MURFREESBORO, N.C. – The Chowan Football team silenced some critics in a 73-7 throttling of Winston-Salem State in CIAA action on Saturday evening to move to 5-0 for the first time since 1980.

THE BASICS

FINAL | Chowan 73, Winston-Salem State 7

RECORDS | Chowan 5-0 (2-0), Winston-Salem State 0-4 (0-2)

LOCATION | Murfreesboro, N.C. (Garrison Stadium)

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

Chowan moved to 5-0 for the first time since 1980 when the Hawks, then Braves, were playing as a Junior College.

The Hawks offensively put up 627 yards of total offense with 38 first downs while averaging 7.6 yards per play.

Defensively, the Hawks held WSSU to 131 yards of total offense picking up four more sacks.

Bryce Witt tallied eight more touchdowns with five passing and three rushing.  His third rushing touchdown gave him the career mark in rushing touchdowns in program history.  Witt tossed for 423 yards and rushed for 48 yards.

Jaylon Boyd rushed for 101 yards and two scores.  Laurence King went over 100 yards receiving for the third game this season with 126 yards on nine receptions and one touchdown.  Malik Tobias hauled in six catches for 96 yards and three scores.

Imeek Watkins posted 10 receptions for 62 yards.  Jeremiah Smith caught one pass for 31 yards and a touchdown.

Gilberto Ortiz and Simeon Burns posted seven tackles each.  Ortiz tallied a sack and two quarterback hurries.  Isaac Anderson led the team with 1.5 sacks.  Rafiq Abdul-Wahid registered 0.5 sack to move within two of the all-time mark.

Caleb Hester picked off a pass.  Jude McAtamney went 10-10 on PATs and added a 43 yard field goal.

Chowan scored on their first 10 drives and 11 of 13 in the contest.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Quarter:

Chowan received the opening kick-off and made quick work as Imeek Watkins started the contest returning the kick-off for 60 yards.  Bryce Witt found Laurence King on the second play for a 23 yard touchdown to lead 7-0.

The defense forced a punt after Rafiq Abdul-Wahid and Gilberto Ortiz posted a sack on second down.

Bryce Witt connected with Imeek Watkins for 15 yards, Malik Tobias for eight yards, and Ra'Cee Lucas for 25 yards to move into the redzone.  Witt would run over a defender at the goal line for the 11 yard touchdown run to lead 14-0.

Isaac Anderson and Gilberto Ortiz teamed up for a sack on third down on the next drive to force a punt.

Bryce Witt found Imeek Watkins for 12 yards before finding Ra'Cee Lucas for 16 more.  Witt called his own number from seven yards out to put the Hawks up 21-0.

The Rams' offense could not move the ball as another drive stalled.  The Rams had a short punt that gave the Hawks the ball near midfield.

Bryce Witt connected with Malik Tobias for a 20 yard completion and Imeek Watkins for 13 yards before dropping the pass in a bucket in the corner of the endzone finding Tobias for a six yard touchdown pass.

Second Quarter:

Leading 28-0 after the opening stanza, the Hawks introduced the power running of Jaylon Boyd picking up a pair of first down runs.  Bryce Witt connected with Laurence King for a 21 yard reception before Boyd churned out 20 more yards on the ground.  Witt found Laurence King for 36 yards to put the Hawks in the redzone again.  Boyd finished off the drive with an 11 yard run to lead 35-0.

WSSU started moving the ball with quick passes before Caleb Hester jumped the route for an interception.

The Hawks produced a 14 play drive that ended with a two yard touchdown run by Bryce Witt to push the Hawks to a 42-0 advantage.

The Rams used less than a minute on their next drive and left the Hawks with 1:46 before halftime.  Bryce Witt found Demetrius Moore for a pair of receptions before turning to Malik Tobias for a pair of receptions including a 12 yard strike with nine seconds left to lead 49-0 at the break.

Third Quarter:

WSSU was hurt by penalties on their opening drive of the half leading to a punt.  The Hawks used the short field leading to a 43 yard field goal by Jude McAtamney.

Isaac Anderson halted a drive by the Rams with a 10 yard sack.  The Rams punted and added a penalty to set up another drive for the Hawks.

Bryce Witt connected with Laurence King for 15 yards along with a roughing the passer penalty before finishing off the drive finding Jeremiah Smith for a 31 yard touchdown.

The Rams would move the ball on a penalty before a dropped pass and a quarterback hurry by Gilberto Ortiz led to a punt.

Chowan moved the ball down the field easily as Bryce Witt found Imeek Watkins, Ra'Cee Lucas, Laurence King, and Tyrek McNeil before capping off the 84 yard drive with a 39 yard touchdown pass to Malik Tobias.

The Rams would punt on their next drive.

Fourth Quarter:

A penalty and sack would stall the drive for the Hawks to open the quarter.  The Rams would send pressure on the punt and successfully blocking the punt and scoring for their only touchdown of the contest.

The Hawks would have a heavy dose of Jaylon Boyd and Cade Cradlebaugh on the ground before Boyd punched it in from 10 yards out to move the score to 73-7 using 9:19 of the quarter on a 14 play drive.

UP NEXT

Chowan will open CIAA North Division action on Saturday, October 9 as the Hawks welcome nationally-ranked Bowie State to Murfreesboro in a league clash.