Athletics, Academics Dominate 12th Annual Football Classic

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by Lesley R. Chinn

Last Saturday, thousands of fans where at Soldier Field but they were not cheering for the Chicago Bears.

In a contest between the Mississippi Valley State University Delta Devils (MVSU) vs. the Alabama State University (ASU) Hornets at the 12th Annual Chicago Football Classic academics and athletics reigned as more than 50,000 fans cheered the teams on. MVSU Delta Devils gained their first win of the season as they defeated the ASU Hornets 10-3. The MVSU Delta Devils gained a lead early with a 19-yard field goal by Carlos Sanchez with 7:43 left in the first quarter. The ASU Hornets later got on the scoreboard when Jake King took advantage of a 33-yard field goal to tie the game at 3-3, but that wasnt enough to stop the Delta Devils who responded with a 44-yard pass and catch from Quarterback Paul Roberts to Paul Cox which gave MVSU the lead of 10-3 with 9:53 remaining in the first half.

The remainder of the game, which also featured performances by Bobby Valentine and K-Jon, was filled with missed opportunities by both teams. In the final period, the Alabama State Hornets had three opportunities to tie the game or take the lead but came up short despite a late rally in the fourth quarter.

The Classics title sponsor, Nike, presented MVSU quarterback Paul Roberts and defensive lineman Daniel Clay with MVP honors as they were named Offensive and Defensive Most Outstanding Performers.

After the Hornets fell short against the Devils, they came back with a vengeance as they won the Battle of the Bands contest which immediately followed the game. The Hornets dazzled the crowd as they performed a special tribute to the late King of Pop Michael Jackson that included I Want You Back, when he was the lead singer of The Jackson Five to his solo hits that included Human Nature.

The Classic brought together people from all walks of life and highlighted the excellence and rich legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Among the attendees, was Secretary of State Jesse White, who proudly cheered for his alma mater, ASU. White graduated from ASU in 1957, two years after Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks were among civil rights leaders who led the fight to desegregate the buses during the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Its nice to bring those Black colleges from the South up North because you have a lot of people who graduated from these wonderful institutions of learning and theres a lot of history there, White stated. I think it is important for us to do all that we can to encourage our young people to attend some of those schools in the South because there is a lot of history

there.

The fact that we can promote higher education shows the kids how serious college can be, said Larry Huggins, Classic co-chairman, who also worked alongside Chairman William Garth and Cochairmen Everett and Tim Rand to promote such events including the college fair, presidents reception, and golf outing that culminated the Classic. It also gives parents the confidence that they can walk away [from this event] that they can send their kids to an HBCU.

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