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Rams lose to Pirates in OT
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Published: October 31, 2009
It would seem that Winston-Salem State has lost just about every way it could this season, but it found a new way yesterday.
This time, the Rams fell apart in the last six minutes of regulation to wind up losing to Hampton 16-13 in overtime. What hurt even more was the fact they lost in front of a large homecoming crowd of around 13,000 at Bowman Gray Stadium.
"Yeah, I would say this is the worst one," said wide receiver Omar Kizzie of the Rams. "This hurts a lot because we had control and let it get away."
The Pirates rallied from a 10-0 deficit led by quarterback David Legree, a sophomore transfer from Syracuse who started in place of the injured Herbert Bynes. Legree struggled for three quarters, but than turned it on by using his quick feet and leading the Pirates to two scoring drives that tied the game at 10 to send it to overtime.
With 5:23 left Legree hit Isiah Thomas for a 14-yard touchdown to cut the Rams' lead to 10-7. Then the Rams couldn't move the ball after getting it back and the Pirates got another chance with 2:59 left.
This time Legree guided the Pirates (4-4) into field-goal range where freshman Jordan Stovall nailed a 30-yard field goal to tie the game with 11 seconds left in regulation.
Coach Kermit Blount of the Rams was disappointed at the way his defense failed to rise to the challenge at the end.
"Homecoming doesn't even factor in it, but what factor's in is that we didn't make plays when we had a chance to make them," Blount said. "We had a chance early to take this game out of proportion, but down the stretch we didn't bow up on defense and make stops. We had a couple of bone-headed plays and that's the outcome of the ball game."
The Rams (1-7) have won just once in their last 10 home games dating back to the end of the 2007 season, and they've lost three straight homecoming games.
In the overtime the Rams got the ball first and scored on Landen Thayer's career-best 46-yard field goal for a short-lived 13-10 lead.
The Pirates got the ball next and ran four straight running plays to the left side and on the fourth one Steve Robinson scored from 11 yards out for the game-winner.
"We wanted to put it on our offensive line and I told them in overtime I didn't even want to pass it so we wanted to run it right at them," Legree said.
Defensive lineman Akeem Ward, who led the Rams with nine tackles, admitted he was winded in the fourth quarter. Ward wasn't the only one tired, because the defense had nothing left in overtime.
Ward was so distraught after the loss instead of waiting on the field as the school band played the fight song; he went right to the locker room.
"I was real upset," Ward said about his early walk to the locker room. "You work so hard and then it's like even more disappointing when it comes down to the last minute and you know you had chances to put the game away earlier."
The Rams have now lost two games in overtime this season, but looked as if they were going to run away from the Pirates. They led 7-0 at halftime but Thayer missed a short field goal and another drive was stopped at midfield thanks to a questionable play call on a third-and-1 from the 50.
Late in the half quarterback Jarrett Dunston tried a sneak but was stopped cold and the Rams were forced to punt from midfield.
The Rams scored on their second possession of the game thanks to a long punt return from Dominique Fitzgerald. He returned a punt 46 yards after fielding it at midfield.
Three plays later running back Ced Hickman scored from three yards out going over the left side.
After Thayer's point-after attempt was good the Rams led 7-0 with 5:05 left in the first quarter.
Hickman said that for whatever reason they may have celebrated too soon. They were leading 10-0 when the Pirates got the ball with 6:50 left in the game. But on the drive a costly face-mask penalty on top of a 25-yard completion to Lorenzo Patterson helped the Pirates along.
"I think we just felt like it was comfortable because we had the lead," Hickman said. "We just sat back in the driver's seat but it was really a close game all the way through and at the end they showed who was the toughest."
The Rams' defense spent a lot of time on the field in the second half, thanks to Legree getting comfortable. When the Pirates were chewing up yardage and eating up the clock they started to gain control of the game.
"They were on the field a long time in the fourth quarter," Blount said about his defense. "The last two drives were time consuming drives and they had a long drive in the third quarter. They took a lot of time."
Blount said that the way Legree was able to lead the Pirates back was impressive.
"He made plays," Blount said.. "I sought him out afterwards and I wanted to shake his hand because the kid made plays. He rose to the occasion and he got it done."
Blount said that not being able to finish off the game is what disappointed him the most.
"Not finishing it off and giving up 10 points with five minutes and change left," Blount said. "And then offensively not being able to turn first downs when we needed to move the chains. When you don't make plays toward the end that's what happens."
Ward wasn't the only player who went straight to locker room at the field house after the loss. There were a few that didn't stay on to salute the band as they played the school fight song.
Blount was not happy about that either.
"I'll deal with them on Monday," Blount said.
jdell@wsjournal.com
727-4081
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