I wanted to set the story straight on how the Thursday night game this season came about. Lebanon Valley College in PA was scheduled to replace Lycoming in our week five slot on the schedule. Last March, they backed out on the signed two-year contract. It is a scramble to find games on short notice unless you are willing to fly to Texas or Wisconsin. Southern VA had an open date that week, but because of a national conference in the Church of Latter Day Saints on Saturday they needed to play a game on a weeknight. We were looking for a one year fill-in game and I offered to contact the people in Salem to see if they would provide the venue for us to play. The Salem group is a first class operation and although we agreed to manage the game and take on the costs, we felt we were dealing with a great host and facility in Salem.
We have partnered with Feeding America Southwest VA and plan on donating any profits from the game to them as they bring their September “Go Orange” campaign to a close this month. September is hunger awareness month and orange is the color of hunger. We are working with contacts in the Roanoke Valley to generate some publicity for the event and hopefully our friends, fans, and families will take the trek on Thursday to Salem Stadium. Although the ultimate goal is to play there in December, I hope a Thursday night game will give our kids the charge they need to try to go out and play a complete game in the pre-season finale.
Formidable foes await us in ODAC action, and although we are grateful to be 3-0, playing a complete game has eluded us so far. We will need to be able to do that reach our long term goals. Southern VA has beaten Ferrum and has played several fully funded scholarship Division II schools who have beaten them, so they will be used to playing kids who are bigger and faster than we are. It is a test we need.
MC
