Title games in CIAA, MEAC
LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor
Conference championships and postseason playoff berths will be decided this weekend in the CIAA and the MEAC.
After a four-year stay in Durham, N.C., the CIAA Championship game moves to Charlotte this year for the matchup between East Division champ Virginia Union (9-1, 6-1) and West Division winner Shaw (7-3, 6-1).
It will be the first championship game matchup for either head coach Arrington Jones of VUU or Darrell Asberry of Shaw though both have title game experience as assistants. Asberry, in his second year at Shaw, guided the North Carolina Central offense under head coach Rod Broadway when the Eagles captured the 2005 CIAA title, before taking over at Shaw. Jones was offensive coordinator at Winston-Salem State during championship game appearances in 2000 and 2001. He became the head coach at VUU in 2005.
The last two games between the teams have been high scoring affairs with each getting a victory. Last year, VUU won 43-34 at Shaw. In 2005, Shaw pulled out a 48-41 win in overtime at VUU. But this year's title game could be different. The two teams are a study in contrasts.
VUU averages a league-best 31.5 points per game and features the CIAA's best rushing (230.5 ypg.) and passing (179.7 ypg.) attack producing a whopping 410 yards per game. Shaw counters with the league's best defense, giving up only 11.5 points per game while leading in passing (103.5 ypg.) and rushing (63.6 ypg.) defense. The Bears surrender a paltry 171.9 yards per game. In other words, something or somebody's got to give.
There's even a contrast in individual players with VUU sporting the offensive player of the year in prolific junior QB Lamar Little and Shaw lineman Louis Ellis winning the defensive player award.
On top of all the team and individual matchups there's also likely a NCAA Div. II playoff berth awaiting the winner. VUU enters the title game ranked eighth in the Southeast Region with Shaw 12th. The CIAA has to have a team ranked in the top ten to 'earn' a playoff spot.
The 2007 MEAC championship and automatic bid to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs goes to the winner of Saturday's Delaware State vs. Norfolk State tussle in Dover, Del. (12 noon). DSU, looking for its first MEAC title since 1991, enters with a perfect 7-0 conference mark (8-1 overall) while NSU, who has never won a grid title since entering the MEAC a decade ago, is at 6-1 in MEAC play, 7-2 overall.
While DelState, under fourth-year head coach
Al Lavan, was expected to contend for the title, Norfolk State was picked seventh
in preseason voting by league coaches. The Spartans, under head coach
Pete Adrian, have surprised everyone including Adrian.
"We knew we had better athletes and we'd do better than last year (four wins), but nobody knew we'd do this well. We've been winning games in the fourth quarter and it's not been just one player to step up. We've had different guys to step up each week. It's been a fun team to coach." Adrian said the turning point of the season was a 59-0 loss to FBS member Rutgers where his team kept fighting despite being far behind.
Adrian's most consistent players on offense have been RB Darryl Jones, who has posted 989 rushing yards and 12 TDs, and QB Casey Hansen, who is third among MEAC passers. Defensive backs Terrell Whitehead (41 tackles, 5 ints.) and Don Carey and linebacker brothers Maguell (83 tackles) and Marquez Davis (81) have been defensive standouts.
Lavan has gotten outstanding performances from WR Shaheer McBride (42 rec., 8 TDs), QB Vashon Winton (57.6 compl. pct., 10 TDs, 4 ints.) and RB Kareem Jones (78.1 ypg.). LBs Russell Reeves and Kelly Rouse, and DBs Akeem Green and Josh Pope pace the Hornet defense.
© 2007 Azeez Communications, Inc.