Georgia football: Mercer announces spring game, LaGrange to host Berry
(Photo by Todd DeFeo)
ATLANTA — Mercer will play its spring game at 3 p.m. on April 5, the school announced this week.
The team is preparing for its second season of play and the first in the Southern Conference. The Bears, which competed in the Pioneer Football League last year, posted a 10-2 mark last year and set a new record for wins by a first-year program.
“After a successful first season, we are excited to get back out on the field and continue to build this program,” Mercer Head Coach Bobby Lamb said in a statement. “Our young men have done a tremendous job in the weight room this offseason, but in order to get better as a team we must take full advantage of these 15 days as we prepare to move into the Southern Conference.”
The Bears will host a series of spring practices that will be open to the public. The practices start March 3.
LaGrange to host Berry on Sept. 13
LaGrange will host second-year program Berry on Sept. 13, the first time the state’s two Division III programs will face off in varsity competition.
The matchup has the makings of a great in-state rivalry. Additionally, Berry Head Coach Tony Kunczewski helped launch the LaGrange football program before taking his current post.
Berry, a member of the Southern Athletic Association, finished its first season with a 1-9 mark; the Vikings’ sole win came against LaGrange’s JV squad. LaGrange, a member of the USA South Athletic Conference, posted a 5-5 record last season.
Berry opens its season on Sept. at Maryville. The Vikings played Maryville at home last year in the school’s first-ever game; the visiting Scots won by a 37-0 margin.
KSU season tickets selling fast
Kennesaw State’s first-ever game has been scheduled for Sept. 3, 2015, at East Tennessee State. The Owls will play their first home game on Sept. 12 against Edward Waters.
While Kennesaw State doesn’t start play for another year-and-a-half, the school has already received 2,500 season ticket deposits. That represents 70 percent of the tickets available.
“In under a year we have sold 70 percent of all available tickets for Kennesaw State football,” Bobby Lindsey, director of ticket sales and operations, said in a statement. “We are a year away from beginning the seat selection process and 18 months from playing our first game. The public’s response and interest in Kennesaw State football has been remarkable.
“With the overwhelming support from the community and with a projected 3,600 seats available for purchase, the window to be a part of history continues to shrink,” Lindsey added. “It is in the fans’ best interest to place a deposit as soon as possible to establish their priority and begin earning points.”
Meanwhile, PETA is urging the school to forego using a live owl as its mascot, according to WAGA-TV. Despite the request, Sturgis, the school’s live owl mascot, will retain his mascot duties, the school told the station.
This isn’t the first time PETA has urged a Georgia school to give up its live mascot. In 2009, the organization urged Georgia to replace Uga, the school’s English bulldog mascot, with a robotic dog.
