Friday, March 30, 2007 11:25 PM CDT
Spoo passes first test at EIU practice
BY BRIAN NIELSEN Sports Editor
bnielsen@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON -- Quarterbacks and other Eastern Illinois football players might be under scrutiny but no question who was the most watched at Friday’s first spring football practice.
“This is going to be a real test for me,” head coach Bob Spoo said about a half hour before going from his office desk to the O’Brien Stadium field. “It’s my first once back since August. I’m kind of excited about it and yet a little apprehensive. I haven’t taken the field since August.”
In late August Spoo underwent an undisclosed surgery with the first announced time plan that he could return to head coaching duties within 4-6 weeks.
Instead, he spent the entire season recovering, finally being able to make it to the stadium to view late-season games from a press box booth while since departed assistant head coach Mark Huston was in charge of the team.
Another surgery but one less serious came during February and Spoo’s road back for what is now to be a delayed 20th year as head coach is ongoing.
At least for now, the head coach is not directly involved with a segment as had been the case in recent years before his surgery.
“I will not be handling the running backs,” Spoo said. “Justin Lustig is going to take them until I get back on my feet. I’m back but physically I am not. I can tell that the muscles in my body atrophied.”
As Friday’s practice began, Spoo watched from a golf cart but he also spent a good part of the two-hour workout standing on the field and afterward said things went well.
“When he’s not around physically, he’s still here mentally,” linebacker Donald Thomas said. “It will be great to see a guy who has come so far back from where he was.”
Spoo knows enough about the season he missed to evaluate some needs from last year’s 8-5 season as Eastern for the second straight year had things end with a disappointing home loss in the first round of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.
Cole Stinson returns after starting the last eight games of last season but is not guaranteed a job next August as a senior if he stands pat.
“It’s certainly a concern,” Spoo said. “We’ve got to be better at that position, no doubt about it. There has to be a definite improvement at that position.”
Kyle Kniss, heading into his junior season, and Bodie Reeder, who transferred a year ago as a redshirt freshman, are competing this spring for the quarterback job before next season’s arrival of Luke Hockaday, who led Maroa-Forsyth to last year’s IHSA Class 2A state championship.
“Right now the quarterbacks are getting equal reps,” said Jorge Munoz, who after a year as EIU’s quarterbacks coach is also now the offensive coordinator. “A year ago I was implementing my ideas and now they’ve had a year with me. We’re way further along at this time than last year. This is the first time in Cole’s career to have the same position coach two years in a row even in high school. The sky is the limit for him. He had a great practice today.”
The 15 days of spring practice are geared toward refining and some additions.
“We have daily implementation going on,” Spoo said. “Speaking offensively, we’re going to take it slowly. Our installation plan on offense is to install one day and the next practice go back and review. Install, review. Install, review.
“We’re trying to get really good at a few things rather than try and do a lot of things. We’re really trying to work slowly and do things well. I think the defense has essentially the same plan not to do a lot of things, not to do a lot of scheming of that nature.”
Leading the defense is Thomas, who was named 2006 Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year for the Panthers who shared the league title with Tennessee-Martin.
“Winning that award was a great accomplishment but that was last year,” Thomas said. “I’m trying to be a leader, basically getting guys to believe in themselves.
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856.
Add your comments
Not already registered?
Then click Here.
Comment policy:
JG-TC.com encourages readers to engage in civil conversation with their neighbors. Comments that are submitted are not posted to the site immediately. They go into a queue to be moderated and may take several hours to be reviewed. Comments posted on Saturday may not be reviewed until Sunday afternoon.
In order to keep the page a set width, long lines (mostly long links) will be chopped. Try putting spaces in your links or consider using tinyurl.com to make a smaller link that you can include.
We will never edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to remove comments that violate our code of conduct.
No comment may contain:
* Potentially libelous statements; such as accusing somebody of a crime, defamation of character, or statements that can harm somebody's reputation.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults, threats, harassment or inciting violence.
* Commercial product promotions.
If you have any questions, please contact our moderator.
|
|
CLICK TO ENLARGE
 Eric Hiltner(JG/T-C)
Little Illini Conference's Matthew Higginbotham attempts to block a shot by the National Trail Conference's Craig Westendorf during the 14th annual Central Illinois All Star Game at Cumberland High School on Saturday evening.
|
Angie Miley wrote on Jul 17, 2006 8:05 PM: