Cobras Look Forward to Home Finale Against Grand Rapids
Chuck DiLullo
Friday May 21, 2004
Selesky has been impressed and pleased with the performance of the Cobras in the face of a trying season.
“We could have very easily given up after the loss to New York in Week 13, but these guys are truly committed to what we are trying to do and came through with an outstanding team effort in the win last week versus Philly,” said Selesky.
The Cobras have struggled all year with their pass defense, but managed to hold the Soul to 163 passing yards (the Cobras’ second lowest yield of the season) and closed with a strong second half, holding Philadelphia to a total of 13 points. Henry Baker and Fred Vinson took over as the new starters at defensive specialist, and both Selesky and defensive coach Mo Blanding were very pleased with their collective performance.
“I think it was a combination of both better communication and improved execution of the game plan,” said Blanding. “You didn’t see anything spectacular, all you saw was solid play and that’s what we’ve needed for a long time. They played well together and didn’t have any busted coverages. They gave it their all and played solid all game.”
The Cobras defeated the Soul for the second time this season, and both games came down to the last play. This past week, kicker Rob Bironas completed a comeback with a 26-yard field goal with two seconds left capping a run of 15 unanswered points to the end the game and seal the victory.
“I felt really calm about sending him (Bironas) out there to kick the field goal at the end even though he had missed two consecutive extra points,” said Selesky. “I felt by giving him another opportunity he would be able to do it. He has hit some big field goals for us this season at critical times.”
The Cobras look to end the season on a positive note as they prepare to tangle with the 1-13 Grand Rapids Rampage. The Cobras are not taking the Rampage lightly even though their star offensive specialist and kick returner, Steve Smith, will miss the game due to an injury.
“Grand Rapids has a lot of good players and we have to play with complete focus,” said Blanding. “I see a lot of raw talent and a good group of receivers. I see a quarterback with a quick release. I see an offense that will force us to play a solid defensive game or we will be in for a long night and this is our last home game and we want to go out on a positive note.”
“Cecil Doggette is a special player, but more so than identifying any one particular player, one of things I have really stressed is that we need to play to the best of our ability every time we take the field and this game is a perfect example of that,” said Selesky. “On paper, the Rampage are struggling but we don’t look at that. They have a strong defensive front and they send the Mac linebacker on a blitz about 99% of the time so we have to be ready up front.”
Owner Pete Loftin, Senior Advisor Billy McGehee and General Manager Darrell Harbin will soon have to make a decision on the direction they want to take the team next season. It would be wise and prudent to make a decision on removing the “interim” tag from in front of Ron Selsky’s name, but the team’s performance over the last two games versus Grand Rapids and Georgia will go a long way in determining Selesky’s fate.
“Based on everything we’ve been through, we will still be eventually judged on wins and losses,” said Selesky. “But in the short term we are also looking for individual player improvement and do you still see players pushing themselves to try and get better and I see that in this team and that is a positive that will carry over into the off season.”
“We have a great group of guys on this team and they are starting to come into their own,” said Blanding. “I have been around teams that don’t believe in themselves and the coaches, but that is not the case with these guys. They believe in themselves and they believe in coach Selesky and they want to go out and play hard for those reasons.”
“This team just keeps playing hard and they are playing that way for four quarters,” said Selesky. “This team has simply not given up. We have kept battling, even in the games we have lost over the last month, and that is something where each guy has found a way to keep fighting, and part of that comes from the coaches, but most of that comes from the heart.”
The Cobras look to improve to 6-9 for the season and finish with a 3-5 mark at home. The performance of this team over the last two games will be important in establishing the core of players and the coaches that will return next season. With that in mind, the team understands the urgency associated with finishing the season on a three-game winning streak.
The Cobras will meet the Rampage at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 22nd, at the Charlotte Coliseum on Fan Appreciation Night.
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.
