Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina football continued its 2023 preseason practice on Saturday morning with its second workout in uppers – or helmets and shoulder pads – as a part of the acclimation period.
 
Saturday also marks the debut of the 2023 Catamount Football Position Previews online at CatamountSports.com. Each video segment in the series will include highlights of the featured position with an interview with the WCU position coach as the squad prepares for the upcoming season. Up first in the position previews are the Catamount wide receivers.
 
With 19 wide receivers on the roster entering the fall camp, there is a lot of mixture between returning veterans and newcomers looking to make a splash much like several second-year players did last fall. The Catamounts return six receivers that caught passes last fall led by sophomore Censere Lee who ranks as WCU's leader among those returners with 36 catches for 634 yards and six touchdowns. He was a SoCon All-Freshman team selection a season ago.
 
Four of the six returners caught touchdown passes last fall. In addition to Lee's six, returning senior David White – who possesses the prototypical blend of size and speed for the outside receiver – scored on five of his 20 receptions with speedster Terrence Horne Jr. catching four TD passes last fall. Playing in just four games to remain eligible for a redshirt, second-year freshman DeAndre Tamarez had tremendous production, scoring two TDs on just three catches.
 
The receiver room returns AJ Colombo, who was awarded a scholarship by head coach Kerwin Bell during the spring, with Calvin Jones making his return after missing a year due to injury. Jones was a Freshman All-America selection back in 2021, finishing third on the team with 38 catches for 651 yards and four TDs. The last time Catamount fans saw Jones on the field, he went for 10 catches and 195 yards, and a score in a road win at VMI.
 

 
Western Carolina pauses preseason practice on Sunday for its first off day before resuming with its third practice in helmets and shoulder pads. Business picks up on Tuesday, Aug. 8, as the team works out in full pads for the first time in fall camp. Each of WCU's preseason football practices is open to the public. It is respectfully requested, though, that spectators observe from the stadium seating area and avoid being either on the field or the sidelines for safety. Practice times are subject to change.
 
Season tickets and season-long game day parking for Western Carolina's 2023 five-game home schedule are on sale now through the Catamount Athletics ticket office, located on the first floor of the Ramsey Center, by phone at (828) 227-2401, or online at CatamountSports.com/BuyTickets. Single-game ticket sales for each of the five home dates including the home-opening "White Out Whitmire" scheduled for Sept. 9 are available now through each of those same outlets.
 
2023 Catamount Football Preseason Practice Schedule:
Sun., Aug. 6 – No Practice (Off Day)
Mon., Aug. 7 – Practice #5 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (uppers)
Tues., Aug. 8 – Practice #6 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (full pads)
Wed., Aug. 9 – Practice #7 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (uppers)
Thurs., Aug. 10 – No Practice (Off Day)
Fri., Aug. 11 – Practice #8 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (uppers)
Sat., Aug. 12 – Scrimmage #1 (Practice #9) – 9:00 am – 11:15 am (full pads)
Sun., Aug. 13 – Team Photo Day, 2 pm; Practice #10 – 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm (helmets)
Mon., Aug. 14 – Practice #11 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (full pads)
Tues., Aug. 15 – Practice #12 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (uppers)
Wed., Aug. 16 – Practice #13 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (full pads)
Thurs., Aug. 17 – No Practice (Off Day)
Fri., Aug. 18 – Practice #14 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (helmets)
Sat., Aug. 19 – Scrimmage #2 (Practice #15) – 2:30 pm (full pads)
Sun., Aug. 20 – No Practice – Team Building
Mon., Aug. 21 – First Day of Fall Classes at WCU
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount football and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (FB.com/CatamountSports, FB.com/WesternCarolinaFootball), Twitter (@catamounts, @CatamountsFB), and Instagram (wcu_catamounts, catamountsfb).

Important Dates in Catamount Athletics & Catamount Football:
Tuesday, Aug. 8 – Catamount Women's Soccer Exhibition – vs. Davidson (CAC, 6 p.m.)
Friday, Aug. 18 – WCU New Student Convocation (Ramsey Center)
Saturday, Aug. 19 – Catamount Volleyball Exhibition – vs. USC Upstate (Ramsey Center, 6 p.m.)
Sunday, Aug. 20 – Catamount Women's Soccer Home-Opener – vs. Queens (CAC, 1 p.m.)
Monday, Aug. 21 – First day of classes for the fall semester – Cullowhee
Saturday, Sept. 2 – 2023 Catamount Football season opener at Arkansas (4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CT)
Tuesday, Sept. 5 – Catamount Volleyball Home-Opener – vs. UNC Asheville (Ramsey Center, 6 p.m.)
Friday, Sept. 8 – The Bob Waters Memorial – Sequoyah National Golf Club – Cherokee, N.C. (9 a.m.)
Saturday, Sept. 9 – 2023 Catamount Football Home-Opener, vs. Samford (2:30 pm)