Who Will Bend and Who Will Break?
Keith Murphy
Wednesday May 1, 2002
With all that is at stake, Siegfried expects this to be an exciting game. “If we play to our potential it’s going to be a great game. Richmond is very solid. However, I think it’s going to be tough for a team, any team, to run the table like Quad Cities [last season]. And I’d like to be the thorn in their side.”
Siegfried was also very quick to dismiss any talk of Richmond having played a “cup-cake” schedule. “They’re a very good team. You don’t just roll over teams by chance. Roanoke was 0 and 2 after playing Richmond – Now they’re 2 and 2. And Richmond beat Roanoke pretty handily. Richmond has to be considered the best team in the league.”
Siegfried believes that Cape Fear’s chances to win come down to his team’s ability to minimize mistakes. “We’ve got to take care of ourselves. I think the team that wins the turn over battle will win the game. It should be close but a pretty high scoring game.”
Much of the media attention during Cape Fear’s bye week focused on the impending battle at quarterback between former Macon starter Mike Gluski and the incumbent starter Vic Penn. Lost in the shadows was Penn’s outstanding performance in a loss against Augusta. Penn was 25 of 33 for 266 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. Siegfried believes that the competition in practice is benefiting both quarterbacks and the team. “The first couple of days Gluski struggled a bit. He’s trying to get up to pace on how I do things this year. Vic Penn elevated his game this week. Toward the end Gluski looked really good too. People might think that because we [Gluski and Siegfried] have a history that Gluski’s a shoo-in. That’s not how I operate. However, the heat is certainly on Vic Penn. Against Augusta, Penn played well enough to win. Unfortunately we lost.” Siegfried warns Wildcat fans not to read too much into any game-time substitutions. “If the case comes where I do pull Vic Penn that doesn’t mean he’s done.”
Siegfried picked up more than just Gluski over the bye week. Defensive End Teto Simpson formerly a North Carolina Tarheel and Clarence Moniba, a defensive specialist formerly of New Mexico State will both be in uniform and will see action for the Wildcats. “We feel that we have upgraded our roster this week,“ Siegfried said.
Kickoff is set for 7:00 pm at Richmond Coliseum. The game can be heard locally (in the Cape Fear area) on ESPN radio 1450 and WFAY 1230 AM.
Dr. Murphy has nearly 20 years of media experience ranging from radio to the Internet. He has served as webmaster for two AF2 teams and the football team at Fort Valley State University. He is a professor at FVSU and directs www.bunniwerks.org, a non-profit rabbit rescue organization. He has been commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel. Murphy is also serving as a first party editor of af2 stories for ArenaFfan. For more information about Dr. Murphy see: www.keithmurphy.info
