Catawba College’s Indians closed out the century of football at newly named Kirkland
Field at Shuford Stadium with a bang Saturday. The Indians set a modern school record by belting Wingate
University’s Bulldogs 54-13 in the South Atlantic Conference. The last Catawba team
to do that was the 1947 Tangerine (Citrus) Bowl champs, who finished with an 11-1 record.
The Indians closed out a perfect
6-0 record at home, clinched a tie for second place in the SAC conference, extended their
winning streak to five in a row and strengthened their bid for an invitation to the NCAA
Division II playoffs.
Catawba, ranked 17th among
Division II teams in the country and fifth in the South Region, is 9-1 overall and 6-2 in
the SAC. It will wind up its season at arch-rival Lenoir-Rhyne Saturday.
The Indians scored two quick
touchdowns and roared ahead by 21-0 at the end of the opening stanza. They managed a 23-6
lead at halftime.
The Indians scored on their first
two possessions in the third quarter for a 37-13 advantage.
It was Catawba’s final
regular season game at Shuford Field this century, and several of the stars of the past
teams were present and got a treat from the present squad.
Quarterback Mitch Ellis had his
best passing game, completing 14 of 22 for a career high 290 yards and three touchdowns.
It marked the sixth straight game that the former North Rowan High star passed for 200 or
more yards.
Ellis combined with end Ryan
Millwood to give the Senior Day crowd something to see. They got the first Catawba score
on a 35-yarder in the opening minutes of the game. They combined again for 36 yards for
the third Catawba score. Millwood grabbed six passes for 135 yards.
Ellis’ other TD pass went to
Cedric Squirewell on a dazzling 65-yard aerial in the final period.
Catawba got touchdowns from
defensive back Anthony Spencer with a 31-yard return of a fumble; fullback Eric Westbrook
on a 2-yard run; fullback Shaun Crump on a 6-yard dash; and fullback LaMarcus Williams on
a 2-yard plunge.
Catawba also got two points on an
unusual play. It came on a blocked extra point attempt. Defensive back Alvis James picked
up the football and rambled over 80 yards to score two points. The kick was blocked by
Derrick (D-Money) Montgomery.
The Redskins also kept their
first-quarter shutout string intact. Wingate got its first touchdown in the second period
and added another score in the third quarter.
Spencer picked up a Wingate fumble
a the 31 and carried it into the end zone for six points.
Later, Darris Morris recovered a
fumble at the Wingate 36, and then Ellis fired another pass to Millwood for a TD. Catawba
led by 21-0 with 6:40 left in the opening quarter.
“We started out real
well,” said Coach David Bennett of the Indians. “We scored 21 quick points and
then it looked like we jumped into neutral. But Wingate had a good game plan for us. They
tried to take away our run and make us throw the football.”
Ellis made that strategy look bad
with his accurate passing and Millwood’s sensational catching.
“Millwood made some
tremendous catches,” added Bennett. “He really went up for the football. Our
offensive line gave Ellis time to throw and he did a great job.”
Even though the Indians led 23-6
at halftime, Bennett felt they could play better.
“We had a talk at
halftime,” he explained. “I told our squad that the type of football that we
were playing was not what the former Catawba players came to see. I told them if we are to
be a good football team and a special group, we have to go out there and prove it in the
second half. We did that.” |
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