SPARTANBURG, S.C. – On Thursday evening as part of Fan Fest, the Wofford football team scrimmaged for the final time during the preseason. Once again, both the offense and defense came up with big plays as the team worked towards the Ohio game just over a week away.

“I think our kids are a little leg-weary at this point,” said head coach Mike Ayers. “They came out and did some really good things on both sides of the ball, but just not consistent. We are looking for consistency and understanding what to do and how to do it. We are still struggling in some areas of the kicking game. Wheat we have to do is to continue to work. We have approximately seven more practice opportunities and then we are taking a bus ride. We have to keep working. There are a lot of young kids that a lot has been given to them and there is some confusion. They are very talented, but if you are unsure of what you need to do you can’t be successful. We have some concerns, but at the same time we have made some progress.”

The scrimmage began with the pre-game routine before moving to the first team offense. On the first play from scrimmage, Eric Breitenstein ran up the middle for 35-yards before the play was blown dead. Mitch Allen and Mike Rucker added first down runs before Breitenstein capped the drive with a five-yard run. On the second series, Joseph Inman caught a 25-yard pass down the middle from Allen. Willie Favors and Rucker also had first down runs on the drive.

With the defense on the field, Arsenio Parks had a solid first down run and Donovan Johnson was able to score on a 25-yard run. In a red-zone series, Qay Bell came up with an interception on a tipped ball. Lavadrick Farrar threw a 15-yard halfback pass to Ryan Petrea for a touchdown.

The defense continued to make some big plays with James Zotto and CJ Turner both coming up with interceptions. Back on offense, Bryan Youman made a great catch for a gain of 25-yards which was followed by a 20-yard catch by Michael Harpe, with both passes thrown by Favors.

Switching back to the defense, Jamar Reaves intercepted a pass and Zotto had a pass break-up. With the offense back on the field, Brad Nocek had a first down run. Josh Holt and Andrew Gehring both were able to pick off passes. In the final series for the defense, Reaves had his second interception of the night and Kendall Bratcher added an interception on a tipped pass. Kenny Barnes caught a first down reception from Favors.

On special teams, the scrimmage included all phases of the game including punting, kickoff, on-side kicks and field goals. Christian Reed, Landon Bennett and Kasey Redfern were all solid on field goals and PATs, with Reed making the longest of the day at 42 yards.


The injured players who are considered doubtful for the Ohio game include RB Cody Burris, S Hunter Hobson, LB Mike Niam, TE Jamie Chappell, OL Jon Boyd, and TE Mike Crawford. All other injured players are day-to-day.

The team will practice once on Friday and Saturday before beginning game preparations on Monday for the road trip on September 4 to face Ohio University.