Football previews next season in spring game
The University of Indianapolis football team concluded its final practice of spring football at 1 p.m., April 13, with its spring game in front of fans at Key Stadium.
The game was played using a modified scoring system, and the UIndy offense bested the defense with a final score of 47-25.
Offensively, the Hounds were led by senior running back Klay Fiechter, who had a pair of touchdowns for the day, including one through the air with a 15-yard scoring grab, and one on the ground during the first series with a four-yard rush into the end zone. Fiechter finished the game with 31 yards on the ground in three carries and 15 yards receiving with his one catch.
Defensively, the Hounds had an impressive day, recovering a pair of fumbles and gaining six sacks throughout the game.
UIndy’s defense lines up against the offense shortly before the start of the play. The Greyhound offense defeated the defense with a final score of 47-25. Photo by Victoria Jenkins
Above: Redshirt senior wide receiver Tim Jones begins to run his route against redshirt freshman defensive back Korey Rogan during a play at the Spring Game. Photo by Victoria Jenkins
After the game, senior quarterback Chris Mills said that overall he was impressed with the things he saw from the offensive side of the ball that day, especially with the running backs.
“Our run game was working really well, I thought,” Mills said. “Klay had some big runs, [redshirt junior Matt] Ripp got a few good ones, and then our young guys, [redshirt freshman running back Andrew] Walker and [sophomore running back Jacob] Moran, had a big day. So it was good to see them [the running backs] get in the end zone, too, and not just have good runs but actually score and not allow passing as much, which was good.”
Earlier that week, before the spring game, Head Football Coach Bob Bartolomeo said that prior to the start of spring practice, the team had a few areas on the roster they needed to focus on for improvement.
“We had two areas of concern going into spring practice,” Bartolomeo said. “One was the linebacker situation, and two was the o-line, and both areas have come on pretty good. We still are making some young mistakes in both areas, but we have some good players in both areas. We feel we can win with the guys we have, and so we’re a work-in-progress.”
The Greyhounds also landed a number of recruits earlier this year, which Bartolomeo said he believes will help address some areas of concern and add depth to those positions.
“You look at the two areas of concern, the o-line, and we’ve got Matt Sinclair and Ruben Holcomb coming in. Two big kids that come from good programs—one from Fort Wayne Snider [High School] and one from Carmel [High School]—along with some other o-linemen that got a chance to compete,” Bartolomeo said.
Along with the o-line, Bartolomeo said, the team also added some quality players in the receiver, defensive line and linebacker positions. He said that overall he believes the team received quality recruits who should be able to come in and compete.
Now that spring practice has concluded for the Hounds, Bartolomeo said that he feels confident about where the team is headed this fall.
“We’ve gotten better, and that was one of our goals this spring, to get better individually every day, and so that as a team we continued to get better every day. So, I think we have done that,” Bartolomeo said. “We’ve gotten more physical. Our strength has gotten better. [Strength and Conditioning Coach] Steve [Barrick] has done a great job in the weight room over the winter. I think we’re going to be fine, I really do. We have a chance, and that’s all you can ask for, a chance to win some games. If we do our due diligence over the summer, then we’re going to be okay come the fall.”
The Greyhounds will begin their 2013 regular season this fall at 6 p.m. on Sept. 7, when they host the Eagles of Ashland University at Key Stadium for their season opener. Meanwhile, the Greyhounds will break for the summer but return to action in August, when they begin their preseason camp.
Mills said that he believes the next three months outside of the school year for the Hounds will be important to the development of the team both offensively and defensively.
“I think the summer is going to be good for us, just as spring was,” Mills said. “These next three months are important to the team as a whole. Not just the offense, but the defense, too . . . It’ll be an interesting summer, and we’re going to work hard.”
