Post by rkb on Jun 28, 2008 14:47:29 GMT -5
www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=275490&pub=1&div=Sports
MudCats find new heroes
6/28/2008 10:14:34 AM
Daily Journal
By John L. Pitts
Daily Journal
TUPELO - A day after a sudden hailstorm chased them inside, a relaxed and confident-looking Mississippi MudCats team went through their final regular-season practice late Thursday afternoon at Robbins Field.
Interim head coach William McCarthy, promoted just a week before, consulted his play chart as he helped new starting quarterback Aries Nelson and his veteran receivers run passing drills.
Watching from a discreet distance was the team’s majority owner, Jim Waide.
"I have always admired that young man for his attitude," Waide said, gesturing in Nelson's direction. "Even he was not playing he was always focused and supportive of his teammates and very positive in his approach."
In another part of the field, the MudCats' defensive backs were working out, cutting up and laughing now and then. In a shadier spot, the linemen quietly focused on their one-on-one drills.
A few hours later, McCarthy and the players all boarded the bus for tonight’s game at Fayetteville, N.C. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CDT.
Playoff tuneup, playoff hopes
For the MudCats (12-1), it's one last chance to get into fighting trim before the AIFA playoffs begin here next Saturday. Fayetteville (5-8) still has an outside shot at making the playoff field with a win tonight.
These teams opened the season March 22 at BancorpSouth Arena, with the MudCats romping 82-34. It was a rude welcome for a Fayetteville team that went 11-0 last season and won the NIFL championship.
A lot of footballs have sailed through the uprights since then.
For one thing, both teams now have different coaching staffs. Brian Brents and his two top assistants left the MudCats on June 19, while Fayetteville’s 0-4 start forced the hand of its owners to bring back last year’s coach, Charles Gunnings, who had left during the offseason in a contract dispute.
After promoting McCarthy - a $150-a-week line coach - to lead his team down the stretch, even Waide wondered out loud how the team might fare.
But last weekend's 36-21 win at Augusta underscored that the MudCats still had life, despite the coaching change and the related departure of a couple of veteran players.
While the offense sputtered a bit with Nelson under center for his first start, the defense played at a championship-caliber level. The host Lions failed to score on 10 of 13 possessions – with six of those series ending on turnovers (four fumbles, two interceptions).
"We were determined to dominate from start to finish," said linebacker Eric Bingham. "For us, it felt like just any other game. We had a lot of trust in each other that we could get the job done."
On the offensive side, the MudCats spent a lot of time this week trying to make life easier for Nelson, the former Mississippi Valley standout who got perhaps two dozen snaps in the last practice before the Columbus trip.
"We need to find the 10 or 12 plays that he's really comfortable with and then focus on execution," said McCarthy.
Indeed, at Thursday’s workout Nelson was wearing a wristband that appeared to have about a dozen plays listed on it.
"We did a lot of freelancing last week," said Nelson, who threw for three TDs in his first start. "It took me maybe a quarter or two to get comfortable. My teammates did everything they could to make the transition easier."
MudCats memos
- The Columbus Lions, who visit Tupelo next weekend to open the AIFA playoffs, lost one of their top weapons to the Arena Football League on Wednesday. Receiver Anthony Merritt, the former University of North Alabama standout, has rejoined the roster of the Colorado Crush.
The Crush and Utah Blaze open the AFL playoffs in an ESPN game today at 3 p.m.
Merritt had 86 catches for 19 touchdowns and had 27 total TDs in 14 games for the Lions. He rushed for two TDs in his team’s 53-48 win here on May 17.
- If the MudCats win against Columbus, their next game would be the weekend of July 12, on the road against the winner of the West Division championship game between Wyoming and Arizona.
The good news? No bus trip.
Waide said this week that the AIFA office will provide his team with 20 plane tickets to help facilitate the travel to the Western Conference championship game site.
Wyoming (11-2) and Arizona (10-3) play a tuneup game today at Prescott Valley, Ariz. Win or lose, the first-round playoff game next week will be in Wyoming.
- Quarterback Tommy Jones, who quickly left town after the MudCats’ top coaches quit, caught on with one of his former teams, the Odessa (Texas) Roughnecks of the Intense Football League.
Jones did not play in the Roughnecks' 59-50 win against Fairbanks last weekend. The team plays its regular-season finale tonight at home against the Katy (Texas) Ruff Riders.
Appeared originally in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 6/28/2008, section 0 , page 0
MudCats find new heroes
6/28/2008 10:14:34 AM
Daily Journal
By John L. Pitts
Daily Journal
TUPELO - A day after a sudden hailstorm chased them inside, a relaxed and confident-looking Mississippi MudCats team went through their final regular-season practice late Thursday afternoon at Robbins Field.
Interim head coach William McCarthy, promoted just a week before, consulted his play chart as he helped new starting quarterback Aries Nelson and his veteran receivers run passing drills.
Watching from a discreet distance was the team’s majority owner, Jim Waide.
"I have always admired that young man for his attitude," Waide said, gesturing in Nelson's direction. "Even he was not playing he was always focused and supportive of his teammates and very positive in his approach."
In another part of the field, the MudCats' defensive backs were working out, cutting up and laughing now and then. In a shadier spot, the linemen quietly focused on their one-on-one drills.
A few hours later, McCarthy and the players all boarded the bus for tonight’s game at Fayetteville, N.C. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CDT.
Playoff tuneup, playoff hopes
For the MudCats (12-1), it's one last chance to get into fighting trim before the AIFA playoffs begin here next Saturday. Fayetteville (5-8) still has an outside shot at making the playoff field with a win tonight.
These teams opened the season March 22 at BancorpSouth Arena, with the MudCats romping 82-34. It was a rude welcome for a Fayetteville team that went 11-0 last season and won the NIFL championship.
A lot of footballs have sailed through the uprights since then.
For one thing, both teams now have different coaching staffs. Brian Brents and his two top assistants left the MudCats on June 19, while Fayetteville’s 0-4 start forced the hand of its owners to bring back last year’s coach, Charles Gunnings, who had left during the offseason in a contract dispute.
After promoting McCarthy - a $150-a-week line coach - to lead his team down the stretch, even Waide wondered out loud how the team might fare.
But last weekend's 36-21 win at Augusta underscored that the MudCats still had life, despite the coaching change and the related departure of a couple of veteran players.
While the offense sputtered a bit with Nelson under center for his first start, the defense played at a championship-caliber level. The host Lions failed to score on 10 of 13 possessions – with six of those series ending on turnovers (four fumbles, two interceptions).
"We were determined to dominate from start to finish," said linebacker Eric Bingham. "For us, it felt like just any other game. We had a lot of trust in each other that we could get the job done."
On the offensive side, the MudCats spent a lot of time this week trying to make life easier for Nelson, the former Mississippi Valley standout who got perhaps two dozen snaps in the last practice before the Columbus trip.
"We need to find the 10 or 12 plays that he's really comfortable with and then focus on execution," said McCarthy.
Indeed, at Thursday’s workout Nelson was wearing a wristband that appeared to have about a dozen plays listed on it.
"We did a lot of freelancing last week," said Nelson, who threw for three TDs in his first start. "It took me maybe a quarter or two to get comfortable. My teammates did everything they could to make the transition easier."
MudCats memos
- The Columbus Lions, who visit Tupelo next weekend to open the AIFA playoffs, lost one of their top weapons to the Arena Football League on Wednesday. Receiver Anthony Merritt, the former University of North Alabama standout, has rejoined the roster of the Colorado Crush.
The Crush and Utah Blaze open the AFL playoffs in an ESPN game today at 3 p.m.
Merritt had 86 catches for 19 touchdowns and had 27 total TDs in 14 games for the Lions. He rushed for two TDs in his team’s 53-48 win here on May 17.
- If the MudCats win against Columbus, their next game would be the weekend of July 12, on the road against the winner of the West Division championship game between Wyoming and Arizona.
The good news? No bus trip.
Waide said this week that the AIFA office will provide his team with 20 plane tickets to help facilitate the travel to the Western Conference championship game site.
Wyoming (11-2) and Arizona (10-3) play a tuneup game today at Prescott Valley, Ariz. Win or lose, the first-round playoff game next week will be in Wyoming.
- Quarterback Tommy Jones, who quickly left town after the MudCats’ top coaches quit, caught on with one of his former teams, the Odessa (Texas) Roughnecks of the Intense Football League.
Jones did not play in the Roughnecks' 59-50 win against Fairbanks last weekend. The team plays its regular-season finale tonight at home against the Katy (Texas) Ruff Riders.
Appeared originally in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 6/28/2008, section 0 , page 0
