Pirates chart new course
Pirates set to join Southern Conference
Five years after becoming the first school among Historically Black Colleges and Universities to field a men’s NCAA Division I lacrosse team, HU announced that it will join the Southern Conference.
It was overcast and cold the morning of Feb. 13, 2016. On that day, Hampton made history as the first school among Historically Black Colleges and Universities to field a men’s NCAA Division I lacrosse team.
The news — during Black History Month — was so big that ESPN came to Hampton to provide coverage of the monumental occasion that included interviews with Hampton President Dr. William R. Harvey and others, including players.
The news was big to me. Born in Syracuse, New York, I was introduced to lacrosse in middle school in gym class. And anyone who knows anything about lacrosse knows that Syracuse has one of the greatest lacrosse programs, with 15 national championships. It’s also the school where one of the greatest lacrosse players, Jim Brown, played. Yes, that Jim Brown. More about him later.
There was a lot of excitement about the program. But since that day, however, not much
has been talked about.
Until now.
Five years later —and during Black History Month — the school announced that Hampton University’s lacrosse team will join the Southern Conference as an associate member in men’s lacrosse, beginning July 1.
“For our men’s lacrosse program to be accepted into a prestigious league such as the Southern Conference is a special day for Hampton University athletics,” Harvey said. “To be aligned with these strong institutions will be beneficial to the future growth of not only our program, but HBCU lacrosse as well.”
The announcement was incredible news for Hampton first-year men’s lacrosse coach Chazz Woodson.
Woodson, who attended Norfolk Academy for much of his life but graduated from Blue Ridge School in Charlottesville, returned to Hampton Roads after a stellar playing career for Brown University and 10 years professionally.
The Pirates had been an independent program since the first varsity season in 2016. Now they have a home.
“This particular milestone for the program is important because this allows us to compete for something tangible,” said Woodson, 38. “Now we have a conference home and we’re able to compete
for championships and get into the NCAA tournament. It’s not about just being happy to have a program. ... And to be the first HBCU with a Division I lacrosse team to now have that tangible goal and have it happen during Black History Month is fairly significant.”
Woodson knows it won’t be easy, but he’s ready for the challenge.
And he’s got many rooting for him.
Virginia lacrosse coach Lars Tiffany described Woodson as an “electrifying” player with “jaw-dropping” ability. Tiffany never played or coached Woodson at Brown, but would see him play at alumni games.
They became friends. Now they’re brothers as part of a fraternity of lacrosse coaches.
“To know Chazz Woodson is to come across someone who is completely focused on helping others,” Tiffany said. “I’m amazed at how much of his life he
has committed to supporting other people. And I’m really happy, as a fellow Division I lacrosse coach, that he’s a part of this club now.”
Tom Duquette coached Woodson at Norfolk Academy. Duquette, who retired in 2019 with more than 500 career victories and seven state titles, called Woodson “fearless” and “a student of the game.”
They have stayed close, including working various lacrosse camps together.
He believes Woodson is the right person to take Hampton’s program — and the sport — to the next level.
According to the NCAA, just 2.8% of Division I men’s lacrosse players are Black.
“Lacrosse is a sport that is struggling with diversity,” Duquette said. “It’s really important for the game of lacrosse that Hampton University succeeds. And Chazz is ideally positioned, because of who he is and what he’s done for the
game, to give them the best chance that they have for success.”
Hired in July, Woodson took over a program during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pirates were set to enter their fifth season, but the 2021 season was suspended.
With no games or practices — since students still aren’t on campus — Woodson has been able to focus his attention on recruiting and fundraising.
He also spends time communicating with players, including Aris Brown, the son of Jim Brown.
The elder Brown, known more for his football prowess, starred at Manhasset, New York, and later Syracuse, where he was a two-time All-American from 1956-57. He scored
43 goals in just 10 games in 1957. He’s in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame as the first African American to be inducted, in 1983.
“It’s really special because you grow up hearing about Jim Brown,” Woodson said. “He was arguably the best player to ever play. And a Black player at that. When I was coming up, not a lot of people knew about lacrosse, especially in the Black community. But the ones who did all knew Jim Brown.”
Woodson met and got to talk with Brown at great length when Woodson coached in Miami.
“Now all of a sudden, here we are at Hampton with Aris Brown,” he said. “Aris is certainly a great young man and I think he’s going to be a very good player if he puts the work in. ... Having (the Browns) around the program to support, even if it’s just being there, lends a bit of credibility. I think it’s huge.”
The Pirates went 0-6 during the shortened 2020 season. In the next five years, Woodson wants the Pirates to be competing for a conference championship and NCAA tournament bid.
“I know it’s a lofty goal,” he said, “but why not go after it?”
Another major goal is to see his sport grow.
“I think it can’t be overstated how important this program is to the sport, and if we do it right, to the national landscape of the sport,” said Woodson, who is an at-large board member of U.S. Lacrosse and created several foundations to expand the sport in economically challenged areas. “Everyone is talking about diversity. We have an opportunity to show what diversity really looks like.
... We have an opportunity, if we do things the right way, to lay the blueprint for other HBCUs to pick up lacrosse. That would open the door to changing the sport dramatically.
“But if we’re not successful on the field, that impact is never really met. So we have to be competitive. We have to win. That’s the bottom line here. Otherwise, nobody is talking about this program.”
SMITHFIELD — Tristan Baker’s torrid 3-point shooting led Smithfield to a 55-48 win over Grafton on Friday in the Class 4 Region A boys basketball championship game and into the state tournament for the first time in four years.
The victory moved the Packers (8-0) into the state semifinals for the second time in school history. They’ll host Region B champion Eastern View, from Culpeper County, at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Smithfield, which beat Grafton (6-2) by 18 points Monday, trailed 25-21 early in the second half after the Clippers’ Landon Stutt (14 points) drove to the basket for layup. But the Packers and Baker, who scored a game-high 25 points, found their shooting touch and combined it with some good defense to seize control.
Troy Giles (10 points) launched what would be a game-changing 10-2 run with a 3-pointer. Baker hit two of his four second-half 3-pointers while he and his teammates used their press to force the Clippers into a pair of turnovers, enabling Smithfield to take a 31-25 lead.
“We were hyped in the first half, but we weren’t really as hyped as we should be to our full potential,” Baker said. “After Coach (Theotis Porter) talked to us at halftime, we came out, straightened up, did our thing and showed them what it was all about.”
Grafton remained in the hunt with a pair of 3-pointers by Stutt and Chandler Swann. When OJ Jackson, who scored 17 points, added a three-point play to start the fourth quarter, the Clippers trailed 39-36.
But Baker drained a 3 to slow the Clippers’ momentum and give the Packers a six-point lead. Grafton trailed by just four points following two free throws by Stutt, before Baker responded with another 3 to make it 51-44 with 1:26 remaining.
“I really waited for my teammates to create open shots for me, (so) thanks to all my teammates,” Baker said. “I just took my time and tried my best to release it perfectly, and it went in.”
Grafton was mostly successful in the first quarter in keeping Smithfield from penetrating the lane, something the Packers were so successful at in their win four days earlier. The Clippers took two charges and were called for two blocking fouls that could’ve gone either way early.
B u t B a k e r ’s first 3-pointer of the night opened the lane enough for Rashad Tucker to score seven of his 10 points as Smithfield led 13-6 early in the second quarter. The Clippers retaliated with a 15-2 run, sparked by three consecutive 3-pointers, to surge into the lead in the second quarter.
Stutt, Swan and George each had 3s in the run as the Clippers led by six points before the Packers closed to within 21-20 at halftime. Baker’s big second half led the Packers to the state tournament.
“Tristan came in every day, working on getting extra shots up for this type of moment,” Porter said. “Tonight he stepped up.”