The crisis in New York and the Pentagon has forced many colleges and conferences
to reschedule games cancelled the weekend of September 15th. Clark AU and Morris
Brown were scheduled to tangle that weekend in what would have been the 72nd meeting
between the two schools.
The game has now been rescheduled for Thanksgiving day which returns the rivalry
between the two Atlanta University center colleges to the day it started in 1929.
The teams' annual classic, which also represented the culminating game of the
season for both, was played on that day until 1988 when dwindling crowds forced
a rethinking and subsequent rescheduling to Labor Day as each team's season opener.
That, too, was quashed in 1999 when Morris Brown decided to leap to Division IAA.
Morehouse then replaced MBC as CAU's Labor Day opponent. Rumors have been circulating,
however, that MBC has agreed to rejoin the Labor Day battle. CAU head coach Curtis
Crockett confirmed only that something had to be done since being informed by
Morehouse officials that their 2002 schedule was already locked in. He said ,
however, that the MBC-CAU revival is still in the "talking stages."
CAU has a new athletic director in Brenda Edmond . The former assistant AD
at Southern University has kicked off with a media luncheon and briefing she hopes
to hold often to get better acquainted with the local press and disseminate information.
One interesting bit of news from the first luncheon held September 26th was the
rescheduling of the Morris Brown game and the loss of two CAU players to the military
call-up in preparation for possible action in the Middle East.
The two players are Dwight Williams and Agyie Pittman. The latter is a senior
defensive back from Atlanta. Williams, we are told, is part of the military's
special forces unit rumored to be among the first to be deployed if and when troops
are sent.
CAU 6-3. 412 pound offensive lineman Jamie Terrell has reportedly shed a few
pounds and is now down to 398. Terrell, a native of Athens Georgia is being moved
to a guard position in an effort to shake up the offense and pull the Panthers
out of their 0-3 start.
Morehouse's athletic director Andre Patillo says that a report by officials
working the Stillman game a fortnight ago supports his statement that he and Stillman's
Athletic Director Richard Cosby had agreed that with Morehouse leading 24-21 with
a little better than 7 minutes to go when the game was stopped by lightning that
the ' House should be declared the winner. Patillo said he hoped for a favorable
ruling from the SIAC commissioner's office awarding them the win.
But it's not over yet.
Patillo said he is strongly considering dropping the scheduled return match next
year with Stillman here in Atlanta. He was particularly taken back, he says, when
Cosby reportedly accused him and the team of being "gutless" when asked to return
to play after the lightning storm had passed. Patillo had already directed his
team and coaches to dress and prepare for the bus ride back to Atlanta.
Benedict apparently is just one crossed "T' away from becoming the newest
member of the SIAC. Head football Coach Willie Felder said all the necessary paperwork
has been submitted and a source within the conference office said all that remains
is creation of a site team to visit the campus.
