Road Unkind to Fire…So Far
Kevin Sedelmeier
Thursday May 8, 2003
Unlike the debacle at Cape Fear, the Fire were in the Cincinnati game throughout and had the ball on the Swarm 20-yard line, driving for the winning score, when the game ended. They also put points on the board; it was their second straight game scoring over 50 points. What will it take to beat the always formidable Steeldogs (3-2) in Birmingham on Saturday?
Defensive specialist Arkee Thompson said, “If we can just buckle down on our special teams, I think we’ll be alright.” No one would argue with that after the Fire gave up two return touchdowns last weekend in the six-point loss.
Head coach Tommy Johnson reiterates that. “Before we went into the Cincinnati game, we were in the top three in special teams in returns and in coverage. We lost that somewhere in that game,” he says with a good-natured laugh. “We have to get that back.” And if the way this young team has taken to their 31-year-old new head coach, that shouldn’t be a problem.
After five games, the Fire have already matched their win total from the 2002 season. So despite some special teams, breakdowns, Louisville looks to be in a good position in a particularly competitive Midwest division. The Fire’s offense has been a juggernaut compared to the version that took the field against Cape Fear in week 2. The Birmingham game should be no different. “We have to continue to put points on the board,” Johnson says.
Just this week, Steeldog OS Aryvia Holmes left the team to sign with the Montreal Allouettes of the CFL. Does the star receiver’s departure change anything about the Fire’s preparation? According to Thompson, that really doesn’t matter. Regardless of opponent, he says, “You’ve still got to line up and play.” Despite his humble answer, don’t be surprised if Thompson comes away adding to six-interception season total.
With the emergence of QB Josh Rogers and receiver Torrey Day, the offense seems to have found its niche. Throw in a huge and improved offensive line, a solid short yardage running game, WRs Alfonoso Browning and Corey Kelley and offensive standout Norman Mason, and the Fire is not short on talent. “We just don’t have too much experience. That’s the only problem,” says Mason.
As the season progresses, this young but talented bunch will only get better and more comfortable as a team. And at that point, opponents will be a lot like Frankenstein’s monster – fearing the Fire and flailing unsuccessfully to put out its flames.
SMOKE SIGNALS
While he didn’t win his AF2 game Friday, co-owner Will Wolford still came up big last weekend. His horse Honor In War won the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill Downs on Derby Day. The 4-year-old colt was a 24-1 shot.
Despite ICN Channel 8’s great commitment to the Fire and decent TV sports news time, especially from WAVE-TV and sports anchor/Fire play-by-play man Kent Taylor, Louisville’s Courier Journal hasn’t joined in the media support. In last Saturday’s paper, only the score of the game appeared. Although it was a road game, it happened only 90 miles away. Still, there was no coverage, and in Sunday’s edition all that was included was a box score. Yes, in all fairness, it was the biggest sports weekend of the year in Louisville, and the Saturday sports section was filled with Kentucky Oaks coverage and Kentucky Derby previews. Still, inexplicably, minimal coverage of the Fire has been the norm all season.
Kevin Sedelmeier is a native Louisvillian. A graduate of the University of Louisville with a B.A. in Communication and M.A. in English, he works as a technical writer and has written fifteen screenplays and numerous short
stories. He lives with his wife Elizabeth, son Lukas, and their dog Springsteen.