Cobras Enter Home Stretch Versus Destroyers
Chuck DiLullo
Thursday April 29, 2004
“There are no special feelings or emotions,” said Selesky. “We just want to prove as a team and staff what we are capable of.”
The Cobras are coming off their bye week after their emotional 63-59 victory over the Philadelphia Soul in Ron Selesky’s debut as the head coach for the Cobras, and Selesky feels the bye could not have come at a better time for the club.
“Every player to a man is excited about getting back to work and showing what they’re capable of doing”, said Selesky. “The time off helped Mo (defensive coach Mo Blanding) and I to establish the direction we want the team to take over the next few weeks.”
The Cobras still feel they have a reasonable shot at the playoffs, although they understand several things will have to break their way to reach the postseason.
“My goal is to get this team as prepared as possible,” said Selesky. “I am very encouraged with what I am seeing in light of everything that has happened to this team this year. The players have taken ownership of their destiny and understand what they have to do.”
“Right now, what we want to get out of this team is to continue what we got in the game versus the Soul,” said Blanding. “We feel if we can continue to play that way, we will win the majority of our games. We are going to continue to fight together and we believe we have the guys to get it done.”
Going into the Soul game, Selesky promised that there would be changes made with the most notable being starting QB Ricky Foggie over Matt Nagy and OS Damien Groce over Todd Doxzon. Both players came through with solid performances and Groce had a career game.
“The changes gave us new life and a spark,” said Selesky. “There will be some minor adjustments made for the Destroyers game to fine tune the chemistry, but I think we now match up physically against any team in the league.”
“We’re going to go with the same core group of players,” said Blanding. “The quarterback job is Ricky Foggie’s to lose. He went in and did what he had to do to get us a win. Matt Nagy is still a young quarterback and it will help his career to sit back and learn from a player like Foggie.”
The Cobras understand the challenge that lies ahead and realize they must run the table to have any shot at the playoffs, but one of the areas they must improve on dramatically is the pass defense. The defense has given up over 600 points in the first 11 games and this is a trend that must stop if the Cobras entertain any ideas of putting together a winning streak.
“We’ve had different DB combinations due to injuries and in our effort to try and find the right combina- tion,” said Selesky. “I feel that we now have the right combination of playmakers and smart players to make a difference. We do lack experience, but we have to keep letting them play to take advantage of their athleticism and to gain valued experience on the fly.”
“We’re trying to keep it simple for the guys because we have a lot of young guys,” said Blanding. “We want to allow them to go out and play and use their talents. Our job is to put them in the best possible position to make plays and do their jobs.”
Head coach Selesky has the dreaded “interim” tag in front of his name, and he and Blanding understand that they are going to be judged by owner Pete Loftin, general manager Darrell Harbin and senior advisor Billy McGehee largely based on wins and losses down the stretch but they both hope and feel that other variables will be taken into account.
“It’s my job to take advantage of this opportunity to make improvements and be consistent,” said Selesky. “I feel like I have a unique opportunity to move this franchise in a positive and stable direction, and I hope that will have an impact on whatever decision they make.”
“What it is going to take is our team going out and playing 100%,” said Blanding. “I hope that Ron is judged based on how the team is playing on the field and not necessarily on the amount of wins and losses over the last six games of this season. Ron relates to the players as well as anyone I’ve been around. He understands the game and how to put players in the right situations and prepare them to be successful. He is one of the best personnel guys I have ever seen.”
This final five games are very important to this franchise, not just in their short term hunt for the postseason, but in setting a standard and developing stability and continuity that can carry them through next season and beyond. The “reinvention of the Nashville Kats” experiment that began the season with the reuniting of McGehee, Harbin and head coach Eddie Khayat has developed into a story of two coaches who are smart football guys, relate very well to their players and are looking to carve an identity that will allow them to move forward in the offseason to build and mold a team that will challenge for the postseason on a perennial basis. If I had a stake in the decision, it would be a very easy one for me as a fan and someone who covers the team; allow Selesky and Blanding to build this team in their image and give them a chance to succeed.
The Cobras will face the Destroyers in their next-to-last home game of the 2004 season this Saturday at the Charlotte Coliseum. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
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.
