Anticipation

With our victory last week, we once again remain one of the Elite Eight teams in the nation. My own personal expectation in a league as tough as the WFA, is to be in the Final Four each year, so we’re not quite there yet. Coming down to visit this week are the undefeated Seattle Majestics, currently ranked #7 in the country. Playing teams like Seattle are what makes our year. We’re fortunate this year to have been tested earlier by the rise of Pacific and Central Cal, and I believe that will make us stronger from here on out.

Obviously I expect a great game from Seattle this weekend – but who else is playing?

Kansas City (#15) goes down to Dallas (#5). In the past, this has been a tight series, but I don’t see it that way this year. I think the reappearance of the St. Louis Slam hurt the Titans a lot. Being that Dallas beat Kansas City 78-6 in Kansas City in Week 3 doesn’t bode well for the Titans. I really like some of the Titan players, but I just don’t see how they can make up 10 touchdowns, you know?

Chicago (#3) goes to Boston (#2). Should be the game of the week. I thought that this would be Chicago’s year, but Boston besting them in Chicago, along with DC beating Boston twice, gives me reason to reevaluate. Coach Konecki will have his players hyped, but will it be enough? It’s hard to believe that Chicago will have the same torrent of turnovers they had in the first meeting. Usually a team that puts the ball on the ground 11 times get blown out, but this was an overtime loss. However, as Boston likes to say, until someone takes the title from them, they’re still the champs. If this game was in Chicago, I’d give it to the Force, but in Boston…..who knows?

Atlanta (#10) goes to DC (#1). I’ve said before that DC is the only team that looks dominant this year. Yes, they’ll have to prove it one more time against either Boston or Chicago, but I don’t see Atlanta pulling it off. I guess I’m still biased against the southern teams due to one of their teams finishing 10-0 every year and then getting blown out in the first round. Until one of them can beat someone outside of their immediate region, my bias will remain.

Best of luck to everyone playing, and let’s get through this week injury-free!

For more information on the Women's Football Association (WFA), please go to: www.wfafootball.net. 

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A rave and then a couple of rants…..

I want to give a shout out to my Surge offensive line, and it has nothing to do with their technical prowess (although I do think they’re pretty darn good, having allowed only 1 sack all year, and averaging well north of the 7 yards per carry that is my standard). I want to talk about the way they approach practice. First of all, as a group, they’re there…..every time. There have been times when attendance for the rest of the team has been a little shaky, but the OL is always there. A few of them have missed a practice here and there, but I’d say they are right around a 95% attendance rate among them.

Second, they get bored easily, and that’s a good thing. They want to be working, all practice. My rookies, Sarah Zito, Mercedes Tyler and Karen Plogger (recovering from an injury) just jump in and do whatever is asked of them. They’ve embraced the “guardian” mantle we talk about. Our veteran leaders, Eboni Chambers, Jessica Cable, Jen White, Chris Carrillo (injured) along with Katrina Walter (when I get her from the defense) aren’t rah-rah types at all, just like most good OL. They lead by example and have each helped out the rookies. It is very refreshing to see the “let’s go to work” mentality being passed on to the new players *by* players, instead of necessarily having to come from me. They are a great group to coach!

Now the rants…..

I love my men’s team OL, individually, I really do. They’re great guys. The problem is, they have an aversion to coming to practice as a group. We’ve had 7 practices so far and I haven’t had 5 OL at a single one of them. I don’t understand (and probably never will) what it is about the men’s game where players (and sometimes coaches) think they can just blow off practices. I mean, the Surge OL all have jobs, school, families, etc., and they find a way to make it to practice. I always hear “well, that’s semi-pro for you” or, “that’s just the way it is” and I absolutely refuse to accept that. Football is football! None of those guys who grew up playing the game were ever told that practice is optional. So when did that ethos change? When they are there, the guys pick up on what we’re trying to do pretty quickly, but in order to get to our full potential the OL has to work as a unit, often. Hopefully now that games are closer, there will be a little more in the way of a “sense of urgency” that takes hold with them.

Finally…..

You can file this one under “only in semi-pro” as well: We had a very good defensive coach with us for about 5 weeks. On July 18, we open with a traditional rival for us, from North County. Last week, that coach told us he was leaving, for (you guessed it) our July 18 opponent. So here’s a coach that has been intimately involved with our team throughout our game planning phase and two weeks before the game he decides to not only leave, but go coach for the team he helped prepare us for! Who does that? Don’t misunderstand – I get him leaving us, that’s cool. I get him going to coach for the North County team – that’s cool too. But the honorable thing would have been to say, “Hey, I’ll come coach you guys – starting July 19.” I’m just relieved I didn’t give him as much info as he wanted on our offense.

All right……I’m sure there will be plenty to talk about next week, given the four huge games this week. See you then!