Post by fwp on May 22, 2010 7:28:03 GMT -5
www.albanyherald.com/sports/headlines/94642139.html
LAKE CHARLES, La. — The good news is nobody forgot their shoes.
Of course, no one knows what to expect when the Panthers, who played their first five games at home, play their first road game tonight against the Louisiana Swashbucklers in Lake Charles, La.
“One time on a road trip (last year with the South Georgia Wildcats) I forgot to pack my shoes,’’ Panthers defensive back LeVance Richmond said. “We have to pack all of our own stuff, so when we got there, the bus had to pull over at an outlet mall, and I had to get off the bus and go buy a pair of shoes. It cost me $40.’’
There are lots of lessons to learn on the road in the world of arena football, where players pack their own gear and teams travel by bus.
“You learn real fast to get to the bus early so you can get a top bunk,’’ said veteran arena football player Clenton Rafe, who is arguably the best receiver in the Southern Indoor Football League. “You want to try to get as much rest as you can because those bus rides are long ones. It all depends on the driver. You’ve got to have a good driver.’’
The Panthers are not only at the top of the SIFL at 5-0, but their coach Lucious Davis may be a step ahead of the rest of the league. Teams in the SIFL are a combined 2-14 on the road, but part of that problem might be the brutal bus trips. Almost all the teams travel the day of the game, which means they get little rest between the time they get off the bus and the opening kickoff.
So Davis had the Panthers leave a day early. That way they could spend the night in a hotel before meeting the Swashbucklers (2-4), a team Albany beat, 43-35, seven days ago at the Civic Center. The Panthers, whose starting quarterback, Cecil Lester, is on the two-week injured reserve list with an ankle injury, started backup Jeff Aaron, but had to go to Andrico Hines, who signed with the club just 24 hours earlier. Hines threw four TDs and rallied the Panthers to a win. As a result, Hines will start tonight for a team that isn’t too worried about playing the first road game.
“A football game is a football game,’’ Richmond said. “It’s X’s and O’s no matter where you’re playing. I think we’ll be just fine. I think I play my best on the road.’’
Rafe, too, loves the road.
“When you’re on the road, your focus is a little different. It’s easier to focus on the game,’’ he said. “Everybody is against you. It’s not comfortable like it is at home. It’s fun getting booed, and even more fun shutting them up.
“I think this team is ready for the road. Everyone is looking forward to the first road game.’’
Even kicker Juan Bongarra, who joined the team in Week 4, said at practice Wednesday he couldn’t wait to hit the road.
“I like playing on the road better than playing at home,’’ said Bongarra, a former Albany State kicker who has turned the Panthers’ kicking game around in the past three weeks. “I like going into their house and beating them. It’s like, ‘Let’s have a fistfight and see who wins.’ We’re undefeated at 5-0 so they’re going to do everything to try to stop us. So far, nobody has stopped us.’’
The Panthers better like life on the road, because starting tonight five of their final six games are away from Albany. Their final home game is May 29, then they have four road games in a row in June to finish the season.
Until quarterback problems hit them last week, the Panthers had been having a pretty easy time of late, holding opponents to a total of only 75 points during the last three games. And the attitude is now that not much will change on the scoreboard this week.
“I think we’re ready for the road,’’ receiver Antwontis Cutts said. “You know everyone wants to beat us because we’re 5-0. The fans will be hard on us, but it’s a mental thing. We know what we’re going there for — to win another game.’’
Every team faces problems on the road, but the question marks loom even larger for the Panthers simply because they haven’t played outside of the Civic Center. They just don’t seem to be worried.
“All we have to do is execute,’’ Davis said. “We’ll be fine. Our guys can’t wait to play a road game.’’
LAKE CHARLES, La. — The good news is nobody forgot their shoes.
Of course, no one knows what to expect when the Panthers, who played their first five games at home, play their first road game tonight against the Louisiana Swashbucklers in Lake Charles, La.
“One time on a road trip (last year with the South Georgia Wildcats) I forgot to pack my shoes,’’ Panthers defensive back LeVance Richmond said. “We have to pack all of our own stuff, so when we got there, the bus had to pull over at an outlet mall, and I had to get off the bus and go buy a pair of shoes. It cost me $40.’’
There are lots of lessons to learn on the road in the world of arena football, where players pack their own gear and teams travel by bus.
“You learn real fast to get to the bus early so you can get a top bunk,’’ said veteran arena football player Clenton Rafe, who is arguably the best receiver in the Southern Indoor Football League. “You want to try to get as much rest as you can because those bus rides are long ones. It all depends on the driver. You’ve got to have a good driver.’’
The Panthers are not only at the top of the SIFL at 5-0, but their coach Lucious Davis may be a step ahead of the rest of the league. Teams in the SIFL are a combined 2-14 on the road, but part of that problem might be the brutal bus trips. Almost all the teams travel the day of the game, which means they get little rest between the time they get off the bus and the opening kickoff.
So Davis had the Panthers leave a day early. That way they could spend the night in a hotel before meeting the Swashbucklers (2-4), a team Albany beat, 43-35, seven days ago at the Civic Center. The Panthers, whose starting quarterback, Cecil Lester, is on the two-week injured reserve list with an ankle injury, started backup Jeff Aaron, but had to go to Andrico Hines, who signed with the club just 24 hours earlier. Hines threw four TDs and rallied the Panthers to a win. As a result, Hines will start tonight for a team that isn’t too worried about playing the first road game.
“A football game is a football game,’’ Richmond said. “It’s X’s and O’s no matter where you’re playing. I think we’ll be just fine. I think I play my best on the road.’’
Rafe, too, loves the road.
“When you’re on the road, your focus is a little different. It’s easier to focus on the game,’’ he said. “Everybody is against you. It’s not comfortable like it is at home. It’s fun getting booed, and even more fun shutting them up.
“I think this team is ready for the road. Everyone is looking forward to the first road game.’’
Even kicker Juan Bongarra, who joined the team in Week 4, said at practice Wednesday he couldn’t wait to hit the road.
“I like playing on the road better than playing at home,’’ said Bongarra, a former Albany State kicker who has turned the Panthers’ kicking game around in the past three weeks. “I like going into their house and beating them. It’s like, ‘Let’s have a fistfight and see who wins.’ We’re undefeated at 5-0 so they’re going to do everything to try to stop us. So far, nobody has stopped us.’’
The Panthers better like life on the road, because starting tonight five of their final six games are away from Albany. Their final home game is May 29, then they have four road games in a row in June to finish the season.
Until quarterback problems hit them last week, the Panthers had been having a pretty easy time of late, holding opponents to a total of only 75 points during the last three games. And the attitude is now that not much will change on the scoreboard this week.
“I think we’re ready for the road,’’ receiver Antwontis Cutts said. “You know everyone wants to beat us because we’re 5-0. The fans will be hard on us, but it’s a mental thing. We know what we’re going there for — to win another game.’’
Every team faces problems on the road, but the question marks loom even larger for the Panthers simply because they haven’t played outside of the Civic Center. They just don’t seem to be worried.
“All we have to do is execute,’’ Davis said. “We’ll be fine. Our guys can’t wait to play a road game.’’