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by Hal Lamar Defense delivers homecoming victory for Morehouse College over CAUDefense and some breaks at the right time helped Morehouse College win its homecoming and defeat cross-campus rival Clark-Atlanta University 22-13 Saturday before a standing room only crowd at BT Harvey Stadium on the Maroon Tiger Campus. Morehouse head coach Rich Freeman finally got his breath back after the final gun. He had seen his Marooners trailing at halftime 13-9 and got a big break just before the half when his defensive unit stopped what seemed a sure-thing CAU touchdown at the Morehouse one.
Senior linebacker Earl Thomas Jr., the hero of Saturday’s contest with three sacks and a returned fumble for a score, says Freeman had plenty to say to them in the locker room at the break. “ He said don’t nobody say anything. He was angry with us because of all the penalties in the first half (they had 10 totaling 107 yards which included five 15 yard personal foul calls). He said we had no discipline in the first half.” That changed in the second. Notwithstanding their 33 yards in penalties,. the Marooners scored once on offense and on defense thanks to Thomas. They also benefited from a break in the third period. CAU’s Mario DeGracia took a Morehouse punt at his own 21 and raced 79 yards the other way only to have the whole thing called back on a blocking-in-the-back penalty which Panther head coach Ted Bahhur hotly disputed. “The ref didn’t throw the flag until Mario was 35 yards away from him,” he said. “Take back that play and the goal line stance in the first half ( which Bahhur believes they scored on) and you have a different game.” It was only part of the day’s frustration for the second year head coach. Before kickoff, he was seen high stepping up the stadium steps toward the press box after finding out his booth coaches booth had been booted out , replaced by an NCAA on-line film crew and sat outside amid the crowd and band noise. “ How could the offensive coordinator call plays with the band blaring,” he said .” It rendered our headphones useless. We couldn’t hear a thing on the sidelines. When they come to us next year, I intend to be a big man about this and make sure they have their space in the press box and the NCAA can sit outside.” Saturday’s win now gives Freeman a lock on a winning season his first time out the head coaching chute. At worse, he can finish 6-4 provided he loses to both Albany State and Miles… …Tuskegee meanwhile continues with its undefeated self. They rolled over Albany State in Albany for their 7th straight….. Speaking of straight wins, Fort Valley has rebounded nicely from their shaky start and won their fourth straight over Benedict. I think that “come to Jesus” talk Coach Deondra Clark had with his elevens following that 34-3 loss to Tuskegee was the tonic….. Miles College has now dropped six in a row with Kentucky State beating them Saturday after three overtimes…..Stillman is finding the sledding tougher now that they are facing conference foes. Their 51-32 loss to Lane was the third straight …… SUPERLATIVES…Two CAU gridders are tops nationally. Linebacker Curtis Johnson leads the nation in sack totals and tackles for loss while the golden foot of senior Brandon Larkin (46 per kick) makes him the top punter in NCAA Division II OVERHEARD: Morehouse linebacker Earl Thomas got his football abilities honestly. His dad , Earl Senior, played tight end for the Chicago Bears in the 1970s……
Morehouse alum John Eaves, current chair of the Fulton County Commission, has written a book about famous graduates called “ Speakers of the House” (Publishing Associates Inc). The profiles in the 189 page work includes film director Spike Lee, gold medalist Edwin Moses, federal judge Horace Ward, Capitol City Bank founder-president George Andrews and former Atlanta top cop A Reginald Eaves who is John’s uncle……
A video game highlighting black college football athletes has hit the market. “BCFX-the Xperience” is the brainchild of Louisiana based Narjyzed Entertainment . Its creative design director, Brian Jackson is touring all the HBCU classic games and many homecomings in a custom designed bus outfitted with video game players giving fans a chance to try things out. For details, visit them at narjyzed.com……. Hal’s Picks this Week Elsewhere: Got an item or comment?
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Former Morehouse down lineman James Bullard chuckled when reading the homecoming program that lists him as the school’s leading single game tackler. The book says Bullard made 23 solo tackles in 1962. “ I wonder what game that was in,” he mused…..