Defense key in Pioneers win over Wildcats
Michael Balakier
Sunday May 23, 2004
With a minute remaining and trailing 45-41, the Wildcats faced a fourth and three from the Pioneers’ five-yard line. Cape Fear quarterback Brian Baker, who was just inserted into the game, ran a swing pass to OS Matt Burstein, but forced to change direction, Burstein tried to lateral the ball back to Baker, but the ball was fumbled back towards midfield where Pioneers’ lineman Jon Churchill recovered the ball. Prior to the start of the play, Cape Fear head coach Chris Siegfried was signaling for a timeout just before the ball was snapped.
Despite arguably outplaying Cape Fear (3-3) throughout the entire game, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (6-1) allowed a third kickoff return for a touchdown in as many weeks.
“We gave up another kickoff return which is getting old,” said Pioneers head coach Les Moss. “Three in three games. We’re lucky as heck that we’re 2-1 in those. We’ll look at the tape and try to get it right. I don’t know what the problem is.”
Defensive specialist Jamie Hattley, who was named the ADT Defensive player of the game, led the Pioneers on defense with 6.5 tackles and a pass deflection. Hattley also agrees that the team’s special teams play has been the problem in recent weeks and shared his views on perhaps why.
“This is the third week in row that we’ve had breakdowns on special teams but we just fight through it and kept fighting and it worked out for us,” said Hattley. “It’s seems like we get a little complacent when we get ahead, but I’ll take it as it comes. It’s a team victory and everyone fought together.”
Also, Hattley explained why the team hasn’t let the special teams play get the better of the Pioneers.
“We got a motto: we just bend but don’t break. I hope the rest of the season isn’t like this but right now it’s working, we’re winning, so I’ll take it.”
The Pioneers travel to Louisville next week, where the Fire will be looking to avenge a 59-51 defeat to the Pioneers earlier in the month.
Game notes
Experience counts: With :10 remaining in the game and the Pioneers facing a fourth and six from the Wildcats 13 yard line, head coach Les Moss was faced with a decision: kick a field goal or attempt to run the clock out. Moss opted for the latter, and David Davis’ 29-yard field goal put the Pioneers up by seven. After the game, Moss explained his thought process for deciding to kick the field goal.
“I’ve been in that situation before in Orlando and if you give them one more play, anything can happen so I knew that if we kicked a field goal, regardless, it’s going to run four or five seconds off the field goal itself,” said Moss. “If we make it, now we’re up by seven and their kicker missed a couple extra points so even if they had scored he may have missed it, but it worked out for us.”
Moving up in class: Throughout the beginning of the season, Pioneers quarterback Tim Hicks has been a little reluctant to throw the ball away when no one was open or if a play breaks down. Saturday’s game was one of the first times Hicks opted to throw the ball away instead of forcing himself to make a play. Moss gave Hicks credit for doing so.
“Tim played a great game,” said Moss. “He made that one mistake but other than that he played a great game. Tim got some pressure, but I think they did a couple things to us that we hadn’t seen.”
Hicks, who finished the game 19-for-30 for 213 yards, three touchdowns and 2 interceptions, explained why he’s been reluctant to throw the ball away.
“It’s tough for me to throw the ball away,” said Hicks. “The first interception I had my mind is telling me to throw the ball away but my arm won’t because I just want to try to make a play. I think that’s just the football player in me trying to make a play.”
The Apprentice: With the recent signing of former head coach Terry Karg as the team’s backup quarterback, Karg’s past football experience, which ranges from playing in the AFL, CFL, and NFL Europe and being a coach in the AFL and af2, has had an immediate impact on Hicks, who is playing his first full year of professional football. Hicks explained: “He knows as much as anyone around the league about the game and the position, so it’s really helping me.”
Michael Balakier first discovered a knack for writing during his senior year in high school while reporting for his school`s newspaper. Aside from being an Arenaball fan, Michael is an avid Syracuse University athletics follower, which poses a problem for him, as he attends the University of Pittsburgh. Michael plans on using what he has learned through his Arenafan experience to remain as impartial as he can during future Syracuse/Pitt events. Michael also serves as co-Editor of the af2 section of Arenafan Online.
