By Cameron Lee
November 16, 2025
Photo: Jerrell Jordan
Johnson C. Smith won its first CIAA championship in 56 years, defeating two-time defending champion Virginia Union 45-21 on Saturday at Durham County Memorial Stadium. The Golden Bulls last claimed a title in 1969 under legendary coach Eddie McGirt, for whom the home field at Irwin Belk Stadium is named.
Senior quarterback Kelvin Durham led the charge, throwing for 285 yards and five touchdowns on 16-of-29 passing. DeAndre Proctor and Reggie Brigman each hauled in two touchdown passes, with Proctor earning game MVP honors after recording seven catches for 146 yards, including a 58-yard score.
For head coach Maurice Flowers, an East Mecklenburg High School graduate and former All-American quarterback for the Golden Bulls from 1987 to 1990, the victory was especially meaningful. Flowers, who also coached at Olympic and West Charlotte and served as a coordinator at multiple schools before taking the JCSU head coaching position in 2022, reflected on the achievement postgame.
“It just feels, it feels like a sense of pride and it’s a sense of just really confirmation of all the work that’s went in,” Flowers said. “Really just paid my dues and always wanted to come back to my alma mater and build a winner and to build a winner that is a CIAA champion, and now we’re gonna have a high seed in the playoffs… the first playoff game in JCSU history that we’ll have on our campus.”
Flowers has completely revitalized the Golden Bulls program, posting a 27-14 record with back-to-back eight-plus win seasons and the first 10-win campaign in school history.
“For 40 years Johnson C Smith averaged 2.3 wins a season and so now to build this the way it is now… we’re still working but we’re gonna enjoy this one like you can’t imagine,” said Flowers. “It’s been more than 50 years and I’m so proud of these guys and I’m so proud of how they lead. They’re an easy group to coach.”
Anchored by the CIAA’s top defense, the Golden Bulls surrendered 238 yards to Virginia Union’s conference-leading rushing attack, including 156 from Offensive Player of the Year Curtis Allen, but held strong when it mattered most, holding the Panthers to just 4-of-12 on third-down attempts.
The Golden Bulls will now host a Division II playoff game at Irwin Belk Stadium on Saturday, November 22.
“There’s so many firsts, but we aren’t done yet,” Flowers said. “We did not set winning the CIAA championship as our top goal.”
The NCAA Division II football championship selection show will air on Sunday, November 16 at 6 p.m. on NCAA.com to determine who Johnson C. Smith plays in the first round. The 32-team field consists of 16 automatic qualifiers and eight at-large bids per region.
Update: Johnson C. Smith will host its first NCAA Division II football playoff game in school history against Frostburg State in Charlotte on Saturday, November 22 at 1 p.m. at Irwin Belk Complex (Eddie C. McGirt Field). You can purchase tickets to the game here.
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