News and Notes from East Carolina, Conference USA and Beyond

PREVIOUS NUGGETS

12.06.06: UTEP's Higgins named AFCA All-American ... Memphis thumps Herd in C-USA hoops opener ... C-USA names top cross country performers

12.05.06: First-ever Gators- Buckeyes match-up a big one ... Boise State crashes BCS party in Fiesta ... Seminoles top Lady Pirates for tourney title

12.04.06: New recruiting thumbnail: Tyrell Worthington ... McFadden leads Independence into title game ... Bearcats bound for new bowl in Toronto

12.03.06: Paper: Hudson among Cincy coaching targets ... UAB ousted from NCAA volleyball by UCLA

12.02.06: Witter wins minor league baseball honor ... Millican in position in LPGA qualifying ... ECU announces challenging softball slate

12.01.06: C-USA announces football players of year ... Rice's Graham gets coach of year award ... ECU's Krug lands All-America honor

11.30.06: T.H. issues direct appeal to fans for ticket sales ... New recruiting thumbnail: Maurice Mercer ... Dougherty, Johnson first team All-Conference ... Five from ECU on C-USA All-Freshman team

11.29.06: C-USA bowl slate sends ECU to Birmingham ... SMU's Needham a finalist for Hermann Trophy ... Bearcats coach bolts for Michigan State

11.28.06: ECU's Roach on
C-USA academic team ... Wager on Clemson-South Carolina turns deadly ... Shula era comes to end at Alabama

11.27.06: C-USA title game features UH-USM rematch ... Bunting farewell to press a succinct one ... ECU announces swimming, diving signees

11.26.06: Pirates add Lugo to 2008 baseball class ... VCU prevails over ECU in women's hoops ... Tulsa gains momentum for postseason trip

11.25.06: ECU-bound Herlocker paces Charlotte Catholic ... Miami enters search mode for football coach ... BC out of ACC title contention

11.24.06: Herd takes ECU hopes to Hattiesburg ... Gonzaga has a Garden party in NIT semis ... Iowa State search eliminates two candidates

11.23.06: Yow taking leave of absence for treatment ... Marshall's Bradshaw nabs
C-USA weekly honor

11.22.06: Pirates face Houston if Marshall wins ... Former teammates push Raye for MSU coach ... SMU's Wideman named academic player of year

11.21.06: Duke, Wake athletes named Rhodes scholars ... UAB captures Conference USA volleyball ... Old Dominion stuns Georgetown on the road

11.20.06: Ohio State-Michigan rematch possible ... Video helps inspire Tar Heels to beat State ... Cords stepping down as AD at Marquette

11.19.06: Cougars to host USM or ECU in C-USA title game ... ECU falls in women's hoops to Vermont ... Pirate swimming teams in seventh place

11.18.06: ECU baseball bringing in 10-man class ... UTEP edges Pirates in C-USA volleyball ... West Virginia steamrolls Pitt

11.17.06: Pirates reschedule hoops contest with NCCU ... ECU volleyball places 3 on all- league team ... Top-ranked SMU goes down in NCAA soccer

11.16.06: Paterno's hall of fame induction postponed ... Tressel downplays his dominance vs. Michigan ... ECU softball announces pair of signees

11.15.06: Pirates control their fate in East Division ... Pinkney in star game, playing for Buddy Ryan ... ECU's Lee named special teams player of week

11.14.06: ECU-NCSU kickoff moved to 7 p.m. for TV ... Butch will succeed Bunting at UNC- Chapel Hill ... Conference USA coaches make debuts ... Pirates seeded sixth in C-USA volleyball ... Lady Pirates drop hoops opener to JMU

11.13.06: Houston clinches
C-USA championship berth ... ECU volleyball slips in regular season finale ... Grad rates: Athletes outperform student body

11.12.06: ECU announces women's hoops signees ... Miners extinguish Blazers' bowl hopes ... Mustang duo in contention for Hermann Trophy

11.11.06: Rutgers kicks Cards out of title picture ... Roach selected for district academic honor ... Krug getting it done on court, in classroom

11.10.06: Pirates prepare for Saturday hoops opener ... Houston's Kolb makes cut on O'Brien award list ... UNC-CH officials mum on Davis' status

11.09.06: Former star QB to represent N.C. in Congress ... Homicide unit probing death of Miami player ... Krog's 73 puts her in top five at Augusta

11.08.06: UK's win over Payne's charges not flawless ... SMU, UAB gain NCAA men's soccer berths ... Three C-USA women's teams get NCAA slots

11.07.06: Two Marshall players get C-USA honors ... UAB women capture C-USA soccer title ... Punter faces attempted murder charge

11.06.06: Pirate volleyball takes down Memphis ... Denny O'Brien's Harris Poll ballot ... ECU swimmers, divers perform well ... Paterno recovering from fractured leg

11.05.06: Promotions aplenty for ECU-Marshall game ...
Ex-Tulsa great Largent gets humanitarian honor

11.04.06: Dougherty a semifinalist for Ray Guy Award ... Butch Davis deal with Tar Heels imminent? ... Cardinals talking national title, again ... Honors abound for ECU women's soccer team

11.03.06: Boise State rolls past Bulldogs ... Reale, Pirates earn seconds at Kitty Hawk ... ECU softball's Kozlowski promoted

11.02.06: Mustangs a win away from bowl eligibility ... Hunt, Icenhower lead East Carolina divers ... ECU's Moore earns academic honor with 4.0

11.01.06: Kragthorpe curtails Tar Heel speculation ... Pirates in C-USA women's soccer tourney ... Backup QB Lee to start for FSU against Cavs

Conference USA has announced its 2006 Coaches All-Conference football teams, as selected by the 12 head football coaches.

East Carolina's honorees included offensive lineman Eric Graham, wide receiver Aundrae Allison and kick returner Chris Johnson, all named to the second team.

Third team choices from ECU were offensive lineman Josh Coffman, tight end Davon Drew, defensive lineman Marcus Hands, linebacker Quentin Cotton, kicker Robert Lee and punter Ryan Dougherty.

Pirates receiving honorable mention were quarterback James Pinkney, running back Brandon Fractious, wide receiver Phillip Henry, defensive lineman Mark Robinson, defensive lineman Zach Slate, linebacker Pierre Bell, linebacker Van Eskridge, linebacker Fred Wilson, defensive back Jamar Flournoy, defensive back Pierre Parker, defensive back Kasey Ross, defensive back Travis Williams and long snapper Wilson Raynor.

Conference USA has announced its 2006 coaches All-Freshman team, as selected by the league's 12 coaches. All 12 of the league's schools were represented with at least one selection, with Southern Methodist placing a league-high five players (covering six positions) on the squad, while East Carolina was second with four.

Leading the way for the Pirates on the team were offensive linemen Terence Campbell and Cory Dowless. ECU also placed defensive lineman Scotty Robinson and linebacker Van Eskridge on the list.

RODNEY COX (6-6, 220) QB, Harnett Central ... led team to 12-1 record in 2006 as he rushed for 1,659 yards and 21 touchdowns ... committed to ECU on Monday, Dec. 4, according to Harnett Central athletic director Will Gage, who also coaches Cox in basketball. ... Marc Morris is the Trojans' football coach. ... Cox played on Cape Fear Valley 3-A Conference champions in 2005 and 2006. ... ran for 2,470 yards as a junior and passed for 1,471 with 15 touchdowns. ... received a scholarship offer from N.C. State prior to the 2006 season. ... had 14 rushing touchdowns in the last three games of 2006. ... Trojans were 23-3 his junior and senior seasons. ... All State selection as a junior. ... All Conference as a senior. [Post 12.07.06]

East Carolina's Kat Norris has been named to the NSCAA All-South Second-Team. This is the first time Norris has received this award and she joins eight other Lady Pirates of the past in receiving this award, according to a release from the ECU athletic media relations department.

Norris, a co-captain of the Lady Pirates, was named first-team All-Conference USA during the 2006 campaign. Her stellar season as the backbone to the ECU defense, played a big role in keeping the opponents scoring at an ECU record low. The junior defender was named second-team all conference as a sophomore and received C-USA All-Tournament team honors.

This season, Norris was a big part in shutting out four conference opponents. Throughout her career, she has started all but one game.

"I am very happy for Kat to receive this honor," said head coach Rob Donnenwirth. "Our team posted its best goals against average in our program's history and Kat was a big part of our team's success."

In recognition for her hard work and excellent defensive play, the soccer team and coaches voted Norris defensive player-of-the year.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data published by ECU, Conference USA and its member schools; and reports from electronic services and other sources. Copyright 2006 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.