|
|||||||||||
by Hal Lamar Tuskegee looks to finish regular season at 12-0Willie Slater’s exalted elevens, known as Tuskegee to some and dear ole ‘Skegee’ to others, finished out their regular season football schedule at 11-0 with a triple overtime 64-58 decision over the 5-6 Hornets of Alabama State University. It’s the fourth time in a row that the Tigers have bested their rivals on Turkey Day. Tuskegee was also this year’s SIAC champ, an honor they captured last year and three other times between 2000 and 2003. In fact, it was seven years ago that Skegee captured both the conference and national titles with an unmolested 12-0 record. Pioneer Bowl X is December 1, 2pm at Benedict’s brand new stadium in Columbia South Carolina.They’ll take on Virginia Union for the second time in the 10 year history of the bowl.(they beat them 28-0 in Pioneer Bowl V in Atlanta in 2001). If the Tigers defeat the Panthers in Columbia, they would finish 12-0. I can’t think of what else Tuskegee could do or how SBN pollsters can avoid naming them this year’s National champs. After all, if successful Saturday afternoon in the Palmetto State, they would be the ONLY HBCU to go undefeated . I can recall 2000 when the Tigers beat Winston Salem in Pioneer IV 12-9 on the strength of three field goals. As the game’s PA announcer that year, I was handed a note following the victory to announce that the team was declared the national champs the year. That much alone is worth keeping an eye on Pioneer X. By the bye, the game is being televised live over ESPN-U.
SIAC SUPERLATIVES: The rather dismal 3-8 finish for the gridiron Panthers of Clark-Atlanta University did have a silver lining in the person of linebacker Curtis Johnson. The Florida senior was named the conference’s defensive player of the year. It was well deserved. Johnson, who was wherever the ball was during the regular season, finished out as Division II sack leader. He had 12 solo sacks and assisted in three others, averaging 1.2 sacks a game. The offensive player of the year and conference MVP was Tuskegee junior Jacary Atkinson. He finished out 2007 as D-2’s best passer, completing 128 of his 217 attempts (not counting his performance against Alabama State) and throwing 27 touchdowns. Tuskegee placed five on the SIAC All Conference first team. CAU, despite its 3-8 finish, also placed five on the All conference top team. Interestingly, Morehouse College, predicted to finish dead last in the conference but winding up fourth with a 7-3 mark, placed nobody on the all conference first team but listed five on the second team. GAITHER WATCH: It’s getting close to the time when the erudite brothers of the Atlanta based 100% Wrong Club huddle to decide who will win their 29th Alonzo S Jake Gaither Award (the Heisman-like honor for the best football player from an HBCU).
In the past, my suggestions for the honor have been ignored by the club but it hasn’t stopped me from making them anyway. Usually, the 100 picks the winner from one of the offensive or defensive MVPs of the four conferences with due consideration to players from the 11 schools which play independent schedules. My pick for the 2007 honor is CAU’s Curtis Johnson. The last player from the AUC to get the trophy was Morehouse linebacker John Grant (2001). Got an item or comment?
|
|
||||||||||
