Johnson C. Smith will get an opportunity to defend its CIAA football championship next Saturday after defeating rival Livingstone 27-14 in its regular-season finale.
The Golden Bulls will face Virginia Union in the conference title game on Nov. 14 at Durham County Memorial Stadium. Virginia Union completed an unbeaten conference season Saturday with a 36-14 victory over Virginia State.
Fayetteville State also secured a place in the CIAA’s expanded championship weekend, rallying for a 23-17 victory at Winston-Salem State. The Broncos will face Virginia State in the inaugural Friday Night Blitz on Nov. 13, hoping to strengthen their case for a berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs.
Both games will be played in Durham, giving North Carolina two representatives in the conference’s postseason showcase.
Johnson C. Smith 27, Livingstone 14
Johnson C. Smith took control early against its oldest rival, building a 20-0 lead through three quarters before holding off a fourth-quarter rally.
Running back Fabian Duncan rushed for 148 yards and two touchdowns on 37 carries, scoring on runs of 4 and 2 yards. Duncan accounted for all but three of the Golden Bulls’ 145 net rushing yards.
Quarterback Damien Mazil completed 9 of 20 passes for 155 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown to Reginald Daniel with 4:21 remaining that extended JCSU’s lead to 27-7.
Alexis Rosario-Beltran added field goals of 25 and 29 yards.
Livingstone made things interesting late, getting two touchdown passes from Andrew McClain in the fourth quarter. McClain finished with 237 passing yards, while Tikey Hayes caught three passes for 89 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown.
The Golden Bulls’ defense was led by Jamaris Stevens with 11 tackles, Taurus Damon Jr. with 10 and Anthony Binyard with nine. JCSU recorded 10 tackles for loss and three sacks.
Johnson C. Smith will now attempt to capture its second consecutive CIAA championship against a Virginia Union team that went undefeated in conference play. The Golden Bulls won last year’s game over VUU to earn the school’s first CIAA title in football since the late 1960s.
Fayetteville State 23, Winston-Salem State 17
Fayetteville State needed a furious fourth-quarter comeback to keep its postseason ambitions alive.
The Broncos trailed 17-7 after three quarters, with their only touchdown coming on a 35-yard interception return by Christopher Bentley in the second period.
Winston-Salem State had built its lead behind a 7-yard touchdown run by Jamison Funderburk, an 86-yard blocked field goal return by Bryce Johnson and a 25-yard field goal by Gilberto Lorenzana.
But Fayetteville State scored 16 unanswered points in the final quarter.
John Hernandez-Vargas connected on a 36-yard field goal to cut the deficit to seven. Jamir Dismukes then found Lorenzo Southern for a 10-yard touchdown pass with 7:15 remaining, although the conversion attempt failed, leaving the Broncos trailing 17-16.
Braylon Vinson scored the winning touchdown on an 11-yard run with 1:53 remaining, completing an eight-play, 51-yard drive.
Vinson led Fayetteville State with 62 rushing yards on 11 carries. Dismukes completed 13 of 27 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown, while Marcus Fleming caught three passes for 51 yards.
The Broncos’ defense was especially disruptive, recording nine sacks and intercepting three passes while limiting Winston-Salem State to 171 yards of total offense.
Osirus Rhodes registered 3.5 sacks, while Sedrick Clarke added two sacks and two forced fumbles. Bentley intercepted two passes, including his touchdown return, and Kadynce Watson led the team with seven tackles.
Fayetteville State improved to 7-3 overall and 6-2 in CIAA play. The Broncos will face Virginia State in a game that could provide another opportunity to impress the NCAA Division II playoff selection committee. Winston-Salem State finished the first season of the Tory Woodbury era at 2-8.
Virginia Union earns top seed
Virginia Union secured the No. 1 seed in the CIAA championship game after finishing 9-1 overall and a perfect 8-0 in conference play.
The Panthers defeated Virginia State 36-14 in their regular-season finale, holding the Trojans to 170 yards of offense.
Quarterback RJ Rosales passed for 211 yards and three touchdowns and added a rushing score. Ramon Brown rushed for 111 yards and a touchdown.
Virginia State secured the No. 3 seed over Fayetteville State through the conference’s point-differential tiebreaking procedure after the teams posted identical 3-2 records against five common CIAA opponents.
In other CIAA games on Saturday, Elizabeth City State raced past Bluefield State 58-12.
Raise More for Your Football Program or Sports Team
Need to raise money for your team? Hour-A-Thon helps high school athletic programs raise funds through a simple, one-hour event built around players connecting with family, friends and supporters. No products to sell and no weeks-long fundraiser to manage. Learn more about Hour-A-Thon and what it can do for your program.
2026 CIAA Football Championship Weekend
Durham County Memorial Stadium | Durham, NC
Friday, Nov. 13 — Friday Night Blitz
No. 4 Fayetteville State vs. No. 3 Virginia State
The conference’s inaugural third-place postseason game gives both programs another opportunity to finish the season with a victory and potentially improve their NCAA playoff résumés.
Saturday, Nov. 14 — CIAA Championship Game
No. 2 Johnson C. Smith vs. No. 1 Virginia Union
The Golden Bulls seek their second consecutive CIAA championship against a Virginia Union team that has yet to lose to a conference opponent this season.
Game times were not included in the CIAA’s Nov. 7 championship announcement.
