Day 4 spring ball report
CHESTNUT HILL – Eagles were back at it on Tuesday morning for the fourth of 15 spring practices between now and mid-April.
This was another day with good back-and-forth between the offense and defense. Here’s everything I jotted down…
Early observations
Few kids from Milton Academy in attendance, I’m not positive on who. I’ve also noticed that the indy periods early on in practice seem a little more intense than they did last year. That could just be in my mind’s eye, but even before practice really gets going, there’s a high energy level in those opening individual position drills.
Also saw Kevin Cline heading to the weight room as he gets ready for Pro Day on Monday.
Rout concepts
Early 3-on-3 work for receivers and DBs. Didn’t catch every rep but here’s a few that stood out…
-Dime by Grayson Wilson in the back right corner 40ish yards to VJ Wilkins
-Femi Babalola dime to Jackson Wade on a post corner to the same spot as Wilkins’ catch
-Mason McKenzie completion on the sideline to Duke Brennan
-Wilson completion on a hitch to Reed Swanson
-Short completion Babalola to Zach Schnorrbusch
Run game work & 1-v-1s
One one side the team worked on the run game, on the other we got some 1-on-1s. Stuck down by the 1-v-1s, here’s the highlights…
-I did take a peak over at the running game stuff initially and Evan Dickens is just so shifty. He can see a whole and jump cut to it quicker than a hiccup. Anthony Palano continues to stand out at LB too
-McKenzie comeback (dart) to Nedrick Boldin Jr.
-Sick interception by Ashton Cunningham, jumping a rout in front of Dawson Pough to pick off Babalola
-McKenzie to Swanson on a slant
-McKenzie drop in the bucket deep left corner of the end zone to Wilkins vs. Charleston Coldon
-Deep dime from Babalola to Brennan vs. Gerald Green Jr.
-McKenzie comeback to Bryce Dopson vs. Max Tejpaul
Team
After a special teams and offensive walk through period, first ‘live’ team reps of the day…
McKenzie – Run (not sure who, believe it was Bo MacCormack III). Completion to Kaelan Chudzinski. Two runs by MacCormack III…run stuff by KJ Sampson. Sack by Palano (got the ball out and completed on the sideline to Chudzinski). Run stuff (didn’t see who). Run stuff by LB Zacari Thomas.
Wilson – (Missed the first snap, but did see Kristian Wilkins absolutely destroy someone on the edge pulling on a run. He did it a few different times throughout the morning). Completion to Brady Clough. Run (didn’t see who). Big run by Mekhi Dodd. Completion up the seam to Nolan Ray.
Babalola – Sedric Addison run. Scramble (good open field ‘tackle’ by Jordan Rodriguez). Run stuff by Cam McGee.
7-on-7
McKenzie – Phenomenal 1-handed catch over the middle by Swanson with a Carter Davis on him. Short completion to Dodd (Max Tucker would have blown him up if it were live for some CM on CM crime). Catch over the middle for Jonathan Montague. Quick out to Wade.
Wilson – Interception by Marcus Upton (brutal throw in traffic). Dump off to MacCormack III. Hitch to Boldin Jr. Short completion to Ray.
Babalola – Incompletion. Short completion to Danny Edgehill. Quick pass to Michael Landolfi (x2).
Field goals
Both Luca Lombardo and Sam Stone went 3-3 from about 25 yards on each hash and straight down the middle.
Team
-Before I go through the quick drives, I did write down that the linebackers’ pursuit of the ball and constant attempts to punch out through every whistle was very noticeable today. It’s not like they haven’t been doing it each practice, but the relentlessness that they did it with today just stood out for some reason, particularly in this period.
McKenzie – False start. Incompletion. Short pass to Chudzinski. Wheel to MacCormack III. Short run by MacCormack.
Wilson – Short catch by Clough (real highlight here was Christian Hudson absolutely destroying an O-lineman and getting into the backfield in seconds). Short pass to Ray. Sack by Griffin Collins. Short run by Dodd.
Babalola – Sack by Palaie Faoa. Short completion to Schnorrbusch. Scramble. Short completion to Addison.
Team (just switched sides of the field)
McKenzie – Short completion to Chudzinski. Hard run by Dickens. Sack by Micah Amedee. Two hard runs by Dodd. Quick pass to Swanson (showed some great shiftiness and turned it into what would have been a big gain)…incompletion. (Missed this snap). Swing to Dickens. Sack by Zacari Thomas (technically a completion to Clough?). Combo run stuff by about three or four guys. Short run by Dodd.
Day 4 officially wrapped up at 11:23. Zach Allen then spoke with the team for a bit after practice, drawing two different rounds of applause.
Eagles are back to work Thursday morning at 9:00. First scrimmage is set for Saturday.
