BCU leads FIU 14-7 at the half

September 14, 2013September 14, 2013 / J Bell / Leave a comment

Bethune-Cookman takes a 14-7 lead to the half over Florida International in Miami. The Wildcats are controlling both lines of scrimmage rushing for 182 yards on offense on 25 carries. That is a whopping 7.3 yards per carry. Defensively BCU is holding the FIU offense to 2.3 yards per rushing attempt.

Anthony Jordan scored on a 58 yard TD run on BCU’s first offensive series capping off a 4 play, 91 yard drive that covered 1:28. FIU evened the score at 7 apiece on an 8 yard pass from Jake Medlock to T.J. Lowder at the 6:51 mark in the 2^nd.

Cary White’s 5 yard TD run pushed BCU’s lead back to 7 and capped a 66 yard scoring drive.

Anthony Jordan is averaging 12.6 yards per rush.

BCU takes over possession when we resume play after half.

Team Stats	COOK		FIU
First Downs	11	5
Total Plays	36	29
Total Yards	207	171
Passing	25	128
Rushing	182	43
Penalties	2 / 25	3 / 19
Possession	14:55	14:12
Turnovers	0	0

Who Will Ascend (Week Three) at FIU

September 13, 2013 / J Bell / Leave a comment

Sat., Sept. 14, 2013

Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium

The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (2-0) travel south this weekend to take on the Florida International Panthers (0-2) in Miami on Saturday night at 6:00 p.m. The Wildcats will look to improve to 3-0 on the season, 3-0 all-time against FIU, and secure its first ever win over a FBS opponent (FIU had not yet made the jump to the FBS level when the teams last meet in 2003).

Vegas Wild about the Cats

The Vegas sports betting odds opened on Monday with FIU favored by 3 points. The betting line moved 5.5 points in BCU’s favor within an hour of the spread being posted and another .5 point within 2 hours. By 3:45 p.m. on Monday afternoon, BCU had gone from 3 point underdogs to 3 point road favorites. You heard right; that is not a misprint. Vegas has a road FCS squad (BCU) favored by 3 points over a FBS team (FIU) in their home stadium. OUCH!!!

Vegas sports betting trends suggests the “wise guys” otherwise known as professional gamblers saw value in BCU and bet the line in BCU’s favor. The line has remained the same for most of the week.

The Matchup

Florida International is ranked dead last in the nation in scoring offense averaging a mere 5 points per game. Defensively the Panthers are allowing 483 yards per game and rank 108^th out of 123 FBS teams. Ron Turner started 11 new players when FIU took on Maryland in week one. The team has dealt with a rash of injuries in their first 2 games of the year. The injuries are compounded by the already heavy attrition issues resulting from a tumultuous offseason in which FIU’s leading receiver, Glenn Coleman; starting running back, Kedrick Rhodes, and cornerback Richard Leonard were all ruled ineligible for academic reasons. Transfer running back Jakhari Gore was kicked off the team for off the field issues.

Meanwhile Bethune-Cookman is averaging 362 yards and 39 points per game on offense while yielding just 215 yards and 8 points per game on defense.

BCU is unbeaten in their two prior meetings with FIU defeating the Panthers 31-0 in 2002 and 24-14 in 2003. Like this season, BCU was ranked in the FCS Top 25 at the time of their prior clashes with the Panthers (#21 in 2002 and #7 in 2003).

A win on Saturday will mark the first time in the history of the BCU football program and only the 2^nd time in MEAC history that a conference school has defeated a current FBS foe. Florida A&M defeated the University of Miami 16-13 in 1979.

Road Warriors

The Marching Wildcats will join the football team at Alfonso Field on Saturday. “The Pride” has performed in Nashville, Daytona, Jacksonville, and now Miami in less than 14 days. The band is also expected to travel to Tallahassee for the Florida State contest on the 21^st and will soon make an appearance at Raymond James Stadium for a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game according to what we are being told. Give it up for the band.

The game will be streamed live at FIUSports.com. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

Who Will Ascend (week two) vs. Virginia Union

September 7, 2013September 7, 2013 / J Bell / Leave a comment

Dion Hanks

After a hard fought 12-9 road victory over Tennessee State last Sunday, the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats return to the friendly confines of Municipal Stadium to take on the Virginia Union Panthers in today’s home opener.

Like Tenn State, Virginia Union will field a bevy of Floridians (19 are listed on VUU’s roster including 5 from Sanford Seminole) who would love nothing more than to shock the HBCU sports world by upsetting the top ranked team in black college football. But unlike TSU, Virginia Union, who competes in Division II, does not stand much of a chance in pulling off the upset against Brian Jenkins’ club.

The Panthers finished 5-5 overall and 3-4 in the CIAA a season ago. VUU was predicted to finish 8^th in their conference heading into this season; they can offer just over half the number of scholarships as BCU (NCAA rules limit full football scholarships to 36 for D2 institutions; as compared to 63 for FCS programs); and today’s game is VUU’s season opener. All signs suggest this should be a decisive BCU win. But hey, its football and you still have to line-up and play the game.

In fact, Wildcat fans should well remember the last time a CIAA team visited Daytona Beach (in 2009) the Shaw Bears forced 7 BCU turnovers and may have helped seal the fate of then head coach Alvin Wyatt Sr. as the Bears defeated the Wildcats 20-6. We expect no such recurrence today. The Wildcats are simply too big, too strong, too fast and they should have no problems imposing their will on the out-manned Panthers.

Look for the BCU running game, led by senior Isidore Jackson, to have a huge day. Jackson is now less than 400 yards away from becoming Bethune-Cookman’s all-time leading rusher. Senior wide out Eddie Poole will look to continue his consecutive game pass-catching streak. No word yet on who will start under center for BCU but expect to see multiple signal callers during the course of today’s action.

Defensively, linebacker Jarkevis Fields and defensive end LeBrandon Richardson paced the Cats with 10 tackles apiece last week. Defensive tackle Tevin Toney proved to be a disruptive force in the interior adding 7 tackles of his own including 2 tackles-for-loss. The Wildcat defense should have little trouble in establishing a new line of scrimmage and pressuring the VUU attack.

Hidden Yards Kudos

Perhaps an “under the radar” bright spot from last week’s contest were the BCU return units. Freshman kick returner Darian Baker averaged 35.5 yards per kick return (long of 41) and Preston Cleckley averaged over 20 yards per punt return (long of 34) in last week’s matchup. It was a small sampling but so far, so good in the all-important “hidden yards” department. Another “hidden yards” category in which BCU thrived in week one was the penalty department. The Wildcats limited themselves to just 5 penalties for 35 yards. Let’s hope BCU continue to show improvement in these “hidden yards” categories in this game and throughout the course of the season.

Excited to see…..

We have been hearing great things about BCU’s new and improved cheerleading squad. The cheer squad is now under the direction of Becky and John Woodson and will consist of 30 members and 4 alternates. The Wildcat cheer squad recently collected a second place finish in ‘fight song cheer’, fourth place finish in ‘sideline cheer’, and were 4^th overall in the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) camp in Philadelphia. We are looking forward to seeing the results of the hard work and dedication of the revamped cheer squad.

We are also excited to see the new, more energized and better organized student-led cheer section known as the “Wildcat Crazies”. Face-paint, body suits, and organized pandemonium, let’s see what you Crazy-Cats have in store for us this season.

What we learned in BCU’s 12-9 win over Tenn State

September 4, 2013September 4, 2013 / J Bell / 1 Comment

Credits: TSU Athletics

So we’re a day late on our weekly wrap-up; give us a little grace please. Our favorite HBCU played on Sunday evening and that threw the schedule off. With that being said, let’s get to it.

No Apologies Needed

The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats used a strong defensive effort to grind out a 12-9 victory over Tennessee State in Sunday night’s season opener. While it would have been nice to score more than one offensive touchdown and to put a few more points on the scoreboard, the Wildcats need not apologize for defeating a quality opponent from an automatic qualifier league on their home field. Any win against a team the caliber of Tennessee State is a great win; the score not withstanding.

Brian Jenkins is now 4-1 in “revenge games” with the University of Miami being the only team the Wildcats have succumb to in consecutive tries in the Jenkins’ era.

The Passing Game Still Needs Work

You can make an argument that based on pure talent and athleticism; BCU has the deepest and most gifted receiving corp in the conference. However, if you make that argument please do not attempt to use statistics to support your claim. The Wildcats only gained 98 yards of offense through the air against TSU. Ironically it was QB Jackie Wilson’s 6 yard TD pass to Jordan Murphy that proved to be the game winner on Sunday.

Bethune-Cookman has now played 25 games since last passing for 300 or more yards as a team. Conversely, the Wildcat offense has thrown for less than 100 yards 5 times in that same span. The Beach Cats must develop a consistent passing attack as the season progresses if they hope to have any chance of reaching their ultimate goal. The ability is certainly there; now it’s time to translate that ability into on-the-field production.

Multiple QBs the New Normal

Seniors Brodrick Waters and Jackie Wilson alternated series at quarterback throughout the TSU contest with Waters receiving the starting nod. Both players showed flashes of their potential at times but it seemed the offense as a whole lacked a consistent rhythm or flow. The biggest part of that was the TSU defense no doubt. Let’s face it, that’s an athletic and talented bunch who returned all 11 starters from the OVC’s top defense in 2012. Couple that with the fact that this was just the first game of the season and midseason precision was highly unlikely. There was something left to be desired from a playcalling standpoint and we understand that 3 offensive linemen were making their first starts in a BCU uniform. But maybe, just maybe the three-way split of quarterbacks receiving even number snaps during practice and the revolving door on gameday had something to do with the lackluster offensive performance in week one.

With that being said, we fully suspect multiple QBs will be the norm for this team unless one guy clearly seperates himself from the pack. Oh by the way, Quentin Williams, who led the team in passing yards and passing touchdowns a year ago, did not see the field on Sunday but he will certainly factor into the quarterback discussion at some point during the season.

BIG D

The most impressive unit on the field was by far the BCU defense who delivered a more than solid performance on Sunday. Jarkevis Fields and LeBrandon Richardson each had 10 tackles and Tevin Toney was a disruptive force upfront. The Wildcats kept TSU out of the endzone and limited the Tigers to 3 field goals and just 248 yards of total offense. It was an all-around great performance by the defensive unit. ALL HAIL Defensive Cats!!!!

Wildcats escape Nashville with 12-9 win

September 2, 2013September 2, 2013 / J Bell / Leave a comment

Jordan Murphy hauled in a 6 yard TD pass from Jackie Wilson with 5:01 remaining in the 4^th quarter giving Bethune-Cookman a 12-9 lead over Tennessee State and the game’s only touchdown. The Wildcats held on by the same scoreline and walked out of Sunday night’s John Merritt Classic with its 2^nd victory over TSU in 8 tries.

Bethune dominated the opening quarter scoring on its first two possessions and limiting the TSU offense to no points and just 35 yards of offense in the process.

The only thing BCU did wrong in the opening frame was not score touchdowns. Instead, the Cats were forced to settle on two made field goals by Werley Cagle (21, 30 ) for an early 6-0 lead. Quarterback Brodrick Waters’ 33 yard strike to Preston Cleckley aided in setting up BCU’s initial score.

Tennessee State got its first points of the night in the 2^nd quarter after Cagle botched the snap on a punt and was unable to get the kick away. TSU took over on the Wildcat 5 yard line but a stout BCU defense limited to damage to just 3 points. A second Jamin Godfrey field goal tied the game at 6 apiece heading into the half.

The Blue Tigers took advantage of its first possession of the second half and marched 86 yards on 18 plays covering 10:22. Godfrey’s 26 yard field goal gave TSU its first and only lead of the night.

But the Wildcats were not to be denied. BCU sealed the victory when Wilson connected with Murphy on a 6 yard TD strike in the left endzone which capped a 12 play, 71 yard scoring drive. Wilson went 4-4 for 40 yards on the game clinching drive.

Defensively, the Wildcats held Tennessee State without a touchdown and limited the Tigers to just 248 yards of offense.

Who Will Ascend – (Week 1) #20 BCU at Tennessee State

August 31, 2013August 31, 2013 / J Bell / Leave a comment

Credits: BCU Athletics

In the spirit of Bethune-Cookman’s legacy of faith…THANK YOU JESUS IT’S FOOTBALL SEASON.

In less than 36 hours, the 2013 edition of the Fighting Wildcats will square off against Tennessee State in one of the most anticipated matchups of the HBCU season. BCU will look to jumpstart its season and proclaim to the HBCU and FCS football world that they are worthy of the preseason hype.

When the Wildcats are on Defense

BCU return 7 starters to a defensive unit that led the nation in turnovers and ranked 7^th nationally in Total Defense a season ago. Among those expected to impact Sunday’s contest are 2013 MEAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year linebacker Jarkevis Fields (103 tackles, 4 BU, 4 PD); All-American defensive end LeBrandon Richardson (53 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 13 TFL); and All-American safety Nick Addison (68 tackles, 4 INT, 7 BU, 11 PD). The Wildcat D will look to make the Tennessee State offense, who will be without starting quarterback Michael German (suspension), one-dimensional. Redshirt freshman and Tallahassee native Ronald Butler has been named as German’s replacement.

Butler will take snaps behind an experienced offensive line which includes All-OVC left guard Kadeem Edwards and All-American tight-end and former University of Florida signee A.C. Leonard. New Smyrna High School product Telvin Hooks is expected to take over the starting running back duties for Tenn. State. In a twist of irony, Tennessee State’s key offensive starters are all native Floridians: Butler (QB-Tallahassee), Edwards (OL-Sanford), Leonard (TE-Jacksonville), Hooks (New Smyrna Beach).

Key Matchup #1: BCU’s Front Seven vs. TSU’s running game
The football adage suggests great defenses take away something from the opposing offense. Can Yogi Jones’ defensive front seven control the TSU running game and force redshirt freshman quarterback Ronald Butler to beat them with his arm?

Key Matchup #2: Nick Addison vs. A.C. Leonard
BCU’s All-American safety Nick Addison and Tenn. State’s All-American tight end A.C. Leonard are sure to lock horns throughout this contest. Conventional wisdom suggests Leonard will be the primary pass receiving option for TSU’s young quarterback. On the second play of last year’s contest, Leonard’s 80 catch and run setup TSU’s first score. BCU defenders, Addison chief among them, must account for Leonard in the passing game and limit his big play ability.

When the Wildcats are on Offense

MEAC Preseason Co-Offensive Player of the Year Isidore Jackson has gained more rushing yards than any running back in BCU history. Jackson’s 2,449 career rushing yards only trails Allen Suber and Pa’Tell Troutman (both of whom were option quarterbacks) on the school’s all-time rushing list. Jackson is expected to be joined in the backfield by Anthony Jordan. The one-two punch of Jackson and Jordan provides the Wildcats with great mix of physicality and elusiveness in their rushing attack.

BCU’s two depth chart, released earlier this week, did not clearly reveal who will start the game under center. The starting quarterback for this contest was listed as Quentin Williams –or- Brock Waters –or- Jackie Wilson. Expect two (if not all three) of the aforementioned quarterbacks to see the field in some capacity on Sunday. Quentin Williams ended last season with the best numbers statistically (1163 yards on 85 of 142 attempts, 11 TDs, 2 INTs—445 yards rushing, 3 rushing TDs), however, it appears that both Wilson and Waters have had good preseason practices and have earned the right to be considered for the top position on the depth chart along with Williams.

Eddie Poole returns on the outside for what will be his 6^th year of eligibility. Poole, who was granted a medical redshirt by the NCAA, has caught a pass in every game of his BCU playing career (35). The former Rutgers man will look to extend his consecutive game pass catching streak and take advantage of the single coverage he is sure to see during stretches on Sunday. Preston Cleckly, Jhomo Gordon, and Justin Henderson will also have opportunities to make an impact in the passing game.

Perhaps the most important unit to watch during Sunday’s contest is the Bethune-Cookman offensive line. All-MEAC performer Alex Monroe will look to anchor a unit featuring at least 3 new starters.

Tennessee State’s defense was tops in the OVC and returns all 11 starters from a season ago. Top performers returning to the Tiger defense include All-OVC performers Stephen Godbolt (CB), Daniel Fitzpatrick (safety), and Nick Thrasher (LB).

Key Matchups #1: BCU offensive line vs. Tenn. State’s blitz package
TSU simply did not respect BCU’s passing game during last season’s meeting. The Tiger’s loaded the box and run blitzed the Wildcats for the better part of 4 quarters. Will the young BCU offensive line gel quick enough to create seams for the running game and protection in the passing game?

Key Matchup #2: Eddie Poole vs. Stephen Godbolt
This is a matchup of two of the best athletes and players at their respective positions in all of HBCU football. The winner of this individual matchup may very well dictate their respective team’s play-calling ability throughout this contest.

Other Notes:

Bethune-Cookman and Tennessee State played annually from 1982-1987 with TSU winning 5 of the 6 contests. The series was revived in 2012 and played before a near capacity crowd in Daytona Beach. TSU defeated the Wildcats 21-14 in last year’s contest to improve their series advantage to 6 games to 1. Bethune-Cookman’s lone victory against TSU occurred the last time the two teams faced off in Nashville in a 16-13 Wildcat win (1987). Although TSU holds a decisive head-to-head advantage, the series has been very competitive with 5 of the 7 matchups being decided by 7 points or less.

Isidore Jackson is just 449 yards away from becoming Bethune-Cookman’s all-time leading rusher.

The Marching Wildcats will be in attendance.

Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 PM (EST). The game can be viewed live on ESPN3 or the WatchESPN app; click here for link http://es.pn/BCUvsTNST.

Fans who plan to attend should familiarize themselves with LP Field’s Game Day Bag Policy Information.

5 Questions from Fall Camp

August 3, 2013 / J Bell / Leave a comment

The Bethune-Cookman football team has enjoyed a prolific run of success under the leadership of now 4^th year head coach Brian Jenkins. Over the past 3 seasons, the Jenkins led Wildcats have accumulated the highest winning percentage of all Division I (FBS and FCS) football programs in the state of Florida; BCU has earned 2 MEAC titles during that span; and they are currently riding a 14 game conference winning streak.

14 starters return to the offensive and defensive units (7 on each side) this season. Among those returning are 2013 MEAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, Jarkevis Fields (linebacker), and 2013 MEAC Preseason Co-Offensive Player of the Year, Isidore Jackson (running back). The Beach Cats led the conference in Total Offense (387.9 yards per game) and ranked 7^th Nationally in Total Defense (301.4 yards per game) a season ago.

In less than 30 days, the Wildcats will carry their talented squad and extremely high expectations into Nashville to square off against fellow Top 25 foe Tennessee State.

Here are 5 key storylines to watch throughout Fall Camp as BCU continues its pursuit of becoming one of the nation’s premier FCS programs.

How Well/Quickly Will the Offensive Line Gel?

BCU suffered its greatest attrition from a season ago along the offensive line. All-MEAC first teamer Alex Monroe and capable starter Rashard Brown will look to anchor the unit. Brian Dorsey, Michael Jones, and Josue Joseph are all highly talented players who have played quality minutes at the collegiate level. The trio will have first dibs at claiming the 3 vacant starting roles along the offensive front this season.

The Wildcats signed 6 quality offensive linemen on signing day including 2 JUCO transfers; and if history is any indicator, coach Jenkins’ has one or two transfer offensive linemen walking around campus whose identities will remain concealed until kickoff draws near.

There is no shortage of talent or bodies at this position. The question is will this group gel quickly enough and well enough to help BCU lead the MEAC in Total Offense for a 4^th consecutive year?

Will the Passing Game Progress in 2013?

The overall success of this year’s team may very well come down to how effective the Wildcats will be in the passing game. The Beach Cats passed for a pedestrian 147 yards per game and only eclipsed the 200 yard passing mark in one contest last season.

Top pass catching target Eddie Poole returns for another year as does big play potential receivers Preston Cleckley and Jhomo Gordon. CFPA Awards Watch transfer tight end Justin Henderson is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses and provides the Wildcats with another quality pass catching option.

Jackie Wilson, Quentin Williams, and Brodrick Waters are in their 4^th, 3^rd, and 2^nd year respectively in this offense. Brian Jenkins has repeatedly stated that all three quarterbacks are capable of leading the Wildcat offense, but if BCU is to truly take that next step, at least one of the aforementioned signal callers will need to elevate the passing game into a more lethal component of the BCU attack.

Who Will Emerge as the Team Leaders?

Coaches lay the foundation and parameters of a successful program, but players lead players. BCU received a great deal of on the field and emotional leadership from players like D.J. Howard, Eugene Solomon and Dawud Lane last season. All three have moved on and a new crop of vocal, performance and emotional leaders must now emerge.

Speaking about leadership only excites coaches, but it is as critical to a team success as 1,000 yard rushers and All-American quarterbacks.

What Newcomer Will Have the Greatest Impact?

Justin Henderson has yet to play an official down for the Maroon and Gold, yet the transfer from the University of Memphis has already been named to the CFPA Awards Watch list for tight ends. Henderson enjoyed a highly productive spring campaign and will look to provide BCU quarterbacks with a security blanket and matchup advantage in the passing game this coming fall. On the defensive side of the ball, University of Miami transfer Thomas Finnie will likely compete for one of the starting cornerback spots and help bolster a defensive backfield which led the country in takeaways last season.

Returning players Anthony Jordan (RB) and Erik Williams (DL) possess all-conference level talent and will surely be highly impactful this season if they can overcome the injury bug.

How Well Will the Team Handle Expectations?

Bethune-Cookman received 16 of the 21 first place votes casted in the MEAC’s annual preseason poll. The Wildcats are coming off a perfect 8-0 mark in conference in 2012. Brian Jenkins’ squad is sure to get every team’s best effort in the 2013 campaign. If the Wildcats wish to defend The Belt, they must stay emotionally and physically engaged for 12 weeks next season.

Bethune-Cookman travels to Nashville on Sunday, September 1st for a 7:00 P.M. kickoff against Tennessee State in the John Merritt Classic. The Wildcats are 3-0 in season openers under the leadership of head coach Brian Jenkins.

Wildcats predicted to repeat; J. Fields and I. Jackson earn Player of the Year Honors

July 27, 2013July 27, 2013 / J Bell / Leave a comment

BCU LB – Jarkevis Fields

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced on Friday at its annual Press Luncheon that defending conference champion, Bethune-Cookman, earned 16 of the 21 first place votes casted and were predicted to repeat as conference champions. The Wildcats have won 14 consecutive games in conference including 8 straight in 2012.

In addition to the team accolades, linebacker Jarkevis Fields and running back Isidore Jackson were selected as Defensive Player of the Year and Co-Offensive Player of the Year respectively.

Fields, a 6-0, 230-pound senior from Sanford, Fla., led the Wildcats in tackles in both 2011 and 2012. Last season he registered 103 tackles, six tackles for losses and a sack; and he helped pace a defense that finished 7th nationally in Total Defense (301.42 ypg); 10th nationally in Scoring Defense (18.25 ppg), and 1st nationally in Turnovers Gained (36).

Jackson, 5-10, 205-pound from running back Mossy Head, Fla., eclipsed the 1,000 rushing mark in 2012 and spearheaded the MEAC’s top rushing attack (244 ypg); top Total Offense (387.9 ypg); and top Scoring Offense (29.4 ppg). Jackson and FAMU quarterback Damien Flemming were named Co-Offensive Player of Year.

Joining Isidore Jackson and Jarkevis Fields on the MEAC’s first team All-Conference were offensive lineman Alex Monroe, defensive back Nick Addison, and defensive end LeBrandon Richardson. Wide receiver Eddie Poole landed on the second team for offense, and defensive lineman Tevin Toney received honorable mention awards.

2013 Predicted Order of Finish

(First Place Votes in Parenthesis)

School Points

1. Bethune-Cookman (16) 480

2. South Carolina State (2) 365

3. North Carolina A&T 302

4. North Carolina Central 260

5. Florida A&M 250

6. Howard 227

7. Norfolk State (1) 222

8. Delaware State 201

9. Hampton (1) 196

10. Morgan State 113

11. Savannah State (1) 52

2013 Football All-Conference Preseason Teams

Co-Offensive Player of the Year: Damien Flemming, Florida A&M and Isidore Jackson, Bethune-Cookman

Defensive Player of the Year: Jarkevis Fields, Bethune-Cookman

Pos.	Name	Cl.	School	Hometown
QB	Damien Fleming	Jr.	Florida A&M	Jacksonville, Fla.
RB	Isidore Jackson	Sr.	Bethune-Cookman	Mossy Head, Fla.
RB*	Malcolm Williams	Jr.	Delaware State	Reading, Pa.
RB*	James Owens	r-Sr.	Florida A&M	Apopka, Fla.
WR	Lenworth Lennon	r-Jr.	Florida A&M	Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
WR	Simon Hewyard	Sr.	Savannah State	Savannah, Ga.
TE	Joseph Hawkins	r-Sr.	Norfolk State	Chicago, Ill.
C	Brandon Cunningham	Sr.	Delaware State	Lumberton, N.J.
OL	Alex Monroe	Sr.	Bethune-Cookman	Jacksonville, Fla.
OL	Kevin House	r-Jr.	Florida A&M	Jacksonville, Fla.
OL	Zerrie Patterson	So.	Florida A&M	Fort Pierce, Fla.
OL	Joshua Matthews	Sr.	Howard	Bowman, S.C.

DEFENSE
Pos.	Name	Cl.	School	Hometown
DL	LeBrandon Richardson	Jr.	Bethune-Cookman	Miami, Fla.
DL	Damon Gresham Chisholm	So.	Howard	Covington, Ga.
DL	Rodney Gunter	Jr.	Delaware State	Haines, Fla.
DL	Javon Hargrave	So.	South Carolina State	Salisbury, N.C.
LB	Jarkevis Fields	Sr.	Bethune-Cookman	Sanford, Fla.
LB	Ernest Adjei	Sr.	Delaware State	Woodbridge, Va.
LB	Lynden Trail	r-Jr.	Norfolk State	Miami, Fla.
DB	Nick Addison	Jr.	Bethune-Cookman	Tampa, Fla.
DB	Julien David	Sr.	Howard	Coral Springs, Fla.
DB	D’Vonte Graham	Sr.	North Carolina A&T	Tallahassee, Fla.
DB	Terrick Colston	So.	Delaware State	Lakeland, Fla.
P	Nick Belcher	r-Sr.	South Carolina State	Sumter, S.C.
PK	Chase Varnadore	r-So.	Florida A&M	Tallahassee, Fla.
RS	D’Vonte Graham	Sr.	North Carolina A&T	Charlotte, N.C.

Second Team
OFFENSE
Pos.	Name	Cl.	School	Hometown
QB	Jordan Reid	r-Sr.	North Carolina Central	High Point, N.C.
RB	Aquanius Freeman	Jr.	Howard	New Orleans, La.
RB	Brendon Riddick	r-So.	Norfolk State	Richmond, Va.
WR	Eddie Poole	Grad.	Bethune-Cookman	Belle Glade, Fla.
WR	Derrick Demps	r-Sr.	Norfolk State	Tallahassee, Fla.
TE	David Wilson	Sr.	Howard	Sacramento, Calif.
C	Ronald Canty	r-Jr.	North Carolina A&T	Chester, S.C.
OL	John Smith	r-So.	Howard	Atlanta, Ga.
OL	Jamal Wilson	r-Sr.	Hampton	Brooklyn, N.Y.
OL	Williams Robinson	r-Jr.	North Carolina A&T	Clinton, Md.
OL	Charles Goodwin	r-Sr.	North Carolina Central	High Point, N.C.

DEFENSE
Pos.	Name	Cl.	School	Hometown
DL	Tyree Hearn	Sr.	North Carolina A&T	Durham, N.C.
DL	George Riddick	Jr.	Norfolk State	Suffolk, Va.
DL	Matthew Davis	Sr.	Hampton	Chesapeake, Va.
DL	Demarco Bisbee	r-So.	Morgan State	Lansing, Mich.
LB	D’Vonte Grant	Sr.	North Carolina A&T	Charlotte, N.C.
LB	Justin Hughes	Jr.	South Carolina State	Virginia Beach, Va.
LB	Travis Crosby	Sr.	North Carolina A&T	Charlotte, N.C.
DB	Davon Moore	Jr.	Delaware State	Mt. Vernon, N.Y.
DB	Joe Rankin	Sr.	Morgan State	Germantown, Md.
DB	Ryan Smith	r-So.	North Carolina Central	Upper Marlboro, Md.
DB*	John Wilson	Sr.	Savannah State	Athens, Ga.
DB*	Jonathan Pillow	r-Sr.	Florida A&M	Jacksonville, Fla.
P	Matthew Cornellus	r-Sr.	North Carolina Central	Charlotte, N.C.
PK	Oleg Parent	Jr.	North Carolina Central	Lake Forest, Calif.
RS	James Owens	r-Sr.	Florida A&M	Apopka, Fla.

Third Team
OFFENSE
Pos.	Name	Cl.	School	Hometown
QB	Nico Flores	r-Sr.	Norfolk State	Miami, Fla.
RB	Dae-Hon Cheung	So.	Delaware State	Coatesville, Pa.
RB	Conley Smith	So.	Norfolk State	Chesapeake, Va.
WR	Tyler McDonald	Sr.	South Carolina State	Summerville, SC
WR	Dylan Cook	Sr.	Savannah State	Hiram, Ga.
TE	Kris Drummond	Jr.	Savannah State	Washington, D.C.
C	Doug Almendares	Sr.	Florida A&M	Miami, Fla.
OL	Domanic Wilson	r-Jr.	South Carolina State	Lake City, SC
OL	Karim Barton	Sr.	Morgan State	Los Angeles, Calif.
OL	E.J. Rogers	r-Jr.	Norfolk State	Alexandria, Va.
OL	Cameron Williams	r-Sr.	Norfolk State	Burke, Va.

DEFENSE
Pos.	Name	Cl.	School	Hometown
DL	Andrew Carter	r-Jr.	South Carolina State	Hamlet, NC
DL	Tevin Toney	Sr.	Bethune-Cookman	Sebring, Fla.
DL	Micah Blount	Sr.	Savannah State	Stone Mountain, Ga.
DL*	Chikezie Ukeje	Sr.	Delaware State	Stanten Island, N.Y.
DL*	Noel Clarke Jr.	Jr.	Norfolk State	Brooklyn, N.Y.
LB	Christopher Robinson	r-Jr.	Morgan State	Germantown, Md.
LB	Joe Boyd	Sr.	Delaware State	Ft. Washington, Md.
LB	Brandon Denmark	Sr.	Florida A&M	Tallahassee, Fla.
DB	Keenan Lambert	r-Jr.	Norfolk State	Norfolk, Va.
DB	Nathan Ayers	Jr.	Morgan State	Baltimore, Md.
DB	Devontae Johnson	r-Jr.	Florida A&M	Tallahassee, Fla.
DB	Carvin Johnson	Sr.	Hampton	New Orleans, La.
PK	Nick Belcher	r-Sr.	South Carolina State	Sumter, SC
RS	Chris Flowers	Sr.	Morgan State	Haines City, Fla.

*indicates tie

BCU scores highest mark in the conference on latest NCAA APR Report

June 11, 2013July 27, 2013 / J Bell / Leave a comment

Congratulations to the Bethune-Cookman football team for registering the conference’s highest mark on the latest NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) Report.

The NCAA uses the APR to measure eligibility and retention of student-athletes, which it considers a predictor of graduation rates. A score of 925 is considered equivalent to a 50% graduation rate and achieving anything below that number is subject to penalties. The APR is calculated on a rolling four year average commonly referred to as the “multi-year rate”.

Bethune-Cookman registered a multi-year score of 935 on the most recent APR report released on Tuesday. BCU’s 935 was the highest amongst Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football teams. North Carolina Central and Howard, whose football teams logged scores of 932 and 931 respectively, round out the conference’s top three APR performers.

The latest report substantiates BCU’s commitment to develop men on and off the football field. In response to the latest report, BCU athletic director Lynn Thompson stated: “winning the MEAC football crown this year is great. However, having the highest APR score in the league validates for us the commitment of our coaching staff, academic support team and student-athletes in being winners in the classroom, on the playing field and in the community.”

Last year, the NCAA awarded the Wildcat football program the FCS ADA Academic Progress Rate (APR) Award for Most Improved MEAC school after improving its APR during the 2010-11 school year.

Academic Progress Rate data for all sports can be accessed at http://web1.ncaa.org/maps/aprRelease.jsp. The teams are searchable by sport, conference, institution, state, year, post season and penalty type.

Multi-Year APR Results for MEAC Football:

Sport	School	State	Academic Year	Multi-Year Rate	Penalties	Postseason
Football	Bethune-Cookman University	FL	2011 – 2012	935
Football	North Carolina Central University	NC	2011 – 2012	932
Football	Howard University	DC	2011 – 2012	931
Football	Morgan State University	MD	2011 – 2012	922
Football	South Carolina State University	SC	2011 – 2012	912
Football	Florida A&M University	FL	2011 – 2012	903
Football	Hampton University	VA	2011 – 2012	901
Football	Delaware State University	DE	2011 – 2012	901
Football	Savannah State University	GA	2011 – 2012	876	Level One Penalty – Practice Reduction = Yes	Postseason Ineligibility = Yes
Football	North Carolina A&T State University	NC	2011 – 2012	874
Football	Norfolk State University	VA	2011 – 2012	864

BCU Men and Women Sweep 2013 PGA National Title

May 12, 2013July 27, 2013 / J Bell / 1 Comment

Matthew McKnight

Andrea Orozco

Congratulations to BCU’s Men’s and Women’s golf teams for sweeping the 2013 PGA Minority National Titles in Port St. Lucie, Florida this past weekend.

The men’s squad erased a four-stroke deficit on Sunday afternoon to claim a one shot victory over Texas-Pan American. On the women’s side of the draw, BCU held off a strong charge from Texas-Pan American on the back nine and claimed the title after the first playoff hole.

The Wildcats also enjoyed a clean sweep in the individual awards with Andrea Orozco claiming top honors on the women’s side and Matthew McKnight placing first amongst the men.