Bad News Bears of Arena Football Show Their Stuff
Mary-Ann Williams
Saturday June 24, 2000
San Jose is probably the best team in Arena Football this season. They’ve just completed an eight-game winning streak, and have arguably the best Offensive Specialist in the league in Steve Papin. Without a doubt, this is the team to watch in the playoffs.
Milwaukee is well known for its comebacks and mistake riddled games. Year after year, they seem to find themselves striving forward after several hard knocks back. Again this year, they are shuffling desperately to get into the play-offs instead of earning the right early on. They are the Bad News Bears of the Arena Football League.
“Once again, our guys work hard; our guys play hard; they prepared hard,” said Coach Rick Frazier. “If it wasn’t for bad luck, sometimes I think we wouldn’t have any [luck] at all.”
And still they gave the sterling SaberCats a run for their money.
It wasn’t a picture perfect game. Mistakes and errors occurred as always, but this time they happened on both sides of the line and by both teams. Two interceptions early on had Milwaukee quarterback Kevin McDougal hanging his head, and foul trouble caught the SaberCats at all the wrong times. But when these two teams decided to show the fans a great game, they went all out.
Despite the foul-riddled first half, the SaberCats were able to pull ahead to a respectable 35-17 lead.
“…We had the opening kick-off in the second half [and] had to get some points there. [We had to] get a touchdown; cut the thing down, right away where you’re back in the game,” said Coach Frazier of a field goal attempt with five seconds left to play in the second half. “Our field goal kicker’s been pretty good. But it’s kind of like you get asked about going for two when you’re down four. In Arena Football, there’s an old theory the coaches told me when I first came in in ’95, and I’ve lived by it. Collect every point you can in the first three and a half quarters of an Arena Football game because you’re going to need them all.”
The last minute field goal attempt by Milwaukee kicker Steve Videtich clanged against the iron, bringing the half to an all too familiar close. Milwaukee was down and struggling.
 Gary Compton`s heroic efforts were still not quite enough to get a win for the Mustangs Image courtesy of Drew Kennedy |
From there the touchdowns went back and forth. San Jose’s WR/DB Barry Wagner ran in a TD from a yard away after two catches by WR/DB Jerry Reese to bring it down field. Milwaukee’s surprise 31-yard pass to defensive specialist Heron O’Neal brought them another TD.
Then the SaberCats found themselves at the wrong end of the field with the ball on fourth down. A failed field goal attempt gave the Mustangs the chance they needed to prove themselves. On the next drive WR/DB Sean Riley watched a perfect bomb fall between his open arms. Then, an incomplete pass to Cooper was able to escape the hands of the two SaberCats surrounding him, giving the Mustangs a third down with ten to go. Another incomplete pass to Cooper brought the drive to a grinding halt, as the Mustangs readied for a long field goal attempt and a less comfortable position in the game.
McDougal said of Riley’s dropped ball, “You just [have to] pat ‘em on the back and say, ‘Let’s go. Catch the next one.’ No one’s perfect and we’re all going to make mistakes. I know he’s out there working as hard as he can.”
With nothing to lose and everything to gain, the Mustangs opted a trick play. Instead of attempting the 50-some yard field goal, Videtich pooched the ball high and short, right into Riley’s hands at midfield. The startling play gave the Mustangs another crack at a touchdown, and their fans something to holler about. Three plays and 25 yards later, the score was 42-37, and the Mustang fans were on their feet. Videtich brought it home with an extra point, giving the SaberCats a very uncomfortable four-point lead.
The fire had been lit, and the Mustangs were taking full advantage of it. But the SaberCats weren’t done yet.
San Jose quarterback Mark Grieb said of his opponents, “I think coming into the game, we didn’t underestimate them. We knew they had a good team.”
 A short missed field goal and a loss by three is tough to swallow for the normally sure-footed Steve Videtich Image courtesy of Dave Carlson |
The clock had to run out eventually, and when it did the San Jose SaberCats were three points in front of the Milwaukee Mustangs. The last ditch efforts of two onside kicks by Milwaukee resulted in a touchdown and an end-of-game drive by San Jose, and loss number seven for the Mustangs.
With only four games left in the season, the Mustangs have to win at least three for even a glimpse at a play-off spot.
Coach Frazier summed up his team’s chances in the play-offs by saying, “There’s no replacement, there’s no substitution for hard work, and for effort. And as long as our players are giving us that, then we’re going to have a fighting chance.”
Said Grieb, “I thought they did a good job; they played with heart.”
Just like the Bad News Bears.
Mary-Ann Williams lives in Chicagoland with her four children, Carter, Jackson, Jeremy, and Riley Jade. As a freelance writer, she`s written articles for the Associated Press, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and the Daily Herald. She also serves as editor of the AFL-side of Arenafan Online, and covers the Chicago Rush.
