Garcia Guts It Out
Tim Parry
Wednesday March 10, 2004
Suffering what could have been a season-hampering right ankle sprain a week earlier in Arizona, Garcia should have been in street clothes Sunday against San Jose. Instead, he was 19-for-21 passing for 295 yards and 9 touchdowns as the Dragons upset the undefeated SaberCats 64-50.
Three things helped Garcia pull off a performance that should earn his Baby Ruth Player of the Week honors: Guts, ice, and improved play from the Dragons offensive line. Garcia`s guts were obvious to the naked eye, but even the greatest of offensive lines can go unheralded. And fans getting post-game autographs from Garcia weren`t around to see his ankle get iced down hours after Nassau Coliseum cleared out.
"My teammates knew that I needed them tonight. I was leaning on them and they came through," said Garcia. "Sometimes they trust the fact that I`m tough and I can take hits. But they knew I couldn`t, and maybe this will keep it that way."
More importantLY, the team`s level of confidence vaulted after a three-game losing streak that had the Dragons looking desperate only a quarter way through the season. Will Holder had his usual stellar performance, but newcomers Richmond Flowers, Chuck Wesley, Lincoln Dupree and Cosmo Dematteo also had breakout games for New York.
"We were playing the best team in the league and we knew we had nowhere to go but up," Garcia said. "I think a lot of pressure against us was lifted."
Garcia said he felt the ankle injury, as strange as it may sound, made him a better quarterback.
"Sometimes with an injury, it makes you slow down and process everything a little more," Garcia said. "It was definitely their strength (defense) against our strength (passing). I feel that if I`m going to be challenged to make throws, I`m going to make those throws."
Neither Garcia nor his teammates can rest on their laurels though if the Dragons want to reach .500. They next face a Tampa Bay team at St. Petersburg Times Forum that will be out for blood after losing in New Orleans.
Tim Parry is a veteran Arena Football writer whose work has appeared in several print and online publications. After coordinating AFL coverage for one website for the past three seasons, he now does the same for his own website, Football Galore.
