Pirates Close Out Second Week Of Drills
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Calling it a “work in progress,” East Carolina Head Football Coach Skip Holtz wrapped up the second week of spring workouts by guiding the Pirates through a 130-minute practice last Thursday afternoon on Hight Field inside the Cliff Moore Practice Complex.
The session, conducted in wet, at times, downpour conditions, was the Pirates’ sixth practice of the spring period and leaves nine more workouts to go, including two scrimmages and the annual Purple-Gold Spring Game set for April 18.
“Spring practice is hard because there is not a game coming up,” Holtz said. “The excitement of starting out is over and the light isn’t at the end of the tunnel yet. I told the guys that it is important that we go through this right now, even with all of the injuries that have mounted up. Every time I look out at the team drills, I see guys out there that need the work. However, a lot of players are having a really good spring period and are retaining a lot of the schemes on offense and defense. We just need to keep working through these tough days.â€
Similar to Wednesday’s practice, East Carolina emphasized the sharpening of its team preparation, working on various sets and schemes with different roster matchup designations. For the third-straight workout, the Pirates carried out seven-on-nine and 11-on-11 drills which featured different variables in ECU’s rushing and passing attack before ending the session with a field goal segment that was completed in a driving rainstorm.
“It was good for us to play in the rain today because these conditions could pop up during the season,” Holtz continued. “If it happens on game day, we have to play in it. Everyone eventually gets over the fact that they are wet and start to have fun. It actually picks the tempo and morale up instead of dragging it down. I am glad that we had the opportunity to play in it and we got some good work in today at every position across the board, even after the skies opened up.â€
ECU will open its third week of work Monday beginning at 4:00 p.m.
NOTES: The East Carolina program welcomed scouts from over 14 different National Football League organizations to its annual outgoing senior pro-timing day Thursday afternoon … The combine-type workout included weight and agility sessions in the strength and conditioning center and traditional speed drills such as the 40-yard dash and various shuttle runs on the artificial surface of Hight Field … LB Pierre Bell, SS Leon Best, OT Stanley Bryant, LB Quentin Cotton, TE Davon Drew, DE Marcus Hands, CB Jerek Hewett, C Fred Hicks, RB Derrick Jones, TE J.R. Kraemer, WR T.J. Lee, LB Dalvon Mack, SS J.J. Milbrook, DT Khalif Mitchell, DS Wilson Raynor, RB Brandon Simmons, FB Jason Simmons and DE Zack Slate joined other former Pirates OG Matt Butler (’07), LB Richard Koonce (’05) and TE Jay Sonnhalter (’07) during the session
EAST CAROLINA‘S 2009 SPRING PRACTICE SCHEDULE
Next Workout: Monday, March 30 (4:00-6:00 p.m.)
Remaining Workouts: April 1, April 3, April 4 (scrimmage), April 6, April 8 (scrimmage), April 13, April 15 and April 18 (Purple-Gold Game, 3:00 p.m.)
Tom McClellan
Assistant AD/Media Relations
East Carolina University