Steeldogs Surging at Right Time

Eric Starling
Monday July 30, 2007

Before an announced crowd of 9,335, the largest of the year, the Alabama Steeldogs salvaged a season of disappointment with a 51-21 win over the Cincinnati Jungle Kats.    

After finishing 5-3 in the first half of the season, the Steeldogs lost the next six games.  Not only did they see their season slipping away, but they watched as attendance levels dropped.  During their last home game, a Saturday night contest, they only drew 4,170 fans.  During this losing string, the biggest problem for the Steeldogs was holding on to the ball.

Somewhere between Birmingham, Alabama and Albany, Georgia last week, they reapplied the stick-um to the gloves and came away with what most were calling an upset.  They played a turnover free game and scored on both offense and defense to beat Georgia 71-61.  This was their largest offensive production of the year.  

Personally, I believe this was not an upset, but a team finally playing to their potential and staying focused for all sixty minutes of the contest.  In the week that followed, the media would write of chances for the team to make the playoffs.  The arenafootball2 office would produce a document that detailed the over 100 playoff possibilities going into the final week of the regular season.  Let’s just say with the way things had gone during the second half of the season, this was a long shot and the Steeldogs didn’t have control over the pieces necessary.

“Playoffs or no playoffs, we came to play the best game we possibly could and to build upon the level of performance that we achieved against the Wildcats last week.”  Coach Ron Selesky stated, “All you can ask is to finish the season stronger than you started it and to win at home in front of the fans that support you.”

That is just what the Steeldogs did.  QB Mitch Tanney followed up his af2 Offensive Player of the Week performance going 14-18 for 132 yards and 4 touchdowns.  He added an 8-yard scramble for his ninth rushing score of the season.  

Now, the stage is set.  The Steeldogs will face the Rio Grande Valley Dorados next Sunday at 4:00 pm CST.  While the Dorados 15-1 record may look daunting and the Steeldogs are coming in with a 7-9 record, this game should be a fun one.  If Coach Selesky can get 100% effort, 100% ability, for 100% of the game, I would say the odds are even and the Dorados will be facing their toughest challenge of the season. 

This new resurgent team will be making their first playoff appearance since 2004.  The Steeldogs are 1-2 in first round playoff appearances.  Alabama has faced the Dorados three times previously and hold a 2-1 edge.  Last season, the Steeldogs lost the first meeting of the season by one point in overtime, but redeemed themselves in the second contest of the year by man-handling the Dorados 84-46.