MURFREESBORO - "Spring is all about us and getting better," said Chowan's Head Football Coach, Tim Place. Place and his staff enter their first spring practice session, in it's first week, with the focus on becoming better football players.
"The spring practice session allows us to really focus on individual and unit work. In the fall camp, we spend so much time on installation that we lose a lot of our individual time," continued Place.
The team started practice this past Saturday and will hit the gridiron four days a week. The spring session concludes with the annual Blue and White Spring game to be held on Saturday, April 25th. Kick off for the spring game is set for 10:00am.
The Hawks currently have 54 players participating in spring practice, roughly the same number heading into last year's spring session. "Of course we would love to have larger numbers out there right now, but the group is working hard and the incoming recruiting class is vital to our overall success for next season," said Place.
The Hawks will compete in their second season as a CIAA member. Last year they finished up 2-8 overall, and 1-6 in CIAA play. They picked up wins over Livingstone and Brevard last year. The Hawks play in the tough CIAA Western Division and open the 2009 season on the road against Old Dominion, a first year NCAA DI program. The much anticipated game will be played in Norfolk on September 5th.
The Hawks will pick up spring practice again tomorrow afternoon. They are currently practicing on Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons through the spring season.