Last Chance Hotel for the Gladiators
Marc Viquez
Saturday July 21, 2001
It can also be said that many former Storm players and coaches will be returning to Tampa Bay. The Gladiators will look to finish off the season against the struggling, but playoff bound Tampa Bay Storm.
The team has to like their chances after losing to a surging Toronto Phantoms team by only seven points last week. “I like who we are because everybody in this locker room was so disappointed that we didn’t get a victory here,” said Kuharich. Kuharich, who coached Tampa Bay to Arenabowl VIII and compiled a 25-9 regular season record to boot, will be hungry for the teams` third victory of the season. The Storm who started out the season at 7-0, have been 2-4 since, while New Jersey has been improving, but have only two wins to show for it this season.
The team`s taste for victory has increased with close losses to Florida, New York, and Toronto. When it all comes down to the end its just another day at the office for the New Jersey Gladiators.
"You’re in that kind of business and we’re going down to Tampa Bay with twenty guys that want a victory, very bad,” said Kuharich. Kuharich has a few players who can help him out like Coco Blalock, who captured his second straight Game MVP award in the loss last weekend in Toronto.
Blalock has been making the most of his opportunities by catching five receptions for 133 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 122 yards on kickoff returns. A player who can break out in a hurry should make Tampa Bay weary. "When he sees daylight, boy, he bursts. He`s into gear in one or two strides," added Kuharich.
QB Connell Maynor has also been impressive of late. I guess those aches and bruises have healed up nicely judging by the 13-for-25 for 222 yards and four touchdown performance. This time the team is going to have to go for the jugular to knock off Tampa Bay.
The team has a list of questionable players with sprains like WR/LB Lawrence Samuels, DS Michael Scott, OL/DL Dwayne Sabb, and DS Corey Dowden. The grocery list of injuries is nothing new to this team who seemed to have everybody from their starting quarterback to the towel boy on the injury list this summer.
A win would be nice here, especially for a few Gladiators players who spent quality years with Tampa Bay. Samuels, Maynor, and Dowden all had the lightning bolts on their helmets at one time and return to familiar territory. New Jersey is 1-4 lifetime against the Storm, including a playoff loss in 1998.
This is it folks, the last game of the 2001 season and there would be nothing sweeter to win against another playoff-bound opponent. Perhaps we`ll get to see another strong Gladiator performance and the first road victory of the season.
A fan of the sport since 1990 Marc has covered both the New Jersey Gladiators and Cincinnati Swarm (Af2) for Arenafan Online. Marc now resides in Indianapolis after graduating with a Masters in Sports Management from Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Ind. When not at a Firebirds game Marc can be found traveling the Midwest covering sports for various Internet and print publications.
