SaberCats Kiss Los Angeles Goodbye, 63-35
Griffin Aseltine
Sunday June 8, 2014
Quarterback Nathan Stanley suited up for only his third start of the season and led the SaberCats to an 8-4 record in dominating fashion at home on Saturday night. With the victory, San Jose is now one win away from clinching a playoff berth in the National Conference, and it has given itself a comfortable two-game lead in front of the Spokane Shock for the coveted division crown, something that San Jose has not had the pleasure of possessing since 2008.
Russ Michna, who suffered a major injury in the first quarter of last week's matchup in Arizona, remained on the sideline while Stanley went 25-of-37 with 280 yards, seven touchdowns, and just one interception. Much help was received from the rest of the SaberCats offense, with Reggie Gray (92 yards in six receptions plus two touchdowns), Jason Willis (72 yards in six receptions plus two touchdowns), Dominiqu Curry (60 yards in five receptions plus three touchdowns), and Rod Harper (37 yards in seven receptions) all being primary contributors in the receiving core. Despite playing in his rookie season, Stanley looked like anything but a rookie during Saturday's matchup, as two clutch fourth-down conversions in the second offensive drive of the game was all it took to ease him into a rhythm for the rest of the night.
"I hate what happened to Russ, but it's good to finally get back in the game," quarterback Nathan Stanley said following the victory. "I'm still learning everyday, and could certainly play a lot better. But it's good to shake that rookie feeling off."
Unfortunately for the Kiss, the story was vastly different for opposing quarterback Aaron Garcia. Despite 19 years of experience with 11 different teams, including the SaberCats, the 43-year-old veteran suffered a miserable night with four interceptions and a less-than-stellar completion rate of just 19-of-43. Many may argue that the aging legend's career may be over due to washed up mechanics. However, a primary cause for Garcia's lack of success on Saturday night was due to the credit of the SaberCats defense, as Clevan Thomas and Simeon Castille each grabbed a pair of interceptions. With only 35 points allowed, San Jose continues to prove why its defense is one of the most dominant in the league, especially at home.
"As a defense, we take pride in creating turnovers and giving our offense more opportunities," cornerback Simeon Castille explained. "The fourth quarter is very important; tonight was a big step for our defense."
The final quarter was, indeed, the highlight of the night for San Jose's defensive side. Three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown by Castille, eventually turned a relatively competitive matchup into a blowout final score in favor of the SaberCats. After Saturday night's win, San Jose has allowed an average of just under 41 points from opposing teams, one of the best averages in recent league history.
"Coach Walker did a nice job this week giving the defense different looks," head coach Darren Arbet said in awe of his defensive coordinator. "The pressure by our defensive line made the job much easier for the DB's back there."
While Nathan Stanley's impressive performance behind center may receive the most attention, the consistency of the SaberCats defense can't go unnoticed. Even the 12-0 Arizona Rattlers, who came out victorious last week, scored a season-low of just 51 points at home due to the stiffness of San Jose's pressure. Perhaps the ultimate key to a championship is not just having a powerful offense that consistently dominates, but also having what could be one of the most legendary defensive squads in AFL history.
Of course, another main key to a championship is earning a solid playoff spot, and next week's home matchup against divisional rival Spokane Shock will arguably be the most important matchup of the season in determining the National West. A victory will give the SaberCats a three-game lead with just five left to play, as well as the head-to-head tiebreaker. A loss, however, could be deadly, as the division lead would only be trimmed to one game, and the tiebreaker would be in Spokane's favor. If the San Jose SaberCats want to host their first playoff game in six years, next week's game against the Spokane Shock could be the deciding factor in who will end up with the 2014 National West Division title.
