PHOTO GALLERY

LAKE CHARLES – Friday's temperature topped what Thursday handed out but that didn't stop the McNeese Cowboys for preparing the upcoming football season as the Pokes wrapped up their second day of fall camp and will slip the shoulder pads on for the first time on Saturday.
 
The sweltering heat was offset just a bit by a nice southerly breeze but according to forecasts, the hottest days still lie ahead.
 
"It was definitely hotter than yesterday (Thursday)," said senior safety and preseason all-American Brent Spikes. "But the breezed helped out a lot. That's the great thing about the afternoons, we have that breeze. We do some conditioning in the morning in the stadium and that breeze isn't there."
 
The heat may have affected Spikes and his defense on this day as the offense, behind quarterbacks Daniel Sams and Grant Ashcraft, did a nice job of finding open receiver on several long plays that would've gone for scores.
 
"Offensively we threw the ball down the field a little bit better," said head coach Matt Viator. "We completed some deep balls and got some 50/50 balls."
 
The defense did have its moments as it picked off several passes, including Spikes who had one for the second straight day.
 
McNeese will return to the practice field on Saturday at 4:30 for the first time wearing shoulder pads. The team will don the full pads for the first time on Monday.