It’s no surprise that Fayetteville State was once again picked to be the best team from North Carolina in CIAA football.
Only this season, being tops from the Old North State may not be enough to get the Broncos back to the league title game for a seventh-straight time.
The CIAA has done away with divisions for 2024. Instead, the league has opted to keep all 11 schools together in the standings and take the top two finishers — regardless of locale and previous alignment — for its championship contest Nov. 16 in Salem, Va.
Fayetteville State has won the CIAA’s Southern Division the past six years, fending off fellow in-state programs Johnson C. Smith, Winston-Salem State, Livingstone, Shaw and St. Augustine’s each time. Now, the Broncos must beat out at least nine other schools to keep their streak alive and reach a seventh-consecutive title tilt.
CIAA coaches and sports information directors, however, believe the 2024 championship will be an all-Virginia affair. They voted Virginia State to win the league this season and picked Virginia Union as the runner-up.
Fayetteville State came in at No. 3, followed by Johnson C. Smith, Bowie State, Winston-Salem State, Shaw, Lincoln, Livingstone, Elizabeth City State and Bluefield State. St. Augustine’s is not fielding a football team this season as the school works through financial and accreditation issues.
It wasn’t lost on FSU coach Richard Hayes Jr. — who has been the leader of the program through the entire streak of title game appearances — that the Broncos weren’t a preseason favorite this time.
“We’re here and we’re ready to play,” he said at Wednesday’s CIAA media day press conference. “It is what it is, and let the chips fall where they may. We’re here. We’re not going anywhere.”
Fayetteville State lost to Virginia Union 21-10 in last year’s championship to finish 8-3. The Broncos won the 2022 crown, beating outgoing member Chowan on a last-second field goal.
The Broncos began the ’23 campaign with tough losses to UNC Pembroke and Lenoir-Rhyne. Hayes’ group then reeled off eight straight CIAA wins to claim the Southern Division. Despite struggles to move the ball and score points, Fayetteville State found ways to be on the positive side of the scoreboard all the way back to Salem.
After finishing near the bottom of the CIAA in points and yards, FSU plans to revamp its offense this year, Hayes said. It began with bringing in a new offensive coordinator, Kevin Magourik, who served as OC and quarterbacks coach at South Carolina State in 2023.
Redshirt junior Joe Owens from Greenville, S.C., returns at quarterback. He once threw 73 TD passes in a single high school season, earning South Carolina prep player of the year honors.
“There is a lot of new energy,” said Owens, who threw for 966 yards and four TDs a year ago.
Veteran offensive lineman Michael Todd was voted to the All-CIAA Preseason Team, along with defensive back Kolby Merritt and punter Josiah Boyd.
Fayetteville State will likely face its stiffest challenge for in-state supremacy from upstart Johnson C. Smith and old-school CIAA power Winston-Salem State.
JCSU had its best season in a decade a year ago, winning seven games, beating Winston-Salem State for the first time in 20 years and earning a spot in the Division II Florida Beach Bowl. Coach Maurice Flowers, in his third year, now has a veteran roster and a more established culture.
Juniors Brevin Caldwell (wide receiver) and Jalen Alexander (defensive end), the Bulls’ representatives at Wednesday’s CIAA media day, were part of a 50-plus member freshman class that came to campus in 2022. Senior Benari Black, a linebacker, was voted to the preseason All-CIAA team.
“We had a process and we stuck to it,” Flowers said. “We’re all going in the right direction, and it started with recruiting good coaches and good players.”
Winston-Salem State finished 4-4 in the CIAA a year ago, but those four losses came by a total of 15 points. The Rams took Fayetteville State to overtime in the finale.
A senior-led roster, combined with highly touted sophomore quarterback Daylin Lee, is ready to bring the Rams back to the top echelon of the league.
“As a Ram you get everybody’s ‘A’ game,” Massey said. “We don’t have the luxury of taking a game off, a play off … We are not going to take anyone from granted.”
The Rams put four players on the preseason All-CIAA Team, the most of any North Carolina school: offensive lineman Darius McDuffie, defensive back Justin Fleming and defensive linemen Camar Kyle and Jaylyn Norris.
Shaw, Livingstone and Elizabeth City State all look to be on the upswing despite being voted farther down in the preseason balloting.
Key returnees for Shaw include wide receciver Ah’shaan Belcher and defensive lineman Saevion Gibbs, both of whom made the preseason all-league team. The Bears must replace Gibbs’ brother, Sidney Gibbs, who broke the school record for career rushing yards a season ago.
Livingstone shook off an 0-4 start and finished the 2023 season by winning four of the last six. Coach Sean Gilbert, a former NFL player, aims to carry that momentum over into 2024. Jaden Echols, linebacker, made the All-CIAA team.
ECSU returns one of the top running backs in the league in Zechariah Adams-Duckson, a preseason all-CIAA pick. He rushed for 742 yards a year ago, second in the conference behind player of the year Jada Byers from Virginia Union.
Coach Marcus Hilliard is in his third year with the program. Elizabeth City State proved a tough out last season and upset this year’s favorite, Virginia State, 17-16 on Oct. 21. “We have some pieces this year,” Hilliard said. “These guys have grown with the program and grown with me. We are excited at Elizabeth City.”
CIAA Predicted Order of Finish
1. Virginia State
2. Virginia Union
3. Fayetteville State
4. Johnson C. Smith
5. Bowie State
6. Winston-Salem State
7. Shaw
8. Lincoln (Pa.)
9. Livingstone
10. Elizabeth City State
11. Bluefield State
2024 All-CIAA Preseason Team
Tight End
Kalen Carver, Virginia Union*
Offensive Linemen
Michael Todd, Fayetteville State*
Jamaree Moyer, Virginia Union*
Darius McDuffie, Winston-Salem State*
Mathias Nielsen, Virginia Union +
Bruno Onwuazor, Virgina State +
Wide Receivers
Malachi Langley, Lincoln (Pa.)*
Ah’shaan Belcher, Shaw +
Quarterback
Isaiah Freeman, Lincoln (PA)*
Running Backs
Jada Byers, Virginia Union*
Zechariah Adams-Duckson, Elizabeth City State*
Kick Returner
Zyaire Tart, Lincoln (PA)
Place Kicker
Brady Myers, Virginia Union*
Defensive Linemen
Isaac Anderson, Virginia Union*
Saevion Gibbs, Shaw*
Camar Kyle, Winston-Salem State +
Jaylyn Norris, Winston-Salem State (Bluefield State) +
Linebackers
Benari Black, Johnson C. Smith*
Shamar Graham, Virginia Union*
Jaden Echols, Livingstone*
Defensive Backs
Kolby Merritt, Fayetteville State*
Justin Fleming, Winston-Salem State*
Devin Williams, Bowie State*
Jahad Green, Lincoln (PA)
Punt Returner
Larry Hackey, Virginia Union
Punter
Josiah Boyd, Fayetteville State*
* – Returning 2023 All-CIAA First Team selection
+ – Returning 2023 All-CIAA Second Team selection
