Posted 8/27/07

The UW-Platteville football team will host a community day on Saturday, Sept. 1, beginning at 6 p.m. Fans are encouraged to attend the day's festivities and see this year's fiercely-contested lineup and roster spots.

The cost is $3, and all fans will receive a free hot dog and soda, as well as be entered in drawings for valuable Pioneer football merchandise.

Coach Mike Emendorfer welcomed a school-record 184 hopefuls to camp, and Saturday may be the players' last big chance to push for playing time.

"We'll showcase not only our returning players, but also our first-year players," Coach Emendorfer said. "At the conclusion, you can watch the Pioneers in some spirited competitions, like the fastest Pioneer, the quarterback challenge and a pass, punt and kick contest with participants from the crowd.

"In addition, we want to find out who the fastest kid is in Platteville. We'll have an open race on the stadium's Pro-Grass surface."

The Pioneers begin the season Sept. 8 against a St. Ambrose team that is coming off a 10-1 season and predicted to win the Mid-States Football Association's Midwest League. UWP is picked for fifth but mentioned as a dark-horse candidate in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference race and earned as a team to watch by Street&Smith's College Football Preview. Kickoff for UW-Platteville vs. St. Ambrose game is 1 p.m. in Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium.