2022 Soccer Spring Training Blog

On Friday March 11, Temple Football held the first of 15 allocated spring training sessions, the first under the new head coach Stan Drayton. Spring 2022 will culminate with the Cherry & White Spring Game to be held at Edberg Olson Hall on Saturday, April 9 at 3:00 p.m.

OwlSports.com will post a blog of each practice along with videos of the players and/or coaches made available to the media on those days. Please come back throughout the spring to follow your Temple Owls.

Friday March 11
Head Temple Trainer Stan Drayton celebrated his birthday by living his best life – standing on the football pitch and instructing young men as the 2022 Temple Owls took to the grill for the first time. It was only a coincidence that the first head coach’s birthday fell on the first day of practice, but Temple fans are hoping this is just the start of a good lineup for their Owls.


After spending the past two months learning a new system, Drayton said players are overthinking it right now, but once they learn where they need to be, they’ll play much faster and succeed.


The practice started with great energy. Chris Fenelonthe head strength and conditioning coach, got the team started from the front lines to start on day 1. One of the positives was DL Xach Gill, who missed all of last season through injury. He returned to the field and broke a screen pass. Muheem McCargowho moves from linebacker to safety, skipped a route and went down with an interception in 7-on-7 drills. QC D’Wan Mathis and WR Jose Barbon showed some chemistry on several occasions, including a 30-yard touchdown reception.


After practice, the team serenaded Drayton and sang Happy Birthday.

Saturday March 12
On Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day, despite the rain, sleet, hail and snow, nothing stopped the Temple football team from delivering a solid practice in front of dozens of corps members. Temple faculty and staff and more than 80 recruits. The weather proved to be a test today, both physically and mentally, and the Owls earned passing marks.


Physically there is room for improvement as the conditions made hands and feet slippery. On a series separated by a single game, security Dae Sean Winston picked up a pair of fumbles that he returned for touchdowns. However, quick cuts helped a pair of running backs as Trey Blair took a pass down the left side and quickly passed the defense for 55 yards. Newcomer Darvon Hubbard also broke a 25-yard run.


The team scored high on the mental execution of the practice. The weather was rough at times, forcing guests to watch most practice from inside Edberg Olson Hall, but the players emptied it and remained focused throughout the two-hour session.

tuesday march 15
The third day of Spring Ball was sunny, a welcome change from Saturday’s snowy day. The biggest change, however, was that this was the first pad practice for Stan Draytonthe team, and the pads were popping.


The team showed a lot of energy and competitiveness throughout training and the kicks only increased the energy.


The sun wasn’t the only thing shining today because Malik Cooper, making a return to wide receiver after spending last year at running back, shone in the 7-for-7 drill. 55 yard score. He also did a one-handed grab on the sideline to complete the drill.


Under the center, D’Wan Mathis and Mariano Valenti looked very sharp in their quarterback drills. They both made impressive deep passes to wide receivers Jose Barbon, Amad Anderson Jr.and Zae Bainesin addition to Cooper.


Before training, Drayton mentioned that the tight end position had developed depth with three players – James Della Pesca, David MartinRobinsonand Jordan Smith – compete at a high level. He also said the defensive line was a bright spot in the early spring.