Playoff-Bound Riptide Faces 2-Time Champion Quad City in Regular Season Finale
Keith Antigiovanni
Monday July 22, 2002
“I thought we had a good game plan on offense against Arkansas and we held the number one scoring offense to only 31 points. But the interception return and fumble return on the kickoff cost us the game,” Riptide Head Coach Cree Morris said.
With a playoff spot already in hand and nothing to gain in terms of the playoff picture this week Morris says he will still play his starters, how much he’s not sure of. “We’re just trying to get people healthy right now. We need to get Marty (Graham) healthy and Kane (Claunch) has taken a beating this year but has held up. We want to rest our guys but still get that ready and crisp for the playoffs. In terms of nursing injuries we are playing it by ear,” Morris said.
Despite the loss the Riptide played much better this time around against the Twisters after a demoralizing 75-51 defeat early this season in Little Rock. In that game, San Diego kicker Brad Bohn in what turned out to be his last game could not convert an extra point and the Riptide defense was burned for 11 touchdowns.
This time the turnovers and inability to stop the Twisters brutish OL/DL Greg Taylor from getting to Claunch were the reasons. Two things that the Riptide will have to tighten up before the playoffs start.
Honorable mention to FB/LB Rico Curtis, who broke the af2 record of tackles with 118.5 on Saturday. The previous record was 117 held by Cornelius Coe of Quad City in 2000. Curtis also showed his ability on offense scoring the first touchdown of the game on a one-yard rushing touchdown.
“This week is going to be Quad City’s playoffs so they are going to be tough but our kids never give up so we’ll see what happens,” Morris said. Although Quad City is currently 9-6 and sports the second-best record in their division because of their playoff-suspension this season third-place Wichita (6-10) gets the second playoff spot for that division.
San Diego’s playoff position is cemented; they will travel to Bakersfield to play the Western Division champion Blitz (9-6) who clinched the division with the Tide loss to Arkansas and the Bakersfield 45-7 win over the Fresno Frenzy.
Keith Antigiovanni is a free-lance writer in San Diego, California. He has worked for several local newspapers covering sports, government and business. Keith started writing in 1995 after graduating with a Bachelors Degree in Mass Media Communications from the University of San Diego. Aside from working as a sportswriter he has a side business of providing marketing assistance/research for small businesses and also directs,produces and hosts a regular public access television show on Time-Warner Cable named "San Diego Yesterday". Antigiovanni is also a member of the San Diego Sportswriter Association.
