Gibbs Leads Shaw to a Homecoming Victory

RALEIGH, NC – Shaw University Bears freshman running back Sidney Gibbs plays like a senior instead of a first-year.

Gibbs’ 168 yards rushing for three touchdowns on the ground helped Shaw (3-4, 2-2 CIAA) defeat the Livingstone Blue Bears (4-3, 2-3 CIAA) 27-20 in an exciting homecoming game.

“You would think he’s a senior,” said Shaw coach Adrian Jones about Gibbs, “He is an excellent running back, and he works hard, as well as wanting the ball.  It’s going to be hard to stop that young man.”

The game was a defensive slugfest during the first half. Shaw led 10-7 at halftime. The scoring picked up in the second half, but sophomore defensive back Da’Shawn Wallace, a Danville, Virginia-native, sealed the victory with an interception with a minute left in the game.

Gibbs scored on the within the first minute of the game with a 6-yard run on the Bear’s opening drive.  He followed that up in second half with exciting 48-yard and 32-yard touchdown runs in front of raucous Shaw fans at Saint Augustine’s George Williams Athletic Complex.

“Today, I was going to get out there and play on a mission,” Gibbs said. 

He credited his offensive line for his performance today.

“They’re the only way to my success,” Gibbs said, “I tell them that it starts with them. They responded and did everything that I asked them to do.”

Shaw is second in the CIAA Southern Divison. They need Fayettville State, who defeated them 25-22 earlier this year, to lose two games; and they need to win the rest of their games if they want to play in the CIAA Championship.

 “We’re aware of our position,” Gibbs said, “but we have to take it one game at a time. … We have to continue to get better and we have to win.  We basically have to win out our division.  We have to take one game at a time.”

What’s Next

Next week, Shaw travels to Charlotte to take on Johnson C. Smith (2-4, 1-2 CIAA) at Irwin Belk Stadium. On the other hand, Livingstone hosts Winston-Salem State at Alumni Memorial Stadium in Salisbury, NC.

The next home game for Shaw is when they host their rival Saint Augustine’s University on Nov. 9., in the annual Raleigh Classic. It will mark the final as well as the final game of the season for both teams.

(Images courtesy of Lawrence Davis)