Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University head football coach Joe Reich belongs to a huge fellowship of coaches…he won’t say anything too over the top…for fear it may end up on someone’s bulletin board. Following Wingate’s recent spring game, Reich was almost effusive about his Bulldogs and their efforts.

“Overall, the spring game was a good day for us,” Reich asserts. “It was a fairly clean scrimmage on both sides of the ball. I thought it was a well-played game.”

On Saturday, April 10, the Wingate Gold team defeated the Blue team 45-37. The Gold team includes the Bulldog first string offense and the second team defense. The Blue team contains the first team defense and the second string offense. The third team members were included on both the Gold and Blue teams.

“Our second and third-team guys made some nice things happen (in the spring game),” Reich says. “I came out (of the day) feeling good about our future.”

Wingate redshirt junior quarterback Cody Haffly (Locust Grove, Ga.) “looked sharp,” Reich notes. Haffly completed 12-of-22 passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns. One of his scoring tosses was a 65-yard, catch-and-run connection with redshirt senior wide receiver Perry Floyd (Gastonia, N.C.).

“Cody spent most of the day with the first team offense,” Reich acknowledges. “He made some great things happen.”

Floyd was one of three Bulldog receivers to catch three passes in the spring contest. The Forestview High School product caught three passes for 94 yards and one TD. A 2009 Division II All-American second team pick by Don Hansen’s Football Gazette, Floyd led the SAC in kick returns (30.4 yard average) and punt returns (15.1 yard average) last season.

Haffly, redshirt junior quarterback Thomas Reese (Mars Hill, N.C.) and redshirt freshman signal-caller Robbie Nallenweg (Asheville, N.C.) utilized 12 receivers during the annual spring game. Both Reese and Nallenweg contributed one touchdown pass.

Bulldog redshirt junior wide receiver Bobby Seidof (Sarasota, Fla.) and redshirt freshman tight end Mark Clyburn (Wingate, N.C.) joined Floyd with three catches each. Redshirt junior wide receiver Ivan Raymond (Easley, S.C.) caught two touchdowns.

Reich is pleased with his team’s progress. “Obviously, we need to take care of business in the summer,” Reich notes. “We must continue to improve…and build on our accomplishments this spring. I can’t wait to get started in August.”

The 2010 spring game attracted 400-plus fans. Reich and his staff welcomed 50 recruits and transfers to the contest. In his nine previous Wingate seasons, Reich believes the 2010 spring crowd was the largest yet.

“I think the freshmen have a great eagerness to get started,” Reich affirms. “It is great they are already buying into our system. This is a huge credit to where we are as a University and as a football program.”

Wingate finished the 2009 campaign 7-3 overall. The Bulldogs were 5-2 in the South Atlantic Conference, good enough for second place in the league standings. Wingate opens the 2010 season Saturday, August 28, visiting the University of West Georgia for a 7 p.m. NCAA Division II Super Region 2 contest.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private four-year co-educational institution of 2,159 students offering active learning opportunities through personalized instruction, world travel, career discovery and community service.

Wingate offers more than 40 undergraduate majors in arts and sciences, business, communication, education, fine arts, music and sport sciences. It also offers graduate degrees in business, education, physician assistant studies and sport administration. In addition, the school awards the doctor of pharmacy and the doctor of education degrees.

Bulldog student-athletes compete in 17 NCAA Division II sports. Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past three years.

Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000’s with 34 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate’s 43 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.