by Kai Caddy
Echo Sports (8/15/04)

In a vanilla 48-play scrimmage in front of a sizeable crowd at Estes Stadium the 2004 version of the UCA Bears football team held a scrimmage in which the return of quarterback Zak Clark was felt early and often.

Clark, who recovered from a season ending finger injury, went deep on the first play of the night. Aaron Fairooz got behind the secondary and Clark put it right where it needed to be, but Fairooz dropped it.

Fairooz would make up for it two plays later when Clark hit him, on a similar play, for about a  70-yard score.

The next score for the first team offense came when Clark hit Ben Faires on the same play that Fairooz earlier dropped. Clark hit Faires as he strolled into the end zone for the score.

The first offense did battle against a mixture of first and second team defenses. The defenses were rotating different positions, rather than changing the entire unit.

Another score came later in the scrimmage after Clark found former GSC Freshman of the Year Michael Norvell, who took the ball down to the five.

From there transfer Bernard Scott broke through the line, made a strong cut and took it in for the score.

"Bernard Scott is a good flashy back," Coach Clint Conque said. "He's going to be big for us."

Conque said he was proud of his first string offense, but at the same time disappointed in the big plays the defense gave up.

The first stringers ran 16 plays and said only four were negative.

"Zak threw the ball well," Conque said. "He followed his reads and threw it to the open man. I was unhappy with the big plays that the defense gave up.

"But there were some guys that flashed (on defense). Gary Davis, Brian Peoples and Cori Cangelosi played pretty sound."

Cangelosi is back after missing the spring with an injury. Davis also returns from sitting out spring drills.

Conque said that after nine practices the Bears have installed their basic schemes on both sides of the ball.

"Tonight we were very vanilla on both sides of the ball," he said. "We did very little blitzing and very little motion, but after nine practices that's about where we are."

Along with getting the first and second string some work, Conque was also able to get the freshman a lot of work.

"Everyone got to play," he said. "In fact, the freshman got more work than the first and second strings. Those young kids were really, really nervous. After their first week of college practice then you turn the lights on and put people in the stands, they just freeze up."

Conque said some things that needed to be addressed after spring were indeed addressed this summer.

"After losing Willie Hopson we needed to solidify the running back position, and I think we have a solid core of three backs (Kentrel Rogers, Scott, Ross Brown) that can help the football team.

"We needed help at receiver and we added Johnny Conway and freshman Eric Ware are going to help. Ware is a young man that is really going to help us. We're also going to start working Cangelosi as another inside receiver next week.

"Also, we needed help at linebacker. DeWayne Hall has done good things this camp, and I really think by the conference opener he'll be doing good things. Stacey Hill, who we didn't have in the spring, has really triggered and made strikes this summer."

The Bears came out of the scrimmage injury free. Jasper Johnson recovered from a broken leg he suffered in the spring and hasn't missed a practice.

"Jasper Johnson has made a miraculous recovery," Conque said.

The Bears still have 15 practices before opening the season Aug. 28 at Eastern New Mexico. Fan Appreciation/Media Day will be Monday starting with a cookout at noon.

The next scrimmage will take place Tuesday under the lights at Estes.

"This is going to be a competitive football team," Conque said. "We will be better than last year, how many wins does that calculate to? I don't know, but there's too much good character on this team to not be successful."