Pirates Turn In First Full-Pad Workout
March 04, 2006 | Football
March 4, 2006
GREENVILLE, N.C. - After two non-contact orientation sessions, second-year head coach Skip Holtz and the East Carolina Pirates opened their spring practice schedule in earnest Saturday morning by working two-plus hours in full pads at the Cliff Moore Practice Complex.
Holtz guided ECU's first full-pad practice after pair of introductory workouts in shorts and helmets Thursday and Friday. The contact session was the first of 12 which will be conducted in full gear, including a pair of scrimmages and the Purple-Gold Spring Game on April 8.
"I was happy with the hitting out there and I thought we did a nice job of practicing together," Holtz said. "I was also encouraged that we made some improvement passing and catching the football after a slow start in our first two days.
Despite the addition of equipment, Holtz and his staff spent the majority of the session keying on the crispness of fundamentals while continuing the schematic review process of the Pirates' offensive and defensive playbooks.
ECU also worked through various team sessions towards the end of the practice period which was highlighted by an enthusiastic and animated three-on-three drill which featured matchups between the Pirates' tight ends, offensive and defensive lines, wide receivers and defensive backs, running backs and linebackers at point-blank range on a shortened field.
"I continue to be impressed with the progress of our three mid-year additions at linebacker (Orlando Farrow, Danny Muhwezi, Fred Wilson)," Holtz continued. "They have come into camp ready to play. What's nice about that is that it creates a lot of depth at that position where perhaps many of the younger guys can really make an impact on special teams and get additional experience there.
"On the other side, our glaring concern right now comes at the center position," Holtz added. "We must have put the ball on the ground 10 times or so today during the quarterback-center exchange alone. This is something we'll continue to address each day until we find the right personnel or combination. I know it's still awful early but it is something we need to get rectified pretty quickly."
Saturday`s practice concluded the first week of workouts for the Pirates, who will return to the practice facility Monday afternoon to begin their countdown to Spring Break, which begins Friday afternoon. Upon its return to campus Monday, March 20, ECU will have just two sessions to prepare for the first scrimmage of camp scheduled for Friday, March 24.
