Ex-Bulldog Hecker catches TD pass

From news services

CHENEY - Junior All-America quarterback Vernon Adams showed why he finished second in the voting for last year's Walter Payton Award, but a four-headed rushing attack matched EWU's passing numbers in the Eastern Washington football team's annual Red-White Game on Saturday at Roos Field.

Eastern's offense scored five touchdowns and had a pair of field goals in the 86-play scrimmage, which concluded the third full week of spring practice for the Eagles. Offensive units finished with 443 yards of total offense, including a net of 205 yards on the ground and 238 through the air. However, 59 of the yards lost came as the result of eight quick-whistle quarterback sacks recorded by the defense, as the Eagle had 280 yards in positive rushing yards.

The offense scored on six of its first seven possessions, including a perfect 9-of-9 converting during a fourth-and-one drill. That led to the first two touchdowns of the day.

"I think we came out and executed that fourth-and-one drill better than we ever have," Eastern coach Beau Baldwin said. "I thought we were moving the ball very well and then I would say we hit a few lulls. But at times the defense was making some plays. I think in the secondary you saw some guys making plays that maybe wasn't an awful throw or play. But of course there is stuff to clean up."

Sophomore Jabari Wilson led the way with 81 yards on just six carries, including the longest play of the scrimmage of 46 yards. Senior Mario Brown added 55 yards and Jalen Moore had 47, with Cody Hecker, a fifth-year senior from Sandpoint High, chipping in 14 on four carries. Wide receiver Shaquille Hill finished with 25 yards on a pair of reverses.

Adams, the reigning Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Year, completed 15 of 26 passes for 149 yards and no interceptions. He had touchdown passes to sophomore wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (5 yards), sophomore tight end Zach Wimberly (1 yard) and Hecker (40 yards).

Defensively, sophomore safety Zach Bruce had 11 tackles, and sophomore linebacker Albert Havili had nine tackles with a half-sack. Miquiyah Zamora, a sophomore, had six tackles, 1 1/2 sacks and a forced fumble. Six other players had sacks for the Eagle defense.

The Eagles will practice two more times this week before resuming practices in the summer for EWU's Aug. 23 opener on ESPN against Sam Houston State at Roos Field.

"A lot of times you play this scrimmage and they are done," Baldwin said. "But we can evaluate this last scrimmage and come back to improve on things on Tuesday and Thursday. So it is still practice - to me it was just another spring practice with a lot of live team sessions. We get two more practices and then our 15th practice becomes more about team bonding."

In the first two spring scrimmages, the offense accumulated 824 yards on 131 plays (6.3 per play) and scored 10 touchdowns and a field goal. However, the defense held the offense without a point and to 106 yards in seven scoreless possessions to begin the scrimmage on April 19. In a total of 18 possessions, the defense stopped the offense 12 times with four turnovers.