‘A huge deal,’ Winston-Salem State looks to be first HBCU to win national title

COACH CONNELL MAYNOR
WINSTON-SALEM STATE RAMS

FLORENCE, Ala. — No. 2 Winston-Salem State has already gone deeper into the playoffs than any other team from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Now, the Rams are a win away from making history for black college football, too.

They face two-time national champion Valdosta State on Saturday hoping to become the first HBCU team to win Division II’s football national title.

“That’s a huge deal. For our conference, the HBCUs, to have a chance to play for a national championship and be the first one to win one, is a steppingstone,” Winston-Salem State coach Connell Maynor said. “It’s a great opportunity for us. We’re happy to be here carrying the flag for the CIAA and HBCU. It’d be a great thing if we could pull it off Saturday.”

2012 DII FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Preview: Rams in search of history Stats: Valdosta St. Winston-Salem St.
Scoreboard Interactive Bracket

The only other HBCU team to make the championship game, Central State of Ohio, lost 41-21 to North Dakota State in 1983.

Winston-Salem (14-0) is also trying to become just the fifth team to go 15-0.

Standing in the way is a Valdosta State team seeking its first title since 2007, David Dean’s debut season as head coach.

Winston-Salem is in its third season since aborting a Division I move for financial reasons. The program’s former status is just one more reason for Valdosta State (11-2), which ended the regular season ranked 17th, to keep the underdog mentality that formed with a rough start.

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