Riptide Happy to Make Playoffs But the Job is Far From Finished
Keith Antigiovanni
Saturday August 3, 2002
“Right now, our guys are about as healthy as we’ve been all season with the exception of Rico (Curtis). He got banged up last week but he’ll play in the opening lineup,” Riptide head coach Cree Morris said.
Bakersfield won the season series over the San Diego 2-1 after three exciting, down-to-the-wire matches. Riptide fans will remember the frustration of opening night when the Blitz spoiled the party for the Riptide in both franchises’ first game. San Diego dominated Bakersfield 27-3 in the first half only to lose the lead and force the game into overtime. In overtime, after Riptide QB Kane Claunch’s third interception of the night, Blitz QB Chad Elliot connected on a game-winning touchdown pass to Steve Wofford to win the game for Bakersfield 36-33.
Throughout the season San Diego trailed the Blitz in the standings only to lose the division down the stretch. The Riptide are still pleased to be the playoffs but are hungry to advance in the playoffs. “God has been so good to us this year with all the injuries we’ve had. Were thankful to be here. I know it sounds bad because I’m very competitive but this season is really a win/win scenario. If we win, we move on. If not, then we weren’t expected to anyways,” Morris said.
According to Coach Morris the Riptide players aren’t feeling the pressure that goes along for a team who’s making its first post-season appearance. “On the trip up the guys were real loose. They know they are the underdogs and they love it,” he said.
The big keys to the game for San Diego are simple but not easy, they want to go back to their early season form when they were the fourth in the league in scoring. “We want to score early and often to put pressure on them and take the Blitz out of their game plan and to take their crowd out of it,” Morris said.
In addition to scoring, Morris also feels that turnovers will ultimately decide the game. “If we avoid turnovers and play our best we will win the game but if not then (Bakersfield) are just the better team. I want us to play our best and leave everything out there on the field because if you lose you go home,” Morris added.
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.
