Ciaa Football Week 9 Preview

CIAA Preview Week Nine
October 22, 2008  

The Road to Durham and the CIAA Football Championship
"Bringing the Championship Game back to the Triangle"
The Championship Game - November 8 - Durham

WEEK 9 - CONTENDERS LOOK TO CLOSE ON DIVISION TITLES 

For the first time since the Championship Game was resurrected in 2000, the Eastern Division may be decided before the final weekend of the regular season. With Virginia State's upset of Virginia Union, Elizabeth City State can clinch the East with a win over St. Paul's. Shaw and Fayetteville State remain tied in the West with Shaw holding the all-important head to head tiebreaker. If things remain as is, Shaw and Elizabeth City State will be squaring off on November 8 for the CIAA Title.

GAME OF THE WEEK: ST. PAUL'S AT ELIZABETH CITY STATE: ECSU, has risen to the top of the East, after starting the season 1-3. A rugged nonconference schedule left the Vikings battle-tested and ready for conference play. The Vikings are 5-0 in the conference and are two-up in the divisional standings with two games to play. ECSU has been playing well, especially offensively. QB Curtis Rich is a contender for all-conference honors after a tough 2007 season. His top target, WR Dexter Manley, is arguably the most explosive offensive player in the league averaging a whopping 28 yards per catch. Defensively, Rod Jones leads the way for ECSU averaging eight tackles per contest. St. Paul's has dropped two in a row after their upset win over VUU. SPC looks to play spoiler at the ECSU Homecoming. SPC's Gregory Toler leads the league in interceptions and will have as one of his primary assignments to stop ECSU's Manley. The Vikings will be looking to wrap up their second Eastern Division title in three years on Saturday and go after their first CIAA Title since 1971. (1:30 p.m. at Elizabeth City, NC).

Players to watch: (ECSU: QB Curtis Rich; WR Dexter Manley; RB Dennis Hamilton).
(St. Paul's: DB Gregory Toler; P Marlon Buchanon; PR Emory Addison).

SHAW AT LIVINGSTONE: Shaw needs only to win its final two contests and it will secure the opportunity to defend its title. The Bears sent a message through Chowan (68-13 win) that it will not take any opponent lightly from this point forward. Shaw is led by its top-ranked defense which is giving up a measly 220 yards per contest. 2007 Defensive Player of the Year Louis Ellis leads the way for an outstanding defensive front. Livingstone is still in the Western Division hunt, but must defeat Shaw and Fayetteville State on the final two weekends of the season...a tall task for anyone. Livingstone will need big games from RB Rashaad Flucker and QB Steven Williams to hang with Shaw. However, this one is at Livingstone, so the home crowd should provide a boost. (1:00 p.m. at Salisbury).

Players to watch: (Shaw: QB Travis Robinson; RB Raymond Williams; DL Louis Ellis).
(Livingstone: RB Rashaad Flucker; PR William Graves; QB Steven Williams).

FAYETTEVILLE STATE AT ST. AUGUSTINE'S: This game has the potential of being a real stumbling block for FSU. As they continue their chase of Shaw for the Western Division title, a road game at St. Aug stands in the way. The Falcons have done something that FSU could not...beat Shaw. Defensively, the Falcons pose significant problems for any opponent with its big line which includes Marcus Kennedy and Phil Stevenson. FSU is led by RB Richard Medlin who is averaging nearly five yards per carry. QB Bryan Hardy and WR Darryl Barnett are one of the best pass-catch duos in the league and will test the Falcon Secondary. The Broncos must keep winning and hope that either Livingstone or JCSU upsets Shaw. (1:30 p.m. at Raleigh).

Players to watch: (FSU: WR Darryl Barnett; RB Richard Medlin; QB Bryan Hardy).
 (St. Aug: DL Marcus Kennedy; RB Arnold Mullins; DL Phil Stevenson).

VIRGINIA UNION AT BOWIE STATE: Virginia Union's hopes of returning to the Championship Game took a body blow last weekend. Their upset loss to Virginia State took control of the division out of their hands and placed it solely in the hands of ECSU. Now VUU must win and hope that St. Paul's shocks ECSU at its homecoming. In the meantime, Bowie State will pose its own problems for VUU...namely RB Isaac Redman. He is a one-man wrecking crew that can beat a team single-handedly. QB Lamar Little must reassert the Panther passing game in order to avoid a second straight loss. The Panthers' Defense has been steady and remains one of the league's best. (1:00 p.m. at Bowie, MD). 

Players to watch: (VUU: QB Lamar Little; RB Tarian Donaldson; WR Phillip Taylor)
(BSU: QB Jason Scott; RB Isaac Redmon; WR Clifton Budd).

LINCOLN AT VIRGINIA STATE: Virginia State has won two in a row and seeks to win out and finish with a winning record for the first time since 2005. VSU RB Taron Hampton is the only runner that has pierced the 1,000 yard mark this season and is averaging nearly six yards per carry. This is VSU's homecoming. (1:30 p.m. at Ettrick, VA).

Players to watch: (Lincoln: DB Anthony Bell; LB Daron Jones; QB Kareem Davis).
(VSU: RB Taron Hampton; QB Leonard Johnson; WR Brian Berry).

CHOWAN AT JOHNSON C. SMITH: The Golden Bulls are looking to rebound from a tough loss at FSU. This will be the final homecoming for QB Carl Richardson and he will look to come home a winner. (1:00 p.m. at Charlotte).

Players to watch: (Chowan: QB CJ Westler: WR James Fox; WR Eddie Coard).
(JCSU: QB Carlton Richardson; WR Jeremy Franklin; DB Darius Johnson).