Locos sharp in opening practice

It's easy to tell how well a football team's practice is going. Just listen to how often the head coach screams at his players.

By that standard, the Locomotives' first day of their United Football League training camp at Sam Boyd Stadium went well. Coach Jim Fassel went ballistic only a couple of times, once when his offense committed a couple of false starts in a row, the other time when a small skirmish flared between linemen Ryan Boschetti and Brandon Joyce.

Otherwise, Wednesday's 2½-hour opening-day practice was seamless as the countdown to the Sept. 18 season opener against Florida began.

"I was impressed with how few mistakes we made," Fassel said. "We're way ahead of where we were from a year ago at this time, and the new guys weren't holding us back. I credit our veterans for that. They're doing a good job of leading this team."

Quarterback Tim Rattay, one of those veterans, said it would have been disappointing to start any other way.

"We've had a whole year of this plus a minicamp (in June)," Rattay said. "We should have a jump on things. But the overall talent is better, and it seems like our new guys are smart and professional."

Rattay also was glad to be training in Las Vegas instead of Arizona, where the team had last year's inaugural training camp.

"I think it's great," Rattay said. "Hopefully, we can get the fans out, and it's fun to be in the city you're representing."

Newcomer safety C.J. Wallace, who played for the Seattle Seahawks last year before a torn right hamstring ended his season, said he was impressed by everything.

"There's a lot of good players here, and it's very professional in the way they do things," Wallace said. "Honestly, I didn't notice a big difference between this and an NFL training camp. It's not a blowover here. The UFL is real."

The Seahawks released Wallace, and he didn't receive any other NFL offers. So he came to Las Vegas to build his resume and try to work his way back to the NFL.

"I'm just glad to be back on the field," he said. "My big thing is to come in here, elevate my game and help this team win."

Fassel said while the offense looked crisp, the defense was not being outplayed.

"I thought it was pretty even," he said. "The offense is always going to look better when you're not hitting. But I like the athleticism of our defense. I think we've got the people to make big plays on that side of the ball."

■ NOTES -- The first practice was injury-free, which is a big concern for Fassel. Only 69 players are in camp. ... Wide receiver B.J. Dennard had a good first day, making several nice grabs and displaying quickness after catching the ball. ... The Locos probably won't practice in full pads until Friday or Saturday, as Fassel wants to ease his team into the heavy-contact drills.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.