The Bears took on the Elizabeth City State University Vikings on Saturday, a game in which Shaw Head Coach Darrell Asberry called “The Showdown in the East.” Asberry was referring to the eastern division of the CIAA Conference, in which both the Bears and Vikings were preseason favorites.
Coming off two straight losses, this was a big game for Shaw. The Bears entered Roebuck Stadium (Vikings Stadium) with a 1-2 record, familiar territory for coach Asberry. “These Bears remind me of the team I had in ’07. We started off shaky, but once we gelled, we were poised enough to win the CIAA Championship,” said Asberry before the game.
The Bears took a 14-7 lead into halftime, but the Vikings showed their ironclad by bouncing back to cut the lead to three by the start of the fourth quarter.
With less than a minute left in the game, the Bears held a 31-28 lead. Elizabeth City missed the would-be tying field goal, improving the Bears record to 2-2, and 1-0 in the CIAA Conference.
“That was a tough win for us,” said Shaw Defensive Line coach Sherman Simmons. “Hopefully we can put a winning streak together and bring home this championship.”
The Bears will travel to Salisbury, NC this weekend to take on the 0-5 Livingstone College Blue Bears. The game kicks-off at 1:00 p.m.