Lehigh University Athletics
Goodman Stadium hosts second Lehigh scrimmage
8/28/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Bethlehem, PA – Lehigh held its second scrimmage on Saturday, as the team continues to prepare for its season opener against Stony Brook, just a week away. This time, the Mountain Hawks were in Goodman Stadium, as they will be beginning one week from now. Officials were on hand as well, simulating game conditions. Not only were Lehigh players battling one another on the field, but they were also combating the heat and humidity. With temperatures near 90 degrees and with stifling humidty, the Lehigh Sports Medicine kept busy by filling cooler after cooler of water to help keep the team hydrated. Saturday’s weather is not too uncommon in this part of the country in late August, and Lehigh fourth year head coach Pete Lembo, for one, was happy to see it. “This by far has been the warmest day we’ve had in camp,” he said after the scrimmage. “It is ultimately good for our guys to get used to playing in this weather, because it’s something we may experience for the next several weeks on gameday.” On the field, Lehigh had the opportunity to get a lot of reps for a number of players who are pushing for playing time. The scrimmage featured several drills on both sides of the ball as well as special teams work and some unscripted plays. All three quarterbacks vying for the top spot took reps under center with the first team offense, and all had some solid moments. Tailbacks Eric Rath and Richard Forman especially were impressive in breaking some tackles and moving the ball. “I thought the running backs were particularly effective today,” Lembo said. “And we saw some good things on special teams, too.” The Mountain Hawks will return to the John C. Whitehead practice fields on Sunday afternoon to begin their final week of preparations for their opener. No. 22/23 Lehigh kicks off its 2004 campaign on Saturday, September 4 when the Mountain Hawks host Stony Brook at Goodman Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:00. Photo (c) 2004, Lehigh Athletics/Chris Christian.
