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By: East Dockery

Lamar Raynard holds up Celebration Bowl trophy with Coach Washington

Oh man, oh man. Not again.

The Aggies made it clear that they don't hold L's, they hold Celebration Bowl titles.

The NC A&T Aggies faced the Alcorn State Braves on Saturday, December 15, 2018, in the HBCU Celebration Bowl and this MEAC vs. SWAC square off was a sight to see.

The Aggies came out strong in the first quarter with a touchdown pass made by Lamar Raynard to #19 Zachary Leslie (WR) within the first two minutes of the game. However, it didn’t take long for Alcorn State to figure the Aggies out.

Alcorn State, being the more physical team, limited the Aggies ability to get an adequate amount of yardage. They also managed to run the ball effectively on the "stingy" Aggie defense. However, the Braves had some issues of their own.

Noah Johnson, Alcorn State’s QB, took a hard hit during the first quarter, which caused him to have a couple of issues with his hamstring later on in the game. This incident did not make things look too good for Alcorn State, especially that early in the game.

Noah Johnson is a finalist for HBCU National Player of the Year and was the main focal point for the Braves during this game. Therefore, his injury had a significant effect on the Braves' ability to perform to their full potential.

Speaking of QB’s, this was an emotional game for A&T’s quarterback, Lamar Raynard. This season has been a tumultuous journey for him for he has endured multiple injuries and a concussion.

"I had people that counted me out and I even counted myself out" stated Raynard.

Raynard's physical and emotional obstacles, along with the fact that this game was his last college game and most likely his last football game ever, gave him the fire he needed going into this game and to show the crowd that he had a lot to prove.

Throughout the game, there were multiple momentum shifts. With Alcorn State stacking up more yards against the Aggies, getting their first pick of the game, and playing more effective defense, the Aggies were on their tiptoes.

However, A&T had a lot of explosive moments to be proud of as well.

Lamar threw a smooth touchdown pass to #13 Elijah Bell (WR) towards the end of the second quarter, and #88 Malik "The FreaK" Wilson (WR) made an explosive 79-yard kickoff return touchdown with just a few seconds left to go in the third quarter.

Malik's run is mainly what put the Aggies back in a good position and the Aggies have always been able to rely on him to do such. Malik Wilson has managed to consistently contribute to a momentum shift all season, which allowed him to set the fourth school record for kickoff returns with a total of 112 yards.

Alcorn State responded with a big play made by Noah Johnson, making the score 24-22 and they tried to go for a two-point conversion in order to tie the score but did not succeed.

Lamar Raynard ended up throwing a pass to #4 Isaiah Hicklin (WR), getting the Aggies a first down with a little less than two minutes to go in the fourth quarter in order for them to secure their stance in the game.

The Aggies ended up allowing the clock to run out as they celebrated their victory.

This game was a rollercoaster ride. However, A&T managed to come out on top. This team could have fallen apart with two ego-crushing losses against Morgan State and FAMU, but they did not. The Aggies’ determination and hunger is what led them to look past those losses to become 3-time HBCU National Champions.

During the game, ESPN commentator and Howard alum, Jay Walker, stated: “North Carolina A&T is the hottest school in the country right now athletically, academically, everything”.

The Aggies proved this statement to be true not only in this game and in this season but in every aspect period. For no matter the how high the highs or how low the lows are, the Aggies will always continue to persevere and make their school and community proud, because that is what Aggies Do.