Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Football Practice Begins August 8

Players on the Ouachita Baptist University Tiger football team are expected to report for fall practice on Wednesday, August 13, according to OBU head coach Jimmy `Red' Parker.

Parker said he expects about 65 athletes on campus when drills open.

The Tigers will report by 1:00 p.m. on that Wednesday and conduct physicals beginning at 4:00 p.m.

Under NCAA rules, the team will be in shorts and shoulder pads for the first three days beginning with practices on Friday, August 15, Saturday, August 16, and Monday, August 18.

Parker said the Tigers will be in full pads beginning Tuesday, August 19.

During two-a-day practices, the Tigers will be on the field between 8:15 and 10:20 a.m. and from 3:50 to 5:50 p.m. Two-a-day will go through Monday, August 25.

The Tigers will register for fall semester classes on Tuesday, August 26.

Starting on Wednesday, August 27, one practice session will be held beginning at 3:15 p.m.

The Tigers are expecting approximately 25 lettermen to report, including five defensive and five offensive starters off a team that went 3-7 last season.

Ouachita will play in its first season as members of the North Division of the Lone Star Conference, the NCAA's largest atheltic conference with 17 universitites in Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma and New Mexico participating. Ouachita opens its 1997 gridiron campaign on Saturday, September 6 in a home contest, the annual "Battle of the Ravine" game, against the Henderson State University Reddies. Kickoff at A.U. Williams Field is slated for 7:00 p.m.