Thursday night kickoff leads to adjustment in calendar for Skrosky, Phoenix
When Chris Blair arrived at Elon University last spring, he said the other defensive backs on the football team knew more about him than he knew about himself. “[Junior linebacker] John Silas welcomed me into his apartment and told me to move in with him,” Blair said. The camaraderie is hoping to translate to some onfield success for Elon this fall, as Blair and seniors Miles Williams and Julius Moore will anchor what should be a strong secondary. The Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) did not welcome Elon kindly in the 2014 season.
It’s hardly surprising that we’re inside of two weeks before the Elon University football team’s season opener and we still don’t know who the starting quarterback will be. Head coach Rich Skrosky has been adamant about not rushing into a decision dating back to spring practices.
The kickoff of the 2015 season for the Elon University football team will happen at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept.
Football trains almost all summer to prepare for the fall athletic season. But they are not the only ones practicing in the hot August sun.
We're inside two weeks of the Elon University football team's season opener at Wake Forest University, and Phoenix head coach Rich Skrosky still isn't saying who will be the team's starting quarterback. Redshirt freshman Connor Christiansen and true freshman Daniel Thompson have been competing since spring practice.
BALTIMORE, MD - For the second time in as many seasons, Elon football is projected to finish last in the Colonial Athletic Association as the league kicked off the 2015 season at M&T Bank Stadium. After finishing the 2014 campaign 1-11 (0-8 CAA) the Phoenix is optimistic about the upcoming season. On hand were Elon head coach Rich Skrosky, junior running back B.J.
One third of the trio is gone. Elon University associate head baseball coach Greg Starbuck has taken a position as a volunteer assistant at Clemson University, new Tigers coach Monte Lee announced Tuesday. Starbuck, 51, spent the last 17 years at Elon as the recruiting coordinator and batting and baserunning instructor. At Clemson, he'll work with hitters, infielders and catchers. The move breaks up one of the longest-tenured coaching staffs in all of Division I baseball.
UPDATED: May 19, 10:38 p.m. An Elon University football player found responsible for a sexual offense last spring by the Office of Student Conduct still started every game last season. Though junior Adrian Jabril McClendon, then 19, was charged by the state in March 2014 for sexual battery and false imprisonment, a spokesman for the team said this week he had no knowledge of the incident. Smith Jackson, vice president for student life, released a statement Monday night saying the athletic department knew of the situation and handled it promptly. “Federal student privacy laws prevent the university from discussing details of specific student conduct cases,” Jackson said.
Cordell Wesley Forrest, a 19-year old freshman and member of the football team, was charged Monday with first-degree felony burglary. The Times-News first reported the charge. According to incident reports, police responded to a burglary in Danieley O late Thursday night.
Throughout spring practice, the Elon University football team has seen the number of players in camp dwindle — especially on the defensive end. This is, in part, because of graduating seniors, as well as some injured players. For the players who are still at Elon and are still participating in spring practices, the lack of depth means an increase in practice time for other players. At the spring football game on Saturday night, the defense shone brightest at Rhodes Stadium, as the 6-3 final score showed that the increased reps are paying off for many of the returners on defense. “We found out we are a lot stronger mentally,” said junior defensive lineman Dominic Bourne.
Let’s hope this doesn’t become an annual question. Spring practice is over and as we progress into the summer and fall, the same question surrounds the Elon University football team. Who’s going to start at quarterback? It’s head coach Rich Skrosky’s second season, and it’s the second straight year this is at the forefront of discussion.
Elon University redshirt freshman quarterback Connor Christiansen scrambled into the end zone from two yards out as time expired to notch a 6-3 victory for the Maroon team at Saturday's Spring Game. But the play nearly didn’t get off in time. “When I was running up to the line, I peaked back [at the clock]” Christiansen said.
There’s a great deal of mutual understanding between the players and coaches as the Elon University football team begins spring practice. After spending last spring adjusting to new head coach Rich Skrosky and his staff and schemes, the Phoenix knows what to expect during its 15 practices this month, the first of which was held Monday. Skrosky described that familiarity through a sequence where senior running back Tracey Coppedge provided some direction to freshman running back Nick Theos, who transferred to Elon in the winter. Coppedge pulled Theos aside, telling him where their group was heading next. “They couldn’t do that a year ago,” Skrosky said.
The crunch of the fall leaves and the brisk wind blowing as the sun sets are sentiments usually associated with football season. Not the chirping of birds and spring flowers. Spring football practice has continued to grow across the college and high school game, with spring games at larger schools drawing upwards of 40,000 people.
Are you intimidated by the idea of picking up heavy objects then putting them back down? Enter Climaxed Fitness; a start-up company formed by Elon juniors Corey Mitchell, Tracey Coppedge, John Silas and Zach Dupree. Their mission statement is to “offer comprehensive and individualized training programs for anyone looking to get fit”, but this foursome of fine young men are much more than just guys looking to Instagram pictures of their biceps. This afternoon, I had the honor of sitting down with Corey Mitchell and Tracey Coppedge to discuss their business plan.
It is often said that winning comes in the offseason for many sports teams. It is the time that players build bonds with teammates and coaches and the previous seasons’ glories and failures are washed away and the team gets a clean slate. For the Elon University football team, the offseason is a time to improve in ways that are not accessible during the season. “Being here a year now, the players are more comfortable with the schemes in all three phases of the game,” said head coach Rich Skrosky.
Through all the dialogue, some soft, some harsh, Rich Skrosky has stayed true to his words in regard to recruiting. From his first day as Elon University football coach, he’s preached about taking more of a hands-on approach to recruiting with an emphasis on targeting prospects from North Carolina. As National Signing Day fades into the distance, it’s fair to say he succeeded in that. Elon signed 19 players in the class of 2015 with 13 hailing from North Carolina. Running back Malcolm Summers from Eastern Alamance High School in Mebane and receiver Tereak McCray from Walter M.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNS0H7qg670 Local recruits headlined the 2015 National Signing Day Class for the Elon University football team.
Elon University quarterback John Loughery has left the school and will transfer, team spokesman Chris Rash confirmed Wednesday. Loughery had two years of eligibility remaining after redshirting the 2012 season and serving as Mike Quinn's backup for the past two years.
