Higgins Gets First Win, Predators Take Down Gunslingers 44-36
Published on April 27, 2022 under National Arena League (NAL)
Orlando Predators News Release
The Jeff Higgins Era in Orlando started off on a high note as the Predators defeated the San Antonio Gunslingers on Saturday.
The Predators (1-0) defeated the Gunslingers (0-1) 44-36 in the season opener. Higgins said it was a good first step in the right direction for the team with hopes of going all the way.
"They say, 'you can't win them all until you win the first one,'" Higgins said. "Everybody did a great job staying together. It was a great time out here tonight."
The Predators had a strong first half of play, on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. After the Gunslingers got on the board first with a touchdown in the opening drive of the first quarter, the Predators came rolling back and scored 32 unanswered points through the remainder of the half.
During the half, quarterback Rakeem Cato became a force to be reckoned with by throwing four first-half touchdowns. Cato said he feels confident in what the offense can produce going forward.
"I'm feeling good right now," Cato said. "I can't complain. I'm just trying to take it one practice at a time, one game at a time. Coach Higgins and the guys have done a great job of catching me up to speed and alerting my eyes to what I'm going to be seeing over the course of the season."
The second half leaned in favor of the Gunslingers as they were able to outscore the Predators 30-12, but the team was able to stand their ground and come out of San Antonio with the win.
Defensive back Joshua Jenkins, who made several plays, including a pick-six in the second quarter, said he is enthused by the discipline of the defensive unit to pull out the win.
"Through adversity, you have to be able to control what you can control," Jenkins said. "I think we did a really good job keeping our heads and being able to keep playing. Even though we let them back in the game, we decided to close it when we needed to."
One mission going into the matchup was the ability to secure a win for Higgins in his head coaching debut, according to center De'quan Murray.
"It's really big," Murray said. "It's a confidence builder for him and it's a confidence builder for us. He's excited, he's pumped up and we're going to enjoy tonight and we're going to take it all back to these palm trees, baby."
With the Carolina Cobras (1-0) coming off of a win against the reigning NAL Champions, the Albany Empire (0-1), wide receiver and defensive back Brandon Fuentes said the Predators are looking forward to a hard-fought game when they travel to Greensboro, N.C.
"It's going to be a big challenge, but we're up for it," Fuentes said. "We're excited to take that challenge and come out on top."
National Arena League Stories from April 27, 2022
- Higgins Gets First Win, Predators Take Down Gunslingers 44-36 - Orlando Predators
- Mason Espinosa Hired as Offensive Coordinator at DePauw University - Columbus Lions
- Week 2 Preview: Cobras vs. Predators - Carolina Cobras
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