Phantoms Searching for Answers Down the Stretch
Jim Parcels
Thursday July 11, 2002
This year it’s a much different story.
After dropping its fourth straight game at home last Thursday to the Carolina Cobras, 58-44, the Phantoms fell to a disappointing 5-7 mark, 3rd in the division.
With just two games remaining, the Phantoms remarkably still hold down a playoff position if the post-season began today.
Toronto is 2-6 in its past eight contests and hasn’t won consecutive games since week’s #1 and #2 when the club jumped out to a 2-0 record to start the season.
Going into this week’s game in the Meadowlands against the first place Gladiators, Toronto faces its first “must-win” game of the season.
Last year the Phantoms were 2-0 against the Glads. However, this year the New Jersey club has improved markedly against Frank Haege’s boys with an 8-4 mark. The Gladiators have won four of their last five games but are just 3-2 on home field this year.
In the only meeting between the two teams this season, New Jersey won a tight 45-37 decision in Toronto on May 24th.
In last Thursday’s game against the Cobras, the Phantoms defense seemingly self-destructed late in the game as Carolina QB John Fitzgerald had a career outing. The former Houston Thunderbear backup completed 25 of 36 passes for 287 yards and six majors.
Meanwhile the Toronto offense sputtered most of the night, committing four turnovers. QB Pat O’Hara had his moments completing 20 of 26 passes, however, tossed three interceptions and coughed up a fumble.
“I have to make better decisions,” O’Hara said, “It was a team loss but I focus on the mistakes I make.”
For most of the evening the Phantoms would make on great play then seemingly screw up another.
"We made some huge plays and look like world-beaters, then we would make some bad mistakes," O`Hara said of the offence.
The lone bright spot for the Phantoms was WR/LB Kerry Brown who seems to have an increased his role in the club’s game plan since Pat O’Hara’s insertion into the QB spot. Brown scored 3 TD’s, two receiving and one rushing, against the Cobras.
“We just have to find a way to put it together on both sides of the ball every night,” said Brown.
On Saturday the Phantoms will have to shut down impressive Gladiator QB Jay McDonagh. The sophomore has completed 63% of his passes this year while throwing for 55 TD’s. McDonagh was an AFL rookie in 1999 with the then-expansion Buffalo Destroyers.
Tales from the Crypt:
It appears the Phantoms will lose yet another key player to injury after rookie FB/LB Phil Glover went down with a knee injury against Carolina. It appears that the hole left on the roster won’t be filled. Rookie FB/LB Daryl Richardson, who has yet to see action on the active roster, was waived two weeks ago from the practice squad… Glover joins QB Chad Salisbury, OL/DL’s Steve Konopka and Connell Spain, and WR/DB Jerrald Long on the Phantoms IR… The Phantoms are a disappointing 1-5 on Rogers SportsNet games that are broadcast this season… The Phantoms have given up 20 interceptions, 3rd in the league behind Detroit (1-11) and New York (2-10)… The Phantoms defense ranks third in the AFL in passing defense allowing just 234.4 yards per game, meanwhile the passing offense is also third in the league with 261.8 yards per game – the killer has been the 20 interceptions… Former Florida Bobcats head coach Dave Ewart has joined the club as a consultant working with the club’s linemen… Wouldn’t it be interesting to see backup QB Ricky Foggie get into a game in New Jersey? The former member of the Gladiators (formerly Red Dogs) once led his team to a 92-point outing in 1997… OL/DL Frank Moore suffered a concussion last week and is questionable for this week’s game… OL/DL Donald Dinkins, who started four games earlier this year, sat out the Carolina game… There are only two teams in the AFL this year that do not have one player who has started every game this season – Tampa Bay and Toronto.
Jim Parcels was a writer for ArenaFan Online during the 2002 season.
