After first-round upset, Newberry’s playoff journey takes on new challenge
Newberry College shocked the Division II football world last week after traveling to Pensacola, Florida and defeating defending national champion and No. 2-ranked West Florida 33-30 in overtime.
The Wolves aren’t ready to end their journey, however, as they travel Saturday to Bowie, Maryland to take on Bowie State.
“We all just got after it,” Newberry linebacker Nick Yearwood said. “We were ready to play. We wanted it more.”
While the offense was stout in Newberry’s first playoff win, the defense was stellar in holding one of the most explosive attacks in the country well under its normal output.
“We had three interceptions and should have had four. Their quarterback is probably one of the best in the country,” Wolves coach Todd Knight said. “They were averaging over 500 yards a week of total offense. They went for over 600 yards of total offense against Valdosta (a week prior to the game against Newberry). They scored 61 points against the number one team in our region. I just felt like it was the perfect storm for us. They had just come off one of the biggest games they had ever played, besides the national championship. They are the defending national champions.
“They beat Valdosta to win their conference, blowing it out with a ridiculous offensive performance. I felt, with us, the key was we had to start fast. I felt, hopefully, they would overlook us, sleep walk it a little bit. Then before they could get good and wake up it would be too late.”
According to linebacker Nick Yearwood, the defense knew what it had to do and took care of business.
“We all just got after it,” he said. “We were ready to play. We wanted it more. We knew we were a good defense. We just had to play on all cylinders to complete the mission. We don’t worry too much about what was on the other side. We’re about what’s on our team and what we can do.”
To defeat Bowie State, the Wolves will have to flip the script. While West Florida was proficient at flinging the football, the Bulldogs are dominate on the ground, averaging 199.8 yards per game. They are averaging 34.67 points per game, while holding opponents to 12.92.
“This is an opposite game plan,” Newberry linebacker A.J. Valentine said. “We have to make them pass the ball because they’re a pretty good running team. They’re heavy run, but we don’t think they can pass the ball on us. We have our objective to stop the run and make them pass.
“It’s pretty easy for us (to move on from the win). We don’t linger with a win. We celebrate and when Sunday comes, we move on and try to figure out what we have to do to beat the next team.”
The Wolves’ playoff journey has become a collaborative effort. Although most students returned home for the Thanksgiving holiday and the school’s cafeteria is closed, many made sure the team’s preparation was interrupted with a good meal prior to boarding buses to Maryland.
“Tiffany Herrin, the wife of our wide receiver coach Deke Herrin, runs” Kaufmann Dining Hall, Knight said. “She talked, reached out on social media and other things to let people know she wanted to fix a Thanksgiving meal, but her staff was off. Many in the community pitched in and made it happen. It was wonderful.”
With full stomachs, the team is prepared to enter battle.
“We love each other,” Yearwood said. “We have sat down and told each other as a defense, told each other our stories. We really know each other. If somebody needs a dollar, we give him a dollar. That’s the type of relationship we have. It isn’t just about putting on pads and go out and hit people. ... I think we’re ready for the journey.”
Watch Newberry football game
Who: Newberry (10-2) at Bowie State (11-1)
Where: Bulldogs Stadium in Bowie, Md.
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Watch: Streaming on Bowie State’s athletics website bsubulldogs.com
