An orange and purple sunset giving way to a mostly clear night was the backdrop as the Delta Devils made their way to Rice-Totten Stadium on the evening of day one of Preseason Camp 2009.
The 2009 MVSU Football team has opened its preseason practice for the upcoming campaign and according to head coach Willie Totten, all seems well at the Valley.
“We have had a good day one,” said Totten during the team’s final workout session – the two-mile run. “We had a number of players who have worked hard over the spring and summer and their efforts are showing.”
The day began with the team going through morning workout sessions in the weight room and skill/agility drills in the Charles Lackey Complex. Some of the highlights were vertical-reach leaps over the 120-inch mark by a number of players while several offensive and defensive linemen displayed remarkable performances on the bench and squats.
“It was an all-out effort by a lot of the players. The team spirit was there from the players, the coaches, and the support staff. If day one is any indicator of how we feel as a program, then we feel pretty good right now.
After team meetings in the afternoon, the team ended the day with their time on the track. Several players bested their times from last season while some newcomers showed that they are not just here to be on the team, but to raise some eyebrows and to get on the field early. One interesting battle on the track was between defensive back Michael Higgins and wide receiver Paul Cox. The two ran stride for stride for the initial seven laps of their run before Higgins pulled during the final lap.
Other top performances as view by the support staff were Johnvanta Brooks (31 reps on the 225-pound bench press); Adrian Martin (8 feet, 9 inches on the broad jump); Marcus Davis (3.78 in the 15-yard shuttle drill) and Paul Cox (126 inches on the vertical reach leap).
Day two brings more conditioning in the morning before the team takes to the field for their initial practice session during the day.
The MVSU Delta Devils football team opens the 2009 campaign with a road trip to Arkansas State on September 5. The team’s first home game comes on September 19 against conference rival Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
