Post by 50yardfan on Jun 20, 2011 13:11:28 GMT -5
www.themonitor.com/sports/-51914--.html
The Houston Stallions shouldn’t be a desirable opponent in the first round of the playoffs. They went 12-0, finishing the season as the Southern Indoor Football League’s only undefeated team. They outscored opponents 556-332 and only three of their wins were by single digits. And most importantly for the Magic (6-6), who visit the Stallions at 7 tonight in the conference semifinals, none of those single-digit victories were against them.
Yet Magic coach Schuyler Anderson likes the matchup against the Stallions, a team that beat his by an average of 21.7 points in three games. Actually, he likes the matchup a lot.
“I’m actually excited. This time around we’ve got a pretty good team assembled. We’re pretty much loaded in every position,” Anderson said. “I’m feeling a lot better. I was actually looking forward to playing them.”
Uh, why?
“We’ve played them three times and two of the times we pretty much controlled the game all the way to the fourth quarter and let it slip away,” Anderson said. “We made our mistakes, they capitalized on it and took the games from us. Had we not made those mistakes, I feel like we would have had two victories from them.”
Anderson does have a point.
The teams’ second matchup saw the Magic lose 75-59, in a game that was RGV’s second in four days. Three weeks later, the Magic held a 37-28 lead entering the fourth quarter against Houston but were routed 26-0 in the final 15 minutes for a 54-37 defeat.
Since that final loss to the Stallions, the Magic have only lost twice. But then again, their schedule hasn’t exactly been a gauntlet.
They were credited with one win in place of a game against Lafayette Wildcatters, which dropped from the league prior to the season. They also won 98-18 against the semi-pro Edinburg Landsharks, who were on the schedule to replace the folded Mobile Bay Tarpons.
Because of their evolving schedule, tonight’s game at Houston will be just the Magic’s second game against SIFL competition in a month. That, though, doesn’t concern Anderson, whose team is officially on a four-game winning streak.
“Looking at the schedule we’ve had, we haven’t played a tough, competitive schedule but one thing the guys are riding on is a winning streak,” Anderson said. “Being able to assemble those wins and be hot at the right time, going into the playoffs is a good thing.”
EXTRA POINTS: The Magic are hosting a watch party tonight at Buffalo Wings & Rings at 1933 S. 10th St. in McAllen. Magic cheerleaders and mascot Kazaam are scheduled to be in attendance.
The Houston Stallions shouldn’t be a desirable opponent in the first round of the playoffs. They went 12-0, finishing the season as the Southern Indoor Football League’s only undefeated team. They outscored opponents 556-332 and only three of their wins were by single digits. And most importantly for the Magic (6-6), who visit the Stallions at 7 tonight in the conference semifinals, none of those single-digit victories were against them.
Yet Magic coach Schuyler Anderson likes the matchup against the Stallions, a team that beat his by an average of 21.7 points in three games. Actually, he likes the matchup a lot.
“I’m actually excited. This time around we’ve got a pretty good team assembled. We’re pretty much loaded in every position,” Anderson said. “I’m feeling a lot better. I was actually looking forward to playing them.”
Uh, why?
“We’ve played them three times and two of the times we pretty much controlled the game all the way to the fourth quarter and let it slip away,” Anderson said. “We made our mistakes, they capitalized on it and took the games from us. Had we not made those mistakes, I feel like we would have had two victories from them.”
Anderson does have a point.
The teams’ second matchup saw the Magic lose 75-59, in a game that was RGV’s second in four days. Three weeks later, the Magic held a 37-28 lead entering the fourth quarter against Houston but were routed 26-0 in the final 15 minutes for a 54-37 defeat.
Since that final loss to the Stallions, the Magic have only lost twice. But then again, their schedule hasn’t exactly been a gauntlet.
They were credited with one win in place of a game against Lafayette Wildcatters, which dropped from the league prior to the season. They also won 98-18 against the semi-pro Edinburg Landsharks, who were on the schedule to replace the folded Mobile Bay Tarpons.
Because of their evolving schedule, tonight’s game at Houston will be just the Magic’s second game against SIFL competition in a month. That, though, doesn’t concern Anderson, whose team is officially on a four-game winning streak.
“Looking at the schedule we’ve had, we haven’t played a tough, competitive schedule but one thing the guys are riding on is a winning streak,” Anderson said. “Being able to assemble those wins and be hot at the right time, going into the playoffs is a good thing.”
EXTRA POINTS: The Magic are hosting a watch party tonight at Buffalo Wings & Rings at 1933 S. 10th St. in McAllen. Magic cheerleaders and mascot Kazaam are scheduled to be in attendance.