UAPB wraps up camp

By Mike Marzelli, Pine Bluff Commercial

Mo Forte doesn’t know where the time has gone but he’s happy with where its taken his Arkansas-Pine Bluff football team over the past three weeks of preseason camp.

Forte officially wrapped up camp with what he called a “dress rehearsal” Saturday, as the Golden Lions’ final double practice session included a morning walk-through and a light afternoon workout in just shoulder pads that allowed the coaching staff to put the finishing touches on all three phases of the game.

UAPB will now take today off before beginning its first game week of 2007 Monday afternoon. The Lions open at Mississippi Valley State on Saturday at 1 p.m.

“It was a very good camp for us and one I feel real good about, I just can’t believe how fast it went,” Forte said. “In all my years of coaching, this has felt like the fastest camp I can remember but now that I have time to look back on it, I see a lot of things we got accomplished.”

The main question looming at the start of the preseason was how well UAPB’s makeshift offensive line would come together after the loss of four starters. The starting group of Terrance Billings, Patrick Kaupuniai, Jordan Lowe, Bobby Torres and Courtney Shaw took its share of lumps at times and is still short of a finished product, but Forte is more than pleased with what they were able to accomplish.

“Thinking back to the start of camp, the one worry we all had was having a young and inexperienced offensive line,” Forte said. “I think they’ve made tremendous strides and really come along great to this point. We won’t know until next week where they’re really at but I feel good about the progress they’ve made.”

The Lions began the transition into the regular season with their annual media day Friday, giving them a chance to don their game jerseys and enter Golden Lion Stadium for the first time this year. After introducing gold uniforms last season, Forte chose them for the team photo this season.

“We always wear what we feel comfortable with and whatever we feel we can win with,” Forte said. “We may [wear the gold jerseys] more this season but it’s not superstition or anything, the kids just like them.

“Media day is always great because the kids put those jerseys on and they start to get excited about the season coming. The first time they put on that black and gold is a special feeling because this is the start of it all.”

Now the task at hand involves a shift in mentality as UAPB’s players prepare to hit someone other than a teammate for the first time this season.

“There has to be a transformation because for all this time your opponents were teammates,” Forte said. “Now there’s going to be an opposing team opposite you and there has to be a heightened level of aggression and intensity in everyone.”