DURHAM – The Catawba Indians secured their first win of the season, defeating the Shaw Bears 37-28 at Durham County Memorial Stadium on Saturday. The game featured multiple lead changes and showcased offensive prowess from both teams.
First Half: Back-and-Forth Battle
Catawba struck quickly, scoring on a 14-yard run by LJ Turner just 36 seconds into the game. Shaw responded with a 12-play, 75-yard drive, capped by Travon Tensley's 2-yard touchdown run, tying the game at 7-7.
The second quarter saw both offenses hitting their stride:
- Catawba regained the lead with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Preston Brown to Deuce Linder.
- Shaw answered with two consecutive scores:
- A 10-yard touchdown pass from Christian Peters to Jon Barnes (PAT blocked)
- An 8-yard touchdown pass from Peters to Ah'shaan Belcher, followed by a successful two-point conversion
- Catawba tied the game at 21-21 just before halftime with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Brown to Quece Williams, concluding a impressive 90-yard drive.
Second Half: Catawba Pulls Ahead
Catawba dominated the third quarter, scoring 9 unanswered points:
- A 27-yard field goal by Bryson Sims
- A 24-yard touchdown pass from Brown to Jordan Mitchell (PAT failed)
Shaw fought back in the fourth quarter with Belcher's second touchdown reception, cutting Catawba's lead to 30-28. However, Catawba sealed the victory with another Brown-to-Linder connection, this time for a 16-yard touchdown.
Key Statistics
- Total Yards: Catawba 419, Shaw 254
- Passing Yards: Catawba 295, Shaw 115
- Rushing Yards: Shaw 139, Catawba 124
- Time of Possession: Catawba 33:45, Shaw 26:15
- Third Down Conversions: Catawba 6/11, Shaw 5/12
Standout Performances
- Catawba's Preston Brown: 24/29 for 295 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs
- Shaw's Travon Tensley: 20 carries for 99 yards, 1 TD
- Catawba's Deuce Linder: 7 receptions for 98 yards, 2 TDs
- Catawba's Kobe Christian: 6 receptions for 101 yards
- Shaw's Ah'shaan Belcher: 4 receptions for 51 yards, 2 TDs (became Shaw's all-time leader in touchdown receptions)
- Catawba's Deno Wardlow: 10 tackles
- Shaw's Jalen Banks: 10 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack
Notable Moments
- Shaw won the turnover battle, recovering one Catawba fumble without committing any turnovers themselves.
- Catawba's defense held Shaw to a season-low 254 yards of total offense.
- Shaw's offense was efficient in the red zone, scoring touchdowns on all four of their trips.
This victory improved Catawba's record to 1-1 for the season, while Shaw dropped to 2-1. The game showcased the offensive capabilities of both teams, with Catawba's aerial attack ultimately proving too much for Shaw's defense to contain.
Up Next
Both teams open conference play next week as Catawba will travel to UVA Wise for their SAC opener and Shaw will host Lincoln (PA) to begin CIAA play.
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