A First Time For Everything
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
For the first time in Sam Houston’s 97 years of football, the Bearkats will play a 12-game regular season schedule in 2013.
Sam Houston and Houston Baptist have announced that the Bearkats and Huskies will open the 2013 football season with a 6 p.m. contest Saturday August 31 at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium in Huntsville.
The game gives Sam Houston seven home contests at Bowers plus the 88th “Battle of the Piney Woods” rivalry game with Stephen F. Austin at Reliant Stadium in Houston.
The contest will give HBU a seven game schedule for the Huskies’ inaugural season.
“We’re excited to have the opportunity to play our season opener in front of our home fans,” Bearkat head football coach Willie Fritz said. “The support our team receives from our students and the Huntsville community has been a big factor in the program’s success. Houston Baptist will be joining the Southland in football next year and we’re looking forward to getting the rivalry started.”
Season tickets for 2013 Bearkat football home games (including both the seven contests at Bowers and the “Piney Woods” battle at Reliant) have been on sale for a month.
The opener with HBU will be added to the season ticket package as a “bonus game.”
Bleacher reserved packages are available for $110 per season ticket.
Fans interested in getting their names on the waiting list for Bearkat Champion chair back packages ($290 each) should contact the Sam Houston athletic ticket office at (936) 294-1729.
The ticket office is located in the Ron Mafrige Field House in the south end zone of Bowers Stadium.
“With seven Saturdays at Bowers, the SFA battle at Reliant and the Texas A&M game at College Station, nine of our 12 regular season games are right here in the Greater Houston and Huntsville area,” Sam Houston director of athletics Bobby Williams said. “This is a tremendous opportunity for fans to get behind the Bearkats and proudly wear their orange in the stands. We’re thrilled to have such a great schedule this year.”
The two-time Southland Conference champion Bearkats return 40 lettermen including 12 starters from last year’s 11-4 squad that reached the NCAA national championship game in Frisco for the second year in a row.
Sam Houston’s 25-5 record in 2011 and 2012 and consecutive NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision No. 2 final national rankings represent the most successful consecutive seasons in the university’s history.
Houston Baptist is fielding its inaugural football team in 2013.
“We are looking forward to opening our inaugural season against Sam Houston State, a future Southland Conference opponent,” HBU director of athletics Steve Moniaci said. “This is not only an opportunity for our student-athletes and coaches to compete against one of the top FCS programs in the country, but also gives our students, alumni and fans an early glimpse of what we hope will become a tremendous rivalry in the future.”
“This gives our team the chance to compete against one of the very top FCS programs in the country and will be a great event for football in the greater Houston area,” HBU head coach Vic Shealy said. “We appreciate the opportunity to play against a team that is highly-respected nationally, with the success Willie Fritz and his program have had in recent years.”
The complete Sam Houston State 2013 football schedule:
August 31 (Sat.) — 6 p.m. — Houston Baptist
Sept. 7 (Sat.) – TBA – at Texas A&M
Sept. 14 (Sat.) – 6 p.m. – Texas Southern
Sept. 21 (Sat.) – 6 p.m. – Incarnate Word
Sept. 28 (Sat.) – 3 p.m. – Eastern Washington (Parents’ Weekend)
Oct. 12 (Sat.) – 2 p.m. – Lamar (Homecoming)
Oct. 19 (Sat.) – TBA – at McNeese State
Oct. 26 (Sat.) – 2 p.m. – Northwestern State
Nov. 2 (Sat.) – 3 p.m. – Stephen F. Austin at Reliant Stadium
Nov. 9 (Sat.) – 2 p.m. – Nicholls State
Nov. 16 (Sat.) – TBA – at Southeastern Louisiana
Nov. 23 (Sat.) – TBA – at Central Arkansas
Bearkats Opens 2012 Season With Win Over Cardinals
by Cheval John
In front of a crowd of 11,061 at Elliot T. Bowers Stadium, the Sam Houston State Bearkat football team dismantled the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals 54-7.
The win gives them a 1-0 record for the season and increase their win streak to 10 games at Bowers stadium.
Running back Tim Flanders carried the ball 15 times for 117 yards and two touchdowns.
In the process, he became SHSU’s All-Time leader in career rushing yards (2,709), breaking the career mark held by Charles Harris (2,688).
The Bearkats started the route in the first quarter when Flanders broke a few tackles and went 41 yards for the touchdown that made it 6-0.
The Cardinals made things interesting early on when corner back Chavis Barron intercepted a pass from ‘utility’ player Richard Sincere and returned it 20 yards to the Bearkat 36.
Three plays later, quarterback Zach Rhodes connected with running back Trent Rios for an 18 yard score that tied it at 6.
The extra point gave them a 7-6 lead.
The Bearkats regrouped as Flanders rushed 8 yards for the score to regain the lead 13-7.
They added another score when wide reciever Trey Diller took a shovel pass from quarterback Brian Bell and went 21 yards for a touchdown to increase the lead to 20-7 by halftime.
The Bearkats picked up from where they left off when running back Keshawn Hill rushed 11 yards for the score that made it 27-7.
Their defense played their part as they held the Cardinals offense to 88 total yards for the night.
One of their playmakers, Robert Shaw intercepted a pass from Rhodes on the Bearkat 47 and took it 19 yards all the way to the Cardinal 19.
Several plays later, Bell threw a 3 yard strike to tight end J.D. Stanley to increase the lead and put the game out of reach for the Bearkats.
Linebacker Darius Taylor led the Bearkat defense with 9 tackles while defensive lineman J.T. Cleveland and line backer Jesse Beauchamp each had five tackles.
The Bearkats face their first test of the season when they play Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) member, Baylor Bears on Saturday in Waco, Texas at 6 p.m.
The game will be televised on Fox College Sports.