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 Midway through Thursday night's |
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Aug. 21, 2008
2008 Meet the Cats Photo Gallery
Cullowhee, N.C. - With more than 500 spectators looking on, the Western Carolina Catamount football team closed its preseason Thursday night with the annual "Meet the Cats" event. The squad, wearing its new-look gold helmets sans logos accompanied by the traditional practice wears, hit the turf at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field for an hour-and-a-half controlled practice session before concluding the festivities by greeting fans and signing autographs on the field.
"Tonight was a situation that allowed us to prepare ourselves for Shorter College. Sometimes the tempo was not quite as fast as game speed, but we were able to practice formations. We will come back, study the film and better prepare for Shorter from this point on," said first-year head coach Dennis Wagner. "I thought it was a good crowd tonight, and hopefully next Thursday, when it is a live situation, it will be even better."
Festivities included the season-premiere of "In the Litterbox," an interactive sports talk show on WWCU-FM, Power 90dot5 live from the Jordan Phillips Field House. With the gates opening at 5:00 pm, fans were treated to giveaways including magnet schedules and posters.
"Offensively, we were able to execute multiple formations, move people around and get multiple groupings. We are getting our substitutions correct. On defense, a positive was seeing all of the action (in the backfield) because Shorter is going to run a lot of movement, cross-back action and arching backs. They are very efficient on offense," said Wagner.
With over 25 players enrolled in night classes on Thursday, the traditional "final scrimmage" look of the event was changed to a controlled scrimmage, with the insertion of the "Cat Drill" - won by the offensive unit - representing the only live contact of the event.
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The most discernable showing of offense against the defense came during a trio of two-minute drill exercises at the culmination of the event.
Red-shirt freshman Zack Jaynes led the only scoring drive, moving the offense from its own 35 yard line to the end zone on 3-of-5 passing for 45 yards. Jaynes completed consecutive passes to tight end Travis Osborne and former Black Bear teammate, Josh Cockrell, before connecting with freshman wideout Nate Harris for a 29-yard pick-up. The Canton, N.C., native added two scampers, including a 27-yarder that moved the squad into the red zone, and the eventual four-yard jaunt off the right side for the score.
Senior Andy Horn captained the two other series, with his first netting the most yardage although not resulting in points. Horn found classmate Kyle Garland for both completions in a 2-for-5 showing that netted 20 yards, but ended when a fourth down pass intended for senior Donald James fell incomplete.
Horn's final drive was stalled after consecutive sacks from red-shirt sophomore defensive lineman C.J. Johnson and a second from junior transfer linebacker Adrian McLeod.
Western Carolina will turn all of its attention to the Shorter College Hawks for the 2008 season opener next Thursday, Aug. 28 at 7:00 pm. Fans through the gates will receive FREE Bam-Bam Noisemakers -- with a post-game fireworks show to "...fill the Western sky..." after the game.
"We have heard that Shorter is canceling classes and chartering a bus to come to Cullowhee next week," Wagner concluded. "I want to challenge our fans, our student body, to be out in full force under the lights as we kick this season off the right way."
