MontrealAlouettes.com
SHERBROOKE – In front of an impressive turnout of fans, the Montreal Alouettes scrimmaged at Coulter Field on the campus of Bishop’s University Saturday morning for Day 7 of training camp.
In full gear for the occasion, players simulated over 100 plays under real-game conditions during the two-plus-hour practice. CFL officials were on-site, a play clock was in effect and players even hit the locker room at half time. The only factor breaking the illusion of game day was a defensive unit that would hit the brakes instead of the quarterback when in position to record a sack during the day.
“Our goal is to always try to keep guys off the ground and healthy,” admitted head coach Dan Hawkins. “Today was no different. It’s really about getting on the same page and making sure we’re in sync. We wanted our players to practice fast and hard without egos getting in the way and without slamming into one another. We’ve been doing this for several days now.”
WATCH: COACH HAWKINS ON DAY 7 »
Indeed, Noel Thorpe’s defence seemed to hold an edge over the offence all morning, the latter scoring just one touchdown on a catch-and-run play of about 95 yards when rookie quarterback Tanner Marsh hooked up with receiver Tyron Carrier for the major. Carrier was one of the day’s highlights, making a series of catches including one for about 30 yards. Although no stats team was in place in the press box, the Houston native’s teammates were calling it a 200-plus yard performance.
“I ran a 10-yard in and stayed in the middle of the field,” explained Carrier, who undoubtedly led the team in receiving yards. “Once I caught the pass from Marsh, I was able to make the first man miss and it was off to the races. I was surprised by how many looks I had. I don’t even get that many during practice,” joked the 25-year-old.
With a number of veterans shelved for the scrimmage including receivers Jamel Richardson, S.J. Green, Brandon London and newcomer Arland Bruce, Coach Hawkins was reassured by the Alouettes’ depth at the position.
“He did a great job out there,” added Hawkins. “At first we thought of him as more of a returner, but he certainly made a few nice plays which is always encouraging.”
Along with Carrier, running backs Noel Devine and Rodney Stewart also impressed, showing bursts of speed and solid moves while proving that they both bring something interesting to the table when it comes to the returner position that’s currently up for grabs.
Rounding out the day’s highlights were picks from Chip Cox and Keynan Parker on quarterbacks Anthony Calvillo and Josh Neiswander respectively.
Next practices
The Alouettes take a day off from practising on Sunday before returning to the field Monday morning at 8:00 a.m. Just two days of practice remain before the team hosts the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Thursday, June 13 at Percival Molson Stadium.
