Roscoe Takes A Look At HSRN's Div. II Top-10 - Will Tuskegee Start A New Decade On Top?

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Fri, Aug 20, 2010 > 9:33am

The first decade of the new millennium belonged to Tuskegee, and it fittingly ended with the Golden Tigers sitting atop the 2009 HSRN Division II poll. A new decade begins with the Golden Tigers still No. 1 and hoping 2010 will launch another decade of success similar to what they enjoyed the previous 10 seasons.

During that period, they were 101-16 (.863 winning percentage), won or shared seven SIAC championships and had two undefeated seasons (2000 and 2007). Another run like that is probably expecting too much. But with 15 starters returning from last year’s 10-2 squad, it certainly isn’t unreasonable to look for 2010 to be another banner season for the Golden Tigers.

Shaw and Fayetteville State, the preseason Nos. 2 and 3 teams, respectively, are teams that could unseat Tuskegee after ending the 2009 season in those same positions in the HSRN poll.

Tuskegee leaned heavily on its defense in 2009. The Golden Tigers will be strong on that side of the ball again despite losing All-American cornerback Justin Hannah, safety Jeremy Obie and linebacker Jonathan Hall. They are solid up front with tackle Danny Anderson and end Darian Barnes anchoring the line, and they will have more speed in the secondary.

Tuskegee should be better on offense this season. Quarterback Joshua Harris, who started the last four games after redshirt freshman Jeremy Williams was injured, begins the season as the No. 1 signal caller. Harris was 4-0 as the starter in 2009, and he engineered the Golden Tigers’ comeback victory against Albany State that propelled them to the SIAC title. The Golden Tigers expect a boost from wide receiver Jonathan Lessa and 2008 All-American center Michael Stevens, who missed all of 2009 with injuries.

The Golden Tigers will be tested off the bat. They open the season against No. 10 Benedict Sept. 4, and they face No. 4 Albany State Sept. 18 in a pair of pivotal SIAC contests. They also play Texas Southern, No. 7 in the HSRN Division I preseason poll, Sept. 25

“We have to get ready to play the best we can every week,’’ Golden Tigers coach Willie Slater says. “We’ve been blessed. We’ve been fortunate that we haven’t had many injuries (in the past). We have a good staff, and our players have bought into what we’re trying to do. I hope we’re better this year. I’ve been saying since I’ve been here, third-year players are the best players. We have a lot of third- year and fourth-year players. ’’

Shaw is bracing to make a strong run at the No. 1 ranking, figuratively and literally. The Bears’ offense, which returns eight starters, revolves around a strong running game that features Raymond Williams. Williams rushed for 811 yards in 2009 and produced 1,172 all-purpose yards. Williams runs behind a solid offensive line that is anchored by preseason All-American Marcus McElveen.

The Bears have to replace five defensive starters, but tackle DeMarcus Roberson and linebacker Fred Sparkman provide a solid foundation on that side of the ball. The Bears’ Sept. 11 game at Elon will be a measuring stick for the rest of the season. Their Oct. 16 matchup with No. 3 Fayetteville State is the key to their season. They dropped a 28-27 decision to the Broncos on a bad snap, and it cost them a spot in the CIAA championship game.

Fayetteville State’s experience – 17 starters return – gives the Broncos a legitimate shot at the top spot. They have a strong offensive line that returns four starters, including two-time second team All-CIAA center Dillon Kestner and Larry McDonald, a 2008 CIAA All-Rookie team pick. The ground game is in good hands with senior jack-of-all-trades running back Richard Medlin, who has led the Broncos in rushing two of his three years.

Defensively, the Broncos have to rebuild their linebacking corps. But with eight starters returning, they have enough experience everywhere else to get the done.

The Broncos are brimming with confidence, having won 16 of their last 21 conference games. They are 9-2 in their last 11 road games, which bodes well for them in their showdown with Shaw in Raleigh, N.C., Oct. 16.

Albany State remains formidable in the SIAC, but the Golden Rams have slipped a bit. They lost to Tuskegee in the last minute after leading the entire game, and they were blown out by Fort Valley State in the season finale. Those could well be telltale signs of what’s in store for this season as Coach Mike White tries to replace All-SIAC quarterback A.J. McKenna and running back Demetrius Johnson, their leading rusher.

The Golden Rams’ defense – which boasts four preseason all-conference picks including safety Mario Fuller – is strong enough to keep them in most games. But they will have a difficult time getting past Tuskegee, No. 5 Fort Valley State, No. 9 Morehouse and Benedict unscathed.

Fort Valley State has high hopes, and why not? The Wildcats are still riding the wave of emotion from their season-ending 34-13 victory against instate rival Albany State. They averaged an eye-popping 349 yards and 29.6 points a game in 2009. Second-year coach Donald Pittman hopes to get similar production even though quarterback Nathaniel Samas has moved on and junior college transfer Eugene Smith will run the offense.

Fort Valley State’s always tough defense should be just as strong as it was last season when it was No. 3 in the SIAC in fewest yards allowed.

The table is set for the Wildcats to sneak up in the rankings and perhaps take over the top spot as the season progresses. They get Tuskegee, Benedict and Morehouse in Fort Valley and play Albany State at a neutral site. If they can run the table against that quartet, they would inject themselves in the conversation for No. 1.

No. 6 Elizabeth City State has as much offensive firepower as anyone in the top 10. The Vikings averaged 32.5 points and 337.4 yards in 2009. Tight end Karvin Gwaltney, wide receiver Dexter Manley and quarterback Creven Powell, three of their main offensive cogs and preseason all-conference picks, return.

They are in good shape defensively with preseason All-American tackle Malcolm Jenkins and cornerback Josh Brooks, the 2009 CIAA Defensive Rookie of the Year, leading the way.

The Vikings are pointing to their Oct. 23 game against Bowie State. They lost to the Bulldogs last season, and it ended up costing them the division title. Bowie State, Elizabeth City and Virginia Union finished the regular season in a three-way tie. Bowie State won a coin toss and represented the division in the CIAA Championship Game.

Bowie State, No.7, is out to prove that it is indeed the class of the CIAA Northern Division and that it 2009 wasn’t just a matter of lucky coin toss. The Bulldogs have a ton of experience with 17 starters – eight on offense, nine on defense – and 38 lettermen returning. Running backs Rodney Webb and Ramono Flowers, wide receivers Clifton, Dominique” Budd and James Proctor and quarterback Tyrae Reid give the Bulldogs plenty of offensive firepower.

The Bulldogs have early season tests against Morgan State Sept. 4 in a nonconference game and Fayetteville State Sept. 11. Their Oct. 23 game at Elizabeth City State will likely decide the division title.

Langston has developed into a consistent winner in Greg Johnson’s four seasons as coach. The Lions have won three consecutive Central States Football League championships and had three straight winning seasons with Johnson at the helm. With 16 starters returning, they should extend both streaks and return to the NAIA playoffs.

Morehouse is looking to continue the progress it has made under Coach Rich Freeman. The Maroon Tigers’ 20 -10 record the last three seasons is the second-best for a three-year period in school history. They finished 2009 by winning three of their last four games and hope the momentum carries over.

However, they need more consistency on both sides of the ball especially when the go against SIAC foes Tuskegee, Albany State and Fort Valley State. That trio beat them by an average score of 33-13. The Maroon Tigers will have to be at the top of their game out of the gate. Their first two games are against Benedict Aug. 28 and Fort Valley State Sept. 4.

Benedict, who rounds out the preseason top 10, was as hot as any team at the end of 2009. The Tigers closed the year by winning eight of their last nine games including their last five in a row. They hope to carry that momentum into the upcoming season. It will be difficult for the Tigers to avoid another slow start, however. Three of their first four games are against Morehouse, Tuskegee and South Carolina State, the preseason No.1 team in the HSRN Division I poll. A couple of victories against that trio would have the Tigers looking good for the rest of the season.