COLUMBIA, S.C. — Following an undefeated regular season, Benedict students are riding the hype train into playoffs.
Daneshi Wooten is a junior at Benedict College and has never seen the football team as successful as they are this year. She was at Charles W. Johnson Stadium on Saturday when the Tigers brought home their first SIAC conference championship.
“It was hype.” Wooten said. “We were all up on our feet, we had made signs and everything.”
Wooten was just one of many students on campus who are excited about the football team’s success.
Freshman Sahquan Gentry said the season has been a wild ride.
“Them boys out there on the field, they blew my mind,” Gentry said. “Going undefeated … them boys, they have that dog in them.”
The hype has made its way to the book store, according to employee Shamika Washington, who says Benedict merch is hot right now. “A lot of alumni has been coming in, a lot of students have been coming in, but a lot of alumni and we’ve been getting a lot of foot traffic.”
Athletic Director Willie Washington says the attention is great for students right now. He says that conference championships are the standard for teams of all sports, with the goal of being the best school in the SIAC. He is excited because athletic success can cascade into other areas of the college.
“It will help with recruiting,” Washington said. “We need enrollment here like all other schools and I believe it will help, just from the inquiries we’re getting about Benedict and just people being interested.”
Washington says that the hiring of head coach Chennis Berry played a huge role in the team’s current winning culture, but adds the job isn’t over.
“When the coach arrived, his vision [is that] one day we will be national champions, so we’ve got to get there,” Washington said. “So, they got a little bit more work to do.”
The Tigers were given a first round bye for the NCAA playoffs with their first game being play against either Virginia Union University or Wingate University.
The second round matchup is set for November 26th.