WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The game was days ago. The loss still hurts.

“We picked the wrong time to lay an egg,” Butler graduate Nate Hartung said of Winston-Salem State’s 35-7 NCAA Division II championship loss to Valdosta State. He is a starting offensive guard on the team.

“We were down 21-0 at the half and had 245 yards of offense to their 160,” Hartung said. “But we turned the ball over six times in that game. You can’t have that.”

The loss spoiled a perfect season for the Rams (14-1), who were fifth in all of Division II with 42.5 points per game this year. Prior to the title game, Winston-Salem State scored at least 21 points in each of its games.

The Rams were trying to become the first predominantly black college to win a Division II national title. They were the first to reach the championship game since Central State (Ohio) did so in 1983.

Next year, Hartung will be among the team’s returnees looking to make another run.

“I think we can,” Hartung said. “We have six starters back on offense — including four on the offensive line — and seven on defense.

“We’ll have to replace our quarterback. He owns about every record at this school.”

Kameron Smith threw for 3,043 yards, 42 touchdowns and only nine interceptions for Winston-Salem State this season.

Hartung admitted his body is “beaten up” after playing 15 games. He has cartilage damage in his left ankle that will likely require surgery.

“I’m trying to avoid it, but it looms like it’s going to happen,” he said of the surgery.

Hartung turned 26 in November and said he weighs 430 pounds right now. He hopes to lose between 50 and 60 pounds before next season, which will be his senior year.

He was a first team, all-conference player this year.

“I’m most comfortable and feel the most agile on the field when I’m at 375 pounds or so,” Hartung said.

While he plans to enter chiropractic school once he completes his education at Winston-Salem State, Hartung remains hopeful of playing pro football — either in the NFL or Canadian Football League — down the road.

“I don’t know if I’ll have a shot,” he admitted. “I know my age, weight and injuries are all against me. But I’m going to work out as if I do have a shot.”

Before this season, Hartung had not played football since December of 2010.

For him, it was worth the wait.

“We have a lot of transfers here and I remember talking with those guys before our semifinal game at home against West Texas A&M on a Saturday night,” Hartung said. “The game was on ESPN3 and the atmosphere was electric.

“No matter what level of football you’re at, we all agreed that this type of game — nationally televised, with the winner playing for a national championship — is the game we’ve all dreamed of playing in.”