CAMP TONTOZONA - So much for the old-fashioned freshman hazing that once ran rampant at Camp Tontozona, like up-downs and afternoon sprints.
This year's newcomers can't watch Friends reruns and they're sometimes greeted by gusts of hot air in their cabins, but they've gotten off easy.
Senior captains Andrew Walter and Riccardo Stewart said Friday that pranks on the freshmen haven't consisted of more than confiscated televisions and cranked-up air conditioning units.
Walter doesn't have anything planned, partly because of the coaches' strict orders not to haze the freshmen, although he wants to see improvement when newcomers sing the fight song during team meetings.
"They had better learn how to sing the fight song better," Walter said. "If they don't, they're going to have to get something for that, maybe some up-downs."
Said Stewart: "It's all fun and jokes up there, but realistically, they've got to learn the fight song. We plan on winning a bunch of games and singing a lot of fight songs after we win."
Freshman quarterback Max Hall couldn't quite get the fight song, despite studying it on the 100-mile bus ride to Camp T.
"I messed up like the last word, and they booed me," he said.
Even offensive line coach Brent Myers couldn't handle it.
"He got tongue-tied," junior left tackle Chaz White said.
Walter wouldn't budge when asked whether some of the freshmen's TVs had been returned.
"Let's just say I enjoyed watching The Matrix last night," he said.
New defense, no problems
Defensive coordinator Brent Guy said the switch from the 4-2-5 defense to the traditional 4-3 look has gone smooth because the players already had an understanding of the 4-3 before the switch.
Guy's first-team defense features Dale Robinson at the Sam linebacker, senior Justin Burks at the Mike linebacker and junior Jamar Williams at the new Devil backer.
"We've always played the 4-3 defense," Guy said. "We incorporated our schemes so that we didn't have so many techniques for different players."
Mixed results
For sophomore Sam Keller, playing behind Walter can be both encouraging and discouraging at the same time, quarterbacks coach Mark Helfrich said.
"He takes a lot from him, then also sometimes he takes a back seat, which is not what you want," Helfrich said. "You want him to attack like he's going to be the starter the next play, and that sometimes is a hard mentality to buy into."
Injury update
Junior left guard Grayling Love (shoulder) and freshman right tackle Julius Orieukwu (shoulder) practiced in no-contact jerseys. Freshman wide receiver Jeremy Payton (foot), freshman safety Myrio Davis (foot), sophomore wide receiver Alex King (knee) and junior cornerback Josh Golden (hamstring) did not practice. Stewart (cramps) and freshman cornerback Chad Green (calf) left practice early.
Quick kicks
Coach Dirk Koetter said starting tailback Loren Wade is "getting pushed hard" by sophomore Randy Hill and junior Hakim Hill. He said junior Cornell Canidate has been battling injuries and is trying to get in shape.
The team's afternoon walk thru was rained out.
On Saturday, practices are scheduled for 8:35-11:05 a.m. and 3:50-6 p.m. If it rains, the team will move to Payson's Rumsey Park, which has a FieldTurf surface.
Reach the reporter at brian.gomez@asu.edu.
