VUU: Allen does Byers impersonation
At midseason, it comes as no surprise that a Virginia Union University Panther is leading the CIAA in rushing. The surprise is that it is Curtis Allen and not Jada Byers.
Pirates pummel UR 31-14
Spiders face CAA rival North Carolina A&T on Oct. 14
Hampton University has become the second HBCU to make football life difficult for the University of Richmond.
VSU has high hopes with Pope
As the dynamic Dinwiddie High quarterback, K’ymon Pope was all about leading his team into the end zone. Now as the Virginia State University roving safety, he’s all about keeping rival squads out of the end zone.
VSU’s Frazier unbowed by Bowie homecoming
Coach Henry Frazier III will take his undefeated Virginia State University football team to Bowie State this Saturday for a 2 p.m. kickoff. The veteran coach won’t need a road map or GPS to get there.
Falcons hope to be ‘primetime’ players
Charles Scott is becoming the Deion Sanders of the East. In a blink, Coach Sanders, aka “Coach Prime,” turned a ragamuffin University of Colorado program into a national talking point with a 3-0 start. Meanwhile, on the high school level, Scott has awakened the long-slumbering Huguenot High Falcons.
Downpour fails to dampen Trojans’ 33-0 victory over Livingstone
Williams plus Williams has added up to four victories and zero defeats for Virginia State University football. Romelo and Jimmyll Williams aren’t siblings but do share a common talent – getting the Trojans into the end zone.
Trojans big man Bruno super sizes offense
All capital letters and an exclamation point are needed to describe Virginia State University’s offensive left tackle. Bruno Onwuazor is not just big; he’s BIG!
Rain is a pain for Panthers
On a night when players needed windshield wipers on their face masks, Virginia Union University veered off course and eventually went under.
Ronald Acuna’s impressive homers, steals MVP-worthy
Combining power plus speed like few others, Ronald Acuna Jr. has joined one of baseball’s most prestigious fraternities — “The 40-40 Club.” On Sept. 22, the Atlanta Braves leadoff hitting right fielder became just the fifth in history to accumulate at least 40 homers and 40 stolen bases in a season.
TJ’s win streak keeps flying by opponents
Vikings v. Justices Friday at Hovey Field
With Rashaud Cherry’s steady hands on the steering wheel, Thomas Jefferson High School has its GPS set on “all the way to the top.” The Vikings have taken off so fast you wonder if they’ve left patches of burned rubber along Richmond’s West End roadways.
Willard Bailey Classic
Panthers return for first home game of season
Bye bye cramped bus seat. Hello Hovey Field. Finally, the road-weary, yet road-conquering Virginia Union University Panthers will merely have to stroll across Lombardy Street to play a football game. Now 3-0 after three long bus rides, Coach Alvin Parker’s squad will play host to Fayetteville State 6 p.m. Saturday under the Hovey lights. It also will serve as the Willard Bailey Classic, honoring the former (and still avid supporter) who posted a 157-73-6 record in two stints of duty, 1971-1983 and 1995-03.
Soccer takes off at VSU
Virginia State University women’s soccer is kicking off a new era in Ettrick ... and even has an early victory and a tie to its credit.
Huguenot High School gymnasium honors Bo Jones Sr.
From now on, every time a basketball fan enters the Huguenot High School gym, they will be reminded of one of the Falcons’ most successful and beloved coaches.
NCAA rules against VCU’s Joe Bamisile
The VCU basketball team will likely be missing a key ingredient this upcoming season. Joe Bamisile’s waiver for eligibility has been rejected by the NCAA. That means he will not be permitted to suit up for the 2023-24 season.
Trojans’ transfer sparks hot start
Romelo Williams is starting to pile up statistics while Virginia State University is piling up victories.
Reid’s reach is real in VUU win over Shaw
Panthers beat Bears 26-13
Virginia Union University began this season with a question mark at quarterback. Christian Reid has turned any questions into resounding answers.
Bailey’s VSU performance sparkles with speed
Scoring touchdowns is “no problem, mon” for Upton Bailey.
Armstrong whomps John Marshall 54-0
Anthony Allen Jr., A.J. Byrd are exciting duo
Life is good these days on Cool Lane in Richmond’s East End.
Richmond Kickers sign Simmonds to USL Academy contract
Nicholas Simmonds isn’t your average 16-year-old athlete. While most soccer players his age would be happy to just make their school team, Simmonds has gone pro with the Richmond Kickers.
White brings win to NSU
Norfolk State has its first football win of the season and Joseph White is a crucial reason why.
National audiences watch VUU crush Morehouse 45-13
Virginia Union University’s Panthers weren’t blinded by the bright lights. Playing in front of national TV (NFL Network) and radio (Westwood One) audiences, the squad was up for the challenge – and then some.
Coach Prime comes out swinging
“Sanford & Son” has given way to Sanders & Son as a top entertainment attraction. Only this is real life drama minus any funny business.
Local basketball referees help reboot SlamBall league
Ray Bullock Sr. has refereed nearly every level of basketball there is, from youth leagues to the NBA. Now he can add SlamBall to his list.
Ex-CIAA star is world champ
Danielle Williams has put the CIAA back on the world track and field map.
September set off
The VSU Trojans, NSU Spartans and HU Pirates will swing into action Sept. 2 for their season openers.
VUU readies for show in Ohio against Morehouse
On Sunday, Sept. 3, Virginia Union University will have a national audience watching its performance.
Black quarterback numbers show progress
The NFL’s fraternity of starting Black quarterbacks continues to grow.
A’ja Wilson ties record for most points in WNBA
The Las Vegas Aces might be the surest bet in the city known as “The Gambling Capital of the World.” A’ja Wilson is a towering reason why.
VUU’s Anderson draws national ‘Watch’
Virginia Union University has played football games with and against Isaac Anderson.
Football momentum building in the East End
Jeremy Pruitt teaches chemistry in the classroom and, as football coach, seems to have found the right formula at Armstrong High.
Belmar’s been here, there, everywhere
Kharlton Belmar is the Richmond Kickers’ traveling man. Both his suitcase and soccer cleats are high mileage.
Sanders’ exit changes SWAC rankings
With no more Coach Deion Sanders at Jackson State, there may be a changing of the guard in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
Former Wythe star Alex Cole dies at 58
Alexander “Alex” Cole Jr., one of Richmond’s greatest baseball players, died Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023, at age 58.
Holmes, Myers are VUU’s foot soldiers
Brady Myers and Marvin Holmes put the “foot” in football at Virginia Union University.
Robinson’s size and speed commands attention in D.C.
Brian Robinson Jr.’s rookie season in Washington couldn’t have started much worse. Nor could it have ended with much more promise.
Slyderz shine in Inner-City Classic
Carl Smith has seen baseball from an up-close-and-personal vantage point few can match. Now he’s passing along that wisdom to area up-and-comers.
Clarence ‘Chip’ Howard plans JM resurgence
Clarence “Chip” Howard is a big man with a big assignment: To try and return football glory to the North Side.
Former VUU star Fairley dies
Nathan Fairley, a swift, bruising fullback during a highly successful era of Virginia Union football, died Monday, July 31, 2023, of natural causes. He was 65.
Graham is VUU’s human stop sign
Shamar Graham wears jersey No. 36, but an octagon stop sign in maroon and steel colors might better describe his gridiron duties. Not much in the way of ball carriers or pass receivers get past Virginia Union University’s aggressive, always ready to rumble linebacker out of nearby (3.2 miles apart) Thomas Jefferson High. “You don’t get 80 tackles standing around in a great defense like ours,” Coach Alvin Parker said. “Shamar makes plays ... he’s a playmaker.” In his first season as a starter, Graham had 84 tackles in 2022, including 7.5 for losses. He added two sacks, and three passes broke up. “I like to go full speed to the ball, sideline to sideline ... and never give up on a play,” Graham said. His ability to crush oppo- nent’s best-laid plans has earned him a nickname – “Showtime.” Among all returning CIAA players, Graham has the most tackles from the 2022 season. “He plays at such a high speed,” Coach Parker said. “He sees where the ball is going, and he goes after it.” The 6-foot-1, 225-pound Graham was here, there and ev- erywhere in a defensive unit that dominated opponents in a 9-2 season that produced an NCAA Division II invitation. Allowing just 17.9 points per game, VUU ranked second in the CIAA behind only conference champion Fayetteville State (17.3). Graham hails from a winning background. As a TJ senior in 2019, he earned All-State honors as a running back and linebacker as the Vikings reached the Class 2 state semifinals. The Richmonder is just warming up at VUU. Despite his tackling heroics, he didn’t make All-CIAA as a sophomore. That’s an award he’s in line for in 2023. The stop sign isn’t going away. There is good news and bad news regarding players coming and going. All-CIAA receiver John Jiles entered the transfer portal and will not likely be back, according to Coach Parker. The North Carolina native caught 40 passes for 627 yards and nine TDs last season after transferring to VUU from Fort Scott Community College in Kansas. On the plus side, 6-foot-3, 215-pound quarterback J’Bore Gibbs, a former starter at FCS power South Dakota State, has transferred to VUU where he will compete with returnees Chris- tian Reid and R.J. Rosales. Gibbs, a native Chicagoan, had a banner freshman year at South Dakota State in 2019 before suffering a knee injury. He later transferred to the University of Idaho where he had yet another knee injury.
Harris takes his turn steering Vikings ship
‘I knew all along I’d come back,’ says TJ’s coach
Eric Harris, a familiar face around Richmond for decades, is the new head football coach at Thomas Jefferson High.
VCU Rams score victories in Greece
New VCU basketball Coach Ryan Odom is piling up the miles on his “Odometer” before his first season begins.
VSU, NSU to play charity baseball
Time for the “old-timers” to loosen up their arms and rub a little oil into their fielding gloves.
Inner-City Classic to include softball
This year’s activities include fast-pitching girls
The 32nd Annual Inner-City Classic is back in the Richmond area this week with an added attraction.
Meade clears Byers for takeoff
If Jada Byers is the leading man at Virginia Union University, then Justin Meade represents the powerful supporting cast.
MJBL baseball goes to Nassau
Two local ballplayers have received a taste of international competition in the Babe Ruth Caribbean Classic in Nassau, The Bahamas.
