Around the CIAA With BV Sports' Bonitta Best
Banner Year for CIAA
By Bonitta Best, AOL Black Voices CIAA columnist,
Posted: 2007-01-02 15:44:55
2006 was the year of football for the CIAA. Just when you thought nothing could top 2005 - six teams vying for a division title in the last weekend of regular season play - 2006 one-ups it one better. North Carolina Central, Johnson C. Smith, Elizabeth City State and Virginia Union kept fans coming back for more.
Yes, basketball had its share of shining moments as well, but it was football that kept the spotlight the longest.
So, without further ado, the top 10 moments of 2006:
10. New sheriff in town. NCCU offensive coordinator Darrell Asberry becomes head football coach at Shaw after the departure of Deondri Clark to Fort Valley State. Asberry, who helped guide the Eagles to No. 1 in offense, swipes three NCCU assistants along the way. The Eagles don't skip a beat while the Bears finish 3-7.
9. Gotcha! After repeated attempts to move the conference out of the South Atlantic region, the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference finally gets its wish. The CIAA will move in 2008 to the East Region, one of eight newly created super regions by the NCAA.
8. Right team, wrong town. Johnson C. Smith gets picked to play in the Pioneer Bowl in its host city Charlotte. The CIAA's thinking: a packed Memorial Stadium filled with Smith fans and a jumpin' joint. Instead, the only things jumping were the 10 Smith fans in attendance who, at one point in the game, jumps over to the visitor's side because that's where the sun is shining.
7. No peers. The Lady Eagles' volleyball team goes undefeated in the conference for the second straight year, and takes player of the year and coach of the year honors for two years running. Shari Matthews is named Division II's National Player of the Year, a first in school history.
6. GOLDEN Golden Bulls. Johnson C. Smith has a season players and coaches can tell their grandkids about: a 24-game losing streak turned into a 7-3 record, a second-place Western Division finish and a postseason berth.
5. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. The NCAA finally sees the light - Earned Access light that is - and awards two at-large bids to NCCU and ECSU, the first time two teams make the playoffs since 1991.
4. The beat goes on. The CIAA basketball tournament loses none of its luster in a new city. Over 155,000 fans, partygoers, celebrities, etc., attend the weeklong tourney in Charlotte, generating $15.4 million for the city. Half of that amount is spent on concessions at the Bobcats Arena.
3. The streak ends. Fayetteville State ends Shaw's 77-game conference streak dating back to 2002, giving others hope that the Lady Bears can be dethroned in March.
2. Fo', fo', fo'. Despite losing three of four games in the first semester, Shaw regroups to become the first women's team in tourney history to win four straight championships.
1. We are the champions. The Eagles are the Black College National Champions, a goal of coach Rod Broadway's four years ago. The Sheridan Broadcasting Network made it official last week after NCCU finished a perfect 10-0 conference season, repeated as CIAA champions and earned its second straight playoff berth.
Yes, basketball had its share of shining moments as well, but it was football that kept the spotlight the longest.
So, without further ado, the top 10 moments of 2006:
10. New sheriff in town. NCCU offensive coordinator Darrell Asberry becomes head football coach at Shaw after the departure of Deondri Clark to Fort Valley State. Asberry, who helped guide the Eagles to No. 1 in offense, swipes three NCCU assistants along the way. The Eagles don't skip a beat while the Bears finish 3-7.
9. Gotcha! After repeated attempts to move the conference out of the South Atlantic region, the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference finally gets its wish. The CIAA will move in 2008 to the East Region, one of eight newly created super regions by the NCAA.
8. Right team, wrong town. Johnson C. Smith gets picked to play in the Pioneer Bowl in its host city Charlotte. The CIAA's thinking: a packed Memorial Stadium filled with Smith fans and a jumpin' joint. Instead, the only things jumping were the 10 Smith fans in attendance who, at one point in the game, jumps over to the visitor's side because that's where the sun is shining.
7. No peers. The Lady Eagles' volleyball team goes undefeated in the conference for the second straight year, and takes player of the year and coach of the year honors for two years running. Shari Matthews is named Division II's National Player of the Year, a first in school history.
6. GOLDEN Golden Bulls. Johnson C. Smith has a season players and coaches can tell their grandkids about: a 24-game losing streak turned into a 7-3 record, a second-place Western Division finish and a postseason berth.
5. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. The NCAA finally sees the light - Earned Access light that is - and awards two at-large bids to NCCU and ECSU, the first time two teams make the playoffs since 1991.
4. The beat goes on. The CIAA basketball tournament loses none of its luster in a new city. Over 155,000 fans, partygoers, celebrities, etc., attend the weeklong tourney in Charlotte, generating $15.4 million for the city. Half of that amount is spent on concessions at the Bobcats Arena.
3. The streak ends. Fayetteville State ends Shaw's 77-game conference streak dating back to 2002, giving others hope that the Lady Bears can be dethroned in March.
2. Fo', fo', fo'. Despite losing three of four games in the first semester, Shaw regroups to become the first women's team in tourney history to win four straight championships.
1. We are the champions. The Eagles are the Black College National Champions, a goal of coach Rod Broadway's four years ago. The Sheridan Broadcasting Network made it official last week after NCCU finished a perfect 10-0 conference season, repeated as CIAA champions and earned its second straight playoff berth.
2005-06-09 12:23:55
