Rattlers Looking for Increased Energy against Destroyers
Patrick Daly
Saturday May 26, 2001
Rattlers Head Coach Danny White has made it no secret this week that he wants the team to bring up their energy level and force their opponent to respond. As much as most teams try to take care of business one game at a time, this week’s game against Buffalo will go a long way to determining the character of this team.
“I think we’ll learn a lot about our guys Saturday. That’s probably the one thing we’ll look for; the energy level,” said White. “There are certain positions and certain situations where you have to create the energy yourself. Some positions are reactive positions. Offensive linemen pretty much have to block the guy that’s coming at them. They don’t have much choice. A defensive back has to cover the guy that’s running a route against him. So the tempo, the energy, is dictated by the other guy, not so much by you.”
“Our defensive pass rush is probably the one area where you have to create the energy,” continued White. “I’ve always learned more by watching our defensive pass rush than anything else, because most of the other positions on the field are reacting to what the other guy does, and they’re pretty much forced to play hard or look foolish.”
“These guys have got to get better or I’ve got to find new players,” said White about the play on the line. “Those are the choices I have, because 3-2 is not acceptable. Right now I’m pretty much counting on our guys responding and getting better. They’re better players. They know what they have to do and I’ll be surprised if we don’t come out and play well Saturday.”
Coming off of a loss to Indiana last week, the Rattlers know they’ve got something to prove.
“We’re still very, very disappointed,” said wide receiver/defensive back Randy Gatewood about the loss. “I think the most disappointing thing is when you know you’re capable of playing a lot better, then you go back to evaluate the film and all the mistakes we made were very noticeable.”
“I think we tried to get back to basics this week,” said Gatewood. “Tuesday’s practice was more for the receivers -- just trying to fine tune our routes and get in sync with the quarterback. After last week [against Indiana], we don’t want that to happen again.”
Fullback/linebacker Bo Kelly also talked about the work put in this week by the linemen and fullbacks.
“We’re focusing more on eliminating a lot of the little mistakes… getting rid of some bad habits we’ve picked up over the years and trying to play more as a unit,” said Kelly. “We’ve got a lot of older guys, but we’re still not playing as a unit. A lot of the newer guys we’ve got, they’re really not into the game just yet. We haven’t brought them along like we should.”
Like the Rattlers, the Destroyers have also been affected by injuries this season and will be without offensive specialist Bobby Olive and wide receiver/defensive back Willie Latta. However, lead by former NFL linebacker Ray Bentley, Buffalo has shown a determination that has resulted in a 4-2 record and a share of first place in the Eastern Division.
“He’s done a great job,” said White about Bentley. “They’re not pretty in their execution, but they’re a bunch of scrappers. They play hard. That’s probably the perfect kind of team for us to be playing this week. We need to learn how to do that. We need to learn how to turn the energy level up.”
Good news has arrived on the status of quarterback Sherdrick Bonner. After going down in the season opener, Bonner has suited up for practices this week, although he may not dress on Saturday. His status will depend on how his right knee responds to workouts at the end of the week. Chad May is still the starter for now, but expect Chad DeGrenier to play if the line doesn’t give May the time he needs to set up and throw.
In addition to an increased energy level, the Rattlers also know that leadership is key, especially when the team is down. However, that doesn’t mean the players should wait for someone else to step forward.
“I think at this level we’re all professionals,” said Gatewood about his views on leadership. “To a certain extent you do need leadership on the football field and I think we have that, but in other ways, as a professional athlete, I have to be my own leader. Everyone has to be accountable for themselves.”
“I try to be my own leader and I try to lead by example on the field,” continued Gatewood. “I’m not the guy that’s going to cuss and scream and yell about anyone not doing their job. I’m just going to go out and focus on what I have to do to get better and what I can do to contribute to our success. I think if every player looks at it that way then that’s leadership itself right there.”
Patrick Daly has been an Arena Football League enthusiast since he first stumbled across the late-night ESPN broadcasts and has followed the Arizona Rattlers since their inaugural season in 1992. He graduated from Arizona State University with an engineering degree and is currently a member of a web development team for Direct Alliance in Tempe. Patrick currently resides in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler, Arizona with his beautiful wife, son and a very large football helmet collection.
