In watching the tape of the game yesterday, I got to see again all the exciting plays from yesterday's game.  And there were some exciting plays.  How about Walter Wells forcing a fumble on a punt punt return and Devin Chatman returning it for a touchdown.  How about all those great catches that Damon Harrison made.  He finished with six catches for 139 yards, including two spectacular catches, one for 42 yards.  And the Harlon Hill Award candidate, linebacker Chris Peavy was making plays from sideline to sideline, as was Wells, who made a number of other big plays.  

Anyone of these players could have received Player of the Game.  One of those players who had to be in consideration was Torrance Nunnally.  Nunnally is one of the best defensive backs in the CIAA, as was evidenced by the fact that he was selected to the All-CIAA second team as a sophomore by the CIAA Football Coaches.  And what did he do in this game?  Oh not much.  Just eight tackles, a tackle for loss, an interception, a pass break-up, he was all over the field, but most importantly?  He blocked the potential game-tying field goal in the fourth quarter and returned it for an apparent touchdown, which was called back because of an illegal block in the back.  After the game he asked me, "Was that enough stats for you?"  I had told Nunnally at the beginning of the season, that while he is an outstanding player, he needs to give me some numbers, like those he gave during the club season, when he had seven interceptions.  Well he has given the numbers with 58 tackles and five interceptions as a free safety.  Plus he's the punt returner and long snapper.  He plays an outstanding free safety and helps to stuff the run, usually coming up to make hits on guys that out-weigh him by at least 40 pounds.

A couple of weeks ago I stated the old cliché that defense wins championships, but the Bear offense would have to score points to win this game.  I was wrong.  Like Coach Clark said, "I'll win a ballgame 3-2." 

So did you read the account of the game in the local newspaper?  To me, and maybe it's just me, Shaw winning the CIAA Championship in only three seasons is news.  Which to me warrants front page coverage.  It's a Raleigh school that has done something remarkable.  But instead there was no front page coverage and it barely made the front of the sports section.  There was a big article and picture on Carolina losing to Virginia Tech on the front of the sports section and it was previewed on the front page of the newspaper.  

In my opinion, the local newspaper groups Shaw with the CIAA instead of treating Shaw as if it were a school in its locale (Raleigh).  Now had it been Fayetteville State vs. Virginia Union, like last year's game, then that would be different, because then it would be a CIAA event because Fayetteville State has a local newspaper and Virginia Union is, well, in Virginia.  The Bears winning the CIAA Championship against a team one hour and 15 minutes down the road, in its third year of football is front page news, or at the VERY least front and center of the sports page.

And then there was a story about the fanfare of the game in the sports section as well.  Well, what about the X's and O's of the game?  In my opinion the sidebar should not have focused on who was wearing what and who hadn't seen each other in a long time, but perhaps about the Bears special teams, who played its best game of the season, with a caused fumble (Walter Wells) returned for a touchdown (Devin Chatman), a game-winning field goal (Chester Charles), a blocked potential game-tying field goal (Torrance Nunnally), or outstanding field position because of some pretty good punt returns (Torrance Nunnally).  How about the fact that Dion McIver has become the first Shaw back to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season.  That sidebar should have been in the style section.  To be honest with you, a story should have been told from a columnists point of view.  This is a third-year program in the city of Raleigh, winning the CIAA Championship and on the verge of the national playoffs for the first time in school history.  And the game was nationally televised on ESPN Plus.

Well, today is the day that we'll see if the Bears are going to the national playoffs.  We'll know after 1:00 p.m.  Again the Bears have done their part, now, we'll wait and see.