New receiver steps up in WSU's second spring scrimmage

Happy Easter. This is going to be short. I can almost hear the applause through the computer. WSU held its second spring scrimmage Saturday, and some new receivers stood out once again. Atop the list was junior college transfer Easop Winston, who had a fabled practice according to both Luke Falk and the stat sheet. Here's what Falk told the Spokesman Review following practice:

"He’s got the best hands I’ve ever seen," quarterback Luke Falk said. "That guy, when you get it near him, he catches it."

Mike Leach agrees:

"He’s got really soft hands. He’s an elusive guy, plays the ball well," Leach said. "He’s gotten better as time has gone on, for a guy that just got here."

The coaches are getting Winston as much work as they can during spring drills, apparently because they think he's talented enough to become a primary target right away. Winston was easily the most popular target Saturday, making 10 catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns. He was just one of several receivers to visit the endzone, as Tavares Martin, Dezmon Patmon, Isaiah Johnson Mack and Brandon Arconado all caught at least one score.

Luke Falk rebounded from a subpar performance last Saturday, completing 18 passes for 210 yards and four TDs. That should tamp down the simmering quarterback controversy, for now.

Garrett McBroom provided the biggest hit of the day, as you'll see in the highlight video, leveling Robert Lewis as he caught a pass near the line and tried to dance a bit too much. Among the other highlights from the defense was a Marcellus Pippins interception, along with a Danny Bender interception of an attempted Falk screen pass, which will likely stoke the flames of the simmering quarterback controversy.

The Cougs have a couple practices to go before the penultimate practice of the spring next Saturday, in the form of a scrimmage in Spokane. The preliminary forecast is partly cloudy skies and a high temperature of 65. I think there's some sort of natural law that mandates rain and/or wind for the spring game, so let's keep our fingers crossed.

Football

Mike Leach pleased with consistency of Washington State’s final scrimmage | The Spokesman-Review
Mike Leach was happy with the consistency shown by both the offense and defense in Washington State’s final Saturday scrimmage before next Saturday’s Crimson and Gray game in Spokane.

Gabe Marks: I’ve Had Enough Mike Leach For 5 Years, No Need To Read His Book " The DA Show – CBS Sports Radio
Marks is an avid reader but did not read Leach’s book, "Geronimo: Leadership Strategies of an American Warrior," which came out in 2014.

Baseball

So the baseball team can't win a game.

Anderson’s Gem Spoiled After ASU Ninth-Inning Comeback - WSUCougars.com | Washington State University Athletics
Washington State starter Cody Anderson allowed just one earned run in seven inning but Arizona State rallied with four runs in the ninth to claim a 5-4 victory Saturday afternoon.

Basketball

Jon Wilner has at least one player from 10 of the 12 conference schools in here. You'll never guess which two schools don't have anyone. Shaping up to be a great year for Pac-12 hoops in Washington!

Pac-12 all-conference projections for 2017-18
Here’s a wild swing that will be updated later this spring, once the rosters are set.

Beer

Best beer I had this week: Cigar City likes to team up with metal bands and do stuff. They make a yearly pale ale dedicated to Gwar. This week, they teamed up with another metal band, Killswitch Engage, and released Alive or Just Brewing. The only thing better than the label is the beer within. Sensational.

Non-Sports

On the frontline with Karachi’s ambulance drivers | World news | The Guardian
They pick up the dead and wounded from burning buildings, terrorist attacks and gun battles. And they get paid £1 a day.