LOUISVILLE, Ky. – After years of preparation and anticipation, history will be made on Saturday night.  For the first time ever, Bellarmine Sprint Football will take the field, beginning its inaugural season.

The Knights' first ever game will be against Midway at Franklin County High School in Frankfort, Ky.  Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.   Because Bellarmine and Midway are the only two schools from Kentucky in the Midwest Sprint Football League (MSFL), the rivalry game is officially being labeled as the "Battle for the Bourbon Barrel" - the winner will receive a barrel trophy.

It was over a year ago that Bellarmine announced the inception of its sprint football team and the MSFL.   Since then, eight coaches have been hired and a roster of 34 has been put together, featuring players from 12 different states.
 
As a reminder of the background of the sport, sprint football evolved on the East Coast with teams such as the University of Pennsylvania, Army and Navy helping launch the sport in 1934. In its current form, it is organized under the direction of the nine-member Collegiate Sprint Football League (CSFL), which consists of teams from the eastern U.S. The addition of the separate Midwest Sprint Football League, with its own by-laws and championships, will represent the largest single-year expansion of the sport in nearly 90 years.

"I believe the addition of sprint football will allow local and regional football players the opportunity to continue playing the sport they love and receive a great Bellarmine education," said Bellarmine Director of Athletics Scott Wiegandt. "The home games will be another gathering point for our campus community to rally around to support their classmates. As we continue on our path and strategically grow as a department, this addition is another step toward realizing the mission of Bellarmine University."

Bellarmine began officially practicing just over three weeks ago and scrimmaged Alderson Broaddus University in West Virginia this past weekend.   It has been a quick learning process for Head Coach Harold Davis:

"We have learned a lot about our players and continue to learn more each day," Davis said.  "In our scrimmage, there were a lot of good things and some not so good.  Two things that impressed the coaching staff were our players' toughness and conditioning."

Despite the quick nature of the last month, excitement for Davis and the program has been building, and the team is ready to show what it can do:

"There's a lot of excitement within the team, and there seems to be a lot of excitement throughout the Bellarmine community," Davis added.  "We talk, as a team and coaching staff, about the significance of being a part of the first Bellarmine football game.  We talk about controlling our emotions and not letting those get in the way of our responsibilities on the field.  It's been very special for me to be a part of starting this football program."

While every person will have an important role on the team this year, the following players are expected to be key pieces throughout the season:
 
Offense
At quarterback, Dylan Gough is expected to start, while Jameson Buie could see action this season as well.   Devan Hendricks and Brenden Reid will fortify the running game, while Brock Snead and D.J. Griffin are expected to be key receivers.  The offensive line will feature several players including Anikin Harris who will play center.

Defense
On the defensive line, Jordan Haywood is expected to make a big impact, while Caleb Murray has impressed at linebacker in the pre-season.  The secondary will feature Tavius Francis, Nathan Seipp, and Hendricks.

Special Teams
Ben Valle is slated to kick this season, while T.J. Willer is projected to punt.
 
As for Midway, the Eagles are in the same boat as Bellarmine.  They too will be playing their first ever game and will get their first look at their roster.  Thus, the focus for the Knights is simple in week one:

"Our biggest focus will be to correct our mistakes from the scrimmage and continue to play with the same toughness," Davis said.  "With not knowing what Midway runs offensively and defensively, we need to focus on ourselves."

Bellarmine's schedule consists of six games against the five other teams in the MSFL – Midway (Ky.), Fontbonne (Mo.), Quincy (Ill.), Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (Ind.), and Calumet College of St. Joseph (Ind.).  The Knights will play Midway twice – once on the road and once at home.

BU's home schedule begins on Sept. 24 versus Fontbonne at 4:00 p.m. before home contests against Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on Oct. 15 at 1:00 p.m. and Midway on Oct. 22 at 1:00 p.m.  All three home games will take place at Saint Xavier High School in Louisville.

Saturday's game can be viewed on Midway's athletics page (payment required): Click Here

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