Destroyers finish strong against Gladiators
Tom Ando
Saturday April 20, 2002
Following successful off seasons, the teams clashed in their much-anticipated debuts. For Buffalo, it was instrumental to start off the season with a win for the second consecutive season.
“The home opener is one where you really have to win if you’re going to be where you want to be at the end of the thing,” said Destroyers Head Coach Ray Bentley. “That’s how you get things started. I was really proud of the effort and the way the football team went after it tonight.”
After falling behind by eighteen after a quarter, New Jersey fought back on scores from James Bowden, George Williams, and Mike Horacek, who led all receivers with 11 receptions for 106 yards and three scores.
“They took our best punch and came back,” said Bentley. “I’ve got to give them credit, they were as good of a football team as I thought they were going to be going in, but we were able to hold on and finish strong.”
Strong was the word to describe almost all of the game, but consistent would also be a word used to describe Fred McNair’s performance. The ninth year all-pro was sixteen of twenty-one for 191 yards and five scores, while running for another. His numbers on the night were enough to move him into seventh place on the all time passing list, passing former Firebirds great, Mike Palawski.
“My job is not too hard,” said McNair, the game’s MVP. “Just go out, drop back, and throw to the open guys, and as you can see, the guys were open. Every time you get the ball in their hands, they’re going to do something good, so it’s my job to find those guys and make that work.”
Making it work were receivers, Kevin Mason, Bret Cooper, Lamont Cooper, who also ran for a touchdown, and Carlos James, who led the team with two touchdown receptions.
“We’ve been practicing real hard, this whole training camp, and it showed tonight,” said James, the four time all arena wr/db. “We stuck together, and I think this whole year’s going to be finished strong. Last year, we kind of stumbled a little bit in our house, and it isn’t going to happen this year. We’re going to come out strong every time at home, and we’re going to finish strong.”
The play that helped the Destroyers finish strong the most was a fourth quarter interception by Eddie Brown, which nearly went the distance. “I saw nothing but end zone, and I figure if I make a move on that quarterback, I’d get in there,” said ‘Downtown’ Eddie Brown. “Once I made a move on him, I thought I was in, then one of my teammates tripped me up. But it’s ok, as long as we come away with a win, I’m happy.”
The Destroyers will travel to Long Island to take on the 0-1 Dragons next Sunday, in hopes of repeating last year’s start of 2-0.
"Touchdown" Tom Ando is a free lance writer from South Buffalo, NY and has been covering the Arena Football League in one capacity or another since the 2000 season, when he was 17 years old. Tom Currently writes for Sports & Leisure Magazine in Buffalo covering the NLL's Buffalo Bandits and NCAA Division I football. In 2001, Tom was the only writer in the country to cover the Houston "Travelin' " Thunderbears, where he befriended his mentor John F. "Hondo" Hahn.
