Another season in the af2, but the same goal in mind

Originally published on ArenaFan.com

Gino Guidugli thought he was going to be throwing touchdown passes for the Cleveland Gladiators this season.

Bradley Chavez expected to catch his first TD of 2009 in a New York Dragons’ uniform.

Instead, both were on opposite sides of the field Saturday night in front of 5,596 fans at the Resch Center in the Green Bay Blizzard’s season-opening 53-40 win over the Tennessee Valley Vipers, the defending ArenaCup champions.

Guidugli, Chavez and many others playing in arenafootball2 this season had plans of making the jump to the Arena Football League before the cancellation of the 2009 season. But that’s in the past, along with the honeymoon period for the 2008 champs, whose title defense got off to a rough start from the get go.

After Green Bay scored a TD on its first drive, quarterback Kevin Eakin fumbled the first snap for the Vipers, which the Blizzard recovered, and four plays later, a one-yard TD run by Rod Olds gave Green Bay the early 14-0 lead.

Chavez, who was the af2’s Ironman of the Year last year and helped knock the Blizzard out of the playoffs as a member of the Manchester Wolves, got Tennessee Valley on the scoreboard with a three-yard TD catch from Eakin to pull the Vipers to within a TD, but that’s as close as they would get the rest of the night.

The Vipers had a chance to go into halftime down only eight points after Guidugli threw an interception to Travis Blanchard, however, Chavez couldn’t get a handle on a hold for a field-goal attempt and the Vipers went into the half down 24-13.

The errant pass was Guidugli’s only mistake of the night. The Blizzard QB was calm in the pocket, throwing away passes if receivers were covered, and finished with 223 yards and four TDs.

He didn’t see a lot of pressure from Eric Scott either. Scott, who was second in the af2 last season with 17.5 sacks, was held in check for the most part by two impressive rookies, Bill Bourdlais and Brandon Barnes.

“They did a great job,” Guidugli said. “I think I only got hit three or four times, and hopefully that continues throughout the season.”

The defensive end from Southern Mississippi did get his first sack of the young season, however, when a breakdown in protection left Scott one-on-one with fullback Orlando Medlock, who was no match for the 6-foot-2, 285-pounder.

Medlock fared better with the ball in his hands though, carrying the rock 15 times for 55 yards and found the end zone once.

The first play of the second half resulted in another turnover by Eakin. The Viper QB didn’t see Green Bay’s Robert Garth and threw it directly to the Jack linebacker waiting in the flats.

"In Arena Football, you can't turn the ball over and expect to win," Tennessee Valley head coach Dean Cokinos said. "We just turned the ball over too many times. We let the game slip away."

After a 36-yard field goal by Blizzard kicker Bob Forstrom, Vipers’ backup QB Tony Colston, last year’s ArenaCup hero, got a chance to rekindle the magic that helped the Vipers stun the Spokane Shock 56-55 in overtime to win the title.

Colston’s entrance into the game only seemed to spark the Blizzard’s pass rush, which was nonexistent in the first half. Colston nearly got sacked by Mac linebacker Craig Wilson on his first snap under center, and then threw away a pass before DE Byron Tinker came free on his blind side.

The lefty was called for intentional grounding and Tinker was awarded a safety on the play, which gave the Blizzard a 29-13 lead with 10 minutes, 33 seconds left in the third quarter.

Green Bay put the game away on the following possession when Guidugli hooked up with Nate Forse for an 11-yard score. Forse, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound WR, finished with nine catches for 109 yards and three TDs.

Eakin returned to the game after Colston’s safety and finished with 166 yards and two TDs, hitting 17-of-23 passes, but had two interceptions.

“It’s a new year,” Blizzard head coach Bob Landsee said.

“We beat them the second game last year. (Then) they went out and won the championship. We need to continue to get better every game. We can’t live on a big win early.”

The Vipers started last season 0-3, which included a 37-35 loss at home to Green Bay in Week 2, before winning 14 of their next 17 games to win ArenaCup9.

It was Green Bay’s first season-opening win since 2005, Landsee’s first year as head coach, when it beat the Albany Conquest 49-41. The fast start for this year’s Blizzard team can be credited largely to Guidugli’s return.

“It was nice not having to teach a quarterback how to play the Arena game,” Landsee said.

In each of the Blizzards’ previous six seasons, the team started with a new QB, and after starting six different QBs last season (Guidugli started the last three), it was a defiant boost to have a veteran under center.

For as good as Guidugli’s night went, it didn’t go as well for his fellow AFL-hopeful on the opposite side of the field, who watched the end of the game from the bench with his shoulder pads off after being injured. Chavez finished with five catches for 44 yards and the touchdown from the first quarter.

Still, Guidugli and Chavez both have the same destinations in mind, winning ArenaCup10 this season and then proceeding with their original plans of joining the AFL when it opens up again in 2010.

“We don’t have to be stars,” said Landsee about his players. “We all have to just get better and we will win, and when we win, everyone will get the accolades at the end of the year.”

Much more than a team

Originally published on ArenaFan.com

With 1:42 left in the third quarter it happened.

Manchester Wolves kicker Connor McCormick just made a routine extra point making the score 41-41, but I knew what the extra point really meant.

If you’ve read my articles in the past you already know what I’m getting at, and it’s a simple statistic that has determined the outcome of every Green Bay Blizzard game this season.

Coming into the second-round game with the Wolves, the Blizzard was 12-0 when holding a team to 40 points or less, and 0-5 when allowing 41 points or more.

So, as I sat and glared at the scoreboard in the Resch Center on Saturday night, I realized this was the moment that would determine the story of the Blizzard this season.

The statistic and tempo of the game had me feeling this would be the end to the run at an ArenaCup for the Blizzard, but I also knew this was a team that had come so far in 2008.

This was a team with the No. 1 defense in arenafootball2, which was capable, and often did, shutdown an opponent’s offense.

This was a team that went through three quarterbacks before finding a leader in Collin Drafts, and a playmaker in Gino Guidugli.

This was a team that became only the sixth franchise in af2 history to record 50 sacks in a season, and was led by the lineman of the year Joe Sykes.

This was a team that had the first player in arena football history to score 10 touchdowns and record 10 sacks in ironman Gus Tyson.

This was a team that had the face of the franchise, ‘Superman’ Robert Garth, come back to Green Bay where he belongs.

This was a team that won in my opinion the toughest division in af2 from top to bottom, the Midwest Division.

This was a team that led the af2 with eight players on the All-af2 team.

Lastly, this was a team, but I started to realize in the fourth quarter it was something more than that.

At the end of the game on Saturday night when I watched Wolves quarterback Brian Jones run into the end zone for the two-point conversion, and ultimately the 55-54 win, I knew what the loss meant and began to understand what I was watching all season.

It meant there wouldn’t be a third-straight trip to the American Conference Championship game, and the Blizzard was 0-6 when an opponent scored 41 points or more.

Yes, a simple statistic could tell you the outcome of every Blizzard game this season, but it doesn’t tell you the story of this team.

Because as I leaned against the boards and said my goodbyes to the team I had gotten to know so well, I realized I wasn’t watching a team all season, the 2008 Green Bay Blizzard was a family.

A family that opened its doors for me to be a part of it.

Green Bay welcomes back quarterback

Originally published on ArenaFan.com

You’re probably sick of hearing about Green Bay quarterbacks, but it’s been a popular story for media publications across the country, so why not stick with that theme here at ArenaFan.

Recently a former Green Bay quarterback asked the franchise if he could return to the team after deciding to leave, but was told by management and the head coach that the team had moved on.

But when another former Green Bay signal caller did the same thing a few weeks ago, he got a different response from the team.

Ok, maybe comparing Gino Guidugli to Brett Favre is a bit of a stretch, but when you are in a position to win a championship, a smart franchise would allow the quarterback that gives it the best chance to win play if he wants to.

That’s what the Green Bay Blizzard has done, unlike the team that plays across the street.

Guidugli was the Blizzard’s starter for most of the regular season last year. In his last three starts the offense scored 69, 77 and 74 points, and he had the team in position to win the Midwest Division with a win in the regular season finale against the Mahoning Valley Thunder.

Guidugli never played in the game because the Canadian Football League’s British Columbia Lions signed him.

The Blizzard lost to Mahoning Valley 70-50 without Guidugli, but would win two playoff games before losing in the American Conference championship against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers.

Even in the two-playoff wins, however, you could tell Guidugli’s presence was missed as the Blizzard scored only 39 and 37 points.

This season the Blizzard has relied on a dominating defense, which finished the regular season number one overall in arenafootball2, while the team searched for a signal caller.

Meanwhile, Guidugli was released from the B.C. Lions and signed with the New York Dragons of the Arena Football League to backup Aaron Garcia in the playoffs.

After the eventual ArenaBowl champions, the Philadelphia Soul, knocked the Dragons out of the playoffs Guidugli decided to not sign a deal for next season to be a backup because he felt he could start in the AFL with more experience at the af2 level.

This led him back to Green Bay after he made the call to Blizzard owner Brian Noble, who was happy to welcome him back to compete for the starting job.

Guidugli joined the team with one week left in the regular season, and impressed the coaching staff enough to give him the job over Collin Drafts, who was 6-3 in games that he appeared in.

In the nine games with Drafts at the helm, however, the offense scored 50 points only three times, and lost twice to the Lexington Horsemen by one point.

So, one year after leaving the Blizzard for the CFL, Guidugli found himself back with the Blizzard in the same situation he was in a year ago, a chance to win the Midwest Division by beating the Mahoning Valley Thunder.

Guidugli helped the Blizzard do that by beating the Thunder 61-13, but the Thunder wasn’t the toughest opponent either considering it finished the season 3-13 and its quarterback, Ray Marrow, was making his first af2 start.

The true test to find out if Guidugli could get the Blizzard offense on track came last Friday in the opening round of the af2 playoffs against the Lexington Horsemen.

It’s safe to say Guidugli and the offense passed the test.

Guidugli was 14-of-19 for 206 yards passing for five touchdowns and rushing for another leading the Blizzard to a 65-37 win over the Horsemen.

The Blizzard defense remained dominant as well, collecting a franchise-record 10 sacks.

The Blizzard appears to be peaking at the right time, and with Guidugli back, has a full arsenal of weapons to continue its push for an ArenaCup title.

The Blizzard will host the Manchester Wolves this Saturday at the Resch Center, which is located across the street from Lambeau Field.

When you cross Oneida Street in Green Bay you’ll find a professional football team on each side of the street.

One team is struggling to make a decision about a quarterback because it is more concerned about the future, and another that is trying to win a championship now. 

Getting defensive, but not offensive

Originally published on ArenaFan.com

It seems like it has been the same story for the Green Bay Blizzard all season long, the offense struggles, but the defense dominates.

That held true again on Friday night as the Blizzard (10-5) defeated the Louisville Fire 33-20 in front of 7,110 fans at the Resch Center.

Green Bay is now 10-0 when it holds an opponent to 40 points or less, but the Blizzard defense did more than just hold the Fire offense to only 20 points, it provided more statistics than the offense, something that doesn’t happen a lot in arena football.

The Blizzard defense recorded eight sacks, three interceptions, two fumbles, two safeties and one fumble return for a touchdown.

Defensive end Odell Willis was responsible for most of the havoc the defense caused. After being picked up off waivers from the Peoria Pirates two weeks ago, Willis made his presence felt with his new team by getting three sacks—two for safeties.

Willis’ success came as a result of his speed and game planning by Blizzard defensive coordinator Doug Lytle. 

Lytle switched Willis with defensive tackle Quartez Vickerson in the second quarter to allow Willis, who is 245 pounds, to be matched up against Fire center Joe Washington, who is 340 pounds, and the results speak for themselves.

Willis enjoyed the most success, but Vickerson recorded two sacks of his own, and defensive end Joe Sykes also got two, which puts his season total at 18.5 and first in arenafootball2. 

Mac linebacker Gus Tyson was credited with one sack, but his one sack helped make arena football history.

Tyson came into the game with 9.5 sacks and 10 touchdowns. The one sack allowed him to become the first player in AFL or af2 history to record at least 10 sacks and 10 touchdowns in a season, or as this writer calls it, arena football’s version of a double-double.

In attendance to see this dominating defensive performance were former Blizzard linemen Jason Hardee and Robert Boss. Each is playing in the AFL now, Hardee with the New York Dragons and Boss with the Chicago Rush, but Blizzard head coach Bob Landsee felt the two should be worried about their jobs after watching the Blizzard defensive line apply pressure all night.

The pressure up front helped defensive back Rusty Midlam, who played with the Fire last year, get three interceptions against his old team.

“We had a blast,” Midlam said. “We were just running around making plays and we had fun tonight, and that’s the biggest thing, when we don’t have fun we don’t play well, and we had fun tonight and it showed.”

While the Blizzard defense was having fun, the quarterbacks for both teams were having trouble completing passes.

Fire quarterbacks Danny Southwick and Nick Roberts combined to throw for only 165 yards and two touchdowns, but the Blizzard quarterbacks didn’t fair well either.

Brian Villanueva got his first start with the team, and was the fifth starting quarterback the Blizzard has used this season.

Villanueva’s first four passes were incompletions that he overthrew to open receivers, and he finished 7-of-15 for 75 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

Collin Drafts took over in the second half. He started the last seven games, and has been the team’s most effective quarterback this season because he usually doesn’t make a lot of mistakes.

That’s what Drafts did in this game because he was 8-of-14 for 83 yards and his only touchdown came on the ground, but he didn’t fumble or throw an interception, which was enough to win.

“Everybody’s offense struggles from time to time,” Willis said. “The more chances you give them, the better.”

The Blizzard are running out of chances, however, and another offensive performance like the one against the Fire could get the Blizzard knocked out of the playoffs.

The statistic mentioned earlier about how the Blizzard is 10-0 when it holds an opponent to 40 points or less, also has a flip side to it. The Blizzard is 0-5 when it allows an opponent to score 41 points or more.

Regardless of where and who the Blizzard end up playing in the playoffs, it’s likely the offense will have to come through.

“It’s a new energy, a new life,” Willis said after the game when he talked about getting the chance to come to Green Bay after being in Peoria, but his words also can be used for what the playoffs could mean for the Blizzard.

It’s a new energy, new life and a chance to write a new story. 

A story that could talk about a dominating defense, potent offense and a championship team.