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Dispatch

4/14/06

ARENA FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Destroyers are facing win-or-else situation

Friday, April 14, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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Two weeks ago, the Columbus Destroyers were looking good to make the Arena Football League playoffs.
With a 5-4 record, they would have qualified for the postseason if the playoffs started then.
But the Destroyers lost at Dallas 51-30 on April 1. That wasn’t a shock. The Desperados (9-2) have the best record in the league.
Then last week, the Destroyers’ offense sputtered again in a 39-36 home loss to Orlando.
Now, with the New York Dragons in town for tonight’s game in Nationwide Arena, the Destroyers (5-6) have little or no margin for error.
"The next five games are obviously must-wins," Destroyers quarterback John Kaleo said. "To control our own destiny, we’ve got to win the next five. If you lose one and win four, you’re leaving it in the hands of the tiebreaker."
The Destroyers’ situation wouldn’t be so precarious if they played in the American Conference. There, the Chicago Rush, with a 4-7 record, would make the playoffs as the sixth and final seed if the season ended now.
But the Destroyers are in the National Conference, where the competition for the playoffs is much tougher. The Destroyers have the second-worst record in their conference behind expansion Kansas City, an expansion team that beat Columbus two months ago.
But their situation is hardly hopeless. Three teams have 6-5 records and three are 7-4.
Destroyers coach Doug Kay said he doesn’t pay attention to other teams’ wins and losses and how they might affect his team’s playoff chances.
"All of our attention is on (tonight)," he said. "If we don’t beat New York, we’ll be hardpressed (to make the playoffs)."
Beating the Dragons would be a crucial first step. Columbus won at New York on March 3, so the Destroyers would have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Dragons with a victory tonight.
In the 65-54 win over the Dragons, the Destroyers scored 48 second-half points to rally from a 14-point deficit.
Kaleo had what Kay described as his best performance of the season against the Dragons. Kaleo threw for 305 yards and a season-high six touchdown passes, three of them to Carl Bond.
The Destroyers need to pick up their offense.
"If our offense gets going, we definitely can win the next five games," Kaleo said. "If the offense gets clicking and doing the things we’re capable of, hands down we’ll win the next five games. But that’s the question mark.
"Defensively, we’ll be able to create some stops and some turnovers and special teams will be able to hang (with opponents). But offensively if we can get it going, we can ride this wave a long way."
brabinowitz@dispatch.com

Friday, April 14, 2006