CAU's Johnathon McCrary, Tuskegee's Osband Thompson Named SIAC Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year; Benedict Leads With Ten All-SIAC Picks

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

Clark Atlanta University's high-flying quarterback Johnathon McCrary and Tuskegee tackling machine Osband Thompson have been named the 2017 SIAC Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced Tuesday.

In the vote of SIAC head coaches and sports information directors, McCrary was chosen after a season in which he threw for nearly 2,000 yards and a league-leading 14 touchdowns last season for the Panthers.  The Vanderbilt transfer averaged 211.4 yards passing a game including SIAC single-game highs of 456 yards passing and five touchdowns.

Thompson has been a perennial star in each of his four seasons at Tuskegee.  Last season, he had 137 tackles, forced three fumbles and intercepted a pass for one of the nation's top teams in Tuskegee.  He had 67 solo tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.   Thompson is the reigning SIAC Defensive Player of the Year and Division II Conference Commissioners Association Super Region 2 Defensive Player of the Year.

The Preseason All-SIAC First and Second Teams were also announced Tuesday with Benedict, picked to finish third in the East Division, leading the way with ten players chosen:

First Team

Johnathan McCrary, QB, Clark Atlanta, Sr.
Ryan Edwards, TE, Morehouse, Sr.
Okechi Ntiasagwe, WR, Benedict, Jr.
Dre Martin, WR, Clark Atlanta, Soph.
Marcus Holliday, RB, Lane, Jr.
Ger'Kerry Jackson, RB, Miles, Jr.
Tedrick Colfield, OL, Albany State, Sr.
Leeward Brown, OL, Tuskegee, Sr.
Marcus Campbell Jr., OL, Kentucky State, Jr.
Justin Brown, OL, Benedict, Jr.
Howard Bush, OL, Lane, Sr.
Charles Williams, DL, Benedict, Sr.
Rodriguez Jones, DL, Kentucky State, Sr.
Aaryn Guy, DL, Benedict, Jr.
Kaelan Bonds, DL, Miles, Sr.
David Smith, LB, Morehouse, Sr.
Osband Thompson, LB, Tuskegee, Sr.
Kendrick Frazier, LB, Benedict, Sr.
Edward Kirkland, DB, Benedict, Sr.
Jonah McCutcheon, DB, Tuskegee, Sr.
Travonte Brown, DB, Benedict, Soph.
Kenneth Morgan, DB, Clark Atlanta, Soph.
Nick Christiansen, K, Miles, Sr.
Juan Serna, P, Fort Valley State, Sr.
Ricci Nuckles, KR, Morehouse, Soph.
Deandre Jackson, PR, Clark Atlanta, Sr.

Second Team

Marcus Reynolds, QB, Lane, Jr.
Darius Nelson, TE, Benedict, Jr.
Jules St. Ge, WR, Kentucky State, Soph.
Javarrius Cheatham, WR, Tuskegee, Jr.
Jamari Clark, RB, Fort Valley State, Jr.
Lavelle Cloyd, RB, Kentucky State, Sr.
Darius Thomas, OL, Central State, Soph.
Craig Hinson, OL, Central State, Soph.
Christopher Ruffin, OL, Benedict, Jr.
Darius Preyer, OL, Clark Atlanta, Jr.
Lowell Richardson, OL, Tuskegee, Jr.
Antonio Johnson, DL, Morehouse, Jr.
Voris Bryant, DL, Morehouse, Sr.
Devonte West, DL, Fort Valley State, Sr.
Mekiye Kingston, DL, Clark Atlanta, Jr.
Zavondric Shingleton, LB, Albany State, Sr.
Anthony Hardy, LB, Miles, Sr.
Keonte Reynolds, LB, Kentucky State, Jr.
Nick Scott, DB, Albany State, Sr.
Ryan Luckett, DB, Kentucky State, Sr.
Robert Cummings, DB, Benedict, Soph.
Kentron James, DB, Fort Valley State, Jr.
Carlos Saldana, K, Clark Atlanta, Soph.
Nick Christiansen, P, Miles, Sr.
Deondre Jackson, KR, Clark Atlanta, Sr.
Ladarrell Pettway, PR, Tuskegee, Soph.

Tuskegee and Albany State Picked To Win SIAC West and East Divisions

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

In no surprise to anyone in the universe, Tuskegee was picked to finish first in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's West Division, in a poll of conference head coaches and sports information directors released Tuesday.

The Golden Tigers picked up 11 of 15 first place votes after finishing last season in the second round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs.  They had the SIAC's top offense and defense last season, and return the conference's reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Osband Thompson, and experience at quarterback in new starter Jamarcus Ezell who played in all 12 games as Kevin Lacey's understudy.

Albany State has a new head coach in Gabe Giardina, but returns many of the cogs from what was one of the SIAC's stingiest defensive units. The Golden Rams had the top overall record in the SIAC East last season, but fell to Fort Valley State in a game that would have put them into the SIAC championship game.

Here is the full predicted order of finish for the SIAC East and West Divisions:

East Division

1) Albany State - 65 votes, six first place votes
2) Fort Valley State - 55, (4)
3) Benedict - 52, (4)
4) Clark Atlanta - 42 (2)
5) Morehouse - 26

West Division

1) Tuskegee - 75, (11)
2) Miles - 60, (3)
3) Kentucky State - 48, (2)
4) Lane - 37
5) Central State - 21

Questions and Observations Heading Into Tomorrow's SIAC Football Media Day

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

Heading into tomorrow’s Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 2017 football Media Day, there are a few early questions and observations that would be worth keeping in mind for each SIAC team.  They are:

Albany State was stingy on defense but a little shaky on offense last season.  To fix that, the Rams brought in new head coach Gabe Giardina. Giardina, in his first head coaching job, is the former offensive coordinator at Charleston Southern where in two of the past three seasons his offenses averaged 400 yards a game and twice made the NCAA FCS playoffs.

Benedict has good news in that George Myers Jr. is back.  He ran for nearly 1,100 yards, with two games of more than 220 yards rushing and two more with over 165. But passing – throwing it and stopping it – are major issues of concern that head coach Mike White will have to address heading into this season.  They were at the bottom of the SIAC in both categories last season.

Central State has to do better scoring and stopping teams from scoring.  They were last in both categories last season. They ran the ball superbly last year, but had the SIAC’s worst red-zone offense, couldn’t kick the ball well and ranked at the bottom of the league in turnover margin. And they lost their leading rusher to graduation.  Transfer Trent Mays will push last year’s starting quarterback Lavon Meeks, who had a decent season.

Clark Atlanta is poised to take the next step towards the upper echelon of SIAC teams as quarterback Johnathon McCrary proved last year that he is one of the best signal-callers in the conference and turned the CAU offense into the league’s second best last season.  The defense will need to improve and lost their leading tackler to graduation. 

Fort Valley State won’t have much time this season to figure it out. Their first five games include West Georgia, Valdosta State, and the SWAC’s Southern – all on the road. That stretch also includes a match-up with the league’s highest scoring offense last year, Miles.  The defending SIAC champs also must replace quarterback Otis Brown.  Jamari Clark returns after a solid freshman season at running back

Kentucky State’s 2016 midseason in which they won four of five games – including shocking nationally-ranked Tuskegee – was one of the biggest headlines from the SIAC last season.  The SIAC’s Coach of the Year, John L. Smith, returns the SIAC’s Freshman of the Year in quarterback Jules St. Ge, who is a dual threat, though more of a runner.

Lane has the Marcus Show returning to Jackson this season in junior running back Marcus Holliday and his classmate, quarterback Marcus Reynolds.  Holliday led the SIAC in rushing last season while Reynolds threw seven TDs during an injury-filled 2016.  Though a good secondary lost some players to graduation, the Dragon has some solid players returning to a pretty good defensive unit.

Miles lost their high-powered quarterback-running back duo in David Whipple and Jamarcus Nance to graduation. They have to figure out who will step into those spots. The returning quarterback with the most experience is Tommy Neeley who only completed 15 passes last season. Ger’Kerry Jackson showed flashes last year at running back. The Tigers won’t have long to figure things out. They start out against SWAC power Alcorn State and then go to West Georgia. They do have the SIAC’s best kicker in Nick Christiansen.

Morehouse’s biggest change this year is on the sidelines – Henry Williams takes over for the departed Leon Murray as offensive coordinator and brings a wide-open, spread the field offense that could be a solid match for athletic returning quarterback Kivon Taylor.  David Smith, the SIAC’s third-leading tackler as a sophomore, is back to lead a solid defense.

Tuskegee had the SIAC’s best offense and best defense, was ranked among the nation’s top teams and now they have a new athletic director in venerable head football coach Willie Slater. But the Golden Tigers have lost their offensive leader in quarterback Kevin Lacey. Jamarcus Ezell was a solid understudy last season as a freshman, throwing five TDs and playing in all 12 games.  Returning to a stalwart defense is Osband Thompson, a senior linebacker who has been a tackling machine his entire career.

Events DC Ends Nations Football Classic

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

The AT&T Nations Football Classic in Washington, D.C. is now history.

Events DC, the convention and sports authority for the District of Columbia, announced on June 30 that the annual football match-up of Howard University and for the first three years, Morehouse College, and, for the last three years, Hampton University, will cease to exist.

"The annual Classic in Washington, D.C. was more than just a game -- with ancillary activities celebrating the passion and tradition of historically black colleges and universities," said Gregory O'Dell, Events DC president and CEO.  "As our organization continues to evolve, we feel it is the right time to shift our efforts onto other exciting programming as well as the implementation of our short-term redevelopment project for the historic RFK Stadium-Armory campus."

The game has been played since 2011 at the aging RFK Stadium, the former home of the NFL's Washington football club.  The stadium is set to be demolished and replaced with a sports, market and recreation complex along with a memorial to President Robert F. Kennedy, who the stadium was named after.  That project is estimated to be completed within the next ten years.

Howard, an FCS team in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, and Morehouse of the Division II and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, renewed their rivalry in the Classic's first game in 2011.  The two schools had not played each other since 1997, but had played each other semi-regularly since 1955.  Howard defeated Morehouse each of the three years the two played in the D.C. classic.

The game featured a week of activities leading up to the game, including a debate between the Morehouse and Howard debate teams, presentations on research by the schools' professors and other activities.

Howard rival Hampton replaced Morehouse in the Classic's final three years.  Howard won the first game while Hampton took the last two contests.

"Though we are sad to discontinue one of our primary produced events, we are now able to pivot our investments from one larger event to several smaller ones as we continue to activate the RFK Stadium-Armory campus and beyond," said Erik A. Moses, Events DC senior vice president and managing director of sports, entertainment and special events.   "We would like to thank all the students, alumni, faculty and sponsors whose tremendous support since the Classic's unveiling made this event a staple for the regional HBCU community over the past six years -- especially Howard University, a true partner each year since the Classic's unveiling."

NBPA To Hold Top 50 Basketball Camp in July for SIAC and SWAC Players

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

The 50 of the best ballers from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the Southwestern Athletic Conference will participate in a full-range basketball camp run by some of the NBA's present and former stars.

The National Basketball Players Association has announced an agreement with the SIAC and the SWAC to hold a basketball camp July 20-23 at Morehouse College's Forbes Arena in Atlanta for 25 players from each of the conferences made up primarily of historically black colleges and universities.

The NBPA is the union that represents the NBA's players.

The camp is modeled after the Top 100 Camp which plays host to the nation's top high school basketball players, but also provides mentoring for education, leadership, life skills, character and skills development. So think the same thing, but for the top SIAC and SWAC players.

"Our members are very excited to be able to share their professional knowledge and life experiences with today's student-athlete," said NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts.  "This relationship with the HBCUs demonstrates the NBPA's capacity to play a role in enlightening the young people of today as they seek to shape their future, on and off the court."

The camp also gives current and former NBA players looking towards a coaching career an opportunity to connect with administrators and officials at HBCUs where many often get their first shot at coaching careers.

"Historically black colleges and universities often provide crucial "first chance" opportunities to professional athletes seeking coaching and administrator opportunities in intercollegiate athletics," said SIAC Commissioner Greg Moore.  "This initiative seeks to cultivate, institutionalize and ultimately broaden critically important talent pipelines, while also imparting invaluable skill instruction and mentoring to our student-athletes."

"The Southwestern Athletic Conference is honored to work with the leadership and members of the NBPA, as well as the SIAC, to bring this incredible opportunity to our stakeholders," added SWAC Commissioner Duer Sharp.  "The most fulfilling piece to this is an opportunity for these future leaders to develop their academic and character compass as they embark on their future on and off the court."

Football Media Days Soon To Kick Off New HBCU Season

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

HBCU football fans won't have to wait much longer for the unofficial start to a new football season.

The first HBCU conference football Media Day is only a few weeks away as the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference holds their media day on July 11.  This year comes a new venue and city - instead of Montgomery, Alabama where it had been held, the event moves this year to the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

"The College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-fil-A Fan Experience was built to serve as the home for an celebrate all things college football - players, coaches, teams, conferences and fans," said Dennis Adamovich, CEO of the Hall.  "We are the perfect venue for important events like this and we are thrilled to welcome the SIAC here to host their Football Media Day."

"We are very pleased to have the SIAC Football Media Day hosted by the College Football Hall of Fame," added SIAC Commissioner Greg Moore.  "In light of the rich history which spans more than 100 years, I cannot think of a more appropriate place to hold this year's event."

Coaches from the SIAC's football playing institutions will speak about their teams and will each be accompanied by two players.  The preseason All-SIAC team will be announced, as will the teams predicted order of finish.

A few days later, the Southwestern Athletic Conference holds their annual Media Day on July 14 in Birmingham, Ala.  Following the same format of the SIAC, it will also be the first opportunity media types will have to question a gathering of the league's coaches, administrators and players about SWAC officials' new plan to do away with the SWAC football championship game after this season.

SWAC Media Day will stream live on the SWAC Digital Network.  It will be available via audio and video online at SWAC.org.

Six days later, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association holds their football Media Day on July 20 in Roanoke, Va.  It kicks off a special season for the CIAA as the conference is celebrating the 125th year of black college football. CIAA institutions Livingstone College and Biddle Memorial Institute, which is now Johnson C. Smith University, played the first black college football game on December 27, 1892.

On July 28, in Norfolk, Va., the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference will hold their annual Media Day. One of the biggest off-season news items to come up for the MEAC is the decision by Savannah State University to leave the MEAC and FCS competition to drop back down to Division II in two years.

Citing Focus on the Celebration Bowl, SWAC Decides to End Conference Title Game After 2017 Season

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

After this season, the regular season Southwestern Athletic Conference football  champions from the East and West divisions won't be meeting in a league championship game.

Tuesday, SWAC officials said the annual Toyota SWAC Championship game, held in Houston since 2013, is being phased out after the 2017 season.  It has been held since 1999, starting in Birmingham, Ala.

"With the creation of the Celebration Bowl as a national showcase for HBCU football, the Council of Presidents and Chancellors decided to suspend the championship game format after the 2017 season," said SWAC Commissioner Duer Sharp.  "By focusing on the Celebration Bowl, we can continue to grow the [Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl] as an HBCU classic for the teams and fans of both conferences and for HBCU football nationally."

Ten teams play in the SWAC, with Grambling winning the championship game and the Celebration Bowl last season.  Their Celebration Bowl opponent last season was North Carolina Central.  Eleven of the MEAC's 13 member schools play football.  The conference doesn't have a championship game and isn't split in divisions.

While the SWAC champion had been determined by the title game since 1999, after this season, the champion will be determined by who has the best regular season conference record.  Conference school administrators, coaches and SWAC officials will work on a new tie-breaker format and scheduling format.

The Celebration Bowl is heading into its third year of hosting the champions of the SWAC and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.  The game, telecast in mid-December by ESPN, is one of 13 college football bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events each year.

Often called the HBCU national championship, there is no actual HBCU championship game, especially as the only HBCU teams eligible to play in the Celebration Bowl come from the SWAC and MEAC.  That leaves out independents like Tennessee State and Division II HBCU football teams such as Tuskegee and Winston-Salem State.  The NCAA doesn't recognize an HBCU champion either.

The move allows the SWAC to get away from the cost of staging a week-long championship event and game day.  Attendance for the  SWAC title games held in Houston at NRG Stadium hovered around 39-40,000 fans the first three years, dropping to just under 25,000 fans this past season when Grambling defeated Alcorn State.  This year's game will be held in the new Mercedes Benz Dome in Atlanta.

Prairie View A&M head football coach Willie Simmons told the Houston Chronicle that the move could also mean the need to move from seven conference games to nine.

"Personally, I think if you play nine, it works itself out," Simmons told the paper.  "Everyone plays everyone and the best team eventually comes out on top. If you decrease it to seven, like our current format, then you run into, 'Well, we didn't play this team and this team that won a championship didn't have to play a tougher schedule.' So I think there are some discussions that have to be had moving forward."