By Donald Hunt
For The Birmingham Times
Alabama A&M got off to a good start in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) posting a 35-16 victory over Mississippi Valley State on the road last Saturday. The Bulldogs were led by their quarterback De’Angelo Ballard who had a big game. Ballard threw for a TD and ran for two more in the team’s win over the Delta Devils.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound senior, completed 11 of 24 passes for 140 yards, which included a 50-yard TD pass to running back Bryan Brower. Ballard also scored on rushes of four and nine yards.
Alabama A&M (1-1 overall, 1-0 SWAC) will host Prairie View A&M (1-1 overall, 1-0 SWAC) on Saturday, Sept. 17. The kickoff will be at 6 p.m.
Alabama State dropped a tough 21-18 decision to host Alcorn State. The Hornets (0-2 overall, 0-1 SWAC) did receive a great performance from senior linebacker Kourtney Berry who had 10 total and four solo tackles. Berry received the SWAC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts.
Alabama State will travel to Baton Rouge, La., to face Southern (0-2 overall, 0-0 SWAC) on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. This should be a good test for the Hornets as they will be playing their second conference game.
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
In the SIAC, Miles College struggled against No. 3 ranked West Georgia on the road last Saturday. The Golden Bears (1-1) ran into buzz saw and were shut out, 29-0, by the Wolves (2-0). Miles College heads into a bye week. After that, the Golden Bears will get back into action against Morehouse in Atlanta on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m.
The No. 13th ranked Tuskegee University (2-0) continues play at a high level. The Golden Tigers are coming off a 28-18 victory over Albany State. Kevin Lacey, Tuskegee’s senior quarterback, had a spectacular day against Albany State. He completed 11 of 19 passes for 250 yards while tossing three TD passes. The Golden Tigers signal caller played a huge part in the team’s success. He was also selected as the SIAC Offensive Player of the Week.
Tuskegee will battle Florida A&M (0-2 overall) in the 5th Quarter Classic in Mobile, Al on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 6 p.m.
