2016 Shorter Football Schedule

ROME, Ga. – The Shorter Hawks have announced their 2016 football schedule, one that ushers in a new chapter as the program opens its 12^th season under the direction of first-year head coach Aaron Kelton.

In addition to another rugged Gulf South Conference slate of eight games, with West Florida entering the fray for the first time, the Hawks will be tasked with three tough non-conference challenges that included the season opener against the Division I FCS and defending Southern Conference champion Chattanooga Mocs.

"It's as competitive as it gets," Kelton, who was named the Hawks' head coach in January, said about the schedule that awaits the team. "Our league schedule alone is tough enough and then you add games against three good non-conference teams – you have no breaks in the schedule at all.

"But the kids are ready to get started with the next phase of Shorter football," said Kelton, who takes over the helm of the team from the man who started the program in 2005, Phil Jones. "Despite the changes, they've been working hard to get ready."

The Hawks kick off the new season with a Thursday night game on Sept. 1 squaring off against the Southern Conference Mocs at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga. The meeting is the first between the two teams and marks the eighth time Shorter has played a Division I foe, the most recent clash coming last fall when the Hawks came up with their first victory against an FCS opponent by upsetting Southeast Missouri State on the road.

The Mocs, however, will open 2016 coming off a solid season last fall when they posted a 9-4 record and advanced to the second round of the FCS playoffs before falling by just six points to eventual national champion Jacksonville State.

On Sept. 10, the Hawks remain on the road for another non-conference outing when they head to North Carolina to take on Division II South Atlantic Conference member Mars Hill. In the last showdown the two teams had two years ago, Shorter came away with a 27-20 win against the host Lions.

A week later, the Hawks turn their attention to the first of three straight GSC tests when Shorter plays its home opener hosting Florida Tech for a Saturday night clash on Sept. 17 starting at 7 p.m. at Barron Stadium.

Shorter is back on the road on Sept. 24 visiting conference power Delta State in Cleveland, Miss., at 3 p.m., then returns to Rome on Oct. 1 when the Hawks go up against West Alabama at Barron for a 1:30 p.m. start.

Five days later on Thursday, Oct. 6, the Hawks are back on the turf at Barron taking their final break from their GSC schedule when they host Division II SIAC foe Clark Atlanta in a 7 p.m. kick-off to mark the halfway point of the season.

The Hawks' final five games, however, will all be conference showdowns starting with back-to-back road trips when Shorter travels to Florence, Ala., on Oct. 16 to face North Alabama at 7 p.m., then makes their first-ever trip to Pensacola, Fla., on Oct. 22 to take on the West Florida Argos, who are playing their inaugural season this fall.

On Oct. 29, Shorter plays the first of two straight games at Barron when the Hawks host West Georgia – last year the Wolves advanced to the Division II playoff semifinals for the second straight season – in Shorter's Homecoming game starting at 1:30 p.m., and a week later on Nov. 5 the Hawks play their final home game of the regular season entertaining Mississippi College at 1:30 p.m.

The regular season finale will be on Nov. 12 when the Hawks head to Valdosta for an in-state conference clash against Valdosta State.

The Hawks will begin preparations for the new season next week when Kelton will hold his first Spring Drills with the Hawks starting on Thursday, March 17.