New Look Cobras Unveiled
Chuck DiLullo
Monday February 2, 2004
The Cobras organization is eager to put last year’s 0-16 season behind them and the team was solid in the scrimmage versus the Force, posting a 38-30 victory. Newcomer and starting quarterback Matt Nagy looked strong in his first possession, completing three straight passes on the way to a touchdown in an opening drive that was capped by a 1-yard plunge by new fullback Travis Reece.
This year, veteran coach John Gregory will coordinate the Cobras offense, and he has the luxury of fielding two quarterbacks that are very familiar with his high-powered attack. Matt Nagy backed up Aaron Garcia with the New York Dragons and he knows the offense inside and out, and Ricky Foggie played under Coach John Hufnagel with the New Jersey Red Dogs, who ran the same offensive scheme that the Cobras will run this season. The Cobras quarterbacking group ended the scrimmage going 16-of-27 for 218 yards and three touchdowns, all to newcomer Damien Groce who also hauled in six receptions for 121 yards.
“I look back and good things happen for a reason,” said Matt Nagy after the scrimmage. “Two years ago in New York, I was sitting behind the number one quarterback in the league in Aaron Garcia and I learned a lot from Aaron about the system. And to be able to sit back and see how things are done by one of the best playing the game really helped me out, and I just want to take advantage of this chance. Coach Gregory was one of the very few coaches that gave me a chance in the professional ranks and I will give him everything I have.”
Ron Selesky, who was the head coach in Buffalo last season, runs the defense. They contributed three interceptions during the scrimmage, including one created by a tip by veteran lineman Robert Stewart who looks to become the third player in Arena League history to register 40 career sacks.
The Cobras’ Fang Fest drew over 3,000 fans to the Charlotte Coliseum to meet and greet the new players and coaches, look at the new uniforms, and to take a unique behind-the- scenes tour of the locker room, training room and television facilities. The new uniforms will be the same basic color scheme as a year ago, but will accentuate the team’s gold color.
Senior Advisor to the ownership group Bill McGehee is enthused about this year’s team and understands that the pressure is on to perform, stating “the only goal is to win the ArenaBowl and to win it right now in 2004. Anything short of that is a failure and I’m not interested in any option other than winning it all.”
Team owner Pete Loftin echoed these sentiments during Fang Fest.
“We’re looking for the championship,” said Loftin. “We’re here to play to win the whole thing. We’ve hired the best coaching staff we can hire and we’ve brought in the best players and talent we can bring, and now it is a just matter of executing and making it happen.”
The Cobras open their 2004 campaign on the road versus the Dallas Desperados on Sunday, February 8th and open their home schedule on the 21st versus the Arizona Rattlers. The Cobras will play in the realigned Eastern Division of the National Conference along with the Columbus Destroyers, Dallas Desperados, New York Dragons and expansion Philadelphia Soul.
Chuck DiLullo works for a manufacturer of process control instrumentation as a sales engineer. He has been a fan of professional, college and high school football since he could walk. Chuck is originally from Philadelphia and he became a huge Arena Football League fan while living in Buffalo. Chuck has lived in Charlotte since 2000 with his wife & three children.
