Spring Practices 2019 Thread

[luckyintheorder]

Let's get ready for Spring football analysis. Lots to learn about how all the coaching changes will impact things on the field, who's going to step up and replace all the seniors who graduated and the general team attitude about the upcoming season. I know I will be getting most of my information from GoEags, SR, those on field interviews and would love to hear from those who actually attend any practices... who stands out? physicality? positional excellence? etc... I am asking too much?

Expect Custer, EB3 and Boston to be leading on offense and the OL should be way ahead with returning 6th year starters. Mitchell Johnson and Keith Moore should take the DL to the next level and loving all the returning DB/Safety types who saw so much playing time last year... Criner, Hayes and Kedrick J showed out last season and there is a LOT of talent coming back -- Tre Weed, Gurley (if healthy), Prunty etc...

Posted schedule:
https://goeags.com/news/2019/3/8/football-spring-practices-begins-on-april-2-for-eagles.aspx

 

[rontheoldwiseeagle2]

Don't forget T Taylor (Left tackle) will be back after being out all season last year. This squad is the best Eagle team startling the season ever. and with the U of W starting all over on the defensive back field we have another fighting chance for next year. We will not be embarrass against the U of W.
Maybe the third time is a charm.

 

[LDopaPDX]

Don't forget T Taylor (Left tackle) will be back after being out all season last year. This squad is the best Eagle team startling the season ever. and with the U of W starting all over on the defensive back field we have another fighting chance for next year. We will not be embarrass against the U of W.
Maybe the third time is a charm.

I agree. Assuming this team can stay healthy, the sky's the limit. On paper, we only have 10 returning starters. The reality is almost every guy coming back was an impact player in 2018 and featured heavily. I can't recall an offensive line ever looking so damn good coming into a season.

As for UW, they still scare the hell out of me. You know Coach Lake is wash, rinse, repeat and his kids will be as good as anyone in college football. I don't much like our chances in that one, but I hope we can hang around. I went to both the previous UW games in Husky Stadium, and we outplayed UW in each game. Unfortunately, turnovers killed us in both games. To hang in this one, Eastern will need a flawless game.

 

[60s Savage]

Husky Stadium 2014 my favorite Vernon Adams game, Eagles could have won, spotted UW too many points to start with, gut wrenching waits for Vernon to finally lob the little brown pig into the rear corner of the end zone for six, seesawing leads, then the heart breaking interception near the end. So proud of our Eagles! Kudos to the Alumni staff for thee outstanding UW pregame tailgater. Bring on the 2016 season.

 

[luckyintheorder]

Lots of coaching changes this off season. Glad their in the fold for Spring and most have experience at the roles they are filling. Truly looking forward to seeing the team on the field get better this season.

OC Ian Shoemaker - former CWU HC Like the hire on paper. Runs a balanced offense. Expect a tougher minded offense out of Spring and Fall camps to build on the progress last season.

DC Eti Ena - EWU DL coach promoted. Thought the DL took a quantum leap last season. Honestly holding position would be great this year considering all the new moving parts but some of that is out of the coaches hands and depends solely on players staying healthy. Amazing run last year with so many starters out at the end of the season and playoffs.

WR Pat McCann - No. Iowa WR coach/UC Davis WR coach (anyone find it odd he left UC Davis with Doss on the field? Doss less productive without him. Looking forward to seeing our WR corps take off this season)

DB Allen Brown - former CP DB coach. Brown is an Eag who has experienced winning a Natty. Been recruiting Cali the last 4 years and should have an eye on CA talent as well as a winning attitude. He should be comfortable coaching for Best.

Safeties Bryan Mills - former analyst, first coaching gig. He has a LOT of talent to work with. Don't f*** it up. No pressure.

 

[LDopaPDX]

Lots of coaching changes this off season. Glad their in the fold for Spring and most have experience at the roles they are filling. Truly looking forward to seeing the team on the field get better this season.

OC Ian Shoemaker - former CWU HC Like the hire on paper. Runs a balanced offense. Expect a tougher minded offense out of Spring and Fall camps to build on the progress last season.

DC Eti Ena - EWU DL coach promoted. Thought the DL took a quantum leap last season. Honestly holding position would be great this year considering all the new moving parts but some of that is out of the coaches hands and depends solely on players staying healthy. Amazing run last year with so many starters out at the end of the season and playoffs.

WR Pat McCann - No. Iowa WR coach/UC Davis WR coach (anyone find it odd he left UC Davis with Doss on the field? Doss less productive without him. Looking forward to seeing our WR corps take off this season)

DB Allen Brown - former CP DB coach. Brown is an Eag who has experienced winning a Natty. Been recruiting Cali the last 4 years and should have an eye on CA talent as well as a winning attitude. He should be comfortable coaching for Best.

Safeties Bryan Mills - former analyst, first coaching gig. He has a LOT of talent to work with. Don't f*** it up. No pressure.

Not sure about McCann, but I think he left UC Davis when Hawkins took the gig. If that’s correct- my timeline may be wrong- it would probably have been an issue of Hawkins wanting his own guy in the position.

 

[EWURanger]

Yep, lots of coaching changes this year, but probably less impactful changes than we had heading into 2017.

 

[luckyintheorder]

Yep, lots of coaching changes this year, but probably less impactful changes than we had heading into 2017.

Not looking for a 2017 repeat. ;-) With so many senior leaders leaving and coaching flux at so many positions time will tell. Based on the bit of research I did, pretty happy with the new crew and think they will keep things relatively stable. Granted, this is a hopeful view. Super excited to start hearing about Spring in a couple of weeks and seeing the new leaders rise to the challenge.

 

[rontheoldwiseeagle2]

Any word on the new motto for 2019 season??
YOU'RE GETTING OUR BEST SHOT
THE BEST IS ON ITS WAY
THE BEST HAS A WAY OF FINDING IT'S WAY TO EWU
COW COLLEGE IS TITS UP AGAIN??

 

[luckyintheorder]

Any word on the new motto for 2019 season??
YOU'RE GETTING OUR BEST SHOT
THE BEST IS ON ITS WAY
THE BEST HAS A WAY OF FINDING IT'S WAY TO EWU
COW COLLEGE IS TITS UP AGAIN??

Ride The Red Wave
Best of Breed
Triumph Factory
Back To Work
Inferno Rising

 

[Obzerver]

 

[Rjones61]

Any word on the new motto for 2019 season??
YOU'RE GETTING OUR BEST SHOT
THE BEST IS ON ITS WAY
THE BEST HAS A WAY OF FINDING IT'S WAY TO EWU
COW COLLEGE IS TITS UP AGAIN??

Ride The Red Wave
Best of Breed
Triumph Factory
Back To Work
Inferno Rising

If they choose Eagles Own the Sky, I would be pretty giddy

 

[Obzerver]

Hey I do like that!! "If they choose Eagles Own the Sky, I would be pretty giddy"

*It's better than LDopaPDX

 

[Rjones61]

Hey I do like that!! "If they choose Eagles Own the Sky, I would be pretty giddy"

*It's better than LDopaPDX

Glad you're on board :rofl:

 

[luckyintheorder]

Any word on the new motto for 2019 season??
YOU'RE GETTING OUR BEST SHOT
THE BEST IS ON ITS WAY
THE BEST HAS A WAY OF FINDING IT'S WAY TO EWU
COW COLLEGE IS TITS UP AGAIN??

Ride The Red Wave
Best of Breed
Triumph Factory
Back To Work
Inferno Rising

If they choose Eagles Own the Sky, I would be pretty giddy

 

[rontheoldwiseeagle2]

Theoldwiseeagle rides with the Best

 

[60s Savage]

"EAGLES OWN THE SKY" is an apparent, though only current, statement of fact, but not a goal of reaching personal and team excellence like those great commitments in previous seasons like, "Finish Strong" and, "Leave No Doubt". I trust the team will select a great motto based on game preparation commitment not O F grandstand hopes. I hope Eagle Spring Football will receive the media coverage and blog comments that this team of 2019 destiny deserves.

 

[EWURanger]

When do spring practices officially begin?

 

[Vic E. Wallace]

2019 Players Roster are out, 75 Players are on the Roster if I counted correctly. Missing few Players from last year, i.e. Nellis OL, Dawson Ingram TE. Maybe they just forgot them. Once everyone returns from Break we will get some more Players. Can't wait for the season to kick off. Go Eagles!!!!!Vic

 

[LDopaPDX]

Lots of reasons to be bullish about 2019. What's interesting is we actually lose a ton of starters; I read the actual number of returning starters is 10 or 11 by count. But that doesn't account for the fact we lost so many guys by the middle of last year that many of the returning back-ups played great in starting roles over much of the year.

Even the biggest losses don't look so dramatic. Gubrud gets replaced by Barriere, so not much to concern ourselves with there. Fettig and Lewis are gone, which is tough, but Gurley looked like our best DB going into 2018 and missed the whole year and is now back. Tiuli is gone, but Ledbetter and Moore were playing solid football at the end of 2018. Calhoun and Kupp leave, but Ojoh may have been the best linebacker in the conference over the last two months of the season. Sendelbach is no slouch as a LB either. The Webster brothers will be tough to replace, but given the amount of skill players that were prized recruits, you'd have to think we have the tools to replace those pieces.

Plus, the dominant OL from last year returns largely intact with Blackburn and Levao getting an extra year. The only piece that I'm not sure we have a like-for-like replacement for is McPherson... he excelled being the "tough runner," "bulldozer," and "senior leader."