Having already been in camp for almost a week, the Chowan Football Program has already laid the groundwork for an exciting season.

After a nonstop and sometimes grueling schedule of lifting, practice and meetings, today was the first time that we were able to strap up in full gear and get after each other to begin competing in earnest.

Up to this point, we have been evaluating everyone, seeing how the freshman are adjusting to the changes of college life and how everyone has improved over a summer’s worth of hard work, during which many players stayed to work out with teammates and coaches here in Murfreesboro.

After a first day of moving in and catching up with old friends, we got straight down to business, having position and team meetings every night, including guest speakers every night from the school and community to show us their support and excitement for the upcoming season.

There is a lot of excitement at camp about this season, stemming from a combination of the experience coming back on both sides of the ball and contributions of some players who will be new to the fans.

After showing some progress last season, we believe we are close to taking the next step in competing in the CIAA, particularly on offense, where we are returning talent at nearly every position, from quarterback to other skill positions as well as the offensive line, all the while adding players from redshirt years and academic issues.

The running game is being vastly improved this year, with multiple backs showing explosion and speed for us. The defense is gaining experience as well, returning several players at nearly every position.

In our first scrimmage today, the offense came out firing, scoring on the first three plays in all three phases, including a screen, a run, and a pass on back-to-back-to-back plays.

Both sides settled down a bit after that, but heavy competition was seen on both sides. The defense got three turnovers, and the offense scored five more times, three of which were caught by an emerging receiver who is looking to make our group of pass catchers even more dangerous.

While the first team offense and defense showed up well in their series, there was some progress made by the second and third teams as well. As is the case with all first full scrimmages, there were plenty of mistakes to be seen from all, but with another week of camp to go, and countless more practices following that, there is time to iron them out, a process that will begin almost immediately tonight at our meetings when we watch the film from the scrimmage.

There is still a lot of blood and sweat and hard work coming, but we are prepared to face it with enthusiasm in preparation for the coming season, which will show that this is no longer the Chowan Football of old.