CHARLOTTE — Johnson C. Smith University is set to compete in the CIAA football championship for the first time in 53 years, facing Virginia Union at Durham County Memorial Stadium at 3 p.m.
The Golden Bulls of Johnson C. Smith University have not reached the CIAA Championship since 1972 and last won the conference in 1969. This year, they have achieved more wins in a season than any other team in the university’s history. Their opponent, Virginia Union, is the reigning back-to-back conference champion and the only team to defeat them this season.
“We have to prepare well and we have to play well,” said a representative from Johnson C. Smith, acknowledging the challenge posed by Virginia Union. “When we were beaten by them earlier in the season, we didn’t play well. They were a cause of it.”
The anticipation for the championship game is shared not only by the current team but also by alumni and the Charlotte community. Players from the 1969 team, the last to win the conference, are among the biggest supporters of the current squad.“Most of their talking is this right here,” said a member of the 1969 team, referring to their championship rings. “They just hold that hand up and show that ring. And they say it’s your turn.”The focus for Johnson C. Smith is not on revenge for their earlier loss to Virginia Union, but rather on concentrating on their own performance. “We’re not in this as a revenge game because they beat us earlier,” a team member emphasized. “What we’re really concentrating on is...we’re focusing on us.”
As Johnson C. Smith University prepares for the CIAA Championship, the team is driven by a sense of history and the support of their community. With a focus on their own game, they aim to add a new chapter to their storied legacy.
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