San Jose 65 - New York 41, but no Losers Here
Tim Ball
Tuesday June 25, 2002
The PR guys for both teams; the Dragons’ Howie Wirtheim and the SaberCats’ Phil Simon were so busy moving interviewers and players around, that they were both sweating before the game even started.
There were so many recorders, I bet there was a hundred pounds of batteries in the Arena. The energy in the building was so high for this game, as my laptop started to flash a low power warning, I just held it in the Compaq Center air for a few seconds and I was at full power again. (Well maybe I plugged it in a little -- I can’t remember now).
If you thought Arena Football was not important, well…(I’ll be nice,) you’re mistaken. Even ArenaFan.com’s own Daniel Frias came out for this game.
I guess it’s safe to say that the SaberCats against the Dragons with Aaron Garcia and Steve Papin is a big thing! No matter what happened in this game, New York comes out ahead…
Competition between friends.
Aaron Garcia and Steve Papin have personal ties to the SaberCats. Papin put San Jose on the map with his “Coast to Coast” touchdown returns, for four plus seasons and Garcia has known SaberCats head coach Darren Arbet from his school days. Friendship and camaraderie runs deep between Arena Football players and Garcia and Papin, two of the best to ever play this game, felt almost at home. Almost…
“I don’t think they were concerned about me,” said Papin “That’s a good football team, they had great coverage all game long. They’re undefeated for a reason.” This nice comment came from a player who had 163 yards in kick returns against an “undefeated” team on a fifty yard-long field. Did Papin want to win or what?
San Jose was very concerned about Papin. With all the respect one would give to a fast gun in the old west, the SaberCats special teams did not challenge Papin the entire game. Eight men across ran down the field towards Papin, took up their positions and let Papin come to them, staying a safe distance from danger of the one missed tackle, that San Jose knows all too well would free Papin in the “blink” of an eye.
Maybe ten thousand plus “home fans” cheering at Papin’s homecoming had something to do with the SaberCats caution as well.
Ditto Aaron Garcia who was cheered as well… “That defense comes at you from every direction. I had trouble getting my rhythm and I overthrew a lot of my receivers. Said Garcia. “Coach Church has done another great job. I’ve seen it for myself.”
Garcia showed no fear even after San Jose took the lead 34-27 from an amazing onsides kick where Alcorn “passed” the ball eleven yards to Wagner with his foot!
Focusing on the job at hand and not San Jose’s magician kicker, Garcia followed up Papin’s 32-yard kickoff return with a two-pass scoring drive that evened the score at 34 all with seconds left in the second quarter.
The talented Mr. Alcorn gave San Jose a three-point lead (37-34) with an effortless 43-yarder, going into the locker rooms at halftime. With New York poised to receive the opening second half kickoff, all thoughts were on coach Church and his defense closing the door on the spirited Dragons and their returning heroes.
Rolaids, Tums and Pepto Bismal were flying out of pockets and pouches as fast as Clevan Thomas closes the distance to a receiver. Two men on the Dragons had thousands of fans as worried as a father on prom night…
Quotes from the brotherhood
Barry Wagner: “The Dragons are thinking they can beat us today. That’s a good attitude for a team to have if they’re going to have a chance. But they’re going to need more than just two guys to beat the SaberCats.”
Clevan Thomas: “I feel fortunate to be playing against Steve Papin,” (Thomas ran back the opening kickoff to show Papin why everyone is talking about this talented rookie). “Papin has so many team and league records and is such a part of the history here it’s a great opportunity to see one of the best there is.”
Steve Papin: “They have speed at each position and show many different formations. They have good chemistry and I can’t see many weaknesses. They’re as good as I’ve heard. I can’t wait to play them again.”
Defensive coach Michael Church: “We knew they would come in fired up. They had a very good first half and did what was needed to stay in it. Garcia brings a whole different element to deal with. We just kept up the pressure and there’s not much you can do as a quarterback when our defense plays that well.”
New York Head Coach John Gregory: “This is a good opportunity for us. I am very happy to have Aaron back and playing the SaberCats is opportunity to compete with the best and see what you’ve got.”
Dominance shows pride and respect
The Saber “Cats” were just that in the second half. They came out for the rest of this game running fast and pouncing on anything that moved. New York did not score for twenty-four minutes as San Jose tore up anything that New York threw at them.
In the third quarter offensive coach Terry Malley had his offense chewing up the clock and grinding away any hopes at being stopped, as San Jose was willing to use the whole quarter to showcase their total team concept.
Like Garcia said “that defense comes at you from every direction.” Like a pride going in for the kill, the SaberCats defense surrounded Garcia, who made one brief escape with a perfect 24-yard pass to Damien Groce at 5:57 left in the fourth quarter and then it was lights out for another victim swallowed by the SaberCats.
“We knew we had to keep Garcia and Papin on their heels” said defensive coach Michael Church. “You can’t allow a good team to get their rhythm. Records mean nothing and you have to play each team with the same intensity.”
Like the “concern” that San Jose showed to Papin, Aaron Garcia in the second half was never allowed to feel comfortable. The SaberCats were well aware that if Garcia was allowed any time at all this game could have swung the wrong way.
The 10-0 SaberCats
All the hype of this game was good for the sport. The best team in the league proved why they are the best. Although Garcia and Papin are phenomenal players, like Wagner opined, two men cannot beat the SaberCats. Only a complete team effort is going to have a chance and a slim chance at that. The SaberCats are a complete team and then some.
James Hundon and Mark Grieb have teamed up for some of the most productive games in the league this season. Both players were connected to two of the strongest passes I’ve ever seen Grieb throw. In both the third and fourth quarter, Grieb threw laser beams to Hundon who caught the ball with less than an inch between his hands and the defender that brought gasps from the crowd.
Hundon’s last catch was the final score of the game and was thrown by Grieb from the ten yard-line to the goal line as hard as any ball I’ve seen thrown. Hundon made a spectacular catch, literally stealing the ball from the defender, who was as astonished by the touchdown as the screaming throng of fans who leapt to their feet…
“Sometimes you just have to let them fly and throw ‘em as hard as you can,” said quarterback Mark Grieb. “I know I have the best receivers in the league and Hundon has been doing it all, all season long.”
“We have the best quarterback in the league and Mark doesn’t make many mistakes. They were perfect passes and that makes my job a little easier.” Said James Hundon on Grieb’s throws, “I gotta give credit to the Dragons defense -- they played hard and brought out the best in us.”
It might not be the best strategy for a team to bring out the best in the SaberCats. The respect the SaberCats showed to the Dragons was also New York’s undoing. The season may look brighter for the Dragons with Garcia’s comeback, but they stood in the shadow of a San Jose team that is truly awesome.
Why they do it
As I watched ten-year old Ryan Austin standing and waiting so patiently with his father Steve to get Grieb’s autograph after the game, I was surprised that the twenty-minute wait didn’t faze the little fan. “I love the SaberCats,” said Ryan. “Mark Grieb is the best and the SaberCats are going to beat everybody.”
Ryan Austin, who is “almost eleven” and his father are representative of the thousands of San Jose fans that are part of a season that is one of the best in history. As the SaberCats continue on their quest for a Championship they are winning hearts of loyal fans as well as beating the competition. Arena Football…”Get it all.”
Tim Ball is a writer in the Chicagoland area. Married and father of three, his opinions on Arena Football reflects the positive aspect of the game as a family event second to none in pro sports.
