VALDOSTA, Ga. – For the first time in nine years, the Valdosta State football team will take to the gridiron under the guidance of a newly appointed head coach. Head Coach Kerwin Bell took over during the offseason, and will have big shoes to fill behind David Dean, who established himself last year as VSU football's all-time winningest head coach.
Bell appears to be up for the challenge, however, as he and his newly appointed coaching staff have put in a tremendous recruiting effort during the offseason. The 2016 roster is dripping with both talent and size, but with so many new additions, the challenge for both the players and the coaching staff will lie in the development of team chemistry.
Returning players of note include two of last season's top wide receivers, Dallas Baldner and Donovan Bolden. The pair teamed up for 10 touchdowns and over 500 receiving yards on the year, and Baldner led the team among receivers with 10 or more receptions with an average of 15.7 yards per catch. Xay Howard also returns for the receiving corps, as does Anthony Ingram, who recorded six receptions and 83 yards in the Blazers' thrilling playoff victory over Carson-Newman last November.
New additions this fall at the receiver position include Joe Fortson, an athletic, 6'-6", 215-pound presence out of Erie Community College, along with Damien Strange, a junior transfer from Jacksonville University.
The list of returning players from the 2015 season also features quarterback Roland Rivers. Rivers has been in competition for the starting role throughout the preseason against transfer Adam Robles out of the University of South Florida, and while Robles has performed well, Coach Bell has been very pleased in the progress of Rivers, who made an impact in spurts last season for the Blazers with his big arm and mobility in the backfield.
The level of excitement has reached its peak, and Blazer fans have never been more excited to watch their beloved Blazers take the field.
Valdosta State and Albany State meet for the 18th time in program history and open their seasons against each other for the third straight year. VSU is 16-1 all-time against the Golden Rams and has won the last seven games between the two squads. VSU claimed a tight 21-13 victory in Albany during their last meeting on September 5, 2015, and Albany State's only victory in the series came in the first game of the 2004 season, when ASU claimed a 24-22 victory in Albany. The Blazers avenged that loss with a 38-24 victory in the NCAA Playoffs later that season
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m., with live audio provided at www.talk921.com and a live video stream provided at www.vstateblazers.com or by using the links below.
