Morehouse disputes Stillman's conclusion

By Eric N. Moore
Onnidan Online Managing Editor

Morehouse Athletics Director Andre Pattillo has a different interpretation of the meeting to determine the outcome of the weather interrupted contest between Morehouse and Stillman College.

According to the Stillman press release, with 7:15 left to play in the fourth quarter game officials suspended the contest because lightning flashes were spotted. At the time of suspension Morehouse held a 24-21 lead.

Before the stoppage of play Morehouse had possession of the ball on the Stillman 30-yard line with 4th down and 18-yards to go. Then lightning flashes were spotted around Stillman Stadium and the game was delayed.

During a 45 minute delay, school and game officials met to discuss their options.

"In front of game officials and my Vice-President, Dr.(Richard) Cosby (Stillman Athletics Director), indicated that Stillman was willing to let the game stand and would look forward to meeting us in Atlanta, next year," Pattillo said.

"I went back to inform my coaches and players of the decision and told them to prepare for the 3 ½ hour bus ride back to Atlanta."

After the lightning had stopped, the Stillman players took the field anticipating that Morehouse would return.

"My players had already undressed and showered by the time I got to the field," he said. "Dr. Cosby then indicated that they wanted to resume playing the game. I told him that we were already preparing to leave since I had informed my team of his previous decision."

"Now he is calling Morehouse ‘gutless', when it was his decision to conceed the game."

The two athletics directors have not communicated since the meeting during the weather delay on Saturday.

Stillman announced that the game should be declared a "no contest" based on an article in the NCAA News in 1996.

"I've never seen that in the rule book", said Pattillo, who has been a basketball official in the Southeast Conference for several years. "We never discussed the option of declaring the game a "no contest" during our meeting."

Pattillo and Cosby are familiar with each other. Prior to returning to his alma mater to take the position at Stillman, Cosby was Athletics Director at Clark Atlanta University whose campus is located just blocks away from the Morehouse campus in Atlanta.

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