Newsfeed
Printer-Friendly ModeWith four of their first five games away, Cards know a quick start is a must
June 8, 2009 —
A season after winning the final three games to finish 7-3, the Cardinals football team is hoping it can carry that momentum into the 2009 season.
“The three wins at the end of last season were great for us, and I think it is something we can build off. We should be ready this year now that everyone has a year under Coach Collins,” Junior quarterback Danny Stiefel said.
Stiefel was referring to secondyear head coach Jim Collins, known for his unorthodox offensive system. While offense is Collins’ specialty, the defense played a big part in the Cards’ third place finish in the GLIAC last season, placing third in the conference in total defense.
If the Cardinals want to carry over the success from last season, they will have to do so on the road, as they open the 2009 season with four of its first five games away from home, including the first three.
If 2008 is any indication, the Cards should have no trouble playing away from Wickes Stadium, as they are coming off a season in which they finished 4-1 on the road.
Senior wide receiver Galen Stone doesn’t believe that the early road games will hinder the Cards’ chances at a shot at the postseason.
“It’s important to get off to a good start because you want to build momentum early in the season and, for us, carry over the momentum that we gained at the end of last season. It is essential to get off to a good start because early losses could result in us panicking, which could lower our team morale,” Stone said.
As the ’08 season progressed, Stone developed into Stiefel’s number one target. He caught four touchdown passes in the final four games to finish with a team high of eight for the season. The eight receiving touchdowns placed Stone in a tie for fourth in the GLIAC, only three behind the conference leader.
While Stone admits that it was nice being the go-to-guy, he isn’t concerned about individual success.
“I need to do what I can to get this team to the National Championship. I’m not really concerned with being the number one target. I’m playing to win and will do whatever it takes to get this team to Florence, Alabama,” Stone said, referring to where the National Championship game is held.
For the Cards to make it to Alabama, Stiefel admits that they must improve offensively to achieve the success they desire.
“What we need to do as a team this season is to finish games and never give up. The main thing is to get up on our opponents and not wait until the second half to start putting points on the board,” Stiefel said.
Perhaps a game that Stiefel was alluding to was their last loss of the season, a 31-28 setback at Ashland. The Cardinals fell behind 24-0 and also trailed 31-7 late in the third quarter, before their late rally fell short.
Both Stone and Stiefel echoed the same statement as to how the Cards will approach the upcoming season. “We are going to take it one game at a time because the GLIAC is full of good teams.”