Predators Rally in Second Half!

The Predators came into this game confident but the first half wasn't in the game plan. The Predators found themselves down at halftime 0-7. It was difficult to swallow at the time, but the Predators stuck together as a team and bulldozed the Salvidors 19-14. Every flag pull, block, pass, catch, defended pass that was made by a Predator tonight contributed to this big win that puts the Predators at 3-3 and in 4th place(final playoff position) with a one game lead over the rest. The Predators hold tie breakers against the Falcons, Green Footballs and Salvidors. The only team they don't have the tiebreaker is the Highlanders, who going into this weekend had a 1-3 record. This win was extremely big and the Predators got it done!

From the very start of the first half the Predators moved the ball effectively. They moved the ball all the way down field and on 4th and goal #7 Brown and #2 Long couldn't convert the score. The Predators held the Salvidors on the next series and was a foreshadowing of how the defense was going to play all night. Numerous times the Predators had their backs to the wall and answered the call stopping the Salvidor offense. The only time in the first half they didn't was when a Salvidor caught a short pass and falg pulls were missed and he nearly took it the length of the field. The Salvidors converted on the opportunity and found themselves up 7-0. On the next series the Predators again moved the ball down field and again missed the opportunity to score when #8 Wagar barely missed a #7 Brown throw. The rest of the first half the Predators defense played bend don't break defense holding the Salvidor offense out of the endzone.


In the second half the Predators played outstanding team football. They executed on offense and defensively swallowed up the Salvidor offense. Defensively the Predators played their best game of the season. The Savidors came into the game with a good game plan and knew where they wanted to go with the ball. It was like they played two games the day before. They threw the ball short and forced the Predators to make quick flag pulls. The Predators struggled a bit in the first half, but in the second they cleaned up their play and frustrated the Salvidors. They switched from zone to a straight man and it was extremely effective. #10 Piskac was making his standard, full stretched diving pulls and also making plays disrupting passes. #52 Oberhaus came to play as usual making pulls and nearly intercepting a pass in the end zone. #1 Clark added another solid performance as he deflected at least three passes in the second half. Nearly intercepting two of them. #2 Long also played well covering the Salvidors big man, making the player seem nonexistent in the game. The rest of the Predators helped out defensively, including #15 Starosta who made some pulls and will get more comfortable on the defensive side the more he plays. By switching to man in second half really put a strangle hold on the Salvidors for the game, but it also gave the Predators more confidence in their man defense against teams down the road. They will probably mix man and zone together and really keep offenses on their heels from now on. On the first series the Predators forced the Salvidors into a punt. The Predators immediately answered by moving the ball down field. #2 Long, #8 Wagar, #11 Brown, and #33 Price all contributing on the series. #7 Brown completed the drive when he hit #11 Brown on the side lines for a Predator score. The Predators again stopped the Salvidor offense and immediately went back to work. Building off the previous series they continued to pass short and pick up yards after the catch. #33 Price struck it big when #7 Brown found him in the flats, #45 Price made a great block and #33 Price sneaked through two Salvidors and took it to the house. The Predators led at this point 13-7. Along with the TD, #33 Price gave the Predators 2 sacks in the game. The second came after the Predators took the lead. The Salvidors were driving in Predators territory when #33 pulled the flag, forcing a 3rd and long that wasn't converted when #52 Oberhaus nearly intercepted the pass. The Predators got the ball back and once again moved the ball efficiently down the field. #7 Brown, who played well the entire game, drove the Predators down the field and found #45 Price for his 3rd TD in the game. #7 Brown threw one interception in the first half but stayed composed and had a solid second half throwing 3 TD's, giving him 14 TDs, 4 INTs in the last 4 games. The defense bailed him out in the first half, but that's what good teams do. They play together and win together and that's what the Predators are all about. The Salvidors scored once more late ending the scoring and the game 19-14.

The Predators are now 3-3 and in good position going into the bye week. Their defense and offense appear to take it to another level each week and yesterday was no exception. This game may have been a turning point for the Predators this season. They found themselves down at halftime and the balls or calls just didn't seem to be in their favor. But they stuck together and refused to lose. The Predators are excited to be 3-3 and still in the hunt for the title. If they continue to try to improve every week, who knows, they may just find themselves playing for the title at seasons end.