The inaugural championship game of the SIAC won’t be played at Lakewood Stadium after all.
The conference announced Wednesday that it moved the Nov. 12 game to Panther Stadium on the campus of Clark Atlanta. SIAC commissioner Greg Moore cited “health and safety concerns” related to the ongoing $14.6 million rebuilding of Lakewood Stadium in southeast Atlanta.
Lakewood Stadium, which is owned and managed by Atlanta Public Schools, has a capacity of 10,000 compared with about 6,000 for Panther Stadium.
“Despite the change in venue, we fully anticipate an exciting game-day environment at our inaugural football championship, with vendors, tailgating, bands, and a capacity crowd,” Moore said in a statement.
The game will feature either Albany State (7-2, 5-1) or Morehouse (7-2, 5-1) from the East division against West division champion Miles (6-3, 5-1). Miles clinched the division with a 9-7 victory at Stillman last Thursday.
Morehouse needs playoffs help
Morehouse probably needs to at least make the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title game and perhaps win it to earn an invitation to the Division II playoffs.
Morehouse is No. 8, one spot behind Albany State, in the latest Super Region 2 rankings. The top six teams in the final rankings make the playoffs.
Albany State, which owns a victory against Morehouse, would clinch the East title with a victory against Fort Valley State (2-7, 2-4 SIAC) on Saturday. Morehouse needs a victory at Kentucky State (6-3, 3-3) and an Albany State loss to win the division.
Valdosta State’s playoff chances took a hit with its 23-20 loss to West Georgia on Saturday. Valdosta (6-3, 1-2 Gulf South Conference) fell from No. 3 to No. 6 in Super Region 2.
West Georgia (5-3, 1-1 GSC) beat Valdosta for the first time since 2005. The Wolves moved into the Super Region 2 rankings at No. 10.
Southern ‘down’
Appalachian State ended Georgia Southern’s unbeaten streak at seven games with a 24-17 victory Saturday in Boone, N.C. Georgia Southern did the same thing to Appalachian last season, and coach Jeff Monken said the Mountaineers “reminded me of the way our kids played the game a year ago.”
“We didn’t match their intensity, and that’s my fault,” he said.
Monken said Southern blew coverages on all three of Appalachian’s touchdown passes: “I wish I could explain it. It’s embarrassing.”
The Eagles (7-1, 5-1 Southern Conference) dropped from No. 1 to No. 4 in the FCS (formerly Division I-AA) coaches’ poll while Appalachian (6-2, 4-1) moved up two spots to No. 3. Southern still is in the hunt for the conference title, but needs Appalachian to lose another conference game.
The Eagles play host to The Citadel (4-4, 2-4) on Saturday.
“[The loss] hurt all of us,” Monken said. “We are down. The challenge is to regroup and refocus and get ready for The Citadel.”
Quotable
“I felt like we played hard, but we had a freshman quarterback, and he made freshman mistakes. He’ll learn from those mistakes. He’s still a leader on our team.” — Stillman coach Teddy Keaton to the Tuscaloosa News, after Dondre Purnell (McEachern) had three second-half interceptions in a 9-7 loss to Stillman
By the numbers
251 First-half rushing yards by Morehouse running back David Carter (Sprayberry) in a 49-12 victory against Fort Valley State on Saturday. Carter broke the Division II record for rushing yards in a half (229).
351 Total rushing yards for Carter against Fort Valley, breaking the Morehouse record of 242 set by John David Washington in 2003.
16 Touchdowns for Carter this season after he had four against Fort Valley, topping the Morehouse record of 13, also set by Washington in 2003.
Saturday’s schedule
Morehouse at Kentucky State, 1 p.m.
Albany State vs. Fort Valley State (Columbus), 2 p.m.
Georgia Southern vs. The Citadel, 2 p.m.
West Georgia at North Alabama, 5 p.m.
Savannah State vs. Norfolk State, 5 p.m.
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