Shorter football announces 2009 schedule

The Shorter College Hawks football team has released their schedule for the 2009 season, playing six games at Barron Stadium in Rome, with five games away.

Shorter will travel first to NCAA Div. II Lenoir-Rhyne University on Sat., Aug. 29, in Hickory, N.C., for a 7 p.m. kick-off. This is the third time the Hawks have faced a Div. II opponent, having last faced North Greenville University last season in a 37-21 win, and previously Stillman College in 2007 in a close 24-27 loss. The Bears were 3-8 last season with wins over Concord University, West Virginia Tech, and Brevard College.

Following a two-week break, Shorter will continue play against another NCAA team in the first home game of the season at Barron Stadium. They will repeat the annual Battle for the Governor's Cup as they take on the Div. III LaGrange College Panthers on Sept. 12 tentatively scheduled for a 7 p.m. kickoff. The Panthers are the defending St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champions after producing a 9-1 regular season record (the only loss coming in their 28-23 game against Shorter) that earned the team a bid to the NCAA Division III Football national playoffs.

The Hawks' first Mid-South Conference match-up follows as Pikeville College comes to Rome for Shorter's second home game, which kicks off at Barron Stadium at 1:30 p.m. Last season, the Hawks held Pikeville to a scoreless second half, winning 52-17 in Pikeville, Ky.

On Sept. 26, Shorter will face the Faulkner University Eagles in Montgomery, Ala., in their first conference divisional game of the season. The Hawks opened their home football season in style last year against Faulkner, breaking then-three team records and one individual record, in a 42-0 victory.

Shorter returns home the following week for a non-divisional conference game against Campbellsville University on Oct. 3 at 1:30 p.m. The Hawks had 370 yards rushing yards against the Bulldogs last season, highlighted by a 98-yard run from A.J. Cooley, winning 24-14.

One of the toughest tests for the Hawks comes on Oct. 10 on the road against Lambuth University - a competition the Hawks lost last year on a last-second touchdown from the Eagles, 42-38. On Oct. 17, Shorter will face the newest member of the Mid-South Conference, Kentucky Christian University, at 1:30 p.m. for their fourth home game at Barron Stadium.

The Hawks will face Union College (Ky.) in Barboursville, Ky., on Oct. 24, in what is sure to be a tough rematch following last season's close 33-27 win over the nationally-ranked Bulldogs.

Three divisional conference games mark the end of the regular season. Shorter will face Cumberland (Tenn.) on Oct. 31 at Barron Stadium, before traveling to Belhaven on Nov. 7. Last season, Shorter won both games, beating Cumberland 27-24, and shutting out Belhaven in the final home game at Barron Stadium, 35-0.

The Hawks will conclude the regular season at home on Nov. 14 against Bethel College. Last year's contest between the two proved to be the deciding match-up for the Mid-South Conference Western Division Championship - as the Hawks won 7-0.

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