As the program heads into its historic 10th season, Shorter head football coach Phil Jones and his staff has seen a growth in the interest of the team and, especially, in the number of athletes who are hoping to gain the recruiting interests of the Hawks.
The rise in those numbers has resulted in the Hawks scheduling for the first time two Prospect Camps for rising seniors that will play a future role for Shorter, which after a three-year transitional process is poised to become a full NCAA Division II and Gulf South Conference member this fall.
“Last year we had nearly 200 come for the camp, which made it hard to evaluate them in one day,” said Jones. “Because we had so many players on the field at one time, we thought it would be better to have two camps.”
The two camps that will take place at Ben Brady Field on Shorter’s campus will be June 28 and July 10, each session beginning at 8 a.m. and concluding at 4 p.m.
Each day will begin with a morning workout in which they are tested for their speed and agility being timed in a 40-yard sprint and in a pro shuttle, and measured in a vertical leap and a standing long jump.
After a lunch is provided for the players, they return to Brady’s artificial turf in the afternoon and are separated into their respective positions to run through drills under the supervision of a Shorter coach.
“This allows us to see close up what type of player they are,” Jones said, adding that previous camps have produced recruits who have since become Hawks. “It also gives us the opportunity to meet them and their parents, and allows them to see the university first-hand.”
Come August, the campus on “The Hill” will welcome back the veteran and new Hawks when the team opens its preseason camp on Aug. 10 to prepare for what is easily the program’s toughest schedule ever with all 10 games against Division II foes.
The Hawks begin their 10th campaign squaring off against three non-conference opponents, hosting Division II and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association newcomer Paine College of Augusta on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 7:30 p.m. at Barron Stadium.
The following week, Shorter hits the road for the first time when on Saturday, Sept. 13 the Hawks head to North Carolina for a non-conference rematch with Mars Hill, a game that sets the stage for what will be the longest trip the program has ever had to the largest stadium the team has ever played.
On Saturday, Sept. 20, the Hawks will take the field at the home of the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas – the 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium – to square off against Lone Star Conference member West Texas A&M for a 1 p.m. (Central) showdown in the annual Lone Star Football Festival that pits GSC members against Lone Star opponents.
That challenge will be the Hawks’ third and final non-GSC game and after taking a week off, Shorter turns its attention to seven straight Gulf South matchups, the first taking place at Barron Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. against Mississippi College.
Shorter has three more homes games at Barron against West Alabama (Oct. 18), Florida Tech (Nov. 1) and West Georgia (Nov. 15), while the Hawks will be on the road to face Delta State (Oct. 11), Valdosta State (Oct. 25) and North Alabama (Nov. 8.)
Season and individual game ticket information can be purchased by going to www.goshorterhawks.com and for information about the Hawks’ Prospect Camps go to abcsportscamps.com/sufootball .