images_sizedimage_092231433

VALDOSTA — Valdosta State released its 2009 football schedule on Thursday afternoon, and the slate of games includes six home games and four road games.

The Blazers will open the season at home on Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. against Newberry. Valdosta State edged Newberry 14-9 in Newberry, S.C. last year in a key in-region battle.

“That’s a great game for us because it’s an in-region game,” VSU head coach David Dean said. “It kind of sets the standard for how the Gulf South Conference and South Atlantic are going to be. It’s always a big rival because of the playoff implications. We didn’t play very well up there last year. We felt we could have played better. We just made too many mistakes. We’re excited for them to come down. It’s their first trip here.”

Following Newberry, the Blazers have a bye week, then they start Gulf South Conference play by hosting Southern Arkansas on Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.

The Blazers make their first road trip of the season on Sept. 19 to Arkadelphia, Ark., where they play Ouachita Baptist.

The Blazers host West Alabama on Sept. 26, then have a quick turnaround, as they travel to Delta State on the following Thursday (Oct. 1) to play on GSC TV.

After Delta State, the Blazers have a home game against Henderson State on Oct. 10 and a road game at Harding on Oct. 17.

Following the road trip to Harding, the Blazers face a showdown with Terry Bowden and the revamped North Alabama Lions on Thursday, Oct. 28. That game will be broadcast on CBS Sports as the NCAA Division II Game of the Week.

“That usually falls on the Georgia-Florida game,” Dean said. “Now that it’s on a Thursday night, we might have a better crowd.”

After facing UNA, the Blazers travel to Carrollton to face West Georgia in its new stadium on Thursday, Oct. 31.

“Being an old coach from there, and knowing how that’s progressed throughout the years of trying to get a stadium, it’s exciting for me to go in there and coach my guys there,” Dean said.

The Blazers finish the regular season against Edward Waters, an NAIA school from Jacksonville, Fla. Playing Edward Waters gives VSU 10 games, which is a playoff requirement. It also gives VSU an extra game in between West Georgia and the playoffs, which begin on Nov. 14.

Past rivals Albany State and Fort Valley State opted not to renew contracts with VSU this season, making non-conference scheduling tougher.

The Division II championship game is Dec. 12 in Florence, Ala.