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SIAC, CIAA title games on tap

LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor

The postseason begins this week as division champions from the SIAC and CIAA meet in their respective conference championship games. The SIAC title game in Montgomery, Alabama will pit teams with losing records as 4-6 Kentucky State, champs of the West Division, meets 4-6 East Division winner Fort Valley State at 6 p.m. at Montgomery, Alabama’s Cramton Bowl. Both KSU and FVSU won their division titles with 3-1 records. The game will be a rematch from an Oct. 8 game at FVSU won by Kentucky State, 26-10.

Both teams also have first-year head coaches in FVSU’s Kevin Porter and KSU’s John L. Smith. Smith is the former head coach at Louisville, Michigan State and Arkansas. The CIAA title game pits Winston-Salem State (8-2), winner of the South Division title for the fifth straight season, against now two-time North Division champ Bowie State (7-3). That game kicks off at 2 p.m in Salem, Va. The same two teams met last year in Durham, N. C. for the title with WSSU coming away with a 17-14 win.


SIAC
In the first meeting between KSU and FVSU in October, KSU got career days from a trio of key players that led the Thorobreds to the 26-10 win. Freshman quarterback Jules St. Ge threw for a career-high 194 yards including a 75-yard TD to wideout Demerius Anderson. Anderson had a career-best 99 receiving yards and linebacker Travon Spencer had a career high 19 tackles.

The victory over FVSU began a threes game win streak for KSU that clinched the division title. It included a 28-24 win at the KSU homecoming over defending division and SIAC champion Miles and a stunning 10-9 win over West Division and SIAC power Tuskegee; Those last two wins gave KSU a 3-0 division record and rendered its final division game last Saturday Oct. 29, a 35-21 loss to Lane, meaningless. The Thorobreds also dropped a 39-35 non-divisional game to Benedict Saturday to close out the regular season.

Fort Valley State won at Morehouse 24-16 before beating rival Albany State in a showdown Saturday at the Fountain City Classic in Columbus, Ga. for the division crown. FVSU is led by sophomore quarterback Damontray Jones (69-139-8, 9 TDs) but senior Otis Brown has also taken snaps at QB (34 of 74, 5 TDs, 1 int.) while doubling as the team’s top receiver (23 catches, 7 TDs). Brown has led the Wildcats to three straight wins after taking over from Jones in a loss to Florida Tech.


CIAA
Just as it did last year, the CIAA title game will pit the high scoring Bowie State Bulldogs who score a league-best 41.8 points per game and put up 510 yards per game, against the stingy WSSU Rams who give up just 18.7 points and 313.4 yards per game, both second best in the CIAA. Last year it was the WSSU defense that stymied the BSU offense paving the way for the title game win.

BSU sophomore quarterback Amir Hall is the league’s top passer with 3,248 yards (324.8 ypg.) with 27 TDs and just 11 interceptions. Senior Nyme Manns has hauled in 73 of his passes for 1,073 yards and 8 TDs. Sophomore running back Robert Chesson averages 7.0 yards per carry and has totalled 1,021 yards and run for 10 scores. WSSU QB Rod Tinsley has thrown for 1,301 yards with 13 TDs and six interceptions. The Rams’ ground game is led by Tre’Vaughn Hurse (918 yds., 5 TDs) and Kerrion Moore (734 yds., 6 TDs). WSSU rushes for 226.6 yards per game, second in the CIAA. BSU is right behind them at 181.8 per game.


MEAC
BCSP No. 1 North Carolina A&T (8-2, 6-0 MEAC) and BCSP No. 3 North Carolina Central (7-3, 6-0) are still undefeated in conference play and continue to move towards their meeting next week (Nov. 19 in Durham) for the MEAC title. A&T is on the road at Delaware State (2 p.m.) while NCCU hosts Howard (2 p.m.).
SWAC
The top game in the SWAC pits BCSP No. 4 Southern playing at No. 5 Prairie View A&M (1 p.m.).

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