“The team is really starting to grow,” head coach Darren Arbet said following Saturday night’s victory. “We’re getting better and better every week, and more and more guys are starting to make key plays.”

 

Leading the team to a dominant victory was quarterback Russ Michna and his consistency, throwing 13-of-18 for 150 yards and seven touchdowns, as well as rushing for another touchdown. For the second week in a row, he did not throw any interceptions. Aiding Michna was receiver Dominiqu Curry, who had arguably the greatest game of his career. His key offensive contributions included 75 yards in six receptions, four of which were touchdowns. Other game-changing receivers on offense included Rod Harper (40 yards in three receptions, plus one touchdown) and Jason Willis (29 yards in three receptions, plus two touchdowns). Odie Armstrong did not have any touchdowns, though he did manage 33 yards in eight rushing attempts.

 

“Even in college, I’ve never scored four touchdowns in a game in my life,” Curry commented towards his performance. “As the week goes on, the offensive leaders get me going; they talk and communicate with me. I owe our winning streak to our work, as it really rubs off on everyone.”

 

Indeed it did rub off on everyone, as the defensive side of the ball was just as productive, if not better, than the offense’s performance. It all began when Jason Stewart’s sack on quarterback Danny Southwick forced a safety, and on the following Portland drive, a fourth-down field goal attempt was blocked by Luis Vasquez. The SaberCats offense took advantage both times, ultimately scoring 23 unanswered points and managing a 23-6 lead by the end of the first quarter. That lead would remain fully secure throughout the rest of the night, thanks to only one fourth-down conversion being allowed out of Portland’s six attempts. Key turnovers included a late second quarter interception by Ken Fontenette, an early third quarter interception by Clevan Thomas, and even a game-ending fumble forced by Francis Maka.

 

“We really have a bunch of great guys on this team, and we are starting to gel together,” Fontenette said when asked about the team’s chemistry. “I take things very seriously. I miss quite a few interception opportunities and if I catch at least half of them, I could be leading the league right now.”

 

Perhaps that is one of the key attributes to the SaberCats’ dominance. Even when they are successful, they still look for ways of which they can improve themselves and become an even better player in the league in general. The more they look after themselves, the better they get and the better they perform. Coming into the second half of the season with one of the toughest schedules in the league, improving upon each individual player’s performance will be key, as well as the team’s connections, which are clearly growing and becoming stronger every week.

 

Next week, San Jose will have to face a thick Spokane Shock team in the northwest, a matchup that still hasn’t been in San Jose’s favor since early 2012. With the injuries currently plaguing the Shock, this could be the SaberCats’ ultimate chance to secure a division lead over its primary division rival. At the same time, it will not be easy, as the Shock has shown time and time again to have San Jose’s number.

 

“It’s a huge game coming up in Spokane,” Darren Arbet said when asked about the upcoming schedule. “But we have momentum going right now. I’d be really surprised if our team wasn’t prepared for next week.”

 

And prepared they must be. It will be a key chance for San Jose to grab its number back from the Shock and set the tone for the rest of the season. The SaberCats may possibly be underdogs, as they failed to overcome Spokane at home early on in the season. But they have shown that they can still stay within the competition and possibly have a chance to pull out a win. If San Jose can find a way to walk out of Spokane with a victory and secure a division lead, it could be a huge tone-shifter for the rest of the season.

Griffin Aseltine is an 18-year-old high school student and freelance writer who resides in San Jose, California. He has been fond of watching sports ever since experiencing the culture in his area shift a strong focus towards the San Francisco Giants following their World Series victory in 2010. Griffin became a San Jose SaberCats fan on the opening week of the 2012 season and has been a season ticket holder since 2013. He has contributed to First Stop Fantasy as a San Francisco 49ers writer since the start of the 2013 NFL season and has written for ArenaFan since the start of the 2014 AFL season. You can follow Griffin on Twitter @superduperm1.