior defensive lineman Loobert Denelus.

“I was definitely surprised,” Denelus said, after receiving the news after practice. “I was very grateful for the way it was presented to me. To have all my teammates and coaches there, and to see their smiles on their faces, meant a lot to me.”

“The entire Benedict College football family is extremely proud of one of our team members Mr. Loobert Denelus on his selection to the 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy list of finalists,” said Benedict head coach Chennis Berry. “Congratulations on this monumental recognition. Mr. Denelus is extremely deserving of any award that he’s up for because he exudes everything great about being an excellent student-athlete.  His commitment to discipline, integrity, God, dedication, effort, execution and pride embodies everything we look for in a productive student-athlete on and off of the football field.  Loobert Denelus will be successful and whatever endeavor he chooses because of his work ethic and attention to detail.  We couldn’t be more proud of Loobert and all of his many accomplishments as a student-athlete at Benedict College.”

“Benedict College is extremely proud of Loobert Denelus for earning this incredibly high honor,” said Willie Washington, Benedict College Director of Athletics, who made the surprise announcement to Denelus and the football team. “He has brought the Benedict College football program national attention with his incredible talent on the field, and now he is being nationally recognized for his hard work and dedication in the classroom. He embodies the true meaning of being a student-athlete.”

“Loobert Denelus is most deserving of this honor,” said Benedict College President Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis.  “He is a disciplined, committed and dedicated scholar-athlete who exemplifies the BEST of BC on the field, in the classroom and in his personal life.  We could not be more proud of this exceptional young man!”

The 16 finalists will each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2023 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments®. Of the 16 national finalists, Denelus is the only representative from Division II. There are three finalists from Division III and 12 are from Division I. Denelus is one of two representatives from HBCUs, joining North Carolina Central quarterback Davius Richard.

Denelus said earning this scholarship will give him an opportunity to pursue a post-graduate degree.

“I was just talking to one of my professors and he asked if I had any plans to pursue a graduate degree, and I said I didn’t want to go into debt,” Denelus said. “You can see God’s work and God’s hand in this process. I definitely will capitalize on this opportunity.”

The definition of a leader on and off the field, Loobert Denelus has established himself among the best defenders in Division II while earning a 3.96 GPA in classroom at Benedict College. The Naples, Florida, native now becomes the first-ever NFF National Scholar-Athlete in Tiger history.

Majoring in psychology and on pace to graduate in May, Denelus has produced a near flawless academic record, earning him the distinction as the first player in school history to garner CSC First Team Academic All-America honors. He also claimed the NCAA Division II ADA Academic Achievement Award in 2022, and his accomplishments landed him on the SAIC Commissioner’s All-Academic Team.

A two-year team captain and the first player in school history to be named a First Team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association, Denelus was also named an HBCU All-American by BOXTOROW in 2022. The 2022 SIAC Defensive Player of the Year, Denelus was the heart and soul of a Tiger defense that led Division II in fourth-down conversion percentage (.130) and ranked third in third-down conversion defense (.248) last season. The contributions of the 6-foot, 255-pounder played a major role in the Tigers’ perfect 11-0 regular season en route to a SIAC title, berth in the Division II Playoffs, and a final No. 12 ranking in 2022.

In his first two seasons, Denelus totaled 92 tackles, 30 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, five fumbles recovered and one blocked kick. His 2022 totals led the SIAC in numerous categories, including tackles for loss (22), sacks (14), forced fumbles (3) and fumbles recovered (4). The totals also ranked him nationally at No. 4 for sacks and sixth for tackles for loss. This year he has amassed 32 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and one forced fumble through the first eight games, ranking him second in sacks per game and fifth in tackles for loss per game this year in Division II, and he is the key figure in the Benedict defense that ranks first in total defense; second in scoring defense; second in tackles for loss; and fourth in sacks. Denelus played his freshman season at Southeastern University in Florida.

Denelus has volunteered numerous hours, including as a mental health aid, visiting elementary schools, participating in food drives, and assisting with clean-up projects in the community.

The 16 finalists were selected from a record number of 201 semifinalists nationwide from among all NCAA divisions and the NAIA.

The finalists will travel to the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 5, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. Live during the event, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 34th Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.

“We are extremely proud to announce the finalists for this year’s Campbell Trophy®,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy® recipient) and Eli were NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. “These young men have an unrelenting commitment to excellence in all aspects of their lives, and they represent all that is right in college football. As strong leaders in the vein of the trophy’s namesake Bill Campbell, they all serve as living examples that the ‘Future For Football’ is bright. We are excited to honor their hard work and outstanding leadership with postgraduate scholarships.”

Submitted by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the Campbell Trophy® must be either a senior player who will complete his final year of eligibility during the 2023 season or be a graduated player who has been enrolled in school at least three (3) years (even if he has remaining eligibility); must have minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale; must have outstanding football ability as a starter/significant contributor; and must have exhibited exemplary leadership on the field, in the classroom and within the community.

“The NFF Awards Committee did an excellent job in selecting this year’s National Scholar-Athletes,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “Chosen from a record-breaking number of semifinalists, the finalists have undoubtedly distinguished themselves as some of the best student-athletes in the country. Each of these men is a leader on and off the field, and we know that they have only begun to reach their potential.”

Following the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas, the recipient of the 2023 Campbell Trophy® will be honored at several other prestigious events. On Thursday, Dec. 7, he will be interviewed live during the “The Home Depot College Football Awards” on ESPN. On Sunday, Dec. 10, he will sit on the dais during the Heisman Trophy dinner. Then on Monday, Dec. 11, a reception will be held in his honor at the New York Athletic Club (NYAC), the official home of the trophy since 2013.

Launched in 1959, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments celebrate their 65th year in 2023. The awards were the first initiative in history to grant postgraduate scholarships based on both a player’s academic and athletic accomplishments. Since 2011, Fidelity Investments, a leading provider of workplace savings plans in higher education, has served as the presenting sponsor of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards.

As part of its support of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, Fidelity Investments helped launch the NFF Faculty Salutes, which recognize the contributions of the faculty athletics representatives at each of the institutions with a finalist for the Campbell Trophy®. The NFF presents each of the faculty athletics representatives with a plaque and Fidelity donates $5,000 for the academic support services at each school. The salutes have recognized 186 FARs since the program’s inception, and Fidelity has made a total of $930,000 (including $80,000 this year) in donations.

Including the 2023 Campbell Trophy® finalists, the NFF has honored 922 individuals with National Scholar-Athlete Awards, and this year’s postgraduate scholarships will push the program’s all-time distribution to more than $12.6 million.

Loobert Denelus joins an elite group of former honorees.

A total of 42 former National Scholar-Athletes have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and seven are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Tony Boselli (Southern California), Derrick Brooks (Florida State), Dave Casper (Notre Dame), Peyton Manning (Tennessee), Merlin Olsen (Utah State), Lee Roy Selmon (Oklahoma) and Steve Young (BYU). Click here for a database of all the past NFF National Scholar-Athletes.

“It’s very shocking to be on the list with those kind of names,” Denelus said.

The Campbell Trophy® was first awarded in 1990, adding to the program’s prestige. Past recipients include two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and eight first-round NFL draft picks.

The trophy is named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, an All-Ivy League player and the captain of Columbia’s 1961 Ivy League championship team who found his true calling after an unlikely career change at age 39 from Columbia football coach to advertising executive. His ability to recruit, develop and manage talented executives — all lessons learned on the gridiron — proved to be a critical component of his ability to inspire his business teams to the highest levels of success. His contributions have been captured in a book titled “The Trillion Dollar Coach,” and during his lifetime, he affectionally became known as the “Coach of Silicon Valley.”

Campbell joined the NFF Board in 1978 while he was still a coach at Columbia, and he continued to serve with distinction until his passing in 2016. In 2004, the NFF recognized Campbell’s contributions and accomplishments by presenting him with the NFF Gold Medal, the organization’s highest honor. In 2009, the NFF renamed college football’s premier scholar-athlete award as The William V. Campbell Trophy® as an inspiration to future generations.

This year’s 16 national finalists:

Cooper Beebe, OL — Kansas State (3.84 GPA – Social Studies Education)
JD Bertrand, LB — Notre Dame (3.62 GPA – Marketing)
DeWayne Carter, DT — Duke (3.47 GPA – Psychology)
Loobert Denelus, DE — Benedict [SC] (3.96 GPA – Psychology)
Jacob Dobbs, LB — Holy Cross (3.76 GPA – Economics & Religious Studies)
Olu Fashanu, OT — Penn State (3.45 GPA – Supply Chain & Info Systems)
Zach Frazier, C — West Virginia (3.88 GPA – Sport Management)
Owen Grover, LB — Wartburg [IA] (3.99 GPA – Biology)
Leo Lowin, LB — Army West Point (3.92 GPA – Engineering Management)
Ladd McConkey, WR — Georgia (3.85 GPA – Finance)
Bo Nix, QB — Oregon (3.62 GPA – Communications)
Davius Richard, QB — North Carolina Central (3.59 GPA – Business Administration)
Luke Schuermann, DE — Johns Hopkins [MD] (3.61 GPA – Mechanical Engineering)
Taulia Tagovailoa, QB — Maryland (3.61 GPA – Family Science)
Liam Thompson, QB — Wabash [IN] (3.87 GPA – Rhetoric)
Zak Zinter, OL — Michigan (3.53 GPA – Sport Management)

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Ironically, Virginia State and Virginia Union are both tied for the CIAA’s top record at 7-1, but both teams are on the outside-looking in – likely due to their lack of strength of scheduling. VSU’s best win is against 4-4 Tusculum. Virginia Union’s best win is against 4-4 Lincoln (PA). If both teams win on Saturday then the Nov. 4 duel between the two teams should boost the winner into not only the CIAA title game but also keep it in the bid for the Division II playoffs. The loser’s best-case scenario is likely a trip to the newly created Beach Bowl 

Valdosta State is set to take on West Florida on Saturday and will matchup against West Georgia on Nov. 11.

Starting next week, the regional rankings will be posted in order that they would be slated to appear. 

The CIAA and SIAC used to be in different NCAA Division II Super Regions, but were re-aligned after 2016.

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It was Benedict’s highest scoring game since the Tigers defeated Savannah State 65-6 in 1960.

Head coach Chennis Berry has encouraged his team to put God first and he said his team received a word to go make history during their weekly bible study.

“Last night we had bible study, which our team devotion, and we had a pastor came and speak who actually was a former player that played here in 2001 and 2004,” he said. “And he spoke to the team about being something special. He told the team last night, he said, ‘guys, you guys are going to do something tomorrow. That’s more special than you’ve done all season. You’re gonna do something you hadn’t done all year,’ and we did exactly that.”

The Tigers logged 439 total yards of offense on the day, 277 coming on the ground and 162 through the air. Of those 277 rushing yards, sophomore running back Deondra Duehart accumulated 112 on 18 carries while finding the endzone three times that day. Graduate quarterback Aeneas Dennis rushed for 56 yards and a touchdown. Dennis also finished the day with 13 of 21 pass attempts for 154 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively Benedict held the Thoroughbreds to 266 total yards of offense. The Tiger defense had active hands all the way until the final buzzer as they logged three interceptions for 46 yards, including Jarod Washington’s 36-yard pick six in the fourth quarter. Nolan Jones and Ja’ron Kilpatrick recorded the other two interceptions.

Berry said he was pleased with what he saw on the field.

“You know, we ran the ball very well. We scored, obviously 63 points and played great in all three phases and we’ve been waiting to put a full game together,” he said. “We talk about winning and being great in September, playing our best ball in the month of October so we can make it in November. We’re heading in the right direction right now.”

Benedict College takes its show on the road next week to face 2-5 Savannah State.

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“We had a good plan, and a good feel for what they were doing,” Berry said. “We did a good job, to hold an explosive offense like that out of the end zone. That’s just kudos to our guys. It all starts with our big guys up front. If we can win up front, and our second level can do their thing, then our back end can just bring it on home, and they were able to get some picks today and change the game by creating turnovers.”
 
Quarterback Aeneas Dennis threw for 311 yards, threw for a touchdown and ran for a touchdown. Deondra Duehart rushed for 112 yards on 17 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns. Ja’ron Kilpatrick had an interception return for a touchdown. Tom Piccirillo had a pair of field goals, kicking a 44-yarder, which matched his season long, and a 24-yarder in the first half as Benedict held a 27-3 lead at the break.

 
Billy Pierre had a 59-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter, and Israel Rhodes scored a rushing touchdown.
 
The Tigers are home again on Oct. 20 for their Homecoming showdown with Kentucky State. Kickoff is 2 p.m.

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Benedict College comes in undefeated on the year and takes on a Fort Valley State team that suffered a loss to start the year but has since won five straight. Benedict head coach Chennis Berry said he expects a battle.

“They’re a good football team. They’re doing a good job and Coach [Shawn] Gibbs has those guys playing hard,” he said. “We’ll have to play our best game. Our guys will be ready. They have some guys on offense, defense and special teams that can make some plays. So we’ve just got to focus on us and make sure we’re prepared and ready to go and I have no doubt in my mind that the Benedict Tigers will be ready to go at 7:30 Thursday night.”

Berry noted that his team developed some mental toughness after escaping Fairfield, Ala. with the 27-24 win over Miles last week. Benedict held a pretty comfortable lead throughout the game until Miles scored 15 points in the 4th quarter and threatened to overtake the Tigers. Benedict was able to hold on thanks to a complete team effort according to Berry.

“I think that win brought us closer as a team,” he said. “It’s not about offense, it’s not about defense, it’s not about special teams, it’s about the team and I think that was a team win. Everybody did what they needed to do at the right moment. Defense made plays when they had to, offense made plays when they had to, special teams made plays when they had to. So I think as a team, that win brought us closer together and we’ll see where it takes us in the end, but right now we’re focused on trying to go 1-0 against Fort Valley State.

Benedict College wants to keep that momentum going after getting what Berry described as a “program-defining win.” They’ll try to do that on the offensive side of the ball and put on a show for the home crowd on ESPN2. The Tigers are averaging a blistering 37.5 points per game as well as 399.7 total yards of offense. Berry said the Tigers must stay out of their own way.

 “We’ve just got to take care of the football and win the effort battle, win the penalty battle, win the turnover battle and win the explosive play battle,” he said. “We talk about those four ingredients, regardless of who we’re playing and how we’re playing them, we don’t we don’t change that mission to win those battles. I think offensively, if we do a good job of taking care of football, don’t turn the ball over, take what the defense gives us, we’ll have an opportunity to move the ball. We’ll let those first downs turn into touchdowns and we’ll see what the score looks like in the end.”

At stake in this contest is first place overall in the SIAC. The Tigers have the top spot right now at 4-0 in conference play and that 6-0 overall record with the Wildcats right behind them at 5-0 in the SIAC. 

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FAIRFIELD, Ala. — The Benedict College Tigers held off a second-half surge by the Miles Golden Bears, and Noah Zaire Scotland scored the go-ahead touchdown with 2:25 remaining as the 11^th-ranked Tigers remained unbeaten with a 27-24 victory on Saturday afternoon.
 
“That was a program defining win for us,” said Benedict head coach Chennis Berry. “We needed to go through some adversity. That’s the sign of a championship football team. I think this brought our football team together, to come on the road in hostile territory and come away with the victory.”
 
Benedict (6-0 overall, 4-0 SIAC) had a 21-3 lead at the half, but the Golden Bears scored on a 42-yard pass after getting the ball when Aeneas Dennis threw his first interception of the season. The PAT failed to make it 21-9 with 6:25 remaining in the third quarter.
 
Benedict got the ball back on the next series and the Tigers were driving when the Golden Bears intercepted Dennis again. Miles (4-2 overall, 3-1 SIAC) drove 86 yards on nine plays to score again to cut the lead to 21-16 with 11:20 left in the game.
 
Benedict was facing a fourth-and-one at the Miles 44-yard line, but the Tigers came up short. Miles took over and scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 22-yard quarterback scramble to take a 24-21 lead after a successful two-point conversion with 7:49 left on the clock.
 
“This is a game where each of us had to depend on each other — offense, defense and special teams,” Berry said. “When Miles took the lead, our offense didn’t blink.”
 
The Tigers received the ball and went on a long, time-consuming drive, marching 87 yards on 12 plays. The key play on the drive was a 17-yard pass from Dennis to Jalen Jones on third-and-16. Dennis later found Jones for a 12-yard pass. Then on third-and-10 from the Miles 29, Dennis found Nicholas Sowell for an 11-yard pickup. On the next play, Dennis and Sowell combined again for a 17-yard pass to give Benedict a first-and-goal at the 1-yard line.
 
“Nick Sowell had an amazing day,” Berry said. “He had a great week of practice, and he understands that if you put in the work during the week, you get what you deserve on game day. He was amazing. I’m just so proud of him.”
 
Scotland got the call and scored his third touchdown of the game to give Benedict a 27-24 lead with 2:25 left in the game.
 
The Bears had one final chance, but Aaron Miller sacked Miles quarterback Kamren Ivory on fourth-and-one to seal the game for the Tigers.
 
“We needed a game like this to spark us for the rest of the season,” Berry said. “I’m so very proud of our team, our coaches, our players, our support staff, the people from Tiger nation who came from all over the country to come see us play, and they got the chance to witness a really good football team, and I’m so very proud to be the head football coach here.”
 
Benedict gave up a season-high 362 yards to the  Golden Bears, but the defense forced five Miles turnovers, gaining four fumbles and an interception. Benedict also collected five tackles for loss, two sacks, and five quarterback hurries.
 
“Our defense has been playing well all year,” Berry said. “Kudos to them and the staff. They’ve been doing an amazing job. They may have bent a little bit, but they didn’t break, and they found a way to win a football game. I’m very proud of our defensive staff, as well as our defensive football team.”
 
Dennis completed 21-of-37 passes for 286 yards and one touchdown, with two interceptions. Nicholas Sowell was the top target, hauling in nine passes for 174 yards, both career highs, with one touchdown — a 73-yard first-quarter bomb that gave Benedict a 7-3 lead.
 
Benedict recovered a Miles fumble at the Golden Bears’ one-yard line on the next series, and Scotland scored on the next play to make it 14-3. Scotland scored on a 34-yard run in the second quarter to give the Tigers a 21-3 lead.
 
“Our mission every week is just to go 1-0, and we accomplished the mission because we stuck together as a football team and found a way to win a football game.”
 
Benedict has a short turnaround before taking on Fort Valley State in a primetime game Thursday night that will be televised on ESPN2.

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Back in January, Phoenix announced his transfer portal entrance. “I am truly grateful for the education and athletic achievements earned during my time at Benedict College,” Phoenix tweeted. “The relationships, life lessons, and motivation for success have prepared me for the next chapter in my life.”

“With that being said, I have decided to enter my name in the transfer portal as a graduate transfer for the 2023 season.”

Standing at 6 feet 3 inches and weighing 205 pounds, Eric Phoenix joined Benedict College in 2019. Over his three seasons, Phoenix completed 343 passes for a total of 4,400 yards and 32 touchdowns, while also showcasing 18 interceptions.

Additionally, he has contributed 290 rushing yards, scoring eight touchdowns on the ground. As a testament to his all-around ability, he has even made four receptions for 17 yards.

In the 2022 season, Phoenix led Benedict to an undefeated regular season, guided them to their first-ever SIAC championship. During the championship game the quarterback threw 313 yards, scored two touchdowns through the air, and accumulated 91 yards on 11 carries.

Concluding the Tigers‘ championship season, Phoenix recorded 2,051 yards for 15 touchdowns while tossing just one interception. On the ground he had 233 rushing yards. There’s no doubt that this quarterback was a key component to the team’s success.

Last season, Murray State didn’t have the best of luck. The team finished with a 2-9 overall record and 1-4 in conference play. As the newest signee for Murray State, Phoenix could utilize his versatile signal-calling to turn the program around.

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The so-called “Week Zero” game, would have matched 2022 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) champion Benedict against 2022 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) champion Fayetteville State.

The idea was hatched by longtime HBCU sportscaster Charlie Neal. He now does play-by-play for black college games produced by HBCUGo that air nationwide on TheGrio and other national cable outlets. Both TheGrio and HBCUGo are owned by media mogul Byron Allen.

Neal and execs at HBCUgo and TheGrio reportedly convinced SIAC Commissioner Anthony Holloman and CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams to float the concept to the NCAA. The network was hoping the carry the game on Saturday, August 26 of this year on Benedict’s campus in Columbia, S. C.

Why did the NCAA turn the game down?

No Div. II conferences or teams have participated in Week Zero games. It appears that because there was no precedent for Div. II conferences playing Week Zero games, the SIAC/CIAA waiver was turned down by the NCAA.

HBCU Gameday reached out to the NCAA for confirmation and comment but had not heard back before publishing this story.

A source indicated that while the leagues are disappointed the game was unable to take place this year, there is hope for legislative relief. In other words, the game could be on for 2024.

NCAA Week Zero game history

Week Zero games originally referred to the opening weekend of college football games in the NCAA Div. I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). According to the Wikipedia entry on Week 0, “the NCAA has sporadically awarded waivers for games to be played a week earlier (than Week 1, on the Saturday before Labor Day) in order to bring a game to a national television audience.” The first Week 0 game was the 1983 Kickoff Classic. No. 1 Nebraska faced No. 4 Penn State at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N. J.

A waiver was sought by the SIAC and CIAA, representing two of the oldest Div. II conferences in the nation and the oldest of the four HBCU conferences in the NCAA.

Such games, based on their history, have been played between Div. I FBS or FCS programs. The Mid Eastern Athletics Conference (MEAC) and Southwestern Athletics Conference (SWAC), the two HBCU Div. I conferences, received a waiver and played the first MEAC/SWAC Challenge in 2005. That Week Zero game will have its 18th iteration this season.

Week Zero games making an impact and growing

Hero Sports says Week 0 games have become a big appetizer to the upcoming football seasons, focusing on teams that take the field first. The list of such games, its story said, has been growing and gives a quicker start to the season on our TVs.

For the 2023 season, ten Week 0 Div I games are scheduled for Saturday, August 26. Included among them is the match up of South Carolina State of the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Jackson State of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) at the 18th MEAC/SWAC Challenge. Those same two teams met in the 2021 season-ending Celebration Bowl in Atlanta.

There were 11 Week 0 games on Saturday, August 27 in 2022.

Sources expect adjustments to be made in 2024 when Week One is scheduled to kick off post-Labor Day on September 8.

More HBCU cooperation in store?

Earlier this year, members of the four HBCU NCAA conferences announced they would be doing more to work together. Sources indicate one of the first attempts to make good on that pledge was trying to add the Div. II game to the early season menu.

The game would have been similar to the MEAC/SWAC Challenge. One distinction between the two showcase games is that the Division II version would feature the two defending champions. The SWAC and MEAC teams are selected years in advance. 

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On the field Saturday were sophomores Zayshaun Rice and Kendall McCoy. Rice was on the Benedict roster last season as a freshman and said he was able to learn a lot from Phoenix and Lampley.

Slowing the game down

“Really, you just gotta slow the game down for yourself,” Rice said. They really just slowed the game down and they took it one play at a time. Mistakes will come, but they always bypassed the mistakes and continued to play the game, really finished the game. No matter what, any mistakes that happened, they kept the team uplifted and just kept on, just kept the energy high.”

McCoy joins the team after transferring from Gardner-Webb University. He’s looking to bring a necessary locker room presence and said the team chemistry is making his transition an easy one.

“I definitely can bring some leadership. I’ve only been here for like three months and I’ve been able to create a bond with these guys,” he said. “This is an amazing team. What coaches preach, they’re family, they love everyone, forget about me, I love you, like all that has to come and play. These are your brothers, this is a brotherhood. What all the coaches preach to us every day, it really pays off.”

Berry said the young duo has some work to do but they’re learning and growing. Berry also noted that he’s not quite done adding to his quarterback room at Benedict.

“We signed a transfer quarterback, we signed a high school quarterback and we’re gonna sign another transfer quarterback,” he said. “So ultimately, at the end of the day, we’ll be ready when the ball kicks off on September 2.”

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COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Benedict College Tigers have announced their 2023 football schedule, which will feature the SIAC defending champions playing nine games, including five at home.
 
The season will kick off on Sept. 2 against Shaw in the Carolinas Classic. Last year, Benedict College competed against Elizabeth City State in the Carolinas Classic. The Tigers crushed ECS with a final score of 58-14.

Benedict College travels to Miles on Oct. 7, and then returns home for back-to-back games against Fort Valley State on Oct. 14, and then Kentucky State for Homecoming on Oct. 21.
 
Benedict takes its final road trip on Oct. 28 to take on Savannah State, before returning home on Nov. 4 to take on rival Allen University. Last season the Tigers beat Allen by a score of 54-21.

Unlike last year the Tigers will be home for 3 out of the 4 final football games. On Oct. 28, they will travel to Savannah State.

Before hitting the road to Georgia, Benedict College will be at home taking on Kentucky State on Oct. 21 for homecoming.

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“As one door closes another one opens,” Kevin Saxton Jr. wrote on social media. “Extremely grateful and excited for this next chapter God has planned for me! Let’s get to work”

Saxton spent last season with the Benedict College Tigers as they won their first SIAC Football Championship. Prior to Benedict, Saxton was the offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at Cuthbertson High School in Waxhaw, North Carolina. He led a record breaking offense that earned two All-State selections in 2019. Prior to Cuthbertson, Saxton spent three years at Emory and Henry College where he served as the co-offensive coordinator and defensive backs coach.

Kansas City Chief’s head coach Andy Reid discussed the coaching changes including this hire from Benedict College.

“Every offseason in the National Football League brings change, and for the first time in a while we had some movement on the coaching staff,” Head Coach Andy Reid said. “Obviously, we lost a couple of really talented coaches in Coach Bieniemy and Coach Lewis, and I’m happy for both of those guys getting new opportunities to show what they can do in this league. On the strength and conditioning side of things, I’d like to congratulate Coach Rubin on an outstanding career and wish him the best in retirement. As for our changes this year, I’m excited to see what these coaches can do in their new roles. They are all talented individuals with unique skillsets. All of them have the ability to bring something different to the table to benefit our team and specifically our players.”

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COLUMBIA, S.C. – Vice President Kamala Harris promoted the Biden administration’s achievements on broadband internet access during a visit to South Carolina, recently minted as the site of Democrats’ first presidential votes of the 2024 campaign.

In Monday’s trip, her fourth to the early-voting state since becoming vice president, Harris lauded more than $175 million being spent to help improve high-speed internet infrastructure at historically Black colleges and institutions, which she called “centers of academic excellence.”

“Many of those that we focus on currently do not have reliable access to high-speed internet on campus,” said Harris, herself a graduate of an HBCU. “This means that more students will be able to use the internet for their everyday needs.”

Benedict CEO and President Roslyn Clark Artis celebrated the efforts to close the digital divide in South Carolina. 

“This is really quite frankly the civil rights issue of the day is internet technology,” said Artis.

According to Artis, Benedict will use their $2.85 million grant to purchase upgraded technology like laptops and hotspots for students, in addition to creating a community computer lab. 

Artis said 12 percent of students live in technology deserts. 

“We sent them a laptop and hotspot, but there’s simply nothing for it to connect to if there’s no broadband in their community so that 12 percent is really disenfranchised,” said Artis. 

It’s a reality for Junior Dem’i Dell from Woodruff who knows the struggle of internet issues. 

“Coming from a low income community knowing how you can’t always access the internet or just being rural and you can’t get to the Wi-Fi and having to sit in the parking lot is not always the best and comfortable way to do effective work,” said Dell. 

Adults and children from certain zip codes in Richland County will be allowed to use the new community computer lab. Those areas have not been determined, but Artis said the lab will have dozens of computers.

“There will be a myriad of programs available to people in the community who want to upscale, learn a new trade or get a job in the technology sector,” said Artis. 

VP Kamala Harris discuss plan of action

Harris’ remarks to a room of at least 100 supporters and student leaders from Benedict College, an HBCU in Columbia, came as Democrats’ national attention hones in on South Carolina, where a landslide 2020 primary win gave Joe Biden the momentum to notch Super Tuesday wins and bounce several opponents from the race.

Biden has repeatedly acknowledged the state’s pivotal role in his nomination as well as the significance of its heavily Black Democratic electorate. During remarks at a fundraiser last year, Harris thanked South Carolina Democrats, who “set President Joe Biden and me on a path to the White House.”

Late last year, Biden asked the Democratic National Committee to move the state to the top of the presidential primary voting calendar, which party officials did this month. Via its email lists, South Carolina’s Democratic Party has already begun selling buttons, mugs and apparel flaunting the state’s new status with the tagline “South Carolina Democrats Pick Winners.”

But Harris’ appearance also comes as a debate swirls over whether Biden – who, at age 80, is the nation’s oldest president – should seek a second term in office, as is widely expected. According to a poll released this month from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, just 37% of Democrats said they wanted Biden to seek a second term.

Though he’s long said it’s his intent to seek reelection, Biden has yet to make it official, struggling to dispel questions about whether he’s too old to continue serving as president. In an exclusive interview last week with The Associated Press, first lady Jill Biden gave one of the clearest indications yet that her husband will run in 2024, saying that there’s “pretty much” nothing left to do but figure out the time and place for the announcement.

The Republican candidate field is already forming, with a focus on South Carolina, home to the first GOP presidential primary in the South. Former President Donald Trump held a campaign event in the Statehouse last month, and former Gov. Nikki Haley announced her candidacy in Charleston a few weeks later. Sen. Tim Scott is also mulling a potential bid.

Equalizing access to high-speed internet has been a priority for Biden, who in 2021 signed into law a $1 trillion infrastructure package that, alongside traditional public works projects like building roads and bridges, included $65 billion for broadband expansion.

Expanding broadband internet availability also has been a top priority for Rep. Jim Clyburn, one of the White House’s top Capitol Hill supporters and South Carolina’s lone congressional Democrat. Clyburn, the chamber’s assistant Democratic leader, has long advocated for more widespread internet access nationwide, pushing for affordable, high-speed networks in rural communities.

Last week, Clyburn appeared alongside Republican Gov. Henry McMaster to announce the formation of a program – funded by the bipartisan infrastructure package – designed to identify the areas of greatest need in South Carolina and invest in broadband infrastructure.

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SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Benedict College men’s basketball team took another step towards a SIAC title on Tuesday, as Gob Gabriel hit a 3-pointer with 1.6 seconds left to lift the Tigers to an 82-81 victory over LeMoyne-Owen in the 2023 TIAA SIAC Basketball Championship Tournament presented by Cricket held on the campus of Savannah State University.

 
“It doesn’t even seem real,” said Benedict head men’s basketball coach Artis Maddox. “But it’s that time of year. It’s win or go home and you’ve got to find a way to win.”

The Magicians, the third seed from the West Division, hit the first of two free throws with nine seconds left in the game. Gabriel rebounded the missed shot and passed to Brandon Smith. Smith then passed the ball back to Gabriel streaking down the left sideline. Gabriel stopped at the 3-point line and lofted the game-winning shot.

“At this time of year, everybody is going to be good,” Maddox said. “We just need to come in ready to play and be dialed in, limit our mistakes and take good shots on offense.”
 
Tuesday’s game was close throughout. The Magicians took an early lead, but the Tigers got their running game going and capitalized on some fast-break dunks to take a 35-28 lead. Gabriel hit a jumper to close out the first half and gave Benedict College a 39-32 lead at the break.

Key Moments

Marshaun West hit a jumper to open the second half to give Benedict it’s largest lead of the game, 41-32. The Magicians put together a run and took a 46-45 lead after a three-point play with 16:32 remaining and the game stayed tight the rest of the way.
 
The Magicians hit a 3-pointer to take a 72-68 lead with 3:25 left. A pair of free throws a short time later gave LeMoyne-Owen its largest lead of the game, 74-68 with 2:49 remaining.
 
Asanti Price hit a 3-pointer and Dontavius King followed with a layup to cut the lead to 74-73 with 1:14 left to play. The two teams traded 3-pointers, with Brandon Smith connecting with 14 seconds left to play to make it 80-79. The Magicians hit the free throw with nine seconds left, setting up Gabriel’s game-winning shot.
 
Malachi McCoy led the Tigers with a season-high 21 points and 10 rebounds. Price had 11 points and Gabriel scored 10 points.

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SAVANNAH, GA  — The 2023 TIAA SIAC Basketball Tournament presented by Cricket Wireless hosted opening rounds at Savannah State University on February 25. Check out the recaps from the first day of play inside of Tiger Arena.

SIAC Game 1 (Men)
#6W (Spring Hill), 55 v. #7E (Edward Waters), 78
Box Score
 

No. 7 in the East Division, Edward Waters, started the 2023 TIAA SIAC Basketball Tournament presented by Cricket as they defeated the Spring Hill Badgers, 78-65. The Badgers held a 34-29 lead at halftime after shooting 44 percent (12-of-27) from the floor and 87 percent (7-of-8) from the free throw line. The Tigers mounted a second-half comeback to defeat the Badgers and secure their first postseason win in the SIAC. Beril Kabamba led scoring for the Badgers and posted his 10th double-double of the season with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Cahlib Edwards led EWU with 23 points. Cahlib Edwards led the offensive effort for the Tigers with 23 points and Jonathan Kanyanga collected four points and 12 rebounds to lead the Tigers to victory.
 
Up Next: The EWU Tigers advanced to the second opening round when they will take on No. 3 seed Fort Valley State on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.

SIAC Game 2 (Men)
#6E (Benedict), 79 v. #7W (Central State), 67
Box Score
 

The No. 6 seed, Benedict College Tigers, built as much as a 13-point lead in the first half and then held off a late rally by Central State to take a 79-67 victory in the first round of the 2023 TIAA SIAC Basketball Tournament presented by Cricket, held at Savannah State University. The Tigers pulled away from a 17-16 game midway through the first half to build a 35-22 lead with 1:44 left in the half after a fast-break dunk by Malachi McCoy. Benedict had a 38-28 lead at the half. The Marauders cut the lead to 45-40 with 14:49 left in the game. The Tigers stormed back, and Brandon Smith gave Benedict a 65-52 lead on a 3-pointer with 7:23 remaining. 
 
The Marauders went on a 12-3 run to cut the lead to 68-64 with 3:33 left in the game. Asanti Price answered with a jumper, but Central State followed with a 3-pointer to make it 70-67 with 2:22 remaining. Benedict scored the final nine points of the game, getting a big 3-pointer by Dontavius King to start the run. King led Benedict, now 19-9 overall, with 15 points. Tim Moore added 11 points and Brandon Smith chipped in 10 points. For the Marauders, Steven Key II led their offensive effort with 23 points and Raevon Thomas added 11 points and eight rebounds.
 
Up Next: The BC Tigers advances to face LeMoyne-Owen, the third seed in the West Division, at 12 noon on Tuesday.

SIAC Game 3 (Men)
#5W (Kentucky State), 82 v. #8E (Allen), 72
Box Score
 

No. 5 seed in the West, Kentucky State, relied on a consistent second half to lift them over the Allen Yellow Jackets for an 82-72 win inside Tiger Arena in their first matchup of the tournament. In the first ten minutes of the game, both teams tied three times, one by Kentucky State at 16:08 (6-6) and two by Allen at 13:30 (12-12) and 12:12 (14-14). Four points by Brandon Hill and a three-pointer by Elijiah Lockhart led to an 8-0 28-17 Kentucky State lead with 6:41 remaining in the first half.  The Thorobreds went on an 11-2 run going 100% (4-of-4) at the charity stripe in the first five of the last ten minutes in the first half.
 
Allen came to within one of the 36-35 lead at the end of the first half. Mosley found his rhythm and converted an and-one play that extended the Kentucky State lead to a six-point 46-60 at 12:52 in the second half. Jacobs hit a three-pointer to go 3-of-3 at long range for the night, giving his team a 72-59 lead. 
 
The final points of the night came on a dunk from Jacobs to secure an 82-72 victory. Chase Cook and Cameron Sembly of Allen Yellow Jackets led their scoring effort with 24 and 18 points, respectively. Kentucky State’s Shamon Mosley led the Thorobreds with 20 points and six rebounds and Montrell Jacobs added another 19 points. Andrews and Brooks each contributed nine rebounds in the win.
 
Up Next: Kentucky State will face Albany State on Monday, Feb. 27, at 12 noon.

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The gym had an electric atmosphere as the on-court action of the women’s teams lived up to the hype with Benedict staving off a late-game surge by Allen to win 73-66.

Benedict’s Madison Golden led all scorers with 26 points to go with 10 rebounds. Taylor Christmas had 19 for the Tigers.

Allen was led by Cardrina Nolen’s 16 points and eight rebounds, followed by Keyshuna Fair with 14, Destinee Jameson-Whitefield with 13 and Jazeem Bethea with 11.

The Tigers were able to build a sizeable lead in the third with an offensive explosion as they outscored the Yellow Jackets 32-13 during that period.

Benedict head coach James Rice said it started with the defense and led to some easy baskets on the offensive end.

The Yellow Jackets kept themselves in the game thanks to fourth quarter pressure from Bethea. The senior had three steals in the period and sparked a comeback as Allen was suddenly down just ten.

Allen head coach Toccara Toland said that Bethea is the engine that makes the Yellow Jackets go.

“Jaz is a special kid,” she said. “The team goes where she goes so whenever she picks it up, the team just follows her lead.”

Benedict was still able to get some keep stops down the stretch and hang on to get the win.

Tigers head coach James Rice said he’s proud of what the rivalry has become and feels Benedict has to keep holding up their end of the bargain and make each game competitive.

Toland said she feels the rivalry is great not just for the city but for the conference as well.

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COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Benedict Tigers pulled away from a close game down the stretch to defeat rival Allen University 67-60 on Saturday afternoon in Allen’s John Hurst Adams Gymnasium.
 
The Yellow Jackets had a one-point lead in the tight contest with 5:22 left to play. That’s when the Tigers went on a 9-2 run for a 54-48 lead with 3:18 remaining. After the Yellow Jackets hit a pair of free throws to cut the lead to four points, Malachi McCoy answered with a dunk, and Brandon Beidleman knocked down a 3-pointer after an Allen turnover to give the Tigers a 59-50 lead with 1:43 left to play.
 
Deshawn Bartley led the Tigers with 14 points, going 9-for-10 at the free-throw line. McCoy grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds.
 
The Tigers improve to 10-7 overall and 8-4 in the SIAC with their fifth straight win. Allen falls to 2-15 overall and 2-10 in the SIAC.
 
Benedict travels to take on Edward Waters on Monday and will wrap up their six-game road trip with a game at Savannah State on Wednesday.

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After the Wildcats’ Jamal Reynoldsknifed into the lane for a bucket to tie the game with 36 seconds in the first half. The Tigers (9-7/7-4 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference East) downed a triple with seven seconds and then they busted out of halftime with 10 of the opening 11 points to race a 43-30 advantage with 16:41 left. FVSU was able only able to get back to within nine points, 47-38, in a K.J. Doucet layup at 12:37 and lone time under double figures the rest of the night.

Doucet finished the night with a FVSU-high 17 points. Khadim Samb, Reynolds and Pierre Mitchell all chipped in 10 points. Reynolds and Samb had six and five rebounds, while Mitchell dished five assists.

Dontavius King dumped in 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Benedict effort. The Tigers held the home team to 30.5% from the field (18 of 59) and pulled down 27 defensive rebounds.

FVSU had its success in the first half where it held two different five-point leads, 20:15 at 7:54 and 25-20 with 3:45.

The Wildcats will welcome the rival Golden Rams of Albany State Saturday night, Jan. 21, for Winter Homecoming. The men’s tip is set for 8 p.m.

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Here is the FCS top 10 in its entirety.

1) NC Central – 50
2) Jackson State – 45
3) Florida A&M –  39
4) North Carolina A&T – 36
5) Southern – 30
6) Alabama State – 25
7) Prairie View – 17
8)Hampton – 13
8)Howard – 13
10) Alcorn State  – 2

At the Division II level, Benedict College finishes the season on top. BC had a historic season, claiming its first SIAC Championship and Division II playoff spot while going 12-0 in the regular season.

The second and third spots to Virginia Union and Fayetteville State, both CIAA teams that lost in the first round of the NCAA D2 playoffs. VUU received one more second-place vote, however. 

Rounding out the top five are Fort Valley State and Tuskegee. 

1) Benedict – 50
2) VUU – 43
3) FSU – 42
4) Fort Valley – 33
5) Tuskegee – 32
6) Albany State – 20
7) Bowie State –15
8) Virginia State – 13
9) Lane College – 6
10) Kentucky State – 2

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Byers led the nation by rushing for a CIAA- and VUU-record 1,928 yards in 2022, breaking the school held by VUU Hall of Famer Andre Braxton, while also leading the nation with an average of 175.3 yards per game.  His single-season conference record broke the one held by HBCU football’s all-time leading rusher Richard Huntley of Winston-Salem State (1995). Byers also led the nation with 2,256 all-purpose yards. He also set a conference single-game record by rushing for 319 yards against Valdosta State. Jada Byers also accumulated 22 touchdowns on the season to help VUU go 9-1 in the regular season and earn a bid to the Division II playoffs. 

Denelus, a junior, ranks as one of the nation’s leaders in sacks (11th) and tackles for loss (34th). He was one of the leaders of the Benedict defense that ranks among the nation’s best in 2022. Benedict ranks fourth in scoring defense (12.9), third in passing yards allowed per game (135.1), and seventh in total defense (248.2). The Tigers led Division II in fourth-down conversion percentage defense (.130) and were third in third-down conversion defense (.248)

He was named SIAC Defensive Player of the Year while helping lead Benedict to the SIAC title and an appearance in the NCAA playoffs, both of which were the first such accomplishments in school history. 

Byers and Denelus join 2022 FCS winners Shedeur Sanders of Jackson State and B.J. Davis of South Carolina State. 

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This season, the Tigers averaged 34.6 points per game, surpassing 50 points three times. The Benedict defense was among the nation’s best all season, finishing seventh in Division II in total defense and fourth in scoring defense.
 
Berry said it is especially gratifying to be selected from Region 2, which includes football teams from the SIAC, South Atlantic Conference, CIAA, and Gulf South Conference. This region has had a representative in the national championship game each of the past five seasons, winning twice. He said it is also an honor to join Bowie State head coach Damon Wilson, who was the 2021 Region 2 Coach of the Year, as back-to-back recipients by HBCU coaches.
 
“This award means a lot to be selected from one of the best football regions in the country,” Chennis Berry said. “A region that has produced national champions and is annually recognized as one of the best and toughest in the country.”
 
The AFCA began recognizing district coaches of the year following the 1960 season. The awards were established the same year Eastman Kodak agreed to sponsor the AFCA Coach of the Year award. Prior to 1960, the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain had sponsored the program, which recognized one national Coach of the Year.
 
The AFCA first recognized eight district winners in each of two divisions: university and college. In 1972, a ninth district was added in each division. In 1983, the award was changed to recognize regional winners instead of district winners. The number of divisions was also increased from two to four and five regional winners were selected in each division. This resulted in a more equitable selection process and better represented the make-up of the membership. At the same time, the new system increased the number of honorees from 18 to 20. In 2006, the AFCA Division II Award was split into separate Division II and NAIA divisions, giving the 25 winners they now recognize.
 
The AFCA will announce the 2022 National Coaches of the Year winners in FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA on Monday, January 9.
 

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Benedict head coach Chennis Berry said the loss will do nothing but fuel them going forward.

The Tiger defense held tough for most of the game, giving the offense a change, but two costly interceptions by Eric Phoenix and seven sacks for 54 yards prevented Benedict from capitalizing on the momentum they built moving down the field. Berry said that’s when inexperience came into play.

“Like I said missed opportunities. I mean we had several chances in that football game. We talked about the first half we’re driving, then we’re in the red zone we had two turnovers,” he said. “Missed opportunities. It’s not like they stopped us we stopped ourselves. We’ll grow from that. We’re understanding next time throw the ball away. We’ll understand next time, when we get no situations let’s settle for field goal and get points you know so there is a lot of learning lessons.”

Berry added that one of the side effects of taking care of business early in games this year was not having as much experience in games that come down to the wire, particularly ones where the Tigers trail.

“You gotta think about it, our whole season played 11 games, we only have one close game. Most of our games were separated by a lot of points, so there was learning this like I told our football team a minute ago, I am so proud of them but we learned a lot. That’s why I give God all the glory in the good and the bad because we learned something about our team and when situations come like this again how to how to handle them.”

Wingate head coach Joe Reich had nothing but praise for Benedict as a host site for the playoff game.

Reich gave credit to his defensive line for really shifting the momentum in their favor throughout the game.

“I give [Benedict] a lot of credit, they’ve got a great scheme offensively. They throw a lot of RPO stuff,” he said. “ So it really started on 1st down. Can we can stop the run and make the game one-dimensional? If we can do that, we’re as good as anybody in the country because I think we can we have such good pass rushers on the edge. So to us, a lot of it came down to can we stop the run early, get them into some more passing situations and then be able to turn it into a one-dimensional game and set the pass rush up.”

Benedict finished with 332 total yards of offense, 303 of those yards coming through the air. Phoenix finished 21 of 35 for 303 yards and one touchdown. Tayven Grice was his primary receiver with five catches for 91 yards, followed by Chris Williams with four for 73 and then Elijah Watson with four for 66 and the Tigers’ lone touchdown.

Defensively, Olajuwon Smith finished with eight total tackles and Dedrick Starkes with seven. Loobert Denelus recored the Tigers’ only sack in the contest and William Johnson the lone interception.

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The Benedict Tigers enter this weekend with the same goal as they have all season; to make it to Sunday 1-0. The difference is this 1-0 record will mean they are one step closer to winning an NCAA Division II Football Championship.

The Tigers host Wingate Saturday at Charlie W. Johnson Stadium at 1 p.m.

Benedict is coming off a bye week and head coach Chennis Berry said on this week’s episode of the Coach Chennis Berry Coaches Show that it allowed them to work on two specific things.

“Our players are in a great spot. Last week we spent time working on us,” he said. “We practiced Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday last week and really focused on our fundamentals. We really wanted to take last week and not worry about the opponent cause at that point we didn’t know who we were playing it was between Virginia union and Wingate, so we wanted to work on us and just work on fundamentals.”

“And we want to work on getting healthy,” he added. “So some of the guys didn’t take didn’t take as many reps last week so they could get their bodies right because the reality is, Curtis, man, it’s  a new season.”

Berry and his players had the Thanksgiving holiday off and he said it allowed him to reflect on the history they made as a team both going undefeated at 11-0 on the season and earning the top seed in the playoffs. It is the first HBCU to do that since Winston-Salem State did it in 2012.

“It brings joy to your heart because at the end of the day it’s hard to get here and I don’t know how many HBCU’s in the history of college football ever had the opportunity to become a number-one seed,” he said. “So like I’ve said, kudos to my coaches, players, all the people that have supported our program and all the hard work that’s been put in. But I know I’m a firm believer in this; the good Lord and savior Jesus Christ been good to us no question about it because to know where this program came from and two years ago when I took over this job on February 11, 2020 to now? To say that we’re number-one seed is nothing but God, so I’m grateful more than anything.”

The Wingate Bulldogs come in with a 10-2 overall record and advanced after a decisive 32-7 win over Virginia Union in the first round.

Wingate brings with them experience having made the playoffs four times in the last five seasons and are in the second round of the playoffs for the third time in program history.

It is the second time the two teams meet in both programs’ respective histories. The lone meeting ended with Benedict winning 34-33 at home in 1998.

Wingate head coach Joe Reich said the challenge for he and his coaching staff will now be to quickly catch up on everything Benedict.

“There’s no tomorrow for us so I haven’t looked at literally a snap of Benedict,” he said after Saturday’s win. “We just know that they’re really good…I literally haven’t looked at one thing on them because we were so focused on Virginia Union.”

The Tigers are going to want to continue their mantra of “chop wood, carry water,” so here are three things for them to look out for when it comes to Wingate.

1.  The defense — Wingate’s defense scored 14 points on their own last week against Virginia Union and have held their opponents to about 10 points a game all year. Benedict will have to play a clean game offensively and not give the Wingate defense momentum.
2.  The run game — The Bulldogs come into this contest averaging 158.4 yards on the ground compared to about 180 through the air. The Tigers defensive line is going to have to stay disciplined and make it hard for the backs to get going.
3.  The first quarter — Wingate has scored a total of 75 points this season in the first quarter alone compared to 10 by their opponents. Benedict needs to get off to a solid start and not  get behind early to an experienced team.

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Virginia Union, which spent much of the season as one of the top ten schools in the country, was awarded a fourth seed. The 9-1 VUU squad will host Wingate (9-2) at historic Hovey Field in Richmond on Saturday. 

Fayetteville State, fresh off its first CIAA Championship since 2009, was awarded the seventh and final spot in the super region following its 31-28 win on Saturday. It will have its work cut out for it, though, as it is set to travel to Mississippi to take on Delta State, the no. 2 team in the Super Region. 

Benedict College, along with the other three top seeds, will get a first-round bye in the D2 playoffs. The D2 playoffs, which do not hand out any automatic-bids, is divided into four “super regions” with seven teams. 

From an HBCU football perspective, Fort Valley State is on the outside, looking in at the playoff picture. It was seventh in the most recent regional rankings with an 8-2 record after knocking off Albany State in the Fountain City Classic. 

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The Tigers dominated the season defensively only giving up an average of 12 points over their 11 games. This included two shutouts against Lane College and Morehouse College. The Tuskegee Golden Tigers felt the wrath of Benedicts defense today. The Tigers had six sacks , five pass break ups, and nine tackles for losses. Junior defensive end Loobert Denelus led the team with three sacks and four tackles for losses.

Benedict College had no problem getting its offense going today. The team averaged 38 points over 11 games this year. The Tigers jumped out to an early 14-0 lead in the first half. Quarterback Eric Phoenix scored the first touchdown of the game on a two yard run late in the first quarter. That score was later followed by a blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown by Benedict College.

The Tigers had full control of the game by halftime when they went up 42-14 headed into the locker room with two quarters to go.

Phoenix led the game in passing with 313 yards and a 65% completion rate. He also threw 2 touchdown passes. He also led the team rushing with 91 yards on the the ground and a rushing touchdown. Zaire Scotland led the Tigers in receiving yards with 55 on three catches.

Chennis Berry was hired as the head coach for the Tigers in 2020. He has quickly turned the program around and checked off all of his goals that included winning a championship. Coach Berry explained that he wanted to complete the “A,B,C,D’s” while he was leading the football program at Benedict.

“A’s and B’s in the classroom, that’s non-negotiable,” Berry said. “We want guys who love being students. C’s is championships. We have an opportunity to compete for Benedict’s first-ever championship in football. And degrees. The game of football will end one day. We have to teach these young men that you’ve got to ready for this game we call life. These four years will set them up for the next 40 years.”

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After enduring much of a season away from home because its home field was being replaced and even having to leave town to practice on occasion, the Golden Tigers have made one more bus ride. What’s new is this one is to Columbia, South Carolina, to play Benedict for the SIAC title.

“For us, it’s like the opportunity to play the championship game that’s the most important thing that we are here,” Tuskegee Coach head coach Reginald Ruffin. “And like I told the guys, since we’re here, we might as well win it. No need of coming here not winning it.”

OVERCOMING TOUGH TIMES

In light of all the road trips, Ruffin has preached resilience to his team, and his choir heard the sermon because both he and they have been through a lot recently. and back when he was coaching at Miles before coming to Tuskegee.

Ruffin’s wife died of breast cancer in 2017. That same year, an assistant coach died from cancer and a brain tumor, and later, another assistant lost his young child. It was a devastating stretch, but Ruffin didn’t falter.

“You just can’t give up and you’ve got to keep fighting, keep battling,” he says. “And that’s the resilience that I have and I tell the kids that I want them to have. And they have that.

“We can’t make excuses because things don’t go our way or the ball and the ball don’t bounce in our court. We just got to keep battling, keep crawling and keep scratching. That’s us,” he says.”

With upgrades being done to the facility, Tuskegee spent a lot of time on the highway even before going to a game. Because its practice field is only 65 yards long, the team worked out a partnership with Auburn which allowed them to scrimmage at the school’s indoor practice facility. But more problems surfaced.

Tuskegee endured much the same problems Florida A&M ran into before its season opener against North Carolina in late August. Ruffin found out before the Fort Valley State game, which was played in Montgomery, that as many as 16 players were ineligible for action. The Golden Tigers lost that game, 21-6.

The next week, Tuskegee was headed to a game at Hampton when the team received word that some players were being reinstated. That news was too late for that week and the result was a 42-10 spanking.

“But, unfortunately, we were already in South Carolina when that happened and all those guys were still back at Tuskegee,” Ruffin says. “They weren’t going to help us, either. being at home, even though they were reinstated.”

The team’s fortunes turned with a 13-10 victory over West Alabama, the launching point for the eight-game winning streak that has them contending for the championship. There were only two practices on the new field before the Golden Tigers celebrated a literal homecoming by beating Miles, 26-23.

GETTING TO THE TITLE

The next obstacle for Tuskegee is a prolific Benedict offense. Ruffin’s young defense is surrendering an average of three touchdowns a game, so stopping the other bunch of Tigers will be a chore.

“The biggest thing is, we’ve got to minimize our mistakes, our busted coverage, our communication” he says. “We’ve got to do a better job communicating and everybody being on the same page.”

Offense might not be too hard to come by. Seniors Taurean Taylor and Donte Edwards have collected more than 1,400 yards rushing and accounted for 15 touchdowns. Bryson Williams, a junior, has thrown for nearly 1,200 yards and nine scores. Williams’ favorite target has been freshman Antonio Meeks, who’s caught 28 passes and scored four times.

“You don’t get a chance to play in a lot of championship games. Then when you do, you have to make the best of them,” Ruffin says. “This is my seventh SIAC championship game appearance … so I’m very excited for this opportunity. If we can fortunate in winning, that will be five championships out of seven tries and that’s a great feat for me as a coach.”

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North Division champ Chowan meets South Division champ Fayetteville State in the CIAA Football Championship game in Salem, Va. Saturday (1 p.m.).

East Division champ Benedict takes on West Division champ Tuskegee in the SIAC Championship game in Columbia, S. C. (2 p.m.).

This week’s HBCU Football Rundown breaks down the championship game match ups by their 2022 schedules, history and statistics.

HBCU Football Rundown: CIAA Championship Game match up

Fayetteville State

As HBCU Gameday noted back at the beginning of the season, the departure of head coach Damon Wilson from three-time champion Bowie State opened the door for a new champ in the CIAA in 2022. That’s where we’re headed this weekend.

This will be the fifth straight trip for Fayetteville State and sixth-year head coach Richard Hayes Jr. to the championship game. Hayes is looking for his first win in the title contest. FSU lost the title game in 2017 to Virginia State and has lost in the last three championship games (2021, 2019 and 2018) to Bowie State.

Hayes has followed in the footsteps of his uncle, Black College Hall of Famer Bill Hayes, who took five straight Winston-Salem State teams (1983-87) to the CIAA title game. Like Bill Hayes, who also lost four straight championship game match ups before winning, Richard Hayes hopes to make his fifth trip the charm. Hayes and the WSSU Rams defeated Hampton 22-12 in the 1987 title game.

The FSU offense and defense

To get this proverbial monkey off his back, Hayes has to get more out of his offense that has primarily been playing freshman Caden Davis and redshirt freshman Damari Daniels at quarterback. 

Senior QB K’hari Lane who began the season as the starter and was the preseason all-CIAA first team quarterback, has not played much since a 13-10 win over Chowan on Sept. 29. Lane threw three interceptions in the Broncos’ 31-28 loss to Virginia Union a week earlier.

In the 13-10 FSU win over Chowan earlier this season, Lane hit on 6 of 16 passes for 92 yards and one TD, a third-quarter 52-yard pass to wideout Barry Elliot. The Broncos forced five Chowan turnovers and registered five sacks of starting QB Caleb Pierce, three by Cameron Merrell and two by Devin Cowan.

Merrell (74 tackles, 8.5 sacks) and Cowan (55 tackles, 8 sacks) are the defensive leaders. The Broncos have the stingiest defense in the league surrendering just 12.8 points per game.

Chowan offense comes to life

Chowan, meanwhile, has come to life under junior QB Rashad McKee.

Since becoming the starter in an Oct. 15 date at Virginia State, McKee has led the Hawks to a homecoming win over VSU (43-40), a win on the road at three-time defending conference champion Bowie State (21-15), a tough victory on the road at then undefeated Virginia Union (26-21) and a closeout 54-8 home win over Elizabeth City State.

In those four wins, McKee has passed for 756 yards (189 ypg.) and eight touchdowns with three interceptions. He has run for 332 yards (83.0 ypg.) and three TDs over those games.

Grad linebacker Montre Moore has been the ringleader on defense racking up 37 tackles (9.2 per game) during the four-game win streak. He paces the Hawks with an even 100 tackles on the season that is tops in the CIAA.

Based on the recent play of both teams, Chowan may be slightly favored.

HBCU Football Rundown: SIAC Championship Game match up

The SIAC coaching match up

One big storyline for Saturday’s SIAC championship game lies with both coaches — Tuskegee’s Reginald Ruffin and Benedict’s Chennis Berry. 

Ruffin, who spent ten years leading Miles of the SIAC before moving over to Tuskegee this season, brought championship tradition with him. At Miles, he led the Golden Bears to four SIAC titles and six division titles as the most dominant team in the West. He is returning Tuskegee to the championship game for the first time since 2017.

The much-traveled Berry has the Tigers undefeated, nationally ranked (12th in d2.football Top 25, 8th in the AFCA Div. II Coaches Poll), ranked first in Super Region II. and in the SIAC championship game for the first time in program history in only his second year at the helm. 

Berry was an assistant at seven HBCUs before getting his first head coaching assignment at Benedict. Despite their undefeated record, Berry, whose squad knocked off defending conference champion Albany State en route its perfect regular season, thinks his Tigers have not played their best game.

The statistical match up

Benedict has certainly been the most dominant of the two on the season. Statistically, Benedict tops the SIAC in three key categories (scoring, total defense and pass defense) and is no worse than fifth in eight major statistical categories.

Tuskegee is not in the top five in any of the eight categories.

But while Benedict has won all ten games this season, Tuskegee is on an eight-game win streak. Both Benedict QB Eric Phoenix and Tuskegee’s Bryson Williams have been impressive and similar statistically. Phoenix has thrown for 1,169 yards and nine TDs with just one interception. Williams has thrown for 1,125 yards and 10 TDs with four picks.

Benedict certainly has the edge in terms of how they’ve played this season. And, the Tigers are playing at home. But don’t count Ruffin’s troops out. 

HBCU Football Rundown: NCAA Div. II playoffs loom

What’s left now are the games to be played and the outcomes to be determined. Those outcomes will have some bearing on which teams will play on in the Div. II playoffs.

Entering Saturday’s championship games, undefeated Benedict (10-0) is ranked first in Super Region II of NCAA D2.Of the other ranked SIAC teams, Fort Valley State is seventh and Tuskegee is ninth. Neither Fayetteville State or Chowan is ranked in the top ten of the region. Only 9-1 Virginia Union out of the CIAA is in the top ten at fourth.

Both the CIAA and SIAC teams are in Super Region II along with teams from the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) and the Gulf South Conference (GSC). Delta State (No. 2), West Florida (No. 3) and West Georgia (No. 10) are in the Gulf South. Wingate (No. 5), Mars Hill (No. 6), and Limestone (No. 8) are in the SAC. Each will finish out their regular seasons this week.

Only seven teams from Super Region II and seven from each of the nation’s four Super Regions will make the 28-team Div. II championship playoff field.       

More than likely, Benedict and Virginia Union are safe to get into the playoff field.

HBCU Football Rundown: Games This Week

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12

CIAA 

Championship Game

Chowan vs. Fayetteville State in Salem, VA 1p

MEAC

Howard vs. SC State in Washington, DC 1p

Delaware State vs. Morgan State in Dover, DE 2p

Norfolk State vs. NC Central in Norfolk, VA  – ESPN3 2p 

SIAC 

Championship Game

Benedict vs. Tuskegee in Columbia, SC – ESPN+ 2p

Edward Waters vs. Allen in Jacksonville, FL – ESPN+ 2p

SWAC

Alabama State vs. Florida A&M in Montgomery, AL 2p

Alcorn State vs. Bethune-Cookman in Lorman, MS – HBCUGO 2p 

Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. Prairie View A&M in Pine Bluff, AR 2p

Gulf Coast Challenge 

Alabama A&M vs. Jackson State in Mobile, AL – ESPN+ 4p

Southern vs. Miss. Valley State in Baton Rouge, LA – ESPN+ 4p

Texas Southern vs. Grambling State in Houston, TX – ESPN+ 6p

NON-HBCU CONFERENCES

Big South

NC A&T vs. Charleston Southern in Greensboro, NC  – ESPN+ 12n 

CAA

Hampton vs. Elon in Hampton, VA – FloSports 1p 

OVC

Tennessee State vs. UT-Martin in Nashville, TN – ESPN+ 4p

MIAA

Missouri Western vs. Lincoln (MO) in St. Joseph, MO 1p

MEC

Charleston  vs. West Virginia State in Charleston, WV 1p

Texas College (HC) vs. Louisiana College in Tyler, TX 2p

The Citadel vs. VA-Lynchburg in Charleston, SC 2p

SAGU vs. Langston in Waxahachie, TX 4p

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One team did not.

HBCU Football Rundown: SIAC Championship game set

Benedict beat Clark Atlanta 49-20 to remain undefeated (9-0, 6-0 SIAC E) and clinch the SIAC East Division title.

By virtue of winning the East title, the Tigers of second-year head coach Chennis Berry will host the Nov. 12 SIAC Championship Game on campus in Columbia, S. C.

Benedict’s opponent will be West Division champion Tuskegee (7-2, 6-0 W). The Golden Tigers under first-year head coach Reginald Ruffin defeated Kentucky State 28-7 to take the West crown. 

SIAC: Plenty to play for at season’s end

In the closeout week to the SIAC regular season, traditional in-state rivalries take center stage. The outcomes of several of these games carry NCAA Div. II playoff implications.

Benedict, up to No. 12 in the d2football.com poll and ninth in the AFCA Div. II Coaches Poll, closes with a date vs. Allen (1-6, 0-5 E). The game is set for the Yellow Jackets home field at Westwood High School in Blythewood, S. C.

Tuskegee, has its traditional season-ending date vs. Miles (1-8, 1-5 W) in the Golden Tigers’ homecoming.

Albany State (7-2, 5-1 E) has a key game vs. Fort Valley State (7-2, 4-2 E) in their annual Fountain City Classic in Columbus, Ga. (2 p.m.). Albany State is still alive and needs a win to stay alive for an NCAA Div. II playoff bid.

The Golden Rams enter this week ranked eighth in NCAA Div. II Super Region Two. Benedict is currently second in the region. Tuskegee is seventh. Seven teams from the region make the playoff field.

Next door neighbors Morehouse and Clark Atlanta close out their seasons Saturday at the Maroon Tigers’ B. T. Harvey Stadium (2 p.m.). Morehouse (0-9, 0-6 E) will be trying to avoid its first winless season since an 0-11 finish in 1999.

SIAC GAMES THIS WEEK

HBCU Football Rundown: The unfinished CIAA race

In the CIAA, Fayetteville State and head coach Richard Hayes Jr., clinched their fifth straight South Division crown with a 28-20 win over Shaw. They have to wait another week to find out their opponent in the Nov. 12 CIAA title game in Salem, Va.

That’s because previously undefeated and nationally-ranked North Division leader Virginia Union lost its bid to win the N. Div. on its home field Saturday to Chowan, 26-21. That outcome means the N. Div. title will be decided this week.

The North Division title will be determined on the final Saturday of the regular season in one of three ways. 

Chowan (6-3, 6-1 N), under second-year head coach Mark Hall, is hosting Elizabeth City State (2-7, 2-5 N) at 1 p.m. in Murfreesboro, N. C. A Chowan win gives it the berth opposite Fayetteville State in next Saturday’s (Nov. 12) championship game in Salem, Va. 

Virginia Union (8-1, 6-1 N) travels to Ettrick, Va. Saturday to face rival Virginia State (6-3, 5-2 N) at 12 noon. A Chowan loss and VUU win gives the division title and championship berth to VUU. 

If both Chowan and VUU lose, Chowan takes the division title and championship game berth by virtue of its head-to-head win over VUU.

CIAA: D2 playoff implications

The results of games Saturday and over the next two weeks will have a bearing on which teams from the NCAA Div. II Super Region Two make the seven-team playoff field.

Fayetteville State closes out its regular season with a date at Winston-Salem State ((3-5, 3-3 W) Saturday (4 p.m.). Heading into action this week, Virginia Union is fifth in the region and Fayetteville State is tenth.

CIAA Games This Week

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• New Faces — The Tigers saw a mass influx of talent this off-season as three transfers and seven freshmen joined the team. Head coach James Rice said on the school’s athletic page that he and his staff are very excited for the team they’ve put together. 

 “This is one of the largest recruiting classes we’ve had in a very long time. All of our recruits understand the program’s goals and objectives on and off the court,” he said. “Our program’s standards have always been set high. With our skillful returnees along with the addition of this year’s talented recruiting class, we all are looking forward to the many challenges and obstacles in our path ahead.”

• Post Play — Of those 10 newcomers, five of them are post players over six feet. The unit is still really young as a whole and they’ll have their first trial by fire as they take on the reigning Naismith College Player of the Year Aliyah Boston. 
• Leadership — The veterans Benedict has are incredibly seasoned and should help steady the ship as the new additions start to mesh. Senior Jazmin Grayson and fifth-year seniors  Jasmine Gholson, Madison Golden are among the leaders as well as graduate guard Mahogany Randall, who was out last season due to injury but should ready to help the Tigers contend.
• Offensive Pace — Both the Gamecocks and the Tigers have shown they can get out and run. With as many new players as they have, will the Tigers come out running and gunning or will they try to grind out an ugly win? 
• Defensive cohesion — Dawn Staley and South Carolina returned their core and have a good rhythm on offense which will pose a challenge for the Tigers defensively as they establish their identity on both sides of the ball.  

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With two weeks left in the football regular season of the two NCAA Div. II HBCU conferences — the SIAC and CIAA —  contenders have been separated from pretenders. 

Leaders in both leagues’ divisional races can clinch division titles and championship game berths with wins this week. But it won’t be easy. Each will face a stiff challenge.

Here’s the HBCU Football rundown.

HBCU Football Rundown: SIAC East

Undefeated and nationally-ranked Benedict (8-0, 5-0 SIAC E) can clinch the SIAC East Division title and a berth in the Nov. 12 SIAC championship game with a win Saturday. The Tigers of second-year head coach Chennis Berry play at home at 2 p.m. in Columbia, S. C. vs. Clark Atlanta (3-5, 2-4 E). 

The winner of the East Division title will host this season’s Nov. 12 SIAC Championship Game.

Berry has led the surprising Tigers to a No. 15 ranking in both the NCAA Div. II d2football.com and AFCA Coaches polls.

Bendict- Clark Atlanta match up

Taking out Clark Atlanta and veteran head coach Willie Slater in his first year leading the Panthers will not be easy. In 15 years before taking over the Panthers’ program, Slater led Tuskegee to seven SIAC titles and five West Division crowns. He will have CAU ready to play spoiler.

Benedict is led by left-handed quarterback Eric Phoenix, who has passed for 1,054 yards and nine touchdowns with just one interception. Phoenix leads the league with a 63.3 completion percentage (93 of 147). His complement at running back is freshman Zaire Scotland who has rushed for 538 yards and six TDs. The Benedict offense is second in scoring in the SIAC at 29.1 points per game.

Clark Atlanta is coming off a 41-21 loss last week to Fort Valley State. In its last win, 21-12 on Oct. 15 over Savannah State, CAU broke a five-game losing streak to the Tigers. QB Shariff Brown threw for 123 yards and one score and Daquan Kincey ran for 172 yards and one touchdown.

Fort Valley State (7-1) and Albany State (6-2) both have 4-1 records in the conference and only stay alive if they win and Benedict loses. ASU is hosting winless Morehouse (2 p.m.) while FVSU is at Savannah State (3-5, 2-4 E) (6 p.m.).

Benedict, who has wins over FVSU and Albany State, can lose to Clark Atlanta and take the division title with a win next week at home over Allen.

HBCU Football undown: Showdown in the SIAC West

In the SIAC West, Tuskegee (6-2) is atop the division with an unblemished 5-0 league mark. After a shaky 0-2 start, Tuskegee is on a six-game winning streak.

The Golden Tigers have a 1 p.m. showdown at second-place Kentucky State (4-4, 4-1 W), the only other team still alive for the division title. A Tuskegee win clinches the division title.

The Golden Tigers are in their first year under head coach Reginald Ruffin. The former Miles head coach led the Golden Bears to four SIAC titles and five championship game appearances in nine years.

KSU, obscure after an 0-4 start, has run off four straight wins under new interim head coach Paul Hamilton. A win by the Thorobreds puts them in the driver’s seat for the division title.

KSU closes next week (Nov. 5) on the road at Central State. Tuskegee closes the regular season next week at home vs. Miles.

The Tuskegee vs. Kentucky State match up

Kentucky State is averaging an SIAC-best 216.4 rushing yards per game. They are last in SIAC passing at 66.1 yards per game.

The ground attack is led by rugged 6-2, 245-pound senior running back Christian Coneway who has rushed for 513 yards (64.1 yards per game), averaging 5.5 yards per carry with seven rushing touchdowns.

In last week’s 35-7 win over Miles, KSU rushed the ball 53 times for 327 yards. KSU junior quarterback Jaylen Myers threw just one pass, completing it for 18 yards. The Breds have rushed for over 200 yards in each of their four straight wins. Tuskegee is giving up 185.0 rushing yards per game.

Expect KSU to pound the Golden Tigers on the ground.

During its five-game win streak, junior quarterback Bryson Williams and senior running back Taurean Taylor have been stellar for Tuskegee.

Taylor (684 yards, 92 carries, 7.4 yards per carry, 97.7 ypg. 6 TDs) is second in SIAC rushing to FVSU’s Emanuel Wilson. He has had two 200-yard rushing efforts during the win streak — 234 rushing yards and four TDs in a 49-34 win over Central State and 218 yards yards and a TD vs. Clark Atlanta.

In the five-game streak, Williams has thrown for 790 yards and seven TDs with just two interceptions.

HBCU Football Rundown: CIAA North

Virginia Union (8-0, 6-0 N), under head coach Dr. Alvin Parker, is undefeated and ranked 11th nationally in the d2football.com poll and tenth in the AFCA Div. II Coaches poll. The Panthers are also on top of the CIAA North Division race as they host Chowan (5-3, 5-1 N) Saturday in a showdown at VUU’s Hovey Field (1 p.m.).

Chowan is the only other team with a shot at the division title. A VUU win clinches the North Division title and a spot in the Nov. 12 CIAA Championship Game in Salem, Virginia. Chowan is in the driver’s seat for the division title with a win. CU closes next week hosting Elizabeth City State while VUU closes at Virginia State.

The Virginia Union vs. Chowan match up

Chowan, under second-year head coach Mark Hall, has come from literally nowhere to challenge VUU.

After a series of close wins and losses in a 3-3 start, the team has pulled off close, down-to-the-wire wins over Lincoln, Pa. (16-14 on Oc. 8), Virginia State (45-43 on Oct. 15) and three-time defending CIAA North and conference champion Bowie State (21-15 last week, Oct. 22). It isn’t an HBCU football program, but it could play for the championship of the oldest HBCU football conference if it keeps winning.

Junior quarterback Rashad McKee has sparked Chowan in its last three wins. He came off the bench to lead his team to a late field goal that was the difference in the win over Lincoln. Rashad ran for 139 yards and a touchdown and led the team to a game-winning touchdown vs. VSU. He then passed for 270 yards and all three Chowan scores of 73, 11 and 61 yards in its upset of Bowie State last week.

The Byers effect

VUU has been led all season by CIAA, Div. II and HBCU football rushing leader, sophomore Jada Byers. If you throw out his 98-yard effort in a 77-0 blowout of Virginia-Lynchburg to open the season, the 5-9, 180-pound dynamo’s average would be 208.4 yards per game.

As it is, he has topped 100 yards in every game since with one 300-yard game (319 in an early season win over No. 3 Valdosta tate), two with over 200 yards (205 vs. Elizabeth City State and 277 vs. Bowie State) and 199- and 187-yard efforts (vs. Livingstone and Lincoln Pa.). His lowest output since has been 114 yards in 12 carries in a blowout win vs. Saint Augustine’s.

In total, he has amassed 1,604 rushing yards on 215 carries. He is averaging 7.3 yards per carry and 195.0 rushing yards per game. He is tied for the lead nationally with 18 rushing touchdowns.

HBCU Football Rundown: CIAA South

In the CIAA South, Fayetteville State (6-2, 5-1 S) can clinch its fifth straight division title and Nov. 12 Championship Game berth with a win at home over Shaw (3-5, 3-3 S). 

Shaw and Winston-Salem State (2-6, 2-3 W) are still alive for the division title but would both have to beat FSU — Shaw this week and WSSU next week — to have a chance. WSSU hosts J. C. Smith Saturday (1 p.m.). WSSU closes at home on Nov. 5 vs. FSU while Shaw plays at Saint Augustine’s.

The FSU vs. Shaw match up

Going into the 2022 season, most thought Shaw would be the greatest challenge to Fayetteville State’s South Division supremacy. Turns out, that’s certainly one of the scenarios in play.

The Bears, in their fifth-season under head coach Adrian Jones, have see-sawed back and forth all season. They lost their first two games, won two straight and then lost three in a row. Last week they beat Livingtone 28-14 to stay in contention in the South. Their biggest win was handing Bowie State its first loss in 18 CIAA games, 17-14 on Sept. 17.

Junior running back Andre Brandon Jr. (5-10, 182) ran 49 times for 306 yards in last week’s win over Livingstone. He more than doubled the total output in his previous five games and is now third in CIAA rushing stats with 479 yards (87.7 yards per game.). Expect Coach Jones to feature Brandon vs. FSU.

The Broncos and sixth-year head coach Richard Hayes Jr. are closing the season with redshirt freshman Caden Davis and true freshman Demari Daniels taking most of the snaps at quarterback. Senior starting QB Khari Lane got in for a handful of snaps vs. J. C. Smith (a 21-13 FSU win last week) and played sparingly the previous week in a win over Livingstone. He sat out the Oct. 8 win over St. Augustine’s. His last start was Sept. 29 in a 13-10 win over Chowan.

SIAC and CIAA games for this week

SIAC

Thursday, October 27

Edward Waters 22, Miles 16

Saturday, October 29

Kentucky State vs  Tuskegee in Frankfort, KY – ESPN+ 1p 

Lane vs. Central State in Jackson, TN 2p 

Benedict vs. Clark Atlanta in Columbia, SC 2p

Albany State vs. Morehouse in Albany, GA – ESPN+ 2p

Savannah State vs. Fort Valley State in Macon, GA 6p

CIAA

Saturday, October 29

Elizabeth City State vs. Bowie State in Eliz. City, NC 1p

Lincoln (PA) vs. Virginia State in Lincoln University, PA 1p

Saint Augustine’s vs. Livingstone in Raleigh, NC 1p

Virginia Union vs. Chowan in Richmond, VA – HBCUGO 1p

Winston-Salem State vs. J. C. Smith in W-S, NC – AspireTV 1p

Fayetteville State vs. Shaw in Fayetteville, NC 4p

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