Blaze Make Home Debut Saturday Night
Josh Fisher
Friday February 3, 2006
Blaze personnel have planned a huge pre-game introduction with fireworks, motorcycles and loud music. However, if the Blaze wants to grow that fan base they need to perform on the field. If you look at last week’s performance the Blaze should be alright. In the season opener they held the league’s highest scoring offense, San Jose, to just 35 points, and shut them out in the second quarter. The offense also came through and put 48 points on the board.
Again this week quarterback Joe Germaine will be the focal point of the Blaze attack. Against San Jose he threw for 199 yards and five touchdowns. More importantly he didn’t throw any interceptions. Germaine spread the ball around, connecting four plus times with three different receivers. Offensive Specialist Siaha Burley snagged five balls, including three touchdowns. Look for Burley to be an even bigger option in the offense this week.
Dallas comes to Utah ready to play an expansion team for the second straight week. Last weekend they knocked off the Kansas City Brigade 58-44 in Dallas. The Desperados offense is explosive, led by quarterback Clint Dolezel. Dolezel, in his 11th season, joined Dallas in the off-season after spending the last two seasons in Las Vegas. Against Kansas City he threw for 271 yards and six touchdowns. Terrill Shaw had nine receptions for 112 yards while Dialleo Burks added nine more catches and 108 yards.
Defensively the Blaze will need to get pressure on Dolezel, just like they did last week against San Jose. Dallas committed three turnovers against Kansas City, and if Utah can force the issue they could force a few themselves.
Prediction
There will be a lot of excitement and energy in the Delta Center Saturday night. Dallas and Dolezel is a solid opponent, and they are trying to become one of the AFL’s elite teams. That should make for an exciting game, one that the fans will enjoy from start to finish. Utah will overcome some early jitters, score on the game’s final drive and win 51-47.
Josh Fisher has been a fan of the AFL for as long as he can remember. He followed the Arizona Rattlers since they began playing. Josh works for the University of Utah
as their head statistician. He is also the media contact for Klub Boom
Volleyball Club and the head volleyball coach at Park City High School.
