Head Coach Steve Lee second season at the helm of the Braves program on Saturday, September 4 versus fellow Atlantic Central Football Conference member Methodist....The game is slated for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff at Monarch Field in Fayetteville, NC....Chowan finished with a 5-5 overall record and a 2-3 league mark in 1998, marking their first non-losing season as a four-year school....The Braves will dress 14 returning starters among 70 returning lettermen for the opening game.
Methodist, under the direction of eighth-year head coach Jim Sypult, posted a 7-3 record and finished tied for second in the ACFC with a 3-1 conference mark in 1998....The Monarchs return 36 lettermen, including 12 starters, from last year's club.
THE SERIES
The Braves and Monarchs are meeting for the seventh time on the gridiron Saturday afternoon....Last season the Monarchs defeated the Braves, 37-16, at Garrison Stadium in Murfreesboro, NC....The two teams made history in that game, playing the first contest in the history of the Atlantic Central Football Conference....In that game, quarterback Chris Dent completed 14 of 27 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns....Danny Inscoe also played well in the losing effort, catching six passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns and amassing 76 yards in punt returns....The Braves and Monarchs met for the first time in 1993....The Braves are looking for their first win over Methodist.
CHOWAN HEAD COACH STEVE LEE
Currently in his second season at the helm of the Braves program and his second season as a head coach, Lee led the Braves to a 5-5 overall record in 1998, their first non-losing mark as a four-year institution....Lee earned his first career coaching victory by directing the Braves to a 41-28 victory over Greensboro on September 12, 1998 in Greensboro, NC....Lee also serves as Chowan's director of athletics....Prior to being named head coach, Lee served as the Braves defensive coordinator for two seasons....The Braves third head coach in eight years, Lee landed in Braves Country from Waynesburg (PA) College, where he served a associate head coach and offensive coordinator....During his eight-year stint, the Yellow Jackets were nationally ranked several times....Lee has also served as an assistant coach at Fairmont State (1984-86) and Lock Haven University (1977-78)....Lee was the head football coach at University High School in West Virginian from 1979 to 1983....Lee is a 1978 graduate of Lock Haven University and earned his master's degree from West Virginia University in 1986....Lee's son Mark, is a football graduate assistant at WVU.
METHODIST HEAD COACH JIM SYPULT
Jim Sypult is in his eight season at the helm of the Monarch football program and holds a 36-34 career record after his team posted a 7-3 mark last season....A graduate of West Virginia University, Sypult's coaching resume includes stops at Fairmont State, Middle Tennessee State and Davidson....Sypult also guided the Bologna Towers, of the European Italian Football League, to the Super Bowl Playoffs of Europe.
ABOUT METHODIST
Under eight-year head coach Jim Sypult, Methodist is coming off a 7-3 season and are picked to finish second in the ACFC by a vote of the league's coaches....Returning starter and All-ACFC honorable mention pick Patrick Mebane returns to lead the Monarchs ground attack....Mebane rushed for 388 yards and seven touchdowns in 1998, including 57 yards on 21 carries versus the Braves....Sophomore quarterback Matt O'Kier will be making his first collegiate start on Saturday....Defensively, the Monarchs are led by senior co-captains and All-ACFC honorees Tavares Hunter and Shaun Bowman....Hunter had 74 tackles and four sacks in 1998, while Hunter contributed 50 tackles and five sacks a year ago.
FOOTBALL GAZETTE HONORS A PAIR OF BRAVES
Junior cornerback Antwain Haskins was named a Preseason South Region All-American by The Football Gazette....Haskins finished tied for fourth in the nation with eight interceptions a year ago....The All-ACFC second-teamer was named a South Region All-American in 1998....Junior kicker Justin Trout was also honored by the Gazette, being named a "Junior to Watch"....Trout led the ACFC in field goals in 1998, hitting nine of twelve, including a school and conference record 43-yarder against Salisbury State.
