CHESTNUT HILL - Pads were on and it felt a bit like a mid-season practice at times as competition ramped up.
The defense won the day on Tuesday as the Eagles completed their sixth of 15 spring sessions. The offense had its share of highlight reel moments though, which is always a good sign when you're getting that kind of back-and-forth early on.
Here's everything I got from about 9:40 on...
-Blake James was back in the house to check things out, as well as Dexter Southfield head coach Casey Day. Good dude. Handful or two of recruits watching as well.
-Missed most of the 1-on-1 DB/WR reps this time watching more of the run game work going on. Really physical up front both ways and Richard, McDonald, Jones and Broome all ran hard. The two 1-v-1's I did see was a sick grab from VJ Wilkins on the left sideline (didn't see who threw it) and a pick by freshman Omarion Davis of Shaker Reisig.
-Team period (ball at own 25)
James: run stuff by redshirt freshman Jayzen Flint (Flint showed up quite a bit throughout the morning), run stuff Owen Stoudmire on McDonald, PBU on a deep ball for Reed Harris by Ashton McShane, short run for Turbo, roll out and completion on the sideline to Harris with a big hit after (couldn't see who).
Lonergan: Drop right sideline by Ty Lockwood, deep out completion to Wilkins, great cut and cut for Broome, freshman Njita Sinkala blows up a dump off/screen to Luke McLaughlin.
Reisig: run stuff by freshman Jayden Fry (might have been Clive Wilson though, 96/95), Wilson blows up a dump off to redshirt freshman Brady Clough, run stuff (couldn't see who), nice grab by Nedrick Boldin J. down the right sideline.
James: short run McDonald, Flint flushes James out and forces incompletion deep right sideline, short run (McDonald I think)
Lonergan: Sick comeback grab on the right sideline by Harris
-7-on-7 up next...
Lonergan: Bond drops a slant, Jeremiah Franklin on a short crosser, deep dime down the left sideline to McLaughlin
James: Absolute dart to the left sideline to Skeete, about 12-15 yards with tight coverage where he could toe tap, freshman Charlie Comella steps in front for a pick, slant to Harris, overthrow of Skeete deep sideline
Reisig: Short grab for Broome, quick crosser to freshman Duke Brennan, dump off to redshirt junior Hunter Clark.
-Team period...
Lonergan: Incomplete deep, offside defense, slant to Bond with Sinkala draped on his back, incomplete to Harris (good coverage by McShane), quick hitter to Bond
James: Nice comeback to Wilkins (kid just keeps showing up every day), offside defense, quick throw to Lockwood, dump to McDonald, incompletion right
Reisig: Sack by Jayden Fry, sack by senior Onye Nwosisi, quick pass to Boldin Jr., PBU by Comella on a crosser
-Inside the red zone situational, ball inside the 15
James: PBU on the sideline for Vaughn Pemberton vs. Turbo, run stuff in the hole by Bryce Steele, incompletion through the back of the end zone intended for Harris
Lonergan: Rushing TD for Datrell Jones, run stuff (combo? couldn't see who), PBU for Sinkala vs. Wilkins in the end zone, TD run for Broome
Reisig: Big run stuff/blow up by Josiah Griffin, sack by Nwosisi
-Reset, offense coming out with some tempo. Just two or three plays each QB and we can't talk much about them, but they were impressive gains for Bond, Turbo and McLaughlin. We'll just call them 'asses in seats' type of plays.
-Situational work to wrap things up. 1:10 on the clock and 1 timeout, ball at the O's 25, FG wins it...
James: Phenomenal deep ball down the right sideline to Skeete to roughly the opponent 40, quick out to Franklin, short to Harris, incomplete to Harris, run for McDonald, incomplete back right of the end zone for Harris, Liam Connor drills 35-yard field goal.
Lonergan: False start, deep ball down the left sideline to Wilkins with freshman TJ Green in coverage, incomplete deep left (no one there, miscommunication), false start, crosser to Ismael Zamor, incomplete right (no one there, miscommunication), Luca Lombardo knocks down a 52-yard field goal.
Reisig: Incredible diving interception by Syair Torrence on the right sideline. Team erupts, O'Brien calls them up
Again, some great back-and-forth like we got on Tuesday is a very good sign for March. Competition legitimately everywhere on the field and guys are playing like it. Defense is probably ahead of the offense overall, but skill guys are flashing, especially some of the newer faces which is encouraging.
BC is back at it Thursday morning at 9:15. TBD if I'll be able to make it (Holy Cross Pro Day).
