Eagles defense dominates scrimmage

CHENEY – Just four days after the offense stole the spotlight, the defense took center stage in Eastern Washington's final official scrimmage on Aug. 21 at Roos Field. The Eagles were preparing for their season opener on Aug. 29 against the Monmouth Hawks from New Jersey and the Colonial Athletic Conference.

"The defense came out strong for the first two-thirds of the scrimmage and did what they needed to do," said head coach Aaron Best. "They brought a little more energy today."

While the Aug. 18 scrimmage saw the offense shine with big plays, including Michael Wortham's 95-yard touchdown run, the defense dominated this time, holding the offense scoreless during the hour-and-fifteen-minute session on Roos Field's signature red turf.

Redshirt-sophomore defensive back Drew Carter was a standout, intercepting two passes and adding a pair of tackles. Sophomore defensive tackle Jirah Leaupepetele was also a force, racking up eight tackles and four sacks.

"It feels great to be out there, and the most important thing is dominating," said Leaupepetele (pronounced lay-AH-puh-puh-TELL-ee).

On offense, true freshmen Marceese Yetts and Kevin Allen III took on most of the rushing duties, with Yetts carrying the ball eight times for 24 yards and Allen rushing five times for 16 yards. Redshirt freshman quarterback Nate Bell led five series, completing 5-of-10 passes for 51 yards.

Most of Eastern's starters were sidelined for the scrimmage, giving the team's depth players valuable live reps as they gear up for a 12-game 2024 season. The Eagles are looking to bounce back after two consecutive sub-.500 seasons.

"Our top priority was staying healthy, and we achieved that," Best said.