Bowie State wins second straight CIAA title
By Lut Williams
Special to the Tribune
SALEM, VA – Scoring early and late, nationally-ranked Bowie State finished off an unbeaten 11-0 season here Saturday, using big plays by standout players Demetri Morsell and quarterback Ja’rome Johnson to knock off Fayetteville State 23-7 in a CIAA Championship Game rematch before a crowd of 3,475 at Salem Stadium.
Sophomore cornerback Morsell, the league’s defensive player of the year, got the Bulldogs on the board returning a fumble by FSU wide receiver Brandon Person-Boyd fumble 33 yards to paydirt on the game’s third play from scrimmage to give BSU an early 7-0 lead. On their next possession, BSU drove 78 yards in 11 plays to score on a 16-yard run by running back Adam Gillis Jr. to lead 14-0 less than six minutes into the game. It stayed that way through a scoreless second quarter.
Sophomore quarterback Ja’rome Johnson, named the league’s offensive player of the year earlier in the week, put the finishing touches on the victory, running 29 yards for a score with 1:50 left to ensure the win.
The Bulldogs, champions of the Northern Division, thus win their second straight league title after downing FSU 30-13 a year ago. For the Southern Division champion Broncos (8-3), it’s their third straight time coming up short in the title game.
“My guys have been fighting all year long,” said 11th-year BSU head coach Damon Wilson who won the program’s first crown last year and has now won back-to-back titles. “They’re a real resilient group.
“It was very important to get ahead on Fayetteville. They’re a good running football team so we knew if we got ahead of them we’d have an opportunity to win the ballgame.”
“11 and 0 is really hard to achieve and those guys worked really hard,” said fourth-year FSU head coach Richard Hayes of the Bulldogs’ accomplishment.” We gave it our best shot to try and upset those guys but they prevailed and hats off to them.”
But the Broncos had their chances.
They got on the board on a 4-yard scamper by running back Donshel Jetton following a BSU turnover. The score came with 2:07 left in the third quarter and cut the lead to 14-7.
The Broncos looked to have swung the momentum when Kenneth Merritt intercepted Johnson on the next possession. But the drive stalled. After punting the ball away, FSU got the ball back when BSU running back Calil Wilkins fumbled and FSU recovered at the BSU 22. FSU gave it right back six plays later when Tyeous Sharpe fumbled with BSU’s Chauncey Jackson recovering at the BSU 25.
The Bulldogs drove 55 yards in seven plays to score on Gene Carson’s 29-yard field goal that stretched the lead to 17-7 with 6:17 left. FSU again threatened, driving to the BSU 26 before quarterback Richard Latimer was intercepted by Juantez McRae who brought it back 67 yards for an apparent score. That score however was taken off the board because of an unsportsmanlike penalty on BSU. On the first play following the penalty, Johnson fought through tackles to score from 29 yards out.
Johnson was only 9 of 21 for 90 yards passing but finished with 127 yards on 13 carries to lead the BSU rushing attack that ground out 240 yards on 40 carries including 108 yards on 21 carries by running back Calil Wilkins. The BSU defense was led by game MVP Joshua Pryor, who totalled 10 tackles including three sacks for -40 yards.
Latimer was 21 of 39 for 196 yards for the Broncos. Senior running back Stevie Green ran for 53 yards on 18 carries.
Bowie State, who came in ranked 11th in NCAA Div. II football and third in Super Region II, will now advance to the national playoffs for the third straight year. In Sunday’s NCAA Selection Show, the Bulldogs were seeded third in the region and will host 6th-seed Carson Newman (8-2) in a first round game Saturday, November 23 at 1 p.m.
