KINGSMEN TO SHAPE UP AT NAVY FACILITY.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Daily News Staff Writer

Coach Scott Squires will be seeking a few good wide receivers and defensive backs next week as the California Lutheran University football squad opens training at the Navy SEALS Training Facility.

The first-year Kingsmen coach hopes that putting his club through a unique opening week of practice just outside of San Diego will generate some much needed chemestry among players.

``This was decided after I took over,'' Squires said. ``It was a long process and we made a ton of calls to get it all put together, but we're real excited. And the Navy has been terrific.''

When Squires played football at Pacific Lutheran College in the 1980s, his coach held similar camps to get the team jump-started at the beginning of the year.

Squires hopes that by going away together and sharing similar experiences - including the pain of hard work - the CLU players will learn to lean on each other and develop a bond that can help once the regular season starts.

``It's a new team, a new era and a new attitude,'' Squires said. ``This is a chance to bring the guys together. We're calling it a time of inspiration and perspiration.''

Squires, 31, replaced Joe Harper at CLU in March. Last year he coached the wide receivers at The University of Nevada Las Vegas and previously was assistant coach at Cal Lutheran.

Besides the usual physical aspects of training camp, Squires will also add some unique elements to the Kingsmen's stay in Coronado.

For instance, the club will be split into 12-man teams and compete against each other in activities such as skits, singing competitions and tug-of-war, among others.

Not that the physical part of camp will be ignored, even during the competitions that Squires and his staff have planned. In fact, many of the games will test the agility of the players. Hustle Softball, for instance, is sort of baseball meets surfing as players will be knee deep in the ocean while playing.

Points will be awarded for each competition and a champion will be determined at the end of camp.

The teams were drafted by the CLU coaches.

``We'd look at it and say, `OK, these two guys are real close. Let's make sure they're on different teams,' '' Squires said.

In addition, each team will be made up of an equal amount of players from each position group so that lineman will team with defensive backs and quarterbacks with nose guards.

Of course, the main aim of camp is to fine tune the team as it prepares to open the season against the University of San Diego. After Tuesday, the main emphasis will be football related.

``We'll still get our offense and defense put in,'' said Squires.

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Photo: Scott Squires

Hopes camp inspires players