Panthers, VSU finish season on a sour note
Published: November 2, 2008
Updated: November 15, 2008
Instead of finishing with a flurry, Virginia Union barely made it across the finish line in its season finale yesterday in losing 36-13 to CIAA nemesis Elizabeth City State.
The Panthers (3-4 CIAA, 5-5), losing their last three games and fourth straight to the Vikings, surrendered two big plays in the first quarter to fall behind 13-0. Wide receiver Dexter Manley pulled in a 67-yard scoring pass from quarterback Curtis Rich and Jeremia Marable returned an interception 44 yards to put VUU in a deep hole.
The Panthers countered when quarterback Lamar Little tossed a 20-yard touchdown strike to flanker Tere Cunningham with 14:42 left in the second quarter to narrow the Union gap to 13-7. But the Vikings (7-0, 7-3) scored 21 unanswered points including a Rod Jones' 36-yard return of the second of four Little interceptions.
Curtis completed 12 of 21 passes for 282 yards and three touchdowns. Twice in the second quarter he hooked up with wide receiver Bryan Fields on scoring passes that covered 38 and 41 yards as the Vikings led 27-7 at halftime.
Even when the Panthers did something right, something went wrong. Little ran for a 3-yard score with 3:05 left in the third quarter, but the Vikings blocked the extra-point attempt, and Justin Hamilton scored on a two-point return to complete VUU's largest margin of defeat this season.
Virginia Union 0 7 6 0 - 13
ECSU 13 14 9 0 - 36
ECSU Manley 67 pass from Rich (run failed)
ECSU Marable 44 interception return (Mendez kick)
VUU Cunningham 20 pass from Little (Hernandez kick)
ECSU Fields 38 pass from Rich (Mendez kick)
ECSU Fields 41 pass from Rich (Mendez kick)
ECSU Jones 36 interception return (Mendez kick)
VUU Little 3 run (kicked failed)
ECSU Hamilton PAT return
Bowie State 21,
Virginia State 16
BOWIE, Md. --Virginia State running back Babaside Onadipe, with record-setting freshman Taron Hampton sidelined with an injury, ripped the Bowie State defense for 142 yards at Bulldogs Stadium. But the Bulldogs used a more balanced attack to snap the the Trojans' three-game winning streak in the teams' CIAA season finale.
Isaac Redman rushed for 108 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Broncos, who closed strong by winning four of their last five games.
The Trojans (4-3 CIAA, 5-5) started fast by marching 43 yards in 8 plays to lead 7-0 with 11:46 left in the first quarter. The Broncos (4-3, 5-4) responded with a 80-yard, 9-play scoring drive to tie the game at 7-all, then took a 14-7 lead on a 73-yard punt return by Clifton Budd at 8:21 in the first quarter.
VSU closed the gap to 14-10 on a 27-yard field goal by Justin Parker. Bowie State iced the game early in the fourth as Redman scored on a 6-yard run for a 21-0 lead.
Virginia State 7 3 0 6 - 16
Bowie State 7 7 0 7 - 21
VSU Onadipe 1 run (Parker kick)
BSU Redman 23 run (Gagne kick)
BSU Budd 73 punt return (Gagne kick)
VSU Parker FG 27
BSU Redman 6 run (Budd kick)
VSU Curstis 10 pass from Davis (pass failed)
Saint Paul's 23
Lincoln 20
LINCOLN, Pa. -- Saint Paul's fumbled and stumbled its way to victory over Lincoln. And while the Tigers couldn't onto the football, they managed to hold off a fourth-quarter rally by the Lions to secure a break-even 5-5 season at Avon Grove High School.
Quarterback Jaron Troutman threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Floyd Carey and Gregory Toler scooped on a block punt in the end zone to give the Tigers a 23-6 lead with 7:05 remaining in the third quarter. The Lions (1-9) scratched their way back as D'Ante Smith and Andre Crier scored on 29and 45-yard pass receptions.
The Tigers' defense, which held Lincoln to 61 yards rushing, kept Lincoln out of field goal range in the waning minutes. The Lions threatened three times, but turned the ball over on downs and twice punted inside Saint Paul's territory.
Saint Paul's ------------------------- 0 16 7 0 -- 23
Lincoln (Pa.) ------------------------- 6 0 8 6 -- 20
LU Smith run (kick failed)
SP Addison 10 pass from Troutman
SP Murray safety
SP Carey 23 pass from Troutman
SP Toler 0 yard blocked punt
LU Smith 29 pass from Crier
LU Crier 45 pass from Dennis
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