CIAA Football 2011: Week 1 Preview
Preserving the Past,
Defending Our Future
CIAA Football 2011
August 24, 2011
Hampton, VA…Another exciting season of CIAA football kicks off on Saturday August 27, 2011 with a partial slate of games. Three conference teams, Saint Augustine’s, Virginia Union and Elizabeth City State, will take their first steps on a road that they hope leads to Durham for the CIAA Championship game in November.
Saint Augustine’s College Falcons at Virginia Union University Panthers
Saint Augustine’s enters the 2011 campaign looking to use last season’s 9-2 record and season-ending victory in the Pioneer Bowl as a springboard to bigger and better things, namely a CIAA title and a NCAA playoff bid. The Falcons return 14 starters, seven on offense and seven on defense. The biggest question mark for the Falcons is who will replace All-America tailback Walter Sanders. Sanders, the 2010 CIAA Offensive Player of the Year, racked up over 1,300 rushing yards and 15 TDs last season as the workhorse in the Falcons’ backfield. Look for Coach Mike Costa to rely heavily on a passing attack led by veteran quarterback Joaquin Green (1064 passing yards/10 TDs) and a deep stable of experienced receivers led by Jamain Smith (39 catches/540 yards/2 TDs) and Tyrone Laughinghouse (18 catches/393 yards/6 TDs) until a reliable running attack can be established.
Defensively, Saint Augustine’s is led by linebacker Chaz Robinson (82 tackles in 2010), and defensive linemen Anthony Harris (29 tackles, 6.5 sacks), Joe Reed (39 tackles, 4.5 sacks), and Anthony Coleman (32 tackles, 2 sacks). Virginia Union, traditionally one of the CIAA’s elite teams, goes into the game hoping to begin to erase the memory of last season’s disappointing 3-7 campaign. In 2010, VUU sported one of the conference’s most productive offenses, averaging 28.7 points a game. Unfortunately, their defense gave up a whopping 34.3 points a game. If the Panthers expect to reverse last season’s 3-7 record, they will have to improve defensively. Leading the Panthers on offense will be tailback Jerell Washington (796 rushing yards/9 TDs) and quarterback Cheston Hicks (599 passing yards/7 TDs). Leading a revamped Virginia Union defense are defensive backs Brian Smith (44 tackles/2 interceptions) and Antonio Harris (35 tackles/1 interception).
Game time is 2:00pm at Virginia Union’s Hovey Field.
VUU Live stats: http://www.vuusports.com/news/2011/8/23/FB_0823112646.aspx?path=football
Elizabeth City State University Vikings at Delta State University Statesmen
Coach Waverly Tillar and the ECSU Vikings get one of their sternest tests of the season right out of the blocks when they travel to Cleveland, Mississippi to take on defending NCAA Division II National Runner-up Delta State. The Statesmen, ranked 2nd in the AFCA Preseason poll, are led by quarterback Micah Davis. Davis passed for 4,097 yards and 33 touchdowns to lead DSU to an 11-4 record last season. The Vikings, who finished 6-4 in 2010, will counter with Creven Powell behind center. Powell, a preseason All-CIAA pick, threw for 1662 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. ECSU’s running game will be built around tailback Daronte McNeill, a speedy 6-1, 205 pound junior, who logged over 1,300 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns last season.
Defensively, the Vikings must overcome the loss of First Team All-America defensive end Malcolm Jenkins. Jenkins, the 2010 CIAA Defensive Player of the Year, was tops in the CIAA and second in Division II with 13.0 sacks last season. Faced with the unenviable task of trying to slow down a Delta State offense that averaged 32 points and 453 yards per game is a ECSU defensive unit led by linebacker Dewitt Dixon (41.5 tackles/1.5 sacks) and defensive end Larry Jones (16.5 tackles/4 sacks).
Game time is 6:00pm at Delta State’s Horace McCool Stadium.
ECSU Gametracker: http://www.ecsuvikings.com/gametracker/launch/gt_mfootbl.html?event=1012526&school=eliz&sport=mfootbl&camefrom=&startschool=&;
