Aug. 21, 2004

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - With a torrential rainstorm dictating strategy, the running game shone brightly for the Western Washington University football team in the first scrimmage session of its preseason camp held Saturday at Civic Stadium. Veteran running backs Duncan Sherrard (Jr., Seattle/Roosevelt) and Jake Carlyle (Jr., Olympia/Capital) combined for 116 yards on 16 carries. Sherrard, who had 53 yards on six carries, scored the Vikings' first touchdown on a 10-yard run, capping a 70-yard, 10-play drive. He also had a 17-yard run and a 17-yard reception in that series. Carlyle, who had 66 yards on 10 carries, had a 20-yard scamper, the longest play of the afternoon, in a 16-play, 70-yard scoring march. Completing that drive was freshman Dan Sandana (Puyallup), who blasted into the end zone from 1-yard out. He finished with 40 yards on 11 carries. "We haven't had conditions like that for a long time," said Western head coach Rob Smith. "It really took the air out of the ball. Our quarterbacks couldn't handle the ball. But we have to prepare for all types of conditions, so in that sense, this was good for us." Of the 71 plays from scrimmage, 53 were runs. Near the end of the scrimmage, with the rains letting up slightly, senior quarterback Steve Nichols (Stevenson) found wide receiver James Laurance (Sr., Kent/Kent-Meridian) for a pair of 30-yard touchdown passes. Nichols was 4-for-8 for 84 yards. "We got things done on both sides of the ball," Smith said. "We're starting to see players step up." The Vikings have another scrimmage on Friday, Aug. 27, at 6 p.m., before meeting Fort Lewis CO in their season and home opener on Sept. 4 at 1 p.m..