Football season kicks off; Lions, SWAC sat out fall
The wait is over for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff football team, as it will open its historic spring season today at Southern University in Baton Rouge at 1:30 p.m.
The UAPB Sports Network radio broadcast begins at 1 p.m. on KPBA-FM 99.3 The Beat, online at uapblionsroar.com/live, and on the free UAPB Athletics App. The game will also be video streamed on the ESPN App.
From coaching changes to covid-19, to the fall season moving to 2021, to ‘spring’ practice in the fall, to major snow in February leading to last week’s game postponement vs. Texas Southern, Golden Lion football has made it to today’s season opener.
Doc Gamble will make his head coaching debut with UAPB. Gamble is no stranger to the program, having spent the previous two seasons as assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach.
A total of six Golden Lion players earned 2021 Preseason All-SWAC honors, including four on the firstteam. Offensive linemen Mark Evans II and Atondre Smith anchored the left side of the line at tackle and guard, respectively, helping the offense rank in the Football Championship Subdivision Top 25 in 2019. Wide receiver Harry Ballard III posted five 100-yard receiving games last season and ranked in the top five in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns. Return specialist Tyrin Ralph tied for the league lead in punt return average (10.8 yards per return) and averaged 27.9 yards per kickoff return.
A pair of players earned second-team All-SWAC honors. Defensive end Xavier Mitchell started every game in 2019 and finished second on the defensive line in tackles (48), tied for the team lead in sacks (5.0), tied for second on roster in tackles for loss (10.0), and had one forced fumble and one pass breakup. Defensive back Shawn Steele tied for seventh in the SWAC in interceptions (three), and tied for the conference lead in pass breakups (18).
Junior quarterback Skyler Perry will lead the offense, coming off a 2019 season in which he passed for 784 yards and eight touchdowns in splitting time at the position. He tied a career high with three touchdown passes in back-to-back games at Alabama A&M and against Langston (Oklahoma).
That core leads 14 starters returning (eight offense/ six defense) against a Southern team that has won the SWAC’s Western Division each of the past two seasons. The Jaguars opened the spring season with a 24-21 win at Alabama State last Friday night before 5,654 fans.
ABOUT SOUTHERN
The Jaguars (2-0) will get to welcome anywhere from 10,500 to 11,500 fans to A.W. Mumford Stadium. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has moved the state into Phase 3 of its coronavirus policy, meaning the stadium can host up to half of its capacity.
Against Alabama State, redshirt senior Ladarius Skelton, a former Pine Bluff High School quarterback, threw for 135 yards and rushed for 72.
Skelton guided Pine Bluff to three straight 6A state championship games, winning back-to-back titles in 2014-15. He redshirted his first season at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College and threw for 1,048 yards and nine touchdowns in 2017 at Fullerton (Calif.) College while rushing for 1,165 yards and 18 touchdowns in 13 games. Fullerton won the national championship that season.
He came within three yards of a 1,000-yard passing season at Southern in 2018, but aired it out for 1,642 yards and 12 scores the next fall. His 870 rushing yards led the Jaguars and helped them reach the SWAC championship game.
Southern has another victory via forfeit from Alcorn State, which pulled out of the spring season due to covid-19 concerns. The teams were to play March 27.
ALSO AT UAPB
Volleyball sophomore Nikole Akamine was named Southwestern Athletic Conference player of the week. Akamine had three attacks, 16 assists and five digs in a three-set victory over Mississippi Valley State. UAPB will host Grambling State on Monday. …
Alabama A&M postponed its baseball weekend series at UAPB due to covid-19 protocols within the Bulldogs’ program. UAPB will play a three-game series March 12-14 at Texas Southern in Houston.