Fan Blog

Fan Blog: Week 8 - Crunch Time

by Steve Litaker

Crunch Time has a couple of meanings for the Austin TurfCats as we head towards this week's game.  With five games under their belt and six remaining (only 2 at home), the T-Cats head into the second half of the season in second place.  Not playing last week gave the Swashbucklers the opportunity to pull into first place, but Austin still has a game in hand.

It looks to be a three way race down the stretch as the Swashbucklers sit at 5-1, the TurfCats at 4-1, and Acadiana at 3-2.   Even though the Acadiana Mudbugs have two losses, both are to the same team, the Swashbucklers.  The Swashbucklers only loss is to Austin, and Austin’s only loss is to the Mudbugs.  The T-Cats control their own destiny, they still have to play both the `Bucs and Mudbugs again. Both games are on the road for the TurfCats and will be hard fought games. You can bet the Swashbucklers will have a large and raucous crowd with revenge on their mind.

It will also be Crunch time at the Expo center this Saturday as the TurfCats welcome the North Texas Crunch of the IIFA (Indoor Football Alliance) to town and to the league. The IIFA is based out of the Dallas/Forth Worth area. It is a Semi-Pro developmental league that has had a successful history of moving its players up to the higher leagues. Their coach had communicated with me before the Turfcats original tryouts about Coach Duliban possibly taking a look at a couple of their players, which he did. Some of their guys attended tryouts and one of them, DB Metrick McHenry is still a part of the T-Cats squad.

Yes, they come from a lower league, but don’t let that lead to discounting them or losing focus. The Crunch should prove to be a more formidable opponent than the PASM Florida Kings. Several people around the indoor football forums expect the Crunch to knock off a team or two in the SIFL. Austin needs to take them seriously and work on execution and controlling the game. This is the last live action they’ll see before heading to Lake Charles next week to face the first place Swashbucklers.

The Crunch are the defending Champions of the IIFA and stand undefeated this season at 5-0. They would love to catch us off guard taking them lightly and thinking about next week. I don’t see that happening, the T-Cats after not playing last week are anxious to play again and welcome this as another opportunity to work towards their goal of a championship of their own.

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