Post by rkb on Jul 8, 2008 11:11:47 GMT -5
www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=275840&pub=1&div=Sports
MudCats prep for Cavalry
7/8/2008 4:40:46 AM
Daily Journal
BY JOHN L. PITTS
Daily Journal
TUPELO -The Mississippi MudCats went back to work Monday afternoon, gathering in a darkened meeting room in the BancorpSouth Arena.
In the old days, it was called "film work," but these days it's strictly video via laptop.
They've got 10 days to prepare for an opponent they've never encountered, the Wyoming Cavalry, in the AIFA Western Conference championship game on July 18.
"If it had been up to our players, I think we would have gladly gotten on the plane Sunday, headed out there and played as soon as we could," said MudCats interim head coach William McCarthy. "It's going to be a challenge, having this much of a layoff between games."
Especially after hitting such an emotional high in Saturday's 52-50 win here against the Columbus Lions.
Down 19 points in the fourth quarter, the MudCats (14-1) scored four times in a nine-minute span to punch their ticket to the AIFA conference finals for the second year in a row.
Last season, just one win from reaching the title game, the first-year MudCats squad lost 84-62 on the road to the eventual AIFA champions from Lakeland, Fla.
(The Lakeland team went on hiatus this season but is expected back in the AIFA next year.)
The Wyoming Cavalry (12-3) has been in operation since 2000, playing in the NIFL -the Tupelo FireAnts' old league -for seven seasons before joining the AIFA this year.
"They've got a lot of big bodies, all across the board," McCarthy said Monday night after several hours of video scouting. "Their linemen are big, their receivers are big, even their quarterback has a big body.
"And they don't kick extra points. They go for two every time. It's a different style, to say the least."
The AIFA's Eastern Conference championship will be determined on Saturday, with the Florence (S.C.) Phantoms (11-4) visiting the Reading (Pa.) Express (11-4).
While the MudCats' home season is complete, the turf will remain on the BCS Arena floor until next week for the team to use in their daily practice sessions.
Appeared originally in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 7/8/2008, section z , page 1
MudCats prep for Cavalry
7/8/2008 4:40:46 AM
Daily Journal
BY JOHN L. PITTS
Daily Journal
TUPELO -The Mississippi MudCats went back to work Monday afternoon, gathering in a darkened meeting room in the BancorpSouth Arena.
In the old days, it was called "film work," but these days it's strictly video via laptop.
They've got 10 days to prepare for an opponent they've never encountered, the Wyoming Cavalry, in the AIFA Western Conference championship game on July 18.
"If it had been up to our players, I think we would have gladly gotten on the plane Sunday, headed out there and played as soon as we could," said MudCats interim head coach William McCarthy. "It's going to be a challenge, having this much of a layoff between games."
Especially after hitting such an emotional high in Saturday's 52-50 win here against the Columbus Lions.
Down 19 points in the fourth quarter, the MudCats (14-1) scored four times in a nine-minute span to punch their ticket to the AIFA conference finals for the second year in a row.
Last season, just one win from reaching the title game, the first-year MudCats squad lost 84-62 on the road to the eventual AIFA champions from Lakeland, Fla.
(The Lakeland team went on hiatus this season but is expected back in the AIFA next year.)
The Wyoming Cavalry (12-3) has been in operation since 2000, playing in the NIFL -the Tupelo FireAnts' old league -for seven seasons before joining the AIFA this year.
"They've got a lot of big bodies, all across the board," McCarthy said Monday night after several hours of video scouting. "Their linemen are big, their receivers are big, even their quarterback has a big body.
"And they don't kick extra points. They go for two every time. It's a different style, to say the least."
The AIFA's Eastern Conference championship will be determined on Saturday, with the Florence (S.C.) Phantoms (11-4) visiting the Reading (Pa.) Express (11-4).
While the MudCats' home season is complete, the turf will remain on the BCS Arena floor until next week for the team to use in their daily practice sessions.
Appeared originally in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 7/8/2008, section z , page 1