VSU football has a ‘Rosey’ outlook

Brandon Rose won’t have to travel far to be issued a football jersey number at Virginia State University.

Thomas Dale High in Chester, where Rose is a senior, is just 9.5 miles from the VSU campus in Ettrick in South Chesterfield. If Rose can only do for the Trojans half of what he did for Dale, VSU’s Dr. Henry Frazier III will be a smiling coach on the sidelines.

Under Coach Kevin Tucker, Rose was a thorn in the side of Dale opponents this past fall.

The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Rose rambled for 1,702 yards (8.9 per carry) and scored a school record 28 touchdowns.

The 28 six-pointers broke the Dale record of 22 set by Rudi Johnson. From Dale, Johnson went on to star at Auburn and many seasons in the NFL.

Other Dale running backs who made it to the NFL were William Henderson and Ken Oxendine.

In his Dale farewell tour, Rose was named All-Region 6A South, All Metro and second team All-State as Dale advanced to the second round of the 6A playoffs.

He combines power with speed. Earlier this spring Rose clocked 11.2 in the 100-meter dash.

There is a vacancy of sorts in the VSU backfield. Last year’s leading rusher, All-CIAA Darius Hagans, has signed a free agent contract with the NFL Colts.

Rose may contend with Upton Bailey, and others, for carries at Rogers Stadium this fall. The Trojans open Sept. 2 at Norfolk State.

There is some history between VSU and Dale. The career rushing leader for the Knights is Nick Fleming, who went on to tote the pigskin for the Trojans.

Triple World Series champion Vida Blue dies

Vida Blue, a pitching star on the Oakland A’s three straight World Series titles (1972, ’73, ’74), died Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Tracy, Calif. He was 73.

Mr. Blue was a six-time All-Star and in 1971 won both the American League MVP and Cy Young Awards. That same season he was 24-8 on the mound with a 1.82 earned run average, 301 strikeouts and eight shutouts.

The left-hander hurled 24 complete games in 1971 and 143 for his career.

Mr. Blue’s 17-season career record, including stops in San Francisco and Kansas City, was 209-161 with a 3.27 ERA and 2,175 strikeouts.

He debuted with Oakland in 1969 at age 19. As a high school athlete in Mississippi, Mr. Blue starred as a football quarterback and passed up scholarship offers to the likes of Notre Dame and Purdue to pursue baseball.

Mr. Blue’s illustrious teammates on those championship Oakland teams included Reggie Jackson, Bert Campaneris, Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers and John “Blue Moon” Odom, another Black pitching star.

Following retirement, Mr. Blue served as a radio/TV commentator for NBC Sports Bay Area that covered the Giants.

Journette is long ball launcher

Justin Journette represents power personified for Norfolk State University baseball. A freshman from Hermitage High, Journette has been a ray of sunshine in an otherwise dreary season for the Spartans.

Olympic gold medalist dies at 32

Tori Bowie, an Olympic and World champion sprinter, died recently at her home in Horizon, Fla. She was 32. Ms. Bowie’s body was discovered on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, following a police wellness check. No foul play was suspected. A native of Sandhill, Miss., she starred at the University of Southern Mississippi where she was a two-time NCAA long jump champ in 2011.

Switching her focus to sprints as a professional, Ms. Bowie took three medals at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro – gold in 4x100 relay, silver in 100 and bronze in 200. At the 2017 World Games in London, she won the 100 and was part of a 4x100 American relay victory.

Ms. Bowie’s personal bests were 7.11 for 60 meters, 10.78 for 100, 21.77 for 200 and 22 feet 8 inches in the long jump.

Alternating between third base and right field, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound slugger leads the team with nine home runs and 30 runs batting in, while hitting .281 for Coach Keith Shumate. Despite Journette’s long ball prowess, the Spartans were 9-34 overall as of May 6 and 6-17 in the Division I Northeast Conference. Due to a lack of MEAC baseball participation, MEAC members Norfolk, MarylandEastern Shore, Delaware State and Coppin State are competing in the Northeast with non HBCUs in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Journette has a way to go to challenge NSU’s all-time home run records.

Ron Narcisse set the single season mark of 17 in 1985 and Mel Wearing established the career mark of 35 between 1986 and 1989.

Reid decides on Wake Forest

Efton Reid is taking his 7-foot frame and basketball talents from coast to coast.

A former Four-Star prospect at Steward School in Western Henrico, Reid is transferring from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., to Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C.

The Zags play in the West Coast Conference while the Demon Deacons are in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

This is his second transfer. Reid played as a freshman at Louisiana State before moving to Gonzaga. His decision to sign with Wake came as a disappointment to VCU where he visited soon after the Ram’s former Coach Mike Rhoades left for Penn State and Ryan Odom came to VCU from Utah State.

Playing under former VCU Coach Will Wade at LSU, Reid averaged 6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 19.6 minutes per game. His playing time fell off at Gonzaga, a perennial national powerhouse. In just 4.7 minutes an outing, he averaged 2.1 points and 1.0 rebounds.

Reid’s 2023-24 eligibility remains in question at Wake. As a two-time transfer, he may have to sit out the upcoming season under NCAA sanctions. Reid is at least the second player from the Richmond area to go to Wale. Former John Marshall star Travis McKie scored 1,687 points for Wake from 2010 to 2014.