Fort Wayne Freedom

Bragging rights, redemption on the line

When Fort Wayne Freedom coach Matt Land got to his office this week -- the one at his paying day job as head football coach at Tri-State University -- he found it redecorated.

And not exactly to his liking.

There were some signs with words like, "You're going down," and other words that aren't really fit for print. Land promptly destroyed the verbiage and began plotting his revenge in the form of Xs and Os.

He knew exactly where the graffiti came from -- two of his Thunder assistant coaches, Dan Musielewicz and David Gater, who happen to double as players with the Continental Indoor Football League's Kalamazoo Xplosion.

The Freedom (5-6) take on the Xplosion (10-1) on Saturday night at Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Musielewicz is a wide receiver. Gater, who hails from Kendallville, is a defensive back.

It's possible the teams will meet in the first round of the playoffs, too, though the Freedom is far from having a postseason berth secured.

The best hope for the Freedom would be to win its game Saturday and get a loss from Muskegon tonight against Saginaw.

Anything else and there will likely be a tie between Fort Wayne and either Muskegon or Rock River, the teams vying for two playoff spots, and it'll come down to victory strength or strength of schedule. Those numbers will drastically change over the weekend and the CIFL sadly can't promise the playoff teams will even be available for public consumption after the games Saturday.

Click here to see the playoff scenarios, diluted as they are.

Meanwhile, the Freedom were actually able to practice this week, something it didn't do before last week's victory over the Chesapeake Tide. The theme was the team's chance for redemption, in a tumultuous season that has seen changes in ownership and coaches, players not getting paid, and plenty of roster changes.

Remember the 2005 Freedom team, which won the United Indoor Football regular-season championship then lost in the first round? Several players from that team, and Land, are back with this year's Freedom and hoping they can make up for that disappointment.

Meanwhile, quarterback Eric Hooks is already feeling redeemed, after he was benched five games into the season. He has been at the helm during the Freedom's recent 2-1 surge, which coincided with Land's return to the team.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Confidence is (brace yourselves) high

Stacy is out and about again, so I'm kidnapping her keyboard to report that confidence is high.

I repeat confidence is high.

After the Freedom's 42-38 victory over Muskegon last weekend, Fort Wayne (4-6) is clinging to its playoff hopes and relishing some rare improvement in what has been a season of repeated catastrophes.

"I think we need to finish (better), no doubt there," coach Matt Land said, referring to the Freedom's allowance of 14 points in the final 44 seconds, in his second game since taking over as interim coach.

But?

"But, we've got some practices in now and we played way better than we did in Game 1," Land said. "(Quarterback Eric) Hooks looks better and he understands things a bit better. We have a lot more confidence."

Confidence, however, can be a tricky thing. When you sit on the bus for 12 hours, as the Freedom will have to do Friday, it can be shaken. When you find out starting offensive tackle Brandon Hurd is going to be gone for the rest of the season, as is also the case, that can thwart your psyche, too.

Hurd is going back to Texas to strut his stuff at some sort of impromptu pro day. So who will fill the void? The same guys who did in the loss to Chicago two weeks ago -- Randal Guzman and Alf Fertil -- and sources have told me they were spotty at best in that game, when Hurd was injured. I expect Guzman and Fertil to get some serious tutelage at Thursday's practice. Hooks must be protected to be productive, after all.

"The thing about this league, is you have to be coaches to play in more than one spot," Land said.

Asked if he's shouting into his players' ears that a playoff berth is within reach, Land told me not to get ahead of myself.

"The best thing for us to do is concentrate on playing well this week," he said, adding the Freedom is still installing the Land offense before Saturday's game against Chespeake (1-9).

The Freedom needs, basically, to win out and get some losses out of Rock River (5-5) and/or Muskegon (5-5).

By the way, having covered dozens upon dozens of hockey games at Wings Stadium, I find it hard to believe the reference to Kalamazoo being "the center of the football world," however, check this site for information on Operation Gridiron Airlift, a cool idea in which fans donate footballs to be sent to troops overseas. So, bring your pigskin and make the 115-mile trip up for the regular-season finale.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Fort Wayne hangs on, beats Muskegon

Maurice Terrell, a defensive end, said players started getting tired.
But starting linebacker Bam Carter seemed to think the Freedom's dismal final minute of defense was more about players letting up than feeling fatigued.
Fort Wayne still won 42-38 Saturday night. But the defense allowed 14 points in the final 44 seconds was not the kind of ending the unit wanted.
"We played good, but we just have little mistakes," Carter said. "We've just got to finish. I think we got too lax when we got the lead."
Until the late collapse, the defense was on pace for its finest outing of the season.
Through 59 minutes, Fort Wayne allowed only 24 points. The previous season low for a game was 34. But the Freedom saw that slip away quickly.
Defensive back Hyman Smith appeared to lose his assignment, receiver Richard Gills, in the back of the end zone with about 50 seconds left. Gills caught a touchdown pass.
After Muskegon recovered an onsides kick, it scored again in six plays. On first-and-goal from the 7, defensive back Ronnie McCrae leaped to tip a pass only to turn and see it fall into the waiting arms of Muskegon's Preston Garris.
"Everybody is doing everything, defense, special teams, and sometimes it wears down on the body," Terrell said.

• Eric Hooks looked sharp at quarterback. He directed the offense on five of its six scoring drives. But it may be one of the non-scoring series that haunts coach Matt Land. The Freedom started with great field position (Muskegon's 20-yard line) after Adrian Reese returned the kickoff about 30 yards. Fort Wayne moved to Muskegon's 10-yard line with about 5 minutes to play but couldn't punch it in on four plays. The final two of the drive had Hooks' passes deflected. "That (fourth) was a big down," Land said. "We can't give plays away. We made some mistakes on that drive, and you can't do that in this game. It's too fast."

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Time warp into Freedom Land

As a matter of forewarning, I hadn't been out to a Freedom practice in a few years. (Stacy is out of town tending to a personal matter, so I'm in from Komet land to blog.) And it felt like some sort of time warp out at The Dome.

There was Matt Land, coaching the team again. There was Mike Quick, working with the secondary. Luther Stroder? Rocky Harvey? Alf Fertil?

Whoa, it was like walking into 2005 again, only I had less hair. It was weird to seem them all there again and from what I've read and heard, weird for them to speak positively about things.

"I'm excited," said Land, who took over after Willie Davis was fired on game day last Saturday. "I really enjoy this game and Fort Wayne football and the fans."

Land, who guided the Freedom to a 14-2 record in 2005, pledged to break the bad habits, to give the Memorial Coliseum fans a show Saturday against Muskegon. They certainly deserve one, having stomached a season that's seen a change in ownership, a change in coaches, players quitting and a 3-6 record.

Land has been working the phones, talking with players interested in the new regime.

"You've got some decisions to make," I overheard him tell one on the phone. "I'm not going to make you any promises; I haven't seen you play yet."

Yeah, nothing like a swift kick in the bluetooth.

Land, who is back only on an interim basis, spent a lot of practice trying to improve the techniques of quarterback Eric Hooks and the receivers.

OK, it wasn't the most structured workout I've ever seen -- Land is still going off the one-sheet or handwritten plays he scribbled together before Saturday's 38-26 loss to Chicago -- but it's baby-steps right now and you can't expect much more than that.

"The plays worked out pretty well," Land said. "Hooks was a little off in the first half, for obvious reasons. We put (the system) into place on the bus and practiced it for 15 minutes during pre-game (warm-ups). It was to be expected. In the second half, he settled down, got more comfortable and played pretty well."

The Freedom has some confidence believing they gave Chicago fits last week. There's also a light-hearted feel, Land being good at joking around with a crew whose names he still doesn't fully know, while delivering solid fundamental wisdom, too.

Is it too late for this team? Maybe. They have to win at least two of their last three games to have a legitimate chance at the playoffs and two of those games are against top-notch teams Muskegon and Kalamazoo.

But the Freedom's going to have some fun trying. It'd be a lot more fun if they could win a couple.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Fort Wayne loses at Chicago

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Matt Land's first game back as the Freedom's head coach: in-game adjustments.
The Freedom may have lost, 41-33, Saturday, but there's reason for optimism for the final three games with Land back at offensive coordinator.
Despite getting essentially only 15 minutes of prep time to install an offense, the team had a chance to tie the game late.
"See what the defense does and adjusting to it was much more prevalent (Saturday)," quarterback Eric Hooks said. "Really just feeling like during the game instead of just getting encouragement, we got coaching. Instead of 'C'mon guys, let's go, pick it up,' we got, 'This is what you need to do when this happens. See this, do this.' "
With the quick turnaround, it wasn't surprising to see the offense struggle a bit, especially early.
Hooks admitted there were points where he wasn't sure where his teammates were going to be, and the timing was off. He also hadn't played since Game 4 of the season, so that could have factored in.
"I think it will be (OK) because most of our starting skill guys have played under coach Land, so they know the system," Hooks said. "It's a similar system that I played at Saint Francis because Land learned it from coach (Kevin) Donley. I think it's going to be a smooth adjustment, and I think you saw a little bit of that (Saturday). It's just really getting used to the timing, especially me getting back used to game speed."

• All Land expected out of the players Saturday night was for them to play hard, and he thought they did that. "Really (Saturday) was us getting to know each other, seeing if I could get the effort out of them and letting them know it's going to be OK," he said. "I think we crossed a lot of bridges (Saturday) on a positive note. While losing is never good, it could have been a lot worse."
• Here's hoping Land runs his practices more structured than Davis. It's clear some individuals need work, and there's always the issue of practicing at game speed, which didn't happen often under Davis.
• Land said the team will practice twice next week. The first order of business: shoring up special teams. Chicago's Robert Height had three returns for 86 yards Saturday, and the Slaughter often had good field position.
• Fort Wayne's defense was good again. Shonn Bell and Maurice Terrell really wreck havoc from the end spots, getting consistent pressure on the quarterback.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Wednesday's practice limited

After only a handful of players showed up Tuesday and resulted in practice being nixed, Wednesday's participation was just a tad better.
I counted 12 players, though that included defensive lineman Shonn Bell, who didn't practice while continuing to get treatment on his left knee.
Even with the limited numbers, there still was work getting done.
Quarterbacks Eric Hooks and Kota-Carone Colors split snaps, many out of shotgun formations. Alf Fertil was forced to play center with starter Remele Penick absent.
Kicker Justin Hoover may have been the most active player, working on not only field goals with and without a holder but also practicing nearly every kickoff possibility (onsides, squib, pooch, etc.).
Coach Willie Davis expects a full roster for Thursday's practice, including the ever-important "Indy group" that includes running back Rocky Harvey and receiver Adrian Reese, among others.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Fort Wayne loses to Saginaw

Maybe now we can stop any talk about Fort Wayne making the playoffs.
Technically, the Freedom still is in the race with four games left. But after watching the offense struggle again Saturday in a 34-21 loss to Saginaw, the team has to progress quickly to have a real chance.
I wasn't surprised Kota-Carone Colors struggled. Like coach Willie Davis and receiver Adrian Reese said, Colors looked exactly like what he is: a first-time indoor football quarterback. Game speed is not easy to simulate, especially with the week of practice the team had leading up to the game.
"I've got a guy who wasn't used to our offense out there, and it showed at the worst time possible," Davis said.
I suppose the real question is why did Antoine Taylor bail 30 minutes before kickoff?
Taylor didn't stick around after the game for me to ask him, and Davis wouldn't tell me. The only possible scenarios I can think of are that Taylor found out Colors was going to get some reps, and he disagreed, so he refused to play or Taylor is upset about the off-field issues and wouldn't play. I don't know what's true -- or if either is -- but I did hear one player who was leaving the building after the game say Taylor was being "selfish." 
This situation stinks on many levels. The loss not only jeopardized playoff chances, but the drama came at a time when the team doesn't need any of it.
Here's hoping I can connect with Taylor at some point soon to hear his side.

• The team used more shotgun formations than normal. When I asked Davis about it, he said he was trying to give Colors more time to see the play developing.
• The defense probably should have gotten more love, but it's tough to spotlight that unit's play when the team lost primarily because of an ineffective offense. Still, defensive end Shonn Bell was fantastic. I didn't get final defensive stats, but he forced a fumble, had at least one sack, blocked an extra point and stuffed the run on multiple occasions. Quite a feat for a guy who I thought suffered a season-ending injury last week in Ohio.
  "I didn't think I was going to be back either, but fortunately everything was all right, and (the injury) wasn't as bad as we thought," said Bell, who called the injury a hyper extension of his knee. "There's a little pain, but coach gave me the week off to heal and rehab. It felt pretty good (Saturday). I could have done better, but I guess everyone says that. But what I've been through after the game last week and this week, I'm satisfied with my play."

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Pregame vs. Sagniaw

About an hour before kickoff here at Memorial Coliseum, and I'm interested to see how much the team is affected by what I view as an ineffective week of practice.
Luther Stroder said Thursday he thinks the offense with its core of veterans is less likely to be affected. The defense is still trying to find chemistry and work with new guys.
Expect Scott Heighland to be the full-time safety tonight after getting worked in slowly last week. Who he'll have starting with him, though, we may not know until kickoff. Steven Kee has left the team, which leaves Jamarkus Walters, JaRell Smith and Ronnie McCrae as possible cornerbacks.

• Stroder said he thinks a bigger distraction to the team than any off-field issues is the amount of finger-pointing by some players. Presumably, most of that is with the guys who have never played with each other. I don't see any of the former Freedom guys ripping each other. They certainly share their views, but it's in a more constructive way. I've seen guys get in arguments at practice and there appears to be some heated discussions during games when a mistake is made.
• Practices haven't seemed as structured, especially lately, as is typical. If you can say what you want about Eddie Brown -- personally, I liked him -- but you can't question his practice environment. Practices were always run to the minute, and there rarely was any wasted time. If players didn't get something right, it was done over. And over. There's less accountability from Willie Davis with this group. Davis is in a bit of a tough spot with only one other coach on his staff (defensive coordinator Lamar Martin), but sometimes I feel like the veteran players are the ones who are running the show. "It looks unorganized, but we usually do a little individual, a little team," defensive lineman Alf Fertil said. "Where I came from at Saint Francis, everything was planned out. But when I played for the Freedom a couple years ago, it was a little chaos. But we police ourselves. As veterans, we know, a lot of the older guys take it upon ourselves to say, 'All right, these are the drills we're going to do today. We're going to push ourselves to get better every day to be ready on Saturday.' "

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Practice "update"

Not much to report from practice Tuesday and Wednesday.
Numbers were minimal. I counted 13 guys Wednesday who were practicing. That meant for 7-on-7 drills, defensive coordinator Lamar Martin had to play linebacker. Without enough skill position guys on offense, backup quarterback Eric Hooks got some time at running back and receiver (and actually looked pretty good).

• I didn't count snaps, but they seemed to be split between Antoine Taylor and Darnell Lovett, who is changing his name to Kota-Carone Colors, Wednesday. I'm not sure I understand that -- or why coach Willie Davis bothered to bring another quarterback in this late in the year. I thought Hooks was doing just fine, especially if Taylor is the full-time starter. Hooks knows the offense. With only five games left, why bring in a new guy and have to teach him everything? Besides -- and I'm no quarterback expert -- but Colors seems to have a hitch in his delivery. I can't really describe it, but something just doesn't seem smooth in his motion. Maybe that would work OK for outdoor. In indoor, though, you all know there's a premium on a quick release and making quick decisions.
• Shonn Bell was at practice Tuesday, and he appeared to be walking just fine. With his reaction during the game last weekend to the injury -- slamming his hand on the turf and writhing in pain -- I figured whatever happened was pretty serious. Apparently, not so much. We'll see if he'll be ready to play Saturday.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Pre-game at Miami Valley

About 70 minutes before kickoff here at Hobart Arena in Troy, Ohio. Just got the 21-man active roster.
Quarterback Eric Hooks isn't on it, and linebacker Bam Carter is.
Coach Willie Davis will have Wayne graduate Darnell Lovett as Antoine Taylor's backup tonight. Lovett, who I'm told is in the process of changing his name to Kota-Carone Colors, was at practice last week but didn't dress. On Thursday night, Lovett got his equipment, including a helmet. Davis said after practice Thursday the reason for the switch is because he knows what Hooks can do, so he figured he'd give Lovett a chance. He said Lovett looked "sharp" in practice this week.
Taylor will start. He's guided the team to victories in both of his starts.
I heard a rumor Carter might return tonight, but I didn't see him either Tuesday or Thursday this week. I haven't seen him yet tonight, but there are only a handful of guys out on the field now. Last I knew, Carter was rehabbing a knee injury.

• Without Hooks, Fort Wayne needed to find another holder. Defensive lineman Shonn Bell and receiver Adrian Reese worked on those duties in practice Thursday. But right now, Scott Heighland is holding. He could just be helping kicker Justin Hoover warm up. We'll see. Hoover had a perfect week last week, making all seven extra points and two field goals.
• Travis Colston also is on the active roster, so it'll be interesting to see who gets the start at linebacker. I'm assuming he'll get the nod over Carter. I've never seen either play another position, though. So perhaps they'll both get some work.
• Heighland likely will start at safety, which will push Ronnie McCrae to cornerback alongside JaRell Smith. Steven Kee, who is nursing a shoulder injury, and Hyman Smith are the other active DBs.
• Low ceilings here, so we'll see if that affects kickoffs and returns.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette