Your weekly news from around the MEAC!
Photo courtesy of MEACsports.com
This week the MEAC showcased that not everything is about the game and that these student-athletes are still a vital part of their community.
After the effects of Hurricane Michael, the Florida A&M Football team took to the streets in hurricane relief efforts. After the Rattlers came off a huge upset win over the North Carolina A&T Aggies, Coach Willie Simmons partnered with FAMU, the FAMU National Alumni Association, and FAMU Athletics to provide meals and water in Havana, Fla and on Highway 27. The Team also went to Marianna, Fla in partnership with the Jackson County Chapter of the FAMU NAA to provide relief.
This week there were four conference matchups that all felt like in ways only one team was on the field. Two of the four matchups were clear blowouts with the winning team displaying dominance on the gridiron.
After an upset loss at the hands of FAMU on Oct. 13, NCAT was working this week to redeem themselves and still make a statement that they are still a top team in the conference. NCAT defeated Bethune-Cookman in a one-sided 35-10 victory.
The only game this past weekend that was a fight to the finish was Howard versus Morgan State. Howard fought back in the fourth quarter to overcome a six-point lead by MSU. Dedrick Parson of Howard scored twice in the fourth quarter and racked up a total of 148 yards and 2 TD’s to lead the Bison to victory.
Only one Volleyball matchup of the past week included Conference play. This past weekend Howard defeated BCU in five sets. The Bison seemed like the clear winners after a dominant first two sets, however, BCU fought back to win two sets of their own. Inevitably it was a 15-7 set five victory that propelled the Bison over the Wildcats.
For this upcoming week, there will be several conference matchups that shake up the standings, including FAMU having four matches this week to make up for the games missed during Hurricane Michael. Howard and North Carolina A&T still sit atop the Northern and Southern divisions, respectively but a change in the standings wouldn’t be farfetched this time next week.
With the bowling season finally getting underway, several teams laced up their shoes and shined their balls for the season. NCAT started the season with a third-place finish at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Invitational.
Coppin State also began to play as they knocked off No.24 ranked Kutztown by a score of 959-915. This victory is the first time since their 2017 win over No. 17 Tulane that the Eagles defeated a top 25 ranked opponent.
Now that the Cross-Country season is winding down for the year only two teams were active in meets this past week. Savannah State and Bethune Cookman both competed in the 12th annual Sand Shark Invitation in Hardeeville, SC. Savannah State finished in seventh with BCU finishing in tenth.
Despite their tenth-place finish Daniel Kiptoo and Carlin Berryhill of BCU held the top two times of the Men’s 8k race. Kiptoo led the pact with a time of 25:03.9.
The Cross-Country Championships will be hosted by Delaware State and the MEAC Saturday, Oct. 27. With FAMU still being the favorites for the championship this year, they hope to take back their crown from Norfolk State and add another trophy to their case.