THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 19, 1994 TAG: 9408190755
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
Norfolk State will make at least two appearances on television this season, starting with a live broadcast of the Labor Day Classic Sept. 3 against Virginia State.
WAVY will carry the game, Norfolk State's season opener, from Foreman Field beginning at 7 p.m.
The Spartans haven't appeared on live television in four years, since the annual ``Battle of the Bay'' against Hampton was carried on Black Entertainment Television.
``It's exciting,'' athletic director Dick Price said. ``We need as much publicity as we can possibly get, especially now,'' with Norfolk State planning to move to Division I in 1997.
This year's Hampton game will also be televised, on tape delay. Home Team Sports will show the game a day late, on Sunday, Oct. 16, at 8 p.m.
Sun Belt Video, from Charlotte, is producing the games. The Virginia Union-Virginia State contest will also be carried on HTS on next-day tape delay, Oct. 30, at 4 p.m.
It's all part of CIAA commissioner Leon Kerry's plan to increase the conference's television exposure. Conference spokesman Glenn Mason said Kerry was in Charlotte yesterday, talking with Sun Belt about carrying a fourth game.
FOPPE' TO GRAMBLING: When former Norfolk State offensive coordinator Roderick Foppe' left the Spartans in May, he was expected to take a similar job at Elizabeth City State.
But two hours before the coaching staff was to meet with the players, Elizabeth City coach George Moody says he learned Foppe' wasn't coming.
Foppe' says Elizabeth City State delayed in offering him a contract. Meanwhile, he got another offer.
``They were just so long in putting an offer on the table,'' Foppe said. ``In fairness and consideration to my family, I had to do something.''
Foppe', a native of Louisiana, took a job at Grambling University, where he is an assistant professor in charge of the campus television and radio stations.
``They made me an offer I couldn't refuse,'' Foppe' said. ``I wanted to refuse it because I really wanted to coach. But this is my home.
``The only thing that bothers me is it's August and I'm supposed to have a whistle around my neck.''
FREEMAN RETURNS: Although Moody lost an offensive coordinator, he picked up an experienced coach on the other side of the ball.
Fred Freeman, the former head coach at Hampton University, has joined the Elizabeth City staff as defensive coordinator.
``He's turned that defense around already,'' Moode said. ``We wanted to get him last year but I got started too late.''
Freeman compiled a 49-31-4 record in eight years at Hampton. But he resigned after the 1991 season, when Hampton was placed on probation by the NCAA for grade-fixing. The NCAA ruled that players improperly received retroactive grades from Freeman. The school was forced to forfeit 12 wins from 1986 and 1987, as well as the 1987 CIAA championship.
NEW HOOP COACH: Antoinette Flowers, a former assistant women's basketball coach at Elizabeth City State, has been hired as the women's assistant at Norfolk State.
Flowers played basketball at Campbell University and later was an assistant basketball and softball coach there. She was at Elizabeth City one year.
Flowers replaces Deborah Clark, who resigned to become head coach at Winston-Salem State.
STILL THE ONE: It didn't take former Cox High running back Lamonte Still long to make an impression at Hampton. On his first carry in practice, he ran 55 yards.
``Lamonte didn't surprise us,'' Hampton coach Joe Taylor said. ``He has natural abilities you can't teach.''
Still, the 1991 Tidewater player of the year spent a red-shirt year at Virginia before transferring to Hampton. He sat out last season, but is projected as Hampton's starting tailback. by CNB