Football | Rookies showcased in spring exhibition

Just hours before the Phillies took the field for Major League Baseball's Opening Night, the Penn football team took to the gridiron at Franklin Field for the first time in 2009. Unlike the Phillies loss to the Braves, this one didn't count: it was the team's annual intrasquad scrimmage.

With several key players sitting out due to injuries, the scrimmage mainly showcased the Quakers' younger talent. Freshman quarterbacks John Hurley, Chad Miller and Ryan Brog took the snaps in an afternoon that was dominated by the defense.

Injured sophomore quarterback Keiffer Garton watched the action from the sidelines and helped to relay signals to the younger quarterbacks, who experienced their share of ups and downs throughout the afternoon.

Hurley, a highly touted freshman from St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati - a national powerhouse - completed 50 percent of his passes for 125 yards (all stats are unofficial). He also connected with Brendan Putnam for the only score of the day on the final play, a nice toss to the corner of the end zone.

Brog, a walk-on, completed nine of 13 passes for 121 yards, but he was also picked off twice. Another walk-on, Joe Holder, led the Quakers' receiving corps with four catches and has emerged as a solid option this spring.

Penn coach Al Bagnoli noted that the overwhelming majority of the plays were run with young and inexperienced personnel.

"For the young kids, it's been a very good showcase for them to get into the fray and see what they can do," Bagnoli said. "They've done a nice job of acquitting themselves."

The informal scrimmage also marked the debut of Jon McLaughlin as offensive coordinator. He was just officially promoted from offensive line coach to replace former coordinator Bill Schmitz, who was fired at the end of last season.

With the mobile Garton slated to be the number one quarterback in the fall, the scrimmage emphasized passing plays out of the spread formation. Bagnoli said that the team ran more passing plays than usual to get the younger players more comfortable with spreading the ball out.

Though Garton has not been cleared for full-contact practice yet, he said his ankle is feeling good. He also added McLaughlin has made a smooth transition to his new role.

"Everyone is buying into the system," Garton said. "It matches well with my style, and we have a lot of very good receivers and tight ends who are able to spread the ball out and go make plays."

Running back Mike DiMaggio, receiver Marcus Lawrence, and offensive lineman Drew Luongo , along with All-American defensive back Chris Wynn and defensive back Jon Saelinger, were all kept out of the scrimmage for precautionary reasons as well.

Defensively, sophomore Jonathan Moore set the tone for Penn with five tackles and an interception. Nate Powers, a sophomore, picked off a pass as well, and classmates Joe Goniprow (defensive lineman) and Zach Heller (linebacker) also turned in strong efforts.

In all, Penn ran about 85 plays from different spots on the field, selected by the coaches, with referees on hand. The team's class of incoming freshmen, as well as a plethora of recruits, witnessed the action from Penn's home sideline, while the players and coaches used the visitors' end to congregate throughout the scrimmage.

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