THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 10, 1994 TAG: 9411100759
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines
There's just one week left in the season and because Hampton's not eligible, we won't be seeing any CIAA teams in the playoffs.
What better time to hand out our end-of-season awards?
Without further bluster, here they are:
Coach of the year: Darnell Moore, Norfolk State. Without a defense or a running game, Moore has the Spartans on track for a 7-3 season, a reversal of last year's 3-7-1 finish. What's more, he's taken a team that was riven by dissension last season and brought it together.
Runner-up: Rudy Abrams, Livingstone. Abrams, who was coaching at a high school in Charlotte last year, took a team that was 1-10 last year and has won five games with one remaining. The Fighting Bears are doormats no more.
Taken for granted: Joe Taylor of Hampton. He led the Pirates to their third consecutive CIAA title.
Best running back: Richard Huntley, Winston-Salem State. Huntley, a junior, became the CIAA's all-time leading rusher last week after piling up 361 yards against Virginia Union. He needs 123 yards Saturday to break the single-season rushing record of 1,699.
Runner-up: Lamonte Still, Hampton. Averaged 7 yards per carry in his first college season.
Taken for granted: Bobby Phillips, Virginia Union. Does more with less than anyone in the conference. Phillips is fast and strong, but plays for a bad team.
Best quarterback: Aaron Sparrow, Norfolk State. Sparrow is on his way to a 3,000-yard season, and has a chance at 30 touchdowns. And his team didn't have a running game to keep defenses honest.
Runner-up: Matt Montgomery, Hampton. Not as flashy or as talented as Sparrow, but rarely makes a mistake. Will finish his career with nearly 8,000 yards passing.
Taken for granted: No one. After Sparrow and Montgomery, there's a big drop in talent.
Best receiver: James Roe, Norfolk State. Simply can't be covered in this conference. Roe needs just five catches and 100 yards to tie conference single-season records for receptions (70) and yardage (1,387). Caught 10 passes for 203 yards against Hampton.
Runner-up: Oronde Gadsden, Winston-Salem State. A big target (6-foot-5, 220 pounds) with great hands, Gadsden has 50 catches for 1,004 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Taken for granted: Michael Jenkins, Hampton. He's caught just 32 passes but has turned them into 670 yards.
Best lineman: Antonio Poag, Hampton. The leader of the best offensive line in the conference from his center position.
Runner-up: Roderick Briggs, Hampton. Another key cog in the Hampton front five. A big left tackle who has come on this season.
Taken for granted: William Barringer, Winston-Salem State. The Rams average more than 5 yards per carry. Barringer, at 310 pounds, is a big reason why.
Best linebacker: John Meredith, Hampton. A Derrick Thomas clone who can dominate games from his middle linebacker spot. Can stuff the run, rush the passer, and cover backs and tight ends.
Runner-up: Silas Demarey, Virginia State. Has 17 sacks and a mean streak a mile wide.
Taken for granted: Troy Veale, Livingstone. Leads the conference in tackles, which should be worth something.
Best defensive lineman: Make that linemen. Corey Swinson and Josh Austin, Hampton. No one runs on Hampton, and these two tackles, who weigh 600 pounds between them, are the main reason why.
Runner-up: Hugh Hunter, Hampton. Pass-rusher extraordinaire.
Taken for granted: James Grant, North Carolina Central, and James Walton, Norfolk State. Grant has 100 tackles. Walton, technically a linebacker, gets respect around the league despite playing on the conference's worst defense.
Best defensive back: Melvin Crawford, Hampton. Has six interceptions and has held together a secondary that has struggled at times this year.
Runner-up: Recco Grenshaw, Virginia Union. Busy safety who has made 63 solo tackles.
Taken for granted: Chris Banks, Bowie State. Superb athlete who does it all for the Bulldogs.
Rookie of the year: Lamonte Still, Hampton. The only thing that prevented Still from leading the conference in rushing was his number of carries. Probably the most elusive player in the CIAA. Can also catch the ball, with 37 receptions, by the far the best among running backs.
Runner-up: Travis Pender, Winston-Salem State. Freshman quarterback who doesn't throw much, but throws accurately.
Taken for granted: Wilmot Perry, Livingstone. Solid running back who helped lead the Fighting Bears back from oblivion. by CNB