DURHAM, N.C. – The Chowan Football team capped off a special season with a 47-27 victory in non-conference action against Shaw on Thursday night to give the Hawks their third winning season in the past four years.
THE BASICS
FINAL | Chowan 47, Shaw 27
RECORDS | Chowan 6-4, Shaw 5-5
LOCATION | Durham, N.C. (Durham County Memorial Stadium)
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
Tyrell Freeman and Bryce Witt became the first duo to ever rush for 100+ yards in a single contest. Freeman finished with 195 yards and two touchdowns. Witt tallied 128 yards on the ground and became the first quarterback for Chowan to rush for three touchdowns.
Bryce Witt broke the single season passing touchdown record on his first touchdown pass of the contest and finished with 27 passing touchdowns. Witt finished with 228 yards passing. Paul Gooden caught three passes for 66 yards and a touchdown.
Tyler Bembry led the Hawks with six total tackles including three tackles for loss. Jacquae Peart and Reggie Lee tallied a sack in the win. Connor O'Brien picked off a pass, while Antonio Hines and George Parker registered a fumble recovery.
Chowan tallied the second most rushing touchdowns in a single game with six. It was the most since Chowan scored seven times on the ground against Lincoln in 2014.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter:
After Shaw drove the ball down the field on the opening drive, Bryce Witt responded with a five play drive. Witt started the drive with three straight runs before connecting with Paul Gooden on passes of 18 and 33 yards to even the score early at 7-all.
The Hawks' defense would force a punt on the next drive but a muffed punt allowed the Bears to continue their drive and score on the next play.
Tyrell Freeman would start the drive with a strong run before a 33-yd reception. Bryce Witt would take it himself on a 10-yd scamper for the score. The Hawks would miss the PAT to trail 14-13.
Chowan would force a turnover on downs as the Bears attempted a pass on fourth-and-one but was incomplete.
Second Quarter:
Tyrell Freeman continued his strong running with a 16-yd rush. The drive would continue on a pass interference flag. Bryce Witt called his own number from 5-yds out for the touchdown to give the Hawks a 20-14 advantage early in the quarter.
Tyler Bembry, Arrington Bazemore, and Jacquae Peart keep the Bears out of the endzone along with a pass break up by Connor O'Brien and George Parker on third-down force a fourth-down. Reggie Lee would break through the line for the sack as Antonio Hines recovers the fumble.
On the ensuing drive, the offense was unable to produce as back-to-back incompletes force a punt. The defense for the Hawks would put pressure on the Shaw signal caller and force a punt midway through the quarter.
Tyrell Freeman busted off a 61-yd run to put the Hawks in the redzone. The Bears' defense would get to Bryce Witt for the sack. Witt would find Paul Gooden near the sideline to get the yardage back to force a field goal attempt. Jackson Brooks would miss the 39-yd attempt.
Shaw drives down the field but Cortez Paul punches the ball loose and George Parker recovers the fumble deep in Hawks' territory. Tyrell Freeman would pick up 33-yds on the drive and go into the locker room with a 20-14 lead.
Third Quarter:
On the first drive of the half, Bryce Witt finds Adrian McNeil for a 27-yd reception to start the drive. Witt found Imeek Watkins on a 10-yd pass before rushing for 35-yards on the drive to collect his third rushing touchdown of the contest to extend the lead to 27-14.
The Bears would answer on the next drive to cut into the Hawks' lead 27-21. Chowan would push the lead back to double-figure as Bryce Witt connected with Torry Baker on a 37-yd completion. Tyrell Freeman would catch a pass out of the back field for 17-yds before a one-yard plunge by Freeman found the endzone.
Shaw answered on their next drive to once again cut the deficit to 34-27 after the failed two-point conversion snuffed out by Antwuan Hicks.
Fourth Quarter:
Bryce Witt started the drive with 31 yards on three carries before finding Austin Edwards on a 13-yd reception. A 12-yd completion to Torry Baker continued the drive before Imeek Watkins took the end-around from 4-yds out for the touchdown.
Both teams would punt on their next drives. Shaw drove the ball to midfield but the drive would end as Connor O'Brien picked off the pass and returned it 10 yards to the CU 35.
Tyrell Freeman and Bryce Witt rushed the ball down the field as Freeman took it in from 5-yds out to push the advantage to 47-27 with 1:10 remaining.
The final drive for Shaw would end with a turnover on downs as the Bears were unable to complete a pass.
