Lehigh University Athletics
Mountain Hawks strap on the pads for first time
8/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Practice number five is in the books for the Lehigh football team after the Mountain Hawks completed its first full practice in pads on Tuesday afternoon. With mostly sunny skies and low humidity, the conditions were close to perfect as the Brown and White continues its preparations for the upcoming season. Third year head coach Andy Coen has been pleased with what he’s seen in the early going. “There was good competition out here today and for the most part that has been the case everyday we’ve been out here.” He continued, “There were a few sloppy moments, which tends to happen when you put the young guys in pads for the first time because they tend to forget about technique, but overall it’s been a very strong start to camp.”
After several position-specific drills and special teams organizational items, Lehigh finished its practice with a series of live plays that featured hard hits from the defense and a handful of impressive gains by the offense. “I thought we ran the ball well today,” Coen said. “The defense rallied late and that’s usually the way the early part of camp goes, with some give and take on both sides.” He continued, “Our pass skeleton drill was up and down with some dropped balls but kids were making plays too.”
Coen said it has been tough to get a clear read on the team’s overall conditioning in the early going due to the favorable weather. “With such good weather, it’s tough to tell where we’re at. I’m hoping the temperatures pick up soon here. The double sessions will also give us a good read on what type of shape we’re in.” Coen added, “I think it’s clear that there is a noticeable difference in the strength in a lot of our kids. Many of these guys put in long hours of work in the offseason and it has shown.”
Although the team has had just five practices, Coen said it’s easy to see that the newest group of Mountain Hawks is not shying away from competition. “I’m very pleased with our freshmen. It’s a group of competitors. They’re still learning the system and thinking too much, but the effort they’re giving and how eager they are to get better has been very impressive.”
NOTES FROM CAMP … Tuesday marked the team’s final day of practice on the Kaufman Fields. The Philadelphia Eagles moved off campus on Tuesday afternoon, sending the Mountain Hawks back to the John C. Whitehead practice fields beginning with Wednesday’s session … the start of camp has been interrupted due to inclement weather. On the first day of practice, Coen cut the session short due to lightning, while on Sunday, the team was forced to move inside for the second half of practice due to heavy downpours. On Monday, the team again was forced to finish practice indoors following heavy rains … Friday will mark the first double-session practices of Lehigh’s camp. The team will practice early in the morning and come back out in the late afternoon.
