Cullowhee, N.C. – The adage and perhaps more apropos in recent years, the hashtag of Start Fast and Finish Strong easily could describe Saturday's first scrimmage for Western Carolina as the Catamounts took to the turf of E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field for its eighth practice session.
 
Two halves of the whole unit, WCU's defense started Saturday strong by posting stops on nine of the first 10 series, including three-straight to start the day and an interception for the session's lone turnover. The offense finished off the scrimmage strong, finding the purple turf of the endzone on six of the final 11 series in hanging over 50 points on the scoreboard.
 
"Like a lot of first (scrimmages), it was inconsistent. Good plays at times, sloppy at others. As I told them, we're just not a consistent football team right now," said WCU fifth-year head coach Kerwin Bell following his team's eighth workout of the preseason. "A lot of the things we saw today, we can control. We've just got to make that big jump, make a concerted effort to get  better this next week, and make sure we come back next Saturday as a better football team."
 
Bell added, "I thought that the defense came out and stopped the run, played really physical, got after the quarterback. The defense really controlled things early. I thought the offense got going a little bit there through the middle and the last part. So, it was a good all-around scrimmage – we've just got a lot to improve on."
 
Overcast skies and fall-like temperatures greeted the Catamounts as the team worked through their pregame on-field routine before breaking off for special teams drills. Christian Lowery and Stephen Brantley both kicked off in the kick and kick return drills, with Lowery leading a trio of kickers, including freshmen Bryan McCollum and Marcus Trout, on field goal and field goal block. Brantley and freshman Thomas Guerrero punting in the final special team period ahead of the scrimmage.
 
Collectively, the Catamount offense amassed over 700 yards of offense through the 21 combined drives, rushing for 258 yards while passing for 513 yards on 38-of-61 (62.3%) passing with five touchdowns. Six different quarterbacks split the reps on Saturday – four among the opening 16 drives with two additional seeing time in the backfield in the final five. The 38 completions were spread among 18 different pass receivers, including wideouts, tight ends, and running backs.
 
Redshirt freshman QB Isaac Lee guided two scoring drives on his five possessions, passing for a scrimmage-best 212 yards with 16 completions on 24 attempts with a pair of TDs. He tossed a 43-yard scoring strike to tight end David Hulbert, with his second score coming on a 14-yard toss to freshman TE Josiah Thomas.
 
Redshirt sophomore Taron Dickens worked just three drives before giving way to the remaining five QBs. The returning starter finished 6-of-9 for 87 yards and opened the scoring for the offense, halting a three-drive drought by orchestrating a 75-yard scoring drive capped by a 40-yard TD toss to transfer WR Dominic Dutton, the first of two scores by Dutton. Bennett Judy went 8-for-13 for 64 yards with the second strike to Dutton to cap a drive that was spurred by a 49-yard romp by Markel Townsend.
 
Junior transfer Jack Benson completed four of his seven pass attempts for 91 yards, the bulk coming on a scoring pass to TE Bode Burns on a one-play, 75-yard drive. Freshman Jordan Martin-Durham threw for 59 yards on 5-of-8 passing, while his classmate Ian Grissom ran the offense on for a pair of series in the latter stages of the scrimmage.
 
Though he did not find the endzone among the 21 drives, junior WR Malik Knight was impressive on Saturday as he finished with a scrimmage-best 137 receiving yards coming on just eight catches, averaging over 17 yards per reception. Dutton caught four passes for 65 yards with the two scores. WCU's tight ends factored heavily into Saturday's offense with Burns (2-for-76 yds), Thomas (3-for-20 yds), and Hulbert (1-for-43 yds) each scoring touchdowns. Rookie TE Cole Craddock caught a pair of passes for 32 yards, with James Tyre (28 yds) and Michael Rossin (11 yds) both finishing with a pair of receptions.
 
Seven running backs split reps beside the QB on Saturday. Freshman Josh Perry was among the most effective, amassing 56 yards, including 30 through the air out of the backfield and 26 yards on 10 carries with two TDs, the second coming on the final drive of the scrimmage. Markel Townsend finished with 54 rushing yards and 15 on three catches to total 69 yards, while Noah Best had 11 total yards. WCU's top two experienced backs, Branson Adams and Pat Boyd Jr., finished with a combined 19 rushing yards on six carries and 27 total yards.
 
In lieu of a redzone period, the Catamount offense went for two following each score on Saturday to help aid in the short-yardage, goal-to-go scenarios.
 
Defensively, 44 different Catamounts were credited with stats through Saturday's scrimmage. Transfer linebacker Ryan McKinnis finished with a team-high five total stops, followed closely by four players with four total tackles. Defensive backs Julian Quintero, Jhamari Pierre-Louis, and Armond Anderson were joined by linebacker Jeno Junius Jr., each with four stops apiece. Quintero combined on a drive-ending sack, with Richard Garrett credited with two tackles, including a drive-halting sack. J'evon Bush, Jackson Hensley, and Justin Wallace each also posted half sacks on Saturday.
 
All three of the tackles by Nas Ashenafi went for losses totaling five yards, while two of the three stops by Vanier Baptiste III were TFLs. Defensive linemen Jaden Meeks and Sean Morris both recorded a TFL in the scrimmage as the unit tallied eight combined.
 
Freshman nickelback Devin Brown produced the lone takeaway on a fall-away interception for a successful pass defense. Others credited with pass breakups included AJ Mintze, Marseille Taylor, Don Robinson III, and LB Jordan Thompson, who added three tackles, including one for loss.
"It was a good day," Bell concluded. "I thought that we really competed. I love how hard we hit; how physical we were. So, if we just keep that going, we'll get it right."
 
The Catamounts will put on their game uniforms on Sunday afternoon for the annual team photo day, which will be followed by the team's 10th practice session of the preseason in a helmet-only practice at 3 p.m. Next week's practices include two in full pads, one in uppers, and a Friday helmet-only walk-thru. WCU's second preseason scrimmage is scheduled for next Saturday, Aug. 16 at 6 p.m.
 
A reminder that WCU's preseason football practices are 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 on the sidelines for safety. Also, please be aware of the construction fencing around the West side of the stadium, which will limit access points as construction on the Western Skybox and Whitmire West projects continues this summer and into the fall season.
 
Of note, Western Carolina Athletics is planning a special Fall Sports Preview, presented by Stanberry Insurance, LIVE on location at Catamount Jaxe (114 Market Street, Cullowhee), on Monday, Aug. 11. The show will feature the head coaches of each of WCU's fall sports, including Bell, Chad Miller from women's soccer, Karen Glover from volleyball, and Jesse Norman from cross country. The show will air on WCU's official Facebook page (FB.com/catamountsports).
 
Both season and single-game tickets for the five home dates in #CatamountCountry remain on sale now through the WCU Athletics Ticket Office, located on the first floor of the Ramsey Center, or by phone at (828) 227-2401. Fans can also purchase tickets and game day parking in advance online at CatamountSports.com/BuyTickets. Season tickets remain the best bet for securing tickets to each of WCU's highly-anticipated six home dates as preseason ticket sales remain brisk.
 

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What Else Was Said – Defensive Coordinator Jerry Odom:
"I was relatively pleased. A lot of the busts were from freshmen who got put into situations maybe that they hadn't seen, or they just haven't trained their eyes very well. I thought that our one's and two's, for the time that they were in there, played very well; they didn't give up a lot of big plays. We've just got to keep getting better. I'm happy with the group. I think they know that we have a chance to be pretty good as long as we keep trying to get better."
 
What Else Was Said – Offensive Coordinator Rylan Wells:
"I think that we're in a good spot (after today's scrimmage). We've got some guys out that got banged up this week, but I think that opened the door for some other guys to get a lot of reps. Young guys that we're counting on, and we needed to see if they would show up when the lights were on. I think we've been pleasantly surprised by how a lot of them played in their first scrimmage in college football. I think that our first group did a lot of good things, but had too many times where we shot ourselves in the foot. Our attention to detail better as players, coaches, everybody."
 

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2025 Catamount Football Preseason Practice Schedule:
Sun., Aug. 10 – Team Photo Day – 2 pm; Practice #10 – 3 pm – 5 pm (helmets only)
Mon., Aug. 11 – Practice #11 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (full pads)
Mon., Aug. 11 - Kerwin Bell on 2025 Catamount Fall Sports Preview - Facebook LIVE
Tues., Aug. 12 – Practice #12 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (uppers)
Wed., Aug. 13 – Practice #13 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (full pads)
Thurs., Aug. 14 – No Practice (Off Day – Film)
Fri., Aug. 15 – Practice #14 – 8:30 am – 11:00 am (helmets only)
Fri., Aug. 15 – WCU Freshman Student Convocation
Sat., Aug. 16 – Practice #15 – 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm (scrimmage, full – student day)
Sun., Aug 17 – Athletics Welcome Back Event at Catamount Soccer – 12:30 pm
Sun. Aug. 17 – Catamount Football Team Building Event – 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Mon., Aug. 18 – First Day of Classes at WCU – No Practice (Off-Day)
Tues., Aug. 19 – Begins in-season practice schedule – 4:30 pm
 
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:
Mon., Aug. 11 - 2025 Catamount Fall Sports Preview Coaches Show – 6 p.m.
Thurs., Aug. 14 – Catamount Football Ladies Night – Whitmire Stadium – 5 p.m.
Thurs., Aug. 14 – Catamount Soccer vs. Appalachian State  (Season Opener, E+) – 6 p.m.
Sun., Aug. 17 – Catamount Soccer vs. High Point – 1 p.m.
Fri., Aug. 22 – Catamount Volleyball vs. UNC Pembroke (Exhibition) – 6 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 30 – Catamount Football vs. Gardner-Webb – 6 p.m. (Postgame Fireworks)
Sun., Aug. 31 – Catamount Soccer vs. Tennessee (First Bank Beach Night) – 6 p.m.
Tues., Sept. 9 – Catamount Volleyball vs. UNC Asheville (First Bank Beach Night) – 6 p.m.
Fri., Sept. 12 – The Bob Waters Memorial Golf Tournament – Sequoyah National in Cherokee, N.C.
Sat., Sept. 13 – Catamount Football vs. Elon – 2:30 p.m. (White Out Whitmire! Wear White!)