Inside Hotlanta and the SIAC

By Hal Lamar
Photos by Patsy Collier-Lamar

Southern wins Bayou; To face Alcorn for SWAC Championship

HAMMOND, La- For the 11th year, I wrapped up coverage of SIAC football in time to join wife and INSIDE photog Patsy Lamar to motor to Louisiana for Thanksgiving and coverage of the Bayou Classic. I couldn't have picked a better year.

OdomsA blocked field goal attempt with 10 seconds remaining allowed the Southern Jaguars to defeat Grambling State 30-28 . Southern, coached by one time Clark-AU head football coach Dawson Odoms, now takes his Jags to Lorman, Mississippi December 21 to take on defending champ Alcorn State and determine this year's champion of the Southwesern Athletic Conference (SWAC). The champ will then leave their bags packed and head east to Atlanta to take on North Carolina A&T in Celebration Bowl V, Saturday December 21.

The SWAC chamionship tilt will be played at Spinks-Casem Stadium on Alcorn's campus in Lorman. It's seating capcity troubles me,though. The stadium's capacity is 22,500. I have to think that the excitement that Southern and Grambling managed to generate leading to the Bayou Classic which drew 67.845 ducat buyers and fell just 8,623 short of capacity ought to overfill Spinks-Casem. During my weekend in Louisiana I talked to both Southern and Grambling hard-corps who said they plan to make the two hour 14 minute trip to Lorman for the game. A word to the wise - get there early........

Attendance at the SWAC classic has been modest to good since it started officially in 1999. Interestingly, the first ever SWAC championship attendance was Southern vs. Jackson State which drew 47,621 with Southern winning the contest 31-30. By the way, if my math is still good, isn't 2019 the 20th year for these proceedings ?.FVSU's Harris..........

HBCU HOOPS IN ATLANTA: Morehouse College, leading the eastern division of the SIAC, will play four times before the Christmas beak at Forbes Arena here in town. December 7, the Tigers will host the CIAA's Saint Augustine Falcons at 3pm. On the 8th, Georgia college comes to town. Tip is at 5pm. The Marooners will tangle with Central State of Ohio with tipoff scheduled for 8pm and Morehouse will close out the first half of the 2019-20 season against Kentucky State. Tipoff is at 4pm. Among the ladies, CAU, currently 5th in the conference east has one home game before the break on the 19th versus Miles at LS Epps gym. Tipoff is 6pm.

The men Panthers, still looking for a win as of this writing on December 2, play only two home games before the Christmas break. The Panthers, under second year head coach George Lynch , will face Miles at home December 19. Tipoff scheduled for 8pm. On the 21st, they face Lemoyne-Owen . Tipoff is 4pm...

MHC's LoftonTHE NCAA AND HBCUS: Several gridders from the SIAC did well nationally at their positions. The leading Division II sacker as of November 30 is Fort Valley's Demetrius Harris who averaged 1.35 per game. Fourth in the same category is Demetrice Lofton of Morehouse, averaging 1.15. Among kickoff return specialists, Lane's Anthony Evelyn finished second, averaging 36.6 yards per contest.CAU's Sharp

Several conference griddees finished among the top 50 in interceptions: Savannah State'e Nylam Bozeman finished 34th, Fort Valley's Michel Hicks Jr. finished 39th, Morehouse's Dedrick Vanover finished 39th as well and Clark-AU's Johnny Sharp finished at 49th.......

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