SaberCats Weather the Storm
Leanne Cozart
Saturday May 11, 2013
The San Jose SaberCats continued to ride the momentum they’ve developed to take down the Tampa Bay Storm (5-3) and improve their record to 5-2 after posting their third consecutive win (64-34). The SaberCats are now tied with the Spokane Shock at second in the Western Division.
Under the leadership of quarterback Russ Michna, the SaberCats offense had a very productive night as he had 16 completions in 23 pass attempts for 182-yards and scored five total touchdowns. Michna spread the love to three different receivers for scores and all while having plenty of time in the pocket. The ‘Cats offensive line played cohesively not giving up any sacks, putting an end to the Storm defense that had five consecutive games sacking the opposing quarterback.
Coach Arbet credits the spark in his offense saying, “They saw those stats and they took the challenge head on.”
The offense was able to execute successfully to keep the lead throughout the game with help from their defense’s dominant performance. The explosive ‘Cats defense collected six sacks, two interceptions and forced three turnovers on downs throughout the night. The ‘Cats defense now have three consecutive games holding their opponents below the 40-point mark.
“We prepare every week like it’s the ArenaBowl and I think the past three games really speak for themselves. Holding guys under 40-points is kind of unheard of in Arena. That’s what we expect. We set the bar really high for ourselves, really early. So there’s no turning back now, just keep doing it,” said Riddell Defensive Player of The Game and defensive back Ken Fontenette.
‘Cats Impact Players
DB Ken Fontenette
SaberCats defensive back Ken Fontenette had a big night as he led the team with nine tackles and brought in two interceptions, one of which was brought back for a 36-yard score. Fontenette added two interceptions to McPherson’s season record which was previously only one.
Following Fontenette’s stellar SaberCat performance, Coach Arbet discussed his respect for this playmaker stating, “In my mind he’s one of the best in the league right now.”
LB Francis Maka
Linebacker Francis Maka registered two sacks in an electric performance against the Storm to add to the team’s total of six for the night. Maka played an integral part in forcing Tampa Bay’s quarterback Adrian McPherson to mix up his offensive game plan up by consistently applying pressure along with his hungry teammates by his side.
“He (McPherson) is so dangerous with his legs, our goal this week was to make him beat us with his arm, and they (defensive line) did a great job at doing that,” said Fontenette.
WR/LB Huey Whitaker
Ironman Huey Whitaker excelled on both sides of the ball finishing the night on offense with 84-receiving yards and one score matched with another score on defense after recovering a fumble in the end zone for a safety. Whitaker led the offense in receiving yards and also had three solo tackles along with a quarterback hit on defense. His performance in all three phases of the game is what makes Whitaker a game changer week to week.
Quote of the Night
“I’m proud of them. They’ve been working hard, they’ve improved a lot, but like I told them in the locker room, it’s not about one game. We have to improve every week as a football team to get where we want to be,” said Coach Arbet.
Leanne is a freelance sports journalist residing in the San Francisco Bay Area as she finishes up her Mass Communication, Media Production B.A. at Cal State University, East Bay. This will be her second season as a correspondent covering the San Jose SaberCats.
