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 WCU head coach Kent Briggs opens his fifth season on Thursday versus Chowan at 7 pm. |
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Aug. 28, 2006
Cullowhee, N.C. - The Western Carolina football team will open the 2006 football season hosting intrastate foe, Chowan College, this Thursday (Aug. 31) with kickoff set for 7:00 pm at Whitmire Stadium/Waters Field. The Catamounts will be without preseason All-American Felipe Foster and senior quarterback Justin Clark as the two are nursing injuries.
Foster, who has missed two weeks of practice with a sprained knee, was hoping to return to the lineup for the Chowan contest, but will now turn his sights on returning to the field Sept. 16 when the Catamounts host preseason No. 20 Eastern Kentucky.
Clark, who injured his right (throwing) shoulder last Monday, missed the "Meet the Cats" scrimmage last Wednesday and is not expected to play versus Chowan. He has not practiced since injuring his shoulder and currently has no timetable for returning. Clark and senior Bennett Swygert had been locked in a tight battle for the starting quarterback job since spring drills. With Swygert assuming the starting role, junior Todd Spitzer, a transfer from Cincinnati, will now be the second-team signal caller.
The Catamount faithful will get to hear fifth-year head coach Kent Briggs' thoughts on the season opener as he will be the in-studio guest of the weekly "In the Litterbox," hosted by Josh Thompson and Daniel Hooker. This marks the second season of the popular call-in show, which can be heard on WWCU (90.5 FM) or on the internet at www.wwcufm.com, every Wednesday night at 7:00 pm.
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THE WESTERN-CHOWAN SERIES
This will mark the first meeting between Western Carolina and Chowan.
WELCOME BACK COACH JIM GARRISON
Western Carolina would like to welcome back former Catamount Jim Garrison to Cullowhee. Currently an assistant coach with Chowan, Garrison spent 43 years as the Hawks' head coach and played football at Western from 1953-54.
After retiring as Chowan's head coach, the "old ball coach" has been back on the field helping current Hawk mentor Lorick Atkinson and his staff with his extensive knowledge of the game. Garrison's bio could last for pages, as his coaching accolades seem endless. Namely, as the Chowan College football coach for 43 years, he won 182 games (third among junior college coaches), was seven-time Conference Coach of the Year and 35 of his players were tabbed NJCAA All-Americans.
Over his vast career, he has been inducted into of four Halls of Fame; including the National Junior College Athletic Association Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, the Gardner-Webb Hall of Fame, and Chowan's Hall of Fame. In addition, Chowan's football stadium in named in Garrison's honor.
WCU IN HOME OPENERS
Since Whitmire Stadium opened for the 1974 season, Western Carolina has enjoyed immense success when playing its first home game of a respective season. The Catamounts have won eight straight home openers, 12 of the last 13 and are 22-9 all-time in its first home game of the season.
