Tough Battle

Special to the ArgusHome is where the heart is, and how true that statement can be. For the 37th time in history the Winston Salem State University and Virginia Union squared off on the gridiron. For the first time in recent memory the Rams were scheduled by the conference experts to help the Panthers celebrate Homecoming at Hovey Field in Richmond, Va., where more than 3,000 fans and alumni were in attendance. The Rams forced the Panthers to punt on their first offensive series, and for a moment the decision to play the Rams for homecoming looked like a bad decision. Punt returner Brandon Hussey made it worse by returning a punt by Johnathan Clark, for a 55-yard touchdown to jump start the Ram attack. The Panthers second drive also fizzled after three plays, and they were again forced to punt. On the following series a Ram fumble by quarterback Josh McGee halted another opportunity. The Panthers defense settled, while their offense tried to find the right game plan. The Panther defense forced the Rams to punt with 46 seconds remaining in the quarter from their own 23. The Panthers special-teams unit blocked Chad Oakley’s punt attempt through the back of the end zone for a safety and their first points of the quarter. After the Rams free kick, the Panthers struck quickly on a three yard burst by running back Antoine Desmond with four seconds remaining to give the Panthers a 9 – 7 lead at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, kicker Ashton Oakley nailed a 42-yard field goal helping the Rams reclaim the lead followed later by a 2-yard scoring run by running back Willie “Pedie” Byrd, to lead 17 – 9 at the half. Veteran Panther Head Coach Willard Bailey who has 206 career wins to his credit made several adjustments at the half, and his Panthers responded by scoring 20 unanswered points in a four minute span in the third quarter. First, quarterback John Cates connected with wide receiver Rodney Hicks on a 49-yard touchdown pass. With 12:10 remaining Cates found wide receiver Jerome Leslie for a 47-yard touchdown. With 6:19 remaining Antoine Desmond capped the Panthers scoring run, after a handoff from two yards out gave him his second touchdown of the contest and the Panthers a commanding 29-17 lead. The Panther offense employed a strong ball control attack in the fourth quarter aided by several Ram penalties, as neither team was able to score. The Panthers used the game plan to their advantage and parlayed their effort into a homecoming victory, so much for the Rams spoiling homecoming. The Panthers had too much heart on their home field and are probably still celebrating their 27-17 victory.