Wake Forest Athletics
Preseason Football Practice Report: August 10
8/10/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
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Wake Forest Football
Preseason Practice Report
Sunday, August 10, 2003
Making Contact: Following Sunday's Media/Photo Day event, the Demon Deacons hit the practice field on campus for the fifth session of preseason camp. Today's practice also marked the first day in full pads and contact drills. The Deacs practiced for 25 periods (2 1/2 hours) from 4:15 to 6:45. The rain held off and overcast skies kept the temperature down, but the field was quite muddy from all the rain that has fallen lately. Following warmups and gassers, the Deacs began the day working out in position groups, then moved to pass skel drills. The final five periods of the day were 11-on-11 team drills, the first opportunity of the season for the full offense and defense to go against each other. Every player on the depth chart saw some action, as the coaches continuously rotated among the starters and reserves. The No. 1 and 2 offensive lines seemed to be creating some holes, as Chris Davis, Cornelius Birgs, Dominic Anderson and quarterback Cory Randolph all had some good carries. Randolph also found a couple of targets in Davis and Anthony Young as he connected with those two on some nice passes. On the flip side, the defense batted down quite a few passes.
Quoting Head Coach Jim Grobe: "It's hard to tell where we are after one day of contact. We rep everyone, so even the freshmen are getting some looks out there. We have a lot of young guys so there are some mental mistakes right now. It also maks it hard for us to get a consistent look offensively, although I think the No. 1 offense is doing some good things. The defense, while they're making some mistakes, appear on the surface to be a little ahead at this point. I'm really pleased with the way were competing. We have a lot of guys out there who are trying to earn a starting position and that's only going to make us better."
Quoting Linebacker Kellen Brantley: On the first day of contact: "It felt good. There was more excitement in the air. Even when you felt too tired to go that extra inch, you still wanted to go all out. Even though it wasn't a full scrimmage, it felt like it. Everyone had extra energy. There was a definite feeling of competition in the air."
On The Sideline: Freshman offensive lineman Brodie Overstreet continues to be sidelined after undergoing eye surgery. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Willie Idlette is wearing a boot on his sprained right ankle and will continue to be evaluatd this week. Senior offensive guard Chad Rebar has not practiced for the last two days and is being evaluated for a possible msucle pull in his left calf. Redshirt freshman defensive back Napoleon Sykes missed today's practice due to a nagging hamstring.
Upcoming Practice Schedule: Now that the summer school session is complete, Wake Forest will begin two-a-day practices starting Monday, Aug. 11 with a session from 9-11:30 a.m. and another from 3:30-6 p.m. Per NCAA rules, teams must practice using a two-a-day, one-a-day format, so the Deacs will follow that schedule for the next two weeks. Listed below are upcoming practice times:
Monday, Aug. 11 9-11:30 am (Campus Field) 3:30-6 pm (Campus Field)
Tuesday, Aug. 12 9-12 noon (Campus Field)
Wednesday, Aug. 13 9-12 noon (Groves Stadium) 3:30-6 pm (Campus Field)
Fan Fest: The 2003 Wake Forest Fan Fest is Saturday, August 16 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. at Groves Stadium. This year's Fan Fest will feature coaches and athletes from all the WFU fall sports, including the football, field hockey, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country and volleyball squads. Demon Deacon athletes and coaches will be available for autographs and pictures. There will also be food, games and DTZ inflatables for the children. The Demon Deacon, as well as the Wake Forest cheerleaders, will also make a special appearance. The Wake Forest Fan Fest is free of charge. For more information, contact the Sports Marketing office at 366-758-5011.
Player Q&A's on the Web: Visit www.WakeForestSports.com for the latest information on the Deacon football team. In addition to all press releases and practice reports, a Q&A series with Deacon football players will be posted on a regular basis. Featured Deacs so far include Brad White, Chris Barclay, Eric King and Blake Lingruen.
