Just Another Game???
Jeff Sims
Friday March 18, 2011
Nobody in the Chicago Rush organization will admit it, but they know that there will be a buzz surrounding their home opener on Friday night at Allstate Arena.
After defeating the Milwaukee Mustangs on the road on Monday night 49 – 41, the team has to turn around in just three days to be prepared to play a game that they have had on the radar since the schedule was released.
Coming in are the Philadelphia Soul, led by former Rush head coach Mike Hohensee. Hohensee resigned from the Rush back on August 20, 2010 just after his Rush team lost to Milwaukee in the playoffs last season. A disagreement with Rush team ownership led to his departure.
He quickly landed in Philadelphia after Soul majority owner Ron Jaworski had announced that the team was returning to the league this season. The Soul last played in the AFL in 2008.
Also in Philadelphia are former Rush players Donovan Morgan, who was the AFL Rookie of the Year in 2008, offensive lineman Darnell Whitley, defensive back Chris Martin, wide receiver Syvelle Newton, and former Rush fan favorite, linebacker DeJuan Alfonso.
So with five former Rush players and the coach that led the team for its first nine seasons in the AFL returning, how can this just be another game? It is only Week 2 of the season.
“There are a couple of people in Chicago that I will be happy to see, but for the most part we parted ways for a reason,” said Hohensee in an article posted on the Soul’s team website. “We are just going out there to win a football game and they just happen to be the Week 2 opponent.”
Even Rush quarterback Russ Michna does not put a lot of stock in the game against his former mentor.
“I think that we are still a learning team,” said Michna during an interview with the AFL. “I think they still have some things that they need to iron out. What happens in Week 2 doesn’t necessarily matter.”
What does matter to this Rush team is that they go out and play hard and compete. There are only a few returning players from last season’s Rush team that played under Hohensee and to them and new head coach Bob McMillen, that is all that matters.
The key to this game will be the ability of the Rush defensive backs to be able to handle the wide receiver trio for the Soul of Morgan, who had six total touchdowns in their team’s victory against Pittsburgh last week, Larry Brackins, who was a member of the Soul championship team in 2008, and Newton.
The Rush defensive backs gave up a couple of long touchdowns against the Mustangs on Monday night and Morgan has stated on the Soul’s website that they are going to come in and “destroy” the defensive backs of the Rush. Coach McMillen is confident in his secondary and his team.
“I have all of the confidence in the world in our defensive backs,” said McMillen. “I think they will get ready and compete, coach House is going to come up with a great game plan, so we will be ready for whatever coach Hohensee throws at us.”
Assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Walt Houseman will have the responsibility of coming up with a scheme to contain the trio. Houseman was also a former assistant and defensive coordinator under Hohensee with the Rush and also the New England Sea Wolves and is familiar with Hohensee’s offensive tendencies.
“I have spent ten years with the guy,” said Houseman. “I have every playbook that there is. It is just a matter of the wrinkle-dinks he will put in there. I will not coach any differently and let’s just leave it at that. It is the next game on our schedule and there is nothing in the past that matters. I only worry about what is coming up and beating that team like we did (against Milwaukee). (Defensive Backs coach) Titcus Pettigrew was with him last year and coached the receivers, so we have a good idea of what he will go to. Ho will formation us to death. The 13 or 14 different formations with the tight end of the field and regular, he will run them all.”
While this may only be a Week 2 game for these new players, with not only the lengthy history that the coaches have with each other, but also the recent history that appears to have been rocky at best, is this really just another game?
I don’t think so.
Jeff has been writing for ArenaFan.com since 2004. Originally from New York, Jeff has been living in the Chicago area for the past ten years and is an avid football fanatic. He holds a BA in communications from Hofstra University in New York and a sports management certificate from Loyola University in Chicago.
