The third ranked team in Division II, VSU return to the gridiron this weekend for a road matchup against the Shorter Hawks.  

The Blazers are coming off an unplanned bye week. Their last expected matchup against the unbeaten West Alabama Tigers was canceled due to Hurricane Helene’s impact on the Valdosta area when it struck on Sept.16. 

 The Blazers last played on Sept.19 against the Erskine Flying Fleet, where they won 73-0; improving their record to 4-0 on the season. 

The Blazers have spent the last couple of days on the Georgia State University campus and practiced at Georgia Tech due to the hurricane. The Blazers have outscored their previous two opponents 107-0 going into this matchup. 

Senior quarterback Sammy Edwards has had a stellar start to the season, with 1000 passing yards, 11 passing touchdowns and no interceptions.  

 He also has two rushing touchdowns on the season for the Blazers and will be the catalyst for the Blazers’ offensive, which still ranks first in the Gulf South Conference in all offensive categories, such as points scored, points per game, passing yards and rushing yards.   

This week, their opponent is a familiar foe: the Shorter Hawks, a former member of the GSC who comes into this week’s matchup also coming off an unscheduled bye due to Hurricane Helene at 2-0.  

Graduate student quarterback Harold Cook has led the charge for the Hawks coming into this matchup. He has 402 yards passing with four touchdowns and zero interceptions on the season through the Hawks’ first two games. The Hawks last played a game on Sept. 21 against the Warren University Royals, which the Hawks won 47-25.  

The Blazers lead this all-time series 11-0, including last year’s 42-14 win at Bazemore Hyder Stadium. This time, the Blazers travel to Rome, Georgia, to face the Hawks in the clash of the unbeaten teams. 

Written by Christopher Mercer, Sports editor. Photo by Ibec Francis, Photo editor.