LMC return to football an all-around success

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Penny Smith, Marlene Jowell, and Rob Gowin wait for the typical tailgate fare while the hundred or so Lon Morris students and family gather for their tailgate party. Progress photo by Kevin Jones
Chad Nelson, a Sophomore Lon Morris Bearcat from Buffalo, Texas shows off his dance skills during Saturday afternoon’s Tailgate party held at Sadler’s Kitchen and Catering, currently he is one of Lon Morris’ premier cross country runners as well as Captain of the Cross Country Team. Progress photo by Kevin Jones

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August 30, 2010

Jay Neal Jacksonville Daily Progress The Jacksonville Daily Progress Mon Aug 30, 2010, 07:46 PM CDT

JACKSONVILLE — Mission accomplished!

Lon Morris College’s return to football can now officially be deemed an across-the-board-swimmingly success.

First, enrollment has nearly tripled since the college announced in January 2009 that it would be resurrecting its football program after not fielding a team for the last 70 years, which was one of the reasons in the school’s decision to bring back football.

On the field head coach Johnnie Ritchey’s Bearcats kept up their end of the deal by blasting Monterrey (Mexico) Tech-Santa Fe 49-0 in front of an enthusiastic crowd, estimated at around 3,000, at the historic Tomato Bowl on Saturday night, in the team’s first game since 1940.

Prior to the actual game, a robust number of LMC students, fans as well as the general public flocked to the parking lots of Sadler’s Kitchen at The Landmark and the Greenhouse Mall for a Bearcat tailgate party.

With plenty of colorful green and white helium balloons decorating the area, fans mixed and mingled, listened to music — some even danced— and naturally consumed plenty of pre-game snacks and refreshments in the true spirit of tailgating.

Judging by the traffic counts at many of Jacksonville’s restaurants, both fast food as well as sit-down eateries, about 10:30 p.m. Saturday evening, it appears LMC and city officials also got their wish fulfilled as far as the positive economic impact Bearcat football will bring to the community.

LMC will play their second of four home contests scheduled for this fall at 2 p.m. Saturday when Arkansas Baptist College visits the Tomato Bowl.

Save the date.

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LMC return to football an all-around success

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