Mobile Still Searching for First Win This Season
Keith Antigiovanni
Thursday May 23, 2002
After opening the season allowing only 47 points in its first two games the defense collapsed giving up a combined 289 over the next four games while scoring only 59 points resulting in former Head Coach Chad Lindsey’s dismissal after only six games. Lindsey felt it was only a matter of time before the team came together but knowing when was the big question. Even though the losses mounted the team seemed to play worse every week rather than improve. New Head Coach Alan Risher’s task is simple but not easy: Try to improve quite possibly the worst team in the af2. His first order of business is to settle on a quarterback. This is easier said than done because settling on a QB does you no good if the guy cant play.
The Wizards had three different starters under Lindsey; Kelvin Simmons, Billy Luckie and John Holmes, all of which are gone now. Simmons was the first starter but was let go forcing Lindsey to go juggle Luckie and Holmes. Neither performed well. Tomorrow Mobile will start its fourth different QB Kelvin Robinson from Alabama A&M. “He was on a CFL roster recently. We’ll give him a chance tomorrow night so we can see what he can do, “Wizards Head Coach Alan Risher said.
Robinson is one of many roster changes the Wizards have made since Lindsey’s dismissal two weeks ago. Last week the Wizards lost again 47-12 to the Bossier City Battle Wings but the score indicates some improvement after giving over 72 points a game the previous four weeks. Risher echoed Lindsey’s assessment of the line in that they can’t stop anyone. In that case it doesn’t matter if you have Johnny Unitas playing QB because he wont have any time to throw. “We’ve improved our roster the past couple of weeks. We just need to keep upgrading our roster,” Risher said.
Keith Antigiovanni is a free-lance writer in San Diego, California. He has worked for several local newspapers covering sports, government and business. Keith started writing in 1995 after graduating with a Bachelors Degree in Mass Media Communications from the University of San Diego. Aside from working as a sportswriter he has a side business of providing marketing assistance/research for small businesses and also directs,produces and hosts a regular public access television show on Time-Warner Cable named "San Diego Yesterday". Antigiovanni is also a member of the San Diego Sportswriter Association.
