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

Jarkevis Fields named to 2013 preseason CFPA Award Watch List

June 10, 2013July 27, 2013 / J Bell / Leave a comment

Jarkevis Fields

Senior linebacker Jarkevis Fields has been named to the 2013 preseason CFPA Award Watch List.

Fields led Bethune-Cookman in tackles with a 103 last season picking up first team All-MEAC honors in the process. In 2011, the senior from Sanford Seminole High School led the team with 76 tackles.

Fields is the fourth Bethune-Cookman player to be named to the 2013 preseason CFPA Award Watch List. Quarterback Brodrick Waters, tight end Justin Henderson, and defensive end LeBrandon Richardson have also been named to the CFPA Award Watch List.

According to their website, “the goal of College Football Performance Awards is to provide the most scientifically rigorous conferments in college football. Recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams.”

2013 MEAC Baseball All-Academic Honorees Include 12 Wildcats

May 29, 2013July 27, 2013 / J Bell / Leave a comment

Jackie Robinson Stadium

Norfolk, Va., Twelve (12) members of the Bethune-Cookman baseball team were named to the 2013 MEAC Baseball All-Academic Honors List.

In total, the MEAC honored eighty-one (81) sophomores, juniors, seniors and transfer students from member schools with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better.

Congratulations to all of the honorees for their performance both on the diamond and in the classroom.

2013 MEAC BASEBALL ACADEMIC HONORS LIST

BETHUNE-COOKMAN (12)

Paul Biocic

Jordan Dailey

Montana Durapau

Scott Garner

Gabriel Hernandez

Joshua Johnson

David Lee

Lenny Martinez

Juan Pizarro

Ali Simpson

Brandon Turner

Jake Welch

Click here for full story: http://www.meacsports.com//ViewArticle.dbml?SPID=12091&DB_OEM_ID=20800&ATCLID=207991860

BCU ranked 17th in Lindy’s Preseason Top 25

May 26, 2013July 27, 2013 / J Bell / Leave a comment

LeBrandon Richardson -HailWildcats.com

Bethune-Cookman picked up its first national ranking of the 2013 season when Lindy’s Magazine ranked the Wildcats 17th in their initial FCS Preseason Poll.

BCU finished 9-3 last season (8-0 in MEAC play) securing its fifth MEAC title and an FCS playoff berth in the process.

Eight offensive starters return from last year’s squad including 1,000 yard rusher Isidore Jackson, leading receiver Eddie Poole and All-American left tackle Terrance Hackney. The Wildcats lead the MEAC in total offense (4,665 yards), rushing offense (2,928 yards), and points per game (29.4) in 2012.

Seven starters, including leading tackler Jarkevis Fields and top sack man LeBrandon Richardson, return to the defensive unit. Last year BCU caused an FCS best 36 takeaways and ranked 7th nationally in total defense (301.42 yards per game).

The Cats open up the 2013 campaign with a trip to Nashville to face off against Tennessee State in the John Merritt Classic on Sunday, September 1st. Other marquee games include a September 14th matchup with Florida International, a first ever engagement with Florida State on September 21st, a homecoming showdown with South Carolina State on October 26th, and the Florida Classic on November 23rd.

Lindy’s Top 25:
1. North Dakota State 2. Georgia Southern 3. Montana State 4. South Dakota State 5. Wofford 6. Eastern Washington 7. Central Arkansas 8. Towson 9. Villanova 10. Sam Houston State 11. New Hampshire 12. Appalachian State 13. Northern Iowa 14. Stony Brook 15. Coastal Carolina 16. Northern Arizona 17. Bethune-Cookman 18. Eastern Illinois 19. Youngstown State 20. Chattanooga 21. Richmond 22. Illinois St 23. Montana 24. Wagner 25. Tennessee State

Alvin “Shine” Wyatt awarded $771,000, lose age discrimination suit

May 22, 2013July 27, 2013 / J Bell / 1 Comment

On Wednesday afternoon, Seventh Judicial Circuit Judge Terence Perkins ordered that Bethune-Cookman pay former head coach Alvin “Shine” Wyatt nearly $771,000 in restitution stemming from a wrongful termination lawsuit filed against the university in 2010.

Wyatt flamboyantly patrolled the sidelines of Municipal Stadium as Bethune-Cookman’s “head ball coach” from 1997-2009. Wyatt accumulated a 90-54 record during his 13 year tenure and surpassed the legendary Rudolph “Bunky” Matthews as BCU’s all-time winningest coach.

Wyatt’s teams finished at 5-6 in three of his final four seasons and suffered drubbings (58-35 in 2008 and 42-6 in 2009) at the hands of in-state rival Florida A&M in his final two seasons at the helm. He was unceremoniously fired by then BCU President Trudie Kibbe Reed at the conclusion of the 2009 season.

The now 65 year old coach sued the university in 2010 claiming breach of contract. He stated in his suit that he was “wrongfully terminated without cause and without written notice as required in his contract”. Wyatt also cited age discrimination as motive for his firing and sought $1.2 million in damages.

Judge Terence Perkins ruled that the university had in fact breached Wyatt’s contract and awarded him $771,000 in restitution. The payment represents four years of salary, other guaranteed income, and retirement match contributions Wyatt’s existing contract would have paid him had he not been wrongfully terminated.

Judge Perkins ruled against Wyatt in his age discrimination claim against the university stating that no evidence of age discrimination was provided.

Wyatt graduated from Bethune-Cookman in 1970 and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders later that same year. He spent five years in the NFL and World Football League before joining the BCU coaching staff as a defensive backs coach in 1975. For 31 of the next 34 years, Wyatt held various positions on the BCU football staff including defensive backs coach, linebackers coach, defensive coordinator, assistant head coach, and head coach.

In 1998, Wyatt led BCU to its first winning season since 1985. He guided the Wildcats to their first ever playoff appearance in 2002 and returned to the NCAA playoffs for a second time a year later.

Wyatt coached a bevy of players who went on to play in the professional ranks among whom include NFL pro-bowlers Nick Collins (Green Bay), Rashean Mathis (Jacksonville), and Eric Weems (Atlanta). Other professional players coached by Wyatt include Steve Baggs, Damion Cook, Allen Suber, Anthony Bass and others.

(Baseball) Wildcats advance to MEAC Title Game

May 19, 2013July 27, 2013 / J Bell / Leave a comment

Skipper Jason Beverlin

MEAC regular season co-divisional champions @CookmanBaseball (35-23) and Savannah State (32-21) will square off on Sunday afternoon in the finals of the 2013 MEAC Baseball Championship.

The Cats and Tigers shared identical conference records (17-7) and split their six head-to-head matchups during the regular season.

SSU, who was awarded with the Southern Division’s top seed based on the conference’s fourth tiebreaker (head-to-head record against common divisional opponent), enters the finals from the winner’s bracket. The Tigers are 3-0 in the tournament and have scored an average of 12.6 runs per contest during the three game stretch.

In additional to scoring a plethora of runs, Savannah State will have the services of the MEAC’s top pitcher, Kyle McGowin (11-1) on Sunday. McGowin allowed just 1 earned run in a complete game effort against Maryland Eastern Shores in his last outing. McGowin’s lone defeat this season was suffered at the hands of Bethune-Cookman on May 5th in Savannah.

BCU, who dropped an opening round MEAC tournament contest for the first time since 2005, have won four consecutive tournament games eliminating Delaware State, North Carolina Central, North Carolina A&T, and Coppin State in the process.

The Wildcat’s Ace, Montana Durapau, will likely toe the rubber for BCU in the championship game scheduled for 1:00. Durapau pitched 8 2/3rds in the Cats’ 5-1 victory over Delaware State on Thursday night.

The MEAC Baseball Championship is a double elimination tournament therefore the Wildcats will have to defeat SSU twice on Sunday if they hope to retain their crown. If the Wildcats can hold in the 1:00 contest, a second winner-take-all championship game will begin 35 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.

Bethune-Cookman is looking to secure its eighth consecutive MEAC crown.

You can follow the championship action on BCU’s official Twitter feeds at @BCUathletics or @Cookmanbaseball.

BCU Alums Matt Johnson and T.T. Toliver enjoy huge weekends on the gridiron

May 14, 2013July 27, 2013 / J Bell / 1 Comment

A pair of Bethune-Cookman products enjoyed very productive outings on the gridiron this past weekend.

Former BCU quarterback Matt Johnson passed for two (2) touchdown passes and helped lead the Kiel Hurricanes to a 26-15 victory over the Berlin Adlers in his German Football debut. Johnson completed 7 of his 16 pass attempts for a 103 yards and gained 74 rushing yards on the ground on 10 attempts.

Back State-Side, T.T. Toliver set two franchise records for the Orlando Predators and he tied a third in his team’s 83-82 win over the Spokane Shock. Toliver broke Arena Football Hall of Famer Barry Wagner’s 17 year old record for receiving yards with 251. He also broke the team record for receptions in a game with 18. The mark he tied was the single-game franchise record for receiving touchdowns with 6.

Toliver’s final stat line from Saturday night; 18 catches, 251 yards, and 6 touchdowns.

Credits Kiel Hurricanes GFL

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.

BCU Releases Official Statement Regarding the Harold Love Pro-Day Article

April 16, 2013July 27, 2013 / J Bell / Leave a comment

On April 11, 2013, NFLDraftZone.com ran an article written by self-described NFL scout Damond Talbot. Talbot’s article focused almost exclusively on his perception of an alleged injustice committed by Bethune-Cookman University and executed against former B-CU defensive tackle, Harold Love. The university’s official statement from Lynn W. Thompson, Director of Athletics is shown below.

BETHUNE-COOKMAN OFFICIAL STATEMENT from LYNN W. THOMPSON (Director of Athletics)…

“Our student-athlete handbook states ‘Student-athletes are highly visible representatives of the university and are expected to uphold the values and responsibilities of the institution while meeting all requirements set forth by the MEAC, NCAA, B-CU and the B-CU intercollegiate athletics program.’

The university reserves the right to prohibit, reduce and otherwise sanction the participation of any student-athlete who falls short of or compromises any of these standards.

The student-athlete was a repeat offender of university and team policies. He was and is fully aware of those policies and understands our stance and subsequent disciplinary actions imposed on him. In addition to the sanctions imposed by the university, which limit him to only academic related activities, the department of athletics also imposed additional penalties. While we have imposed these sanctions on him we also stand with him and will continue to provide the resources which will support him in his ultimate quest to graduate from our institution this spring.

We will issue no further statements on this matter and will consider it closed.”

Lynn W. Thompson
Director of Athletics

(Baseball) Wildcats look to remain atop MEAC standings

April 13, 2013July 27, 2013 / J Bell / Leave a comment

Jackie Robinson Stadium

Daytona Beach – A quick glance at the MEAC’s Southern division standings reflects Bethune-Cookman in a familiar position atop the table. However, a closer look at the standings reveals a more telling story. Two games in the loss column is all that separates first place BCU from 4^th place North Carolina A&T. Savannah State is a game better than the Wildcats in the conference loss column (but the Tigers have a lower winning percentage against conference foes) and North Carolina Central is just a single game behind the Cats.

Jason Beverlin’s squad will look to cushion their lead and maintain their stranglehold on the conference when they take on North Carolina Central in a three-game set beginning today at 1:00 PM at Historic Jackie Robinson Ballpark on Daytona Beach’s City Island.

BCU (20-17, 10-5 MEAC) has won a season high six consecutive games with five of those victories occurring on the road. Anthony Stokes has paced the Wildcats offensively over the winning streak logging three home runs and 11 RBIs during the run.

The Wildcats defeated Jacksonville University 5-3 in their last outing (on Tuesday, April 9^th). David Lee recorded three RBIs in the win for the Cats.

NCCU (21-15, 9-6 MEAC), who enters the weekend just a game behind the Wildcats in the MEAC’s Southern Division, are 1-2 against BCU this season and 2-6 against the Wildcats since re-joining the MEAC. NCCU dropped 2 of 3 games against rival NCA&T last weekend.

The pitching matchups are slated as follows:

Game One: NCCU’s Junior righty Terry McNabb vs. B-CU righty Scott Garner (3-4, 5.33 ERA) Garner is coming off a complete game, 4-1 victory over Florida A&M in his last outing.

Game Two (doubleheader 7 inning contest): righty Glenn Frye (3-3) against BCU lefty Ali Simpson (3-4, 5.77 ERA). Simpson also pitched solidly in his last outing allowing no runs in seven innings of work against FAMU. BCU won that contest 4-0.

Game Three (Sunday): Michael Romano (2-5, 5.43 ERA) vs. BCU right hander Montana Durapau (5-3, 4.07 ERA). Durapau earned his 5^th win of the year in his last outing against cross-county rival Stetson.

Live Stats will be available from the link. Also, NCCU will provide live audio coverage of this weekend’s matchups on the NCCU Sports Network .