Division II Virginia State banned from postseason play, school to investigate
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association has banned Virginia State football from postseason play following its role in the beating of Winston-Salem quarterback Rudy Johnson last week.
Johnson was jumped in a bathroom by at least five Virginia State players during a joint luncheon for both teams ahead of the conference championship game. Virginia State backup running back Lamont Britt was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault inflicting serious injury for his role in the melee.
“Their players jumped our starting quarterback, Rudy Johnson, and swelled up his eye and busted up his lip and some other things,” Winston-Salem coach Connell Maynor said. “And basically that’s what happened, and for the safety of the players and everybody else, they are canceling the game.”
Both teams were 9-1 and in a position to qualify for the Division II playoffs. Winston-Salem is No. 2 in the national rankings and will probably make the playoffs despite not playing a championship game. Virginia State, ranked No. 6, probably would have needed a win to secure a playoff spot, but that means little now.
Virginia State says they’re conducting an investigation into the incident and Virginia State President Keith T. Miller said Monday in a press conference that he understood the decision to cancel the game, which drew the ire of several Virginia State parents who thought the game should not have been cancelled because of the act of a few players.
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