South Carolina State’s Chennis Berry and Trei Oliver of North Carolina Central have worked together as assistant coaches; now, each leads their own successful programs in the MEAC.
First place will be on the line Thursday night in Orangeburg as the 5-2 Bulldogs (1-0 in conference play) host the 6-2 Eagles (2-0 MEAC) on ESPN2 at 7:30 p.m.
“They’re red hot, they’re scoring a lot of points, playing well on defense and in all three phases,” Oliver said of SCSU, coming off of a 69-35 homecoming win over Delaware State. “The good news is It’s a short week for them as well, so we have the same time to prepare.”
“We just want to focus on the now – no opportunity wasted. They understand the urgency of this week. You watch North Carolina Central on film, and they’re good in all three phases,” Berry said of the Eagles, homecoming winners with a 16-7 triumph over Morgan State.
“There’s a lot of similarities to what we do as well. Trei and I worked together at Southern, I also worked with his offensive coordinator Matt Leone. They kind of know us, we kind of know them, and the game will come down to players making plays. Everybody gets caught up in plays, but it’s about the players, and we want to make sure they’re focused on the task at hand.”
Oliver said that this matchup’s appearance on ESPN2 is a bonus for both programs and the MEAC, giving the entire country a chance to see what HBCU football is all about.
“I always brag about our conference; I think we play really good football. You’ll be able to see two really well-coached football teams lining it up on Thursday under the lights. It’s going to be an outstanding game to watch,” he said. “I know Coach Berry is going to have his guys ready to roll. He and I are good friends, we were on the staff together at Southern so we’re very familiar with each other and have a lot of similarities. Both of us are competitors, and we’re looking forward to the matchup.”
“Trei and I are both true HBCU guys. We’re at great institutions. He loves the job he has; I love the job I have,” Berry adds. “I’m glad to see the success he’s having, and I’m sure he feels the same. We’re friends before anything, and after this game is over, we’ll continue to be friends. He’s doing some good things, and we’re trying to build our program the right way. HBCU football is on good footing.”
Berry also provided advice for anyone traveling the same roads he and Oliver have throughout their careers.
“You’ve got to stay patient through the process and bloom where you’re planted. Don’t worry about the next job. God has for what he has for you. No man can take it away.” he said. “Be the best you can be where you are because if you do good where you are, people will notice.”
