Kats Fail to Wrap up Tackles and Playoffs
Charliy Nash
Tuesday April 25, 2006
The story of this game was very simple: the Kats’ defense seemed to try to strip the ball rather than wrapping up tackles. Several times a Kansas City receiver would be hit by a Nashville defender (or several) only to bounce off and gain several more yards – sometimes for touchdowns.
Still the game was incredibly even. For much of the game it looked like the deciding play might be Joe Minucci’s block of a PAT. Through many of the 13 lead changes of the fast-paced game that one point was a major factor.
The Kats seemed to gain momentum in the third quarter, but the Brigade pulled back ahead in the fourth. The Kats had no time outs left when they began their last possession with :37 left in the game trailing by six points. Kats’ QB Clint Stoerner completed a pass to T.T. Toliver, who failed to get out of bounds, forcing the Kats to rush to the line of scrimmage to spike the ball. Those extra seconds proved to be pivotal as the clock ran out with the Kats behind by six points.
Injuries were once again a major factor in this game. Already without DS Monty Montgomery and FB/LB Frank Carter, the Kats saw DS Reggie Stephens go out with a knee injury, and WR/DB/LB/etc. Jarrick Hillery injure his hamstring.
"Our defense struggled," observed head coach Pat Sperduto, "No excuses regardless of who was in there and who wasn’t, we just didn’t play well defensively. We didn’t make plays, didn’t make tackles, and that’s on us."
So the Kats now need to win this week in Grand Rapids to secure a playoff berth. After a rough two weeks at home, maybe a road trip is exactly what they need.
Cory’s Camp
Cory Fleming will be holding a high school football camp May 13-14 at LaVergne Memorial Park. The cost for the camp is $50. To register, or for more information, call 615-812-7437.
Charliy Nash has covered both incarnations of the Nashville Kats, and now has make the 2 hour drive to Huntsville for an Arena Football fix. He also covers the Tennessee Titans as a blogger for nfl.com and still hopes this will eventually lead to a paying gig.
