Knights Still See Room for Improvement
Keith Murphy
Wednesday May 14, 2003
Despite all of the positives, the Knights coaching staff wants more. “Obviously, we have to play better than we have this year,” Knights’ Offensive Coordinator Tres Sullivan said. “We can’t continue to make the same old mistakes against a team like Tennessee Valley.”
The Knights come into this week’s game after manhandling the Columbus Wardogs, 49-17. “I don’t think we played nearly well as we have to if we are gonna beat a team like Tennessee Valley,” Sullivan said. “I don’t think we’ve reached our potential, which is kind of frustrating going into our seventh game. We didn’t play nearly as well as we need to. We won’t complain about winning but I think we are far from where we want to be. I guess that may be a good thing. We’re happy to be 5 and 1; but, I think that in the long run we’re going to need to play better football to get where we need to go.”
Macon travels to Huntsville Saturday to take on the undefeated Tennessee Valley Vipers. Sullivan says that this year’s version of the Vipers is “Pretty much the same team as they were last year. Solid all the way around. I think every guy up front returned. Their quarterback who came back after being away for a couple of years. They’re the same solid Tennessee Valley team. Not too many weaknesses.”
One of the more interesting match-ups may happen this week in practice as Sean Peterson and Renotto Solomon renew their duel for the starter’s job at quarterback. Solomon (8 of 11 for 138 yards and 3 touchdowns) came on against Columbus when Peterson (7 of 18 for 103 yards and 2 touchdowns) proved to be less than effective. Sullivan says that the starter’s role will be determined in practice, “We’re going to play it out this week in practice. Just wait and see how the week of practice goes. I think the best part of it is that Renotto came off the bench and did a really good job. So if we decide to go with Renotto I think we’ll be OK and if we decide to go with Sean I think we’ll be OK; especially knowing that Renotto can come off the bench and give us a spark when we need it. But we’ll play this out in practice and at the end of the week we’ll decide what we’re going to do.”
Sullivan says that in the end, choosing the starting quarterback comes down to, “who gives us the best opportunity to win. They’re both the same kind of quarterback, physically. I don’t think Sean has progressed as much as we’d like. In the end it probably comes down to whomever will give us the best opportunity to win.”
Another player to watch this week is Anthony Snead, a 5’ 11” rookie WR/DB from Fort Valley State University. Snead has come on to be a challenge to Jaquez Rumph’s position as top receiver. Sullivan says that Snead, “is getting more comfortable and getting a better understanding of the game. What makes him successful is that he’s getting a good grasp of the arena game and hopefully he will continue to build on that and not fall into a lull that those first year players often fall into. He’s doing a good job.”
Kickoff is set for 8:30 (EST) at the Von Braun center in Huntsville. The winner of the game will have sole possession of first in the South Division.
Dr. Murphy has nearly 20 years of media experience ranging from radio to the Internet. He has served as webmaster for two AF2 teams and the football team at Fort Valley State University. He is a professor at FVSU and directs www.bunniwerks.org, a non-profit rabbit rescue organization. He has been commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel. Murphy is also serving as a first party editor of af2 stories for ArenaFfan. For more information about Dr. Murphy see: www.keithmurphy.info
