Voice's Week-One Training Camp News and Notes

• One week into training camp and yesterday was the first day in full pads. Game on!

• Tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon’s 3 p.m. scrimmage vs. Harper College will give both coaches and fans the chance to see individuals and the team in live football situations.

• Some of the things I’ll be watching for will be the play of the offensive line with four of last year’s starters now graduated.

• At running back, Levell Coppage is a given. Only sophomore Evan Wright is back from last year and he had just five carries in 2010. The remaining three tailbacks are brand new to the program. I need to see a couple of the new faces to step up.

• As I indicated earlier this week – Matt Blanchard and Lee Brekke are as good of a quarterback duo as there is in Division III football.

• We all know that the Aaron Rusch-Adam Brandes era is now over but this year’s wide receiving corps is very talented. It may be the deepest set of wide receivers during the Hawks current six-year run of championships.

• As far as the defense is concerned, I have a tough time getting a read on defensive personnel until the pads go on. I’ll have a much better “feel” after watching Saturday’s scrimmage

• I’ve written this week about UWW sophomore place kicker Eric Kindler – a member of Team USA - and coming off the World Fistball Championships earlier this month in Switzerland. A week ago I had never heard of Fistball!

• I’m not sure Lance Leipold was totally in favor of having his kicker risk injury by participating in Kindler’s “other” sport.

• Iconic former UW-Whitewater head coaches Forrest Perkins and Bob Berezowitz watched Thursday’s practice from the practice field sidelines. Midway through practice Levell Coppage came over to have a short chat with Coach Perkins. It was a very classy display of leadership from Levell.

• One of the biggest surprises of week-one of training camp has been the lack of August style heat and humidity. While it has been enjoyable, it’s a bit of a catch-22 situation.

• I hope you have checked out the HawkTube link on Warhawkfootball.com. If you are googling to find the URL address remember it is “HawkTube” not “Hawk Tube.” If you google the latter you will be quite surprised at what Websites turn up. Oh Baby!!!!

• I want to give a big shout out to my Foxglove Lane neighbors and Whitewater EMTs for “rescuing me” from my front yard shrubbery last Wednesday. Watch that first step – it is a Lulu!!

Have a great weekend and I look forward to seeing you at Saturday’s 3 p.m. scrimmage inside Perkins Stadium!