When the football team practices at night. I usually arrive between Noon and 1 p.m. and stay at work until 11 p.m. or so. Today, I showed up with full anticipation of a 7:30 p.m. practice time. However, when I arrived today, the staff had switched tonight's practice to 3:30 p.m. so I was unable to take photos or get footage because of prior scheduled meetings. So, in order to make up for it McMurry fans, I have created the 2010 Football Desktop Wallpaper Schedule for download, but this time for defense. If you missed the offensive wallpaper, you can find both wallpapers by downloading here. Below is a preview image.
Also, PLEASE UNDERSTAND, the NCAA does not allow us to publicize scrimmages of any kind with photos, videos, press releases or updates. So, you will not hear from me on an update from training camp until the FINAL day, which is Sunday.
I did not cover football practice today. However, you football fans will be glad to know, that eight days later, with the help of Rob Davidson, I was able to uncover the lost media interviews with Will Morris and Hal Mumme from the first day of practice.
I had my first chance to have an extended visit with our new women's soccer coach Alan Riches. I was impressed with the fact that he doesn't expect a miracle in the first season. As you'll see in the interview, he wants his team to take the steps necessary to just win a match, something the program hasn't done since the last match of the 2006 season. He has seven players back and 11 new players to work with as we head towards the season opener Sept. 1. That match will be played at home at Edwards Field against NAIA Lubbock Christian.
Riches also mentions in the interview that he has family ties to Wilford Moore - whom the McMurry football stadium is named after.
When I interviewed Terah Brown and Cammie Petree (head coach) yesterday as the team started volleyball practice for the 2010 season, both were okay with their second-place vote in the 2010 ASC West Preseason poll. However, both echoed that they wanted more. Brown, a fourth-year player for McMurry is already the all-time leader in blocks at the school and has a chance to move up in the top five in career kills as well. She along with Mandie Moore and Sarah Anding are fourth-year seniors that have made the ASC Tournament in each of their seasons. As freshmen in 2007, they exited in the semi-finals round with a lost to HSU. In 2008, the team exited in the quarterfinals round with a loss to ETBU. Last season as juniors, they fell in the semi-finals round again to HSU. To set themselves up for success, Brown said in the YouTube interview above, that the team would be well off if it could finish first-place in the west during the regular season to give them a better shot at their goal: A conference title.
Four other fall teams started practice today, and our previous post gave you a preview of men's soccer. Tomorrow we'll follow with volleyball and women's soccer. On the gridiron it was another two-a-day for the team as they move closer to the end of Training Camp. Obviously the team will have two more weeks of practice once school starts, but academics takes more of a focus Monday when the players return to hitting the books. Tonight, there was a lot of excitement in the air. A lot of friendly chatter between the offense and defense, and to close camp with Packer Day, the offensive players ran over and participated in the last couple of minutes of the strenuous drill. We will not have coverage of practice tomorrow, but will return Friday night with updates. Here is tonight's PHOTO GALLERY for Wednesday's practice.
It's always a nice thing when an alum can come home to lead his former team as head coach. In Paul Tate's case, he didn't have to wait as long. Just three seasons after his final year as a player, Tate follows Tim Grove as head coach. Today the team had its first practice of the 2010 season. Motivation and tradition is Tate's goal with his team who struggled after three years under head coach Tim Grove. Tate is looking to return his team to old form - a team that went to the ASC Playoffs three seasons in a row from 2002-2004.
Today's practice was at 2:30 p.m. Before I headed onto the field, we checked the temperature online in Greg Harrod's (director of football operations) office. He said it would be 99 degrees outside. So after I went up to the slightly air-conditioned press box for the first few minutes to do some roster work, I headed down to the field. Our athletic trainer for football this season, Jay Spencer, had his temperature gauge on the ground. The picture to your left is the number that it read on the turf at Wilford Moore Stadium.
Needless to say, late July and August always brings a pretty good heat wave to Abilene each year. Even at 8:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. when the majority of the practices take place for the McMurry team, it's hot, but today, it had heat at a different level. Practice was lighter than usual with a focus on special teams and just two round of Bandit Drill. And the defense caught a break when Mumme called practice after team drill and spared them the 15-minute Packer drill for the day.
Today's gallery is a lot of shots of players being hot and enjoying themselves. We'll be back at it tomorrow with the team's second two-a-day. Once again, we'll only cover the evening practice. CLICK HERE FOR THE DAY EIGHT PHOTO GALLERY.
I didn’t attend morning practice, but tonight was a solid practice on the first two-a-day of the year. Mumme allowed the guys to go a little shorter tonight, and the defensive guys were given a welcome surprise when lightning cut short Packer Day by about nine minutes. It was good to see Simeon Neal (leading receiver in ’08) and Marcus Franklin (leading receiver in ’09) on the field for the first time. Both had been held out of practice for administrative issues, but are good to go and will go through the progression of helmets only, to half pads to full pads just like the rest of the players had to go through.
In many cases at training camp the defense always looks a step ahead of the offense. And while Joe Lee Dunn, Barris Grant and Kendall Roberson’s defense is continuing to impress, the offense is beginning to come around as well. It’s exciting to see the progression each day as we look towards Sept. 4.
Remember that we will be broadcasting all football games with audio / video. On rare occasions last year we were unable to bring a game; we’ve worked on some plan B and plan C’s to ensure we have a solid Internet connection this year, so hopefully we’ll be able to bring you all 10 regular season games. I will send out an official press release at some point this week about our live audio / video coverage of McMurry events.
Tomorrow’s practice is at 2:30 p.m. before a two-a-day practice resumes Wednesday.
As much as I love taking pictures and sorting through hundreds of them to give you around 30, it's always my pleasure to turn the job of action photos to the professionals. As I mentioned briefly last night, Brian Schmidt, our photographer from last year took a full-time job and is no longer with us. Let me be the first to say that I thought Brian did an excellent job of enhancing our athletics imagery last year on the web site and through publication. So now, we bring in some new blood, Gary Rhodes, an ACU grad like myself has agreed to come on board and shoot football and the other sports for us this season. Although these are a little belated, I think you'll be pleased with his work like I was. Here is a link to the DAY FIVE GALLERY and the shots as always, are available for purchase.
You'll be stuck with my inferior eye and camera tonight, but we'll make do. Thanks to all of you who have supported us this season by buying photos. It helps pay for the annual fees and bells and whistles of http://www.mcmurrysports.com.
Progression in training camp provides new excitement all the time for college football. There's reporting day, there's the first practice, then there's half-pads, and finally full pads. From there, though you have to wait for the first game when the real excitement begins, but at the same time Sunday night's first full-contact practice draws a lot of excitement from players, staff and fans.
McMurry conducted just over a two-hour practice Sunday night with full pads and the team is beginning to piece together the offense, defense and special teams before its first game Sept. 4 in Muskogee, Okla. against NAIA Bacone College.
Hal Mumme did say he wanted to see a better effort out of the players in tonight's official press release of the practice, but he did admit that some of the flaws are to be expected on the first night in full pads. No rest for the weary though as they head straight into two-a-days tomorrow.
Brian Schmidt was our professional photographer last season for all things McMurry Sports and did a great job. He took a job outside of Abilene and we welcome Gary Rhodes to the crew. He came and shot the practice tonight, and he's going to do some editing (probably much better work than mine) and then I'll upload his gallery tomorrow so fans can purchase the action shots. For tonight, the YouTube video will have to do - hopefully you'll enjoy our individual interviews with the players, we'll try to keep that up through the last six days of camp.
I will not be covering the morning practice tomorrow, but it will be business as usual tomorrow night.
Thanks for reading and watching. Stay tuned ... --KR
It's always a nice thing when an alum can come home to lead his former team as head coach. In Paul Tate's case, he didn't have to wait as long. Just three seasons after his final year as a player, Tate follows Tim Grove as head coach. Today the team had its first practice of the 2010 season. Motivation and tradition is Tate's goal with his team who struggled after three years under head coach Tim Grove. Tate is looking to return his team to old form - a team that went to the ASC Playoffs three seasons in a row from 2002-2004.
Today's practice was at 2:30 p.m. Before I headed onto the field, we checked the temperature online in Greg Harrod's (director of football operations) office. He said it would be 99 degrees outside. So after I went up to the slightly air-conditioned press box for the first few minutes to do some roster work, I headed down to the field. Our athletic trainer for football this season, Jay Spencer, had his temperature gauge on the ground. The picture to your left is the number that it read on the turf at Wilford Moore Stadium.
As much as I love taking pictures and sorting through hundreds of them to give you around 30, it's always my pleasure to turn the job of action photos to the professionals. As I mentioned briefly last night, Brian Schmidt, our photographer from last year took a full-time job and is no longer with us. Let me be the first to say that I thought Brian did an excellent job of enhancing our athletics imagery last year on the web site and through publication. So now, we bring in some new blood, Gary Rhodes, an ACU grad like myself has agreed to come on board and shoot football and the other sports for us this season. Although these are a little belated, I think you'll be pleased with his work like I was. Here is a link to the DAY FIVE GALLERY and the shots as always, are available for purchase.
