August 10, 2003

HEAVY RAINS INTERRUPT FURMAN PRACTICE
FOR SECOND STRAIGHT DAY

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- For the second consecutive day heavy rains in the Greenville area forced Furman¹s football team to change practice venues but the Paladins were still able to complete the full three-hour workout Sunday afternoon.

In its third day of preseason practice, Furman drilled for two hours and five minutes outside before rains forced the squad into Timmons Arena for the session¹s final 55 minutes.

Despite the interruption, Lamb lauded the work of one of his squad's true freshmen and a pair of veteran offensive linemen.

"Although it will be Tuesday before we can go full speed and tackle, this was the first day we could bang around a little bit out there with shoulder pads, and we liked what we saw from Wallace Artis at defensive end. He looked very good, and you can see his physical presence out there. Offensively, Ben Bainbridge and Craig Morgan also did some good things on the offensive line."

Artis, a 6-foot-4, 242-pound product of Calhoun Falls, S.C., earned all-state honors after helping Calhoun Falls to a 13-1 record and state semifinal finish a year ago. He also captured the state championship in the shot put in the spring.

Furman returns to the practice field on Monday at 2:30 p.m.

"We've gotten in a lot of individual and group work but haven't gotten much team work, where we go against a full offense and defense," said Lamb. "That's what we will concentrate on Monday, in addition to making it a review day."