JOURNAL SPORTS

It was the night some Centenary supporters have dreamed about for years, maybe decades.

It almost had a dream finish for the upstart Gentlemen.

Centenary, reinstating football this fall and hosting an intercollegiate competition in the sport for the first time since 1941, missed connections on two passes into the end zone in the closing seconds of a Thursday night scrimmage at Mayo Field, dropping a 7-0 decision to an established Division III East Texas Baptist program.

Hundreds of students, supporters and curious onlookers ringed the field in temporary bleachers and lawn chairs, watching the Gents’ defense contain what in recent years has been an explosive ETBU offense.

While the ending wasn’t perfect, Centenary coach Byron Dawson thought almost everything else was.

“I believe that football is the greatest unifier and tonight we witnessed that on Centenary campus. People from all walks of life came together to support college football in a family-friendly setting,” he said, in a statement the school released late Thursday night. “Tonight I am so happy for all of the people who worked so hard to make this special night possible. I am blessed and humbled to be entrusted to lead Centenary into a new football era. I would like to thank everyone that took out the time to come support our Gentlemen.”

Centenary is developing an NCAA Division III program. This fall the Gents are playing a series of scrimmages. They will officially usher in football next fall, when scrimmages give way to games with wins and losses that enter the record book.

But until then, the excitement of Thursday night will be hard to forget.