CHESTNUT HILL - Great day to be in the building on Saturday.
The buzz was in full effect with the sidelines packed once again and both Scott Zolak and Matt Ryan in attendance. Recruits, their families and a lot of people that are heavily invested in the program were all there to see the penultimate 'live' scrimmage of the spring.
The nearly 2.5-hour controlled scrimmage set the tone for this final upcoming week of spring ball. As has been the case for at least the last two weeks, the back and forth between the offense and defense was fairly even, which is always a good sign.
Quarterbacks were more even in my opinion on Saturday too and that whole 'ones' and 'twos' thing that seemed to favor Lonergan earlier this week wasn't the case on this day. In my defense, I have stated several times it's only April so things could and probably would fluctuate, but the speed in which this has seemingly become a legitimate competition was impossible not to get wrapped up in.
All team periods except for one brief 7-on-7 early after indy. I also didn't chart Shaker's reps today, only because it was a good networking opportunity with so many people in the building, trying to say hello to as many I knew as I could while still getting the 'important' stuff.
-Ball at the offense's 25 for the first team period. Both James and Lonergan had the first O-line for two series each. Lonergan and Reisig also got a series with the 'two' OL...
Lonergan: Hard run by Turbo, Q Hutchins blows up a WR screen, incomplete deep for Harris (possibly PI?)
James: Incompletion deep to Harris (you could call it a drop, tough play with coverage but a great throw...KP Price was also chirping Harris all the way back), run by McDonald, incompletion over the middle with Max Tucker in coverage.
Lonergan: False start, run for Turbo, roll out and a quick pass to Harris
James: Run stuff by Rooks, sack by Cam Martinez, Hutchins drops an INT after a ball deflects off Franklin's hands,
Lonergan: Run stuff for Clive Wilson, quick pass to McLaughlin, hard run for Broome, outside look for Broome, incompletion over the middle but PI called (real refs in the house), Broome nice cut and run, would-be sack for Zabal, pressure forces an incompletion. Shaker went after Lonergan to wrap up the period.
-Punting still up in the air but both Martinez and Isaiah Farris are strong returners. There's a lot of guys on this roster that could do that job (hopefully), but Farris has quickness you can't really teach. Also should have mentioned Yale transfer Shamus Florio the other day, he's getting equal opportunity with Quinn.
-Back to a team period, this time the ball just outside midfield and hurry up emphasized...
James: Completion to Zeke Moore, short pass to Skeete, run McDonald (I think), swing McDonald, incompletion on a crosser, PBU Farris in the back right corner of the end zone on Harris (more chirping by the secondary), Lombardo boots a 27-yard field goal (might have been a little more, writer not a math do-er on the fly).
Lonergan: Completion to Franklin over the middle, shot run for Turbo, Stoudmire and Flint combo run stuff, deep ball combo PBU for Omar Thornton and Tucker on a ball for Skeete (more secondary chirping), Liam Connor boots a ...
