By Gene Schallenberg
Sports
LAKE CHARLES, La. —
In a matter of weeks, football season will finally be here.
While most players will be returning to their campuses looking to improve, or for defending Southland Conference co-champions McNeese State and Stephen F. Austin, maintain last fall’s success, there’s a different type of anticipation in Beaumont.
For the first time in 20 years, the Golden Triangle will once again have college football. An NCAA Division I team will playing games there this fall as the Lamar Cardinals revive their dormant program.
“It’s great. It’s new to the school, but we’ve been playing football our whole lives,” junior wide receiver J.J. Hayes said Wednesday at the Southland Conference Football Media Day at L’Auberge du Lac Resort. “It’s not new to us, but it’s good that we’re bringing football back to Lamar. It’s been 20 some odd years since Lamar had football.
“It’s a great feeling that our community is backing us. It’s a great feeling to be a part of history. Everybody wants this back. They’re pumped up for it. We’re pumped up for it. We just can’t wait to play. No matter how the season goes, we’re all a part of history. No matter what happens, we’re going to do our best and go 110 percent.”
Lamar kicks off its season on the road at McNeese State on Sept. 2. Ironically, McNeese State was the last team Lamar played in its final season in 1989 as the Cardinals defeated the Cowboys 22-17 in Beaumont
Following their season opener, the Cardinals host their first home game a little more than week later against Webber International on Sept. 11.
Through the first several weeks of the season, Lamar will get a good idea at what Southland competition will be like as the Cardinals play road games at Southeastern Louisiana and Stephen F. Austin. Lamar closes its Southland slate in a home game at Sam Houston on Oct. 2.
This season, Lamar’s games against Southland Conference competition will not count in the league standings.
“We play four Southland opponents in our first five games,” Lamar head coach Ray Woodard said. “When Sam Houston comes, that’ll be our fifth game and our fourth Southland opponent. When that game’s over with, we’ll have a great feel about Southland competition.
“Where we’ll stand at that point, who knows? We’d like to think that we’re going to be competitive and that we’ll play well. We’ll know pretty quick.”
In the last six games, the Cardinals will play a pair of teams, South Alabama and Georgia State, which are also playing their first football season this fall.
“We’ve got two teams that are in the same boat we’re in,” Woodard said. “It’ll be interesting to see how we’ll stack up against them.”
It has taken a little more than two years for it all to come together for the Cardinals, complete with stadium renovations. Woodard has assembled a staff and recruited players to field Lamar’s first football squad since 1989.
“It’s been a process. There’s been some ups and downs. It’s been very challenging at times, but it’s been rewarding as well. There’s good responsibility being in charge of something of this magnitude,” Woodard said. “It’s coming together nicely, and now we’re finally under the same schedule as everyone else. We’ve got a season to look forward to. We’ve got some games to play, so we’re excited.”
A good percentage of the Cardinals players are from the Beaumont and Houston areas, which Woodard admitted has been helpful in building a fan base for the football program.
“We were fortunate to get a number of local players that we thought could really play at our level to go to class and stay home,” the coach said. “That’s helped in the process. To see local players staying home, that’s brought local communities to tie in to our communities. We’ve built a fan base up and we haven’t even played yet, so that’s been a positive for us.
“I think we’re headed in the right direction. I think we’ve had a lot of young men that want to be there. They’ve worked a little bit harder because it means more to them because they’re representing the Golden Triangle.”
As the football team continues to practice and prepare for the season, Hayes says there’s no lack of support from family, friends and the Beaumont community.
“It’s crazy. We get support wherever we go,” Hayes said. “If we have a shirt that says Lamar football, people want your autograph and your picture. There’s a certain swagger you pick up. You just have to stay composed and make plays on the practice field, which hopefully will transcend to Saturdays.
“Football hasn’t been this big in Beaumont for some time now, so everybody is happy to see it. As long as we keep working hard, people are going to be out there to see it.”
While there may be some growing pains this season as the Cardinals play teams which have solidly developed programs over the course of several years, Woodard and his staff look forward to building a solid foundation for next season as Lamar will play a full Southland schedule.
“We want to build a winning program. We’re going to talk about winning and then we’re going to try to win every game, one game at a time,” Woodard added. “We’re not going to concede to anybody on our schedule before the season starts. We’re just going to take it one game at a time, one day at a time and see where we are when the season’s over with.”
