2006 starts with a Challenge
SIAC/CIAA showdown highlights first week of action;
Three first-timers also make their debuts

LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor

The CIAA and SIAC champions haven't met since Albany State ran up a 49-3 halftime lead en route to a 52-30 rout of Fayetteville State at Pioneer Bowl VI in 2003.

The SIAC, in fact, leads that postseason series pitting the two black college NCAA Div. II conferences, 6-2. So, a regular season matchup between the defending champions of the respective conferences would be a great way to kick off the 2006 season, right?

Well, that's exactly what's in store Saturday when defending CIAA champ North Carolina Central hosts three-time defending SIAC champ Albany State in Durham (6 p.m.) in the showcase game this week.

Twelve games are on tap Saturday, all from the Div. II ranks, except Winston-Salem State and head coach Kermit Blount's match-up with Catawba in Salisbury (7 p.m.). The Rams are beginning their first year of play as a Div. I-AA program.

But most eyes will be on Durham as the combatants try to answer that age old question of which conference plays the best football? CIAA officials have gone so far as to dub this weekend's match-up, the CIAA/SIAC Challenge.

"I was just the matchmaker," said CIAA Assistant Commissioner Jeff McLeod, who put the two schools together after noticing an available date at the beginning of the season. "(NCCU AD) Bill Hayes was the one that came up with the idea of calling it 'The Challenge.' McLeod said the conferences will have to figure out a way to leave a hole in the available schedule at the beginning of the year to make it an annual affair.

In a sense, this game is just like the MEAC/SWAC Challenge to be played next week (Sept. 2) in Birmingham pitting Hampton against Grambling State, the defending champions of their respective leagues. That game will be carried live on ESPN2.

While the CIAA is thought to be the stronger basketball conference, many consider the SIAC better on the gridiron. The 6-2 advantage in Pioneer Bowls, includes last year's 28-26 win by Tuskegee over Bowie State in a match-up of conference runners-up. That gave the SIAC a 2-1 advantage in games between the two conferences last year, but there's been nothing in a while like this matchup.

Albany State plays under seventh-year head coach James "Mike" White. The Golden Rams finished 8-2 last season and represented the SIAC in the playoffs where they lost a first round game to Central Arkansas (28-20). In 2004, Albany State received a first round playoff bye after going 10-0 in the regular season. They beat Arkansas Tech (42-24) in the second round and lost a heartbreaking 38-24 decision to eventual national champion Valdosta State in the playoff quarterfinals. In 2003, despite a 9-2 record, they were denied a playoff bid and beat Fayetteville State in the aforementioned Pioneer Bowl.

NC Central plays under fourth-year head coach Rod Broadway. The Eagles finished 10-2 last season and got a first round playoff bye after winning their first CIAA title since 1980. The Eagles lost a second round game to North Alabama on a last-second field goal, 24-21.

NCCU returns more of its key players and got an added boost early this week when last year's starting quarterback, Adrian Warren, decided to rejoin the team after making a decision a couple weeks ago not to play this year. Broadway said Tuesday that Warren will not suit up for Saturday's game. Redshirt freshman Stafford Brown will start at QB. Brown was behind true freshman Chris Webb in preseason practice but Webb went down with heat exhaustion and has missed many practices since then. Webb is expected to be available for back-up duty.

This year, NCCU comes in ranked fifth in the BCSP preseason Top Ten while Albany State is seventh. Both teams also appear in most preseason Div. II national rankings.

NCCU's arsenal includes 1,000-yard rusher Greg Pruitt, Jr., and talented receivers Julius McClellan and Charles Futrell. All-American offensive lineman Robert Duncan anchors the O-line while Brandon Gilbert is the CIAA's best placekicker and Brandon Alston is an all-CIAA return specialist. Futrell played some at quarterback last year and could be pressed into duty if the younger charges struggle. Defensive tackle Greg Peterson and linebacker Derrick Ray lead the defense.

In contrast, though it was picked by conference coaches to win its fourth straight title, Albany State has a lot of holes to fill. Its losses were compounded when running back Antonio Atkins, who rushed for 767 yards and six TDs last season, was shot and killed in late April.

But White has shown an ability to restock his stable. Sophomore Terrance Ransom will start at quarterback and play behind an offensive line that features three preseason all-SIAC picks. Defensive tackle Alton Pettway, the 2005 SIAC defensive player of the year, will be joined on that side of the ball by preseason all-American cornerback Marcus Jefferson, CB Roderick Whipple and LB Roderick Cummings.

Tuskegee goes into Tuscaloosa, Alabama to face conference foe Stillman with new coach Willie Slater. Slater takes over from Rick Comegy who moved on after ten years at TU to become the new coach at Jackson State. Slater inherits the program that has finished behind Albany State for three straight years.

FVSU enters its season-opening battle at Clark Atlanta with former Shaw head coach Deondri Clark now at the controls. Clark takes over from the abruptly fired John Morgan who posted a 21-11 mark in three years leading the Wildcats but could do no better than a third-place conference finish in each of his campaigns.

Clark will be attempting to duplicate the feat he accomplished at Shaw, leading the Bears to the CIAA championship in his first year as head coach (2004). FVSU has not won an outright SIAC title since 1999 under Kent Schoolfield.

© 2006 Azeez Communications, Inc.

Return to Front Page