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Sports

WSSU Gets Hot On Offense To Defeat Shaw

Thomas Tripp

DURHAM, NC – The Winston-Salem State University Rams (3-4 overall, 3-2 CIAA) dethroned the Shaw Bears (2-5 overall, 2-3 CIAA) 41-20 at Durham County Stadium.

WSSU is already giving their fans something to cheer about leading up to Homecoming Weekend.

The Rams put up 451 yards of offense, thanks to Daylin Lee’s 195 yards and three touchdowns, in addition to Jash Middleton’s two touchdowns and 42 receiving yards.

On the victory, Rams head coach Robert Massey reflected, “We played good and gave up some points at the end, trying to get the defense lined up. But, we’re happy.” He added, “Shaw’s a good team and Gibbs wasn’t 100 percent. However, hats off to our team.”

Earlier in the game, it appeared to be a defensive struggle, as Shaw got on board in the First Quarter, leading 6-0, thanks to a 2-yard rushing touchdown by Sidney Gibbs.

During the Second Quarter, the Rams got on board, thanks to QB Daylin Lee’s three touchdown passes (two to Jash Middleton and one to RJ Mobley) and a 24-yard field goal attempt by Jobann Esparza, as the Rams held a 24-6 advantage going into Halftime.

The Shelby, NC star Quarterback for the Rams commented, “I’m excited about the victory and we have a lot to build on. We can build on it going into next week!” He added, “We’ll build on this victory and correct our mistakes and go from there!”

Middleton, the wideout from Goldsboro, NC stated, “I’m definitely happy about the performance to help my team get a win. I’m happy about the experience.” When asked about homecoming, he felt, “This victory feels good. It’ll give us momentum going into homecoming week.”

The Third Quarter, WSSU inflated the lead, thanks to another field goal from 23 yards from Jobann Esparza and a one-yard touchdown run from WR Gabriel Linen, to commence the Quarter with a 34-6 advantage.

The fourth quarter saw the Bears score their first touchdown since the First Quarter, as Silas Cruse made a pass to WR Donte Lee, Jr., as they cut the Rams’ lead by 21. Then, at 5:19, QB Daylin Lee recorded a touchdown run to help the Rams gain a 41-13 advantage. Shaw scored the last points of the game, with three minutes to go, as Wideout Ah’Shaan Belcher recorded a 17-yard reception from QB Silas Cruse.

Shaw Bears Head Coach Adrian Jones admitted, “Honestly, I’m not happy with the performance. I thought we started off well and we didn’t finish well. Winston had a good gameplan. We just have to be better carrying the guys. Especially on National TV. I didn’t like my guys character towards the end of the game.” On Gibbs, he commented, “He’s having a Hamstring issue right now. We just want him to get through it and we’ve decided to give him some runs and help him get through it and stay in shape. He’s getting better each and every day.”

Next Saturday, Winston-Salem State will have their homecoming game at Bowman-Gray Stadium, facing the Saint Augustine’s University at 1:30 PM. On the other hand, Shaw travels to Salisbury, NC to face Livingstone University in a 4:00 PM matchup.