Firebirds get first-ever win in Indianapolis
Matthew Pickut
Tuesday April 10, 2001
The fans were in great shape. There were a lot of families, a lot of noise and even a good boo for the opposing team. A few of the fans, specifically the ones behind the press area, were definitely in regular-season form. They were screaming at the officials and players like they had been practicing at home for weeks. A fan that tried to return a ball to the playing field after it landed in the front row made the only flaw. That`s a rookie mistake that won`t happen once the season starts (remember: return the player – keep the ball). After the game Cornelius Coe remarked, “The atmosphere in here was great tonight. The fans mad a lot of noise and it really helped.”
Houston’s offense drove well but could not convert on the opening drive. Houston quarterback Todd Hammel’s short pass off right end was fumbled through the end zone giving the Firebirds the ball on the five-yard line. Indiana QB Raymond Philyaw responded by going long on the Firebirds’ first play from scrimmage. Although the pass fell incomplete, the fans responded to the aggressive play calling. The drive stalled at the Houston 7 and Nelson Gardner gave the home team an early lead with a 15-yrd field goal that split the uprights and went over the net behind the goalposts.
The lead changed hands several times as the Thunderbears entered the locker room up 27-24. Houston QB Hammel hit WR/DB Anthony Fogel from the 12-yard line with just over 10 minutes to play to give the Thunderbears a 10-point lead. The Firebirds launched a comeback immediately driving down the field and scoring on an 8-yard scramble by Philyaw. With a chance to run out the clock, Houston’s offence couldn’t convert on a fourth down in Firebird’s territory. After the big defensive stop, rookie quarterback Chris Boden completed the comeback by hitting WR/DB Kevin Ingram in the corner with 23 seconds left.
The final score of 41-37 gave the Firebird’s a 2-0 record for the preseason, but what was more important for the team was the chance to look at talent levels. “We got what we wanted out of this game,” said coach Dailey, “we played all our people. The main thing in a game like this is to evaluate our players.”
All four quarterbacks saw time and played well in the game giving the coaching staff what Coach Dailey said would be a set of, “tough decisions” about who to keep on the roster when cuts are made Sunday and Monday of this week. Chris Dittoe probably had the most impressive game by completing several longer passes, spreading the ball around and scoring in both of his second quarter drives. Philyaw showed his athleticism in both the first and fourth quarters by scrambling for positive yards, scoring once. It is that kind of extra threat that will makes Philyaw a strong contender in the struggle for the starting spot.
The defense played well in spots but struggled early in the game. “It’s a preseason game but we still take it seriously,” Cornelius Coe said after it was over. Coe showed just how serious he was with some big hits in the first half. The defense did come together at the end of the game and set the table for the comeback. That kind of defensive stand gives a team momentum and a defense something to build on.
The fans are ready, the players are ready, and the coaches are ready – so welcome to the AFL, Indiana! It was good preseason for the ‘Birds, but after making the cuts, the record goes back to 0-0 and you have to prove just how good you really are every week.
Matthew Pickut is a pastor in northern Indiana and a long time AFL fan. He also writes for his own website: The Brown Paper Blog. He graduated from Taylor University in Upland Indiana (class of `96) with degrees in Biblical Literature and Sociology as well as a healthy respect for the medicinal properties of coffee.
