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 The conference announced that the title game set for Saturday in
Winston-Salem in North Carolina has been canceled.
Rudy Johnson, the starting quarterback for the Rams, was "viciously
beaten" by members of the Virginia State team, Winston-Salem State
Chancellor Donald Reaves said in a statement. He said one Virginia
State player admitted his role in the beating.
School spokeswoman Nancy Young identified the suspect as 22-year-old
Lamont Daniel Britt. A Forsyth County jail official says Britt, a
running back from Portsmouth, Va., was being held there Friday night
on a charge of misdemeanor assault inflicting serious injury.
"There is no excuse for the behavior of the Virginia State players,"
Reaves said.
Young said Johnson was assaulted in the bathroom at the Anderson
Conference Center on the Winston-Salem campus during the luncheon.
"Today's event was supposed to be a celebration for both teams and
for all the players who were being recognized for an outstanding
season," Reaves said. "The actions from the Virginia State players
certainly changed the outcome for everyone."
Virginia State Athletic Director Peggy Davis didn't return a phone
call seeking comment, but the school issued a statement on its
website saying it is fully cooperating with the CIAA in its
investigation and couldn't comment further.
Both Winston-Salem State Rams and Virginia State Trojans are 9-1.
The Rams lost to Valdosta State in the NCAA Division II championship
game last year, and both teams were in position to earn postseason
berths this season.
The Winston-Salem Journal reported that five Virginia State players
were involved, and Reaves said university police are trying to
identify the others.
One of Johnson's teammates told the newspaper that "Rudy was beaten
up bad and he can't play." A photo taken of Johnson shows him holding ice
over his right eye.
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CIAA Commissioner Jacqie Carpenter lamented the loss of the
championship weekend. The conference consists of 12 historically
black colleges and universities in Maryland, North Carolina,
Pennsylvania and Virginia.
"On the eve of such an important weekend for dozens of our
student-athletes, many of whom have waited a lifetime for such a
moment, we are left to focus instead on what might have been,"
Carpenter said.
"But the CIAA has long had policies to encourage responsible
behavior, and must consider what is necessary to assure days
like today are not repeated, ever," she said.
The conference volleyball championship, which also involved the
two schools, was canceled as well.
Johnson, a 6-2, 205-pound junior from San Diego, moved into the
starting lineup in the second game. He has completed 150 of 239
passes for 2,076 yards and 22 touchdowns with five interceptions
in his nine games. He's also the team's second-leading rusher
with 420 yards and six rushing scores.
Britt, a 5-foot-10, 205-pound sophomore, was Virginia State's
third-leading rusher with 276 yards and one touchdown on 63
carries. He also had seven catches for 78 yards on the year.
Winston-Salem State was trying to become the first team in two
decades to win three straight CIAA championships, the last being
Hampton from 1992-94. The Rams have won 24 straight games
against CIAA opponents.
Virginia State and Winston-Salem State hadn't played since 2003.
[Associated
Press]
Sports writer Aaron
Beard contributed to this report.
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