San Jose Hosts Los Angeles for Top Seed
Tim Ball
Thursday May 15, 2003
Next up for San Jose in the quest to be the number one seed in the playoffs once again is none other than the Los Angeles Avengers, the team to give the SaberCats their first taste of defeat since winning ArenaBowl XVI.
The road to excellence still runs through California, with another team from the Golden State trying to reroute the trip from Silicon Valley to Tinsel Town. Only a tie between San Jose and LA would give the coveted first seed away.
The Los Angeles Avengers beat the SaberCats in game two 73-72 in LA in a free-for-all, wild and wooly example of what would come to be the format of wins and losses this season: last second dramatics.
At 71-72, LA quarterback Tony Graziani, found WR Greg Hopkins around the goal-line for a two-point conversion to take the lead with only one second on the clock. On the ensuing kickoff San Jose came up empty and received their first loss since winning the ArenaBowl.
While taking a much rockier path, complete with pitfalls on the way, the SaberCats stand poised to be the top team in the league once again with the number one seed just over the next hill. The Los Angeles Avengers come to town representing the bump in the road that when smoothed over can pave the way for San Jose to host the ArenaBowl in consecutive years.
The pep boys
 Three strikes, the SaberCats are in. Darren Arbet certainly hopes so. Image courtesy of Ken LaRue |
Any player possesses the key to slam the door shut on the outcome with a routine block or tackle anytime in the game. Such has been the case in all of San Jose’s losses this season. Every team facing the SaberCats this season had the added intensity each down in playing against the reigning champs.
“As the championship team you wear a target on your jersey,” says Arbet, “and it’s my job to communicate to the players that each game is going to be that much tougher from last year. I feel confident in the players on this team and that needs to translate into performance on the field. We have a lot of talented players and they have to be ready when they’re on the field.”
San Jose has only had a few games this season where the outcome was clear going into the last quarter. Notably the expansion Colorado Crush (2-13), Carolina Cobras (0-15) and oddly enough, Tampa Bay. While the Crush and Cobras will not get a chance in post season, the Storm will be ready if they do.
“You prepare for each game as the only one you have to play,” says Malley. “Our team has to execute no matter who we face. The league has many good teams and what is clear from scores this season is that success on each possession is critical. But what’s just as important is rebounding from missed opportunities. In Arena Football you can be back on the field with only seconds off the clock.”
San Jose’s defense has not been heralded as the juggernaut it was last year. Opposing teams have thrown everything they have at the SaberCats virtually on every down knowing that the odds in the arena game are stacked in their favor. As Grand Rapids head coach Michael Trigg, commented, San Jose’s defense plays so aggressively that they force the issue on every down.
“Defense is defense,” states Church. “In this game touchdowns are going to happen more often but winning is still dependent on the defense making stops and getting the turnovers. It’s not complicated, but it takes hard work and effort. If the players have the attitude to make things happen, they will. That’s what you work on day in and day out.”
“Crunch Time” and “ A Must Win” are fine for rah-rah coaching in some football games, but Arena Football has fine-tuned slogans and cliches to be strategy from the first game of the season to each play of every game.
How big was the two-point conversion in LA in week two now? In that game where 145 points were scored, how many routine plays if made, would have made for a different season at this moment? It is clear why the SaberCats stress making every play whether routine or not.
Show time
Coachess can prepare their teams but the players wear the pads. Like San Jose, the Avengers are a confident team. Neither team concedes defeat until the clock has four zeroes. That’s why they are winners.
Los Angeles lets it rip all game long with Graziani (currently with 92 TD’s) slinging passes at every opportunity. If opposing DB’s take as much as a shallow breath during coverage it’s over. The Avengers have showed no fear in playing their brand of football and have the confidence of a win over the SaberCats this season.
San Jose has pounded their way into the record books with a rushing game (46 TD’s) that resembles an oil freighter running over a kayak. Fans who’ve witness the SaberCats in the redzone this season (65 of 67), know the comparison is not hyperbole, but helmet crunching fact. The SaberCats are looking forward to this rematch, make no mistake.
 QB Mark Grieb is ready for action against L.A. Image courtesy of Ken LaRue |
Los Angeles, with OS Chris Jackson and WR/LB Greg Hopkins and Graziani leading a team that earned their spot in the post season, the Avengers/SaberCats game takes on a status that will have fans league-wide checking scores all night long on Saturday.
San Jose’s all-star line up led by Arbet, Grieb and Wagner expected a season of tough games and they weren’t proved wrong with the regular season ending like this: The Los Angeles Avengers, 11-4, vs. the San Jose SaberCats, 11-4. Winner takes the number one seed throughout the playoffs.
The start of the post season begins at the end of this game.
(What a season huh? Guess it’s safe to say that the AFL delivered on its promise to NBC…TB)
Tim Ball is a writer in the Chicagoland area. Married and father of three, his opinions on Arena Football reflects the positive aspect of the game as a family event second to none in pro sports.
