LSC Spring Football Update - East Central

Orange beats Black in spring finale

Courtesy: ECU Sports Information
Release: 04/26/2008

By BOB FORREST
Ada Evening News Sports Writer

ADA — East Central University football coach Kurt Nichols refers to sophomore-to-be wideout Gerald Loveless as a “possession receiver”, and the ECU depth chart lists junior Josh Phillips as the understudy at quarterback to 2007 Lone Star Conference North Offensive Player of the Year Marcus Johnson.

But Loveless and Phillips both stepped out of character for the final act of Saturday afternoon’s Orange and Black Spring Game at Norris Field.

Phillips, who started two games as a freshman in 2006 and did a solid job as Johnson’s back-up last fall, found Loveless — a junior college transfer who didn’t play football at all in 2007 — on a 41-yard scoring pass after time had expired, then he hit Nigel Cooper on a two-point coversion to give the Orange a 15-14 win over Johnson and the Black squad in the Tigers’ spring finale.
Saturday’s contest was a split-squad affair played under virtual game conditions with Lone Star Conference officials on hand. The scoreboard clock counted off regulation 15-minute quarters, two field goals were attempted (and missed), and Justin Freshour handled the punting for both teams.

“We had Lone Star Conference and Big 12 officials here for a seminar today, and the game was part of it,” Nichols said. “The new 40-second clock rule (which starts the play clock immediately after the previous plays ends rather than when the ball is set for play) goes into effect this year, and we wanted to play the spring game under those conditions. I don’t think the new rule will hurt us at all.”

Go to the ECU website for the rest of the story.