Observations from Charlotte 49ers’ spring football game
Observations from the Charlotte 49ers’ Green-White spring football game Saturday at Richardson Stadium, won by the Green team 28-21:
▪ The game was the first look at the 49ers under first-year coach Will Healy. The enthusiasm and energy from players under a new coach was apparent.
“I walked out on the field today and looked around and thought there’s not a place I’d rather be,” said Healy. “Our 15th spring practice and I still feel the same way I did when I got here. This place is unbelievable. Today was evaluation day. You’re trying to see how they compete without a coach telling them where to line up. It was extremely important for us to finish how we started.
“I’m not Knute Rockne and I haven’t been coaching for 100 years, but I can’t remember spring ball going as well as ours did.”
▪ It was also the first live action for sophomore quarterback Chris Reynolds since he injured his ankle last season. Reynolds looked sharp, hitting Justin Jeffery on a 19-yard touchdown strike in the first quarter, along with a 43- and 10-yarder to Joe Thompson. Reynolds also found Cam Dollar (22 yards) and true freshman Tre Goode (24) for sizeable gains in the first half. Reynolds completed 8 of 11 passese for 152 yards and the three touchdowns. Reynolds’ main competition for the starting job, senior Evan Shirreffs, didn’t play due to a concussion.
▪ These kinds of games often bring out a surprise performance. This time it was redshirt freshman Caleb Parker, a running back from Smyrna, Ga. Playing for both teams, Parker ran 11 times for 30 yards and scored twice, once on a 68-yard pass from Willie Green. Ishod Finger also ran for 112 yards.
▪ Injuries kept several key players out of the game: Shirreffs, receivers Rico Arnold, offensive tackle Cam Clark, defensive end Alex Highsmith and safety Ben DeLuca. Running back Benny LeMay and receiver Victor Tucker were held out for precautionary reasons.
▪ Jonathan Cruz tried an onside kick to open the second half, although it was nullified by an offside penalty.
▪ Most punt returns were wisely held up before a tackle could be made, but Nafees Lyon, a senior from Mallard Creek High, looked dangerous all game. He returned one 62 yards for a touchdown.
▪ Biggest defensive play of the game came on the Green team’s first possession, when White defensive end Taylor Chandler recovered a Finger fumble. Chandler deposited the ball in the team’s aluminum “turnover can.”
▪ Green, a sophomore from Crest High whose dad Willie is a former Carolina Panthers player, also hit Zach Gemmell on a 6-yard scoring pass in the third quarter.
▪ Attendance was 6,936, despite what looked like an impending rain storm that never arrived.
This story was originally published April 13, 2019 at 6:13 PM.