Philip Gyau has a long road ahead in rebuilding Howard’s men’s soccer program. But that doesn’t mean going to the beach is off-limits. He was there two days before he landed the job and he’ll go back if it can help the team.
“I used some of the training methods from beach soccer with youth teams all the time – and I had players who went on to become national team players,” he told Boxscore News during CONCACAF’s first-ever beach soccer coaching course, at Fort Lauderdale, Fla. “It teaches you to control the ball in the air, to gain a close control … the technical skills are certainly very useful.”
Gray, 48, will use every tool at his disposal to lead the Bison back to the national prominence they once enjoyed. The heyday ended before he arrived on campus, but he’s well aware of the history – as is Howard’s interim president Wayne Frederick, team manager when the Bison advanced to the 1988 NCAA title game.
“It’s extremely important to rebuild the soccer team because we have a strong history of success,” Frederick said during Gyau’s introductory press conference. “My first impression of athletics here was one of excellence.”
Gyau was “saddened” to watch Howard drop so far, 1-17-0 last season and ranked dead last among Division I’s 203 teams. “This school game me everything,” he said. “I want to give back.”
It was almost 9 p.m. and Byron Cage was exhausted after serving as the Men’s Day guest psalmist at First Baptist Church of Glenarden’s evening service. He had served at the three morning services, too, and was operating on very little sleep.
“I went to bed at 10 [p.m.] and woke up around one o’clock” says Cage, who needed a guest host for his local Sunday afternoon show on Praise 104.1 FM. “I was so wired about doing ministry today. I like to be sensitive and remain in the spirit, all that kind of stuff.”
Dubbed the “Prince of Praise” by Reverend Dr. Jo Ann Browning, the co-pastor at Ebenezer A.M.E. Church in Fort Washington, Md., Cage and the Men’s Day Chorus treated worshipers to a “well-balanced diet” of music ministry. That was only fitting, considering his success at producing traditional gospel, contemporary gospel, anthems and praise & worship songs.
“I think it’s because I love music and all areas of gospel music, in particular,” he says. “When (FBCG) asked me to direct and prepare the music, I strategically put it together so it wasn’t just one thing, like all quartet or all praise & worship.
“It was a soul food meal, if you will. It had chicken, ham, collard greens, mashed potatoes, dressing, candied yams and sweet tea lemonade. Anybody who wanted something to eat could pull from that plate and that’s what I was trying to do.”
Cage has been doing it since the mid-90s when he and his group, Purpose, released “Dwell Among Us” and “Transparent in Your Presence.” During that time he became minister of praise & worship for Bishop Paul S. Morton and sang lead with the Full Gospel Baptist Fellowship Mass Choir on a pair of smash hits, “Shabach” and “Yet Praise Him.”
But a not-so-funny thing happened en route to Cage winning multiple Stellar Awards and a Grammy nomination. After his contract with Atlanta International Records ended, he didn’t record anything else for the next seven years. “I really want to say I was in the desert.”
Potential deals arose but they didn’t make sense spiritually or business-wise. He served as minister of music at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta and later moved to Washington to fill the same position at Ebenezer (where he’s in his 16th year of service). It still was a few years before he recorded “Byron Cage: Live at New Birth Cathedral,” which earned Stellars 2004’s top Male Vocalist, Producer, CD, Contemporary CD and Song (“The Presence of the Lord is Here”).
Regarding the long gap in his career, Cage says “there may have been frustrating days, but there were never doubtful days. I was faithful and just kept quoting Scriptures in my life, saying ‘I don’t know when, but He’s going to turn it around. When ‘Presence of the Lord’ came out, everybody jumped on because they knew I wasn’t a novice or some new person coming along.
“But they also had seen me serve. They saw me be faithful and support everybody else who was hot during that time. I was still going to the concerts and buying CDs. I was still inviting them to New Birth or Ebenezer and funding them to come. So I was always supportive and I think that’s why the Lord honored me.”
More honor was bestowed at the Stellar Awards in January when he was signed by the Inspired People Music label, which is distributed through Motown Gospel. He has begun work on his next album, which is being produced by FBCG’s music/band director Daniel Weatherspoon.
In addition to that project, Cage has been developing TV shows for three years and expects one to air soon. He says rumors that he was leaving gospel music altogether were false. “People thought I was resigning from being minister of music to be in reality TV, and that’s not the truth,” he says. “I create reality shows. Not all of them are faith-based. Although they all have a faith-based answer in the show, it’s not necessarily Christian TV.
“I just believe in becoming all things to all people so we can win them and be the light – even if we go into a dark place. The first show will come out in 2014 and the others won’t be until 2015.”
Meanwhile, Cage will continue to ride his Harley and play as much golf as possible – his two main forms of relaxation. And he’ll continue to make music that aims to “glorify God and point the listener to Christ.”
ATLANTA – The 2014 HBCU Lacrosse National Tournament was held April 6 at Morehouse College. The four-game tournament was for this year’s bragging rights among the nation’s four Historically Black Colleges & Universities that field men’s club lacrosse programs.
In the championship match, Howard University rallied to defeat Morgan State University, 6-5. The Bison trailed, 4-2, at halftime but tightened their defense after the break. The second half featured rain and a field with scattered puddles full of pollen, which made for challenging, yet exciting, lacrosse.
The Bears fought hard and won most of the ground balls due to the Bison’s multiple passes that were missed or dropped. But Howard was relentless in its position defense and played with confidence in its offensive sets, producing four second-goals to dethrone the 2013 HBCU national champions.
The rivalries at B.T. Harvey Stadium was so thick and the competition so fierce, fans might have thought teams wouldn’t shake hands afterward. But the handshakes took place, as did the traditional photo featuring the teams that had just battled.
The tournament began with Howard taking on Morehouse. Hard hitting resulted in several game stoppages due to injury and a bench-clearing “almost brawl.” With high energy brewed from early-season trash talk and tempers flaring throughout the contest, offensive technical prowess was at a minimum, but the physicality of lacrosse was pushed to the limit.
There were several ties until Bison captain Chris Ard ripped a bounce shot with about 90 seconds remaining to give Howard a 7-6 victory.
In the other semifinal, Morgan State jumped to an early lead against Hampton University and cruised to a 12-4 win.
Hampton beat Morehouse in the third-place game, 8-6.
If Philip Gyau’s bloodlines are any indication, Howard’s men’s soccer team will receive a a program-saving transfusion.
His father was a member of Ghana’s 1964 Olympic team and played in NASL. Gyau has a son and daughter (Joseph and Mia) who are members of U.S. national program. Gyau himself starred at Howard in the ‘80s and went to earn six caps for the U.S. team and play for several pro teams before coaching with the U.S. beach team and a Bethesda youth program.
Who better to revive a once-proud soccer program that has almost flat-lined? The Bison finished 1-17 last season, the sixth and final losing campaign under Michael Lawrence, who was relieved of his duties in December.
Gyau arrived at Howard a decade after the Bison shocked college soccer by winning the national championship in 1971 and 1974. The NCAA stripped Howard of its 1971 title in a controversial ruling that many claim was fueled by racism, but it couldn’t tarnish the feat three years later.
“Winning the championship in 1974 brought some catharsis and sense of justice,” then-coach Lincoln Phillips told The New York Times last year. “We felt that our approach in developing scholar-athletes always followed the spirit of the N.C.A.A. even when we were the targets of some unfair and sometimes hostile situations. Our graduation rate was among the highest in the nation, and the players we recruited were very good and serious students.”
Shortly after Gyau graduated, Howard returned to prominence again, reaching the 1988 championship and advancing to the quarterfinals in 1989. But in the 24 seasons since then, the Bison have appeared in just one NCAA tournament (1997).
Howard seeks a return to glory under Gyau and there’s good reason to believe it can happen. Considering its potential to draw international players with unrivaled love and passion, Howard should be a perennial contender in soccer. And Gyau’s ability to develop young players should be a draw for homegrown talent, too.
The 2014 season will represent a rebirth on two levels: The men’s team is joining the Sun Belt Conference, which is sponsoring men’s soccer for the first time since 1995.
“We’re extremely proud to be a member of the Sun Belt Conference in the sport of men’s soccer,” Howard athletic director Louis “Skip” Perkins said. “This gives our soccer program the opportunity to compete in a conference tournament and ultimately a chance to play in the NCAA tournament.”
Having a conference home is nice, but picking the right coach is crucial.
For a program in critical condition, Gyau appears to be a great resuscitator.
Follow
By HOWARD MANN
