Coach Connell Maynor approaches a familiar football intersection driving a John Deere utility vehicle that resembles a golf cart as it climbs the rocky hill from the Winston-Salem State practice field to Bowman Gray Stadium.
The green cart, adorned with a tiny Rams decal on the front, matches the recreational tastes of a former quarterback who shoots around par during golfing months.
On October's final Saturday afternoon, though, golf takes a back seat beside bags of workout footballs while Maynor strives to scratch out a win against Shaw. The Rams, 8-0 and No. 9 in the NCAA Division II coaches' poll, look perfectly situated, having clinched a spot in the CIAA title game.
Despite routing the field by an average score of 48-16 thus far, the Rams could still blow their NCAA ride. Cruise control remains a dangerous illusion, which WSSU discovered last season when St. Augustine's and Shaw derailed the roaring red revivalists. Shaw intercepted a disastrous screen pass and converted a short touchdown drive for the second defeat.
"We had a chance to keep our CIAA and playoff hopes alive, and they kind of crushed both of those," Maynor said. "It's a game we felt we should have won. We led for 58 minutes, and we had a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter. Our players will never forget it, and our coaches will never forget that game."
On the revenge scoreboard, WSSU stands one down (35-28 over St. Aug's) with one to go.
"We just want to keep everything that's going for us going," Maynor said. "We know we're playing for the CIAA, but we've got bigger goals than just the CIAA. We want to get into the Division II playoffs, get some wins and compete for the national title."
The Rams hear the back-to-glory theme music reminding them of three CIAA championships under current athletics director Bill Hayes, three under Pete Richardson and two under Kermit Blount, the last in 2000.
CIAA teams are only 2-27 in NCAA playoff games, but WSSU snagged one of those victories in 1978 over Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo with Hayes roaming the Bowman Gray sideline.
A decade later, freshman Maynor played quarterback before following the transient Hayes to rival N.C. A&T. His brief encounter provided a crash course in Rams history.
From the distance, the WSSU program seemed sluggish and wobbly when Blount (91-87-3 in 17 seasons) stepped down after a 1-10 wreck in 2009, his record diminished during the ill-fated Division I experiment. Maynor, Fayetteville State's offensive coordinator, saw a rosier picture.
"We coaches called this a little gold mine because of the facilities, the university backing, the following of the fans, the community behind this team," Maynor said. "This school has tradition."
He has developed and recruited resourceful miners. The defense has allowed only 69 rushing yards a game this fall. The offense, propelled by quarterback Kameron Smith and tailback Nic Cooper, is immaculately balanced: 1,864 yards passing, 1,955 rushing.
Maynor, the offensive strategist, adheres to a foundation-based construction plan: "I tell everybody, it ain't about the Xs and Os in the plays that you draw up; it's about the Joes.
"You can draw up any play you want, but if your guy isn't as talented as the other team's, you're not going to be able to get open, you're not going to be able to block them, you're not going to be able to tackle them."
The Rams can block and tackle. Their opening to the playoffs hinges on finishing the job against Shaw, UNC Pembroke and Elizabeth City State, the other CIAA division champ.
Climbing the comeback hill is one thing, with or without a glorified golf cart, and reaching the peak is quite another.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement