A summer of camps for EOU’s Camp

COVE — Just because it’s the off-season, that doesn’t mean Tim Camp and the Eastern Oregon University coaching staff is taking any time off.

The Mountaineers held their annual eight-man camp in Cove this week, and the turnout was the best it’s been in the four seasons since it started.

Camp said that more than 100 players from around the region attended the five-day camp. Four years ago that number was less than 40 when it first started.

“We’re really building this thing,” Camp said. “It’s a great opportunity for the Cove community as well as our coaching staff.

“I think it can get bigger still.”

The stop in Cove was just one part of what has been a busy off-season for the EOU football program.

The team held its big-man camp back on June 2.

That camp also had more than 100 players in attendance, up from the 20 when it started.

The coaching staff attended a one-day camp in Yakima, Wash., earlier this year, then spent a week at a camp in Winnemucca, Nev.

And they aren’t done for the summer just yet.

EOU’s annual 11-man team camp will run July 16-19, and Coach Camp expects to see more than 500 players at that.

In late July, Enterprise will have the pleasure of hosting the coaching staff for a few days.

Camp said a clinic in Bend may loom after that, but didn’t make any guarantees.

Putting on local clinics and traveling around the Northwest to other camps has been a great chance to get Eastern Oregon football’s name out there, according to the coach.

“It’s a great chance to evaluate kids that we may not have the budget to go see. It’s one more option that we have.

“It’s really invaluable in small college football.”

The Mountaineers kick off their 2012 season
Sept. 1 when they travel to play Montana Tech.

The home opener is
Sept. 8 against Montana State-Northern.