Sports

New traditions unveiled at spring game

TENNESSEE TECH IDOL – Cory Malone serenades Golden Eagle fans during the football team’s spring game April 14. Malone performed Joe Nichols  song “Yeah,” on karaoke. Photo by Jim Dillon.

“Gooo Golden Eagles” was the chant that kicked off Tech’s spring football game. Head coach Marcus Satterfield directed the event and led the crowd in some new Tech cheers. Satterfield introduced some new traditions to Tech fans; for example, the team entered the field to Jimi Hendrix’s, “Purple Haze.” 

The spring game was held Thursday, April 14 in Tucker Stadium. 

“One of the main reasons for putting on the spring game is to showcase our athletes because they have worked so hard,” said Satterfield, “The players can come out and play in an environment where they can have fun and celebrate all that they have accomplished so far.”

The team was split into a purple team and a gold team. Staring the game, the gold team won the coin toss. 

There was a wide range of organizations that attended the spring game such as Greek organizations, the soccer team, the volleyball team, the basketball team and the Spirit Squad, which includes the dance and cheer team. 

 “I thought that the spring game was a lot more energized than in years past. I felt that they really tried to involve the student body and I liked that,” said Caleb Clement, a chemical engineering major and member of Sigma Phi Epsilon. 

During the event, students had the opportunity to sing karaoke. The songs that students sang ranged from Smash Mouth hits to Taylor Swift hits.

Not only was there karaoke, but also students and faculty from the crowd got picked to kick field goals and participate in some plays. Awesome Eagle got in on the action and had his opportunity to punt. 

Golden Eagle tight end Cory Malone had the opportunity to interact with attendees at the spring game during his karaoke competition against Chris Moore, Golden Eagle linebacker. 

“My favorite thing that I enjoyed most about tonight was having the whole community come out and support us with a lot of energy, which is something Coach Satterfield is trying to install in not only us, but the community as well. I am excited about all the plays that are going to be made in this upcoming season; we are going to be champions,” said Malone. 

Some major plays that happened during the spring game were: in the first quarter the gold team scored the first touchdown; during the second quarter, Austin Hicks caught the ball on the 15-yard line, almost scoring the first touchdown for the purple team; in the third quarter, Isaiah McKinney caught an interception; in the fourth quarter, Mark Wilson, the athletic director, kicked the final field goal tying up the game.

The game ended with some new traditions, such as “Dixieland Delight” being played, and it also ended in a tie of 21 to 21. 

“I think that this event was a huge success because our staff did a great job getting every generation involved and creating good, positive energy,” said Coach Satterfield. “I believe that this could be one of the best football programs in the country, but the community and the team have to have the confidence to say it.”