Vikings shine Down East

ECSU beats St. Aug’s in annual Classic

The Elizabeth City State marching band paraded toward the field early Saturday night, horns and flags and smiles pointed toward a partisan crowd of thousands, and started to bust out the first couple of notes of a classic Earth, Wind and Fire song.

September.

Oh, how appropriate.

Only minutes earlier, Elizabeth City State had knocked off conference rival St. Augustine’s for a 24-13 win at the Rocky Mount Sports Complex. As the last seconds ticked off the game clock, the Vikings started to celebrate because, well, they realized they would be able to walk off the field with their second victory in their annual Down East Viking Football Classic in three seasons and, perhaps more important, their losing streak would not stretch on another week.

So long, September. So long, skid.

“We prepared all week,” Vikings defensive back Rod Jones said. “We worked hard, and we worked hard together, as a team. We wanted to win.”

Jones played a big part in the win for the Vikings (2-3), who pushed away the Falcons (1-4) again and again during the third and fourth quarters to hang on to the win. Late during the first quarter, he recovered a fumble by Falcons quarterback Kris Brownlee a little more than a foot in front of the end zone to save a touchdown. During the third quarter, he intercepted an errant pass by Brownlee to stall another drive for the Falcons. In all, the Vikings forced five fumbles and four turnovers.

Jones and the rest of the Vikings were able to play so well defensively, both Jones and Vikings coach Waverly Tillar said, because Tillar and his assistants installed a new defense earlier this week that features three safeties, rather than two, back in the secondary.

“We figured we might have a better chance to win,” Tillar said, “with an extra athlete out on the field – an extra athlete who can make plays.”

And though the defense shined brightly for the Vikings, so, too, did the offense. At least during one play.

Late during the third quarter, with the Vikings in control 16-7, quarterback Curtis Rich dropped back from the Elizabeth City State 36-yard line and looked left, then up the middle, then right. Then he lobbed a pass toward the sideline that floated and fluttered and, finally, dropped toward wide receiver Dexter Manley. With only one defensive back near him, Manley stretched his right arm and, with the palm of his right hand and about four fingers, managed to haul in the pass, then sprint the remaining 15 or 20 yards toward the end zone. Manley said he had recorded only one other one-hand catch during his 14 seasons on the field, and that was during a practice. But he never did doubt his ability to catch that pass.

“When the ball is in the air,” Manley said, “as a wide receiver, I am going to catch the ball, or no one is going to catch the ball. That is my mentality, all of our mentalities.”

The reception certainly was the most spectacular play of this Classic and perhaps, one of the more spectacular plays of any Classic during the last decade. It also all but wrapped up another win for the Vikings. After that play, they stretched their lead to 24-7. The Falcons scored one more touchdown on a fake field goal, then threatened to score again after recovering a fumble on a pooch kick. But nothing mattered after Manley and his magnificent catch.

Just call him, and the Vikings, a shining star.