Eagles' Spring Practice Underway

Eager Eagles Begin Football Practice

By Joe Lemire - Daily News-Record

A big smile flashed across Jeff Highfill’s face when he saw a reporter standing on the Jopson Field sideline.

"It’s good to see you," Highfill, a Bridgewater College quarterback, said, "because that means we’re playing football again."

Though there is still more time until the first game of the 2006 season – 153 days – than it has been since the Eagles were eliminated in the 2005 Division III quarterfinals – 120 days – Sunday marked the turning point of the offseason: the first day of spring practice.

For small-college programs, spring football means 16 practices spread over four weeks without contact or pads. Coach Michael Clark said eight sessions would be designated for conditioning, leaving half for pure football drills. Sunday was one of the football days and the anticipation was too great for several Eagles to bear.

"Nobody really slept last night," said sophomore wide receiver Brandon Copeland, adding that his eager teammates arrived two hours early for practice.

Bridgewater worked out for just more than two hours on the warm, sunny afternoon, spending most of the time drilling in position groups before running several passing plays as a team.

"It’s good just to get everybody together," Clark said. "It’s the modified version, you know, which is Division III. But that’s what’s fun about it – getting the kids together to throw and catch the ball."

In just its second season at the Division III level, spring practice gives players a chance to work on individual skills in a more organized setting. Unlike last year, when Highfill and Jacob Lewis entered the spring in a battle to become the Eagles’ starting quarterback, Lewis’ decision not to return to the team in the fall makes Highfill the expected starter. Copeland said it will help him work on his route-running and timing with Highfill.

"The addition of the football for us is huge, especially at the quarterback position," Highfill, a rising junior, said. "We can work on a lot of timing stuff with the receivers, and even seven-on-seven stuff with the defense gives us a good look."

For the record, Highfill’s first pass in Sunday’s seven-on-seven passing drill went for a long touchdown to Copeland down the sideline – reminiscent of the 99-yard touchdown play the two completed in BC’s last game, a 46-7 loss at Wesley in the national playoffs.

After offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Bob Colbert left to take the head-coaching job at St. Vincent’s College in Latrobe, Pa., Clark promoted wide receivers coach Joey Soltis to coordinator and moved Stephon Healey from defensive to offensive line coach. The vacant position on the staff has not yet been filled, so Clark, a former defensive back at Cincinnati, assumed responsibility for the defensive line Sunday.

Clark has scheduled most of the football-intensive practices for Sundays and Mondays in April, which will allow players who are competing in track and field this spring to attend the workouts.

As always, motivating Bridgewater’s football team is the goal of winning yet another Old Dominion Athletic Conference title. BC has won the last five, already filling the digits of a hand with championship rings.

"Our theme is that we chase championships," Clark said. "The theme of this year is that we say ‘two hands.’ You’ve got to fight, you’ve got to push with two hands, but then if you have the next championship, you have to explain with two hands."

[Note: Picture is of rising junior linebacker Antwaine Campo from one of last year's spring practices]