Post by fwp on May 8, 2010 6:47:48 GMT -5
www.pantagraph.com/sports/football/professional/arena/extreme/article_bbc5ec9e-5a35-11df-afc8-001cc4c03286.html
BLOOMINGTON -- The dismissal of Coach Kenton Carr earlier this week blindsided players on the Bloomington Extreme.
"I was more surprised than anything. I was recruited by Coach (Carr) so I had some confusion," offensive lineman Jerome Springfield said Tuesday as the team prepared for Saturday's 7 p.m. game against the La Crosse Spartans at U.S. Cellular Coliseum. "My heart is with him, but we've just got to keep it rolling."
Ted Schmitz, the franchise's head coach during its first two seasons, moved back into that position following Carr's firing on Monday. The move "shocked" veteran defensive back James Temple.
"I didn't even know how to respond," he said. "Nobody wants anybody to get fired and have to make changes like that this late in the season.
"The players are just being professional, coming to practice and play. That's all we can do, the other stuff is out of our hands. We've got to bring everything to the field and leave it out there."
Center Prenny Stokes thinks the change will put the Extreme (3-5) back on track after last week's 66-25 loss at Omaha.
"Anytime you switch over to something new, it's a new start for everybody. With that new beginning comes a new attitude, and that's how we feel," said Stokes. "We're going to show up on Saturday as a new and improved team.
"With a dramatic loss comes a dramatic change. This is for the better and it's the right thing to do. Its fight or flight time, and we've got a bunch of fighters."
Schmitz believes the team handled the upheaval as well as could be expected.
"I think they've accepted it as men; I think they understand that this is a business," he said. "I think they know that this is a football team that we have to get corrected, and I think they're willing to work toward that goal."
Battling the Spartans: La Crosse (1-7) is coming off its first victory of the season heading into the first of three meetings between the Central North Division foes. Quarterback Buddy Rivera threw for one touchdown and ran for another in the Spartans' 35-29 win over Chicago, one week after leading the team to a season-high 58 points in a loss to West Michigan.
Running back Mark Bonds totaled a team-leading 12 touchdowns in La Crosse's first eight games, but suffered a torn Achilles' tendon against the Slaughter and is out for the rest of the season.
"All year they've been running Bonds a lot, but they weren't real effective just doing that. They've picked up Rivera, and he's really turned them on," said Schmitz. "They played West Michigan to the hilt and should've won. Then last week they looked like a 6-0 team against Chicago. They're a very good football team that just hasn't had a lot of success."
New regime
Spartans at Extreme
Time: 7 p.m. Saturday
Broadcast: wjbc.com
BLOOMINGTON -- The dismissal of Coach Kenton Carr earlier this week blindsided players on the Bloomington Extreme.
"I was more surprised than anything. I was recruited by Coach (Carr) so I had some confusion," offensive lineman Jerome Springfield said Tuesday as the team prepared for Saturday's 7 p.m. game against the La Crosse Spartans at U.S. Cellular Coliseum. "My heart is with him, but we've just got to keep it rolling."
Ted Schmitz, the franchise's head coach during its first two seasons, moved back into that position following Carr's firing on Monday. The move "shocked" veteran defensive back James Temple.
"I didn't even know how to respond," he said. "Nobody wants anybody to get fired and have to make changes like that this late in the season.
"The players are just being professional, coming to practice and play. That's all we can do, the other stuff is out of our hands. We've got to bring everything to the field and leave it out there."
Center Prenny Stokes thinks the change will put the Extreme (3-5) back on track after last week's 66-25 loss at Omaha.
"Anytime you switch over to something new, it's a new start for everybody. With that new beginning comes a new attitude, and that's how we feel," said Stokes. "We're going to show up on Saturday as a new and improved team.
"With a dramatic loss comes a dramatic change. This is for the better and it's the right thing to do. Its fight or flight time, and we've got a bunch of fighters."
Schmitz believes the team handled the upheaval as well as could be expected.
"I think they've accepted it as men; I think they understand that this is a business," he said. "I think they know that this is a football team that we have to get corrected, and I think they're willing to work toward that goal."
Battling the Spartans: La Crosse (1-7) is coming off its first victory of the season heading into the first of three meetings between the Central North Division foes. Quarterback Buddy Rivera threw for one touchdown and ran for another in the Spartans' 35-29 win over Chicago, one week after leading the team to a season-high 58 points in a loss to West Michigan.
Running back Mark Bonds totaled a team-leading 12 touchdowns in La Crosse's first eight games, but suffered a torn Achilles' tendon against the Slaughter and is out for the rest of the season.
"All year they've been running Bonds a lot, but they weren't real effective just doing that. They've picked up Rivera, and he's really turned them on," said Schmitz. "They played West Michigan to the hilt and should've won. Then last week they looked like a 6-0 team against Chicago. They're a very good football team that just hasn't had a lot of success."
New regime
Spartans at Extreme
Time: 7 p.m. Saturday
Broadcast: wjbc.com