The bulk of spring practice wrapped up today for
the defending CIAA Champion Shaw football team with the annual
spring game at Chavis Park. In past years, Shaw has played
offense versus defense, but head coach Deondri Clark and the
Shaw coaching staff elected to split the teams up and play
Maroon versus White.
The White team gained 230 yards of total offense and limited the maroon team to 170 yards of total defense in rolling to a 30-12 victory. The Bears will make-up some missed days during the spring session next week, and will work a lot on special teams.
On White's first series, Kimbrough completed 3-of-4 passes, including a 24-yard pass to tight end Calvin Grimes for a first down at the Maroon 28. A pass interference by Maroon gave White the ball first and goal from the 10. Kimbrough then found Marquise Rutherford in the endzone for the touchdown and a 6-0 White lead. (Neither team kicked extra points.)
The White defense was especially tough all game led by All-CIAA safety Torrance Nunnally who had eight tackles (6 solo) one pass defended and one forced fumble and Ralph Davis who had five tackles, three for loss. But the Maroon defense was equal to the task, led by the trio of Galen Houston (six tackles), Aaron Woodard (five tackles), who sat out last year due to injury, and Walter Wells (four tackles, three for loss). They forced White to punt on its next two possessions. But on the third possession, White would force Maroon to turn the ball over on downs and have excellent field position at the Maroon 30. Kimbrough scrambled for 11 yards, before finding Grimes in the endzone for a 17yard touchdown and a 12-0 lead. Grimes, who last played for Shaw in 2003, led White with three receptions for 54 yards. On the ensuing possession, linebacker Derrick Smith took the ball from the receiver for an interception, giving White possession. On third and nine, quarterback Justin Ross found Daniel Jackson for a nine-yard reception and a White first and goal from the two. Running back Reginald Price then ran for the touchdown and White led 18-0.
Maroon finally got on the board as Courtland Rush found tight end Charles Leonard for a 47-yard touchdown pass cutting its deficit to 18-6. But White came right back scoring in 12 plays, capped of by Kimbrough's 16-yard touchdown pass to Jackson to extended its lead to 24-6. Nunnally even got into the act on offense as Ross found him for a 69-yard touchdown bomb which gave White a 30-6 lead.
Kimbrough led White finishing 7-of-14 for 83 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing four times for 30 yards. Reginald Price carried the ball 14 times for 33 yards and one touchdown.
For Maroon, Mack completed 5-of-17 passes for 45 yards and Rush completed 4-of-9 passes for 87 yards. Darreous Moody carried the ball five times for 36 yards and one touchdown.
