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Albany State the choice to unseat Tuskegee in SIAC; Cole back in saddle
Lut Williams
BCSP Editor
SIAC coaches chose Albany State
over three-time defending champion Tuskegee
in preseason voting for the 2009 football title.
Maybe its the fact that two-time SIAC Player of the Year, Tuskegee quarterback Jacary Atkinson, has departed. Perhaps the coaches just want to see someone other than the Golden Tigers in the championship circle.
Whatever the case, that was one of the surprises as the league unveiled its predicted order of finish and preseason all-SIAC team at its Media Luncheon in Atlanta Friday.
Albany State was a narrow pick over Tuskegee for conference honors. Morehouse was third.
Despite finishing behind Albany State in
the coaches' voting, Tuskegee is the only league
team appearing in NCAA Div. II preseason national rankings. The Golden Tigers are ranked 14th
by USA Today Sports Weekly and 16th by both the Sporting News and Lindy's Magazine.
This year's preseason team includes 20 first-team all-conference players from a year ago.
Two-time 1,000 yard rusher Winston Thompson of Clark Atlanta returns as the top running back in the conference and leads a list of seven (7) Panthers named to the list including five (5) who were named to the second team. Defending champion Tuskegee, for the second year in the row, has double-digit members on the team. This year's team features 11 Golden Tigers including five (5) on the first team, four of those on the defensive side of the ball. Morehouse had the most players on the first team with six (6) players, five (5) of which were on offense.
The preseason first team offense is comprised of all but three returning players. Newcomers to the first team were all Morehouse Men including William Brack (Jr./QB), Achille Hendje (Sr./WR) and Joseph Williams (Sr./OL). Hendje, along with Kentucky State wideout Juwan Jones and Lane receiver Robert Smith led the SIAC in receiving last year.
Highlighting the defense is Marcus Winston of Clark Atlanta. Winston was fourth in the conference in sacks and fifth in tackles for loss last season, en route to leading the nation's 12th-ranked defense.
The special teams list includes Jamar Rodriquez (Jr./KR, Morehouse), Antoine Mitchell (J./PR, Tuskegee), Alper Keskin (Sr./PK, Benedict) and Anthony Foster (Jr./P, Benedict).
After legendary former Florida A&M and Central State head coach Billy Joe joined the SIAC at Miles last year, the league landed another coaching standout when successful former Tennessee State and Alabama State head coach L. C. Cole took the reins at Stillman in December.
Another head coaching change is at Fort Valley State where former Albany State offensive coordinator Donald Pittman takes over from Deondri Clark.
2009 Preseason All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Football Team
|
| First Team Offense | First Team Defense |
| QB - William Brack, Morehouse | DL - Joshua Ingram, Albany State |
| RB - Winston Thompson, Clark Atlanta | DL - Danny Anderson, Tuskegee |
| RB - Quinn Porter, Stillman | DL - Marcus Winston, Clark Atlanta |
| WR - Juwan Jones, Kentucky State | DL - Dejuan Holmes, Morehouse |
| WR - Achille Hendje, Morehouse | LB - James Graham, Benedict |
| TE - Robert Smith, Lane | LB - Jonathan Hall, Tuskegee |
| OL - Eric Martiner, Lane | LB - Cordell Key, Kentucky State |
| OL - Ramone Harewood, Morehouse | DB - Justin Hannah, Tuskegee |
| OL - Michael Stevens, Tuskegee | DB - Derrick Shelton, Lane |
| OL - Chris Hymel, Stillman | DB - Derrick Addai, Kentucky State |
| OL - Joseph Williams, Morehouse | DB - Mario Fuller, Albany State |
| KR - Jamar Rodriquez, Morehouse | PR - Antoine Mitchell, Tuskegee |
| PK - Alper Keskin, Benedict | P - Anthony Foster Benedict |
| Second Team Offense | Second Team Defense |
| QB - Chivas Jones, Miles | DL - Michael Stevens, Tuskegee |
| RB - Tony Forney, Tuskegee | DL - D. J. Nettles, Morehouse |
| RB - Anthony Boykins, Kentucky State | DL - Timothy Bullock, Lane |
| WR - Mortimer Lightburn, Clark Atlanta | DL - Robert Jackson, Fort Valley State |
| WR - Antoine Mitchell, Tuskegee | LB - Michael Thompson, Benedict |
| TE - Larry Johnson, Albany State | LB - Trent Newton, Fort Valley State |
| OL - Alphonso Johnson, Clark Atlanta | LB - Zimier McCloud, Clark Atlanta |
| OL - Mike Mavromichalis, Albany State | DB - Jerome Obie, Tuskegee |
| OL - Carlton Norman, Clark Atlanta | DB - Justin Murray, Morehouse |
| OL - Keith Griffen, Kentucky State | DB - Kenneth Baker, Tuskegee |
| OL - Kenny Peaks, Miles | DB - Darnell Burks, Fort Valley State |
| KR - Jamarion Robinson, Clark Atlanta | PR - AnThon Harris, Fort Valley State |
| PK - Juan Bongarra, Albany State | P - Christopher Khan, Tuskegee |
© 2009 Azeez Communications, Inc.