By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Assistant AD for Communications
The 2026-27 sports year at Centenary is underway with lots of action just ahead, including football and men’s soccer at home this week.
FOOTBALL: The Gents kick off Saturday at 6 against Westgate Christian at home in the first of five games played at Atkins Field.
Centenary prepped for its regular-season opener with a scrimmage last Saturday. Head coach Byron Dawson shared the excitement he and the team are feeling with the season set to start.
“Our team has worked very hard throughout preseason camp in preparation for the 2026 campaign. We have several new faces joining the program, along with a strong group of returning players, including a core group of starters returning on offense, defense, and special teams.
“The work has been put in, the preparation is underway, and now it’s time to compete! We’re excited about this team and ready to get to work. Now We Go!” he said.
The Gents’ roster is available at the GoCentenary.com website, with lots of local players lining up for the Maroon and White.
MEN’S SOCCER: The Gents begin their regular season at home on Thursday against Schreiner in a non-conference match set for 7 o’clock at Atkins Field.
Centenary has 16 regular-season matches under the leadership of first-year head coach Joe O’Sullivan.
Centenary will next be on the road for pair of matches at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor on Saturday and at Lyon College on Sept. 10. The Gents return home to face Huntingdon College on Sept. 12 at 11 a.m. and Texas College on Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m. The Maroon and White finish the month against Millsaps College on the road on Sept. 25 and at home against Dallas Christian College on Sept. 27.
WOMEN’S SOCCER: The Ladies lost their season opener 3-0 to the Belhaven University Blazers (1-0) on Tuesday evening at Atkins Field. Centenary returns to action on Saturday against Louisiana Christian University at 11 a.m. at home.
VOLLEYBALL: The Ladies will open their regular season on Thursday with a non-conference match against Jarvis Christian University at 6 p.m. in Hawkins, Texas.
Centenary is set to play 20 regular-season matches under the leadership of first-year head coach Claire Hiler. The Ladies will play first five matches on the road before the home opener on Thursday, Sept. 17 against Jarvis Christian at 6 p.m. in the Gold Dome.
The Ladies play just six home matches, along with 14 road/neutral matches. They have 14 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference matches and eight non-conference matches.
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY: The Gents will open their season on Friday in the McNeese Season Opener at the Enos Derbonne Sports Complex in Lake Charles.
Contact Patrick at pmeehan@centenary.edu