Hounds hoping for better health in 2012

Common sense says if Eastern New Mexico University's football squad has any better luck with its overall health in 2012 than it did last season, the Greyhounds almost have to be better.

JOSHUA LUCERO: CMI correspondent

ENMU's Evan Tooley avoids defender Michael Stephens on his way to a touchdown during Saturday's intrasquad football scrimmage at Greyhound Stadium. The annual Green & Silver game will bring spring drills to an end next Saturday.

Quarterback Wes Wood pointed out the team endured a collective 26 surgeries during the 2011 campaign en route to a 2-9 record (1-7 Lone Star Conference).

Wood himself played through numerous injuries, including a separated right (throwing) shoulder suffered in the season opener against New Mexico Highlands.

"It was a rough season," said Wood, a Muleshoe High graduate preparing for his senior year.

First-year coach Josh Lynn has a new staff in place and is implementing changes for the Hounds on both offense and defense during spring practice, although he said they'll keep a few things from the previous regime under Mark Ribaudo.

"They were really good last year when they were all healthy," Lynn said of the Hounds. "We're keeping a few things in from what they did last year."

The Hounds went through their second spring scrimmage on Saturday at Greyhound Stadium. The annual Green & Silver game is set for 2 p.m. next Saturday, and will bring spring drills to an end.

As for the changes, so far, so good, said redshirt sophomore safety Linvel Mosby, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury late in the Highlands game and earned a medical redshirt.

JOSHUA LUCERO: CMI correspondent

ENMU's Justin Silva is tackled by John Quint during Saturday's intrasquad football scrimmage at Greyhound Stadium. The annual Green & Silver game will bring spring drills to an end next Saturday.

Basically, the Hounds will go from a three-man front to a 4-3 look on defense under new defensive coordinator Oliver Soukup, with more zone coverage in the secondary, Mosby said.

"I like it a lot," said Mosby, who is from Odessa, Texas. "I think change is good.

"I think the major change is with our linebackers. They'll do a lot of different things now."

Offensively, Wood averaged about 40 passes a game last season. ENMU is seeking more balance under new offensive coordinator Kelley Lee.

Wood said he will actually be under center more this year, as opposed to being in the shotgun formation most of the time.

"I'm really excited about it," said Wood, entering his third season as the Hounds' starting QB. "It's going to be a whole lot harder for defenses to pick up on what we're doing.

"The whole team has adapted really well. It's only 2 1/2 weeks in, and I think we've picked up on the offense and defense really well."

By design, practices have been more physical than usual this spring, Lynn said, because the coaches want to be able to evaluate the talent on hand.

That's been all right with Mosby.

"I just like the overall intensity," he said. "I think there's a while lot of respect from the players to the coaches."

Lynn has been pleased with what he's seen overall.

"We've had some good workouts," he said. "I feel like we're a little bit ahead of where I thought we'd be."