Catawba can’t overcome Tuskegee’s start, falls 26-16 in Division II football playoffs
Catawba fell behind early Saturday and spent the rest of the afternoon trying unsuccessfully to catch up, eventually falling 26-16 to visiting Tuskegee in a first round NCAA Division II football playoff game.
The Golden Tigers, winning in the NCAA football playoffs for the first time, built a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and answered every Catawba threat.
“Getting behind early made it tough,” said Catawba coach Curtis Walker, whose team won the South Atlantic Conference, brought a seven-game winning streak into the playoffs and finished the season 9-3. “We got to within 14-10 and were plugging away, but they made the plays that sealed our fate.”
The host Indians scored on a 45-yard run by Gary Williams late in the third quarter and climbed to within four points on a Chad Hollandsworth field goal with 13 minutes, 21 seconds left in the game. But Tuskegee (9-2) then went 63 yards in four plays, scoring on a pass from Kevin Lacey to Leo Gilbert.
The back-breaking play for Catawba came on its next series, when Tuskegee linebacker Jewell Ratliff picked off a Mike Sheehan pass and dashed 37 yards for a touchdown, evading several Catawba tacklers along the way.
“I went back to my old days as a running back,” Ratliff said with a laugh .
That gave Tuskegee a 26-10 lead, and while Catawba scored on a Sheehan-to-Keyon West pass with 6:12 remaining, the Indians were unable to get close again.
“It’s disappointing to have a really good season end like this, but winning championships and getting into the playoffs is something we want to do every season,” Walker said.
3 who mattered
Carlos Tarrats: Catawba’s junior wide receiver set a school record with 14 receptions. “We thought I’d have opportunities today,” he said .
Kyle Kitchens: A sophomore linebacker, Kitchens had five tackles, two for losses, along with two sacks and a blocked extra point.
Dennis Norfleet: A transfer from Michigan, Norfleet rushed 18 times for 102 yards and caught two passes. He had several long gains in the fourth quarter, helping Tuskegee pull away.
Observations
▪ Catawba quarterback Mike Sheehan had a huge day, completing 38 of 47 passes for 305 yards. But coach Curtis Walker said the Indians were hurt because they became one-dimensional. “We needed to run the ball,” he said.
▪ Tuskegee will stay in its home state for the second round of the playoffs next Saturday, traveling to North Alabama, which beat Newberry 50-7 Saturday.
▪ All three South Atlantic Conference playoff qualifiers fell in the first round. In addition to Catawba and Newberry, Carson-Newman dropped a wild 61-59 decision to Valdosta State. Valdosta scored 34 points in the fourth quarter, including a 29-yard touchdown pass on the game’s final play.
Worth mentioning
▪ Tuskegee has won several unofficial “black championships” in football since the school started the sport in 1913, but this was the Golden Tigers’ first victory in the NCAA playoffs.
▪ Catawba entered the game on a seven-game winning streak. The Indians hadn’t lost since a Sept. 26, when they fell 17-0 against Wingate.
▪ Tuskegee averaged 104 penalty yards a game during the regular season, but was whistled for only 30 yards Saturday. Catawba had 20 yards in penalties.
▪ Catawba returns 16 of 22 starters next season.
They said it
“It was a wonderful season, and it’s sad to have it end so early. But I think this sort of season will become normal for us.” – Catawba sophomore linebacker Kyle Kitchens, the South Atlantic Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
This story was originally published November 21, 2015 at 5:31 PM with the headline "Catawba can’t overcome Tuskegee’s start, falls 26-16 in Division II football playoffs."