HAMMOND, La. – Competition has been the key word for the Southeastern Louisiana football team during its first fall under first-year head coach Frank Scelfo.
At every position, Scelfo and his staff have been evaluating Lions to see who would step up in those competitions for starting spots and playing time. Perhaps no position has seen a tighter race than quarterback.
The competition under center is still on-going. Scelfo announced that the starter for Thursday’s 7 p.m. season opener at ULM will be a game-time decision.
One thing that is clear is that Scelfo and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Greg Stevens, who is back in Hammond for a second stint after overseeing the best offense in school history in 2013, have no shortage of viable options to lead the SLU attack.
The incumbent starter is junior Lorenzo Nunez, the reigning Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year. In his debut season in Hammond, he threw for 11 touchdowns and rushed for five more. The Lions averaged 460 yards and just under 40 points per game in the nine games the Kennesaw, Georgia native started.
Nunez was not the only Lion quarterback to impress in his debut season in Hammond. Sophomore Byron Walker proved to be a capable backup in 2017, throwing for seven touchdowns on just 36 total passes in the nine games he saw action in.
The new face in the competition is junior Chason Virgil, who transferred in from Fresno State prior to spring practice. The Mesquite, Texas native comes to Hammond with 14 games of starting experience from his two seasons with the Bulldogs, for whom he threw for 2,843 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Stevens is confident that the Lions have multiple quarterbacks on the roster that can help them win games.
“It’s always good to have the type of depth we have at quarterback,” Stevens commented. “We’re heading into the season with several guys we feel comfortable with.”
Stevens has been impressed with how the group has handled the competition heading into the season.
“All these guys are aware they’re in a competition and want to be the starting quarterback,” Stevens said. “But they’ve been very supportive of each other while also competing.”
While he’s pleased with where his position group is heading into 2018, Stevens also is cognizant that there’s plenty of room for growth.
“We want to continue working on the mental aspects and getting through our progressions quicker,” Stevens stated. “We’re always striving to improve our fundamentals and technique as well.”
Thursday’s game will be televised on ESPN+, the subscription-based arm of ESPN, and via the WatchESPN app. The Lions-Warhawks game will air on the Southeastern Radio Network (KSLU-FM 90.9, Kajun 107.1 FM, The Highway 104.7 FM, WFPR 1400 AM). The game can also be heard online at www.LionSports.net/listenlive and via the TuneIn Radio and RadioFX apps.
SEASON TICKET INFORMATION
For season ticket information, please contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.LionSports.net/tickets. The Lions will welcome conference foes Central Arkansas (Sept. 15), Northwestern State (Sept. 29), Houston Baptist (Oct. 13 – Homecoming), Abilene Christian (Oct. 20 – Hall of Fame Game) and McNeese (Nov. 3).
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics has instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events, effective with the start of football season. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/clear.
TOUCHDOWN CLUB/S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the football program are encouraged to join the Touchdown Club. Lion football alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letterwinners.
All membership fees and donations to both the Touchdown Club and S Club (football) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern football program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at la*@so**********.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
SOCIAL MEDIA/#SelfieWithScelfo
For more information on Southeastern Football, follow @SLUFootball and @Coach_Scelfo on Twitter, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
Fans can also win a pair of SLU Football season tickets by participating in the #SelfieWithScelfo campaign during the month of August. Follow @SLU_athletictix on Twitter for more information.
FRANK SCELFO COACHES SHOW
The Frank Scelfo Coaches Show will debut on Sept. 4 at 7 p.m. at Tope La Catering (113 East Thomas Street) in downtown Hammond. The season’s first show will air on Tuesday due to Labor Day. The season’s remaining shows will be held each Monday through Nov. 12 with a 7 p.m. start for each.
The show will air on the Southeastern Sports Radio Network (KSLU-FM (90.9), Kajun 107.1 FM, The Highway 104.7 FM and WFPR 1400 AM). Fans can also listen live at www.LionSports.net/listenlive and via the Radio FX and TuneIn Radio apps. A live video stream of the show will be available via Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/sluathletics.
By: Southeastern Athletics
