Ticats Confidential: June 16

TICATS CONFIDENTIAL: June 16

– WR Chris Bauman returned to the field Monday, after missing a couple days due to some minor injuries. He and fellow CIS product, WR Laurent Lavigne-Masse had strong showings in team drills, bringing down a few receptions each.

– After only putting up 12 points in their pre-season opener, head coach Charlie Taaffe came out and said the team wants to push the ball down the field more. Apparently the message was received and the quarterbacks have been taking their shots deep. Today, QB Quinton Porter found WR Jo Jo Walker down the seam in the centre for a long strike.

– Practice had a slightly different look on Monday as the scout teams made an appearance. Players donned red jerseys to signify they were specific members of the opposing team both on the offence and defence. It is one step closer to the regular season which is only ten days away.

Missing Links

– If you haven’t seen it, check out TSN.ca’s report on how teams are using video equipment to get an edge on the competition, featuring clips from the Ticats training camp, including our very own video crew.

– As a member of the Tiger-Cats, DB Ryan Glasper has been a fun-loving personality who is now stepping up into a leadership role. The former Boston College grad has overcome adversity in his life, both growing up and during his time in the NCAA. Glasper’s story was captured in an article last year for ESPN.com.

– If returning the Ticats to the playoffs wasn’t enough of a challenge for RB Jesse Lumsden, how about being one of the two saviours of the CFL according to the National Post.

TICATS CONFIDENTIAL: June 15

The weekend has come and gone and the Tabbies roster remains in tact for the time being. With no deadlines for trimming the lineup, the team might just wait another week and give players every chance possible to make an impression.

– One would think there are a few faces that have little chance of cracking the club come next week, but there is something to be said for keeping more bodies in camp to help with fatigue and potential injuries that may occur. Head coach Charlie Taaffe, has stated that to prove their worth players need to be on the field. Injuries are one thing, but bumps and bruises are a part of training camp, so if you’re not fighting through it, you risk seeing your name on the list of cuts.

– The competition between the full offence and defence is getting more interesting each day. Sunday afternoon saw the offence convert half of their second and long attempts, which is good news for the O, but much too high of a percentage for the D. However, the defence brought the intensity to the fire-drill offence (a.k.a the three-minute offence), and the offensive attack couldn’t match it. The defence made a few clutch stops, including DB Geoff Tisdale’s interception returned for a touchdown.

– One thing that continues to be noticeable in this year’s camp is the camaraderie amongst the players. Some guys know each other from last season, some got to spend time together in the off-season through Cops and Cats Charity Basketball, and some guys have made friends quickly since they arrived, but overall there is more of a bond between the players and coaches for that matter than there was this time a year ago.

– Speaking of team building events, rain near the end of practice forced the annual father’s day barbeque indoors, where players and coaches had a chance to invite their families to McMaster for some food and a bit of rest and relaxation. As clichéd as it may sound, the team seems more like a family in 2008, and less like a group of individuals, something that can only work to their advantage.

TICATS CONFIDENTIAL: June 14

Saturday the team took to the field for their first practice since their exhibition game and what should be their final two-a-day of training camp.

– Wide receivers Tony Miles and Eddie Cohen hauled in a couple of well thrown passes on the sidelines.

– DB Chris Thompson added yet another pick to his training camp total, coming over WR Laurent Lavigne-Masse and taking it the other way.

– Think you could hit the uprights with a football from the 40-yard line? Well after practice DB Ryan Glasper showed off a seemingly useless talent for being a member of the secondary, as he repetitively hit iron from 40-yards out. It’s the kind of thing you wouldn’t believe unless you saw it, and if I was a gambling man I definitely would have lost money when he went 4/4 at one point.

After reviewing the game film from the contest against Winnipeg, head coach Charlie Taaffe shared his thoughts on the game:

• “I started at about 5:30 a.m. on Friday morning, and all the coaches went through the film of the offence, defence, and special teams and graded every play. Then we had a long personnel meeting and talked about each player and what they did well and what they didn’t do so well, and what we did well as units and where we need to get better. Overall I’m pleased with the first performance and their effort. I think we’ve made some strides in a lot of areas.”
• “On defence, I was really impressed with how we played overall as a unit, we gave up 49 yards rushing and 13 of that came on one play, so real solid there. We only had one ball that they caught down the field, and that was 17 yards. There were no big plays, no breakout runs or long passes. If we can continue to limit it to that over an entire game that would be pretty good.”
• “In the front I thought we showed a lot of quickness there. DE Kori Dickerson made some nice plays. DL Marcus Lewis, who is a guy you haven’t heard a lot about in camp showed some improvement. LB Nick Kordic played a bunch of plays because we didn’t have many sam linebackers, we didn’t want LB Markeith Knowlton to get a lot of reps in his first game. Nick needed work but I think he played about 50 plays and really gave a good account of himself.”
• “LB Mike Botterill did a good job at middle linebacker. He didn’t make a lot of plays but he executed his technique, he played within the scheme and forced some things to other players who made the plays. That’s the kind of team discipline that we’re looking for. Playing the responsibility, not just trying to make plays, because sometimes when you do that you hurt the integrity of the defence.”
• “I was really proud of our offensive line. I thought they played exceptionally well. The starting unit looked in sync. We moved the ball pretty much at ease, we average almost six yards per rush, 5.9 to be exact, which is outstanding. We played OG Cedric Gagne-Marcoux and OG George Hudson at centre a bit, since C Marwan Hage only played about 16 or 17 plays. They both did a nice job, so we really have three centres that have played the position and can play it well, which is a luxury.”
• “I thought the tackles played well, OT Jonta Woodard, OT Marko Cavka and OT Charles Thomas. There’s some good competition going on there. OL J.P. Bekasiak did some things exceptionally well for the short time he’s been an O-lineman. So, we should have some depth on the offensive line.”
• “I told RB Tre Smith, it’s not a slam dunk contest, I mean that hole was so big I could have walked in there. He just needs to run the ball in and not give the officials an oppor
  tunity to take one away from us, but he did a great job, running very well. This week we’ll try to get him more involved in the return game and see how he does there.”
• “WR Scott Mitchell continues to play well. WR Jason French made a couple of key catches. WR Rashaun Woods had a nice ball at the end on a key drive to keep the ball moving and not give it back to Winnipeg. We need to keep improving and try to get the ball downfield. That’s our next challenge offensively, the vertical passing game. We completed 17 passes but it was only for 164 yards, so I’d like to see us stretch the field a little more. Toronto is a tough coverage to throw against, so that will be a good test for our quarterbacks and receivers.”
• “Now we move on to the last week here at camp, which is critical and we see where we are Thursday night against a good football team at the Rogers Centre and then we’ll come back and have to make some tough decisions evaluating talent.”

TICATS CONFIDENTIAL: June 12

It was everything you’d expect out of a pre-season contest, moments of elation, draughts of sloppiness, and a whole lot of game film to evaluate players in live action. Sure the Tabbies pushed their pre-season win streak to fives games over the last three years with a 12-10 win over the Bombers, but that’s not necessarily the goal in pre-season.

– All four Tabbies QBs, got into the game. QB Casey Printers looked good in the first quarter, albeit Winnipeg didn’t field many of their stars on either side of the ball, so the true test will still come in two weeks against Montreal in the season opener. QB Timmy Chang threw well and continued his strong pre-season, dating back to last year.

– Whether it means anything at this point or not, your starting five receivers were Eddie Cohen, Jo Jo Walker, Jason French, Rashaun Woods, and Tony Miles. On four wide receiver sets in the first quarter, FB Robert Pavlovic lined up as the tight end.

– RB Terry Caulley started the game at running back and showed the same elusive moves at the line of scrimmage that he did last season.

– The flash that just turned the corner and bolted for daylight was RB Tre Smith. Once he gets to the edge his speed makes him a danger to any defence. He was responsible for the lone Ticats touchdown, leaping from the six-yard line and almost looking as if he was slam-dunking the ball over the Winnipeg defender as he crossed the goal line in the air.

– The crafty veteran Jason French wasn’t electric on the receptions sheet, but he was solid as a blocker, opening holes downfield.

– With Winnipeg inside the five yard-line and threatening to score, DB Ryan Glasper broke through the line and hammered RB Fred Reid, forcing a fumble that was recovered by DB Jermaine Mays and returned 25 yards.

– There was little to no blitzing in the game, but DE Charlton Keith was able to maintain consistent pressure and came out of the game with a sack.

– K/P Nick Setta went 2/3 with his miss clanging off the upright. If you ask WR Chris Bauman he’ll tell you Nick was aiming for it.

– Last season Hamilton lacked a lot of grit in clutch situations, failing to convert first downs on offence, and allowing other teams to capitalize on their third down attempts. If this game is any indication, there may be bit more stinginess in the Cats. They showed guts going for it on a third and one, getting the first down on a QB sneak. They also held strong on a third and four late in the game to get the ball back and seal the win.

TICATS CONFIDENTIAL: June 11

With the team just doing a walkthrough on Wednesday afternoon to prepare for Thursday’s game, we’re sticking with the defence today, and going directly to the source, defensive coordinator Denny Creehan, to get the latest on how his side of the ball is coming along. Creehan has implemented a new system and will likely have more than a half dozen new starters, but he is pleased so far with how his players have looked heading into tomorrow’s pre-season opener.

• “We’re making good progress. Everyday certain things get and the guys learn a little. There are always mistakes, but that’s why we practice.”
• “Right now we’re working on just one-on-one rushes. In the exhibition game tomorrow we don’t plan on blitzing, we’re just going to let the guys up front get off the ball and let’s see which one of those guys can beat a block. We’ll worry about blitzing later on to get the added pressure if we need it.”
• “I think up front there has been a number of guys that have impressed me so far. Dominic Lewis has been a real good surprise, Darrell Adams has had a tremendous camp, Kori Dickerson is really coming on, and Nautyn McKay-Loescher from start to finish has been excellent.”
• “Markeith Knowlton is our nickel back. You can call it Sam (strong side) linebacker or you can call it nickel back, it’s really the same thing. Markeith has had a great camp. What a great addition he is.”
• “Chris Thompson and Jermaine Mays, the two halfbacks that we acquired in the off-season, both of those guys have looked excellent. Rontarius Robinson too. We have three good halfbacks there with league experience. We have a few young guys with talent as well, but those three have experience.”
• “Ryan Glasper is really starting to take charge, and that’s what I like to see. He’s starting to direct traffic and alert the players on things that might happen so they’re not surprised if they do. That’s what we need from a free safety. That and a guy who is a great tackler.”
• “When you’re learning a new system like this, it’s hard to be too demonstrative because you’re still learning yourself. I mean even a guy like Zeke Moreno, the leader of our defence, he’s learning just like all the rest of them are.”

TICATS CONFIDENTIAL: June 10

– The coaches made sure to work on full team drills as they prepare for the game against Winnipeg on Thursday night. One of those areas today was kickoff and kickoff return teams, giving K/P Nick Setta a chance to send some booming kicks downfield and the potential returners a chance to showcase their talents.

– DE Kori Dickerson was mic’d up on Tuesday afternoon and Ticats TV had their cameras focused in on his antics on the field.

– Dickerson and the rest of the defensive line practiced their stunts in 2-on-2 pass rushing drills, although defensive coordinator Denny Creehan said that they will likely keep it simple for the pre-season game to allow players a chance to prove their individual skills.

– Guest defensive line coach Guido Falbo’s raspy voice can be heard in all defensive line drills, sharing tips and encouragement with the linemen.

– DT Darrell Adams made a solid play by jumping at the line and intercepting a pass, something you don’t often see from a 6’5, 282-pound tackle. He would have taken it back for a touchdown had RB Jesse Lumsden not shown some effort and chased him down.

– DB Bo Smith picked off a ball that was tipped and was immediately surrounded by his fellow defenders who turned into blockers as he took it back to pay dirt.

– During the final sprints, the offensive line got a little hot in the sun, so hot in fact they decided to slowly strip down, first removing their shirts and then hiking up their yellow shorts as the ran the width of the field. Ticats TV caught the footage, but don’t expect to see it aired on the website, at least not without a viewer discretion warning.

– At the end of practice, head coach Charlie Taaffe spoke in the huddle about avoiding penalties and being smart in the field. He explained that last year as a team they played hard enough to win, but were undisciplined. He vowed to the team that this year they will get the mental part down or they’ll be the best conditioned football team in North America, meaning they’ll be doing plenty of running at the end of practice, preferably with the linemen’s shirts on.

TICATS CONFIDENTIAL: June 9 – PM

– Receivers coach Dennis Goldman got right into the action on Monday afternoon, when he was accidentally knocked down by two players running downfield on the punt coverage teams. To his credit, Goldman jumped right back up and received a quick applause from everyone around.

– For the second straight day lightning hit very close to the practice grounds, forcing the players off the field. It passed quickly and they returned for the final half hour to practice the fire-offence, also known as the two-minute drill.

– WR Jo Jo Walker brought down a highlight reel one-handed catch along the sidelines during scrimmage.

– Two penalties during practice meant two full team sprints at the end of the day as a form of punishment. K/P Nick Setta wasn’t given the chance to save the team this afternoon.

– Head Coach Charlie Taaffe’s final thoughts on the Black and Gold Day:

• “We tried to simulate as much as we could. We got most of the critical situations covered. I wanted to get some work on our no huddle fire-off, we call fire offence, that we use in the last three minutes of the game or before the half. That’s the only thing that we didn’t get to before the lightning rolled in, but it was good.”
• “We got work on first and ten situations, we worked on our backed up offence from our own goalline. Then the critical second down situations, second and medium, second and long. That’s the way the game of football is played, it’s situations and it’s a challenge.”
• “For the second and longs there were too many conversions from the offence, which is a good thing from an offensive perspective but obviously concerns from a defensive perspective.”
• “Then we got some redzone work in down there in the scoring zone. Nick Setta did a great job last year kicking field goals, the problem is we scored too many field goals and not enough touchdowns, so that’s a point of emphasis, when we get it down into that area we want to come away with more touchdowns.”

TICATS CONFIDENTIAL: June 9 – AM

It was another scorcher this morning at Ron V. Joyce Stadium, but relief is on the way for the players as today is the last two-a-day practice of the week.

– Head coach Charlie Taaffe was joined by his son Brian, who recently celebrated his high school graduation. This was the second year in a row that Brian spent time with the Ticats quarterbacks, trying to learn as much as he can about the position before he starts school at Fordham University in the fall.

– One thing that’s noticeable this season is how well the Ticats QBs move with the ball. All four are elusive in the pocket and can pick up yards, and more importantly first downs with their feet.

– WR Jason French drew acclaim from his wide receivers coach Dennis Goldman after a nice catch on the sidelines downfield.

– Tempers boiled over as DE Nautyn McKay-Loescher and rookie FB Mike Giffin got into a tussle during the scrimmage, but coach Taaffe was quick to put an end to the skirmish, and called on the other veterans to take charge and guarantee that sort of thing doesn’t continue.

– K/P Nick Setta practiced his directional kicks with the punt coverage team, leaving the returners to do their best to try and get their hands on the ball. A strong breeze added to the challenge.

– Setta hit a 47-yard field goal to end practice and grant the team amnesty from doing extra conditioning. Players held their breath as the kick took flight, but Setta has been money on his clutch kicks in this year’s training camp, going 3/3 when the pressure is on to save the team.

– For the last few days, Setta has stayed on the field after practice to tutor DE Adam Kania on the finer points of long snapping. LS Matt Robichaud is entrenched as the Ticats starter at the position, and LB Zeke Moreno has even taken some snaps as his backup, but Kania is demonstrating the kind of willingness to learn the coaches are looking for.

TICATS CONFIDENTIAL: Black And Gold Day

– The new offensive system still includes plenty of passing to the running backs coming out of the backfield. RB Jesse Lumsden, who had 29 catches for 348 yards and a touchdown through the air in only 10 games a season ago, looks like he’ll be equally dangerous on screens and short passes this year.

– Just over a week into camp, the defence is really starting to gel and communicate well on check offs and coverage. LB Zeke Moreno is directing traffic from the middle of the field and emerging as a leader on a defence that is still very young.

– Ticats TV host Candace Devai introduced the scrimmage with a brief interview with head coach Charlie Taaffe, before literally handing the mic over to coach who provided commentary from the field during the game. He explained the scenario of each play during the controlled scrimmage and gave his thoughts on the fly.

– Taaffe joked with fans that if they have any good trick plays, they should bring them down from the grand stand. Surprisingly no one took him up on that offer.

– Despite being a controlled scrimmage, there were officials on the field refereeing the afternoon. They overturned an interception by LB Markeith Knowlton, claiming the ball hit the ground. The also gave OL J.P Bekasiak practice notifying them that he is eligible despite his number 68, something he’ll have to do all season long.

– Bekasiak and FB Robert Pavlovic were the ends in a two-tight end set, something the team used last year at times and is clearly experimenting with again. Both men’s size and athleticism make them valuable extra blockers on the line.

– OL George Hudson wasted no time getting back into a starting role, as he lined up with the first-team offensive line at right guard, joining LT Jonta Woodard, LG Cedric Gagne-Marcoux, C Marwan Hage, and a rotation at right tackle of Marko Cavka and Charles Thomas.

– QB Timmy Chang threw a ball from his own endzone and connected with WR Rashaun Woods at their 50-yard line for one of the bigger plays on the day.

– WR Chris Bauman is a little stronger in his sophomore campaign and continues to show it catching passes over the middle in his new position at slotback.

– Another player accustom to making tou
gh grabs in traffic is WR Ernie Jackson. Jackson hauled in two passes with multiple defenders trying to bat the ball down.

– With only a few plays left on the day, a storm rolled over Ron V. Joyce Stadium and thunder and lightning forced the players and fans off the field. The rains continued, so the players went up to the concourse to meet with the fans and sign autographs.

TICATS CONFIDENTIAL: June 7

– Head coach Charlie Taaffe was absent from Saturday’s practice. Coach Taaffe flew back to Maryland on Friday night in order to attend his son Brian’s high school graduation today. Brian, a quarterback who begins his collegiate football career at Fordham University in New York this fall, will accompany his father on his return to Hamilton on Sunday.

– With the team’s four quarterbacks participating in other drills, guest coach Danny McManus stepped in to throw during one-on-ones. A year of retirement certainly hasn’t affected the Ticats all-time leading passer’s arm, as his long spirals prompted a few members of the receiving corps to jokingly plead for a return to the field.

– Receiver Rashaun Woods drew applause from the spectators in attendance after making an acrobatic one-handed grab during one-on-ones.

– After dominating during the three-day rookie camp, receiver Earnest Jackson seemed to catch every ball thrown his way on Saturday. The 6-3, 220-pound product of Cincinnati hadn’t been as visible during the last week as he was during rookie camp, but he turned some heads today.

– Defensive back Bo Smith intercepted a Richie Williams pass intended for a receiver in the end zone. Williams would have his revenge on the defence a few plays later when he threaded the needle between two defenders to find receiver Eddie Cohen for a touchdown.

– 2007 first overall draft pick Chris Bauman also received the crowd’s approval for reeling in the ball with his back on the turf after become entangled with 2008 first overall draft pick Dylan Barker during one-on-ones.

– The offence made the most of their field position during drills in the latter half of practice. With the ball placed inside the 20, Cats QBs frequently found receivers in the end zone for touchdowns. Tony Miles, Pat Woodcock, Earnest Jackson and Eddie Cohen were among the players catching majors. Defensive back Lawrence Gordon and defensive tackle Alex Guerrero made nice plays to knock down potential touchdown passes.

– After losing the two-point conversion challenge yesterday, the Ticats offence put the ball in the end zone on Saturday to force the defence to do some additional conditioning drills.

– Saturday marked training camp’s first (and likely last) reference to the classic early-90s hockey flick, ‘The Mighty Ducks.’ With the offence prepared to begin stretching on the opposite side of the field as the defence, the defensive unit appealed to the offensive players to join them for a full team stretch, provoking a call of “Ducks fly together!” from Alex Guerrero. Emilio Estevez would have been proud, although there’s no word yet on how the Ticats could include ‘The Flying V’ into the offensive playbook.

– Another reminder that Black and Gold Day takes place tomorrow at Ronald V. Joyce Stadium. Players will take the field for an hour of practice at 4:00 p.m. and follow that with a controlled scrimmage at 5:00 p.m. Fans are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to the stadium to benefit the Good Shepherd’s food drive.

– A day After releasing QB Chris Leak and adding DB Jacoby Watkins to the suspended list, the Black and Gold released three more defensive backs on Saturday; Calvin Carlyle, Tyrone Sanders and Alan Zemaitis.

TICATS CONFIDENTIAL: June 6

– The warm weather finally arrived on Friday morning, but head coach Charlie Taaffe reminded the players that the heat is no excuse for letting up. He reiterated that the weather is just another form of adversity and he wants to see a big effort from the players as they battle through it.

– Another one of coach Taaffe’s lessons today, “When the ball is in the air after being tipped by the receiver or a DB, it’s ours,” he said. “Never give the receiver two chances to make a catch,” he added.

– Coach Taaffe and offensive line coach Jeff Bleamer offered some strong praise to OL J.P. Bekasiak, as he continues to progress in learning to be a blocker.

– After working hard in the off-season, OL Jonta Woodard is in great shape and it’s showed so far in camp. He’s moved very well even though he is listed as the biggest player on the Ticats roster at 324 pounds. On the flip side, the smallest player is a tie between WR Jo Jo Walker and DB Lawrence Gordon, who both weighed in at 173 pounds on Friday.

– Early in practice, the team rehearsed punt coverage and K/P Nick Setta had to deal with some heavy winds coming directly at him, something he became accustom to last season.

– WR Willie Ponder had nice catches on two plays in a row, first leaping for a 20-yard reception, then cutting underneath the coverage for a short yardage pickup the following play.

– WR Pat Woodcock is fast. Like roadrunner fast. He showed his burner speed by getting behind everyone and chasing down a deep ball that he brought in for a touchdown.

– QB Timmy Chang made a series of nice throws today, including a pass to WR Ernie Jackson that went over the hands of an outstretched defender and directly to the receiver.

– Look for DB Ryan Glasper to assume more of a leadership role in his second-year in the Ticats secondary. The Boston College grad could make a big impact, no pun intended, at safety, and has been consistently encouraging his fellow defenders and trying to use his energy to keep their intensity high.

– It was offence versus defence on a two-point conversion, with the winning side getting to avoid extra conditioning at the end of practice. The defence made the stop and was rewarded by watching the offensive players run through an additional period of drills as the defenders did a cool relaxing stretch.

– Don’t forget Black and Gold Day this Sunday, June 8. It’ll be a great day for fans to come out and see the team in practice, and remember to bring a non-perishable food item to Ron V. Joyce Stadium to help support Good Shepherd’s food drive. You can drop off your item in one of the donation bins on site before you enter the stadium.

TICATS CONFIDENTIAL: June 5 – PM

– Throughout the entire scrimmage period, coaches do their best of simulating game situations, calling out a down and distance before each play. The much anticipated goal line showdown between the offence and defence in full pads turned out to be a draw with both sides splitting touchdowns and defensive stops.

– One highlight from the goal line scrimmage, was LB Zeke Moreno absolutely stoning RB Tre Smith at the one-yard line.

– If you’ve been to a practice and haven’t noticed LB Markeith Knowlton, he’s number 25 and he’s the guy making plays all over the field

– DB Sandy Beveridge had an opportunity to take off WR Tony Miles head on a catch over the middle, but pulled off before impact. Tony might be lucky that he met Sandy during the off-season when both men logged significant minutes on the Cops and Cats charity basketball team.

– DB Ryan Glasper read a short pass and made a very athletic play to come under WR Scott Mitchell and make the interception.

– Practice ended with the field goal unit. Special teams coach Dave Easley stopped to emphasize the importance of every field goal attempt, stating that those three points mean the difference between winning and losing many games.

– Finally, a couple happy birthdays have to go out to DB Jykine Bradley and LB James Kinney. Bradley is making the most of his second year under head coach Charlie Taaffe, and Kinney has had a good camp so far as he battles for a spot in the linebacking corps.

TICATS CONFIDENTIAL: June 5 – AM

– When you’re walking up to Ron V. Joyce Stadium for Ticats practice, you might notice how the quarterback cadence echoes off of Les Prince Hall, the team’s dormitory. It’s one of the cooler, most likely unintentional designs of the new field.

– Fan turnout has been very impressive at camp this season, perhaps thanks to the lush accommodations of the new stadium. With good weather forecasted and a brighter season on the horizon, this year’s Black and Gold Day, happening this Sunday, June 8, should be an amazing event.

– In past seasons, training camp lockers have been assigned according to positions or number, which usually results in having the lineman in one area and the receivers all together in another. This year, to help everyone get to know each other, the lockers are set up in alphabetical order beginning with Darrell Adams and ending with Alan Zemaitis.

– Some of the guys who have been around for a few seasons are showing their veteran wisdom on and off the field. DT Clinton Wayne brought a bike to camp, and can be seen riding around campus.

– WR Scott Mitchell made a difficult snare that he turned into a touchdown during full team scrimmage, while the other Mitchell in camp, DB Dennis Mitchell came up big with a pick on the sidelines a few plays later.

– Receiving out of the backfield is something the coaches would like to see more of on offence. FB Jeff Piercy and RB Terry Caulley made back-to-back tough catches, Piercy extending horizontally to come down with the ball, and Caulley sliding to the ground to get under a pass.

– In this morning’s scrimmage, the defence dominated early and head coach Charlie Taaffe was quick to praise them for their speed.

– For the first time since their return, the team practiced goal-line offence and defence. Of the eight attempts to punch it in from the one or two-yard line, the offence came away with six touchdowns. However, it should be noted that without pads or full tackling in effect, it’s tough to get an accurate assessment of the defences performance. This afternoon will be a different story, as it will be the first time the players strap on full equipment and go live with the scrimmage.

TICATS CONFIDENTIAL: June 4

– You hate to make weather the story at Training Camp, but it’s like mother nature is rolling the dice every morning before the Ticats take the field. Halfway through practice this morning DE Kori Dickerson summed up the thoughts of many players from the Southern U.S. when he exclaimed, “It doesn’t get this cold in L.A.!”

– Dickerson, who is in the process of re-learning life on the defensive side of the ball, was given a shot at outside linebacker today.

– Ticats past, present, and future continues to come together at Ron Joyce Stadium as Angelo Mosca was on the sidelines wearing his number 68 jersey, and Ron Lancaster

– QB Casey Printers showed good judgment and precision passing, as he lobbed a ball over two defenders, completing a throw to first-year WR Laurent Lavigne-Masse.

– With no practice scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, head coach Charlie Taaffe ended the morning with sprints. The usual afternoon practice will be replaced by meetings and workouts in the weight room.

– Today is a big day at training camp. TSN is on campus getting photos and videos for the upcoming season. Picture day is an excuse for some players to shave and get hair cut, something that isn’t necessarily a priority during camp. It’s also a time when some players like to have a bit of fun in front of the camera. Last season RB Jesse Lumsden sat in the stand amongst the fans, discussing the action on the field. brought an ice cream cone in to do his animated headshot and instead of catching the football thrown his way, he watched it go by, shrugged and turned his attention back to the ice cream. Everyone including the TSN crew broke out in laughter for the less than typical video. Too bad it hasn’t made it to YouTube yet. This year the guys were back at it with OL Cedric Gagne-Marcoux doing his best Zoolander impressions and DE Nautyn McKay-Loescher providing some good-natured ribbing to anyone who stepped up to get their shots taken.

Some post practice thoughts from GM Bob O’Billovich: 

• “Two of our biggest surprises are our two late round draft picks, FB Robert Pavlovic from last year’s draft and Laurent Lavigne-Masse from this year. Those guys are both doing a nice job and we’re happy with their progress.”
• “We’re going to have someone doing punt returns who is going to be a pretty explosive player, because we have a number of talented guys back there catching punts, trying the position.”
• “DB Chris Thompson is doing very well and he’s never played halfback before. I remember when I made the trade, I called him and told him I was going to move him to halfback because we needed more help there. He’s been a cornerback his whole career though, I saw him in two different NFL camps, and in NFL Europe, so I was very familiar with his ability and he hasn’t disappointed us. He’s doing real well.”
• “DB Jermaine Mays is doing a nice job, and little DB Dennis Mitchell that we had in B.C. at the beginning of last season is having a nice camp. There are some good looking DBs out there, and they have their hands full with a bunch of good receivers, which helps the competition in both those areas.”
• “I was confident LB Markeith Knowlton would come in here and make us better because we really didn’t have an established player at strong side linebacker. As good a player as Markeith is, he’s probably ten times better as a person, and you can’t have enough good character guys especially now when we’re trying to rebuild the attitude of this football team and this organization. It’s those kind of guys who are going to make us better.”

TICATS CONFIDENTIAL: June 3 – PM

It’s a taste of every season in the first few days of camp, with extreme heat, torrential downpours and now cool winter breezes that swept over the Les Prince Field at McMaster.

– The sidelines were once again filled with familiar faces like caretaker Bob Young, president Scott Mitchell, and Hall of Famer Bernie Custis.

– Whether it was the cold temperatures that got them kick started or not, the defence came out with a burst of energy Tuesday afternoon. Perhaps defensive coordinator Denny Creehan lit a fire under their butts to try to keep his players warm.

– You can’t say enough about DB Chris Thompson. Brought over in the trade for Brock Ralph, Thompson has been all over the ball in camp, and has provided the type of coverage that frustrates receivers.

– Quarterbacks Timmy Chang and Quinton Porter shared time as holder for Nick Setta on the field goal unit. Setta has looked like a sure-fire bet to have another stellar year manning the kicking duties in TigerTown.

– QB Chris Leak dressed for his first practice, but spent most of his time as a spectator taking in the sights in his first exposure to the Canadian game and the Canadian weather. He was quick to point out that it’s a little different than the sunny beaches of Florida.

– In the off-season, WR Chris Bauman worked hard to fill out his lanky frame, and the move has done wonders. The second-year receiver is having a great camp, and is demonstrating great hands, which was something he struggled with in his rookie year.

TICATS CONFIDENTIAL: June 3 – AM

It was a rain soaked morning at Ron Joyce Stadium for the third day of Ticats practices.

– The weather conditions forced some drills to be altered. K/P Nick Setta took long snaps with the punt coverage team, but reverted back to his scout team quarterback days at Notre Dame and threw the ball downfield to avoid potential injury from the wet ground.

– The coaches have stressed that they are not only looking for talent but they are looking for players who are willing to be coached and play within the systems they have designed. One of the best examples of this so far has been OL Gerald Davis, who is doing everything his coaches ask of him. After each drill, Davis sprints back to the line, something may seem insignificant but definitely leaves an impression in the minds of spectators. GM Bob O’Billovich thinks very highly of the young lineman’s work ethic and footwork.

– During head-to-head drills between the offensive and defensive line, two of the most grueling positions, the veterans are keeping spirits up in a variety of ways. C Marwan Hage is the mouth of the O-line, pushing the rookies and teasing just about anyone he can. DE Nautyn McKay-Loescher and DE Kori Dickerson counter Marwan with their own jokes, chants, or even songs.

– LB Markeith Knowlton is the kind of player that you can’t help but notice on the field. He’s made several eye-grabbing plays, many of which have come in coverage. Pretty good for a player we acquired in exchange for a first-round pick that wasn’t rightfully ours.

– At the end of every practice, even ones that take place underwater like this morning, the players lineup for a group stretch to cool down. During that period it’s interesting to watch the coaching staff make their way through the guys, stopping to give final thoughts or extra tips that they still have on their minds from practice. It’s another subtle way that the coaches’ experience is rubbing off.

TICATS CONFIDENTIAL: June 2 – PM

Afternoon practice had a much more lively feel than the walkthrough Monday morning.

– In one-on-one drills, the linebackers went up against running backs in blocking and receiving, the offensive and defensive lines took arms against each other as they try to prove their mettle, and the ever-popular wide receiver versus defensive backs competition continued to raise the bar from both positions involved.

– WR Tony Miles showed his speed on the outside again today with another deep bomb for a touchdown. WR Scott Mitchell tight roped walked the sidelines while going over and around the DB to make a nice catch, and not to be outdone, WR Prechae Rodriguez followed that play with a sideline grab of his own.

–The receivers also got their hands dirty with blocking drills, where two wideouts faced-off against two defensive backs, having to make a path for the third receiver who came through with the ball in hand.

– The punt teams continued to work on their coverage as coaches got a look at what the candidates for return specialist can do with players barreling in on them. After a couple no-yards penalties, special teams coach Dave Easley decided to walk off the 15-yard penalty that would be given out to show the players the field position they would be giving up in a game.

– Practice is moving much more efficiently this year, thanks in part to the new video board at Ron Joyce Stadium. Head Coach Charlie Taaffe works directly with Equipment Manager R.J. James to sound the buzzer and get the next period underway. Sorry to R.J. for having to work on his own birthday on Monday, but it’s your own fault for having a birthday during the season.

– The Cats defence could have used more big plays last season and in practice today it got a few outstanding individual efforts from DB Chris Thompson and LB Ray Mariuz. Thompson provided blanket coverage all day long and the result was an interception in his hands, while Mariuz had to work a bit harder, diving and completely laying our to pull down a pick of his own.

– The final element to practice was a sprint the width of the field. The different waves were broken down into OL/DL, LB/RB/QB/K, and WR/DB, who had 23 seconds, 21 seconds, and 19 seconds respectively to make their runs. Failing to make it back in time meant running again, and each wave was required to do four sprints to simulate the four quarters of a game.

– As the team gathered round coach Taaffe at the close of practice, Caretaker Bob Young was invited into the huddle and shared his thoughts on the season, joking that Charlie has assured him the team will go 18-0, something Charlie was quick to dispute with a chuckle.

– DB Alan Zemaitis and DB Jacoby Watkins have been disabled due to injury, while OL George Hudson has been suspended due to illness.

TICATS CONFIDENTIAL: June 2 – AM

As mentioned yesterday, in place of having back-to-back two-a-day practices, Coach Taaffe has decided to break it up with a walkthrough in the morning every other day. From an entertainment perspective, walkthrough is the equivalent of a documentary on the history channel. It might be informative and you can learn a lot about what the team is trying to execute, but it’s all effort and no adrenaline. For the players, it’s a great tool for learning and perhaps more importantly for their recovery. Training camp can take its toll mentally and physically, so slowing it down and focusing in on what you’ve been taught thus far, while at the same time resting your tired and potentially injured body is invaluable. Kudos to coach Taaffe for being aware of that.

On to this mornings notes:

– Special teams coach Dave Easley opened this morning’s walkthrough with a tutorial on field regarding some of the finer points of Canadian special teams play. Many of his players are virgins to the CFL and
the idea of giving up a point when the ball is kicked through the endzone is as foreign as the twoonie.