Cougs come in from cold
PULLMAN – Somewhere between the snowflakes, Washington State University closed out its spring practices on the Martin Stadium turf Saturday.
No longer resembling the Crimson and Gray game of days past, the final scrimmage allowed the 500 or so fans in attendance to see bursts of controlled action, usually on a short field.
In truth, those who braved the elements probably would have gone home without seeing much of anything if it weren’t for the team’s top returning star, wideout Jason Hill, making a spectacular play near the end of the day’s proceedings.
Hill grabbed a throwback screen from quarterback Alex Brink and cut from the left side of the field all the way back across the grain, eluding a series of defenders for a 55-yard touchdown.
“We get the ball in his hands and he can do a lot of things with it, so I think that was a good indication of what he can do,” said Brink, who with Hill has been named an offensive co-captain. “I think that was a good way to end the spring.”
The Cougars were probably happy to escape the spring without anything else going seriously wrong – although running back DeMaundray Woolridge did tweak an ankle – as it hasn’t been the most picture-perfect of months for WSU.
Not only has the training room been full of significant players for much of the spring, but the weather has conspired to make practicing a less-than-ideal introduction to what the Cougars can expect come Sept. 2 at Auburn.
Rain, wind and cold have been a constant, and the day’s snowy conditions seemed to be the appropriate way for the Cougars to wrap things up.
“It’s April,” Brink said, shaking his head. “When I woke up this morning it was definitely a shock. I think everybody was excited that we were playing the last scrimmage.”
WSU’s coaching staff seemed pleased both by the final scrimmage and the spring as a whole.
“We moved the ball offensively and when we moved the ball down into the red zone we made the stop, kicked the field goal,” said head coach Bill Doba, extolling one of the positives of having only his own on the field. “So both sides of the ball can be happy.
“I think most of our questions are answered. At least we know what we have to work on.”
Early in the spring the offense had struggled badly, even when going against a Cougars defense that hasn’t made many stops in the last two seasons and has been hurt most by the injuries this spring.
But offensive coordinator Mike Levenseller could revel in the fact that his group had made significant strides forward, moving the ball consistently and scoring twice. (The first touchdown came on an 18-yard throw from Cole Morgan to Tony Thompson.)
The Cougars can also be pleased that Brink seemed to settle into his role as a returning starter and team leader, a comfort level he didn’t enjoy last season as a sophomore.
“I think the guys we need to get better got better,” Levenseller said. “What I really feel good about is leadership going into the summer. I think that we’ll improve in the summer. Sometimes you come out of spring football and you worry about the opportunity to improve during the summer months. This group is, I think, very motivated to get better, not just go through the motions.”
Notes
Linebacker Scott Davis and defensive end Mkristo Bruce are the team’s defensive co-captains, to no one’s surprise. Davis missed the final week of the spring with knee tendinitis, as Doba said he had seen enough from the senior. … Cole Morgan and Arkelon Hall are apparently even in the battle for third-string quarterbacking duties, and that contest should continue into fall camp.