Eastern Washington finally hits the field for first scrimmage, but ‘real tests’ still to come

With just 11 days until it plays its first regular-season game, the Eastern Washington football team hosted its first scrimmage on Sunday, an affair that lasted 70 plays or so on a sunny afternoon at Roos Field in Cheney.

Head coach Aaron Best cautioned against reading too much into the scrimmage, which came later than most college football teams – and will be followed by another, the team’s second and final scrimmage, on Wednesday.

But the Eagles showed some positive signs, with a few explosive plays and a defense that held its own against an offense that aspires to be one of the Big Sky’s best this season.

“We’ve got a ton of work in (during) camp thus far,” Best said. “We waited 18 days to scrimmage, which is (unusual) in most years.”

Best said that Sunday’s action was “a little bit of an elongated live session.” And while he’s never satisfied, the Eagles eighth-year head coach said he’s “thoroughly excited” about what he’s seen this preseason.

“This was not necessarily the cherry, this was probably the whipped cream, if you will, as far as camp is concerned,” Best said.

The scrimmage was highlighted by a couple nice plays by redshirt junior cornerback Alphonse Oywak, who intercepted starting quarterback Kekoa Visperas and broke up another pass a few drives later. Statistics were not tracked officially.

Oywak, who transferred from Washington State before the 2022 season, played in 11 games last year and started eight, tying for the team lead in pass breakups with four. He is playing more nickelback this year, cycling in with starter Cage Schenck.

“I feel like all these (scrimmages and practices) are just quizzes to us,” Oywak said. “The real tests will ultimately come on Saturdays.”

Offensively, senior quarterback Michael Wortham highlighted the scrimmage with a 91-yard rushing touchdown, no doubt a welcome sign for a team whose longest play from the line of scrimmage last year was a 62-yard run.

“He’s a playmaker,” sixth-year senior offensive lineman Luke Dahlgren said of Wortham. “He’s the guy who can give us that spark just because of how good an athlete he is.”

Transfer running back Marceese Yetts also had a 42-yard run, which set up a rushing touchdown by redshirt freshman quarterback Nate Bell. Yetts returned kicks as well, as did redshirt freshman receiver JT Weir (who fumbled on a punt return) and junior transfer receiver Noah Cronquist.

Those three are presumably behind starting returner Efton Chism III (on punts) and Wortham (on kickoffs), neither of whom participated in those drills Sunday.

The offense’s other touchdown came on a 12-yard reception by redshirt junior receiver Riley Rudolfo from redshirt freshman quarterback Aiden Carter.

A number of presumed contributors on offense and defense were held out of the scrimmage as precaution, including senior receiver Nolan Ulm, redshirt junior running back Tuna Altahir and a trio of safeties: redshirt freshman Derek Ganter and redshirt juniors Kentrell Williams Jr. and Armani Orange.

Even more players are likely to sit out Wednesday’s scrimmage as well as the Eagles will focus on determining depth roles, Best said. That scrimmage is scheduled to start at 3 p.m.

Soon Eastern will turn its focus to Monmouth, which it will host at 6 p.m. Aug. 29 – a Thursday – at Roos Field. It is the first of two consecutive home games for the Eagles – who will host Drake at 4 p.m. on Sept. 7 – to start the season.

“About this third week of camp it always starts getting to be that time,” Dahlgren said. “We’ve been going against each other all winter, all spring, all summer and now every day for the last three weeks pretty much. It’s always nice to go start scouting someone else.”