From the Coach... 07/17/06

The week of the Locomotion game I had been praying for nice weather and I was extremely happy to see that the football gods do listen some times. I knew we were going to be in for a contest with the Chattanooga Locomotion. What I didn’t know was how on fire our passing game was going to be. This was the balanced offensive attack we were waiting to see. It was great to see the entire team GEL and perform at such a high level. There were some great performances from the visiting locomotion - namely #24 Denisha Montgomery, and #7 Nicole Henry. Henry is a great defensive player. She played her heart out and should be proud.

Looking forward to at playing the Columbus Comets is a daunting task. The Divas have never beaten this team by more than 8 points. In our two previous matches the home game was won by the Divas 8-7 in a mud bowl type game. And the away game in Columbus was a come from behind victory 30-22 as Columbus became the first team to score on the initial play from scrimmage against the Divas defense. In order to meet the challenge the Divas have to be prepared. Players to watch are #13 (Shelly Gates), #94 (Gerri Brand), #85 (Lindsay Eckles), and #51 (Jennifer Hutchinson). If you are a student of the game, it will be a JOY to watch #51 Jennifer Hutchinson play middle linebacker. As the second best MLB in the NWFA (second to Ivy Tillman), she plays the position like it was meant to be played – fast, hard, and relentless. She is the heart and soul of the Columbus defense and if we have ANY hope of rushing the ball we must block #51. Like any GREAT player she is going to get her tackles, but we have to ensure that they are down field and not at the line of scrimmage. Enough can’t be said about Hank Patterson the Comets Head Coach and his coaching staff. Every time I have seen the Comets play, against the Divas, against the Demolition, or against the Mutiny they have been in every ball game and EXTREMELY well prepared.

Make no mistake this game is going to be close. It’s going to be filled with hard hitting, fast special teams, and big plays. The Comets are perfectly capable of coming to town and winning this football game. In order for the Divas to be successful we are going to need to contain the Comets main offensive weapon #13 Shelly Gates, try to neutralize #51 Jennifer Hutchinson, and win the battle of field position. If we can accomplish those three things we will be in a good position to be successful. These are the moments that GREAT athletes crave. These are the games where Legends are born, and careers end. These are the times when GREAT players seize opportunity, and transcend their sport. In order for us to win, we will need more Divas seizing opportunity than Comets. See you all Saturday!

Sincerely,

Ezra M. Cooper Jr., Head Coach