Sports

More than just a win for ‘Cats

Paul Dehner Jr.

ALBANY — As the final horn blew at the Civic Center on Saturday night, the Green Bay Blizzard center lay on top of the ball, seemingly in tears after being unable to snap one final attempt at the end zone of the Wildcats’ 55-48 win.

Almost in unison with the horn, a South Georgia Wildcats fan wearing a cape flew over the wall in front of his third-row seat, landed in stride and sprinted toward the massive center stringing a line of taunts with every step.

He quickly snatched the ball away from under the 300-pounder, and darted away, assumingly to take his prize to the other members of the Justice League.

First off, I fully promote wearing a cape. It is perhaps the most underrated fashion accessory in the 21st century. That said, charging an emotional 300-pound lineman while wearing a cape, on a scale of 1-to-dumb, is off the charts.

Despite the lunacy of the attack, this superfan’s arrogance and enthusiasm spoke volumes to the sense of pride Saturday’s win created.

For the first time in the 2008 season, a true sense of hope and accomplishment followed a Wildcats game.

As Joe Woolridge lit up the grill of Blizzard QB Shane Adler all night and the Andrico Hines-Antwone Savage connection came to life, it felt like we were watching the birth of a personality for this Wildcats team.

This may have only been a Week 4 victory against a non-divisional foe, but it clearly felt like more to superfans, players and coaches alike.

Savage’s head bobbed up and down as he talked trash with swagger.

Roland Cola exchanged blows with a Green Bay wide receiver while in the first row of the stands.

Players scrapped and fought, sometimes to a fault, but in the process proved they would not be bullied.

In fact, they would be doing the bullying.

“You got to fight fire with fire,” Cola said. “Pressure with pressure.”

Unlike the team that pushed this franchise into the playoffs and upper echelon of respectability last year, this version of the Wildcats looked different.

They were mean. They intimidating. They dominated on defense.

The 2007 Wildcats were many things — a super-powered offense South Georgia temporarily falls short of being one of them — but they were rarely characterized as a defensive dynamo.

Yet, here they were sacking, forcing fumbles and physically overwhelming a Green Bay offensive line regarded as one of the best in the af2.

Arena pundits believe, on paper, South Georgia ranks among the best teams in the league and has potential to go well beyond its second-round exit last year.

For the first time this season that potential came to life.

Such is not to say this game was perfect. Far from it. The Wildcats stumbled to a fourth slow start in as many games, gave away two special teams scores and allowed 31 first-quarter points.

Hines appeared to be the answer in his debut, but every offensive player admitted they left touchdowns on the field and must improve.

“We still need to work on a lot of things,” coach Derek Stingley said. “It wasn’t that complete game.”

Even Savage expressed disgust in viewing the stat sheet, staring down at his seven catches, 75 yards and three touchdowns.

“I need to be getting 100 yards every week,” he said.

Any criticism was hard to take seriously after this game, though.

Unlike the two previous wins — in a miracle fashion against Tennessee Valley and ugly fashion against Daytona Beach — this felt earned.

Say what you will about Green Bay, it advanced to the Arena Cup two years ago and conference championship last year.

It is well-respected across the league.

And the upstart South Georgia Wildcats knocked them in the teeth, shut them down and sent a fan with a cape out to taunt their 300-pound lineman.

Now that’s something to go crazy about.

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