TC Day 7 - Spruce Grove
Very breezy session out in the Grove today. Heck of a new facility they have 
- only complaint is that there are few windbreaks around it. Going to be ridiculous if the wind ever picks up to Sask levels.
Esksfans present: myself, MSG (and mom), MoneyGuy, Eskinator, True-42
Wounded: Samuels, Garrett, L.Williams, Baird, Davis, Cooper, Tucker, Goldie, KP, Luciani
Cut: Bracey
Missing: Braidwood (my guess is he was getting his knee looked at some more), Kabongo (family reasons according to Esks.com)
Mystery: #29, kicker...my guess is that it was Schiavone, as #75 was nowhere to be found.
I think I'm missing someone there...there were 60 helmets on the field and 74 guys on the roster (including Bracey). Not sure who, though.
Anyways, a fun session it was. No drills except for basic warmups (pass-and-catch circle drill and DL 1-rushes).
Five officials were out as well, with Ireland presiding. I like this idea helps the players get used to the officiating and tunes the officials up a bit.
I saw kickoffs for the first time today...Kean handled them all that I saw, looked okay. Harris, Stokes, Robinson, and Jackson all returned...Harris never did take the ball, but Stokes and Jackson both looked okay...returning on avg about 20yds back to the 25-30ish.
Full team drills started with Guillory getting good pressure and Ray missing Nowacki. Would find him over the middle quickly, though, and Shabazz was in decent coverage there.
Campbell went WAY offside on the next play, was flagged, made the catch anyways.
Mystery kicker #29 handled most of the punts today, didn't do too badly...Pindell was late getting out on to the field for the return team, was chewed out good by Kep. Stokes took the first punt and didn't really get anywhere.
Maas came in and promptly had a malfunction at the junction on a play-action handoff to Harris...bumped right into him, really threw off the timing. Found Challenger out wide anyways, and JR made a nice wrap-up.
The D then got really good pressure against the 2nd OL unit (Fiacconi worked with the 1st unit today due to Kabongo's absence) and Maas had to throw it away...Challenger might've had it, but alligatored it (might've been too far away for him to catch in any case).
Maas got "sacked" on the next play when he actually went down (tripped over a foot, I think)...didn't see who got the credit, though.
Challenger made another catch out wide, and the OL had noticeably good protection.
#29 then punted again, this time to Jackson...the kick was short and Jackson grabbed it off a bounce (inavoidable). Couldn't do much with it.
Another kickoff...Stokes to the 25ish.
Three-First-Names then had another hurry (gasp!)...Ray had to throw it away to nobody. That's two in two days...wow.
Ray hit Campbell with good cover from Younger, and then tried for Stamps in the middle, but Landrom gave him a good knock and he didn't make the catch.
#29 punted to Campbell, who tried to make a lateral move but nothing doing. Don't think he has a spot on the punt return team...on that particular rep, looked like a taller Tompkins. Or October.
LeFors came in and struggled a bit...again taking much too long to throw. Overthrew Challenger, then hit Jamison (who was stuck pretty good by Robinson) while Okpro had a kill shot on LeFors.
Onatolu then got through for a "sack", Challenger tried to grab the desperation throw but no dice.
#29 kicked again to Campbell, but the wind helped push it sideways...bounced about five feet inbounds and then out. Good placement.
Kean kicked off again, Jackson took it back to the 25ish.
Ray hit Nowacki who made a great sideline catch, staying inbounds. Did it again, but Goss had a kill shot on Ray that time as well.
Campbell made a nice fingertip catch.
#29 punted to Robinson...who slipped and fell and the kick bounced, rolled about 20 yds behind him. I don't think he'll be returning much either.
LeFors was hurried and threw high...and who pulls it down but Clarence Moore. Throw must've been about eight and a half feet in the air, and Moore stretched and got it without (barely) leaving his feet. Great grab.
Both Harris and Anderson didn't have all that much to do today...took some dump passes, looked all right. Still really like how Harris squares his shoulders ASAP. Good stuff.
LeFors ended up scrambling around in the pocket a little, and suddenly a hole opened up for Coleman, who would've had a "sack"...it was a somewhat odd play in terms of how it developed. Jamison made the catch.
SLF then rolled and fired a laser to Challenger, who had to jump for it but got both hands on it...and dropped it.
Kean came in and got a good punt away...Jackson caught it, found a hole, and took it all the way back around the right side got the biggest cheer of the day.
(Of course, there were flags...offside on the receiving team. 
)
I wasn't sold on Jackson as a DB, but he looks really good punt returning - he has good burst, not quite the same as Harris does, but the couple of times he had to take it off a bounce, he got it and was ten yards downfield in about half a second.
None of us like seeing KR's take returns off bounces, I know - but the wind knocked down a lot of kicks today, and they were unavoidable IMO. Robinson was the only one that really let any bounce when he could've caught them in the air.
Stokes took the next kickoff and tripped over a blocker at the 20 or so.
Donovan came in, ran a couple run plays, then play-actioned and went deep to Campbell. Wind messed with it and knocked it down again, Goss almost had the pick, juggled it, then Campbell got a hand on it, but no one brought it in.
Guillory and Clutts snuffed out a dump pass fairly well.
TSP then had a really high snap to Kean...Kean did well to jump, get a hand on it, pull it down, and get off a half-punt. Bounced and Jackson was quick on it, getting a few yds before running into a crowd.
Kickoff to Robinson, who didn't do anything spectacular.
Maas rolled out and went deep for Moore, who drew a PI flag on Loftus. Otherwise he would've had it.
Next throw was tipped and went behind Moore, who made a one-handed effort but didn't get it.
Jamison did well to stay inbounds on a higher throw.
Kean then punted to Jackson...the kick knuckled, and took a funny bounce past him. Jackson ran back to get it, fell on it, then fumbled and recovered it again.
Then the refs brought out the chains and some simulated drives were run from about the 25 in.
Goss came in on a rush and forced an incompletion.
Ralph dropped a pass near the goal line and it was ruled a fumble...Shabazz picked it up and took it all the way back to the other 40 yd line.
Next drive, Stamps tipped a throw, Shabazz picked it off inside the end zone, and ran it out to the 30.
Stokes made a nice scoop off his shoelaces, and then Maas found Moore for a TD, with tight cover from Robinson. Extra point from Kean was good.
LeFors hit Yao for 5, then Stamps had a drop. LeFors was hurried and threw a bad dump pass away. Score another one for the D.
Next play, controversy...Stamps looked to catch one off a bounce (got it off the trap-hop), but it was called a completion. Defence would've challenged. Don't know where the replay box was.
Ray then threw a couple not-great incompletions before finding Mason open in the back corner of the endzone. Convert good.
Maas' first pass was a good-looking throw, but it was closer to Buhl than anyone else, who almost had the pick.
Then Maas went deep to Nowacki and Younger broke it up nicely.
LeFors came in again. Gave to Harris, who had a nice run for 9 or so. Gave to Harris again but Onatolu stuffed him at the line. 3rd and 1, and LeFors sneaked, looked like he might've been short (the D was all jacked up ) but apparently he got there (no measurement).
Then LeFors hit McCarty on the sideline, and on the last play rolled out on a bootleg and ran for the corner of the end zone, and found it. The O went nuts like they'd just won the game.
(FTR, it was a tie, IMO - 3 TD's, and 3 turnovers forced. )
Good to see everybody stoked, though, and no fights today.
Afterwards there was a bit of an impromptu autograph session...nothing too special.
Good days: Shabazz, Harris, Moore, Onatolu
Bad days: Robinson, somewhat
Up-and-down days: Challenger, Jackson, Okpro, Campbell, Jamison
Tomorrow there is one practice, 1-3 pm at Clarke.
- only complaint is that there are few windbreaks around it. Going to be ridiculous if the wind ever picks up to Sask levels.Esksfans present: myself, MSG (and mom), MoneyGuy, Eskinator, True-42
Wounded: Samuels, Garrett, L.Williams, Baird, Davis, Cooper, Tucker, Goldie, KP, Luciani
Cut: Bracey
Missing: Braidwood (my guess is he was getting his knee looked at some more), Kabongo (family reasons according to Esks.com)
Mystery: #29, kicker...my guess is that it was Schiavone, as #75 was nowhere to be found.
I think I'm missing someone there...there were 60 helmets on the field and 74 guys on the roster (including Bracey). Not sure who, though.
Anyways, a fun session it was. No drills except for basic warmups (pass-and-catch circle drill and DL 1-rushes).
Five officials were out as well, with Ireland presiding. I like this idea
helps the players get used to the officiating and tunes the officials up a bit.I saw kickoffs for the first time today...Kean handled them all that I saw, looked okay. Harris, Stokes, Robinson, and Jackson all returned...Harris never did take the ball, but Stokes and Jackson both looked okay...returning on avg about 20yds back to the 25-30ish.
Full team drills started with Guillory getting good pressure and Ray missing Nowacki. Would find him over the middle quickly, though, and Shabazz was in decent coverage there.
Campbell went WAY offside on the next play, was flagged, made the catch anyways.
Mystery kicker #29 handled most of the punts today, didn't do too badly...Pindell was late getting out on to the field for the return team, was chewed out good by Kep. Stokes took the first punt and didn't really get anywhere.
Maas came in and promptly had a malfunction at the junction on a play-action handoff to Harris...bumped right into him, really threw off the timing. Found Challenger out wide anyways, and JR made a nice wrap-up.
The D then got really good pressure against the 2nd OL unit (Fiacconi worked with the 1st unit today due to Kabongo's absence) and Maas had to throw it away...Challenger might've had it, but alligatored it (might've been too far away for him to catch in any case).
Maas got "sacked" on the next play when he actually went down (tripped over a foot, I think)...didn't see who got the credit, though.
Challenger made another catch out wide, and the OL had noticeably good protection.
#29 then punted again, this time to Jackson...the kick was short and Jackson grabbed it off a bounce (inavoidable). Couldn't do much with it.
Another kickoff...Stokes to the 25ish.
Three-First-Names then had another hurry (gasp!)...Ray had to throw it away to nobody. That's two in two days...wow.
Ray hit Campbell with good cover from Younger, and then tried for Stamps in the middle, but Landrom gave him a good knock and he didn't make the catch.
#29 punted to Campbell, who tried to make a lateral move but nothing doing. Don't think he has a spot on the punt return team...on that particular rep, looked like a taller Tompkins. Or October.
LeFors came in and struggled a bit...again taking much too long to throw. Overthrew Challenger, then hit Jamison (who was stuck pretty good by Robinson) while Okpro had a kill shot on LeFors.
Onatolu then got through for a "sack", Challenger tried to grab the desperation throw but no dice.
#29 kicked again to Campbell, but the wind helped push it sideways...bounced about five feet inbounds and then out. Good placement.
Kean kicked off again, Jackson took it back to the 25ish.
Ray hit Nowacki who made a great sideline catch, staying inbounds. Did it again, but Goss had a kill shot on Ray that time as well.
Campbell made a nice fingertip catch.
#29 punted to Robinson...who slipped and fell and the kick bounced, rolled about 20 yds behind him. I don't think he'll be returning much either.
LeFors was hurried and threw high...and who pulls it down but Clarence Moore. Throw must've been about eight and a half feet in the air, and Moore stretched and got it without (barely) leaving his feet. Great grab.
Both Harris and Anderson didn't have all that much to do today...took some dump passes, looked all right. Still really like how Harris squares his shoulders ASAP. Good stuff.
LeFors ended up scrambling around in the pocket a little, and suddenly a hole opened up for Coleman, who would've had a "sack"...it was a somewhat odd play in terms of how it developed. Jamison made the catch.
SLF then rolled and fired a laser to Challenger, who had to jump for it but got both hands on it...and dropped it.
Kean came in and got a good punt away...Jackson caught it, found a hole, and took it all the way back around the right side
got the biggest cheer of the day.(Of course, there were flags...offside on the receiving team.
)I wasn't sold on Jackson as a DB, but he looks really good punt returning
- he has good burst, not quite the same as Harris does, but the couple of times he had to take it off a bounce, he got it and was ten yards downfield in about half a second. None of us like seeing KR's take returns off bounces, I know - but the wind knocked down a lot of kicks today, and they were unavoidable IMO. Robinson was the only one that really let any bounce when he could've caught them in the air.
Stokes took the next kickoff and tripped over a blocker at the 20 or so.
Donovan came in, ran a couple run plays, then play-actioned and went deep to Campbell. Wind messed with it and knocked it down again, Goss almost had the pick, juggled it, then Campbell got a hand on it, but no one brought it in.
Guillory and Clutts snuffed out a dump pass fairly well.
TSP then had a really high snap to Kean...Kean did well to jump, get a hand on it, pull it down, and get off a half-punt. Bounced and Jackson was quick on it, getting a few yds before running into a crowd.
Kickoff to Robinson, who didn't do anything spectacular.
Maas rolled out and went deep for Moore, who drew a PI flag on Loftus. Otherwise he would've had it.
Next throw was tipped and went behind Moore, who made a one-handed effort but didn't get it.
Jamison did well to stay inbounds on a higher throw.
Kean then punted to Jackson...the kick knuckled, and took a funny bounce past him. Jackson ran back to get it, fell on it, then fumbled and recovered it again.
Then the refs brought out the chains and some simulated drives were run from about the 25 in.
Goss came in on a rush and forced an incompletion.
Ralph dropped a pass near the goal line and it was ruled a fumble...Shabazz picked it up and took it all the way back to the other 40 yd line.
Next drive, Stamps tipped a throw, Shabazz picked it off inside the end zone, and ran it out to the 30.
Stokes made a nice scoop off his shoelaces, and then Maas found Moore for a TD, with tight cover from Robinson. Extra point from Kean was good.
LeFors hit Yao for 5, then Stamps had a drop. LeFors was hurried and threw a bad dump pass away. Score another one for the D.
Next play, controversy...Stamps looked to catch one off a bounce (got it off the trap-hop), but it was called a completion. Defence would've challenged. Don't know where the replay box was.
Ray then threw a couple not-great incompletions before finding Mason open in the back corner of the endzone. Convert good.
Maas' first pass was a good-looking throw, but it was closer to Buhl than anyone else, who almost had the pick.
Then Maas went deep to Nowacki and Younger broke it up nicely.
LeFors came in again. Gave to Harris, who had a nice run for 9 or so. Gave to Harris again but Onatolu stuffed him at the line. 3rd and 1, and LeFors sneaked, looked like he might've been short (the D was all jacked up
) but apparently he got there (no measurement). Then LeFors hit McCarty on the sideline, and on the last play rolled out on a bootleg and ran for the corner of the end zone, and found it. The O went nuts like they'd just won the game.
(FTR, it was a tie, IMO - 3 TD's, and 3 turnovers forced.
)Good to see everybody stoked, though, and no fights today.
Afterwards there was a bit of an impromptu autograph session...nothing too special.
Good days: Shabazz, Harris, Moore, Onatolu
Bad days: Robinson, somewhat
Up-and-down days: Challenger, Jackson, Okpro, Campbell, Jamison
Tomorrow there is one practice, 1-3 pm at Clarke.
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