Defense Holds off Aerial Assault

CHENEY – What started as a high powered offensive aerial assault, was slowed to a stop as the Eagle defense was able to stand strong and win the annual Red/White Spring scrimmage 43-35 on April 28.

The offense got to work quickly putting up some big passes and with quarterbacks scrambling and extending plays.

Wide out Miles Williams caught a couple of early passes, one of them being an incredible one-handed grab down the sideline for a 31-yard gain. To top off the drive, quarterback Jared Taylor connected with Williams once again for a quick fade to the back of the endzone for a two yard touchdown.

Boasting three of the most mobile quarterbacks in the Big Sky Conference, Eastern Washington anticipates having the ability to move the ball quickly through the air or on the ground. According to Head Coach Aaron Best, our quarterback core has the ability to extend plays and give the offense more options.

"This Spring those three quarterbacks have taken a huge jump from where they've started," said Coach Best. "Kekoa has turned into a fierce leader and is hard on himself which is a huge strength."

The offensive line is another area that has seen some considerable growth, which the quarterbacks tend to appreciate.

"That's one of my main focuses is to get close to those guys to let them know I've got their back," quarterback Kekoa Visperas said in a post-game interview. "Those are my guys, and I make sure they know I'm there for them."

Last season, the team struggled a bit defensively and the Eagles have made that a focal area so far in camp.

Coach Best explained that he felt the team got to a point of complacency and it didn't drive any competition in some of the defensive positions, which they have worked to change this off season. He said many of the returning players had to learn from that experience, which many have.

"Last year was a tough year but we learned a lot from it," said linebacker Trevor Thurman. "We got a new coach and I think he's really good for us. All of us have each other's backs and we're just trying to build off of every play we can."

"People stepped in and filled in the roles," continued Thurman. "I felt like we did a good job. We didn't have a lot of defensive ends healthy, but we got the job done and the energy was great."

Head Coach Aaron Best explained that in the Spring game situation the defense was able to extend the game a bit as well, forcing the offense to run more plays than initially planned. The defense was also able to force three turnovers which are extremely important in terms of team confidence.

"That probably helped the defense out and talking about what they did," said Coach Best. "They maximized their energy by maximizing their timeouts."

According to the coach, that energy will increase both for both the offense and defense as they work on physical conditioning through the summer months.

"If there is one thing we really need by the time Fall gets here is to be in football shape," said Coach Best. "And being in football shape is different than just being in shape, and that's what I'll be driving over the next three months."