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In a season which saw the Columbia Fire go from underachievers to make-believers there was a time during Sunday's NFC Championship in which you could hear the sirens a'coming. Yes, the fire department finally arrived and they were determined to smother any lingering flames left in a team that had simply been red-hot during the playoffs. The home team Orlando Pirates went with an offensive gameplan that would minimize any potential mistakes and played a defense that would give and give, then simply take. And when Julian Cartagena's forty-fifth pass attempt was knocked down by Pirates defender Lee Mears that was it. The away team's players, it's management, and it's orange-clad fans were forced to deal with the same bitter feeling already felt by twenty-eight other IFL teams and their followers.
Some heads would hang, some tears would fall, and numerous questions would arise. How? Why? What if...? But those that had been there before knew there wouldn't be any answers. "I could've kneeled down, put my hand under my chin, and analyzed the game and the season as a whole for hours after the game was finished," said Fire linebacker Beau Brown after the game. "But I know and the lord knows that on days like this, when it rains, it pours. You just take the good with the bad and make yourself remember that sooner or later the sun will shine."
And Brown couldn't have been any more correct. While the 2003 season had officially come to a close for the Fire there was much to look forward to. And before we move on to future prospects let's not forget that things could've been much worse after starting the season on a 1-4 note. So where exactly does the team go from here and how do they much up against the rest of the IFL in light of the 2004 season? We'll delve into that right now.
Just like oxygen is the life force for a fire, so is Quarterback Julian Cartagena to this Columbia football team. The 8-year pro is likely to be named Owners' Offensive Player of the Year and is rumored to be a frontrunner for All-IFL Team First Quarterback. While amassing over 4,000 yards passing and leading his team to the NFC Championship game Cartagena is quick to point out that he wasn't all too pleased with his effort this season and that many personal goals remain unaccomplished.
"Quite simply, I want this team to make it to the big game and that's all that really matters. But I need to work on some things, especially on my decision-making. I've got a hard-working line working in front of me and the best receiving corps in the league. I want to be able to put this team on my shoulders and pull through for them and the fans. And frankly, I won't settle for anything less and won't rest until we are victorious."
Widely known as one of the most intelligent players in the game Cartagena is also notorious for over-thinking and coming down very hard on himself. Offensive Coordinator Leonard Suszkowski points out, "The man wants to do it all and it's great to see that kind of motivation in a player. But Julian needs to realize that we're all here with him and that we as a team must take the fall together." Some within the organization will go as far as saying that league press is largely responsible for some of Julian's off-the-field problems. "It'd be nice if some of the writers out there realize that he's human and that he will make mistakes. Time will tell if Julian will be able to mature and realize that only he and only he can limit the potential of this ability," Suszkowski added. Cartagena is inked for the next two seasons and there is very little doubt that he will be at the helm for the Fire's football team many years beyond that.
But what's an All-Pro quarterback without star-caliber receivers? Cartagena only dubs them as the best group in the league and there aren't many that disagree. To put things into perspective, yardage-wise the Fire have three of the top twenty players out in the flat. But it doesn't end there. Beyond those three targets, there are four more players that have a combined fourteen touchdowns between them led by the team leader, fullback William Coburn, who has six. While it is believed that tight end Larry Spraggins may be the only one honored once the season is complete, no one gets short-changed in camp. "I love those guys to death. I plan on taking them all out and buying steaks for each one of them," said Cartagena. The consensus is that Rusty Ramos is the better overall receiver, but it's Justin Whitaker that has been turning heads the most lately with some huge standout performances. Nicknamed "Spud" by his teammates because of his small stature Whitaker has quickly become of of the more exciting players in the IFL. He led the league in kick returning before being mysteriously left off of the leaderboard after the final week of regular season play.
The Fire are a passing team and there is no denying that they have a lot of the pieces in place to help them remain one of the offensive elites for years to come, but lots of questions arise when one looks around at the supporting cast. Both lines could be considered mediocre at worst and average at best. Experts point out that Cartagena was hurried way too much during many of the Fire's games. And while 4 yards per carry is nothing to get teary-eyed about, it's definitely something that could be improved on. It was all too much the norm to see the Fire end up in third-and-long situations, caused by the lack of yardage gained on running plays on first and second downs. The one bright spot on the defensive line would have to be defensive end Myron McCartney.
Drafted by the Fire in the third round of the dispersal draft McCartney is known as a highly motivated run-stopper. Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Line Coach, Steve Barber, says he's got the potential to be one of the best. "It's just amazing the way that he closes in on runningbacks that are trying to get around the corner. Pretty soon teams will find out at they will have to run strictly on one side of the field." McCartney's play is not the only thing that is getting attention from around the league. This kid gets paid and he gets paid well. While only at the ripe of 23, McCartney was paid in excess of five million dollars this last season. Only time will tell whether the money was well spent.
If you watch this team on Sundays and you know football it's very hard not to notice two of the three guys lining up in the middle when the Fire are on the defensive side of the ball. Linebackers John Maynard and Beau Brown are two of the league's best without any doubt. Both possess superior football instincts and the pass-rushing skills to go with those smarts. Maynard was third in in the league in tackles with 149 while Brown led all linebackers in sacks with nine even though he didn't record one in the Fire's last eight games. Weak-side linebacker looks to be a position in which the Fire will need to shore up on in the offseason, especially if they'd like to improve on a middle-of-the-road run defense.
The critics would be quick to line up and tell you all about how the Fire have one of the worst secondaries in the league and that it's easily the weak spot of the team, but this writer isn't so convinced. The fact of the matter is that many times during the season opposing teams were all but forced to abandon any sort of running game. Shootouts were the norm and teams passed and they passed often. And while they were burned a fair number of times one could look and see that perhaps not enough defensive pressure was put on opposing teams' quarterbacks. Look, the group is young and I just don't think it's time to make a mole hill look like a mountain. Let them grow within the system and improve the line instead. Are you listening, GM sovstar?
As only hours have passed since the Fire's season-ending loss in the NFC Championship Game it's all too easy to look at the glass as being half empty. But I decided to whip this together tonight to let the fans know and the rest of the league know that this team is for real and is sure to come out firing next season. In less than two weeks time the offseason is set to begin and it will be a whole new ball game. Evaluations and number-crunching is what's ahead and I'll be ready to evaluate some of more important off-the-field players. You can count the scouting and managing staff as being under "fire" from this simple IFL fan. Stay tuned.
Look for the latest extension news and info on what rumors are circulating within the Fire organization soon.
Some heads would hang, some tears would fall, and numerous questions would arise. How? Why? What if...? But those that had been there before knew there wouldn't be any answers. "I could've kneeled down, put my hand under my chin, and analyzed the game and the season as a whole for hours after the game was finished," said Fire linebacker Beau Brown after the game. "But I know and the lord knows that on days like this, when it rains, it pours. You just take the good with the bad and make yourself remember that sooner or later the sun will shine."
And Brown couldn't have been any more correct. While the 2003 season had officially come to a close for the Fire there was much to look forward to. And before we move on to future prospects let's not forget that things could've been much worse after starting the season on a 1-4 note. So where exactly does the team go from here and how do they much up against the rest of the IFL in light of the 2004 season? We'll delve into that right now.
Just like oxygen is the life force for a fire, so is Quarterback Julian Cartagena to this Columbia football team. The 8-year pro is likely to be named Owners' Offensive Player of the Year and is rumored to be a frontrunner for All-IFL Team First Quarterback. While amassing over 4,000 yards passing and leading his team to the NFC Championship game Cartagena is quick to point out that he wasn't all too pleased with his effort this season and that many personal goals remain unaccomplished.
"Quite simply, I want this team to make it to the big game and that's all that really matters. But I need to work on some things, especially on my decision-making. I've got a hard-working line working in front of me and the best receiving corps in the league. I want to be able to put this team on my shoulders and pull through for them and the fans. And frankly, I won't settle for anything less and won't rest until we are victorious."
Widely known as one of the most intelligent players in the game Cartagena is also notorious for over-thinking and coming down very hard on himself. Offensive Coordinator Leonard Suszkowski points out, "The man wants to do it all and it's great to see that kind of motivation in a player. But Julian needs to realize that we're all here with him and that we as a team must take the fall together." Some within the organization will go as far as saying that league press is largely responsible for some of Julian's off-the-field problems. "It'd be nice if some of the writers out there realize that he's human and that he will make mistakes. Time will tell if Julian will be able to mature and realize that only he and only he can limit the potential of this ability," Suszkowski added. Cartagena is inked for the next two seasons and there is very little doubt that he will be at the helm for the Fire's football team many years beyond that.
But what's an All-Pro quarterback without star-caliber receivers? Cartagena only dubs them as the best group in the league and there aren't many that disagree. To put things into perspective, yardage-wise the Fire have three of the top twenty players out in the flat. But it doesn't end there. Beyond those three targets, there are four more players that have a combined fourteen touchdowns between them led by the team leader, fullback William Coburn, who has six. While it is believed that tight end Larry Spraggins may be the only one honored once the season is complete, no one gets short-changed in camp. "I love those guys to death. I plan on taking them all out and buying steaks for each one of them," said Cartagena. The consensus is that Rusty Ramos is the better overall receiver, but it's Justin Whitaker that has been turning heads the most lately with some huge standout performances. Nicknamed "Spud" by his teammates because of his small stature Whitaker has quickly become of of the more exciting players in the IFL. He led the league in kick returning before being mysteriously left off of the leaderboard after the final week of regular season play.
The Fire are a passing team and there is no denying that they have a lot of the pieces in place to help them remain one of the offensive elites for years to come, but lots of questions arise when one looks around at the supporting cast. Both lines could be considered mediocre at worst and average at best. Experts point out that Cartagena was hurried way too much during many of the Fire's games. And while 4 yards per carry is nothing to get teary-eyed about, it's definitely something that could be improved on. It was all too much the norm to see the Fire end up in third-and-long situations, caused by the lack of yardage gained on running plays on first and second downs. The one bright spot on the defensive line would have to be defensive end Myron McCartney.
Drafted by the Fire in the third round of the dispersal draft McCartney is known as a highly motivated run-stopper. Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Line Coach, Steve Barber, says he's got the potential to be one of the best. "It's just amazing the way that he closes in on runningbacks that are trying to get around the corner. Pretty soon teams will find out at they will have to run strictly on one side of the field." McCartney's play is not the only thing that is getting attention from around the league. This kid gets paid and he gets paid well. While only at the ripe of 23, McCartney was paid in excess of five million dollars this last season. Only time will tell whether the money was well spent.
If you watch this team on Sundays and you know football it's very hard not to notice two of the three guys lining up in the middle when the Fire are on the defensive side of the ball. Linebackers John Maynard and Beau Brown are two of the league's best without any doubt. Both possess superior football instincts and the pass-rushing skills to go with those smarts. Maynard was third in in the league in tackles with 149 while Brown led all linebackers in sacks with nine even though he didn't record one in the Fire's last eight games. Weak-side linebacker looks to be a position in which the Fire will need to shore up on in the offseason, especially if they'd like to improve on a middle-of-the-road run defense.
The critics would be quick to line up and tell you all about how the Fire have one of the worst secondaries in the league and that it's easily the weak spot of the team, but this writer isn't so convinced. The fact of the matter is that many times during the season opposing teams were all but forced to abandon any sort of running game. Shootouts were the norm and teams passed and they passed often. And while they were burned a fair number of times one could look and see that perhaps not enough defensive pressure was put on opposing teams' quarterbacks. Look, the group is young and I just don't think it's time to make a mole hill look like a mountain. Let them grow within the system and improve the line instead. Are you listening, GM sovstar?
As only hours have passed since the Fire's season-ending loss in the NFC Championship Game it's all too easy to look at the glass as being half empty. But I decided to whip this together tonight to let the fans know and the rest of the league know that this team is for real and is sure to come out firing next season. In less than two weeks time the offseason is set to begin and it will be a whole new ball game. Evaluations and number-crunching is what's ahead and I'll be ready to evaluate some of more important off-the-field players. You can count the scouting and managing staff as being under "fire" from this simple IFL fan. Stay tuned.
Look for the latest extension news and info on what rumors are circulating within the Fire organization soon.
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