Winston-Salem State Picked to Win CIAA Football Title Over Virginia State and Put Cancelled 2013 Championship Game in the Past

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

Winston-Salem State QB Rudy Johnson (Photo from freenorthcarolina.blogspot.com)

The end of the 2013 football season is one the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association wants to leave deep into the past.

What looked to be an epic battle between 9-1 teams, Virginia State and Winston Salem State, didn't even get played.  A day before the game, Winston Salem State star quarterback Rudy Johnson was assaulted in the bathroom during a pre-championship game luncheon by a group of Virginia State players.  One, Lamont Britt, was arrested and pled guilty.  He received a year of probation.

But the conference title game was canceled by CIAA officials because of the incident.

This year, things have been put into place to make sure none of that happens again, said CIAA commissioner Jacqie McWiliams during the CIAA's Media Day.

"Canceling the 2013 championship game was a dark day in the history for us in this conference," she said.  "However, we believe what we learned that day reminded us of what we need to be focused on and what is most important, and that's the welfare and experience of our student-athletes.

"So what happened last year will never happen again," she said.  "We have a no-tolerance policy.  We are moving forward, focusing on developing leadership, sportsmanship and academic success that is in line with our strategic thinking."

Interestingly, a poll of CIAA coaches and sports information directors predicted Winston-Salem State and Virginia State to win the Northern and Southern divisions and meet in the 2014 CIAA championship game, with Winston-Salem being the favorite to win their third title in four seasons.   It's also a team looking to make a deeper run in the Division II playoffs after losing in the second round last year.

"I've been more fearful of our battles inside the conference, and that's a credit to all of you guys in this league," said new head coach Kienus Boulware during the CIAA Media Day, according to the Winston-Salem Journal.  Boulware, the former defensive coordinator, replaces Connell Maynor who took the head job at Hampton.

"I think back to 2011 when we first made that run in the playoffs," Boulware said.  "We've had some major battles within the conference, and that's helped up.  And we had a lot of major battles last season."

Boulware takes over a squad that has six players on the CIAA's preseason All-Conference squad, including Johnson, the CIAA's leading passer in yardage, touchdowns and completion percentage.  But his leading receiver, 2013 CIAA Offensive Rookie of the Year Chase Powell, surprised everyone last week and transferred to Hampton.  He will have leading rusher, Maurice Lewis, to hand off to.  Lewis had 902 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns last season.

For Virginia State, linebacker Brandon Robinson and defensive lineman Ronald Lewis, two 2014 Preseason All-CIAA picks, return to Trojans' second-ranked defense.  They have to replace their two top offensive players in quarterback Justin Thorpe and running back Jordan Anderson. But the Trojans do return 27 players from their two-deep roster.

Here is the CIAA's predicted order of finish:

Overall 1.    Winston-Salem State 2.    Fayetteville State 3.    Virginia State 4.    Shaw 5.    Elizabeth City State 6.    Bowie State 7.    Johnson C. Smith 8.    Chowan 9.    Saint Augustine's 10.    Virginia Union 11.    Livingstone 12.    Lincoln

Southern Division 1.    Winston-Salem State 2.    Fayetteville State 3.    Shaw 4.    Johnson C. Smith 5.    Saint Augustine's 6.    Livingstone

Northern Division 1.    Virginia State 2.    Elizabeth City State 3.    Bowie State 4.    Chowan 5.    Virginia Union 6.    Lincoln

Here is the 2014 CIAA Preseason All-Conference Team:

OFFENSIVE TEAM
#	NAME	SCHOOL	CL.	HOMETOWN
TIGHT END
86	Khari Lee	BSU	SR	Baltimore, Maryland
LINEMEN
71	Marcus Reed	FSU	SR	Montgomery, Texas
79	Ronnie Ransome	VSU	JR	Petersburg, Virginia
75	Jahmil Haley	VSU	SO	Petersburg, Virginia
72	Michael Sabb	WSSU	SR	Raleigh, North Carolina
52	Justin Kee	WSSU	SR	Suffolk, Virginia
WIDE RECEIVERS
4	Akeen Jordan	LU	SR	Washington, D.C.
82	Chase Powell	WSSU	SO	Upper Marlboro, Maryland
QUARTERBACK
7	Rudy Johnson	WSSU	SR	San Diego, California
RUNNING BACKS
7	Marquise Grizzle	SU	JR	Camden, North Carolina
5	Keith Brown	BSU	SR	Temple Hills, Maryland
KICK RETURNER
2	Antonio Huff	ECSU	JR	Washington, D.C.
PLACE KICKER
89	Mario Diaz-Aviles	BSU	SR	Washington, D.C.
DEFENSIVE TEAM
#	NAME	SCHOOL	CL.	HOMETOWN
LINEMEN
10	Anthony McDaniel	BSU	SR	Ft. Washington, Maryland
33	Jovantey Williams	JCSU	SR	Stone Mountain, Georgia
43	Ronald Lewis	VSU	SR	Virginia Beach, Virginia
93	Casey Davenport	WSSU	SR	Baltimore, Maryland
LINEBACKERS
33	Kenneth White	LC	SR	Salisbury, North Carolina
45	Brandon Rabinson	VSU	SR	Mechanicsville, Virginia
59	Danny Bunn	WSSU	JR	Smithfield, North Carolina
DEFENSIVE BACKS
18	Michael Johnson	FSU	SR	Raleigh, North Carolina
3	Corey Davis	ECSU	SR	Union, New Jersey
1	Brion Robinson	LU	JR	PG County, Maryland
1	Everett Roctor	WSSU	SR	Fayetteville, North Carolina
PUNT RETURNER
2	Antonio Huff	ECSU	JR	Washington, D.C.
PUNTER
17	Matias Lambrecht	JCSU	SO	Venice, Florida