Stellar play catapults WSSU Rams into title game

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  A few days have passed since Winston-Salem State administered a 41-18 beat-down of West Texas A&M  in the NCAA Division II football semifinals.

The Ramatized crowd at Bowman Gray Stadium had good reason to dance and prance with glee. The victory catapulted their beloved home team into Saturday’s national championship in Florence, Ala. WSSU takes on Valdosta State (Ga.) at 1 p.m. in a nationally televised game on ESPN2.

“We played great (in the semifinals), almost flawless,” said Connell Maynor, Winston-Salem State’s head coach. “Now we have to play great just one more time.”

Advancing to the title game, however, is not nearly enough for this bunch. There’s more to come. Maynor has groomed his team to be ready for this appointed time. It’s safe to say that for WSSU, complete fulfillment will only come by winning the championship trophy and the banner that comes with it.

“From the very first day he got here, Coach Maynor has constantly preached to us about winning a national championship,” said linebacker Carlos Fields, who had 10 tackles against West Texas A&M. “This is bigger than WSSU, bigger than Coach Maynor, bigger than the city of Winston-Salem.”

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