No. 17 Football Caps Off First Week Of Camp With Saturday Scrimmage
8/5/2023 10:12:00 PM | Football
MACON – The 17th-ranked Mercer football team completed a productive opening week of fall camp with an 85-play controlled scrimmage that spanned Saturday evening under the lights of Five Star Stadium.
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The 2-hour scrimmage, which integrated an officiating crew into the shuffle of preseason prep for the first time, marked the seventh practice of preseason drills for the Bears. Head coach Drew Cronic was anxious to get to the film room in a post-practice interview in order to fully evaluate Saturday's first season audition.
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"This is a process for us," Cronic said. "We held some of our older kids back tonight because we want the younger guys to get some reps. We need to get used to a little bit of heat because it's been cooler in the mornings. It was 90 degrees when we started tonight and, when you're in full pads, that challenges you a little bit. We had a good week this week though."
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Cronic hailed sophomore quarterback Carter Peevy for his work in practice this week, along with some of the usual suspects – preseason All-SoCon picks Isaac Dowling and Solomon Zubairu, as well as offensive lineman John Thomas and linebacker Marques Thomas. Newcomer Micah Bell, a transfer running back from Charlotte, was mentioned by the fourth-year head coach as well.
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The high-paced scrimmage also brought more visitors from the professional level. Representatives from the Jacksonville Jaguars attended Thursday's morning session, while Saturday's scrimmage was attended by the Cleveland Browns.
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The Bears will attend church services as a team on Sunday before hitting the practice field again on Sunday evening for a helmets-only session. Monday is a scheduled off day for the team, but a majority of the coaching staff will compete in the annual Mercer Football Golf Tournament. Entries have closed for that event which will be held at the Brickyard Golf Club in Macon, but spectators are welcome to observe the competition.
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The 2-hour scrimmage, which integrated an officiating crew into the shuffle of preseason prep for the first time, marked the seventh practice of preseason drills for the Bears. Head coach Drew Cronic was anxious to get to the film room in a post-practice interview in order to fully evaluate Saturday's first season audition.
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"This is a process for us," Cronic said. "We held some of our older kids back tonight because we want the younger guys to get some reps. We need to get used to a little bit of heat because it's been cooler in the mornings. It was 90 degrees when we started tonight and, when you're in full pads, that challenges you a little bit. We had a good week this week though."
Â
Cronic hailed sophomore quarterback Carter Peevy for his work in practice this week, along with some of the usual suspects – preseason All-SoCon picks Isaac Dowling and Solomon Zubairu, as well as offensive lineman John Thomas and linebacker Marques Thomas. Newcomer Micah Bell, a transfer running back from Charlotte, was mentioned by the fourth-year head coach as well.
Â
The high-paced scrimmage also brought more visitors from the professional level. Representatives from the Jacksonville Jaguars attended Thursday's morning session, while Saturday's scrimmage was attended by the Cleveland Browns.
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The Bears will attend church services as a team on Sunday before hitting the practice field again on Sunday evening for a helmets-only session. Monday is a scheduled off day for the team, but a majority of the coaching staff will compete in the annual Mercer Football Golf Tournament. Entries have closed for that event which will be held at the Brickyard Golf Club in Macon, but spectators are welcome to observe the competition.
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Players Mentioned
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