New Talent + Old Style = Rush Victory
Jeff Sims
Wednesday February 9, 2005
Increasing their record in home openers to 4-1 with a 51 – 41 victory, the Rush still utilized some of that speed, but also came out with a look that their fans have seen before; a physical style of play that wins football games.
"(Philadelphia) was picked to win the ArenaBowl this year with not many people giving us a chance," said Rush coach Mike Hohensee. "Our guys were determined to go out and prove themselves."
And prove themselves they did. After giving up over 350 yards to Clint Stoerner and the Desperados, the Rush defense, without starting DS Tony Lukins and DS Greg Williams due to injuries that came up on Friday afternoon, gave up only 226 yards to Philadelphia and their All-Arena QB Tony Graziani.
The replacements for Lukins and Williams were exceptional in their play for the Rush. Both newcomer WR/DB Russell Shaw and veteran WR/DB DeJuan Alfonso, along with DS Jeroid Johnson, were able to put pressure on the Soul receivers at the line of scrimmage, thus making it difficult for Philadelphia to make plays downfield.
"That was the key (today)," said Johnson. "(Against Dallas), we were letting them do what they wanted to do. So we decided that we wanted to control the tempo of the game by getting physical with them, hit them in the mouth when they wanted to do something. And that was the game plan. Get physical and dominate the man in front of you."
It was Shaw that made the most impact. He was responsible for two fourth down stops on the day. The key one came at the end of the third quarter and pretty much put the game out of reach for Philadelphia.
"I didn’t want to look back at the ball because I know (Soul WR/LB Sean Scott) is a big receiver," said Shaw. "So I waited until the ball got into his hands and then played the tip through his hands."
Then the offense took over.
The New Offensive Threat
The impact for the Rush on the offensive side of the ball once again came from new OS Henry Douglas. His 101 return yards help to set up the Rush in good field position all afternoon. In addition, Douglas compiled five receptions for 47 yards and two touchdowns. The touchdowns came when The Rush needed them most, after the Shaw stop, and then late in the came to secure the win.
"I’m just trying to add a spark," said Douglas after the game. "I go out there and do what I am supposed to do. I just like to step it up a little and look to do more to help us win."
Douglas has quietly compiled 186 yards receiving and four touchdowns in his first two games with Chicago. His 281 kick return yards lead the AFL.
It is still early to speak, but it seems the Rush have found a gem in Henry Douglas.
The Next Step
The Rush head to Colorado next week to take on the Crush in their first divisional game of the year. The Rush lead the overall series two games to one. Look for a tightly contested battle as both teams were just one game away from reaching the ArenaBowl last year and are hungry to return. The two teams split their two games last season.
Jeff has been writing for ArenaFan.com since 2004. Originally from New York, Jeff has been living in the Chicago area for the past ten years and is an avid football fanatic. He holds a BA in communications from Hofstra University in New York and a sports management certificate from Loyola University in Chicago.
