Post by Bornthrilla on Jun 25, 2005 11:29:05 GMT -5
Morgan State, North Carolina A&T set for Classic
by Ted Black
Staff Writer
6/23/05
The participants for the second annual Prince George's Classic football game have been set, as Morgan State will face North Carolina A&T on Oct. 8 at FedEx Field in Landover.
Classic organizers have yet to make a formal announcement, but Mike Little, president of the Prince George's Classic, Inc., confirmed the Morgan State-North Carolina A&T matchup to The Gazette on Wednesday morning. The game was mentioned in a press release distributed Tuesday by the National Black Chamber of Commerce.
Little noted that he could not comment publicly about the game until both schools and the sponsors had signed contracts. Morgan State officials declined comment for the same reason, though Leonard Haynes, the sports information director at the Baltimore school, acknowledged the school's participation in the game. North Carolina A&T officials could not be reached for comment.
Last year's inaugural Prince George's Classic between Howard University and Alcorn (Miss.) State met with mixed results. Howard prevailed, 17-10, on an overcast afternoon that impacted the attendance. The game attracted about 10,000 fans to FedEx Field, which seats 93,000. The event reported a loss of $600,000.
Last year, organizers announced the matchup between Grambling and Howard in January, nine months before the Sept. 18 game. That early unveiling, however, proved counter-productive when Grambling backed out. While there are just three months remaining to promote the game, Little said he is not concerned with the lateness of this year's announcement.
"Teams like the Washington Redskins have plenty of leeway when it comes to making the schedule," Little said. "They were willing to work with us on the date. They've been very gracious and very accommodating. From what we can gather, most of the advertising will involve a 30-day run on television. We also have major radio and print advertising campaigns in place."
Prince George's County is well represented on Morgan State football coach Donald Hill's roster. There are 10 players with county connections on the school's 2005 squad, eight of which graduated from county high schools. Among the more prominent names on the roster is Reggie Holmes, a 2002 Bowie High graduate who transferred from the University of Maryland for his upcoming junior year. Holmes played for the 2001 state championship team at Bowie.
Other county graduates on the current Morgan State roster include Kelvin Dickens (Parkdale), Derrick McBryde (Eleanor Roosevelt), Kofi Nkrumah (DuVal), Calvin McCargo (Bowie), James Meade (Douglass), Jason Whaley (Parkdale) and Chris Cash (Roosevelt). Several other county natives are on the team including Jason Jackson of Oxon Hill and Fort Washington resident Julius Allen. North Carolina A&T had no county players on its roster last fall, but Friendly High graduate Jameson Hedgepath will be a freshman on the team this year.
Louise Murrill-Graves, who has lived in Laurel since 1983, is the regional director for the North Carolina A&T Alumni Association. She said the school has more than 5,000 alumni in the metropolitan area, including nearly 1,500 in the county. Murrill-Graves expects the game to draw a significantly larger crowd than last year since the Aggies fans typically travel in large groups.
"Each year we play in two or three of these classics," Murrill-Graves said. "The Aggie-Eagle Classic will draw upwards of 50,000 fans. I think that's why our school gets invited to these games. They know we'll bring a crowd. It's a great opportunity for our school to compete in a professional stadium. If the organizers promote it right and get the word out, they could get fans to travel from all across the Mid-Atlantic region."
Rev. Greg Deford, a Clinton resident who is president of the Southern Maryland alumni chapter for Morgan State, said the game could be a genuine showcase for both schools. Deford, who said he'll don the school's blue and orange colors for the Classic, has 328 members in the chapter and expects many more at the game.
E-mail Ted Black at tblack@gazette.net.
by Ted Black
Staff Writer
6/23/05
The participants for the second annual Prince George's Classic football game have been set, as Morgan State will face North Carolina A&T on Oct. 8 at FedEx Field in Landover.
Classic organizers have yet to make a formal announcement, but Mike Little, president of the Prince George's Classic, Inc., confirmed the Morgan State-North Carolina A&T matchup to The Gazette on Wednesday morning. The game was mentioned in a press release distributed Tuesday by the National Black Chamber of Commerce.
Little noted that he could not comment publicly about the game until both schools and the sponsors had signed contracts. Morgan State officials declined comment for the same reason, though Leonard Haynes, the sports information director at the Baltimore school, acknowledged the school's participation in the game. North Carolina A&T officials could not be reached for comment.
Last year's inaugural Prince George's Classic between Howard University and Alcorn (Miss.) State met with mixed results. Howard prevailed, 17-10, on an overcast afternoon that impacted the attendance. The game attracted about 10,000 fans to FedEx Field, which seats 93,000. The event reported a loss of $600,000.
Last year, organizers announced the matchup between Grambling and Howard in January, nine months before the Sept. 18 game. That early unveiling, however, proved counter-productive when Grambling backed out. While there are just three months remaining to promote the game, Little said he is not concerned with the lateness of this year's announcement.
"Teams like the Washington Redskins have plenty of leeway when it comes to making the schedule," Little said. "They were willing to work with us on the date. They've been very gracious and very accommodating. From what we can gather, most of the advertising will involve a 30-day run on television. We also have major radio and print advertising campaigns in place."
Prince George's County is well represented on Morgan State football coach Donald Hill's roster. There are 10 players with county connections on the school's 2005 squad, eight of which graduated from county high schools. Among the more prominent names on the roster is Reggie Holmes, a 2002 Bowie High graduate who transferred from the University of Maryland for his upcoming junior year. Holmes played for the 2001 state championship team at Bowie.
Other county graduates on the current Morgan State roster include Kelvin Dickens (Parkdale), Derrick McBryde (Eleanor Roosevelt), Kofi Nkrumah (DuVal), Calvin McCargo (Bowie), James Meade (Douglass), Jason Whaley (Parkdale) and Chris Cash (Roosevelt). Several other county natives are on the team including Jason Jackson of Oxon Hill and Fort Washington resident Julius Allen. North Carolina A&T had no county players on its roster last fall, but Friendly High graduate Jameson Hedgepath will be a freshman on the team this year.
Louise Murrill-Graves, who has lived in Laurel since 1983, is the regional director for the North Carolina A&T Alumni Association. She said the school has more than 5,000 alumni in the metropolitan area, including nearly 1,500 in the county. Murrill-Graves expects the game to draw a significantly larger crowd than last year since the Aggies fans typically travel in large groups.
"Each year we play in two or three of these classics," Murrill-Graves said. "The Aggie-Eagle Classic will draw upwards of 50,000 fans. I think that's why our school gets invited to these games. They know we'll bring a crowd. It's a great opportunity for our school to compete in a professional stadium. If the organizers promote it right and get the word out, they could get fans to travel from all across the Mid-Atlantic region."
Rev. Greg Deford, a Clinton resident who is president of the Southern Maryland alumni chapter for Morgan State, said the game could be a genuine showcase for both schools. Deford, who said he'll don the school's blue and orange colors for the Classic, has 328 members in the chapter and expects many more at the game.
E-mail Ted Black at tblack@gazette.net.
