A dogfight that sways away from LA

Manny Nunez
Sunday June 21, 2015

For a change, all the talk around the Arena Football world has been about the LA KISS. Before it became a story of how much are they going to lose this week. It became the usual story line for a team that had nothing to work with, because quite frankly it was an entirely different roster every time the team would step out on the field.

This time around, facing off against their toughest stretch in their schedule, the KISS had much more to prove besides the trip to San Jose wasn’t a fluke. Philadelphia came to town, a team that mentally cannot afford another loss when they struggled greatly against Orlando last week.

For around three quarters, the Soul and KISS traded shots blow by blow. Whenever Philadelphia scored, LA responded. It was something this team had learned after battling against San Jose, where after trailing by two touchdowns twice, letting up was not on their minds.

If it weren’t for the Soul’s Logan Thomas, who had three of the team’s six touchdowns, the KISS could have hung around late. Regardless, overlook the 56-48 loss, which is now their 10th of the year. Against a team that is a very legitimate Arena Bowl contender, this team does not seem to be going anywhere.

“We did make some mistakes that can cost us a football game,” KISS head coach Bob McMillen said. “We dropped a few balls and missed a few routes. We were pretty awful on special teams. These are things we need to clean up, but we continued to battle. I like where our team is headed, but we just need to stop and maintain the mistakes that can cost us football games.”

There was no question about its defense who at times still couldn’t cover the long ball. Dan Raudabaugh consistently went deep, where three of his six touchdown passes were from 20 yards or more. This was the KISS’ Achilles heel, but being able to bounce back after a quick turnaround shows how much more mature this team has become.

“We have been working hard, and a lot of us have not been here since the beginning,” KISS defensive back Josh Victorian said. “We try to work hard in practice and learn all the nuisances of the game. Since day 1 where we came in, we have been playing and been thinking to ourselves we are not a 2-10 team, and that has helped us greatly.”

There was still some dazzle in Donovan Morgan as usual, catching four touchdown passes and lighting up the crowd with his spectacular catches through coverage and reading the eyes of the defense.

But the most impressive feat came from Danny Southwick, where his 241-yard and six-touchdown outing kept his team hanging. He still needs some work to do as he missed a few open reads, but compared to what the KISS had before (and lost), they are rather comfortable to move forward with his arm.

“Southwick is getting more and more comfortable,” McMillen said. “It is very nice not changing quarterbacks back and forth. I am sure that Danny wants some throws back, but he has showed a lot of improvement. We just need to take from this game and make sure he can capitalize more, and that comes from practice.”

A win would have been nice for a team that can faintly talk about getting back in the playoff picture. With a very weak National Conference and just at least two games out of fourth place, the KISS are at the very least pleased with their improved performance.

“Getting some of the guys from our bye week is showing that we are gelling,” McMillen said. “You should see the communication and love our team is making in the locker room. We all believe that when we step on the field, we will always be successful.”

Maturity has begun to settle, and those new faces not familiar with the Arena League are learning from their veterans. Morgan has taken over the offense, while Rayshaun Keizer has completely retooled the defensive end. While you can take a game like the one they played against the Soul as a learning experience, an Arizona team who know the KISS all too well awaits them. In their three games, the Rattlers have taken the KISS down by an average of 35 points a game, including a 68-30 debacle in week 5. But this is a completely different KISS team they have not seen before. One thing is for sure, another KISS loss would put them right back in the cellar.

“I wouldn’t say we were happy about the way we played after a loss,” Victorian said. “I am happy the way we fought, but we took a step back. We just need to figure out how to get back on track and fast, and that comes with practice on Monday.”