February 20, 2009

Saint Augustine's College Announces 30 Football Signees

RALEIGH, NC – Saint Augustine’s College announced its 30-member 2009 football signing class Friday (Feb. 20).

Head Coach Michael Costa is excited about the incoming class of football recruits. He says they will add size, speed and depth to the football squad.

“We filled a lot of voids,” Costa said. “The coaches did a great job of recruiting. We’ve got size and speed on both sides of the ball. It is quite possible that some of our signees may be starters.”

The group features nine defensive backs, seven offensive linemen, five defensive linemen, four linebackers, two tight ends, two running backs and one wide receiver. The signees are from North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Maryland, Florida and Alabama.

The Falcons lost four offensive starters and four defensive starters, including All-America defensive tackle Marcus Kennedy (Georgetown, S.C.), off last year’s 4-6 squad.

2009 FALCON FOOTBALL SIGNEES

Creon Arnold	LB	5-8	200	Cook HS	Adel, GA
Travoris Belcher	CB	5-10	185	Valdosta HS	Valdosta, GA
Au’Darius Blackwood	DL	6-4	275	Mooresville HS	Mooresville, NC
Rasheed Clark	DB	5-9	160	Phoebus HS	Hampton, VA
Javerus Cunningham	CB	6-1	200	Laurens HS	Laurens, SC
Cory Darby	DB	6-3	210	Wise HS	Upper Marlboro, MD
Deventran Cromer	DB	6-1	185	Laurens HS	Laurens, SC
Javarous T. Faulk	LB	5-11	210	Central Macon HS	Macon, GA;
Willis Fussell	OL	6-3	285	Valdosta HS	Valdosta, GA
Victor Gaither	DL	6-0	220	Phoebus HS	Hampton, VA
Kevin Gamble	DB	6-2	215	Baltimore City HS	Baltimore, MD
James Hickman	DB	5-11	200	West Stokes HS	King, NC
JaQuan Hogan	DL	6-0	220	Phoebus HS	Hampton, VA
Justin Johnson	LB	5-11	210	Opelika HS	Opelika, AL
Vashun Johnson	CB	5-9	170	Valdosta HS	Valdosta, GA
Kevin B. Jones	CB	6-1	180	Northside HS	Warner Robins, GA
Joshua Lewis	DL	6-4	250	Opelika HS	Opelika, AL
Andrew Lopez	TE	6-3	230	Highland Tech HS	Gastonia, NC
Don C. Manning	OL	6-4	280	Gaffney HS	Gaffney, SC
Bryce Marshall	OL	6-5	310	Jones HS	Orlando, FL
Jeremy May	OL	6-4	270	Macon Central HS	Macon, GA
Cody McGrath	OL	6-6	310	Boone HS	Orlando, FL
Rory Nixon	C	6-2	260	Hampton HS	Hampton, VA
JJShawn Pinkston	RB	5-9	180	Mooresville HS	Mooresville, NC
Joseph Reed	DL	6-3	250	Westside HS	Anderson, SC
Gregory Richardson	WR	5-11	185	Kecoughtan HS	Hampton, VA
Brandon Stephens	TE	6-3	215	Cook County HS	Adel, GA
A.J. Straight	OL	6-4	280	Crest HS	Shelby, NC
Darien Walker	LB	5-11	220	East Forsyth HS	Kernersville, NC
Anthony Wright	RB	5-8	185	Wise HS	Upper Marlboro, MD

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April 02, 2009

Falcon Blue-White Football Game Set For Saturday

RALEIGH, NC – Saint Augustine’s College will hold its Blue-White football game on Saturday (April 4) on the campus baseball field at 1:30 p.m. The intrasquad game is part of Saint Augustine’s College’s Community Day which will be held on campus the same day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The intrasquad game is the culmination of spring football practice which started two weeks ago.

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April 04, 2009

Blue Beats White 18-12 In Spring Football Game

RALEIGH, N.C. – Joaquin Green (Freshman/Pittsboro, N.C.) ran for a touchdown and threw for another score to lead the Blue team to an 18-12 victory over the White team on Saturday (April 4) in the Saint Augustine’s College Spring Intra-squad Football Game on campus.

Green tossed a lob pass to a leaping Jone’ Harris (Sophomore/Fairfield, Calif.) for the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter. Green also scored on a one-yard run off an option keeper. Ashanti Robinson (Redshirt Freshman/Miami, Fla.) led the White team with two touchdown catches.

The offensive production from both teams pleased Head Coach Michael Costa.

“Overall, we are much better at this point offensively than we were at this time last year,” said Costa, a two-time CIAA coach of the year. “If the offense keeps progressing then it should do well this upcoming season.”

The White team tied the game 6-6 in the first half when Antonio Jones (Freshman/Germantown, Md.) found a wide-open Robinson for a 22-yard touchdown pass.

The Blue team reclaimed the lead 12-6 in the second half on Green’s short run, but the White team tied the score again when Kris Brownlee (Freshman/Philadelphia, Pa.) scrambled and connected with Robinson for a 37-yard touchdown. The score stayed tied 12-12 until Green and White hooked up for the winning touchdown.

Other offensive highlights include runs of 32 and 27 yards from Arnold Mullins (Sophomore/Philadelphia, Pa.). Defensive highlights include interceptions by Jamel Moore (Sophomore/Fayetteville, N.C.) and Isaac Wilson (Freshman/Warner Robins, Ga.).

“Overall, our defense will still be strong,” said Costa, whose defense consistently ranks among the top teams nationally in Division II. “We played well [Saturday] on both sides of the ball.”

The two-hour contest concludes the spring football season.

The Falcons open the 2009 season at home against Catawba on Aug. 29.

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May 01, 2009

Saint Augustine’s College Mourns Loss of Football Assistant Antonio Owens

RALEIGH, N.C. – Saint Augustine’s College is saddened to learn of the death of assistant football coach Antonio Owens, who succumbed Friday, May 1, after a long illness.

"Today, the Saint Augustine’s College Athletic Department feels a tremendous sense of loss," Athletic Director George Williams said. "Coach Owens was such a great representative of what we do around here. Together, Coach Owens, along with the entire football coaching staff, made a significant difference in the lives of many Saint Augustine’s College student-athletes. He will always represent, in fullest measure, the spirit of the college."

Owens, 48, was the running backs coach since 2006 at Saint Augustine’s College. During his tenure on the Falcon staff, he developed rising junior Walter Sanders, a 2008 All-CIAA second team selection after finishing second in the league in rushing, and rising junior Arnold Mullins, a 2007 All-CIAA rookie pick.

“It’s a sad day in Falcon land when you lose someone who has worked with you for what seems like a long period of time, though it was just a few years,” said Falcon Head Coach Michael Costa. “Coach Owens had a lot of energy and passion for the game of football. You feel for the kids that he coached because he portrayed that father image with the players. He will be deeply missed.”

A Hallandale, Fla., native, Owens coached 16 years overall at many levels, including Division I-A, Division I-AA, Division II, junior college, high school and Pop Warner football. Prior to arriving at Saint Augustine’s College, Owens coached at Clark Atlanta University, where he served as assistant outside linebackers coach in 2005. Before then, Owens was at Poinciana (Fla.) High School from 2000-2001 where he was defensive coordinator and defensive back coach. Owens also coached at New Mexico Military Institute, University of Central Florida, Norfolk State University and Bowie State University.

Owens played college football at West Virginia University-Potomac, Syracuse University and C.W. Post University after an outstanding high school career in Syracuse, N.Y. He is a former Army officer and Gulf War veteran.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

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June 03, 2009

Saint Augustine’s College Mourns Loss of Football Assistant Antonio Owens

RALEIGH, N.C. –Daryl McNeill joined the athletic staff at Saint Augustine’s College this week as assistant football coach. His duties started Monday, June 1, 2009.

McNeill, the head football coach at Johnson C. Smith from 2005 to 2008, will coach the running backs and assist with special teams. He brings 25 years of coaching experience to the Falcon football team.

“He will be a tremendous asset to the program,” said Falcon head coach Michael Costa, the 2003 and 2005 CIAA football coach of the year. “He has a lot of knowledge in the area of offense. That will help us a great deal with the things we want to do specifically.”

McNeill developed a reputation as an offensive mastermind during his veteran coaching career. He was head football coach twice at Johnson C. Smith University and once at Savannah State University where he was also offensive coordinator.

McNeill was also offensive coordinator at Tennessee State University, South Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University where he also was associate head coach. He coached former NFL standout Shannon Sharpe at Savannah State. During his tenure at A&T, Aggie quarterbacks boasted a 112.70 rating in 2002 which was the best since 2000 and the Aggies improved their total offensive average by 50 yards in 2002.

In 1996, McNeill was named Black College Sports Co-Coach of the Year after guiding Johnson C. Smith to a 7-3 mark. It was Smith’s first winning season in 15 years. In 2006, he led Smith to a 7-3 record and a berth in the Pioneer Bowl, the school’s first postseason appearance since 1941.

As Falcon running backs coach, McNeill will direct a unit headed by rising juniors Walter Sanders (Baltimore, Md.) and Arnold Mullins (Philadelphia, Pa.). Sanders finished second in the CIAA in rushing with 840 yards last season and made the 2008 All-CIAA second team. Mullins was named to the All-CIAA rookie team in 2007. The Falcons ranked fourth in the CIAA in rushing offense last season with 173.4 yards per game.

“I would like to thank President [Dianne Boardley] Suber, athletic director George Williams and Coach Costa for giving me the opportunity to coach at this fine institution,” McNeill said. “I am looking forward to getting back in the [coaching] game and being a part of the Falcon family.”

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June 02, 2009

Google Blogs Alert for: saint augustine's college, raleigh

Ohio.com - Browns' Hall hopes to muscle his way into more playing time BEREA: Alex Hall swears they lifted weights at Saint Augustine College. But the broader shoulders and solid, if not bulging biceps of the Browns' second-year outside linebacker reveal the results of his first offseason in a state-of-the-art training fac. ... Hall, a seventh-round draft choice from the Division II school in Raleigh, N.C., had a season-high seven tackles in a Sept. 21 game against the Baltimore Ravens and never managed more than three after that. ...

Sports - http://www.ohio.com/sports