Winston-Salem State advances to Div. II national semifinals

Winston-Salem State advances to Div. II national semifinals with 27-7 win over New Haven

By Lut Williams
Black College Sports Page Editor 

Undefeated CIAA champion Winston-Salem State kept its unprecedented run at an NCAA Div. II national championship and undefeated season alive using a prolific offense and quick, stingy defense in knocking off New Haven 27-7 in a national quarterfinal game played at Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem Saturday afternoon.

WSSU (13-0) got two long touchdown receptions from quarterback Kameron Smith (19-26-1, 274 yards) to wideout Jameze Massey, running back Nicholas Cooper rambled for 132 yards and one TD and the Rams' defense stymied a New Haven offense that came in averaging 43.0 points, getting three interceptions and a fumble and holding the Chargers (11-2) to just one first-quarter score.

The Rams, under second-year head coach Connell Maynor, now advance to the national semifinals where they will host Wayne State, a 31-25 winner over Minnesota-Duluth in another quarterfinal game.  The Rams, who got theirs and the CIAA’s first NCAA playoff win since 1993 in a second round win over California (Pa.) last week, now becomes the second CIAA team to ever advance to the national semifinals. Among HBCU’s, Central State in 1986 under head coach Billy Joe was the last team to make the national semis. The Rams made the semis in 1978 under then head coach and now WSSU Athletic Director, Bill Hayes.

Massey opened the scoring for the Rams hauling in a 48-yard pass from quarterback Kameron Smith at the end of a 8-play, 68-yard drive on their first possession. UNH answered on the ensuing possession going 57 yards in five plays and scoring on QB Ryan Osiecki’s 36-yard scoring pass. After the UNH PAT, the Chargers led 7-6 but it was the last time they would change the scoreboard.

Cooper’s 12-yard run and the ensuing PAT early in the second quarter gave the Rams a 13-7 lead they would not relinquish. The score came after UNH fumbled a punt deep in its own territory at the end of the first period.

Following a scoreless third quarter, WSSU hit paydirt early in the fourth quarter on a brilliant 33-yard touchdown from Smith to Massey. Pinned against the sideline in the end zone, Massey hauled in Smith’s pinpoint pass while sliding out of bounds. After Alejandro Suarez’s PAT, the Rams led 20-7.

They would later add a one-yard touchdown run from Cedric Hickman in the final half-minute. That score came after Cooper broke loose on a 72-yard run down to the UNH-1 on a toss sweep that iced the game.

Massey finished with six receptions for 138 yards and the two scores. Cooper amassed his 139 rushing yards on just 14 carries. Linebacker Carlos Fields led the WSSU defense with seven tackles, five solos, and also got one of their three picks. Defensive end Akeem Ward had 1.5 sacks among five tackles.

If the Rams win in Saturday’s date vs. Wayne State, they will advance to the NCAA Div. II championship game on Dec. 17 in Florence, Al. With a win Saturday, it would be the Rams' first trip to the championship game and the first ever for a CIAA team.