SaberCats prepare for another year in the trenches
Published on January 28, 2004 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release
SAN JOSE, Calif. (Jan. 28, 2004) â Over their nine-year history, the SaberCats have built their reputation on high scores and high-powered offense. By averaging over 60 points for the second consecutive season â and third time in the past four years â in 2003, San Jose is the only AFL franchise to achieve the feat more than once. They set new standards for offense last season, setting league records with 137 touchdowns and 966 total points. Meanwhile, the SaberCats took no time to relax on defense, pacing the AFL with 38 turnovers forced, including a league-high 28 interceptions.
But lost in the flurry of Mark Grieb touchdown strikes, James Roe receptions, and Clevan Thomas touchdown returns are the men who make much of the SaberCats' success possible. It's the nature of Arena Football that leaves offensive and defensive lineman overlooked, but as any player or coach will tell you, the key to winning a football game, at any level, lies in the trenches.
"You can go back to Pop Warner and the linemen still don't get any recognition," said SaberCats' veteran lineman Albrey Battle. "You just go out there and do your job. The only time you get recognized is when you mess up - you give up a sack or get blasted on defense for a touchdown. Nobody really pays attention to what's going on in the trenches. The thing there is you get more recognition from your peers and that's what it's all about."
Offensively, the SaberCats' peers have plenty to admire. Behind their offensive line, San Jose led the AFL in rushing last season, placing both Keala Keanaaina (1st) and Matt Kisinger (3rd) in the league's top three ground gainers while scoring a record 47 rushing touchdowns. Lineman Frank Beede says the SaberCats excel at putting themselves in situations to succeed running the football.
"Last year, we had some close games, but normally we get up early and are able to run the ball to put the game away," Beede said. "We do run the ball at times when other teams wouldn't think to run it and because of Matt (Kinsinger) and the guys next to me blocking well, we're able to do that."
But Arena Football is primarily a passing game. The SaberCats realize the importance of pass protection and allowed only nine sacks in 2003 â second fewest in the AFL â allowing Grieb and company the chance to post their record numbers.
"(We) just try to protect Mark and keep people off of him," Beede continued. "We all remember what happened in Arizona (Grieb suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in 2002) and I don't ever want to see that happen again. That's our number one goal, to protect Mark, and if we do that, then we've done our job."
The SaberCats success at the line of scrimmage can be most attributed to the linemen's familiarity with one another. San Jose's nucleus of Battle, Beede, Sam Hernandez, Joe Jacobs, Brian Johnson, Dan Loney, Chuck Reed, George Williams and Devin Wyman have all played together for multiple seasons â a rarity in the high turnover world of professional football.
"(Our) biggest strength is experience," San Jose line coach, Bill Tripp, explained. "We have a lot of guys who have been here and in the league for a while. We have a lot of good two-way players, who have been in our system for three years. I think that's a real plus for us."
"We're all pretty close," Battle added. "Everybody has a lot of experience, even the guys who haven't played a lot of games - they have time from the years they spent in the NFL. It's just a matter of getting comfortable with everybody, finding a group of 7-8 guys and just rolling through the season."
The SaberCats did take a hit at the lineman position when 11-year AFL veteran, Darrin Kenney left the team last week. While San Jose will miss Kenney's leadership on and off the field, Beede says the team has plenty of talent ready to fill the void.
"We do have young guys, but even they have experience," he said. "Everyone treats Dan Loney as a young guy but he's been in this league longer than I have. Those guys can easily step in and do the job if somebody was to go down. I'm sure the coaches, and I know the players, have complete confidence that they'd be able to get anything done."
On the defensive side of the ball, only 17 players in the history of Arena Football have recorded 20 quarterback sacks. The SaberCats have three on their roster in Jacobs, Reed and Hernandez, the AFL's all-time sack leader. Despite having so many prolific pass rushers on the team, Battle says they can only go as far as their secondary, and vice versa.
"With us, that all comes down to Clevan (Thomas), Wendell (Davis), Barry (Wagner), Rashied (Davis), Omarr (Smith) and all the defensive backs," Battle said. "Without them playing the types of coverage they play, we don't get a chance to get to the quarterback. We work hand-in-hand. The pressure we create helps them get picks and helps make their job easier, while the coverage they create helps us get sacks."
While the SaberCats' linemen may never get the respect and appreciation they deserve from the fans or the media, their teammates and, most of all, their opponents know just how much of an impact they make on both sides of the ball.
The SaberCats kickoff their 10th AFL season at Detroit on Thursday, February 5th. The home opener is set for Saturday, February 28th against the Grand Rapids Rampage at HP Pavilion. Single game tickets for all home games can be purchased at all Northern California TicketMaster outlets, on-line at www.ticketmaster.com, or in person at the HP Pavilion box office. For season or group ticket information call the SaberCats at (408) 573-5577 or visit the team's official website at www.sanjosesabercats.com.
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