QB David Blackwell earns national player of the week honors.

November 14, 2011 / J Bell / Leave a comment

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) – Bethune-Cookman quarterback David Blackwell, Cornell quarterback Jeff Mathews, Sacramento State defensive lineman Zach Nash, Murray State kicker Kienan Cullen, Valparaiso quarterback Eric Hoffman and Towson running back Terrance West have been named The Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS National Players of Week 11 for games ending Nov. 12.

CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK– David Blackwell, Bethune-Cookman, Sophomore, 6-2, 215, QB, Ft. Lauderdale, FL Blackwell won the weekly battle to be the starter and then torched Savannah State in a 59-3 MEAC victory. The sophomore scored on Bethune-Cookman’s first play from scrimmage, escaping for a 80-yard touchdown run. He also scored twice more on runs of 37 and 59 yards, helping reach an impressive 203 yards on the ground on just six carries. Putting on a display with his arm as well, Blackwell completed 8-of-10 passes for 147 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2/news/news.aspx?id=4450417

Homecoming 2011–Photos

November 6, 2011November 15, 2011 / J Bell / Leave a comment

Isidore Jackson and Ryan Davis earn MEAC Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week Honors

October 24, 2011October 24, 2011 / J Bell / Leave a comment

MEAC ANNOUNCES WEEKLY FOOTBALL HONORS – MEACsports.com – The Official Site of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Photo courtesy of: MEAC Media Relations

NORFOLK, Va., – Isidore Jackson of Bethune-Cookman was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s (MEAC) Football Offensive Player of the Week, the conference announced on Monday. Ryan Davis of Bethune-Cookman was named the Defensive Player of the Week.

Damien Fleming of Florida A&M and Greg McGhee of Howard was selected as Co-Rookie’s of the Week while Vincent Harper of Hampton was named the Offensive Lineman of the Week. Everett Goldberg of Norfolk State was selected as the Special Teams Player of the Week, respectively.

Jackson (RB, 5-10, 195, r-So., Mossy Head, Fla.) rushed for 206 yards on 34 carries to lead the Wildcats to a 14-6 victory over conference leading and 24^th ranked Norfolk State. Jackson, who averaged 6.5 yards per carry, recorded a new school single game record with the 34 attempts.

Davis (DE, 6-4, 260, Sr., Tampa, Fla.) collected 11 tackles, eight solo, with six for a loss of 25 yards. He posted 3.5 sacks for a 21-yard loss. He also forced and recovered a fumble and logged a quarterback hurry in the 14-6 nationally televised victory over Norfolk State.

Click the above link to read more.

MEAC Week 1 recap

September 4, 2011September 4, 2011 / J Bell / Leave a comment

One game does not make a season but here is what we learned about MEAC teams in the opening weekend of the 2011 season.

There is a new Sheriff in town

Rod Broadway is 1-0 as North Carolina A&T’s head coach. Sure, the Aggies first victory came against a completely outmanned University of Virginia Lynchburg squad. But for a once proud program who finished 1-10 a season ago, a win is a win. Perhaps the most promising sign from yesterday’s game for the Aggies was the play of Sophomore QB Lewis Kindle (341 yards passing and 4 touchdowns). On the downside, All-MEAC running back Mike Mayhew suffered a leg injury in the contest. A&T was supposed to win big and they did. Let’s just hope that Mayhew’s injury isn’t serious.

Florida A&M was also expected to win big but that didn’t happen. The Rattler faithful spent much of the offseason talking about winning games in the FCS playoffs this year. If Saturday’s showing against Division II Fort Valley State was any indication, Joe Taylor may breakout his best Jim Mora Sr. impression if asked about the playoffs. (Playoffs, you’re talking playoffs). The Rattler’s scored the game winning touchdown on a ~~fluke play~~..ah deflected pass with :39 seconds left in the game. (Click the link to see video of the play http://www.wctv.tv/sports). FAMU hung on for the 28-22 victory. Perhaps this was FAMU’s one bad game for the season. Perhaps Ft Valley State is better than we’re giving them credit. I guess an ugly win is better than a pretty defeat. We will all know more about how good FAMU is (or is not) in just a few short days when they face off against Hampton live on ESPNU (Thursday, Sept 8th).

Close but no cigar

Savannah State was less than 30 seconds away from defeating SIAC powerhouse and reigning Sheridan Broadcast Network Black College National Champion Albany State. Sometimes there are moral victories in sports. Savannah State players should feel good about their performance against Albany State. The next step in the evolutionary process for the Tigers, finish the deal against an upper echelon HBCU team.

South Carolina State also deserves kudos for their performance in a loss. I know that may sound strange to some but the Bulldog defense only gave up 21 points on the road against FBS foe Central Michigan. The Bulldogs were a play or two away on offense from making this a very interesting contest.

Howard and North Carolina Central received sizable checks and beat downs in their matchups this weekend. Morgan State on the other hand took a similar beat down but received no check. Hey MSU, what’s that old saying about giving it up for free? This is a family friendly blog so I digress.

Norfolk dominated Virginia State for the sixth straight year. I guess the Trojans just can’t comPETE with the mighty Spartans.

Owned

The MEAC finished the weekend 3-1 versus FCS competition. (Curse you Morgan State!) Delaware State defeated Virginia Military Institute of the Big South Conference 24-21 behind strong performances from MEAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Justin Wilson (6 receptions, 110 yards, and 2 touchdowns) and QB Nick Elko (17 of 32 for 232, 3 touchdowns).

Hampton trailed Alabama A&M 17-0 at halftime in the Chicago Classic but rallied to a 21-20 victory. Sophomore running back Antwon Chisholm continues to impress rushing for 141 yards and scoring the winning touchdown in the Pirates’ victory.

In the second game this past weekend matching MEAC and SWAC opponents, Bethune Cookman delivered the most comprehensive performance of the opening weekend. The Wildcats absolutely annihilated Prairie View A&M in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge. Mercy rule, running clock, “uncle”, throw in the towel; somebody just please make it stop. To tell you how out of hand this one got, Prairie View Head Coach, Heishma Northern, elected to line up in the “victory formation”, take a knee, and run the clock out during his team’s final possession. The Panters were trailing at the time (BCU)- 63, (PVAM)-14.

Click the link for highlights of BCU’s victory http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6930833.

University of Maryland transfer Jamarr Robinson started at QB for the Wildcats and racked up 281 yards of offense (251 passing and 30 rushing) and 3 touchdowns (2 rushing and 1 passing) in less than 2 and a half quarters of work. Next up for BCU is a pivotal matchup against conference rival South Carolina State in Daytona Beach. The game will be broadcasted on tape delay on ESPNU Saturday, September 10th at 10:00 PM (EST).

Week two matchups

* Thu, Sep 08

Hampton

Florida A&M

First Nation’s Football Classic

Sat, Sep 10

Morehouse College

Howard

Sat, Sep 10

Southeastern Louisiana

Savannah State

Cleveland Classic

Sat, Sep 10

Central State University

North Carolina Central

Sat, Sep 10

Appalachian State

North Carolina A&T

* Sat, Sep 10

Bethune-Cookman

South Carolina State

Sat, Sep 10

Delaware State

Shaw University

Sat, Sep 10

Bowling Green

Morgan State

Sat, Sep 10

West Virginia

Norfolk State

Mum is the word

August 20, 2011August 20, 2011 / J Bell / Leave a comment

A Luau party with the coaches is scheduled for Saturday, August 20th. BCU Wildcats’ Fan Day is scheduled for Sunday, August 21st. But it seems that the Wildcats should schedule another special event this week; the Big Reveal. BCU kickoff the 2011 football season in two short weeks; yet Brian Jenkins continues to remain mum regarding who will replace Matt Johnson as the starting QB; he has yet to reveal who will serve as the team’s offensive coordinator; nor has coach Jenkins provided much insight regarding the team’s depth chart or development of new players. Should this be cause for concern amongst the BCU faithful? Absolutely not!

If Brian Jenkins has proven anything in his brief tenure as head coach, it’s his commitment to remain tight-lipped regarding the status of his team. “We’re a work in progress”, “we’re still trying to get lined up right”, “we’ve got a long way to go”, “we just want to field a competitive team”. Coach Jenkins has used these and other similar phrases in describing his team since camp began. I am sure there is some truth to Jenkins’ statements. After all, camp began less than two weeks ago. But judging by the number of talented/productive players returning to this year’s team, the infusion of several highly touted FBS and JUCO transfers, as well as what I personally witnessed during several practice sessions; I think at minimum, the Wildcats can expect to field a competitive team.

Many FCS pundits and BCU fans alike are anticipating success for this year’s squad. The Cats received the most first place votes at the recent MEAC

Hail Wildcats

Media Day Luncheon. BCU is also the top ranked team in the Heritage Sports Radio Network’s Black College Football poll. Translation, this year’s Fighting Wildcats squad will be the hunted as opposed to the hunter.

The overall talent level of the 2011 team is greater than that of last year’s squad. Whether the Cats can translate that improved talent into improved on the field success is a question remaining to be answered. We’ll get our first glance at the defending Black College National Champions on September 4th at the Florida Citrus Bowl against SWAC foe Prairie View A&M. Kickoff is scheduled for noon. The contest will be broadcast live on ESPN.

Coach Jenkins has stated that last year’s success was rewarding, but not fully satisfying. Let’s hope that the 2011 squad can quench their leader’s thirst and improve upon last year’s 10-2 record and first playoff appearance since 2003.

Other Camp Notes

-No major injuries have occurred during camp according to sources.
-Kudos to Dan Ryan and the BCU Sports Information Department for providing daily camp updates on the school’s athletic website.
-BCU concluded their final chaos practice on Friday, August 19th.

9 Wildcats named to the preseason All-MEAC team

July 30, 2011August 3, 2011 / J Bell / Leave a comment

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference held its annual Media Day and Football Press Luncheon on Friday, July 29^th in Norfolk, Virginia. The MEAC announced its all-conference preseason team as voted on by the member institutions’ coaches and sports information directors at the luncheon. Wildcats Natiel Curry (C), Alex Monroe (OL), Ryan Davis (DE), Reginald Sandilands (LB), Ryan Lewis (LB), and Michael Williams (S) were named as first team all-conference selections. Eddie Poole (WR), Isidore Jackson (RB), and Marquell Rozier (OL) received nods on the conference’s second team.

Photo courtesy of MEAC Media Relations

BCU received the highest number of all-conference selectees with 9 followed by South Carolina State (8) and Florida A&M (7). Delaware State wide receiver Justin Wilson and BCU linebacker Ryan Lewis were selected as the Offensive and Defensive Players of the year.

South Carolina State was predicted to finish first in the final conference standings followed by BCU, FAMU, and Hampton in that order.

MEAC FOOTBALL PRESEASON POLL
1. South Carolina State (6 first-place votes), 468
2. Bethune-Cookman (8), 454
3. Florida A&M (5), 420
4. Hampton (1), 321
5. Norfolk State (1), 274
6. Morgan State, 250
7. North Carolina Central, 162
8. Delaware State, 158
9. North Carolina A&T, 128
10. Howard, 96
11. Savannah State (1), 63

*First Team*
*Pos*	*Name*	*Class*	*School*	*Hometown*
QB	Chris Walley	Sr.	Norfolk State	Tallahassee, Fla.
RB	Mike Mayhew	Srl	North Carolina A&T	Charlotte, N.C.
RB*	Antwon Chisholm	So.	Hampton	Belle Glade, Fla.
RB*	Jaashawn Jones	r-Sr.	Delaware State	Asbury Park, N.J.
TE	Antuanne Kerr	r-Sr.	South Carolina State	Augusta, Ga.
WR	Willie Carter	Sr.	Howard	Denmark, S.C.
WR	Justin Wilson	r-Jr.	Delaware State	Windsor, Conn.
OL	Alex Monroe	So.	Bethune-Cookman	Jacksonville, Fla.
OL	Juavahr Nathan	r-Sr.	South Carolina State	Goose Neck, S.C.
OL	Kendall Noble	Sr.	Norfolk State	Rocky Mount, N.C.
OL*	Lawrence Brewer	Sr.	Morgan State	Fort Washington, Md.
OL*	Robert Hartley	r-Jr.	Florida A&M	Lake City, Fla.
C	Natiel Curry	Sr.	Bethune-Cookman	Miami, Fla.
Defense
*Pos*	*Name*	*Class*	*School*	*Hometown*
DL	Ryan Davis	Jr.	Bethune-Cookman	Tampa, Fla.
DL	Sackie Kerkulah	r-Sr.	Howard	Willingboro, N.J.
DL	Josh Turner	Sr.	Norfolk State	Chesterfield, Va.
DL	Pat Washington	r-Sr.	South Carolina State	Charleston, S.C.
LB	Ryan Lewis	Jr.	Bethune-Cookman	Pompano Beach, Fla.
LB	Keith Pough	r-Jr.	Howard	Orangeburg, S.C.
LB	Reginald Sandilands	Sr.	Bethune-Cookman	Miami, Fla.
DB	Michael Williams	Sr.	Bethune-Cookman	Miami, Fla.
DB	Micah Pellerin	Sr.	Hampton	New Orleans, La.
DB	D’Vonte Graham	Jr.	North Carolina A&T	Tallahassee, Fla.
DB	Dominique Ellis	r-Sr.	South Carolina State	Wendell, N.C.
P	Brandon Holdren	Jr.	Florida A&M	Jacksonville, Fla.
P/K	Blake Erickson	Sr.	South Carolina State	Pensacola, Fla.
Ret	Justin Ferrell	Sr.	North Carolina A&T	Danville, Va.
*Second Team*
*Pos*	*Name*	*Class*	*School*	*Hometown*
QB	David Legree	Sr.	Hampton	Brooklyn, N.Y.
RB	Isidore Jackson	So.	Bethune-Cookman	Mossy Head, Fla.
RB	Asheton Jordan	Sr.	South Carolina State	Summerville, S.C.
TE	Ryan Langdon	Jr.	Delaware State	Philadelphia, Pa.
WR	Javaris Brown	Jr.	Hampton	Macon, Ga.
WR	Eddie Poole	r-So.	Bethune-Cookman	Belle Glade, Fla.
OL	Brandon Curry	r-Sr.	Florida A&M	Hollywood, Fla.
OL	David Luckett	Jr.	Hampton	Pomfret, Md.
OL	Brenton Walker	Sr.	North Carolina A&T	Durham, N.C.
OL	Marquell Rozier	So.	Bethune-Cookman	St. Paul’s, N.C.
C	Shelley Anthony	r-Jr.	Florida A&M	Atlanta, Ga.
*Pos*	*Name*	*Class*	*School*	*Hometown*
DL	Ronnell Ferguson	Sr.	South Carolina State	Lincolnton, Ga.
DL	Zary Stewart	Sr.	Morgan State	Upper Marlboro, Md.
DL	Roger Stewart	Sr.	North Carolina Central	Charlotte, N.C.
DL	Jerry Willis	Sr.	Florida A&M	Sebastion River, Fla.
LB	Corwin Hammond	Sr.	Norfolk State	Louisville, Ky
LB	Donovan Richard	r-Sr.	South Carolina State	Georgetown, S.C.
LB	Allen Stephens	Jr.	Morgan State	Halifax, Va
DB	Justin Ferrell	Sr.	North Carolina A&T	Danville, Va.
DB	Darren Hunter	Sr.	Savannah State	Atlanta, Ga.
DB	Reshaude Miller	Sr.	Morgan State	Florence, S.C.
DB	John Ojo	r-Jr.	Florida A&M	Tallahassee, Fla.
P	Nicholas Adams	Jr.	Morgan State	Fayetteville, N.C.
P/K	Trevor Scott	r-Sr.	Florida A&M	Jacksonville, Fla.
Ret	Arthur Goforth	Jr.	North Carolina Central	Columbia, S.C.

New BCU Logo???

June 1, 2011July 14, 2011 / J Bell / 9 Comments

Even the staunchest Wildcat fan has to admit that our logo leaves something to be desired. I mean how hard is it really to modernize a school logo? We did it with our mascot, Dr. Wyle D Cat. Anyone remembers the first version of Dr. Wyle D Cat? I believe the phrase my pre-adolescent daughter would use would be “hot mess”. Today’s version of Dr. Wyle D Cat is among the best mascots in all of FCS.

Well it’s about time to update that dull sketch we call a logo. Apparently someone else agrees with me and is attempting to lead the charge. Check out the logo below. Now that’s a Wild looking Cat!