Springcoming set this weekend at FSU

By Duane Cochran
For the Times West Virginian

FAIRMONT April 10, 2008 01:43 am

— Springcoming 2008 is set for this weekend at Fairmont State University.
The event, which is the brainchild of FSU football coach Mike Lopez and his staff and is being sponsored by Muriale’s, will coincide with the Falcons’ annual Maroon-White Spring Game which will take place Saturday, April 12 at noon at Duvall-Rosier Field.
An admission fee of $5 will be charged for the annual scrimmage which this spring will feature an offense versus defense format because of depth issues at certain positions on the squad. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Mountaineer Boys and Girls Club. All FSU students and children under 12 will be admitted free.
“We wanted to try to make this weekend more of an event and more of a festive atmosphere,” said Lopez. “We’d love to get more people involved with our program. In the fall we have homecoming and that’s a great time because a lot of our alumni come back, but the bad thing for us as coaches and our players is we have a real, serious game to play that day and because of that we don’t get to visit with our alumni or spend the amount of time with them that we’d like to.
“By doing something like we’re trying this spring it gives us more time to meet and greet people and let them get to know us and our program better. I’m excited about it. I hope it catches on for us and then we can really build on it for the future.”
The weekend events will get under way Friday with the first annual Fairmont State University Friends of Football Golf Tournament which will be played at Bel Meadow Golf Club.
On Saturday morning prior to the annual spring game the Alumni Flag Football Palooza will be held. Former FSU players will take part in an obstacle course based on their ages and the decades that they played in at Fairmont State. Also, a minimum of two 20-minute flag football games will be played by the alumni beginning at 10 a.m.
“We’re really looking forward to the Alumni Flag Football Palooza,” said Lopez. “All of us ex-players still have competitive juices flowing and we all still like to play games whenever we get the chance. That desire never really leaves you. I want our alumni to be able to enjoy the game-day experience again.
“We’re going to bring them in early and give them a tour of our locker room, our facilities and our brand new training room and if they need treatment or taped our trainer, Bob Cable, who does a great job for us and has been here for 18 years will take care of them. Then we’ll bring the guys out on the field and coach (John) Marano will form run them and flex them. Then we’ll do obstacle courses with them based on their ages and what decades they played and then we’ll have a flag football game or two.”
As noted FSU’s Maroon-White Game will kickoff at noon. During the game Lopez has devised some interactive activities for spectators. He’ll turn his headset over to fans to allow them to make a play call for certain plays during the scrimmage.
Also, a 50-50 drawing will be held as well as a Maroon-White game ball raffle. The Falcons will also have some of their throwback game jerseys on sale Saturday.
In addition to the football events the Fairmont State Alumni Association will have free food and inflatable games for the kids at Springcoming.
The celebration will continue at 3 p.m. when FSU’s women’s softball team plays host to Glenville State on the Falcons’ new softball complex.