Click here to register early for the free youth clinic.
The University of Dayton football team is in the home stretch of its 2013 spring practice season. The Flyers have just two more practices – Tuesday, April 9 and Saturday, April 13 – before their annual Spring Game on Sunday, April 14.
The Flyers are also conducting a youth football clinic prior to the game on the same day. The clinic begins at 11 a.m. ET, followed by the Spring Game at 1 p.m. ET. Both events will take place at Welcome Stadium and both are free.
“Spring ball has gone along well,” Dayton head coach Rick Chamberlin said. “We’ve accomplished what we’ve set out to do, which was to get or freshmen and sophomores a lot of reps to catch them up…and also create some competition at many positions, which we have done. The younger players on our offensive line appear to have really gelled with the older players.”
“We are very pleased with freshmen wide receivers Joe Bodnar and Cory Stuart, along with a freshman running back, Spencer Weeks who is moving from receiver. On defense, Andy Carfagna up front and Chris Beaschler at linebacker are looking good.”
“Another thing we are focused on is our offense developing the ability to make plays when we need to, and we’re getting there. I really think that is because of the competition we have going on at a lot of positions including at quarterback, where Will Bardo and Luke Johnson are battling it out.”
“The other good part of the spring is that players like Connor Kacsor and Colin Monnier have recovered fully from the injuries that they suffered at the end season last fall.”
This year’s honorary coaches for the Spring Game are Bob Coode and Dan Thobe, who each played on UD’s first Pioneer Football League Championship team in 1993.
Dayton won the league title in the PFL’s first year by going 5-0 in conference play and winning those five games by an average of 21.3 points. UD’s overall record in 1993 was 9-1, with the only loss coming to FBS-bound UAB 27-19 in the final game of the year at Legion Field in Birmingham.
Coode was a three-year starter at defensive end and defensive tackle. As a senior he was a team captain, and the 1993 winner of the Sheriff Beno Keiter Award, which goes to the four-year player who exhibits outstanding leadership. He finished his career with 14 sacks.
Thobe was also a co-captain. A safety, he had nine career interceptions and his 29.9 yards per interception return average is second-best in UD history. He was First Team All-PFL and the winner of UD’s Chief Toscani Hitter Award as a senior.
The Youth Clinic is open to first-graders through eighth-graders. Those who attend will receive valuable fundamental drill instruction, as well as the opportunity to interact with the players and meet the Flyer coaching staff. Two youngsters will be selected to serve as honorary team captains and will participate in the pre-game coin toss.
UD’s 2013 team captains will also be announced at the coin toss.
For the third straight year, Sunday's Spring Game will be broadcast on NewsTalk 1290 WHIO and streamed live on DaytonFlyers.com. "The Voice of the Flyers" Larry Hansgen and coach Rick Chamberlin will provide commentary.
