FIT Football Concludes First Week of Practice

 

MELBOURNE, Florida - Florida Tech concluded its one-week training camp on Sunday at Panther Field, despite a 30-plus minute lightning delay.  While the defense dominated in the first few days, the offense began to click on Saturday and Sunday with improved play of redshirt freshmen quarterbacks Sean Ashley and Dan Mastellerand senior transfer Bobby Vega.

Looking back on a challenging and demanding week for the players, head coach Steve Englehart said his top goal was achieved.

“I think the biggest positive was we came together as a team,” he said. “That was my No. 1 goal. I wanted them to get to know one another and really buy into what the coaches are expecting of them. I think they’ve done that. We’ve had an on-going development series with meetings and had guests talk to them. Every night, we had different groups [of players] introduce themselves and say something about themselves. We’ve had a lot of laughs and fun together, which are signs that we’re coming together as a team. If you can get your guys to come together as a team, play together and love one another, you’re going to be successful.”

Less than three weeks remain before FIT’s inaugural game on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. against NCAA Division I-AA Stetson at Palm Bay High School’s Pirate Stadium. After the first week, several players have emerged on both sides of the ball.

“Defensively, Nate McDowell is playing well at the hammer position,” Englehart said. “Jaz Gamble at our SAM linebacker is playing well.  J.J. Sanders is doing some good things. Tyler Rosenblatt is playing extremely well. He’s proven he’s going to be a viable guy not only on special teams, but within our defense.  Up front, our defensive line is playing pretty well.  Skylar Sheffield, a guy we brought in and have big expectations for, is meeting those expectations.

“Xavier Milton, Aaron George and Tyler Bassare standing out on offense.  Wayne Saunders is quietly good. Collin O’Neal is playing well and all of our quarterbacks are also doing well. We’re really good in a lot of positions. We need to continue to get better in all we do. The offensive line has the potential to be really, really good. With an offensive line, it takes a lot of repetitions. I look for them to continue working hard over the next couple of weeks.”

With the fall semester starting on Monday, the Panthers will take the day off and return to the practice field on Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Single-game general admission tickets for all six of FIT’s home games are on sale at FloridaTechSports.com, at the Clemente Center Ticket Office Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and by dialing 321-674-8032. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors ages 65 and above, FIT faculty and staff with school ID, children ages 5-16 and active duty military with ID. Children under five years of age are free.

 

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Conference Coaches "Predict" Slow Start for FIT Football

MELBOURNE, Florida - In its inaugural season this fall, Florida Tech is expected to finish sixth in the Gulf South Conference, announced by the GSC Office on Wednesday. The Panthers received one fourth-place vote and four fifth-place votes to total six points.

“A preseason poll is simply a prediction based on the past performances and we don’t have a history just yet,” head coach Steve Englehart said. “I did not expect us to be voted ahead of the teams that have a rich history with the Gulf South Conference.”

Defending NCAA Division II National Champion Valdosta State and defending GSC Champion West Alabama are predicted to finish in a first-place tie. Both institutions received three first-place votes and two second-place votes for a total of 32 points.

North Alabama is expected to finish third, Delta State is slotted for fourth and West Georgia is predicted to finish fifth.

The league’s head coaches voted in the poll. Teams received five points for a first-place vote, four for a second-place vote, three for a third-place vote, two for a fourth-place vote and one for a fifth-place vote. The head coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams.

The Panthers will kick off for the first time on September 7 at 7 p.m. ET against Stetson at Palm Bay High School’s Pirate Stadium. The game is one of six home contests on FIT’s upcoming schedule. FIT will play its first-ever GSC game in front of a national TV audience on CBS Sports Network against West Alabama. The game is scheduled for Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. ETat Pirate Stadium.

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Gator Gymnastics Coach To Speak At Local Event

MELBOURNE, Florida – The coach of the 2013 national champion Florida Gator women’s gymnastics team will be the featured speaker at the September Meet-and-Greet of the Space Coast Gator Club.

Coach Rhonda Faehn will be speaking at the Liberty Bell Memorial Museum, 1601 Oak Street Melbourne. The event will take place on September 14th at 12:00 pm.  The event is open to the public.

Faehn will hold a 30 minute presentation, followed by a question and answer session. If time allows, she will sign autographs and take pictures.

According to a release by the club, her impact “on the University of Florida gymnastics program is undeniable. In her 11 years as the Gators’ head coach, the program has its first ever national championship; has seven top-five NCAA Championship finishes, including the 2012 runner-up spot; won four (2007, 2010, 2012 and 2013) Southeastern Conference team titles; and claimed eight NCAA Region team titles.”

Seating is limited to the first 100 people.  Advance tickets are $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for children.

To purchase tickets or for further information visit www.spacecoastgatorclub.com (Go to E-store then SCGC events. Email the club at spacecoastgatorclub@gmail.com or call 321-890-7754.

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Florida Tech Fall Sports Underway

MELBOURNE, Florida – While Florida Tech is touting its inaugural college football season, several other well-established sports have also begun practice as the 2013 school year gets underway. 

Women’s Soccer – The Panthers are coming off a 2012 season in which they finished with an overall record of 7-6-3, going 2-4-1 in Sunshine State Conference play.

“Preseason this year is very short, so we’re very limited,” head coach Fidgi Haig said. “We’ll try as much as possible to improve our fitness with all the activities we do. We know that while we are doing this, we have to make sure we watch for injuries.”

According to Haig, 38 players will make up the active roster in 2013, the most in school history.

“With the amount of players we have this year, we have to figure out who’s going to be playing where and who’s going to make an impact,” he said.

 “We had six freshmen starting last year,” Haig said. “They earned a lot of experience and we’re expecting them to be much better. A number of our incoming freshmen are solid and are probably going to be starting as well. We’re looking forward to making an impact right from the beginning.”

Men’s Soccer – The Panthers are following an impressive 2012 season in which they finished with an overall record of 10-4-3 and 3-3-2 in the Sunshine State Conference. They also placed four players on the All-SSC Team.

“We’re trying to spend as much time as we can together on and off the field to build relationships on the team,” head coach Robin Chan said. “At the same time, obviously, we don’t have a lot of time before the season starts, so we need to get an understanding of the strength of the squad and which pieces fit where.

 “We have a good returning group of players that have some experience and understand how to win,” Chan said. “We know it’s going to be a challenging season. There are a lot of teams in this conference that can go on into regional play every year, but there are only three slots. It’s the same every year, we come into the season very focused on the conference games we play and put ourselves in a position to win.”

Cross Country – The 2012 season marked the best season in school history for the men’s team, which took third in the NCAA Division II South Region Championship, and for the first time ever, qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championship. They also placed second in two of the four invitationals they attended.

“We have a big group of new kids and they’re from different states,” head coach PeteMazzone said. “We’re trying to get them used to practicing in the morning, getting them used to Florida and the humidity, new beds, a new environment – new everything. That’s what this week is about.”

Five new faces – one junior college transfer and four freshmen – join the men’s team. On the women’s side are seven first-year runners at FIT.

 “I’m expecting [the success] to carry on,” Mazzone said. “Once the new runners get used to the program and the extra distance in races, I’m expecting them to contend for the top five. And I think they expect that themselves.”

 

 

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FIT Single-Game Football Tickets Available Monday

MELBOURNE, Florida - Single-game tickets for Florida Tech’s inaugural 2013 season will go on sale Monday at 10 a.m. ET at FloridaTechSports.com, in person at the Clemente Center Ticket Office and by calling 321-674-8032. The single-game tickets will be sold through the Panthers’ new ticketing partner, ExtremeTix.

All single-game tickets are located in the general admission sections at Palm Bay High School’s Pirate Stadium. The general admission sections include Sections 1 and 2 on the home side, or east stands, and Sections 9 and 10 on the visiting team side, or west stands. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors ages 65 and above, FIT faculty and staff with school ID, children ages 5-16 and active duty military with ID. Children under five years of age are free.

A section of seats has been set aside for visiting team fans in the west stands. These tickets, located in Section 8, can only be purchased in person and over the phone.

Fans that purchase tickets online have the convenience of selecting which general admission section they would like to sit. They also have the option of printing tickets at home as opposed to receiving their tickets through mail or will call.

After single-game tickets go on sale Monday at 10 a.m., the Clemente Center Ticket Office will be open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the football season.

A challenging six-game home schedule awaits the first-year Panthers. It will begin with the program’s inaugural game on Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. against Stetson. Less than two weeks later on Sept. 19, FIT will host defending Gulf South Conference Champion West Alabama in a national TV game on CBS Sports Network at 8 p.m. ET.

After playing three straight road games, the Crimson and Gray will play four of their last five regular season games at Pirate Stadium starting with Shorter on Oct. 19 at 2 p.m. The Panthers will then take on Warner in their Homecoming Game the following week on Oct. 26 at 1 p.m.

They will play their last two home games against GSC counterpart North Alabama on Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. and Webber International on Nov. 16 at 2 p.m.

2013 Schedule:http://www.floridatechsports.com/football/schedule/

Stadium Seating Chart:http://www.floridatechsports.com/media/2013-14/football/tickets/PirateStadiumSeatingDiagram.jpg

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FIT Football Season Tickets Are Limited; Inaugural Season Starts on September 7

MELBOURNE, Florida – Less than 140 season tickets remain for Florida Tech’s inaugural home football schedule. As of Friday, Aug. 2, Panther fans have purchased nearly 1,150 season tickets to each of the team’s six home games.

All remaining season tickets are located in the premium seating section between the 30 and 40-yard lines at Palm Bay High School’s Pirate Stadium. Tickets are $65 for adults, $40 for seniors ages 65 and above and children ages 5-16. Premium seating is reserved.

General admission single-game tickets for FIT’s six home games are not on sale just yet.

The Panthers will begin play as the only NCAA Division II football program in Florida. The road will be challenging as they will play in arguably one of the toughest NCAA Division II football conferences in the country, the Gulf South Conference.

In its first year, FIT will compete in six home games, starting with the program’s first-ever game on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. against Stetson at Pirate Stadium. The match-up against Stetson will pit the Panthers’ first-year program against the Hatters who will play their first year of football since they last played in 1956.

Less than two weeks later on Thursday, Sept. 19, FIT will host defending GSC Champion West Alabama in a nationally televised game on CBS Sports Network at 8 p.m.

Over the course of the second half of the season, the Crimson and Gray will play four of its last five games at home. It will take on GSC counterpart Shorter on Oct. 19 at 2 p.m., Warner in the Panthers’ Homecoming Game on Oct. 26 at 1 p.m., GSC foe North Alabama on Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. and conclude the regular season versus Webber International on Nov. 16 at 2 p.m.

Buy your season tickets now!:http://www.floridatechsports.com/

2013 Schedule:http://www.floridatechsports.com/football/schedule/

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