Sports News, Nuggets and Notes from East Carolina and Beyond

PREVIOUS NUGGETS

07.21.03: ACC raid draws attention of Congress... .. West taps into Clemson connections for assistant coach... .. Arena football player dies on bench... .. More...

07.20.03: Meet, mingle and eat with the Pirates... .. Date dampens demand for WVU-VPI ducats... .. Non-BCS CEO's sign up in big numbers for Cowen summit... .. Monetary affairs discourage in-state rivalry... .. 49ers lose one, keep one... .. More...

07.19.03: C-USA formally shifts into football mode... .. Get up close and personal with J.T... .. Key U of L football players banished... .. Gators get head start in rejecting ACC... .. Physician admits torching dead player's medical data... .. LSU football coach survives aquatic knockout plunge... .. More...

07.18.03: East Carolina names new ticket operations boss... .. Dollar draws NCAA wrath... .. Athletes' rights crusader gains steam... .. Banished football program seeks new life... .. Blood clot stymies Buckeye lineman again... More...

GREENVILLE — A pair of broadcasting industry professionals have leveraged their local ties and sports interests into a new venture to acquire and operate an existing radio station. Pirate Media Group, LLC, has announced it will purchase WGHB 1250AM through a partnership with Conner Media. The station is located in the Pitt County town of Farmville and broadcasts at 5000 watts. Troy Dreyfus and Jonathan Ellerbe, each of whom graduated from East Carolina University, founded the Pirate Media Group in March 2003, and will be managing partners of the company.

Both Dreyfus and Ellerbe served stints for Henry Hinton at New East Communications before Hinton entered into an agreement several months ago to sell his radio stations — long associated with coverage of local news and politics and East Carolina Pirates sports — to Archway Broadcasting Group. Dreyfus spent 8 years at New East and is best known for his years as co-host with Hinton of "Talk of the Town," a program which airs daily on WCZI 98.3 FM and Greenville Cable 7 TV.

According to a press release, Pirate Media Group will take over the management and day-to-day operations of its newly-acquired station effective immediately. In addition to Pitt County, WGHB's signal reaches into Wayne, Wilson, Edgecombe, Nash, Beaufort, Lenoir and Craven Counties. The station currently carries ESPN programming and, according to Dreyfus, additional program offerings are planned. The station will be a part of the Pirate Sports Radio Network, carrying East Carolina football, basketball and baseball games and coaches shows. In addition, the station is an affiliate for the NFL Carolina Panthers and has plans to carry other new programming as well, said Dreyfus.

Houston player's injury-plagued career extended by NCAA

HOUSTON — The NCAA has granted Houston tight end Jonathan Pritchett an extension of his five-year period of eligibility, thus allowing the Friendship, TX, senior to play this fall for the Cougars. Pritchett, who graduated in December of 2002 and will attend graduate school this fall, played for UH in 1998 and 1999 before missing the entire 2000 (broken leg) and 2001 (knee) seasons with injuries. He played in 11 games last season, including seven starts, and recorded a career-high seven catches for 103 yards.

Marquette legend joins Crean staff

MILWAUKEE — A three-time All-American who was the leader of Hall of Fame coach Al McGuire's Marquette national championship team of 1977 has rejoined his alma mater's basketball staff, Golden Eagles head coach Tom Crean has announced. Ellis will be serving his second stint as an assistant coach in the program, his previous tenure having spanned 10 years (1988-98). One of only five players whose jerseys have been retired by Marquette, Ellis has served as the head coach at Chicago State for the last five seasons. "In the 26 or 27 years since Bo Ellis played here, there is no doubt that his legacy here with his leadership is fully intact," Crean said. "We look forward to taking that to a whole new level and into a few new chapters here as Bo joins our staff."

Rattlers promoted to I-A

TALLAHASSEE, FL — The NCAA has approved Florida A&M's application to move its football program to Division I-A and the historically black university could be playing at college football's highest level by 2004. No other historically black college is in Division I-A. The school, which submitted its application to move up from Division I-AA in June, had been in Division I-AA since the classification was created in 1978. That year, the Rattlers won that level's first football national championship. The move makes the Rattlers ineligible for the 2003 Division I-AA playoffs and the 2003 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football title. The status of Florida A&M's other sports will be decided by the MEAC Council of Presidents.

CHESTERTOWN, MD — The former roommate of missing Baylor basketball player Patrick Dennehy was charged Monday with murder, authorities said. The warrant naming Carlton Dotson was issued by police in Waco, TX, where Dennehy has been missing since mid-June, Chestertown Police Chief Walter Coryell said. No body has been found. Sgt. Ryan Holt, a Waco police spokesman, told the Dallas Morning News that Dotson confessed to killing Dennehy and gave a description of where he left the body. He told the newspaper that police were searching that location Monday night, but declined to elaborate. Dotson was to have another hearing Tuesday. If he waives extradition, he will be returned to Texas, Coryell said.