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 Offensive coordinator Keith Heckendorf stressed the importance of Saturday's scrimmage during a Podcast interview on Friday morning. |
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Aug. 15, 2008
"Catamount Football Clinc 101 - for Ladies Only" PHOTO GALLERY
Podcast Interview with Offensive Coordinator Keith Heckendorf
Cullowhee, N.C. - As Western Carolina freshmen began moving onto campus in advance of the fall semester, the Catamount football team hit the grass practice fields on Friday morning for its lone practice session of the day. The team will spend the afternoon in position and unit meetings before aiding with move-in day during the afternoon hours.
Freshmen team members will attend Friday evening's Convocation ceremony in the Ramsey Center before the squad reconvenes for team meetings.
WCU is scheduled for an afternoon scrimmage on Saturday beginning at 3:30 pm at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field.
Friday's 16th practice included 26 periods over a two and a half hour time frame. The coaching staff has stressed intensity amidst a different schedule with an increasing number of outside distractions with more activity on campus. Each unit continued working on installation and execution before coming together for seven-on-seven segments and 11-man scrimmage sessions.
As the team winds down preseason workouts, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Keith Heckendorf stressed the importance of Saturday's game-like session.
"Saturday's scrimmage is big because it will let us find out where we are as a football team," Heckendorf explained. "Offensively, we have some questions that we need to get answered. There is no better way (to do that) than to put them in a live game situation, let them go out there and play. Then, we will evaluate where we are at and start preparing for Shorter College."
Heckendorf praised his five quarterbacks, including preferred walk-ons Jonathan Efird and Travis Monroe, and the three returning signal callers, senior Andy Horn, red-shirt sophomore Adam Hearns and red-shirt freshman Zack Jaynes.
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On Friday, practice concluded with a two-minute drill competition with post-practice conditioning hanging in the balance. The Catamount offense started at its own 40-yard line with 1:25 on the clock under the direction of red-shirt freshman Adam Hearns. The Philadelphia, Pa., native connected on three-consecutive out routes to junior Kyle Garland and two to senior Donald James before an incompletion stopped the clock at 0:16.
On third and seven near midfield, Hearns found tight end Travis Osborne to move the chains and keep the drill alive. The offense spiked the ball on the ensuing play, bringing up 2nd and 10 from the 35 yard line. Hearns dropped back to pass, but the defense had smothered all of his options, so he took off, scrambling up the middle to the 27 and calling timeout with three seconds remaining.
From the 27 yard line, Hearns lofted a pass into a pack in the end zone where two defenders swatted it down. Red-shirt freshman receiver Josh Cockrell nearly made a diving stab at the last second, but he ball fell to the ground giving the defense the drill victory.
On the injury front, freshman Dee Jackson (knee) is listed as out, with linemen Victor Aquilina and Josh Reese, and wide receiver Sterlin James each also nursing knee injuries that will sideline them for the next 3-to-6 weeks. Also, transfer defensive lineman Elsmore Gabriel suffered a concussion during practice mid-week, but is expected to return by Monday.
Following Saturday afternoon's scrimmage, the team will take Sunday off from the practice fields, mixing in running with meetings, before beginning fall classes on Monday.
The annual "Meet the Cats" practice is slated for Thursday, Aug. 21 at 6:00 pm, with gates opening at 5:00 pm. The concessions stand and stadium store will be open, as well as the ticket booths selling 2008 season tickets. Following the festivities, the players and WCU Cheerleaders will be on hand signing autographs.
