For the Week of December 16 - 22, 2014

Late-Breaking BCSP Notes

Latrell Scott named new
Norfolk State head football coach

BIG
NUMBERS
IN 2014

Alcorn State Sports Photo

JAY HOPSON: Alcorn

State head coach one of
five to share 2014 BCSP
Coach of the Year award.

SCOTT IN AT NORFOLK STATE, BLOUNT

OUT AT DELSTATE; BAAD TEAM NAMED

It was announced Tuesday that Virginia State Head Football Coach
Latrell Scott has resigned to accept the same position at Norfolk State.

In two seasons as VSU's head coach, Scott compiled a 19-4 record and went 15-0 against CIAA
competition. The Trojans won the CIAA championship this year, dethroning two-time champion Winston-Salem State and ending the Rams 31-game
conference win streak.

Under Scott, VSU captured the CIAA Northern
Scott

FIRST TEAM - OFFENSE

QB - John Gibbs Jr., Jr., Alcorn State RB - Malcolm Cyrus, Sr., Alabama
State; Tarik Cohen, So., N. C. A&T WR - Jalen Hendricks, Jr., Livingstone;

STAT CORNER

OL - Darren Pinnock, Sr., Morgan State; Isaac Sampson, Jr., Alcorn State;

WHO ARE THE BEST PERFORMERS IN BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS

- Johnta Hebert, Jr., Prairie View

Ronnie Ransome, Jr., Virginia State; WIlliam Ray Robinson, Sr., NC A&T;

(Last year's finish in parenthesis)

1. MAGIC CITY CLASSIC - Oct. 25 - Legion Field, Birmingham

Alabama A&M vs. Alabama State (1st)
67,710
2. BAYOU CLASSIC - Nov. 29 - Super Dome, New Orleans
Southern vs. Grambling State (2nd)
57,852
3. SOUTHERN HERITAGE CLASSIC - Sept. 13 - Liberty Bowl, Memphis
Jackson State vs. Tennessee State (4th)
46,914
4, FLORIDA CLASSIC - Nov. 22 - Citrus Bowl, Orlando, FL
Bethune-Cookman vs. Florida A&M (3rd)
41,126
5. SWAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME - Dec. 6 - NRG Stadium, Houston
Southern vs. Alcorn State (5th)
39,583
6. CHICAGO CLASSIC - Sept. 20 - Soldiers Field, Chicago
Central State vs. Morehouse
33,194
7. STATE FAIR CLASSIC - Sept. 27 - Cotton Bowl, Dallas
Prairie View A&M vs. Grambling State (7th)
32,877
8. TUSKEGEE HOMECOMING - Oct. 25 - Abbot Stad., Tuskegee, AL
Tuskegee vs. Kentucky State
31,756
9. JACKSON STATE HOME GAME - Oct. 25 - Mem. Stad., Jackson, MS
Jackson State vs. Southern
29,521
10. TENN. STATE HOMECOMING - Sept. 27 - LP Field - N'ville, TN
Tennessee State vs. Florida A&M
29,225
11. URBAN LEAGUE CLASSIC - Sept. 20 - MetLife Stad., E. Ruthfd, NJ
Howard vs. Morgan State
28,712
12. ALCORN ST. HOME GAME - Nov. 22 - Spinks Stad., Lorman, MS
Alcorn State vs. Jackson State (10th)
27,533
13. ATLANTA CLASSIC - Oct. 4 - Georgia Dome, Atlanta
S. C. State vs. N. C. A&T (5th)
24,441
14. JACKSON STATE HOME GAME, Nov. 16, Mem. Stad., Jackson
Alcorn State @ Jackson State
24,252
15. CLARK ATLANTA HOMECOMING - Nov. 1 - Panther Stad., Atlanta
Clark Atlanta vs. Paine
23,591
16. SOUTHERN HOMECOMING, Oct. 4, Mumford Stad., Baton R., LA
Alcorn State vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (8th)
23,091
17. N. C. A&T HOMECOMING, Nov. 2, Aggie Stadium, Greensboro, NC
NC A&T vs. Florida A&M (13th)
21,500
18. louis crews classic (hC) - Oct. 4 - Crews Stad., Huntsville, AL
Alabama A&M vs. Grambling State (NR)
21,254
19. JACKSON ST. HOMECOMING - Oct. 11 - Mem. Stad., Jackson, MS
Jackson State vs. Mississipp Valley State
21,078
2014 TOTAL

2013 TOTAL

625,610
32,905 average (19 games over 20,000)
467,624
23,381 average (20 games over 20,000)

HIGHEST ATTENDANCE AT
2014 HOMECOMING GAMES
(Last year's finish in parenthesis)

1 TUSKEGEE vs. Kentucky State - Oct. 25 - Tuskegee, AL (1st) 31,756

2 TENNESSEE STATE vs. FAMU - Sept. 27 - N'ville, TN (3rd) 29,225
3 CLARK ATLANTA vs. Paine - Nov. 1 - Atlanta (9th)

23,591

4 SOUTHERN vs. Ark.Pine Bluff - Oct. 4 - B. Rouge, LA (2nd)

23,091

5 NC A&T vs. Flordia A&M - Oct. 25 - Greensboro, NC (4th)

21,500

6 ALABAMA A&M vs. Grambling St. - Oct. 4 - H'ville, AL (14th) 21,254

7 JACKSON STATE vs. MVSU - Oct 11 - Jackson, MS (NR)

21,078

8 MOREHOUSE vs. Benedict - Oct. 26 - Atlanta (5th)

19,345

9 KENTUCKY STATE vs. Fort Valley State - Oct. 12 - (9th)

19,257

10 W-SALEM STATE vs. St. Augs - Oct. 18 - vs. W-S. NC (10th) 16,555
11 ALCORN ST. vs. Tex. Southern - Oct. 18 - Lorman, MS (NR) 15,513
12 FLORIDA A&M vs. Howard - Oct. 19 - Tallahassee, FL (8th)

15,342

13 FORT VALLEY STATE vs. Paine - Oct. 25 - FV, GA (13th)

15,042

14 ALABAMA ST. vs. Stillman - Nov. 22 - M'gmery, AL (11th)

13,156

15 ARK. PINE BLUFF vs. Prairie View - Nov. 8 - PB, AR (17th)

12,337

16 PRAIRIE VIEW A&M vs. MVSU - Oct. 19 - Pr. V, Tx (21st)

12,000

17 NC CENTRAL vs. Hampton - Nov. 8 - Durham, NC (16th)

11,964

18 NORFOLK STATE vs. DelState - Oct. 11 - Norfolk, VA

11,260

19 MOREHOUSE vs. Albany State - Oct. 18 - Atlanta

11,234

20 NORFOLK STATE vs. Florida A&M - Nov. 2 - Norfolk, VA (18th) 10,627

21 ALBANY STATE vs. Morehouse - Oct. 19 - Albany, GA (19th) 10,500
22 BETHUNE-COOKMAN vs. Howard - Oct. 11 - D. B., FL (20th) 10,247
23 MILES vs. Central State - Oct. 11 - Fairfield, AL

10,045

24 SC STATE vs. Savannah State - Nov. 1 - Orangeburg, SC (5th) 1 0,013

25 GRAMBLING vs. Ark.Pine Bluff - Oct. 18 - Gram., LA (12th)
2014 HOMECOMINGS TOTAL

Zach Brown, Sr., Southern PK - Chris Barrick, Fr., Prairie View A&M; KR
FIRST TEAM - DEFENSE
DL - Javon Hargrave, Jr., SC State; Samquan Evans, Sr., Tennessee State;
Deion Roberson, Sr., Alcorn State; LeBranden Richardson, Sr., BethuneCookman LB - Lynden Trail, Sr., Norfolk State; LeRon Furr, Sr., Fort Valley State; Jerome Howard, Sr., Prairie View A&M DB - Devon Francois,
Sr., Alcorn State; Darion Thomas, Jr., Virginia State; Curtis Pumphrey, Sr.,
Bowie State; Keenan Lambert, R-Sr., Norfolk State P - Corey Carter, Jr.,
Texas Southern

Cohen

Gibbs

Payne

SECOND TEAM - OFFENSE

QB - Greg McGhee, Sr., Howard RB - Herb Walker Jr., So., Morgan State; Jacquise Lockett,
Sr., Kentucky State WR - Dan Williams, So., Jackson State; Kendariss Brown, Sr., Benedict TE
- Khari Lee, R-Sr., Bowie State OL - Michael Sabb, Sr., Winston-Salem State; Victor Moli, Sr.,
Albany State; Damina Love, Jr., Alabama State; Ronald Canty, Sr., NC A&T; DeWayne Houston,
Sr., Southern PK - Cody Jones, So., NC A&T KR - Brenden Felder, Sr., Winston-Salem State
SECOND TEAM - DEFENSE
DL - Duvontae Covington, Sr., Winston-Salem State; Arthur Miley, Sr., Southern; George Riddick,
Sr., Norfolk State; Brysean Jones, R-Jr., Miles LB - Nick Thrasher, Sr., Tennessee State; Andre
Rawls, Sr., Virginia State; Koutney Berry, So., Alabama State DB - Donald Mattocks, Sr., NC A&T;
Najee Bright, Jr., Alabama State; Deante Saunders, Sr., Tennessee State; Michael Robinson, Sr.,
Tuskegee P - Haiden McRainey, So., Alcorn State
THIRD TEAM - OFFENSE
QB - Michael German, Sr., Tennessee State RB - Jarvis Small, Jr., Albany State; Johnta Hebert,
Jr., Prairie View A&M; WR - Drelon Freeman, Fr., Fort Valley State; Twarm Mixon, So., Hampton TE - Tamarrick Hemingway, Jr., S. C. State OL - Devin Flowers, Sr., Morgan State; Justin
Kee, Winston-Salem State; Matthew Reece, Sr., Tuskegee; Clevonne Davis, Jr., N. C. Central;
Robert Myers, R-Sr., Tennessee State; PK - Ryan Delsing, Jr., Jackson State KR - Antonio
Hamilton, Jr., SC State
THIRD TEAM - DEFENSE
DL - Deon King, Jr., Norfolk State; Darien Moody, Sr., Alcorn State; Alfy Hill, Sr., Winston-Salem
State; Rodney Gunter, Jr., Delaware State; LB - Dvonte Grant, Sr., NC A&T; Cody Acker, Sr.,
Morgan State; BreNard Williams, Sr., Clark Atlanta DB - Michael Jones, So., NC Central; Warren
Gatewood, Jr., Alcorn State; Charles Davis, Virginia Union; Tony McRae, Jr., NC A&T P - Chirstian
Faber-Kenney, So., Hampton

Pinnock

Sampson

Barrick

Hebert

Hargrave, Cyrus lead 2014 "Baad Team"

LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor

The 2014 season could easily be called "The

Year of Young Coaches" as new and relatively
new coaches set the black college football world
on fire.
And as we select the 2014 Black College
Sports Page "Baad Team" of black college allstars, picking a Coach of the Year is perhaps the
most difficult task.
Try these on for size:
Third-year head coach Jay Hopson of Alcorn State led that program back to prominence
by taking its first SWAC title in 21 years and to
the first-ever No. 1 ranking in the BCSP Final
Top Ten.
Second-year head coach Latrell Scott of
Virginia State won the first CIAA title for the
Trojans since 1996 and got the Trojans their firstever playoff berth and win.
First-year head coach Lee Hull won a
share of the first MEAC title for Morgan State
in 35 years and led the Bears to their first-ever
FCS playoff berth.
First-year head coach Jerry Mack of
North Carolina Central led the Eagles to a
share of their first-ever MEAC crown.
And first-year head coach Broderick
Fobbs led the Grambling State Tigers to a historic and welcomed resurgence, back from two
straight losing seasons to within one game of the
SWAC Championship Game.
Unable to distinguish between such historymaking and ground-breaking accomplishments,
the 2014 award will be shared between the five
named above.
South Carolina State junior defensive
tackle Javon Hargrave and Alabama State
senior running back Malcolm Cyrus lead the
2014 list of BCSP "Baad Team" players.
While a plethora of players and teams had
outstanding seasons, Hargrave and Cyrus stand
out for their individual accomplishments and
thus win the BCSP Defensive and Offensive
Player of the Year awards.
Hargrave was a virtual one-man wrecking
crew for the Bulldogs amassing 16 solo sacks
during the season to finish second in the FCS
and 24 tackles for loss, fourth nationally. He
was named the winner of the MEAC Defensive
Player of the Year award.
The 6-2, 295-pound specimen was particularly effective in big games vs. MEAC contenders Bethune-Cookman and North Carolina
A&T. He registered an FCS-season high six
solo sacks among 11 solo tackles vs. B-CU and
two sacks and three stops for losses among six
tackles vs. A&T. Both opposing head coaches
singled him out for dominating the line of scrimmage.

SC State Sports Photo

Alabama State Sports Photo

THE BAADEST: South Carolina State defenseman Javon Hargrove (l.) and Alabama State
running back Malcolm Cyrus (r.) were the top individual performers on the 2014 Baad Team and
win the BCSP offensive and defensive player of
the year awards respectively.

Cyrus (5-10, 180), who waited his turn at

ASU behind current Cleveland Browns running
back Isaiah Crowell, finished with black-college bests of 1,662 rushing yards at 133.6 yards
per game averaging 6.2 yards per carry en route
to earning co-SWAC Offensive Player of the
Year honors. He amassed nine 100-yard games
this season of 188, 185, 180, 171, 170, 162, 148,
125 and 118 rushing yards with 12 TDs.
Cyrus is joined in the first team backfield by
dynamic 5-6, 170-pound North Carolina A&T
sophomore speedster Tarik Cohen, the MEAC
co-offensive player of the year. Cohen ran for
1,340 yards in 11 games, averaging 6.8 yards
per carry and 121.8 yards per game. It was his
second straight season topping the 1,000-yard
mark, an A&T record. His hallmark was scintillating scores as he reached paydirt from 80,
81, 68, 60, 54 and 35 yards en route to a blackcollege best 16 TDs.
Alcorn State junior John Gibbs Jr. (6-6,
220) shared the SWAC offensive award with
Cyrus and is the first team quarterback. Gibbs
led the Braves to their first league title since the
Steve McNair era, emulating the late Alcorn
great with his running and passing abilities.
Gibbs was the only black college QB to pass
for over 2,000 yards and rush for over 1,000. He
finished completing 58.3% (189 of 324) of his
passes for 2,482 yards with 21 TD passes and
just seven interceptions. He added another 1,006
rushing yards (7.5 yards per carry, 77.4 ypg.) for
another 11 TDs while leading the Braves to the
final BCSP No. 1 ranking.
Livingstone junior wide receiver Jalen
Hendricks (6-2, 205) was the most prolific receiver on the season and just one of three to top
1,000 receiving yards. He led all black college
performers with 71 catches (7.9 per game), 1,070
yards (118.9 ypg.) and 12 TDs. He is joined by
Mississippi Valley State senior Julian Stafford
who totalled 67 receptions for 1,037 yards and
nine scores.

Alcorn State junior tight end Jordan Payne

rounds out the first team skill position players.
Payne had 25 receptions for five TDs for the
SWAC champion Braves.
The first team offensive line includes Morgan State senior Darren Pinnock (6-4, 330),
the MEAC lineman of the year, Alcorn State junior Isaac Sampson (6-5, 367), Virginia State
junior Ronnie Ransome (6-1, 285), N. C. A&T
senior William Ray Robinson (6-3, 307) and
Southern senior Zach Brown (6-4, 315).
The first team placekicker is Prairie View
A&M freshman Chris Barrick who hit on 15
of 17 field goals and 43 of 44 PAT kicks to lead
all kickers with 88 points. His teammate, junior
Johnta Hebert, is the return man after averaging 28.8 yards on 32 kickoff returns with one
TD. Hebert, who rushed for 1,063 yards and 12
TDs, is also a third team running back.
Joining Hargrave on the defensive line is
Alcorn State senior defensive end Deion Roberson (6-0, 255) who totalled 56 tackles, 3.5
sacks and 21 tackles for loss while anchoring
the Braves defense. The line also includes Bethun-Cookman senior LeBranden Richardson
(6-2, 255) who had 41 tackles, eight sacks and
15 tackles for loss and Tennessee State senior
Samquan Evans (6-0, 280), who had 44 tackles
with 7.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss.
Fort Valley State senior linebacker LeRon
Furr, the SIAC Defensive Player of the Year,
spearheads the backers. Furr totalled an SIAChigh 108 tackles on the season. Highly-touted
6-7, 280-pound Lynden Trail of Norfolk State
mans one of the other linebacking spots. Trail
had 91 total tackles, five sacks and 11.5 tackles for losses. Prairie View A&M senior Jerome
Howard, the SWAC defensive player of the
year, rounds out the backers. Howard paced the
SWAC with 118 tackles (11.8 per game) including 6.5 sacks and 15 tackles for losses.
Alcorn State senior DB Devon Francois
was the leading tackler for the Braves with
84 stops including 55 solos and led the team
with five interceptions. Joining him in the first
team defensive backfield is Bowie State senior
Curtis Pumphrey who led the CIAA and was
among national leaders with seven interceptions.
Pumphrey also totalled 48 tackles and 17 passes
defended.
Norfolk State senior Keenan Lambert
earned first team all-MEAC honors with 52
tackles and three interceptions for the Spartans
while Darion Thomas was a first team allCIAA selection for Virginia State after posting
53.5 tackles and five interceptions.
The first team punter is Texas Southern Junior Corey Carter who averaged 45.0 yards on
55 punts, the best in black college football.

10,000

16,237 Average (25 games over 10,000)

323,361

16,168 Average (20 games over 10,000)

2012 HOMECOMINGS TOTAL

AZEEZ Communications, Inc.

Delaware State Director of Athletics Candy Young has announced
that the contract of head football coach Kermit Blount will not be renewed for the 2015 season. Blount compiled a 16-29 overall record and a
13-19 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in his four years as
head coach of the Hornets. DSU was 2-10 overall and finished 10th in the
MEAC with a 2-6 league record this past season.

Andrew Faison, a Hornet assistant, is the interim head coach.

405,932

2013 TOTAL

DelState Announces Coaching Change

2014 "BAAD TEAM" OF BLACK COLLEGE ALL-AMERICANS

Julian Stafford, Sr., Miss. Valley State TE - Jordan Payne, Jr., Alcorn State

HIGHEST ATTENDANCE AT
2014 BLACK COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAMES

Division in both 2013 and 2014. He was also the 2013 and 2014 CIAA
Coach of the Year. Scott succeeds Pete Adrian who retired this year after
ten seasons leading the Spartans.

439,720
16,912 Average (26 games over 10,000)

Vol. XXI, No. 19

Roberson

Evans

Trail

Howard

Furr

Pumphrey

Carter