SHAW WAKES UP IN SECOND HALF, STYMIES ECSU CIAA CHAMPIONSHIP WIN
SHAW WAKES UP IN SECOND HALF, STYMIES ECSU FOR 36-7 CIAA CHAMPIONSHIP WIN
by Lut Williams
Black College Sports Page Editor
Shaw's high-scoring offense woke up in the second half and its nationally-ranked defense held Elizabeth City State in check as the Bears won their first-ever back-to-back CIAA titles in a 36-7 drubbing of the Vikings in the conference's Championship Game before 7,542 fans in Durham Saturday.
Up just 13-7 to start the second half, the Bears (8-3), who came in averaging 41.1 points per game, struck early on a 48-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Travis Robinson to wideout Lenell King two plays into the third quarter. The Bears led 19-7 after Caleb Reid's PAT was blocked.
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Shaw running back Raymon Williams (20) eludes Elizabeth City State defender Malcolm Jenkins (92) as he rushes for some of his game-high 96 yards as his Bears defeated the Vikings 36-7 in the CIAA Championship Game Saturday in Durham. (Photo by Joe Daniels) |
After forcing ECSU (7-4) to punt after one first down, the Bears went 69 yards in 12 plays, nine of those plays and 68 yards via the ground, en route to Reid's 27-yard field goal with 6:29 left for a 22-7 lead.
After another ECSU three-and-out and a partially blocked 10-yard Daniel Mendez punt, Shaw needed just five plays to cover 41 yards with running b ack Aaron Ellison taking it in on a 2-yard run. The third quarter ended with the Bears leading 29-7 and the contest all but decided. Shaw added a fourth quarter TD via a Robinson pass of 21 yards to James Pettway.
"I told them we needed to play as a team, no individual plays, but play as a team," said victorious coach Darrell Asberry of his halftime speech that helped his team shake its first-half doldrums. "We just stepped it up."
For the game, Shaw producedt 410 yards of total offense including 201 on the ground. Raymon WIlliams, who led the ground attack with 96 yards on 16 carries, was named Shaw's MVP. Robinson finished with 16 completions in 33 attempts for 209 yards and 3 TDs.
Shaw's defense, which came in ranked first in total defense in the nation giving up just 213 yards per game, held the Vikings to 238 yards and the one score. They sacked Rich four times.
Rod Jones, who led ECSU with nine tackles, was chosen as the Vikings' MVP.
"We never did get our momentum going," said ECSU head coach Waverly Tillar, who was foiled again in his second trip to the championship game. "We were back on our heels a little bit in the first half. I thought we'd go in and tweak it a little bitI and come out and really take the game over. But it didn't happen for us today.:"
If anything could be called a turning point in the game it was likely a special teams' play by the Bears. After exchanging punts on their first four possessions, Shaw's Tyrone Bolton broke through to block a punt by Daniel Mendez late in the first quarter to put the Bears in business, after LaMichael Howell's recovery, at the ECSU 3. But the VIkings staged a goal-line stand, forcing Shaw to settle for Caleb Reid's 21-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead with 2:48 left in the first quarter.
On the Vikings first play from scrimmage after the kickoff, ECSU QB Curtis Rich was intercepted by Gerard Jones again giving the Bears possession in ECSU territory at the 34. On the fourth play from scrimmage, Robinson hit Bolden down the seam for a 24-yard score. Reid's PAT put the Bears up 10-0.
ECSU would get on the scoreboard as it struck quickly on its next possession. Following a Reggie Smith 43-yard kickoff return that put them in Bears' territory at the 43, the Vikings needed just four plays to cover the distance. Dexter Manley reached over a defender on the right sideline to pull in a 28-yard pass for the score. Mendez's PAT left the Vikings trailing 10-7 at the 14:02 mark of the second quarter. Problem was, it would be ECSU's only score in the game.
Shaw would add a late field goal just before halftime with Lincoln Shepherd connecting from 43 yards out five seconds before the break for the 13-7 lead.
