Arizona Welcomes Rival San Jose for Western Division Showdown
Patrick Daly
Friday July 6, 2001
With such a big game on tap, no one has to tell the Rattlers coaches and players how important this game is in terms of playoff position and pride.
“It’s a rivalry,” stated Rattlers fullback/linebacker Greg Gales. “When we go on the field against San Jose we want to bash their heads and they want to bash our heads. So, it’s going to be a great game.”
“San Jose, rivalry, in our house…if you can’t get up for this one, there’s no need to come to the arena,” added Gales.
The Rattlers needed 77 points to outlast the Houston ThunderBears last week in Utah, which is great news for the offense. However, the 67 points allowed by the defense last week won’t be good enough to win against a strong opponent like San Jose.
“Offensively, we feel great,” said Gales about the win over Houston. “Defensively, we had to sink our heads. Hopefully, we can step it up against San Jose. We have to step it up against San Jose to get a win.”
Missed opportunities earlier in the season have only added to the importance of this game. The SaberCats currently control their own destiny in the division; thanks in part to their week two win over the Rattlers. Arizona came off of a first week bye, while San Jose had the benefit of one regular season game under their belts, but the Rattlers will be much more prepared this week.
“It’s funny how, as you get closer to the end of the season, the urgency builds and you have a smaller margin for error,” said Arizona head coach Danny White. “Earlier in the year, you lose a game you figure you can make it up; it’s a long season. Just like a game, you take chances early in the game because you figure you’ve got plenty of time to make it up if you blow it and that’s kind of the way the season is. The fact that it’s a division rival, the fact that it’s the end of the season, the fact that the playoffs are three weeks away and the fact that it’s San Jose who beat us earlier in the year, it all just adds up to being a very important game.”
“I think there will be a lot of energy in the arena,” added White. “I think both teams will be extremely psyched, extremely pumped up, playing with a lot of energy and that usually translates into a lot of great plays and a lot of great collisions.”
The Rattlers hold an all-time record of 9-4 against San Jose, but that record will mean nothing on Friday. Since taking over as head coach in San Jose Darren Arbet and the SaberCats are 3-2 against Arizona, which includes a 55-34 win over the Rattlers at America West Arena. Both teams were so evenly matched last season that it took a head-to-head points tiebreaker to decide the division winner.
“They have a complete package offensively,” said White about San Jose. “They run all of the deceptives. They have a lot of speed. Defensively, they’re very good up front. They put a lot of pressure on the quarterback. They know us very, very well. They know our tendencies. A great challenge for us offensively is going to be to break some of those tendencies and do some things to catch them off guard a little bit.”
Offensive specialist Calvin Schexnayder got a week of rest while Maurice Bryant shined against Houston, but he should be ready to return to the lineup this week. With injuries a factor on the line, the Rattlers have a few decisions to make prior to game time. Lineman Stacy Evans may be activated from injured reserve, but, along with lineman Wendell Gaines, Evans may still be a game time decision. Lineman Charlie Morris was activated earlier in the week and the Rattlers added extra insurance with rookie lineman Pat Kesi. Additionally, defensive specialist Cecil Doggette is a little banged up, which may be a concern facing weapons like Barry Wagner, Shalon Baker, Jerry Reese, and recent addition, James Hundon.
“If we go with seven linemen, we might dress both Calvin [Schexnayder] and Maurice [Bryant],” said White. “If we go with two fullbacks or whether we go with three fullbacks, whether we go with seven linemen or eight linemen, we just kind of have to look at everybody today and I’m just going to try to put our 20 healthiest guys out there.”
Rattlers Playoff Picture
Arizona holds the seventh spot for the moment with a 7-4 record, which would have them hosting Detroit in the first round if the playoffs started today. The Rattlers are only one game away from the top spot, but a few losses over the next three weeks would probably send the Rattlers on the road for the playoffs. The Rattlers could assure themselves a spot in the playoffs with victory this week, but they still need help to grab the division title. Even with a win against San Jose, Arizona will need to win their remaining games in addition to another San Jose loss since the current tiebreaker scenarios give the SaberCats the advantage if both teams win their final two games.
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.
