Defensive tackle Stephen Young of Winston-Salem State said that the 10-hour trip back from Daytona Beach, Fla., on Saturday night and into yesterday morning wasn't so bad.
What made the trip shorter was the way that the Rams, who had lost their first six games this season, came together to beat Bethune-Cookman 16-10. It ruined B-C's homecoming, but it also got the Rams' season going in the right direction.
"It was just a big weight off our shoulders to get that first win," said Young, who despite a shoulder injury made the trip and was part of a terrific goal-line stand late in the game to preserve the victory.
The Rams had been on an eight-game losing streak dating back to last season, their longest since 1975 when the Rams went 1-9.
"The mood in the locker room afterwards was pretty much relief," Young said. "We were kind of searching for that first win, and we finally got it."
Scaling back the spread offense, the Rams (1-6) used their running game effectively to hold off the Wildcats (2-5). They had 205 rushing yards on 32 carries.
Running back Ced Hickman, a transfer from N.C. State and former star at North Forsyth, had his best game with nine carries for 97 yards. His 12-yard touchdown run with 9:15 left gave the Rams a 13-10 lead.
Landen Thayer's 36-yard field goal with 5:29 left gave the Rams a 16-10 lead, but the defense needed a saving tackle from cornerback Alex Chandler to preserve the victory.
Late in the game on a fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard line, Chandler tackled Androse Bell as the Rams took over on downs.
Hickman said that the Rams have been through plenty of adversity this season. From the announcement about the school halting the transition to Division I to two players quitting the team earlier this month, there's been a lot going on.
"It's been tough for everybody," Hickman said. "But for us to win again and for it to be on the road and to ruin Bethune-Cookman's homecoming, it's very satisfying."
Quarterback Jarrett Dunston, who hit Dominique Fitzgerald with a 12-yard scoring pass in the second quarter, was 3 of 7 passing for 39 yards. Dunston, however, carried the ball 12 times for 76 yards and on one run had a 48-yard gain. The touchdown pass to Fitzgerald made it 7-6, but Thayer missed the point-after attempt.
Bethune-Cookman took a 10-6 lead in the third quarter on a field goal, but Hickman's touchdown gave the Rams the lead for good.
"We couldn't be more excited," said Hickman, who missed last week's game against California Davis with a shoulder injury. "We just came together as a team, and I just can't describe what a relief and how great this feels."
Hickman gave credit to the young offensive line, which starts three freshmen and two sophomores, for opening holes all night.
"We ran the ball a lot more than we threw it, and that kind of worked for us in this game," Hickman said.
Young said that Coach Kermit Blount didn't say a lot to the team afterwards in the locker room.
"He was happy that we won, but he talked about getting ready to play this week's opponent," Young said about Saturday's homecoming game against Hampton at Bowman Gray Stadium.
The Rams had played their last five games on the road but will now play three straight games at home.
jdell@wsjournal.com.
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