The Knoxville Nighthawks are preparing for their first game of the 2013 season Sunday, March 10, at 4:00 p.m., against the Lions in Columbus, Georgia.

The Columbus Lions, who lost in the 1st round of the playoffs last year, are (3-0) against the Nighthawks.  Although the Nighthawks weren’t able to pull off a win against them last year, they were very competitive games.  Last time they both met the Lions won 76-63.

The Nighthawks will be looking to start off the season on the right foot with the hiring of new head coach, Cos DeMatteo.  This will be Coach DeMatteofirst head coaching job, but is no stranger to arena football style play.  He was an assistant coach for the, AFL team, Georgia Force and the, 2008 AF2 Champions, Tennessee Valley Vipers.  He was born and raised in Tennessee and knows how important it is to have a winning team in Knoxville.

“We look forward to putting a competitive product on the field.  We are excited to be playing our first game against Columbus.   We have a difficult schedule ahead of us and we are looking forward to the challenge.” said Head Coach Cos DeMatteo.

The Nighthawks-Lions match-up will be available for fans to watch on www.ustream.tv.  There will also be score updates on the Nighthawks’ Facebook and Twitter pages.

The 2013 season opener will be Saturday, March 30 against the Richmond Raiders.  Kickoff time is at 7:00 p.m. at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum.

For more information about the Nighthawks or tickets, call (865) 686-6106 or visit www.knoxvillenighthawks.com.

By: Dan Milas

Media Relations

Knoxville Nighthawks