Kudos to Winners

Sports Beat by Bill McCaffrey

Our congratulations go out to all the folks who won elections this week including Martin O’Malley, Mike Miller, Roy Dyson, “Mac” Middleton, John Astle, Murray Levy, Sally Jameson, Ed DeGrange, Jim Proctor, Joe Vallario, John Bohanan, Mike Busch, Kumar Barve, Frank Weathersbee, Peter Franchot, Josh Cohen, “Big Ed” Reilly, Gene Ramson, Luiz Simmons, Sue Kullen, John Wood, Tony O’Donnell, Shelia Hixson, Hank Heller, Jim Hubbard, Brian Frosh, Ron Garagiola, Jim Rosapepe, Ben Cardin, E.J. Pipkin, Norm Conway, Jim Mathis, Daryl Jones, Ted Sophpceus, Pam Beidle, Mary Ann Love, Steve Shuh, Joan Cadden, and Barbara Frush. I could have mentioned more but some races were still in doubt and I hope Walt Schandrowsky hangs on.
It makes me a little sad that Bob Ehrlich lost, I certainly have a lot of respect for him and I hope he does come back maybe U.S. Senator.
Some of the young people to keep your eye on as they climb the ladder of success are: John Bohanan, Kumar Barve, Josh Cohen, Gene Ransom, Steve Shuh, Pam Beidle and Sue Kullen as well as the incoming Lt. Governor Anthony Brown.
Now that we looked at the sport of politics (and I will have some more names for you next week) let’s get to the grid scene. Joe Gibbs used the foot of Nick Novak to top Dallas 22-19 with a field goal by Novak as the clock expired.
This week the Redskins go to Philadelphia to play the Eagles, but teams appear even but the hosts are seven point favorites. I like the Redskins and the points in this one.
Once again the Baltimore Ravens defense and the officials help the Ravens to hold on and beat the Bengals 26-20. Steve “Airless” McNair is getting a lot of credit but without that sterling “D” and the defense he’d be just another journeyman QB. Face it with the Ravens “D” playing over its head the team would be a bottom feeder.
This week the team travels South to play the Tennessee Titans, the Ravens are seven point favorites and should cover that spread with ease.
With no tough teams left on their schedule they could run the table and finish 14-2 to take their division and be a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The Ravens should win by more than 30 this week.
Navy (6-3) accepted a bid to play in the Meineke Care Care Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina apparently an agreement was made some months ago to go to the bowl and I am sure they will play a team like the one they play this week, Eastern Michigan (1-8).
The Mids shouldn’t lose another game this season and with their annual schedule they will probably only lose to Notre Dame every season. If they ever go back to the schedule other coaches had to play at Navy “Little Ego” would probably lose every game Navy played. Ever wonder why no one at a bigger football school doesn’t come after him?
Maryland pulled one off in Death Valley edging Clemson 13-12 on a field goal by Dan Ennis in the closing seconds of the game.
The Terps ae now 7-2 and 4-1 in ACC play and 23rd in the Country. Sam Hollenbach is playing well at QB.
Maryland has a tough schedule, unlike Navy, and play Miami, Boston College (a team Navy dropped from their schedule) and Wake Forest and a sweep of these three will put the Terps in the ACC championship game.
BOWIE STATE PREVAILS 16-7 IN SEASON FINALE
The Bulldogs of Bowie State sent its seniors out on a high note by beating Virginia State 16-7 in the season finale for both teams. With the victory, BSU ends the season with a 5-5 overall record and 3-4 in the CIAA. Virginia State closes out the year at 2-8 (2-5 in the CIAA).
Bowie State’s Joshua Miller tackled Virginia State punter Robert Dunham in the Trojans end zone midway through the first quarter, giving the Bulldogs a 2-0 advantage. That was the extent of the scoring for the first half as the 706 in attendance stepped out for some hot chocolate.
Senior Nathaniel Queen rushed for his eighth touchdown of season with 9:53 remaining in the third quarter, pounding in from two yards out. Senior John Riley added the extra point, pushing BSU’s lead to 9-0. Virginia State’s Lamar Blizzard lofted a 23-yard touchdown pass to Davian Richards with 2:50 left in the third quarter, capping off a 12 play – 77 yard drive for the Trojans. Justin Buxton converted the extra point, closing the VSU deficit to 9-7.
Queen (26 carries for 158 yards) recorded his second touchdown of the afternoon at the 11:31 mark of the final quarter, this time from 24 yards out. Riley’s extra point made the score 16-7 Bowie State. Virginia State threatened deep into Bowie State territory late in the fourth quarter, down to the Bulldogs six yard line. Travis Valentine lost three yards on VSU’s first play and Blizzard was sacked for a loss of six on the very next play by Miguel Dean. Blizzard threw two incomplete passes on third and fourth down respectively, turning the ball over to Bowie State with 2:06 left in the game.
Virginia State’s Blizzard led both teams on offense with 206 passing yards, completing 11 of 24 and Valentine was the Trojans’ top rusher with 92 yards. VSU’s Davian Richards led all receivers with 102 yards on four receptions. BSU senior quarterback Lamar Manigo (7 of 16 for 57 yards) closed out his Bulldogs’ career with 3,087 career passing yards and a BSU record 36 touchdown passes for his career. Queen raps up his best season as a Bulldog accounting for 1,212 rushing yards this season, which puts him second all-time in rushing yards for a season. Defensively, Dominic Scott led Virginia State with 12 total tackles and Miguel Dean paced Bowie State with 10 total tackles.
The CIAA Announces Its 2006 Football All-Conference Team and
Players of the Year
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Football Coaches Association has made its selections for the 2006 All-CIAA Football Team, Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
This year’s top honor goes to freshman, quarterback, Stadford Brown of North Carolina Central University. As Player of the Year, Brown finishes the regular season at the head of the conference in passing yards, averaging 209.9 ypg, 24 TD’s and has a pass efficiency rate of 152.
Our 2006 Defensive Player of the Year, Kevin Dodson of Elizabeth City State University is a senior punter for the Mighty Vikings. Dodson leads the conference in punting with an average of 41.2 and a long of 65 yds. He is also 16 of 18 for PATs.
The team will be recognized at the CIAA Football Championship Banquet on
November 9, 2006 in Durham, NC.
1st TEAM - OFFENSE

TIGHT END
Kenneth Broadway NCCU SR 6’0 220 Chapel Hill, NC

OFFENSIVE LINE
Ronnie McClary ECSU SR 6’4 325 Goldsboro, NC
Sam Funches NCCU SR 6’7 270 Lawnside, NJ
Robert Duncan NCCU SR 6’0 268 Winston-Salem, NC
Kaeo Lealao VUU SR 6’1 380 Ewabeach, HI

WIDE RECIEVERS
Chris Carter ECSU SR 5’9 190 Winston-Salem, NC
Charles Futrell NCCU SR 6’6 200 Fayetteville, NC

QUARTERBACK
Stadford Brown NCCU FR 6’1 196 Washington, DC

RUNNING BACKS
Nathaniel Queen BSU SR 5’10 185 Fairmont Heights,MD
Brandon Fields ECSU JR 5’9 180 Wilson, NC

KICK RETURN
DeAudra Dix JCSU SR 6’0 180 Merritt Island, FL

PLACE KICKER
Brandon Gilbert NCCU JR 5’9 283 Graham, NC

DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE LINE
Maceo Thomas ECSU SR 6’3 290 Portsmouth, VA
Greg Moore ECSU JR 6’5 240 Wallace, NC
Greg Peterson NCCU SR 5’5 280 Beaulaville, NC
Alex Hall SAC JR 6’5 250 Glenarden, MD

LINEBACKERS
Emanuel Plummer ECSU SR 6’1 235 Freeport, NY
Eddie Wilson JCSU SR 5’11 230 Elliot, SC
Naim-Adbul Malik NCCU SR 6’5 228 Queens, NY

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Dwight Richardson ECSU SR 6’0 185 Grand Praire, TX
DeAundra Dix JCSU SR 6’0 180 Merritt Island, FL
Craig Amos NCCU JR 5’10 180 Winston-Salem
Andre George NCCU SR 5’10 176 Columbia, MD

PUNTER
Kevin Dodson ECSU SR 6’1 195 Camden, NC

PUNT RETURNER
Billy Wiggins ECSU FR 5’10 180 Charlotte, NC

2nd TEAM - OFFENSE

TIGHT-END
Lonnie Davis ECSU SR 6’4 265 Jacksonville, FL

OFFENSIVE LINE
Torrain Kelly BSU JR 6’5 340 Washington, DC
Jake Thompson ECSU JR 6’5 330 Redlands, CA
Courtney Safford SU JR 6’5 300 Augusta, GA
Jermaine LaFate VSU GRAD 6’4 300 Wilimington, DE

WIDE RECIEVERS
Julius McClellan NCCU SR 6’4 230 Lakeland, FL
Herbert Jones VUU SR 6’3 185 Norfolk, VA

QUARTERBACK
Lamar Little VUU SO 5’11 200 Cander, NJ

RUNNINGBACK
Nick Green FSU SR 5’11 210 Bolvia, NC
Reginald Price SU JR 5’10 200 Winston-Salem, NC

KICK RETURN
Brandon Fields ECSU JR 5’9 180 Wilson, NC

PLACE KICKER
Kevin Dodson ECSU SR 6’1 195 Camden, NC

DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE LINE
Durrell York BSU SR 6’2 285 Baltimore, MD
Andre Dunn FSU JR 6’3 240 Knightdale, NC
DJ Haynesworth JCSU SR 6’3 290 Greensboro, NC
Aaron Knight VSU SR 6’3 255 Chesterfield, VA

LINE BACKERS
Stanely Clark LC JR 6’2 240 Stark, FL
Kevin Jones SAC SR 6’3 225 South Hill, VA
Terrance Ford SU JR 6’2 220 Clewiston, FL

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Terrance Stafford BSU Grad 5’11 180 Virginia Beach, VA
Donte’ Wise FSU SO 5’9 170 Fayetteville, NC
Lionel Vincent LC JR 6’2 205 Las Vegas, NV
Curtonio Marshall SAC SR 5’11 200 Belle Glade, FL

PUNTER
Ward Aycock FSU FR 5’11 175 Selma, NC

PUNT RETURNER
Brandon Alston NCCU JR 5’5 150 Durham, NC
DC DIVA REPORT
Diva Nation,
The first 6 years of the D.C. Divas have seen great changes in the way the team looks, where we play our games and how we are supported. 2007 is bringing yet another exciting change, as the DC Divas will join the Independent Women’s Football League’s growing roster of teams for the 2007 season!

We say THANK YOU for your continued interest in us. Moving to the IWFL will give you the opportunity to see a new and exciting game day experience against some of the best teams in all of Women’s Professional football. Our new league has a slogan that says “The best play here” and we feel that applies to not only our team, but also to our fans. Our goal is to bring you an exciting game day experience as we work TOGETHER to build a championship house for 2007.

Discounted regular season and VIP season ticket packages are available now for a limited time only.
Our pledge to our fans in 2007 is more music, more food and more fun at all of our Divas games beginning Saturday nights in April. Opponents and game dates will be released soon. So order your tickets today and show your championship spirit.
To the best fans in all of women’s football, we say thank you!
Paul Hamlin
Owner
Rich Daniel
General Manager
Ezra Cooper
Head Coach
2006 World Champion D.C. DIVAS move to IWFL
The D.C. Divas have been awarded a full membership license and will join the Independent Women’s Football League’s growing roster of teams for the 2007 season.The Divas will be placed in the IWFL Eastern Conference where they will face solid competition from some of the most exciting teams in the sport such as the New York Sharks.
“The Divas are a tremendous team from top to bottom. With several years of continuous growth and a well established record for success on and off the field, this team is sure to be a contender in the IWFL,” said Kezia Disney, IWFL Chief Operating Officer.

”We’re looking forward to the new challenges the IWFL will bring to our team. Joining the IWFL is a great opportunity for the Divas and should bring some exciting games for our fans” said Paul Hamlin, owner of the D.C. Divas.
Head Coach Ezra Cooper echoed the excitement with the majority of the 2006 championship team intact and the entire coaching and front office staff returning for the 2007 season.
”The coaching staff and myself are extremely excited about playing in the IWFL in 2007. We have only heard wonderful things about the teams, players, and outstanding organization of the league. I am excited about the quality of play, structure, and level of professionalism that the IWFL displays each season. It is our hope that together we can continue to make a positive impact in the world of women’s football.”
About the IWFL
Founded in 2000, the Independent Women’s Football League (IWFL) is an international women’s tackle football organization. The IWFL provides women’s tackle football teams the opportunity to play at the top competition tier of their sport, while fostering an environment of goodwill and sportsmanship throughout the organization. The IWFL is represented in 33 different markets across the United States and Canada by teams that compete in one of two current competition categories.
In 2006 the IWFL website (www.iwflsports.com) saw consistently increasing traffic with well over one million verifiable hits per month throughout the season.
Infante Named ACC Defensive Player of the Year, as Five Terps Earn ACC Nods
The five All-ACC selections ties a school record
Terps Earn Top Seed in ACC Tournament
ACC Tournament Central
For the second-consecutive year, Maryland’s Paula Infante was voted the ACC’s Defensive Field Hockey Player of the Year, which was announced today by the conference. A school-record tying five Terrapins were also named to the All-ACC team, including Infante. The reigning ACC and NCAA champion Terps are headed to Chapel Hill, N.C., for the conference tournament. The top-seeded team in the event, Maryland plays the winner of the Boston College-Virginia game on Friday, Nov. 3 at 4 p.m.
Last year’s Honda Award winner and ACC Player of the Year, Paula Infante is having another great season, leading the Terrapins to a No. 1 ranking, a share of the ACC regular-season title and an 18-1 record, the team’s winningest regular season since 1999. Second on the team with nine goals and third in points, she ranks among the top 10 point and goal scorers in school history. Infante has won two of the three Defensive Player of the Year awards since its inception in 2004 and is the first Terrapin to earn multiple player of the year accolades.
The most All-ACC performers since 2000, senior Kristina Edmonds, junior Kathryn Masson , freshman Nicole Muracco and sophomore Susie Rowe were named to the squad, along with Infante. Aside from Infante, who becomes the fourth player in school history to be named All-ACC four times, the other four are first-time honorees.
With the efforts of Edmonds and Rowe, along with Masson in goal, the Terrapin defense is ranked third in the nation with a 0.74 goals against average. Masson also boasts a 0.74 individual GAA and an 82.1 save percentage, both second-best in the nation.
Muracco is the only freshman to earn All-ACC honors. She was the only player in the league to garner ACC Player of the Week nods multiple times this season, earning the award three times. She leads the Terrapins with 15 goals and 33 points. Muracco’s offensive play, coupled with Rowe and Infante’s nine goals apiece has Terrapin offense is ranked sixth in the nation.
Muracco Voted ACC Field Hockey Rookie of the Year
Muracco is the second Terp in three years to earn the honor
Maryland’s Nicole Muracco was named the ACC’s Field Hockey Rookie of the Year which was voted on by the conference coaches and announced on Sunday after the conference championship game. The freshman is the second Terrapin in the last three years to earn the honor and the sixth overall.
A forward from Sewell, N.J., Muracco has made a significant impact, starting in 19 of Maryland’s 21 games, she leads the team with 15 goals and 33 points on the season. The only freshman in the league to earn All-ACC honors, she was selected the ACC’s Player of the Week three times this season, the only player in the league to garner the weekly honor multiple times.
The last Terrapin to garner the major award was current junior Janneke van Leeuwen.
Maryland claimed two of the four major conference honors. Senior Paula Infante, last season’s Honda Award winner presented to the national player if the year, was voted the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year earlier this week.
Top-ranked and top-seeded Maryland fell to No. 2 Wake Forest, 1-0, in the championship game of the ACC Tournament. The NCAA Tournament will announce the brackets, seedings and sites on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 7:30 p.m. on CSTV.
#1 Terps Fall in ACC Field Hockey Championship
Wake Forest Tops Maryland, 1-0
Muracco Named ACC Freshman of the Year
Wake Forest’s goal with just 11 second remaining in the first half was enough for the Demon Deacons to top the top-ranked and top-seeded Maryland field hockey team, 1-0, in the championship game of the ACC Tournament. Defenders Paula Infante and Susie Rowe were both named to the All-Tournament team.
Senior Paula Infante is only the third player in school history to be named ACC All-Tournament four times and the first since Caroline Walter who was named to the all-star squad from 1998-01. Sophomore Susie Rowe’s selection was the second of her career. She was last year’s tournament most valuable player.
With the top two teams in the nation squaring off for the conference title for the second-straight year, the title tilt was as exciting as anticipated. Both teams came into the game as the co-regular season champions, with Maryland earning the top seed after it defeated WFU, 3-2, in late September.
In the first half, much of the battle going on was in the midfield, as neither team gave up many scoring opportunities. Wake Forest had just four shots in the first period, while the Terps, who sport one of the top offenses in the nation, had none.
Maryland drew the first penalty corner of the game with less than 24 minutes remaining in the half, but the shot was too high and waved off.
With under 20 minutes to play, Wake Forest got its first opportunity on the offensive end. After junior All-ACC goalkeeper Kathryn Masson made a save on a baseline shot by WF’s Tracey Scott, the Demon Deacons were awarded the first of only three penalty corners for the game. Wake could not make the stop on the push out, however, and the rushed shot went wide.
With less than four minutes remaining in the half, Maryland was in the shooting circle but could not get a shot off. On the counter, the Deacons sprinted down field but ACC Defensive Player of the Year Infante made the stop, allowing the rest of the defense to catch up.
Still able to keep the ball in the Terps’ defensive end despite the big defensive play, Wake Forest got another penalty corner with just 2:20 remaining in the half. The direct shot by Lauren Crandall, a member of the U.S. National Team, was stopped by Masson to keep the game scoreless.
But with time winding down in the half, Wake Forest’s Michelle Kasold ran down the right side of the field and took a running shot which sailed high and into side of the cage for the only goal of the game.
The second half was a different story as Maryland came out with renewed energy. Maryland outshot WFU, 5-2 in the period, one shot less than Wake Forest attempted the entire game. The Terps also had five penalty corners in the final 35 minutes, three of which came in the final minutes. However, Wake’s goal would stand up and the conference champion was crowned.
Masson finished the game with two saves while Demon Deacon Crystal Duffield had just one.
It is just the second loss of the season for Maryland who goes into the postseason with a 19-2 record and Wake Forest improved to 19-1.
#2 Wake Forest (19-1) 1 0 - 1
#1 Maryland (19-1) 0 0 - 0