Spring Practice Report #11
4/7/2008 4:17:00 AM | Football
STATESBORO, Ga. -- With the Blue-White game presented by the Georgia Neighborhood Ford Dealers just around the corner, Georgia Southern football entered its final week of spring practice, Monday morning, at the football practice fields.
A stark difference from Sunday's sunny weather and warm temperatures, today's cool and wet conditions made little difference in the way second-year head coach Chris Hatcher and the Eagles performed.
“You just don't pay any attention to it,” said Hatcher. “You just go on with practice as planned. I thought we had a pretty good practice being a Monday after a good, hard week, last week. Then tomorrow hopefully we will come out with a little bit more fire, because we'll have full pads on.”
The practice was a make-up from the prior week's postponed meeting on account of inclement weather. Today, the Eagles worked out in shells, checking off a fundamentals checklist through a series of team offensive and defensive drills, field goals, and later skeleton and full scrimmages.
For Hatcher, fundamentals are just what the team needs.
“I like spring ball because it gives you a chance to get out there and coach and not have to worry about preparing for an opponent,” said Hatcher. “So it's good that you get to work on fundamentals. We've got a lot of work to do. Fifteen days isn't enough for us right now.”
In scrimmage action, both sides of the ball came out with great intensity. Eagle quarterbacks Kyle Collins (Atlanta/Lovett) and Lee Chapple (Norcross/Greater Atlanta Christian) made some big plays in the air. Collins connected with Raja Andrews (Swainsboro/Swainsboro) and Joe Haynie (Fairburn/Creekside) for a pair of touchdowns. Michael McIntosh (Jacksonville, Fla./First Coast) and Steve Cundari (Roswell/Roswell) grabbed a pair of touchdown receptions both sparked by Chapple.
The defense continued to show the same strength it displayed during last week's training. A pair of team sacks and two individual take downs by James Arowoselu (Roswell/Roswell) and Casey Wingard (Acworth/Etowah) gave the offense some trouble. Quick hands and sharp eyes saw four pass break-ups, in addition to an interception in the end zone by Anthony Jones (Acworth/North Cobb).
Amid the many standout plays from both individual players and team units, Hatcher noted the need for improvement.
“We've got a lot of fundamental work that we need to do, and there're still a couple of guys that are battling to be a part of the team next fall,” said Hatcher. “We've got to get better this week and we have three more practices to do that. I don't put a whole bunch of stock into the spring game like a lot of people do. That's just again another chance for the guys to go out there and have a good time and finish up the drills.”
The Eagles will have three more practices before the Blue-White game presented by the Georgia Neighborhood Ford Dealers, Saturday, April 12 at 1 p.m.
BLUE-WHITE GAME TO BE SPONSORED: This year's annual Blue-White game will be presented by the Georgia Neighborhood Ford Dealers. The game is scheduled for Saturday, April 12th at Paulson Stadium. Play-by-play voice Chris Blair and color analyst Terry Harvin will broadcast the game on Eagle 102.9 FM and via the internet at www.GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com. The radio show will begin 30 minutes before the 1 p.m. kickoff. Check with the Athletics Department website for all the latest details.
SPRING PRACTICE SCHEDULE
(dates/times subject to change... all times at 8 a.m. unless otherwise noted)
Tuesday, April 8 (full)
Thursday, April 10 (full)
Friday, April 11 (shorts)
Saturday, April 12: Blue-White game presented by the Georgia Neighborhood Ford Dealers (1 p.m.)
A stark difference from Sunday's sunny weather and warm temperatures, today's cool and wet conditions made little difference in the way second-year head coach Chris Hatcher and the Eagles performed.
“You just don't pay any attention to it,” said Hatcher. “You just go on with practice as planned. I thought we had a pretty good practice being a Monday after a good, hard week, last week. Then tomorrow hopefully we will come out with a little bit more fire, because we'll have full pads on.”
The practice was a make-up from the prior week's postponed meeting on account of inclement weather. Today, the Eagles worked out in shells, checking off a fundamentals checklist through a series of team offensive and defensive drills, field goals, and later skeleton and full scrimmages.
For Hatcher, fundamentals are just what the team needs.
“I like spring ball because it gives you a chance to get out there and coach and not have to worry about preparing for an opponent,” said Hatcher. “So it's good that you get to work on fundamentals. We've got a lot of work to do. Fifteen days isn't enough for us right now.”
In scrimmage action, both sides of the ball came out with great intensity. Eagle quarterbacks Kyle Collins (Atlanta/Lovett) and Lee Chapple (Norcross/Greater Atlanta Christian) made some big plays in the air. Collins connected with Raja Andrews (Swainsboro/Swainsboro) and Joe Haynie (Fairburn/Creekside) for a pair of touchdowns. Michael McIntosh (Jacksonville, Fla./First Coast) and Steve Cundari (Roswell/Roswell) grabbed a pair of touchdown receptions both sparked by Chapple.
The defense continued to show the same strength it displayed during last week's training. A pair of team sacks and two individual take downs by James Arowoselu (Roswell/Roswell) and Casey Wingard (Acworth/Etowah) gave the offense some trouble. Quick hands and sharp eyes saw four pass break-ups, in addition to an interception in the end zone by Anthony Jones (Acworth/North Cobb).
Amid the many standout plays from both individual players and team units, Hatcher noted the need for improvement.
“We've got a lot of fundamental work that we need to do, and there're still a couple of guys that are battling to be a part of the team next fall,” said Hatcher. “We've got to get better this week and we have three more practices to do that. I don't put a whole bunch of stock into the spring game like a lot of people do. That's just again another chance for the guys to go out there and have a good time and finish up the drills.”
The Eagles will have three more practices before the Blue-White game presented by the Georgia Neighborhood Ford Dealers, Saturday, April 12 at 1 p.m.
BLUE-WHITE GAME TO BE SPONSORED: This year's annual Blue-White game will be presented by the Georgia Neighborhood Ford Dealers. The game is scheduled for Saturday, April 12th at Paulson Stadium. Play-by-play voice Chris Blair and color analyst Terry Harvin will broadcast the game on Eagle 102.9 FM and via the internet at www.GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com. The radio show will begin 30 minutes before the 1 p.m. kickoff. Check with the Athletics Department website for all the latest details.
SPRING PRACTICE SCHEDULE
(dates/times subject to change... all times at 8 a.m. unless otherwise noted)
Tuesday, April 8 (full)
Thursday, April 10 (full)
Friday, April 11 (shorts)
Saturday, April 12: Blue-White game presented by the Georgia Neighborhood Ford Dealers (1 p.m.)
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