Rams Seize Control of Southern Division with Big Win over Falcons

By Shawn Warren, CIAA Communications

(WINSTON-SALEM, NC)  Things are getting redundant down in Winston-Salem.  Another week, another one-sided win for the #2 nationally-ranked Rams.  In a highly anticipated matchup of the top two teams in the CIAA Southern Division, Winston-Salem State overcame some early miscues and a sluggish start to turn back the Saint Augustine’s Falcons 56-37 yesterday at Bowman Gray Stadium. 

The Rams (7-0, 4-0 CIAA) have proven that they are the most complete team in the league and can beat you in a myriad of ways.  Take away the passing game, they can beat you on the ground; take away the ground game, they can beat you through the air.

 This week, Saint Augustine’s came into the contest sporting Division II’s eighth best rushing defense and looking to key on stopping the Rams’ ground game.  The Falcons’ (4-3 overall, 2-2 CIAA) defense did what it was expected to do--holding Winston-Salem State to just 100 yards rushing.  With their running game bottled up, the Rams took to the air and receiver Jahuann Butler responded with the biggest game of his career.  Butler, a 6-0, 190-pound senior from Charlotte, caught eight passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns as the Rams won their seventh straight game.  Quarterback Kameron Smith was 21 of 31 for 347 yards and three touchdowns, but was sacked a season-high seven times and threw two interceptions.  The Rams still finished with 455 yards of total offense. 

Smith, who has been the picture of efficiency all season, struggled early in the game.  His fumble on the Rams’ opening series led to Saint Augustine’s first score when Falcon lineman Michael Oliver scooped it up and rumbled 37-yards for a touchdown.  SAU missed the PAT, but led 6-0 a little more than four minutes into the game.  On Winston-Salem State’s second possession, Smith was intercepted by Saint Augustine’s John’ta Cooper, giving the Falcons the ball back at their own 22-yard line.  This time Smith was bailed out by the Rams’ defense.  On the next play, defensive back Dominique Tate picked up a fumble by Falcon running back Phillip English and returned it 21-yards for a touchdown.  Alejandro Suarez added the PAT and WSSU led 7-6 with 9:35 left in the first quarter. 

Following a 58-yard punt return by Jameze Massey and a personal foul by the Falcons that moved the ball down to the SAU 11-yard line, Maurice Lewis’ six-yard touchdown run and Suarez’s PAT pushed the Rams’ lead to 14-6.  But the Falcons quickly responded.  Dangerous return man Tyron Laughinghouse returned the ensuing kickoff 82-yards for a score.  The Falcons missed another PAT and trailed 14-12 at the 6:23 mark of the first quarter.

 From there, the machine that is the Winston-Salem State offense went to work.  Smith shook off the early miscues and threw touchdown passes to Butler and fullback Ricky Rozier, and running backs  Maurice Lewis and Bryce Sherman rushed for scores as the Rams built a 42-19 lead at halftime. 

In the third quarter, a short touchdown run by Rozier and a big 71-yard scoring pass from Smith to Butler stretched the Rams’ lead to 56-25 and the rout was on.

Saint Augustine’s closed the gap some in the fourth quarter with a one-yard run by quarterback Teddy Bacote and a 29-yard touchdown from Bacote to Jermaine Jones for the game’s final margin.  Despite the two fourth quarter touchdowns and the 37 points surrendered, the Rams held the Falcons to 254 yards of total offense-174 yards rushing and 80 yards passing.  The versatile Laughinghouse finished with 179 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns to lead the Falcons.

 Next Saturday, WSSU will host Livingstone at Bowman Gray, while Saint Augustine’s faces Fayetteville State at the George Williams Athletic Complex.

CIAA SCOREBOARD

Chowan Hawks 28, Virginia Union 21

Elizabeth City State 63, Lincoln  19

Johnson C. Smith 35, Fayetteville State 8

Shaw 48, Livingstone 20          

Virginia State 26, Bowie State 20 OT

Winston-Salem St. 56, Saint Augustine’s 37           

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Week Seven

Monday, October 15, 2012

OFFENSIVE LINEMAN

Name:  Chavis McManus Position:  OL  School:  Shaw
Height:  6-3  Weight:  270  Class:  SR  Hometown:  Charlotte, NC 
Comments:  Chavis McManus anchored a solid offensive line that helped Shaw amass 601 yards of offense in their 48-20 win over Livingstone. The Bears gained 290 of those yards on the ground, and another 311 in the air. 

RECEIVER (Wideouts/Tight Ends)

Name:  Jahuann Butler Position:  WR School: Winston-Salem State
Height:  6-0  Weight:  190  Class:  Sr  Hometown:  Charlotte, NC 
Comments:  Juahuann Butler had a huge game for the #3 ranked WSSU Rams, finishing with eight catches for 218 yards and two touchdowns, with a long score of 71 yards in WSSU's 56-37 win over St. Augustine's University. 

QUARTERBACK

Name:  Kameron Smith  School:  Winston-Salem State
Height:  5-11  Weight:  190  Class:  R-SR  Hometown:  Garner, NC 
Comments:  Kameron Smith continued his assault on the CIAA, as he completed 21 of 31 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions, in WSSU's 56-37 win over St. Augustine's University. 

OFFENSIVE BACK (Running back/Halfback/Fullback/Tailback)

Name:  Daronte McNeill  Position:  Tailback  School: Elizabeth City State
Height:  6-1  Weight:  220  Class:  SR  Hometown:  Elizabeth City, NC 
Comments:  McNeill carried the ball 27 times for 139 yards and six touchdowns in Saturday's win over Lincoln. With the six rushing touchdowns against the Lions McNeill broke his own record; a mark he previously set during the 2011 season with four TDs against Virginia Union (10/8/11). 

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN

Name:  Brad Davis  Position:  Defensive End  School: Elizabeth City State
Height:  6-1  Weight:  235  Class:  SR  Hometown:  Charlotte, NC 
Comments:  In the Vikings' win over Lincoln, Davis finished with six tackles (five solo, one assisted) including three sacks for a loss of 19 yards and five quarterback hurries. 

LINEBACKER

Name:  Darryl Rankin    Position:  LB  School: Johnson C. Smith
Height:  5'11  Weight:  225  Class:  SR  Hometown:  Charlotte, NC 
Comments:  Rankin had two game-changing plays at the linebacker position in a 35-18 victory over Fayetteville State. First, Rankin forced and recovered a fumble that he returned 95 yards for a touchdown. Secondly, he intercepted a pass in the final minute of the fourth quarter to eliminate a Broncos' drive that advanced to the JCSU five yard line. Rankin also had three tackles in the game. 

DEFENSIVE BACK

Name:  Michael Johnson  Position:  FS  School: Fayetteville State
Height:  6-3  Weight:  191  Class:  SO  Hometown:  Raleigh, NC 
Comments:  Johnson recorded a career-high 19 tackles in FSU's 35-18 loss at home to Johnson C. Smith. Michael had 12 solo tackles and 7seven assisted tackles, while also collecting 2.5 tackles for a loss of nine yards and an assisted sack for five yards. His 19 tackles were a game-high- the most by a Bronco defensive player this season. 

ROOKIE

Name:  Marquise Grizzle  Position:  RB  School: Shaw
Height:  5-7  Weight:  165  Class:  Fr.  Hometown:  Camden, NC 
Comments:  Marquise Grizzle had 229 yards on the ground for the Bears in their 48-20 win over Livingstone. He had 29 carries for 229 yds; an impressive 7.9 yard per rush average. He also rushed for two touchdowns and had four catches for 25 yards on Saturday.

SPECIALTY

Name:  Darnell Evans  Position:  CB/PR/KR  School: Shaw
Height:  5-9  Weight:  181  Class:  Jr.  Hometown:  Madison, NJ 
Comments:  Darnell Evans set a Shaw record with an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown. He also had a 42-yard kickoff return that directly set up a Shaw scoring drive. In all, he had 117 yards in punt returns as well as 42 kick return yards. Evans also shined on defense where he had four tackles, including one for a loss, and two pass breakups. 

COACH

Name:  Tim Place  School:  Chowan 
Comments:  Place led his Hawks to 28-21 defeat of Virginia Union to move to 4-3 overall and 3-1 in the CIAA. The Hawks' 4-3 mark is the most wins in a season for the school since 1999. 

General Notes of Interest:    

• Tyron Laughinghouse is one kickoff return for a touchdown- away from tying the NCAA Division II mark (4) for a season. The record is shared by two players. Laughinghouse is the NCAA Division II leader in kick return average (49.2) and is tied for fourth in Division II in scoring (10.29 points per game). 
• Winston-Salem State University has now won 18 consecutive CIAA regular season games. 
• Virginia State defeated Bowie State in overtime for the second consecutive year and have won the last four meetings. 
• Daronte McNeill broke his own record for rushing TDs (previously four) with six rushing touchdowns versus Lincoln on Saturday. McNeill owns a combined 16 in ECSU and CIAA records. 
• Ta'Juan Brown's two touchdown receptions ties a Shaw single-game record for TD catches in a game. Darnell Evans' 83-yard punt return for a touchdown set a Shaw record for longest punt return.