Twenty9
06-19-2004, 12:42 PM
Koyotes eyeing second APFL title, move forward in '05
By Rick Peterson
The Capital-Journal
Warren Seitz wants his Kansas Koyotes to do their job on the field over the last two games of the 2004 season, beginning with tonight's 7:05 regular-season finale against the Missouri Minutemen.
Then Seitz and his team will sit back and depend on Koyotes owner Ralph Adams to get the team a better -- or at least a more stable -- league situation for 2005.
The Koyotes rolled to the American Professional Football League championship in '03 and are huge favorites to capture another crown this season. The 7-0 Koyotes have already wrapped up the regular-season title and need only to win one playoff game on July 10, probably a second straight meeting with the Minutemen, to win title No. 2.
But while the mounting wins are nice -- Seitz's team has yet to be challenged -- the Koyotes eye a more competitive situation next season.
Warren SeitzThe fledgling APFL has been reduced to three bona fide members (Missouri and Iowa are the other teams) and two opponents, Wisconsin and Colorado, cancelled trips to Topeka at the last minute. After tonight, six of the Koyotes' eight regular-season games will have been played against either Missouri or Iowa.
Seitz is hopeful that either the APFL can get on more solid footing over the offseason or that the Koyotes can move up a rung or two on the indoor football ladder.
"I'm very open to both of those options and I think that's what everybody wants, the players included," Seitz said. "They want to play tougher people because it's hard for them to continue to get up for the same guys three or four times a year. That's just human nature, it's nothing unique about this team at all."
Seitz would also prefer a schedule next season that doesn't include extended down time.
"We've had some trouble with the two-week layoffs," he said. "It's a long time during the season for guys to get out of shape and then try to get back in shape because a lot of them don't work out too much when they're not down here."
Seitz would be happy for his team to stay in the APFL, providing the league takes some steps forward.
"I think it would be better if teams that got into the league were located a little bit closer to Topeka so the transportation problems weren't as much of an issue," Seitz said. "I think that's what the issue's been both for La Crosse (Wis.) and Colorado.
"And I can't blame those people. I would hate to try to get something together that was kind of unorganized and get some guys on a bus and go to La Crosse, too. That's just a long ways to go for one game."
On the field, Seitz is very happy with the status quo heading into the final two games of the year.
"I think we're really playing well," he said. "Last week the offense scored every time it had the ball, so it's tough to get better than that. And, overall, throughout the year the defense has really been good. Coach (Dennis) Caryl's got some good schemes, we've got guys getting to the ball and they're only giving up 12, 13 points a game. In an indoor game you can't really ask for more than that.
"As long as we continue to practice hard and come out ready to play and continue to do the things we're doing, we'll be OK."
By Rick Peterson
The Capital-Journal
Warren Seitz wants his Kansas Koyotes to do their job on the field over the last two games of the 2004 season, beginning with tonight's 7:05 regular-season finale against the Missouri Minutemen.
Then Seitz and his team will sit back and depend on Koyotes owner Ralph Adams to get the team a better -- or at least a more stable -- league situation for 2005.
The Koyotes rolled to the American Professional Football League championship in '03 and are huge favorites to capture another crown this season. The 7-0 Koyotes have already wrapped up the regular-season title and need only to win one playoff game on July 10, probably a second straight meeting with the Minutemen, to win title No. 2.
But while the mounting wins are nice -- Seitz's team has yet to be challenged -- the Koyotes eye a more competitive situation next season.
Warren SeitzThe fledgling APFL has been reduced to three bona fide members (Missouri and Iowa are the other teams) and two opponents, Wisconsin and Colorado, cancelled trips to Topeka at the last minute. After tonight, six of the Koyotes' eight regular-season games will have been played against either Missouri or Iowa.
Seitz is hopeful that either the APFL can get on more solid footing over the offseason or that the Koyotes can move up a rung or two on the indoor football ladder.
"I'm very open to both of those options and I think that's what everybody wants, the players included," Seitz said. "They want to play tougher people because it's hard for them to continue to get up for the same guys three or four times a year. That's just human nature, it's nothing unique about this team at all."
Seitz would also prefer a schedule next season that doesn't include extended down time.
"We've had some trouble with the two-week layoffs," he said. "It's a long time during the season for guys to get out of shape and then try to get back in shape because a lot of them don't work out too much when they're not down here."
Seitz would be happy for his team to stay in the APFL, providing the league takes some steps forward.
"I think it would be better if teams that got into the league were located a little bit closer to Topeka so the transportation problems weren't as much of an issue," Seitz said. "I think that's what the issue's been both for La Crosse (Wis.) and Colorado.
"And I can't blame those people. I would hate to try to get something together that was kind of unorganized and get some guys on a bus and go to La Crosse, too. That's just a long ways to go for one game."
On the field, Seitz is very happy with the status quo heading into the final two games of the year.
"I think we're really playing well," he said. "Last week the offense scored every time it had the ball, so it's tough to get better than that. And, overall, throughout the year the defense has really been good. Coach (Dennis) Caryl's got some good schemes, we've got guys getting to the ball and they're only giving up 12, 13 points a game. In an indoor game you can't really ask for more than that.
"As long as we continue to practice hard and come out ready to play and continue to do the things we're doing, we'll be OK."