FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[USee]

Wheaton Football is playing a game in May overseas in Portugal. The practices and game will be a huge advantage for the Thunder as they look to replace some key players from last year. Great opportunity for the 70 or so who are going.

[NCC2010]

NCC held their final spring practice this past Saturday and it was open to fans, families, etc. 

Only helmets so I did not focus much on the trenches, lot of 1on1 and 7on7 work.

Demir Ashiru took all the 1st team reps at QB, Calvin Lavery took the 2nd team reps. 

Lot of ups and downs with Ashiru's performance, made some really great throws but also had a quite a few throw aways or sacks taken. Seemed to hold the ball for a long time frequently, which could mean he is still learning the offense or the defense was just playing well.  I think one of the incoming freshman have a chance to win the starting job in the fall, but hard to tell only seeing 1 practice. Ashiru was clearly the most talented QB out there on Saturday, for what its worth.

The best player on the field by far was Thomas Skokna.  Made some really tough catches and was unguardable in man coverage.  I think he has an All-American level season as long as the QB can get it to him.

Offensive line is beginning to take shape, and my guess of the starting 5 will be Jerred Durian (started last year at center), John Golden (started a handful of games at G/C when guys sat with injuries), Tyson Cramer (was the swing tackle the past 2 seasons), and then Cortez Jones and transfer from Ohio University Maverick Ohle. 

Ohle was a 2-time all state defensive end in high school at Naperville Central before redshirting at Ohio last year. The coaches want his athleticism on the offensive line though.

Heading into the fall, settling on the QB will obviously be the biggest question to answer and ultimately determine how far this team can go.  All the other pieces appear to be there.