Outlook Seems Promising As Eagles Hit Practice Field New Coach Has Seasoned Team That Includes 43 Letter-Winners

The man at the top has changed, but the Eastern Washington University football team will have a familiar look to it when spring practices start Monday.

The 87-player squad will practice at 3 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays (except May 10) and Thursdays starting Monday through May 11. Scrimmages are scheduled for Saturdays, April 22, April 29 and May 6 at 10 a.m. Spring drills culminate May 13 with the annual Red-White spring game in Woodward Stadium.

All practices and scrimmages are free and open to the public.

A total of 43 letter-winners return, joining nine non-lettering squad members, 21 redshirts and 14 newcomers. A total of 16 starters return, including eight on defense, six on offense and two kickers.

Recovering from off-season knee surgery and not taking part will be defensive lineman Romanus Chodorowski. Quarterback Eli Marsh is also out with a knee injury suffered recently while playing basketball.

Fred Salanoa, who began last season as the starting quarterback, has overcome his own knee injury and will participate in spring drills. However, he won’t be involved in contact drills, including scrimmages. Wide receiver/return specialist Lamont Brightful will also see limited action while he concentrates on academics.

The Eagles lost 14 seniors and a total of 15 letter-winners from the 1999 team, including eight that were full-time starters.

Those seniors included Julian Williams, who earned first-team All-Big Sky Conference honors as a free safety, and All-Big Sky defensive lineman Dario Romero. Both players, who were academic nonqualifiers out of high school, would regain a year of eligibility if pending NCAA legislation were to pass this month.

Even if they don’t return, new head coach Paul Wulff thinks the Eagles have the talent to contend for the conference title and another playoff berth. Nine of the returning starters earned All-Big Sky honors a year ago, including first-team defensive end Jeff Allen and Brightful, the first-team return specialist.

With their fifth winning season of the 1990s, the Eagles finished 1999 with a 7-4 record. They went 6-2 in the Big Sky. They participated in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs in 1985, 1992 and 1997 and just missed a berth in 1999.