No moment too big: Golden Bulls focused on their process

MATT LACZKO | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Johnson C. Smith safety Elijah Wilson knocks away a pass intended for Livingstone receiver Jordan Londan in the Golden Bulls' 26-21 win Nov. 8 at McGirt Field. JCSU, which advanced to the CIAA title game against Virginia Union, will try to win the school's first conference championship since 1969.

Johnson C. Smith football is in its first CIAA title game in 53 years.

With the anticipation of what’s to come against Virginia Union on Saturday at Durham County Stadium, coach Maurice Flowers is making sure the Golden Bulls are locked in on their process so the moment doesn’t get too big. 

“Our young men don't have a ‘this is enough’ attitude,” he said. “Our motto for the season is not done yet, and that's the way we feel. That's the way we're practicing. That's the way that we're preparing. There's not much that we do right now that comes as a surprise to our young men. We talked to our young men about playing well.”

Virginia Union and JCSU are familiar foes who have split the last two regular season games – the Golden Bulls won in 2024 and the Panthers on Sept. 20. The Golden Bulls aren’t viewing Saturday as a chance at revenge because that doesn’t win football games.

“What we're really concentrating on is we’re focusing on us,” Flowers said. “We respect Virginia Union. How can you not respect a two-time, back-to-back champion? They went to the third round last year in the playoffs. They've got a coaching staff that's been together for a long time. They recruit well, they teach well, nothing but respect for them. But what we do know is we beat this program.”

As a JCSU alumnus, Saturday is a full-circle moment for Flowers. He never got to a CIAA title game as a player, so he has an appreciation for what the program has accomplished while knowing there is more ahead.

“When you’re playing, you don’t realize that our team might not have the amount of scholarships the other teams have or that another team might have more full-time coaches,” he said. “You don’t notice that other places may have better facilities, you just play hard. … So, it makes me feel very good as a Charlottean because as a Charlottean I’ve seen some lean years at JCSU. And, it feels good because Charlotte is a top city in the world and we have winners here in Charlotte. I am glad to be able to represent JCSU and be a winner.”

Flowers is making sure the Golden Bulls understand the gravity of the moment by using it to motivate rather than announce they have arrived. JCSU last won a conference title in 1969 and made the title game in 1972. Flowers’ approach is there is still history to be made.

“We've talked about the history of [having] more wins in a season than any other team at JCSU,” he said, and I just asked them, ‘Are we satisfied with this?’ And so, after I asked them I said, ‘OK, you're not satisfied. Why aren't you satisfied?’ Once we put everything out, and they communicated to me, now it's up to me to hold them to the fire.”

After JCSU won the Commemorative Classic last week against Livingstone, Flowers was asked what the message would be to the team before the title game. He didn’t know then, but now he does.

“These are the best two teams in the CIAA,” Flowers said. “Both teams are 9-1 and both are ranked in the top 25. The message is really clear: we have to prepare well, and we have to play well. When we were beaten by them earlier in the season, we didn’t play well. They were the cause of it. I’m not saying we went up there and stepped off the bus and didn’t have a clue and it was all our fault. No, Virginia Union caused it. What we know is when you prepare to play in a championship against a team that is back-to-back champions, they aren’t going to give it to you.

“We have to prepare to play our best ball game. That has been the message.”

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