Feb. 4, 2008

Printable 2006 WT Football Schedule in PDF Format

CANYON, Texas - Kimbrough Memorial Stadium will be the site of six exciting West Texas A&M football contests during the upcoming fall as the Buffs have announced their 2008 football schedule, which will see them gun for a fourth straight Lone Star Conference Championships and trip to the NCAA-II playoffs.

"Our main focus was to get a sixth home game on our schedule and Azusa Pacific was able to accommodate us," said head coach Don Carthel, who has compiled a 33-5 record in three seasons at WT. "They are a good team from the West Coast with a solid tradition in football and should be a nice test for us. We hoped to get a Division II opponent from our region but were not able to work anything out."

The '08 slate will see the Buffs open the season with two straight contests on the road as they begin the season by traveling to Grand Junction, Colo., to battle Mesa State, a NCAA-II playoff team from a season ago. Following the Mesa State contest, WT will make an appearance in Edmond, Okla., to face Central Oklahoma in LSC crossover action before returning to Canyon on Sept. 13 to host Azusa Pacific at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium in the team's home opener.

Southwestern Oklahoma State makes the trip to the Texas Panhandle to battle the Buffs on Sept. 27 a week before the Buffs kick off LSC South play on the road in Kingsville, Texas, against Texas A&M-Kingsville, which is the last school to win four straight LSC titles, as the Javelinas won the league five straight seasons from 1993 to 1997.

The Midwestern State Mustangs will be next year's homecoming opponent when they make an appearance in Canyon on Oct. 4, a week before the Buffs travel to Blackwater, N.M., to write the 2008 chapter of the the Wagon Wheel rivalry with Eastern New Mexico.

Following the rivalry contest with ENMU, the Buffs renew acquaintances with Abilene Christian at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium on Oct. 18. The Wildcats are the last team to defeat the Buffs on their home field, back on Oct.19, 2006. Since that meeting, WT has reeled off nine straight victories in front of its home fans.

A trip to San Angelo, Texas, on Oct. 25 will be the Buffs' final road trip of the regular season before returning home to host Northeastern State and Tarleton State to close out the '08 campaign.

West Texas A&M

2008 Football Schedule

Date         Opponent                                           Place                                         Time

Aug. 28    Mesa State                                         Grand Junction, Colo.                 8 p.m.

Sept. 6     Central Oklahoma^                             Edmond, Okla.                           TBA

Sept. 13 Azusa Pacific                                    Canyon, Texas                        6 p.m.

Sept. 20 Southwestern Oklahoma State^      Canyon, Texas                        6 p.m.

Sept. 27   Texas A&M-Kingsville*                         Kingsville, Texas                        7 p.m.

Oct. 4      Midwestern State*#                         Canyon, Texas                        6 p.m.

Oct. 11     Eastern New Mexico*                           Blackwater Draw, N.M.                TBA

Oct. 18    Abilene Christian*                           Canyon, Texas                        6 p.m.

Oct. 25     Angelo State*                                     San Angelo, Texas                     6 p.m.

Nov. 1     Northeastern State^                        Canyon, Texas                        6 p.m.

Nov. 8     Tarleton State*                                Canyon, Texas                        TBA

Home Games in BOLD and played at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium

All times are Central Standard Time, but are tentative and subject to change

* - Lone Star Conference South Division Game

^ - Lone Star Conference Crossover Game

# - Homecoming Game

Home and Home with Grand Valley State to Highlight 2009 and 2010 WT Football Schedules

In addition to playing in the always competitive Lone Star Conference South Division, the West Texas A&M football team has added a marquee opponent to the upcoming 2009 and 2010 schedules, signing an agreement to play a home and home series with Grand Valley State.

The first meeting in the series will take place at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium during the 2009 season, with the Buffs returning the favor by traveling to Allendale, Mich., in 2010.

The Lakers are one of Division II's most successful programs, claiming four NCAA-II National Championships in the last six seasons, including back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006. Grand Valley's playoff run last season met the same end as WT's, as they fell to eventual National Finalist Northwest Missouri State in Maryville, Mo.

"I think our program is established to the point where we feel like we can play with anybody at the Division II level," said Carthel. "Grand Valley State has been the standard program at this level and will be a great measuring stick for our team to go against a marquee opponent like that. Our team is excited about the opportunity and many of the recruits we have coming in are fired up to test the water against a team like Grand Valley State."