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2010 PHOENIX FOOTBALL PRESEASON PRACTICE REPORTS Preseason Update #10 - August 25 As preseason camp winds down, the Elon football team hit the field at Rhodes Stadium for a scrimmage during the annual Fan Appreciation event on Wednesday night. Elon will have one final scrimmage from Hunt and Tucker Fields on Saturday at 3 p.m. After working on PAT and field goals to open the night, Elon’s first defensive unit forced the Phoenix’s second offense into a three-and-out. Elon’s first-team offense then hit the field and covered 75 yards on five plays for a touchdown. The drive began with Scott Riddle finding Aaron Mellette for a nine-yard gain. On the next play, Riddle and Mellette connected again, this time for seven yards. After two more completions, Riddle found a streaking Mellette for a 48-yard strike and score. Mellette accounted for 64 of the 75 receiving yards on the drive. On its second possession, Riddle again propelled Elon’s first offense to a touchdown. After an incompletion, Brandon Newsome picked up gains of 14 and 11 yards on the ground before Riddle hit Sean Jeffcoat for 18 yards. Newsome picked up another 17 yards on two carries to take the Phoenix offense to the defense’s 31-yard line. Three plays later, Lance Camp hauled in a 27-yard touchdown pass from Riddle. Riddle led his offensive unit to a third touchdown score on its third drive. He completed all five passes on the drive, completing the possession with an 11-yard screen pass for a score to A.J. Harris. Taylor Berry made two grabs on the drive, snaring Riddle throws for gains of seven and 12 yards. The first-team offense’s fourth drive began with Riddle and Mellette hooking up for a 38-yard gain to the defense’s 17-yard line. The defense held, forcing an Adam Shreiner 32-yard field goal. On the four possessions, Riddle threw for 214 yards and three scores. Riddle would later rush for another TD during a goal line session.
Preseason Update #9 - August 23 With the preseason beginning to wind down, we caught up with defensive lineman Khirey Walker following Monday morning's practice from Hunt and Tucker Fields. Monday is the final two-a-day session for the Phoenix football program.
Preseason Update #8 - August 21 With a solid fan base on hand, the Elon Phoenix football team worked through a scrimmage from the Hunt and Tucker Practice Fields on Saturday night – the second of two practice sessions on the day. The first drive of the night started with the first offensive unit at its own 25-yard line. After running back A.J. Harris picked up a first down with an eight-yard push, the offense faced a second and 10 before quarterback Scott Riddle found wide receiver Aaron Mellette for a 17-yard gain. Later in the drive Riddle connected with Lance Camp for 16 yards on a third-and-six play. From there, penalties and a Joshua Jones sack backed the offense into a third and long before Riddle found Jeremy Peterson for 23 yards to set up a fourth down. Riddle looked toward the end zone on the fourth down play, but safety Blake Thompson was able to leap up and pick off the pass at the two-yard line. Head coach Pete Lembo thought that his first defensive unit posted a solid performance, stating, “I was pleased with our first defense. We had good pressure tonight. I was very pleased with the play of our safeties – Dale Riley and Blake Thompson. Blake just played a modest amount last year and Dale played as an outside linebacker. Both of those guys are very bright and conscientious and are playing physical back there.” The first unit’s second drive of the night started with Khirey Walker penetrating and recording a sack before Riddle hit Rasaun Rorie for 12 yards and a first down. On the next play, Riddle found tight end Andre Labinowicz for a 10-yard pick-up and another first down, but the drive stalled there. On the second team’s final series of the night, the offense faced a first-and-20 before quarterback Thomas Wilson completed back-to-back passes to Kierre Brown for gains of 11 and four yards before finding Peterson for another 10 yards and a first down. Two plays later, Juan Burnett put an end to the drive with an interception. On special teams, kicker Adam Shreiner was good on two of his three field goal attempts, including one from 38 yards out. Said Lembo, “Adam had a solid night. With the exception of one kick I thought he was accurate, had good height and good timing. He was getting the kicks off fast. One of the things we’ve tried to do with him is back off his reps a little bit. I think he kicks better when he’s fresh. We’ve tried to regiment his kicking schedule so he doesn’t wear down too early. Volunteer assistant coach David Vaughn has been working hard with our specialists.”
Preseason Update #7 - August 19 On a wet Thursday morning, the Elon Phoenix football team took part in its first practice of the day from Hunt and Tucker Fields. The team worked out in uppers, but will go in full pads during its 7:15 p.m. session. Head coach Pete Lembo was pleased with the balance shown in Thursday morning’s workouts saying, “As a head coach, that’s what you like to see – both sides highly motivated, focused and into the practice. Those type of back-and-forth battles make your team better and are typically the result of everybody coming out and being focused.” The Phoenix worked through two pass skeleton periods while the offensive and defensive lines competed one-on-one. The squad also practiced red zone and third down situations during team periods. Kickoff coverage and returns were also highlighted during the two-hour workout. “We started off really strong and had a great tempo during the first week with the acclimation days,” added Lembo. “I think we hit a little bit of a lull over the weekend, but seem to be coming out of that. Today’s practice was very business-like and balanced with both sides of the ball having some success. As a result, I think we got some quality work done in all three phases of the game.” Throughout the session, the intensity level of the Phoenix players remained high, something that has become a staple of Elon practices. “The fact that we have been a good practice team has been a key ingredient to our winning games on Saturdays. It’s important that we continue to find a way to be a great practice team, regardless of who may or may not be in the lineup on that particular day.” Lembo said that wide receiver and the defensive backfield still have some tightly contested position battles. “At receiver, it has been nip and tuck with a handful of guys who are vying for legitimate playing time,” stated Lembo. “Lance Camp and Jeremy Peterson have been very solid. Christian Dennis has been a pleasant surprise. On the outside, Sean Jeffcoat started off very well, but has been sidelined with a hamstring. I’m pleased with Aaron Mellette and how he has been competing every day. Rasaun Rorie has shown flashes of how good he can be. “In the secondary, we’re very young, but some of our freshmen are showing a lot of promise. I’m very pleased with Dale Riley and Blake Thompson at safety.” Lembo also touched on the improvement he has seen from a number of veteran players this year, saying, “There are many guys who have improved. Taylor Berry, who plays a lot for us in our two tight end sets, has gotten better. I think he is a very, very good tight end. At fullback, Thonda Taylor has improved. He is playing more physical and has a better feel for what’s going on in the offense. On the defensive side of the ball, up front Brandon Brant is playing with a good motor and is really starting to play faster.”
Preseason Update (Media Day) - August 17
Following Tuesday morning's 8 a.m. workout session on Hunt and Tucker Fields, head coach Pete Lembo and select members of the Elon Phoenix football team participated in the program's annual media day. The highly competitive practice was held in uppers and lasted a little over two hours.
Preseason Update #5 - August 15 The Elon Phoenix football team hit Hunt and Tucker Fields for the first of two sessions on the day at 8 a.m. under cloudy skies on Sunday morning. The team worked out in uppers in its morning practice, but will don full pads during tonight's 7:15 p.m. exercise. Sunday morning, the team worked on the two-minute offense and went through blocking drills. Elon also went through a pass skeleton period and worked on kickoff coverage and kickoff returns. In one-on-one work, the wide receivers faced the defensive backs while the offensive and defensive lines squared off. As practice was winding down, the Phoenix competed in a full offense vs. defense session. Following the practice, defensive backs coach Brian Newberry provided some information on his position group. "If you look at it on paper, the secondary should be a big concern for us this year," stated Newberry. "But I have been very pleased with our work so far." When speaking of Dale Riley, who has transitioned to the position from linebacker, Newberry said, "Dale was a fish out of water for a while in the spring. He thought too much. Now he understands our defense and is playing fast." "Blake Thompson has had an awesome preseason and is kind of our utility guy like Cam McGlenn was last year," added Newberry. "At safety, Brett McQuilkin is having a good camp and we have three freshman safeties which gives us good depth there. Junior Andrew Straus is currently sidelined with a hamstring pull. The freshmen – Juan Burnett, Chandler Wrightenberry and Jeremy Inglesi – have been impressive." Newberry went on to talk about more of his defensive backfield, including lone returner Terell Wilson who he labeled "consistent." He said, "Ronnie Hardison is developing and has the biggest shoes to fill as he's replacing Karlos Sullivan. Jonathan Conner has done well at the boundary corner spot after moving there from safety in the spring. Freshmen Ed Burns and Akeem Langham are excellent athletes, but are raw and learning a new language." Newberry feels that his group of defensive backs is meshing well with the defense as a whole despite featuring three new starters. "These guys come out and work hard every day and want toe get better. While the unit as a whole may be inexperienced, they almost appear to be a veteran group out there."
Preseason Update #4 - August 13 Today we sat down with assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Jay Bateman to get his take on the preseason and his defense. You have four defensive backs gone and three defensive linemen gone from last year’s squad. How do you do to replace those guys that have been starting for three or four years? I think we started recruiting for this a couple years ago. We feel really strongly about some of the young kids in our program that maybe haven’t played as many snaps. When those defensive backs got here, there was nobody else. Karlos Sullivan came in and didn’t have to beat anybody out. Some of our younger DBs that have been here for a couple years are now in a position where it’s their chance to play, and I’ve been really happy with them. We had so many kids that played on the defensive line last year. When you lose guys like Eric Ludwig and Andre Campbell who were such good players you obviously have to replace them with a bunch of people. We now have guys like Jordan Gibson who healthy and playing well. David Hunt is playing the best he’s ever played for us. Brandon Ward is going to be a difference-maker in this league. I feel like we’ve got three seniors who have played a lot, started a lot, that are good players. Khirey Walker was fourth on our defensive line in sacks last year. When he played, he played really well. He’s going to have to play more this year. Jordan Jones moved from linebacker to defensive end and I think he’s got a really bright future. Brandon Brant has got a really bright future. Olufemi Lamikanra did really well for us when he played last year. Now he’ll be a year older and a year stronger. I still think we have a number of guys who are going to play; it’s just that they are a little bit younger and not as well known. Obviously linebacker is going to be the strength of this defense. Tell us a little bit about the experience and expectations of them. When Brandon Wiggins was a freshman, I told Coach Lembo that when he was a senior I would just be able to roll the ball out. I think Brandon Wiggins has worked as hard as any kid I have ever coached. He has worked to become a great player and I think he’s going to have a great season. Physically he has gotten so much better. His physical numbers are off the charts. He’s got 27 career starts, maybe 30, but he’s played a lot of football for us. I think Joshua Jones is one of the best players in this league, so him coming back will help us. Travis Greene was one of our better players by the end of last year. Him coming along was what allowed us to move Dale Riley back to safety. We felt like those two kids had to be on the field at the same time. Lionel Shoffner has played a lot of football for us and I think he starts for a lot of teams in this league. I think Quinton Lightfoot, Zach Henderson and Elliot Richardson are some younger guys who have to continue to improve, but will be good players in the future. Those three starting linebackers, plus Shoffner, should be as good a corps as anybody has. You mentioned Dale Riley having to make the move to safety, how has that transition been for him? I have a very high opinion of Dale Riley. I told his mom this spring, ‘I don’t think there’s anything Dale Riley can’t do’. When we moved him to safety initially there were probably a few more bumps in the road then we thought there would be, but I think he fought through them and, by the end of the spring, was really, really competing and really doing well. He’s just a really gifted kid, a really smart kid, and I expect him to be an all-conference caliber player for us. Last year the defense was rated fourth nationally in total defense and I know you lost a lot, but you had one preseason first-team all-conference selection. Do you think your defense is underrated? We certainly discussed that with them. There a lot of on that defense that have been a part of an outstanding group for a couple of years. I think there is definitely a chip placed on a few of their shoulders. I don’t think our kids are real motivated by that, but I think everybody likes to hear their name called. We graduated five all-conference players. We talked about going from good to great last year. The whole thing was that some of the guys who had been good players needed to become second-team all-conference players, second-team all-conference guys needed to become first-team guys, and first-team guys needed to become All-Americans. I think if some of our guys do that again this year we’ll be in great shape. How do you maintain the level of success you have had the past couple years? That’s what we talk to them a lot about. It’s the culture we’ve created. When we first got here it was, ‘Hey we have to be top-three in the conference in rushing defense’. Now, if I told Brandon Ward we want to be in the top three in something, he’d laugh at me. If I told Brandon Wiggins I want you to be the third-best will linebacker in the league, he’d laugh at me. So I think we’ve created a culture where they expect to be the best. We rely on the kids that have played a lot for us to kind of enforce that culture. Our coaching staff – Coach Hall, Coach Newberry, Coach Downing and I – insist on the same effort and the same execution. What do you think having a chance to play against FBS programs like South Florida, Wake Forest or Duke means to the players? Obviously they play in front of more fans, it’s a bigger environment and that kind of stuff. I think our players are just like every other kid that they want to play at the highest level, they want to be like Terrell Hudgins and play for the Cowboys. I think it’s a chance for them, in their mind, to play at a little bit higher level and also prove themselves a little bit. When we played South Florida we were still so young in the program that it was a really good measuring stick for where we were. Then I thought against Wake last year we didn’t play very well. I thought we were a little tight and our kids put a little too much pressure on themselves for that game. I think the key thing this year against Duke is going to be that we just need to come out and play like we’re capable of playing. How has the success of guys like Terrell, as you mentioned, and Chad Nkang making the NFL helped you guys in recruiting? Every NFL team comes through here to see our kids. Every year we have a couple kids who are prospects, and I think it validates to recruits they are coming to see kids at Elon. Terrell and Chad were great players. They deserve every opportunity they’ve had. But I think we have kids on our team now that are great players too who will have those same opportunities.
Preseason Update #3 - August 11 The Elon football team battled through hot and steamy conditions for its fourth preseason practice session on the Hunt and Tucker Fields on Wednesday afternoon. The team worked out in uppers on Wednesday and will go in full pads for the first time this summer on Thursday. “We have a lot of seniors who understand that this is their last go around and are trying to make every day count,” said head coach Pete Lembo. “Guys like Brandon Ward, Terell Wilson, David Hunt and Jordan Gibson, to name a few, are coming out with a real sense of purpose every day and working really hard.” The squad worked on numerous aspects of the game during the session that lasted just over two hours. The Phoenix worked on kickoff coverage early in the day and also participated in one-on-one drills as the defensive backs matched up with the wide receivers, the linebackers took on the running backs and the offensive and defensive lines faced off. Elon also worked through two pass skeleton periods and did some base down and distance drills. Lembo was impressed with his defense on Wednesday, saying, “Our defense had a really good day, particularly our first group. They made a lot of plays during the team periods and battled through heat and found a way to get job done." Offensively Lembo has continued to be impressed with back-up quarterback Thomas Wilson. Of Wilson, Lembo said, “He’s come out and been very confident and is really taking control when working with the offense. Thomas is earning more and more confidence from his teammates and the coaching staff.” Elon’s freshman class has caught the eye of the head coach. Lembo stated, “The other thing that has jumped out to me is that there are some really talented players in our freshman class. As we install more and more on offense and defense it’s hard for them to keep up, but it is exciting to see how athletic they are. Hopefully we can get some of those guys ready to contribute this year.” Elon’s practice on Thursday will be the first time the squad works out in full pads, but Lembo says the team will ease into the hitting. That session has also been moved to an 8 a.m. practice due to the forecasted heat. Friday marks the first two-a-day on the schedule. In the 8 a.m. workout the players will practice in uppers before going again in full pads at 7:15 p.m. The later session will see some more scrimmaging. When speaking of practicing in the high temperatures, Lembo said, “Our athletic training staff is doing an outstanding job of keeping the guys hydrated. A.J. Lukjanczuk is really on task and does an excellent job of managing his staff. We are fortunate to have a handful of students who are interested in athletic training who are giving their time to help us get through these hot days.”
Preseason Update #2 - August 9 Practice number two of Elon's preseason football workouts will be held on Monday night at 7:15 p.m. at Hunt and Tucker Fields. Periodically during camp we will pass along some of the thoughts from Phoenix players. Today we spoke with senior linebacker Travis Greene of Falls Church, Va.
Preseason Update #1 - August 8
The 2010 football preseason got underway for the Elon Phoenix under the lights of Elon's Hunt and Tucker Fields for approximately two hours on Sunday night. The first workout of the year was held in comfortable weather with players in helmets. | ||