Now We Go: A Look into a Historical First Season for the Centenary Gents
In November of 2021, Centenary College President Christopher Holoman announced that Football would return to the college. After more than fifty years without a football team, this new era would mark a renaissance for Centenary College athletics. The season was set to begin in the Fall of 2024, and with great determination from administration, faculty, coaches, and athletes, the Centenary Gents debuted their first game against Hendrix College on September 9th, 2024.
Centenary’s head coach, Bryon Dawson was hired in 2022 along with the first round of athletic recruitment. For the past three years, the football team has practiced, grown, and defied expectations. Facilities and fields have popped up in the blink of the eye, and all administrative groups on campus devised plans to accommodate the new program. The football team now holds over seventy players and nine coaching staff.
The college hoped that, in addition to gaining an exciting new team for the athletics program, the football team would help forward the goals of their strategic plan. The plan outlines the ways in which Centenary expects to grow and improve. By adding a football team, Centenary wanted to grow enrollment, increase student involvement, and encourage community engagement in their efforts to become known as the Shreveport-Bossier’s college. Fortunately, the new team seems to have accomplished just that. Enrollment numbers are up, with facilities constantly being improved and upgraded for an increased number of students. Many students are excited for football games. They show up for tailgating, dress to the themes, and cheer along from the stands. Additionally, the community has taken great notice of the new team. Our games this season have several community sponsors, and each game is filled to the brim with community members in the stands. Local musicians have been invited to sing the national anthem at the beginning of games, and local high school bands have been invited to play along with the Centenary Pep Band during the games.
Outside of these improvements for Centenary, the college has also seen growth in the spirit side of football. The Centenary College cheer team has seen an increase in athletes from previous seasons. Led by head coach Kaylee King, the girls can be seen filling up the side lines at every home game, stunting and cheering for the Gents. Additionally, the Hurley School of Music started an initiative for a new Pep Band. Currently, the Pep Band hosts a dozen students and can be seen playing alongside the cheerleaders on the sideline. The band members are offered scholarships for their efforts in keeping the spirit alive during the games.
As of October 26th, the football team hosts an impressive record for a first-season team of 2-3 so far. The SCAC Conference holds five colleges that have football teams. The Centenary Gents will play each team away and home during the Fall ’24 season. Make sure to show out to support your Centenary Gents in their historical inaugural season!
