Cullowhee, N.C. – On the heels of the first day in full pads, Western Carolina football returned to the gridiron on Wednesday for its seventh practice session of the 2023 preseason camp. The Catamounts worked out in uppers – or helmets and shoulder pads – on the turf of Bob Waters Field at E.J. Whitmire Stadium, beginning under cloudy skies and unseasonably cooler temperatures and finishing in hot, sun-soaked conditions.
 
WCU head coach Kerwin Bell was pleased with the way his team responded the first day after a fully-padded live practice, though he beckoned his team to keep the intensity from Tuesday's workout going the remainder of the week heading into Saturday's first scrimmage. Bell used the word "consistency" in describing what he was looking for from his troops – consistency in performance, consistency in execution, and consistency in energy level.
 
During the closing team competition period on Wednesday, WCU's defense grabbed an early lead with victories in six of the first nine series. The offense responded, however, to eventually even out the competitive scored drill at nine apiece. With extra conditioning work on the line, the defense earned the final stop to claim Wednesday's win.
 
CatamountSports.com today continues the online 2023 Catamount Football Position Previews. Each video segment in the series includes highlights of the featured position with an interview with the WCU position coach as the squad prepares for the upcoming season. Up next in the position previews are the Catamount safeties under the direction of WCU defensive coordinator, Chazmon Scales.
 
In WCU's hybrid defensive schematic, the safeties are a vital part of not only pass defense but are also counted on heavily in run support as well. The Catamounts return a wealth of experience at the safety position including preseason All-Southern Conference selection Andreas Keaton. The league's freshman of the year two seasons ago and a second-team All-SoCon selection last fall, Keaton has amassed 117 tackles over his first 22 career games.
 
Keaton is flanked by an experienced upperclassman returner in junior Mateo Sudipo. A transfer from Coastal Carolina last fall and sporting a new number this season, Sudipo finished fourth on the squad with 46 stops a season ago. Those two are joined by a pair of sophomores that saw extensive playing time a season ago in Samaurie Dukes and Lee Campbell. Dukes was named to the 2022 SoCon All-Freshman team after finishing with 33 tackles including a career-best nine at Mercer in garnering FedEx Ground National Freshman of the Week honorable mention plaudits, while Campbell saw action in all 11 games last fall in his first collegiate season.
 
Those four are joined by a host of talented underclassmen including several redshirts from last season in Jhamari Pierre-Louis, Marquis Lymon, and Jayion McMillan, and several true freshmen that also joined the fold entering this season.
   
WCU 2023 Preseason Position Previews:
Wide Receivers
 
Preseason practice pauses again on Thursday for a scheduled off-day ahead of practice in uppers on Friday and Saturday's first of two intrasquad scrimmages. Friday's practice is slated for 8:30 a.m., with Saturday's scrimmage set to begin at 9 a.m. Head coach Kerwin Bell and the WCU football team invite all WCU Faculty and Staff to the stadium for the first scrimmage. The west side (opposite the press box) will be open for spectators.
 
Each of WCU's preseason football practices is open to the public. It is respectfully requested 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:
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:
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)