By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Sports Information Director
Gents’ football is now just eight days away from the regular-season opener at home against the Hendrix College Warriors in a historic contest set for next Saturday, Sept. 7 at Atkins Field on the Centenary campus.
Centenary will prep for its first official intercollegiate game in decades with a scrimmage on Saturday at 6 p.m. against Community Christian College Louisiana at Atkins Field. There is no admission charge.
“2024 marks a pivotal growth season for our football program,” said Gents’ head coach Byron Dawson. “We’ve seen progress in our team dynamics, staff development, and facility enhancements.
“The challenge now lies in managing this growth while fostering a strong team culture. Although we’ve addressed key areas of depth, there’s still much work ahead. Every year demands a fresh start, and this is a new year, a new team, and a new dream.
“With a young roster and an emerging program, we’re still in the process of evaluating players to find the right mix for our first NCAA season. The excitement and support from the Centenary community are truly inspiring. The journey begins, now we go!”
The Gents play 10 regular-season games – five at home and five on the road. Season tickets for the season are now on sale and available for purchase at www.gocentenary.com.
MEN’S SOCCER: The Gents, led by fourth-year head coach Kevin White, will begin their season on Saturday with a non-conference match against Piedmont in Columbus, Miss.
Centenary will face the Lions and the Huntingdon Hawks a day later on the campus of Mississippi University for Women in a pair of neutral-site contests. The Gents and Lions will meet for the first time while the match against the Hawks will be the third all-time between the two programs. Centenary recorded a 5-2 win over Huntingdon at home last season.
The Gents finished 4-9-3 overall and 1-6-1 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference last season and were 3-4-1 at home and 1-5-2 in road/neutral contests. Centenary was picked ninth (tied with Schreiner) in the SCAC preseason poll.
WOMEN’S SOCCER: The Ladies, led by fifth-year head coach Morgan Dorsey, will open their regular season Sunday with a non-conference match versus the East Texas Baptist Tigers in Marshall, Texas at 4 p.m.
Centenary will prep for the opener with an exhibition match against the University of Texas at Dallas Comets (a Division III opponent) in Richardson, Texas this evening at 6 p.m.
The Ladies were 1-12-3 overall last season and 0-6-1 in conference play while finishing 1-4-2 at home and 0-8-1 in road/neutral contests. Despite the Ladies’ struggles last season, one constant theme was strong defense. Centenary held 12 of its 16 opponents to two goals or less and recorded four shutouts. The Maroon and White held seven opponents to one goal or less and one of the highlights of the season was earning a scoreless tie at Austin College, despite only traveling with 11 players due to injuries.
VOLLEYBALL: The Ladies begin their regular season at home this weekend as they play host to the annual Cajun Country Classic today and Saturday in the Gold Dome. Centenary will be joined for the two-day event by Howard Payne, Louisiana Christian, and Millsaps. Centenary plays LCU today at 6 p.m. and then plays a pair of matches on Saturday – facing Howard Payne at 9 a.m. and Millsaps at 1 p.m.
Contact Patrick at pmeehan@centenary.edu