May 9, 2012 — There was no winner or loser in Saturday’s mud matchup on the campus of KCU; just brothers on the field, battling for preseason bragging rights.
A spirited matchup saw both teams have flourishes of brilliance on offense, due to a solid defensive effort from both sides.
The freshman quarterback tandem of Graham Johnson and Jimmy Curtis led the black and white squads during the in-house competition.
Graham, a standout at the quarterback position for KCU in 2011, gave fans a taste of what they can expect from Knight offense in the fall.
Throughout the game Johnson completed several passes, as he marched the black squad down with consistency in the short passing game, including a twenty-three yard hookup to fellow freshman wide receiver Tyler Glenn.
By the time the night had ended, Johnson led the black squad to a 12-0 victory over the boys in white.
Entering its second season under the regime of head coach Mike Furrey, the Knights are hoping to build upon a 4-6 last season.
Furrey commented on the overall success of the spring competition.
“It’s been exciting during the four weeks we have had of spring ball,” Furrey said. “We split the teams up in a draft scenario, and the guys came out here and had some fun…I think it went pretty well.”
Like any new program, KCU football has been a building process, one that Furrey said is finally beginning to take shape.
“We’ve got a football team, and it is pretty exciting,” Furrey said. “Last spring we couldn’t even go two teams, but today you started to see this thing mold together. This also served as an opportunity for our recruits to come out and see what we are doing here at KCU.”
KCU’s ringleader is no stranger to the spotlight.
Furrey happens to be a former NFL wide receiver, spending time with the Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns.
The second-year coach commented on what it’s been like to take the reigns as KCU’s head man after spending time as one of the NFL’s premiere wide outs.
“It’s been different, but in a good way,” Furrey said. “I still have the same will to win that I had as a player, and I do my best to try and instill that in my players. I have been blessed with a great staff, and the kids are excited to play football. That makes my job easier as a coach.”
Grant Stevens can be reached at gstevens@journal-times.com or by telephone at 1-800-247-6142.
