Riptide Give Green Bay First Franchise Victory
Keith Antigiovanni
Tuesday June 10, 2003
After the 43-24 loss to Bakersfield, the Riptide appeared to be lacking effort, but it’s hard to attribute that to this game, in fact it seems to be from trying to force things to happen.
In a tie game late in the fourth quarter with your team needing a win, you are more prone to force passes that can be intercepted or trying to make something happen on fourth-down when you should try to get the points.
Considering the importance of winning this game and the strength of the opponent it is incomprehensible that San Diego could lose a game they needed to win to stay in the playoff picture. Mistakes and an inability to convert in the red-zone did them in again, especially in the second half.
QB Kane Claunch appeared to be the scapegoat after he threw two interceptions on the final possessions but the irony is that he was having a career game to that point. Claunch threw for over 328 yards and led the Riptide on scoring drives on five of the first six possessions but for some reason San Diego stalled in the red-zone twice turning the ball over on downs on Green Bay’s two and three-yard line.
Why didn’t the Riptide try to run so close to the end zone? On the first stalled possession they tried four straight passes, three of which went incomplete and on the second called for Claunch to run on fourth down which he was stopped for no gain. Why didn’t the Riptide attempt a field goal either time? In retrospect maybe it wouldn’t have mattered and Kicker Ryan Geisler missed his first two PAT tries but did make a 25-yard field goal before halftime.
If San Diego is going to have any chance at making the playoffs they need to forget about the past and move on. The Riptide have put so much pressure on itself to win that they aren’t playing loose or having fun. Could it be the “Sophomore Jinx”? Making the playoffs in its inaugural season and winning “Expansion Franchise of 2002” doesn’t give much leeway for the following season.
The schedule doesn’t get easier until San Diego meets Green Bay again in the season finale, and until then the Riptide opponents combined record is 33-16. They should get some good news however as OS Marty Graham should play after serving a one-game suspension. Also, the club will be at home, where it plays significantly better.
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.
