The young Yellow Jacket football team takes to the field for the first time this season when WVSU faces Central State in the Dayton Classic.

     The Jackets plan to start five freshmen and seven sophomores including sophomore quarterback Robert Jackson.

      The 6-foot-3, 220 pound Baltimore native played in four games last season completing 12 of 18 pass attempts for 92 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.

      The defensive unit will have three freshmen and four sophomores in the starting unit as the Jackets return just six starters overall.

        To see the WVSU two deep for Saturday go to .....

By Scott Waggener, WVSU Radio

The West Virginia State football team had an officiated scrimmage on Saturday August, 28^th.  It was an intra-squad scrimmage with the offense and defense facing each other for two hours. 

The offense immediately impressed when sophomore quarterback Robert Jackson hit senior wide receiver Jermaine King on a deep pass over the top of the defense on the first play of the scrimmage.

    West Virginia State University officials were informed Monday that due to a scheduling conflict at the University of Dayton Stadium the starting time for the Saturday, September 4th game between WVSU and Central State has been moved from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m..

    The Yellow Jackets defeated the Marauders 6-0 in Institute to open last season.

Part four of Kickoff 2010 features West Virginia State defender Ryan Smoot. Jacob Messer profiles the Columbus, OH junior and previews the Jackets' upcoming season.

Check it out at .....

 Suddenlink announced today that it will broadcast the WV State University coach’s shows starting on September 2^nd and continuing throughout the school year.  The Broadcast will include coaches from the following sports: Football, Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Baseball and Softball.

The football coach’s show will be hosted by Fred Persinger the renowned voice of WV high school athletics.  Air time for the coach’s shows will be at 7:00 pm, Thursday nights on the Suddenlink Information Channel (22 in the Charleston area or 19 in some parts of the state). 

For mor einformation go to .....

    West Virginia Conference football coaches expect the Yellow Jackets and West Virginia Wesleyan to fight it out for the bottom spot in the WVIAC standings according to this year's poll.

    Coming off an injury plagued season that saw them fall to 3-7 after back-to-back 7-3 campaigns the Jackets return just 12 lettermen this season.

     Defending champion West Liberty, ranked third nationally in pre-season polls, is the coach's pick to win the conference title.

     To see a team-by-team breakdown and the coach's vote totals go to .....

Monroe will retake control of WVSU defense

by Jack Bogaczyk

Daily Mail Sports Editor

INSTITUTE,W.Va. -- The defensive coordinator for West Virginia State football in 2010 is the same one the Yellow Jackets had from 1996-2005.

That would be State Coach Earl Monroe.

By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor, Osceola News Gazette

Matt Hedrick will go to familiar surroundings when he reports to the West Virginia State football team later this year.

The Osceola High senior offensive lineman recently signed a scholarship to the NCAA Division II team in Charleston, W.Va., coached by Ed Monroe.

Hedrick’s parents, Mark and Beth Hedrick, grew up in the Charleston area and family members remain there.

WVSU Football will have a camp from Monday through Thursday, July 12 -15.

Morning session will be football drills and skills, with games and swimming in the afternoon.

 $50.00 per camper, includes lunch each day.

Ages 6-12 ??

Contact Coach Earl Monroe at 304-766-5187 for more information.

      WVSU football player Sam Scroggins has signed as a non-drafted free agent with the Detroit Lions.

      The 6-5, 240 pound Scroggins played tight end, defensive end, and long snapper for the Yellow Jackets.

      "I leave Thursday for rookie mini-camp," Scroggins said. "It's three days in Detroit."

      To read more and for links to newspaper stories on Scroggins go to .....

     The spring football game at Lakin Field and accompanying Fish Fry Fundraiser at Shawnee Park both drew big crowds Saturday afternoon.

      Kirk Roach of Pinewood Drive in Dunbar won the drawing for a large flat screen television.

The change is the result of a ruling by the NCAA Division II President's Council that altered the beginning of the football season for colleges and universities in the division.  This was done as a part of an initiative called “Life in the Balance” designed to give student athletes additional free time.

Traditionally, WVSU's Homecoming week is centered around the first home football game in October. 

To see complete football schedule go to .....

        The WVSU Gridiron Committee is sponsoring a Fish Fry at Shawnee Park the day of the football spring scrimmage, April 24th, in support of the Yellow Jacket football program.

       The event will last from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. and besides fish will include two side dishes and a desert.

       There will also be a chance to win a flat screen television.

 PRINCETON, W.Va.)---The West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) has issued the winners of the Liberty Mutual Insurance Senior Scholar-Athlete awards. 

All 16 league member institutions honor a male and female athlete that has demonstrated proficiency in the classroom and as an athlete. All award winners must compile at least a 3.3 grade point average.

This year's award recipients from West Virginia State are Jennifer Paswaters and Terrence Washington.

Each honoree is recognized during the Friday evening session of the WVIAC Basketball Tournament.

To see complete list go to .....

       West Virginia State senior linebacker Andrew Eggleton has been selected to the Football Gazette All-Region 1st Team.

         To see the entire list go to ....

       (PRINCETON, W.Va.)---League head coaches and game officials have selected the fall sports WVIAC Sportsmanship Champions.  The second annual awards were captured by Pitt Johnstown's volleyball and women's soccer squads, Davis & Elkins' men's soccer team, and the football squad from West Virginia State.

The award was conceived in 2008 by the league's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.  The ground-breaking program has also received honors from the NCAA Division II Presidents' Council.

For complete story go to .....

    Senior linebacker Andrew Eggleton has been named the WVIAC Defensive Player of the Year.

   The St. Albans native was also a 1st team All-WVIAC pick for the third straight season and the Yellow Jackets' only representative on eitehr 1st team.

    Junior wide receiver Jermain King, senior outside linebacker Valentine Bon, and junior defensive back Mike Wilburn were 2nd team All-WVIAC selections.

    Senior offensive lineman Mike Jones and freshman running back LeFloyd Phillips received Honorable Mention.

     To see complete story and listing go to .....

          Robert Jackson came off the bench to lead a third quarter scoring drive to make the score 27-19 and the Yellow Jackets' defense held off a last minute Fairmont State drive as the Yellow Jackets  (3-7 overall, 2-6 in WVIAC) closed their season with a 27-19 win Saturday.

          Record setting quarterback Kevin O'Brien and nine other WVSU seniors closed out their careers.

         Those include Andrew Eggleton, Valentine Bon, Corey Cole, Mike Jones, Aaric Payne, Brandon Kennedy, Sam Scoggins, Terrence Washington, and WIlliam Delgadillo who were all honored in a pre-game ceremony.

         FAirmont scored first but Pierre Chatman ran back an interception 17 yards for a touchdown to make the score 7-6 early in the second period.

          O'Brien was sharp in the first half as he hit 8-of-10 passes for 107 yards. He even caught the first touchdown pass of his college when the Jackets made the old flea-flickker work from the 10-yard line in the second quarter after falling behind again at 13-7.

        Wide receiver Jermain King took a lateral from O'Brien who then rolled to the left side and hauled in King's pass back across the field to give WVSU a 14-13 lead.

        O'Brien reinjured his throwing hand before halftime but Jackson filled in capapbly completing 6-of-10 passes for 40 yards and a touchdown.

          Bon recorded 12 tackles and picked off a pass while Eggleton contributed 10 tackles, Washington made four and Kennedy had one reception as the four-year seniors finished with a 22-19 record.

                     Click on view full story for statistics and play by play

     Host West Virginia Wesleyan rolled to 405 total yards of offense while holding the Yellow Jackets to a season low 135 yards in winning 28-0 Saturday afternoon in Buckhannon.

     The Bobcats (2-7, 2-5 in WVIAC) interecepted a WVSU pass on the second play of the game and three plays later they were in the endzone for a 7-0 lead and the Jackets never seemed to fully recover.

      Senior lineback Andrew Eggleton had a big game with 10 solo tackles while assisting on 12 others.

       The Yellow Jackets fall to 2-7 overall and 1-6 in conference.

       They finish the season Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. at home against Fairmont Sttae on Senior Day.

        A game box is located in view full story

       The WVSU football team made a game of it in the first half as a pair of touchdown tosses from Kevin O'Brien to Jermain King had the Jackets trailing just 24-14 at halftime Saturday.

        But the host Rams (6-3, 5-2 in WVIAC) erupted for 31 points after the break to pull away for the win as they put up 558 yards of total offense on the game including 374 on the ground.

        O'Brien was sharp in his return to action after missing three games with a wrist injury. The senior completed 14-of-19 passes for two touchdowns and 149 yards with no interceptions.

          Patrick Ryan, who started the last three games, was out with an injury so Robert Jackson relieved O'Brien late and hit 6-of-7 pass attempts for 52 yards.

         The Jackets (2-6, 1-5) could manage just 78 yards on the ground though.

     Record-setting senior quarterback Kevin O'Brien returns to action Saturday when the Yellow JAckets travel to Shepherd for a WVIAC football match-up.

      Click here to go to the Shepherd radio broadcast link for the game.

     To see game preview go to .....

      Visiting Glenville State scored a touchdown with 5:08 remaining in the first half to break a 14-14 tie and West Virginia State never recovered in falling 35-17.

      A small crowd huddled for warmth as temperatures dipped into the low 30's and both teams turned in a sloppy performance combining for 19 penalties and six turnovers.

      Fabian Payne led the Jackets' running attack with 72 yards on 12 carries while sophomore quarterback Patrick Ryan completed 19-of-39 passes for 201 yards but had four passes intercepted.

       Glenville moves to 4-4 overall and 3-2 in the WVIAC while WVSU falls to 2-5 and 1-4.

A COMPLETE BOX IS LOCATED IN VIEW FULL STORY

Click here to read full story

    Sophomore quarterback Patrick Ryan threw for a career high 289 yards and three touchdowns but host West Liberty exploded for 24 points in the second quarter and went on to defeat the Yellow Jackets 52-30.

      The Hilltoppers celebrated their homecoming by racking up 547 yards of total offense including 210 on the ground.

      But while Ryan put up big numbers through the air with junior Jermain King catching 10 passes for 146 yards and two scores the WVSU ground game could net just 35 yards on the day.

      The Yellow Jackets (2-4, 1-3 in WVIAC) return to Lakin Field Saturday for a 1 p.m. contest against Glenville State (4-3, 2-2).

      Click here to see recaps of other WVIAC games

       A game file and play by play are located in view full story..

     WVSU senior football player Valentine Bon has been named the WVIAC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance Saturday.

     Bon had 12 tackles, three quarterback hurries, and forced a key fumble as the Yellow Jackets rolled to a 23-17 win over visiting Seton Hill.

      To see the WVIAC press release go to .....

      The Yellow Jackets celebrated Homecoming by defeating Seton Hill 23-17 Saturday afternoon at Lakin Field.

       Though record-setting senior quarterback Kevin O'Brien missed his second straight game due to a wrist injury Patrick Ryan filled in capably in the third start of his career.

        Ryan completed 12-of-18 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown and ran for 54 yards.

        The Griffins (1-5) led 7-0 after one quarter but WVSU quickly rallied to take a 9-7 lead into halftime with Fabian Payne scoring on the ground and Craig Wissler connected on a 41-yard field goal.

         In the third period a Valentine Bon sack forced the ball free and Akeem Nofiu scooped it up in stride and sprinted 42 yards to paydirt for 16-7 lead.

         After a Seton Hill field goal Ryan hit Landon Johnson on a post route for a 54-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to make it 23-10. The visitors managed a score in the final minute but the celebration on the Yellow JAcket sidlein had already begun as WVSU improved to 203 overall and 1-2 in WVIAC play.

      click view full story to see complete game statistics and play by play

      click here to see Charleston Gazette game coverage   

Concord University defense held West Virginia State University to just 208 yards of total offense in getting the 25-14 victory.

A game box is located in view full story. 

Click here to link to game video.

     Charleston defeated West Virginia State University 35-0 Saturday afternoon in a WVIAC game at Lakin Field in Institute.

     The Golden Eagles (3-0) ground up the Jackets on the ground with an 85-yard punt return and drives of 80, 38, 74, and 58 yards as they outgained their hosts in rushing yards 212-36.

      Jacket senior quarterback Kevin O'Biren threw for 160 yards to become the school's all-time leader in passing yards.

      To see Charleston Gazette game story click here.

      To see full game stats go to ......

      Senior quarterback Kevin O'Brien threw for 231 yards and running back Fabian Payne made his season debut but it was not enough as Benedict (1-2) defeated the Yellow Jackets (1-1) 49-21 in the Palmetto Capital City Classic Saturday afternoon in Columbia, SC.

     O'Brien completed 18-of-28 passes for three touchdowns while Payne carried 14 times for 76 yards after missing the opening week with an ankle sprain.

      The Jackets had 257 yards of offense in the first half which finished with them trailing 28-21 but could not get untracked after the break picking up just 53 total yards. Meanwhile the Tigers added three more scores to put the game out of reach.

Game box and play by play are located in view full story

After a successful trip to the Chicago Football Classic last fall the Yellow Jackets (1-0) have been invited to play in the 8th Annual Palmetto Capital City Classic in Columbia, South Carolina this fall.

     The opponent will be host school Benedict College.

      There is a weeklong schedule of events including a golf tournament, Battle of the Bands, a jazz concert, and a step show.

       Game time is 4 p.m. on September 5th -- Saturday of Labor Day weekend.

      The Yellow Jackets will be staying at the Ramada Inn, Columbia Northeast.

       It is located at 7510 Two Notch Road and the phone number is 803-736-3000.

       Click here for ticket information.

        For more information click the logo above or go to .....

       West Virginia State University opened the 2009 football season with a 6-0 win over visiting Central State Saturday afternoon in Insititute.

      A crowd of about 791 braved threatening skies at game time and enjoyed a sunny second half as the Yellow Jacket defense dominated the Marauders.

      Senior quarterback Kevin O'Brien threw for 192 yards on 17-of-31 passing which was more than the visitors could muster in total offense where Central State finished with just 134 yards.

      O'Brien connected with Landon Johnson (above, right) from 21-yards out with 5:15 to play in the 1st half to provide the only score of the contest. Craig Wissler's extra point kick was blocked.

     Ryan Smoot intercepted two Central State passes and the Jacket defense turned in a game-saving defensive stand with just under 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter.

      The Marauders drove from the WV State 32 all the way to the 2-yard line where they had a first and goal. After four straight running playes the Jacket defense had held and the ball turned back over to WVSU.

     Running back Fabian Payne sat out due to a minor injury. Cheron Bines switched from the defensive to the offensive backfield and led the Jackets with 49 yards on 13 carries while Michael Harper-Thompson picked up 30 yards on 15 carries. 

     Jermain King (left) paced the receiving corp with seven catches good for 95 yards.

     The Jackets travel to Columbia, S.C. next week for a 4:00 p.m. meeting with Benedict in the Palmetto Classic.

     West Virginia State wound uo with 284 yards of total offense.

     Web site D2Football.com has selected Yellow Jacket offensive lineman Mike Jones and defensive back Joe Clark as pre-season first team All-WVIAC picks.

     To see the complete list go to .....

     Opposing WVIAC football coaches just made West Virginia State Coach Earl Monroe's job a little bit easier.

      The coaches tabbed the Yellow Jackets seventh in the nine-team football conference.

      "It makes our first meeting real easy," said an obviously upset Monroe. "I know it doesn't mean much but I just assumed we would get a little more respect than that."

       WVSU is coming off back-to-back 7-3 seasons. The Jackets were 5-3 in conference games and finished fourth each season.

        "We should get respect for what we've done the last two years," Monroe said. "But it is what it is."

        And it should be a great motivational tool for a Jacket squad that returns record-seeting senior quarterback Kevin O'Brien, two-time All-WVIAC defender Andrew Eggleton, and leading receiver Jermain King.

        Monroe praised defending WVIAC champ Glenville State, which blasted the Jackets last year, and Seton Hill, which finished second and then advanced two rounds in the postseason.

         "They earned respect for what they did last year and who they have coming back," Monroe said. "We just deserve the same respect."

          To see teh entire poll go to .....