Hounds have 70 players in spring camp

PORTALES – Eastern New Mexico University, with former coach Kelley Lee back at the helm, began spring football drills last Thursday. The 15-date spring schedule is set to culminate with an intrasquad game at Greyhound Stadium on April 21.

Lee, rehired in January after leading the Greyhounds to a 21-14 record from 2017-19, said about 70 players are taking part in the spring workouts.

“They’re all putting in the physical and mental work,” Lee said. “Every practice, we’re getting better.”

The players worked out in shorts for the first two days of drills and in shells (helmets and shoulder pads) for the next two. They were slated to be in full pads starting today.

The Hounds have a night scrimmage scheduled for Clovis High’s Leon Williams Stadium at 6 p.m. on April 7, and another one at 5 p.m. on April 14 at Greyhound Stadium. The team is planning a camp for area youth between grades 2-6 from 8 a.m.-noon on April 7.

As far as what the April 21 scrimmage will look like, Kelley said the coaching staff is taking a wait-and-see approach.

“We’ll see how healthy we are at that point,” Lee said. “But there will be some sort of scrimmage.”

Spring game tickets are available at GoEasternAthletics.com and are $5 per person.

Five signees came in at the semester, Lee said.

“It really helps the transfers when you can go through the spring,” he said. “They get to learn the culture.”

An all-new coaching staff is also in place for the Hounds.

Once again, the Hounds will play an 11-game schedule, including nine Lone Star Conference tilts. The team opens the season with a Thursday game on Aug. 31 against New Mexico Highlands at Greyhound Stadium, then travels to Sul Ross State for its second non-league clash on Sept. 9.

The full schedule will be released in the coming days, Lee said, with times remaining to be established in some cases.