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•The West Georgian-Wednesday, October 21, 1992
12
The 1982
Notional
Championship Season
38 Miles College 6
45 Baptist U. 0
41 at Milsaps 6
48 Hampden-Sydney 0
45 Knoxville ■ 3
34 Randolph Macon 0
41 C. Florida 7
42 Morehouse 6
45 Maryville 13
NCAA SOUTH REGION
TITLE GAME
31 Widener 24
NCAA SEMIFINALS
27 Bishop 6
NCAA DIVSION ID
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
14 Augustana 0
Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Bobby Pate
Assistants: Jack Brinkley,
Chuck Taylor, Mike
Earwood, Jimmy Stokes,
Allen Gaston, Steve
Campbell, Johnny Morris,
Tom Hall
Stokes remembers National Championship
and anticipates another one shortly
By Chris Bridges
Sports Writer
Almost 10 years ago as the game
clockcounted down to zero, the West
Georgia College football players and
coaches realized they had just ac
complished something special.
WGC had won the National
Championship and one of those men
responsible was defensive line coach
Jimmy Stokes. Stokes helped coach
a tough Braves defense that shut out
its opponent, Augustana, 14-0 in the
title game.
“I can honestly sat that December
4, 1982 was the finest day of my
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WGC dominated opponents to win ’B2 title
By Gid Rowell
Sports Writer
The year was 1982. It is a season
that West Georgia football fans will
never forget. WGC was in its second
season under head coach Bobby Pate
when it accomplished a feat some
football programs strive for decades
to accomplish. WGC won the NCAA
Division 111 National Championship
while posting a 12-0 record.
Despite fielding a team consist
ing of 102 underclassmen, lOjuniors,
and three seniors, WGC led the na
tion in several statistical categories.
On offense, the Braves led the
nation in scoring with 37.6 points
per game, in total offense with 443.4
yards per game, and in rushing with
315.3 yards per game.
On defense, WGC led in scoring
defense with 5.9 points per game, in
total defense with 200.5 yards per
game, in rushing defense with 52.1
yards per game, and average win
margin with 31.7 points per game.
Even more impressive is the fact
the Braves won the championship in
its second year after football had
life,” Stokes said. ‘‘While some of
the former players and coaches have
gone on to higher things, we will
always remember that day.”
Stokes said he remembered how
close and tightly knit that 1982 title
team was. Not only did the team
enjoy playing football, but they had
a good time.
The stage began to be set for the
West Georgia Braves the previous
season when they lost to Widener in
the first round of the playoffs 10-3.
“We all felt if we had beaten them
then we could have won the whole
thing that year also,” Stokes said.
When the 1982 season arrived
been brought back to the school after
a 23-year absence.
West Georgia’s toughest game of
the season, and possibly the greatest
game in WGC history was against
defending national champion, Wid
ener University.
In the NCAA South Region
Championship WGC defeated
Widener, who defeated WGC in the
1981 playoffs, 31-24; but the game
was not without its moments. Both
Stokes recalled everyone looking in
the paper each week to see how
Widener had done because there was
a feeling that the two schools would
meet in a rematch in the first round of
the playoffs. The predictions were
right.
Widener and West Georgia met
in the first round and played in what
Please see "Stokes", pg 13
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teams battled for three overtimes
until WGC scored the winning
touchdown.
After a 27-6 victory over Bishop
in the NCAA Semifinals, WGC met
Augustana in the nationally tele
vised, NCAA Division 111 National
Championship Game. In the Stagg
Bowl, played in Phenix, Ala., WGC
defeated Augustana 14-0 before a
crowd of more than 10,000 fans.
As the season concluded, WGC
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Players and fans gather
around West Georgia
head football coach
Bobby Pate after WGC’s
14-0 win over Augustana
in 1982’ s national
championship game. Pate
is shown holding up the
national championship
trophy that WGC claimed
with the win. The title is
the Braves first and only
in WGC football history.
had four All-American selections
On offense, quarterback David Ar
cher and offensive tackle Bruc<
Pritchett, and on defense, defensiv<
end Angelo Snipes and linebacke
Derrick Germaine, represented th
Braves.
After the ’B2 season, WGC move
up to Division II and to membershi
in the Gulf South Conference as Di
vision 111 schools refused to con
tinue playing the powerful Braves,
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