For Avengers Rookies, It’s A Whole New Ballgame
Mike Chanpong
Tuesday March 6, 2007
That task promises to be a challenging one for the rookies, and most especially for those on defense, who will have to get used to quick passes to speedy receivers coming at them almost every play. The Avengers defensive unit opened the 2007 season with four rookie starters against the SaberCats. Gone from 2006 are Antoine Burns, Anthony Derricks, Antuan Simmons and legendary Avengers linebacker, Greg Hopkins. In are Brandon Perkins, Arnold Parker, James Bethea, and LaShaun Ward.
According to Perkins, it’s all a matter of repetition. “It’s going to be a weekly process,” said Perkins, who started for the Avengers at linebacker and posted five tackles, including one for a loss, in his AFL debut. “It’s something new, so it’s going to be about getting better every week, and learning more and more about the game. It’s a lot faster than the outdoor game, and there’s a lot less players, so you have to keep moving and keep your head on a swivel.”
The rookies roaming the Avenger defensive backfield were active against San Jose, with Arnold Parker recording six tackles and a pass defensed, and James Bethea notching four tackles. When asked what he felt was the biggest difference between the indoor and the outdoor game as a defensive back, Bethea answered, “It’s mono-e-mono the whole game. You’d think it would be a little easier to cover guys because the field is smaller, but it’s a lot tougher. I think if I can cover these guys though, I can cover anybody.”
Bethea’s transition to the Arena League is made a little easier knowing that his former college teammate at University of California, LaShaun Ward, is going through the same thing with him. Ward, who filled up the stat book with 5 kickoff returns for 78 yards and 2.5 tackles from his jack linebacker spot, is happy to be Bethea’s teammate again. “I took him around on his recruiting trip to Cal,” Ward said, remembering his college years. “We continued playing together for three years. I know what he does well and we’re familiar with each other…we’re even roommates. The chemistry is there.”
Ward has his own take on what will be the toughest adjustment for him to make in the Arena League. “Guys are fast – I consider myself a speed guy – so to me the speed is pretty much the same. Reaction times though – you have to react a lot faster. You have to see things coming and react.”
Veteran lineman Silas Demary has his own words of wisdom for the rookie class. “It sounds crazy, but they just need to forget everything about the outdoor game.”
Perhaps that’s true, but one thing that’s for sure is that the young guys are having fun playing in the AFL. “This is the most fun playing football I’ve had since high school,” said Bethea, who starred at nearby Grover Cleveland High School in Reseda, California. “I had 80 friends here tonight. It’s good to be home.”
The Avengers are counting on Bethea and their other talented rookies adjusting to the AFL and calling the Staples Center home for a long time.
Mike Chanpong is a freelance writer living in Hollywood, CA. In addition to
sportswriting, he also works in television production. This is his second
year covering the Los Angeles Avengers for ArenaFan.
