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Coaches make their picks in CIAA
LUT WILLIAMS 
If the predictions of Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
head football coaches hold true, the conference will see the same two
participants from a year ago, Winston-Salem
State and Virginia Union, in this year's
Nov. 10 Championship Game. That's the result of a poll of
coaches released at Wednesday's CIAA Football Round-Up at
Virginia State's Jones Dining Hall.
Winston-Salem State, who placed five players on the coaches' preseason all-conference team, was picked to walk off with their third straight conference title while last year's runner-up, Virginia Union was picked to finish that way again. Virginia State and North Carolina Central were the third and fourth choices of the coaches. Last year, West Division winner Winston-Salem State, behind quarterback Tory Woodbury, fought back from a 14-0 first half deficit to post a thrilling 31-28 win over East titlist, Virginia Union, despite 168 rushing yards and two touchdowns from diminutive VUU running back Andre' Braxton. It was the first title game in the conference in eight years. Both those big guns are gone now. Woodbury signed a free agent contract with the NFL's New York Jets while the 5-7 Braxton, who won the Alonzo "Jake" Gaither Award as the top football athlete from an historically black college, finished his eligibility. But that didn't stop the coaches from picking the two programs to wind up atop the standings again. WSSU had only one offensive performer, six-foot, nine-inch, 300-pound lineman, Aaron Federspiel, on the preseason offensive unit, but added four selectees to the defense led by senior linebacker Robert Mackey. Fellow linebacker Carnell Brown, lineman Ahmad Wesley and defensive back Stephen Kelly were also voted on. Virginia Union and Livingstone led the all-conference selections with six picks each. VUU quarterback Jasun Thompson was picked as the conference's leading signal-caller. He is joined by Panther lineman Rashard Rodgers and tight end Travis Thornton on the offensive side. Senior lineman James Atkins, senior defensive back Ralph Hunter and senior punt returner Thomas Coleman also made the team. Virginia State, which lost the record-setting pass-catch combo of QB Antonio Hawkins and WR Damon Thompson, along North Carolina Central placed only three players on the preseason team. Livingstone, who got the least amount of votes from the coaches, had the six picks, led by senior running back Carlton Jones. Joining Jones from the Bears is sophomore linebacker Jason Ocean, a first team all-conference selectee last season who led the CIAA and all black college players in tackles (11.6 per game). The teams were ranked by coaches in the following order, with no
divisional breakdowns included:
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