Pirates Continue To Work Toward Final Scrimmages
August 20, 2004 | Football
GREENVILLE, N.C. ?? The East Carolina football team ran through a pair of workouts at the Cliff Moore Practice Facility on Friday. Temperatures soared into the 90s with the heat index approaching 100 degrees as the team completed its third installment of four scheduled two-a-day practices.
"This is the toughest part of camp," said head coach John Thompson. "Its important that we mold our team right now. We've got to keep pushing, keep pushing, and not back off, and not give in."
ECU will next scrimmage at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday inside Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on Bagwell Field. The situational scrimmage is scheduled to end at approximately 6:20 and is sandwiched between the Pirates' preseason press conference and the athletic department's annual "Meet The Pirates" night. Coach Thompson is slated to address the media at 12 noon, while the yearly autograph session and dinner is scheduled to begin at 7 o'clock.
ECU also announced Friday, that its final scrimmage of the preseason, slated for Aug. 24 at 2:30 p.m., has been dubbed "Purple Tuesday." The first 300 students to pass through the gates at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on Tuesday will receive a free "S.W.A.R.M." football T-shirt.
All scrimmages are scheduled to be held in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium and are open to the public.
Thompson also stated the he is in favor of the proposed conference championship game recommended by the Conference USA Athletic Directors to the C-USA Board of Directors.
"I was really glad to see that. I think that will be the driving force in this league. Getting the championship game here in Greenville at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium will always be our goal. It's fun to think about. It adds so much to our conference and I think there will be a lot of interest nationally on it."
