Muleriders welcome back 120 for football opener
MAGNOLIA - The 102nd team in the history of Southern Arkansas Mulerider Football reported for fall camp today as 11th-year head coach Bill Keopple welcomed back over 120 players for the beginning of team activities which officially kickoff on Monday with the camp's first practice. Players will go through NCAA and orientation meetings as well as receive their team equipment on Saturday and Sunday, before taking to Rip Powell Field inside Wilkins Stadium on Monday morning at 8:30 a.m.
"We currently have 122 [players] here and we know where the rest of them are at," noted Keopple. "We still have a few traveling and we expect to pick up a few more by the time school starts on August 21."
Two hundred and fifty-three days since walking off the field following a tough 30-25 loss to Missouri Western in the Sixth-Annual Live United Bowl in Texarkana, the calendar officially turns to football season in Mulerider Country where high expectations abound as Southern Arkansas looks to build off of an 8-4 campaign, which included winning their first six games, in 2018.
"We're ready to get started. Expectations are high with this football team. They came back in shape and are looking good as an overall group," remarked Keopple. "We have some really talented, good looking, young men and you can tell they have been working hard this summer. You're always a little nervous if you have someone not show who you're expecting to."
Not showing up for the Muleriders in 2019 are a trio of All-America performers in Barrett Renner, Ka'Ronce Higgins, and DaVondrick Lison as well as three additional All-GAC standouts in Anthony Washington, Lorenzo Alexander and Malachi Pointer all of which were lost to graduation.
However, the theme throughout the spring and into the summer for Keopple and his staff has been that their replacements are already on campus and as well as within a solid 2019 recruiting class.
With many new faces and with others expected to assume larger roles, Keopple's message on day one is straightforward. "Don't lose sight of why they are here," stated the veteran coach. "Their education is number one with football being a close second this fall. The discipline it takes to be a great student-athlete is important and it starts with the basic fundamentals of executing the little things."
Keopple also added that the little things require zero talent. "Being on time, having a great work ethic, your effort and energy. Body language. Preparation and passion and being coachable among other things is what it is going to take to be a successful football team in 2019."