Canard Brown's Kickoff Return Spurs Winston-Salem State Run, Giving Rams 43-33 CIAA Championship Win Over Bowie State

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

(Photo by Shawn Sprouse-Roanoke Times)

Canard Brown's 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the second quarter ignited a Winston-Salem State run that broke open a close game in which the Rams won their eighth straight game and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship in defeating Bowie State 43-33 Saturday.

Winston-Salem State's championship game win gives them their second straight CIAA title and their fourth since 2011.  It's their 12th CIAA championship in school history.  Bowie State (7-4, 7-2 CIAA) suffers their second consecutive championship game loss.

Winston-Salem State (9-2, 8-1 CIAA) jumped out to an early 14-0 first-quarter lead after Rod Tinsley's 50-yard touchdown pass to Will Walton and Justin Pickett's 42-yard touchdown run.  Bowie State answered with an Amir Hall 39-yard TD toss to Geordan Clark and a Robert Chesson 3-yard TD run.   That would be as close as Bowie State would get as on the ensuing kickoff, Brown weaved his way into the end zone to give WSSU their lead for good.   Twice in the second half led by as many as 16 points.

Kerrion Moore had a big day for Winston-Salem State, rushing for 177 yards and a touchdown. Tinsley finished with three touchdown passes, two of them to Walton.

Hall led Bowie State with 348 yards and three touchdowns passing, but he threw four interceptions. He also rushed for a touchdown. Nyme Manns caught 10 passes for 176 yards.  Chesson rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown and also caught a touchdown pass.

Winston-Salem State now awaits Sunday afternoon's NCAA Division II Football Regional Rankings announcement see if their season continues in the Division II playoffs.  The top seven teams from each of the four regions make the playoffs.  Last week, Winston-Salem State was ranked 10th in Super Region One, just behind Bowie State. The announcement comes at 5 p.m. EST.