The Benedict Tigers’ magical season came to end after a 23-6 loss in their playoff opener against the Wingate Bulldogs.
Benedict entered their first-ever playoffs as the No. 1 seed in Super Region 2 following the first undefeated regular season in school history and their first SIAC championship win.
They received a first-round bye facing a Wingate team that defeated the Virginia Union Panthers 32-7 in the first round.
It was a rough day for the Benedict offense against Wingate’s aggressive defense. The Tigers were only able to manage 29 total rushing yards for the game.
While quarterback Eric Phoenix was able to finish with a solid line of 303 passing yards and a touchdown, this does not tell the whole story.
Phoenix and the Tigers’ offensive line were under pressure all game surrendering seven sacks. The sustained pressure led to two Wingate interceptions and a safety — each coming in the second quarter.
Meanwhile, the Wingate offense clicked all game led by quarterback Shaw Crocker who posted 303 passing yards accounting for all three of the team’s touchdowns.
Benedict looked to turn the momentum in their favor in the third quarter following the lone score of the game on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Phoenix to Elijah Watson.
The defense then forced their lone turnover of the game on a William Johnson interception. Benedict did not capitalize as they were unable to convert on a fourth-down conversion.
Benedict finishes the season with an 11-1 overall record.
