CLINTON, S.C. – The Presbyterian College football team ended its spring practice on Saturday with the annual Spring Game scrimmage at Bailey Memorial Stadium.
Offense, defense and special teams took reps in front of a loud crowd of fans, friends, family and alumni that included members of the 1959 Tangerine Bowl team.
PC kicked off the scrimmage in the literal sense, and both Marquel Hines (Bradenton, Fla.) and Devron Glenn (North Charleston, S.C.) broke off nice kickoff returns as they juked and sped down the field before officials blew the play dead.
From there, the team broke into the traditional offense-defense matchup. DaRon Dickey (Greenville, S.C.) jumped the snap to create backfield pressure, but quarterback Ben Cheek (Franklin, Ga.) tucked the ball and found a hole for positive yardage.
The defense continued to shine, breaking up several Cheek passes. Tyler Sheppard (Grovetown, Ga.) blew up a Cheek keeper as well before Daryl Wilson (Hendersonville, N.C.) hauled in a solid pass from the freshman quarterback.
Blake Roberts (Cumming, Ga.) impressed with several strong runs up the middle before the teams broke back into position groups for individual drills and instruction.
The team worked through punting drills as Jackson Boland (Ware Shoals, S.C.) and Stephen Doar (Landrum, S.C.) both enjoyed solid reps.
The Blue Hose returned to offense-defense and DJ Wilson hauled in a long touchdown pass from Kaleb Griffin (Florence, S.C.) that spanned more than half the field.
A few minutes later, Griffin found Tre'von Howell (Columbia, S.C.) sprinting down the sideline, who made a great 20-yard catch despite the tight coverage.
Darrell Bridges (Rossville, Ga.) found some room on the right side before Griffin struck again, connecting with Jordan Hallums (Simpsonville, S.C.) in the back of the end zone for a touchdown.
On the next series, Riley Hilton (Fort Mill, S.C.) drew applause from the fans when he made a one-handed catch for a first down. Linebacker Donelle Williams (Starke, Fla.) then showed his All-Conference prowess by running down Roberts before the back could turn the corner for a gain.
The offensive line enjoyed a solid morning, giving the quarterbacks time to throw and the running backs room to run. One play allowed Griffin enough time to go through his progressions and room to run for a first down after deciding to keep it.
The PC defense proved able to stuff the run midway through the scrimmage as well. Several plays went for little as the line and linebackers pushed through for no gain.
One-on-one drills came next, as defensive backs tried to shut down receivers. Steve Osondu (McDonough, Ga.), Shonquille Byers (Gaffney, S.C.) and Ed Britt (Greensboro, N.C.) kept their targets at bay and Howell, Glenn and Hallums finished some tough catches.
Howell continued his strong practice by making a great grab just inside the goal line for a touchdown, and caught another half an hour later. Redshirt freshman running back Bridges also showed some of his pass-catching ability, hauling in a pass to the flats.
Derrick Washington (Milledgeville, Ga.) stopped a quick run but the offense responded when Tamyn Garrick (Williston, S.C.) hit DarQuez Watson (St. Petersburg, Fla.) for a 20-yard touchdown. The defense came through shortly after to swat down a third-down pass at the line.
Near the end of practice, Hallums grabbed a long pass from Garrick for another touchdown. Obinna Ntiasagwe (Columbia, S.C.) wrapped up Griffin on the next series for a sack behind the line. Blake Roberts cashed in from short range two plays later, however, running for a touchdown up the gut.
