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Southern Will Have to Play on Thursday in 2009
Though Southern has been able to avoid playing a televised Thursday night football game so far, the school will likely have to do so next season under the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s contract with the ESPN family of networks.
“We can’t avoid it next year,” Southern Athletic Director Greg LaFleur said. “I told Dr. (Ralph) Slaughter (SU system president), our year is coming and it’s next year, so we need to start preparing for that. We can’t get out of this. … They gave us a two-year warning that we have to do it next year.”
LaFleur said the televised Thursday night game next season will be a home game.
To that end, school officials will have to put together a plan to accommodate a Thursday football game.
“It would paralyze the school,” LaFleur said.
“… It’s going to have to be something we have to figure out how we’re going to make this happen.”
There are three SWAC games on Thursday nights this season: Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Alcorn State on Sept. 18, Mississippi Valley State at Alabama State on Sept. 25 and Grambling at Texas Southern on Nov. 20.
SU has two games on national television: when the Jaguars host Florida A&M on Oct. 18 (on ESPNU) and when SU and Grambling play the Bayou Classic on Nov. 29 (on NBC).
Freshmen working out
Three of Southern’s 23-man signing class — wide receiver LaQuinton Evans from Mansfield High, running back Byron Williams from Clinton High and athlete Darian Prentiss from Pointe Coupee Central — have been partaking in summer conditioning.
“It’ll help them out,” Southern coach Pete Richardson said. “They’re excited about having the opportunity to play. And they get a chance to acclimate themselves with some of the coaches and some of the players, trying to learn the ins and outs of this place.”
Alexander still recovering
Richardson said senior tight end/H-back Evan Alexander, who injured his left knee on the fifth play of the Blue and Gold Game in April, continues to recover from surgery.
“He’s coming slow,” Richardson said. “It’ll be a process. He’s starting to jog a little bit now.”
Alexander is not expected to participate in preseason camp next month.
“It’ll be the second part of the season before we’d ever let him get out there and take that contact,” Richardson said. “And that depends on how he’s coming along.”
Alexander had a medical redshirt in 2004 after a knee injury during preseason practice.
If he misses this season because of the injury, he’d have to apply for a sixth season of eligibility in order to play in 2009.
“If he’s not coming along, we may have to apply for a sixth year for him,” Richardson said.
Alexander had four catches for 42 yards and a touchdown and was also a key blocker last season. He has 22 catches for 178 yards and two touchdowns in his career.
Thursday night game likely for SU in ’09
By Joseph Schiefelbein, 2TheAdvocate
http://www.2theadvocate.com/sports/southern/24805629.html?showAll=y&c=y
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