Lehigh University Athletics
Mountain Hawks open up preseason camp
8/10/2010 10:30:00 PM | Football
Lehigh huddles up prior to<br>its first practice of the 2010 season
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh football team begins preparations for the 2010 season with the beginning of preseason camp this week. The Mountain Hawks reported to campus on Monday and took to the practice field for the first time on Tuesday on a hot afternoon inside Goodman Stadium. Lehigh will have almost four full weeks of practice before the September 4 season opener at Drake and fifth-year head coach Andy Coen is excited about what lies ahead for the Mountain Hawks.
“Obviously it's a very exciting time of year for the coaches and players,” said Coen. “I'm excited because of how our season ended last year. We had our best summer turnout with the kids on campus working out and our testing numbers are the best they have been since I've been here. You can feel the excitement in our players when you're around them.
Coen continues, “We have a really strong senior class. They haven't won a championship yet, and every class since 1993 has won at least one. This group has a little chip on their shoulder. I love the way they've carried themselves and now they enters the season with a big opportunity to go out and finish things off.”
One of the main focal points for the Brown and White in this year's camp will be protecting the football and winning the turnover battle.
“Protecting the football on offense and creating turnovers on defense is something we started in the spring and carried over to our preseason,” explained Coen. “We could be dominant at times on defense but we had a string of games where we didn't create turnovers. We also need to protect the ball better on offense. We've been pretty close to even in the turnover department since I've been here and that's not good enough.”
Coen said one of the keys to cutting down turnovers will be to settle things down on the offensive end. The Mountain Hawks ran the ball well in the latter part of last season and will like to continue that into 2010, but Lehigh should still have opportunities to spread the field as well.
One of the main questions to be answered during camp is who emerges as the Mountain Hawks' starting quarterback. Senior JB Clark started and finished the season as Lehigh's top signal-caller, but junior Chris Lum started three games and saw time in several others. In addition, sophomore Michael Colvin had some impressive moments running Lehigh's Wildcat offense and could vie for an expanded role after recovering from a season-ending leg injury last November.
“It's a different situation than the one we faced entering 2008,” noted Coen. “We have fewer questions surrounding the position but we still have a decision to make. All three guys have been on the field. We want to find out who the most consistent football player is, and who gives us the best chance to run our offense effectively, while protecting the football.”
On the other side of the ball, Coen is very excited about the potential of Lehigh's defensive unit including what could be a very solid group of linebackers, led by seniors Al Pierce and Troy Taylor, plus a talented group of emerging players that includes juniors Devin Greene, Mike Groome, Colin Newton, Tanner Rivas and Fred Mihal.
“Our linebacking corps has some really good players, and there should be a good deal of competition,” explained Coen. “Our returning senior leaders have played very well. A lot of our juniors saw time last year and did some good things. It's a great group with a lot of guys that can play.”
Another area where competition can be expected is in the kicking game. Senior Tom Randazza had a strong spring with his kickoffs, and will compete with sophomore Jake Peery for the placekicking job.
As always, one of the major points of emphasis for Lehigh in the preseason will be developing depth along the offensive and defensive lines. Offensively the Mountain Hawks have the luxury of returning six players with starting experience: seniors Ricky Clerge, R.J. McNamara, Will Rackley and Keith Schauder, and juniors Jim Liebler and Troy McKenna. Defensively, Lehigh's line should be boosted by the return of senior Phil Winnett, who missed the last two seasons due to injury. Seniors David Brown, Billy Dokouslis and Ben Flizack could see larger roles on the defensive line and could provide added depth to the unit.
Lehigh's preseason camp will run through Sunday, August 29 with the annual Alumni Steak Fry taking place that evening.
The Mountain Hawks will open the 2010 season on Saturday, September 4 when they travel to Des Moines, Iowa to take on the Drake Bulldogs. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. EDT. Lehigh will open its home schedule the following Saturday when defending FCS National Champion Villanova visits Goodman Stadium. Tickets for Lehigh home games can be purchased by calling 610-7LU-GAME, by visiting the Lehigh Athletics Ticket Office located in Grace Hall, or by logging on to Lehighsports.com.
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