By Mekhi Abbott
Special to the AFRO
mabbott@afro.com
Quarterback Eric Phoenix has led his South Carolina State Bulldogs team this season in cutting a swath through the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in a straight shot to the “HBCU Super Bowl.”
The Bulldogs traveled to Chocolate City Nov. 9 and defeated the reigning MEAC champion Howard Bison at home by a score of 38-14. The week prior, South Carolina State took down the formerly ranked North Carolina Central Eagles in a nationally televised Halloween night matchup on ESPN2. And, after blowing out Morgan State in Baltimore by 47 points in a game where Phoenix left in the fourth quarter, South Carolina clinched the MEAC conference and will wait to see which team from the Southwest Athletic Conference will battle against them in the Celebration Bowl, which is slated for Dec. 14.
Phoenix, the MEAC Offensive Player of the Year favorite, finished the game against Howard with 299 total yards and three passing touchdowns. In the matchup against North Carolina Central, Phoenix had 321 passing yards, 60 rushing yards and three total touchdowns. In his last six games, Phoenix has 20 total touchdowns to only six interceptions.
“What prepared me for NCCU and Howard was constant film study. I spent a lot of time in the office with my QB coach Jonathan Williams dissecting both defenses. Then, we came up with a great game plan,” said Phoenix. “Also, I love the big games. It’s like I have a little more juice in me when we have a big matchup. But I think that is just the ultimate competitor in me. I love to compete and win.”
After a successful four seasons with Division II historically Black institution Benedict College and a brief stint with Murray State, Phoenix has reunited with South Carolina State head coach Chennis Berry and the duo has left their mark on the MEAC in their very first season. The Bulldogs are a perfect 3-0 in conference play and have an impressive 4-2 record against out-of-conference opponents.
“Coach Berry is an amazing head coach. He brings the juice every day no matter what. We practice at 6 a.m. and he’s fired up every morning. The team really feeds off of that because we believe in him and we are all ready to run through a wall for him. He just has a winning mindset and as you can see, it translates,” said Phoenix.
Although Phoenix’s season has been nothing short of remarkable and he is likely to take home multiple regular season awards and accolades, it has not been a singular effort that has led to the success of the Bulldogs. A large reason why South Carolina State is 8-2 is because they are the most complete team in the MEAC, currently.
Berry himself was a standout offensive lineman when he played at Savannah State University, an HBCU. Many successful football coaches, especially in the MEAC, believe the foundation of a strong team begins in the “trenches.” Berry knows this firsthand, and made a concerted effort to make sure that his squad’s offensive front was stout.
Additionally, although this is both Berry’s and Phoenix’s first seasons in the MEAC, there is still a lot of continuity on this South Carolina State football team. When Berry accepted the job in Orangeburg, S.C., he brought 14 of his players (including Phoenix) from Benedict over with him.
Defensively, the Bulldogs have two of the top three sack leaders in the MEAC. Senior Jayden Broughton, another Benedict transfer, is third in the conference in both sacks and tackles for loss with eight and 11.5, respectively. Junior Ashaad Hall leads the MEAC in sacks with 11 and also leads the conference in tackles for loss with 13.5. Hall has five sacks in his last three games.
South Carolina State also has the three leading receivers in the MEAC, passing yards wise. Wide receiver Caden High is currently on track to win the triple crown in the MEAC as he leads the conference in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
“I think just being on the same page with Eric has allowed us both to excel. We understand the plays and I know exactly how he is going to read the field,” said High. “I am the leading receiver in the MEAC but it has allowed my brothers [Justin Smith-Brown and Einaj Carter] to eat because I am being double covered and they are two and three in the conference. I credit my success to the team because they trust me to make plays and I try my best not to let them down.”
Phoenix has already been named HBCU National Player of the Week twice, and it was in consecutive weeks – once after throwing for 341 yards and four touchdowns against Delaware State and then again after his performance facing the North Carolina Central Eagles. Phoenix was also named the FCS National Player of the Week for his nationally-televised Thursday night performance.
“First and foremost, I have to give all glory to God. He is the key to my success. I also have great teammates who make my job a lot easier. My offensive line does a great job of giving me enough time to sit back and throw the ball to my amazing receivers,” Phoenix told the AFRO. “Finally, I also had the opportunity to work with my receivers all summer. We had the privilege of getting to know each other early and build chemistry.”
The last time the Bulldogs played in the Celebration Bowl, they were victorious against the Jackson State Tigers, who were led by Shedeur Sanders and his father and NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders.
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