h
October 2005
The News Argus
9
WSSU Rams and N.C. A&T Aggies renew football rivalry
COUFfTESY OF WSSU ATHLETIC
DEPARTMENT
Greensboro
It seemed almost incom
prehensible that two his
torically black universities
located 25 miles apart are
not on each other's sched
ule. Consider the problem
solved. North Carolina
A&T and Winston-Salem
Sate will renew their foot
ball rivalry on Sept. 2,
2006 when the Rams travel
to Aggie Stadium next sea
son. A formal announce
ment was made October 5
at a press conference in
the Bryan Fitness and
Wellness' Multipurpose
Room.
The teams have met 42
times over a span of 60
years, with theAggies
holding a 33—9 edge in
the series. Six seasons
have passed since the last
time these teams met,
when the Aggies took a
20—7 victory over the
Rams en route to the
MEAC Championship.
"We are very pleased to
welcome the WSSU Rams
to N.C. A&T today," said
Aggie athletics director
Dee Todd, an WSSU alum
ni. "It is time we bring
back a rival that has meant
so much to this communi
ty. For many years, this
game was a staple on our
schedule, and with WSSU
joining the MEAC, the
teams will play again."
Before the series ended
in 1999, the Aggies and
the Rams played each
other 23 straight times
frcm 1977-99.
The rivalry extends to
the current coaching staffs
of the football teams.
WSSU head coach Kermit
Blount played against
N.C. A&T head coach
Geot^ Small in the late
'70s. Blount's teams beat
the Aggies in 1977 and
1978.
"It's going to be fun fac
ing Kermit as a coach,"
said Small, who played
defensive line when
Blount was the quarter
back at WSSU. "1 know
what it is like to face him
as a player and that was
Photo by Garrett Garms
The Rams are looking forward to continuing the rivalry with the Aggies.
hard enough. He was
quick. So I'm looking for
ward to see what it's like
to face him as a coach."
Other great players
from both teams have par
ticipated in the rivalry.
WSSU wide leceiver
Yancey Thigpen played in
two Super Bowls, went to
two Pro Bowls and helped
the Rams to two wins over
N.C. A&T. Pro Football
Hall of Famer Elvin
Bethea played in the series
in the '60s and never lost
to the Rams.
Winston-Salem State
has already made its for
mal application to become
the 12th school to join the
MEAC and will be eligible
for championships in 2010.
The Rams played against
MEAC members Howard
and S.C. State in its 2005
football schedule.
"There is no more specu
lation," said WSSU
Athletics Director Dr.
Percy Caldwell. "We will
be a Division 1 team, so
the future of this rivalry
looks promising."
The game is sure to
have a positive impact on
the Triad area. The aver
age attendance of the
game was 18,191 in the
1990s. At Aggie Stadium,
the average attendance
was 16,510 during that
decade, while at Bowman
Gray Stadium, the home
of the Rams, the average
attendance was 19,972.
Rams on a winning streak 'NBA Uve '06' gives player more control
By Steven Gaither
ARGUS SPORTS EDITOR
After stumbling in the
dark for a few weeks, the
Winston-Salem State
offense finally has finally
found the on-switch. After
scoring only two offensive
touchdowns while starting
0-3, the Rams have found
their stride, winning three
straight games as of Oct. 6
to improve their record to
3-3 overall and 3-0 in the
CIAA. With wins over the
Vikings of Elizabeth City
State University (ECSU),
the Panthers of Virginia
Union University (VUU)
and the Broncos of
Fayetteville State
University (FSU), the Rams
are tied with St. Augustine
College (6-0, 3-0 CIAA) for
first place in the CIAA's
Western Division. •
On September 17, the
Rams returned to
Bowman-Gray Stadium
with a 0-3 record after los
ing to Catawba, Howard
and South Carolina State.
The Vikings of ECSU
struck first, with an assist
from the Rams, as corner-
back Paul Crews intercept
ed a Monte Purvis pass
and returned it 28 yards
for a touchdown, giving
the Vikings to the early
lead 7-0.
The Rams did not stay
down for long, as corner-
back Nathaniel Biggs
recorded the first of his
two interceptions of the
day, halting an ECSU drive
and giving the Rams the
ball. Running back Martin
Hicks finally shook off an
early-season slump and
responded with a 65-yard
touchdown run, leaving a
trail of Viking defenders in
his dust and knotting the
score up at 7-7. In the sec
ond quarter, the Rams
passing game showed
some signs of life as Purvis
hooked up with wide out
Brad Herring for a 35-yard
touchdown pass — his first
of the season, giving the
Rams a 14—7 lead. The
Vikings answered with a
55-yard touchdown scam
per by running back
Dennis Hamilton to bring
the score to 14-14 going
into the half.
As the second half
opened up, the Rams gave
the Vikings another dose of
Hicks, as the senior broke
open another touchdown
run, this time from 40
yards out to give the Rams
a 21-14 lead with 10:24
remaining in the third.
ESCU's Dennis Hamilton
responded with a touch
down of his own.
However, it was the next
play that ended up being
the most significant in the
game. WSSU's Levern
Bynum blocked the extra
point that would have tied
the game at 21, leaving the
Vikings down 21-20 with
little more than nine min
utes left in the third quar
ter.
For the rest of the third
and most of the fourth
quarter, the game turned
into a defensive battle until
the Vikings drove down
the field and hit a field
goal to give them a 23-21
lead with four minutes
remaining.
Rams quarterback Monte
Purvis may be in his first
year as a starter for the
Rams, but in crunch time
he looked like a seasoned
vet as he completed four of
five passes and lead the
Rams on a 79-yard drive,
setting up kicker Matt
Hind for the 20-yard,
game-winning field goal.
Rams fans breathed a
sigh of relief, as the field
goal was good and the
Rams won 24—21, finishing
off a dramatic game and
giving the Rams their first
taste of victory in 2005.
Hind (1-1 FG, 3-3 Pats)
and Hicks
(153 yards, 2 touch
downs) were named CIAA
players of the week.
The Rams traveled to
Richmond, Va., to play the
Panthers of Virginia Union.
It was a homecoming for
WSSU coach Kermit
Blount, a native of
Richmond, and the Rams
seemed right at home as
well.
Neither offense was able
to put points on the board
in the first quarter, but
from then on it was all
WSSU. The Rams exploded
for 20 second-quarter
points, courtesy of Martin
Hicks, who finished the
day with 203 yards, one
shy of his career-high.
Hicks weaved his way
through the Panther
defense for touchdown
runs of 37, five and 42
yards.
The Rams went into half-
time with a 20-0 lead and
never looked back.
Early in the fourth quar
ter, Monte Purvis hit wide
out Brad Herring for a 26-
yard touchdown and after
the two-point conversion
the Rams led 28-0.
Kicker Matt Hind again
finished the day with 20-
yard field goal, but this
time the game was well in
hand, as the much-
improved Ram defense
scored its first shut out of
the season, with the Rams
blowing out the Panthers
31-0.
With the Rams riding
high after consecutive
“victories, they traveled to
Fayetteville to face the
rival B roncos. Pteseason
polls had predicted the
Rams would finish behind
the Broncos in the division
this season, and the Rams
had not beaten FSU since
2001, so WSSU definitely
had something to prove.
On the first play from
scrimmage, Hicks ran the
ball 36 yards but coughed
up the ball and gave the
ball back to the Broncos,
who took advantage of the
turnover with a four-yard
touchdown run, giving
them a 7-0 lead. The
resilient Rams bounced
back, however, as Purvis
eluded the Bronco defense
for a 55-yard touchdown
run, tying the game 7-7
with less than five minutes
“left in the first quarter. In
the second quarter the
Broncos hit a field goal to
take a 10-7 lead. The sec
ond quarter again proved
to be a charm for Hicks,
who recorded two (12,
four yard) touchdowns in
the period and after a
blocked field goal the
Rams took a 20-7.
Hick's backfield partner
Jed Bines returned to the
line-up for the Rams after
missing the game against
VUU because of an ankle
injury. "I really felt I had
to make up for last week,"
said the junior, who car
ried the ball 24 times for
180 yards. Hicks went
over 100 yards for the
third consecutive game,
finishing with 131-yards
on 23 carries. The rushing
game as well as kicker.
Matt Hind, proved to be
huge for the Rams in the
fourth quarter as the Rams
came back from a 24-20
deficit in the final 10 min
utes courtesy of two field
goals by Matt Hind,
including a game winning
26-yard field goal with
two seconds remaining,
giving the Rams their
third straight win. It was
the second time in three
games that Matt Hind was
called on to win the game
for the Rams. "Everybody
is working together, doing
their parts, and that is all
it takes, that teamwork,
and we can continue to
keep getting better and
keep winning."
Information in this story
was also contributed by
www.wssurams.com.
By Steven Gaither
ARGUS SPORTS EDITOR
Ever imagine that you're a NBA superstar,
hitting the shot that leads your team to a title
championship? Virtual reality in the form of
"NBA Live 06" now lets you get close to that
imagined shot.
Newly released and available for
Playstation 2, X-Box, Nintendo Gamecube
and Pcs, "NBA Live 06" has an updated fea
ture, Freestyle Superstars, that allows players
to choose their favorite players and the
moves that the NBA players use on the court.
For example, Gary Payton no longer does the
same dunks as Vince Carter. There are
Playmakers, Shooters, Scorers (inside and
out), High-Flyers, Power players and defen
sive Stoppers (inside and out).
Along with the new feature are all of the
Live favorites; Exhibition, All-Star
Weekend(Including the Slam Dunk Contest)
and Dynasty Mode. In Dynasty Mode you
take total control of your franchise, including
hiring assistant coaches and training and
scouting players.
The graphics in this year's Live are much
better. The gameplay is also much smoother.
The commentary can be insightful at times,
and other times it can be just annoying. A11
things considered, "NBA Live 06" is one of
the best basketball games ever and maybe the
greatest sports game of all-time.
IF YOU SAVE A HERO WHAT DOES THAT MAKE YOU?
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