by Lut Williams
Special to the Roanoke Tribune
Salem Stadium hosted its second Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) football championship Saturday and it was obvious the league had much longer to plan this one.
This year’s championship game, pitting the undefeated North Division champion Virginia State University Trojans vs. the South Division champ Fayetteville State University Broncos on Veterans Day weekend, was the first of a three-year deal the conference inked after last year’s game was brought to the area in a last-minute decision. The league moved a host of championship events out of North Carolina last year based on its opposition to the controversial HB2 law, better known as the ‘Bathroom Bill.’
Several months of planning resulted in a host of festivities and activities in the area before and during the game for both teams, their coaches and fans. All the events were part of the #CIAASupports Initiative, an ongoing demonstration of the conference’s commitment to community service.
It included Friday morning visits by Fayetteville State head coach Richard Hayes and his team as well as Virginia State head coach Reggie Barlow and his squad to the South Salem and George Washington Carver Elementary schools where they spoke to students about the importance of staying in school, making good choices and life as a student-athlete.
CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams was on hand at the Salem Civic Center Friday morning for ‘Education Day’ where the conference entertained over 280 Roanoke County high school students and provided information and answered questions about the 12 colleges in the conference.
“We are just so happy with the way things have gone since deciding to come to this area,” said McWilliams. “We could not have asked for a better environment or host for our events.”
Hours prior to Saturday’s 4:30 p.m. kickoff, the parking lot at the stadium was buzzing with a host of pre-game activities. A stage served as the hub of events and engaged fans in contests and games. Both school’s put on drumline and cheerleader demonstrations while the conference along with sponsors Coca-Cola, Nationwide, Food Lion and Toyota had displays that featured interactive experiences and giveaways. Vendors sold their wares and tailgaters from both teams set up tents and brought out an assortment of food for their partisans.
Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea, who played football at Virginia Union University, was one of 12 CIAA “legends” honored during the game. It was part of the league’s celebration of 125 years of black college football which began when conference members Livingstone College and Biddle College (now Johnson C. Smith University) played the first HBCU football game in 1892.
And this year’s game did not disappoint. Before an announced crowd of just under 4,000, the Trojans jumped on the Broncos early, building a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and beat back a third-quarter FSU surge to come away with a 42-19 victory. VSU senior running back Trenton Cannon, the league’s offensive player of the year, was the MVP of the game. He scored on a 10-yard run to open the scoring in the first quarter and had 73- and 79-yard runs in the second half as the Trojans put the game away.
The football title game is the second conference championship held in the area this fall. The league’s Cross Country championship was held at Salem’s Green Hill Park last month. The CIAA Softball championship is scheduled for Moyer Park in Salem from April 30 to May 2, 2018.
