Coach's Column
On A Mission(05/06/08)
This week is understandably hard to talk football. All of our hearts are heavy with what happened to JD this weekend. Its hard to even explain the feeling that we felt seeing our leader go down. As coaches, we spend so much time together, that while we are co-workers, we become good friends as well. We are all happy to report, that as I write this, JD is in good spirits and taking it easy this week. As his assistants, we are picking up some responsibilities to make his job a little easier. We feel ready and prepared to assume those responsibilities, as we have had a great person show us how to do it. We are very thankful for the support from the Bandits fans as well as the Sioux Falls organization.
Last week, we went back to basics. We felt like we really needed to preach the importance of the "little things." Footwork, spacing, precise route running, and timing were all things we felt we needed to improve upon. We feel like we had a great week of practice and that our guys were fired up and prepared to face Sioux Falls. I believe the work in practice paid off on Saturday. Overall, we played a very good game, and once again showed we can play with anyone in this league. As Coach Winklepleck said in the coaches' column last week, this game would be a huge character game. It was, and showed the true character of our team. We were proud of the way the team never gave up. They never put their heads down and they left it all out on the field. Even when it got tough at the end of the game, they dug deep and put together a scoring drive with 34 seconds left to bring us within five. Our running game did well, with Bentley gaining 92 yards! We knew how important the running game would be, and our guys took it very serious. Our defense came together and really bailed our offense out a couple times. Bryant was under pressure a lot, and they made several key stops to give us a chance to win that game. Again, it came down to a few mistakes. It is said that four to five plays decide the outcome of a game, and unfortunately Sioux Falls did just a little better on those four to five plays. We can and WE WILL beat Sioux Falls!
While nobody wants to be or expected to be sitting here today at 3-5, we have a lot of promise. It was great to see a true team game Saturday night. When our offense struggled, the defense picked them up. When the defense struggled the offense picked them up, and when the offense and defense struggled, the special teams picked it up. Now, we know we can do it. We just need to get more consistent and put together a complete game from the first quarter through the fourth. We look forward to having four of our last six games in "our house."
The goal is still the same; we want a championship here in Sioux City. I challenge you the fans to stay with us, and to make it miserable for opposing teams the next several weeks. Be loud and proud and make sure they know they are in our house! Sioux Falls was a turning point for this team, and now we are on a mission... to win out and make the playoffs. Then it's a whole new season!
Coach Mather
Where Do We Go From Here?
(04/30/08)
The Bandits would like to thank each and every one of you for the great support this season. This will be a huge character game for the Bandits this Saturday. We feel very confident going into this game. The team moral is very positive and WE ARE looking forward to the challenge. On Monday night we had a great meeting and film session, and feel we worked out all the kinks. The players decided to meet on their own last night and go over plays and situations instead of having the night off like they were supposed to do. They are truly acting like professionals.
We have now finished half the season and looking forward to making some noise the last seven games. We feel very fortunate to play four of those seven games at home. "There is no place like home" and that is because you FANS are the best in the league.
The offense and special teams made great strides in the loss to Bloomington. They really kept us in the game. Defensively some changes will be made that will help the team to be more successful. This week we are really looking to put all aspects of the game together and playing 60 minutes or Smart, Tough, Enthusiastic and Persistent football.
With this being a rivalry game there is no reason to believe that the players will not be prepared and jacked up for this game. It has been three long years since we have beaten the STORM and it will be even SWEETER doing it in the "shelter."
Last week's game is behind us and we ARE going to move forward. Either you're with us or against us, but we plan on making a run this last half of the season to win the division and secure home field advantage in the playoffs. In doing this, we have to take it one game at a time, one team at a time.
"One Team, One City, One Goal."
GO BANDITS
-Coach Winklepleck
Do or Die
(04/20/08)
This is without a doubt one of the hardest "coaches column's" to write. As I sit down here and recap the game with the stats sitting right next to me I am baffled. I am done with the statement "WE are young". WE aren't young anymore. WE are six games into a 14 game season so the young ones need to step up. There are no more rookies on this team. Defensively, WE have to stop someone. WE cant expect to win any game if the opponent is scoring on each possession. I don't care how good or bad your offense is, that is way to much pressure to put on an offense. I don't know how many times WE blew a coverage. The calls from Coach Winklepleck are right on, our execution is not. If I hear "my bad" one more time, I'm not sure how I'm going to react. Someone on the field needs to STEP UP and take charge and not let that happen again. We have excellent athletes on that side of the ball but if we can't PLAY TOGETHER then it doesn't matter. Offensively, well what can I say. WE either score or turn the ball over. Not once did they stop us the other night. WE fumble on the ten yard line or closer three times. That is unacceptable. Five turnovers in all will not win any game, especially on the road. It makes me sick to my stomach that we were nine for ten on 3rd down conversions, One for one on 4th and have 43 more yards of total offense and still lose the game.
Now I am sure to the average fan it does look alot like Pop Warner when we are fumbling the ball all over the place BUT reading the sarcasm about me saying that WE WILL GET BETTER only makes it worse for the guys that are scratching, fighting, and bleeding for this team. To wake up the next morning and read on our board that we need a new this or that makes me even sicker than the game the night before. I would never call a Bandit fan a band wagon fan but it sure seems as though we have some. WE WILL GET BETTER, but Rome wasnt build over night. I think in ALL aspects we are better than we have been in the past few years. I wouldn't trade one guy that is playing for OUR colors. I'm not saying that some of you can't be frustrated and voice your opinion and I am not asking you to "cherry coat" anything, but I am challenging you all to either be WITH US or scram. With or without you the players still have to suit up on Saturday nights and play for US. I took this job to coach the Sioux City Bandits and I VOLUNTEERED to do some little things for you the fans such as this column and answering YOUR questions regarding OUR team. WE stress the importance of WEFENSE in our locker room, but I am stressing WEFENSE to all of you as well. Its never been 1 team, 1 goal. Its ALWAYS been 1 team, 1 city, 1 goal.
Coach DeGeorgia
This Isn't Pop Warner!!!
(04/15/08)
We are not two different teams. I have heard that statement thrown around. We are the same team with the same attitude as always. WEFENSE.
Eleven points was the difference in the final score but we as a team feel like it was lopsided all night. We didnt play good in ANY aspect of the game. Our offense was off key, our defense had misques, and our special teams was a nightmare. Eleven points. How can one team play so bad against the three time Champs in their home and come away 11 points short? That is the 25,000 dollar question. Typically, after a loss like that you have guys in the locker room pointing fingers, telling each other what the other guy should have done better. The locker room after the game was a somber sight. Not a word was spoken and everyone, including the coaching staff took blame for their own actions. I was proud of the guys in that matter. Nobody blaming anyone and everyone being accountable for their own actions. Guys actually stood up and said what they could have done better.
Here is the paragraph where I am supposed to talk about highlights of the game and players that stood out. Highlights of the game, NONE.........Players that stood out..........NONE.....We win as a team and we lose as a team... WE WILL GET BETTER...
Some have said they are "pissed off". Imagine being one of the guys that played in the game. I can't say how they feel on here.
We will have our speed bumps throughout the season but I truly believe its how we re-act to these speed bumps that will make us the team we SHOULD be.
Coach DeGeorgia
What's Done & What's Next
(04/07/08)
Before getting in the update, let me first just start off by saying "thank you" to all of the Bandit fans that packed the Tyson on Saturday night. You truly are the best fans in the UIF, and we all appreciate your support. Keep it up!
At practice this week we really stressed that despite their record, Colorado was a good team that could not be taken lightly. This had the potential to be the classic "trap" game. It was a week that really required focus on the task at hand; we had to put the Billings win behind us, and at the same time disregard the fact that Sioux Falls was coming up the next week. The guys got after it though, prepared like professionals, and had a great week of practice.
Just as we said, Colorado came to play, they proved to be a quality opponent, and definitely forced us to earn the win. As Coach DeGeorgia has said all year, this is not about offense or defense, it's WEFENSE, and this game was a classic example of that. We know that bad things are going to happen in every game, but our reaction to those bad things is what determines what kind of team we will be. When the chips were down, our guys made the plays they had to make, and did what was necessary for the TEAM to be successful. I give the players a lot of credit for that.
Although we enjoyed the win, there was a real sense amongst the team after the game that this was not one to get overly excited about. It had nothing to do with the opponent we faced; it was because of our own miscues. As an offense we have to eliminate turnovers and finish drives, defensively we have to tackle better, and on special teams we need to focus on improving our kick coverage. We have to get better, and I know that the guys expect more out of themselves, and as a coach Im glad to see that none of them are satisfied. The team is getting tighter everyday, because we all know that our best football is still ahead of us.
Speaking of what's ahead of us, it's officially Sioux Falls week! We will stick to our normal routines and schedules and prepare as we would for any other game, but because it's Sioux Falls week, everything will just naturally have an added degree of intensity, and a little more urgency. We know that we are going into a hostile environment, so its important that we focus on each other, eliminating distractions, keeping our emotions in check, and getting better as a TEAM this week in practice. We look forward to seeing and hearing you Bandit fans that make the trip north on Saturday night.
Go Bandits!!
Coach Walding
Game Three Recap
(04/02/08)
"Redemption"was the word around practice this week and Friday's game delivered. Considering last week's lopsided loss in Billings, we had many things to correct as much mentally as physically. While the victory against the Outlaws on Friday night was far from perfect, I believe we made great strides in maturing as players and as a team. My only major concern is our lack of scoring in the second half and particularly in the 4th quarter. We will continue to emphasize this problem in practice and, hopefully, be able to take some pressure off ourselves by scoring points late in the game.
I'm not big on individual accolades but a few players had stand-out games and deserve some credit:
Chad Kapanui continues to improve week after week and I was pleased with his efficiency on Friday night. His reads were much sharper than the previous week's and I believe he's on the way to becoming the leader we need to be successful. Chad's offensive line and running back also played a much better game this week Billings' blitz package, a nightmare for us last week, was virtually a non-factor thanks to the guys up front.
O.J. Simpson showed what he can do in the open field and I think that once he's 100% healthy, he'll give defenses fits. Speaking of frustrating defenses, I have been very happy with our receiver corps and the pride they take not only in catching the ball but blocking downfield. That kind of unselfishness may go unnoticed in the stat column, but it wins championships.
And how about that Bandits defense? Chad Hustedt got our first turnover of the year, Letarius Lee blocked two extra points, and Andy Poulosky recorded a sack and two deflected passes. What a great team effort the whole defensive squad deserves a pat on the back. They contained Billings' elusive quarterback and stepped up when we needed them.
Thanks for all your support. Our fans definitely give us an edge at home and we appreciate your enthusiasm. We'll see you at the Tyson this Saturday and in Sioux Falls on the 12th!
Coach Yost
Game One Recap
(03/13/08)
Game one is in the books and we are off to a great start. It was finally nice to see our guys play in a real game. I think for a first game that we played just ok. We have alot of things that we need to work on but the positive thing is that it is all correctable. Wichita played a tough and hard-nosed football game. They have alot of good athletes and I feel that there management team fits right in with the UIF. They put on a first class show and overall I was highly impressed.
Before the game, I asked our players to go out there and win everything. When I say that it means, win pre-game, win warm ups, win the coin toss, and win the game. Dominate in every aspect of the game. I think we did that and I was very proud of our guys. They played extremly hard between whistles and kept the trash talking (which Wichita did plenty of) to a minimum. Defensively we were lead by Spetlar Tonga and Alex Ardley. They both had over ten tackles and Ardley had several pass break-ups and he should have had a pick but just dropped the ball. Our D lineman put pressure on their Quarterback all night which accounted for alot of footballs into the seats. I will give their QB some credit as he suffered a dislocated finger on his throwing hand. They called a timeout, popped it back into place and he stayed in the game.
Letarius Lee got us started on offense as he blocked their initial field goal attempt and set us up with great field position. Chad Kapanui had a great first game completing 13-17 for 152 yards and two touchdowns to Tommy Hofer. Kapanui also rushed for a TD as he took a boot leg around the end and trucked the cornerback. Our offensive line played a good game as they opened up holes for Jamison Burns and Jason Hill.
One thing that I was disappointed with is that we failed to score in the 4th quarter. I told the guys that when we have a team down like that (31-10) we have to find a way to put them out of their misery. We can't turn the ball over in the 4th and we need to continue to put it on them. The overall feel on the bus ride home was a good feeling. Our guys realized what we could have done better and they know and understand we it takes to get us to that next level. I can tell you this, NOBODY is satisfied and we will continue to work our tails off to get better. I continue my thanks to each and every one of you for making this what is should be. There is NO OFFENSE or DEFENSE on this team, its all about WE-FENSE. That means the fans as well.
Coach DeGeorgia
Pre-season Game
(03/04/08)
Finally it's here! It has been a long journey to get to this point. We have traveled to Denver, Florida and Vegas to bring the best 30 guys to the Siouxland area. As coaches, we appreciate all the hard work that those 30, along with the 15 that were released, have put in thus far. Unfortunately on Sunday we really didn't get a chance to get a good look because of our opponent. Sunday night's cuts, as you can imagine, was very tough on all of us coaches but we had to go with our gut on who we thought would fit best in our system. I want to personally apologize for all of you that spent your hard-earned money on Sunday's game. We did exactly what we were supposed to do against a team of that caliber. I told the guys that if we won 28-0 then we would have failed that night.
On the offensive side of the ball, we ran 26 total plays and scored 10 touchdowns. Defensively we scored 7 touchdowns on numerous turn-overs. Offensively we had some guys that really stepped up, Chad Kapanui was 6 for 9, over 100 yards passing with a couple of touchdown tosses. The offensive line was once again anchored by Erv Strohbeen, Steve Schmidt and Moose Robinson. Defensively Spetlar Tonga led the way along with John Zevenbergen and Alex Ardley. I was disappointed that I didn't get a chance to see Johnell Brown return any kicks.
Overall, I think I was mostly impressed in our kicking game as we were 17 for 17 in PAT's. I don't really know what to expect this weekend as we face off against Wichita, but I know our guys are hungry and anxious to get their first real W! Thank you again for all the support and we look forward to a successful season!
Until Next Time...
Coach DeGeorgia
Game Week
(02/27/08)
We have had an exciting camp thus far. Unfortunately we had to make some more cuts to get our roster down to 37. We are allowed to play 35 in the Pre Season game so we will have to make two more cuts before then. Miles Sheer, Willie Byrd, and Darnell Pitts were let go last week. I appreciate their hard work on and off the field but as we all know this is a business and we need to trim the roster. We have had some new players that have really stepped up and proved that they want this. Chad Kapanui, Univ. of Hawaii, has the nod at the starting Quarterback position for Sunday's game. Steven Rush will see time at Quarterback and Receiver and Jose Laureno will also see time at Quarterback. At Running Back, we have four guys that all bring something different to the table. Jamison Burns, "sweet feet", has really amazing moves. Jason Hill is a big bruising back that is explosive. Arthur Bryant, "AB", is fast and can read the holes with precision. And Zach Molacek is just one of those backs that just gets it done. We have eight receivers that can play at this level. I told them the other night that, "if I had to play a game right now, I couldn't tell you who would be starting". The linemen look solid as once again Erv Strohbeen and Steve Schmidt are back and ready to redeem last years season. Three others are vying for that third spot. Shawn "Moose" Robinson, Rob Mosby, and Justin Mulder will all see playing time on Sunday and may the best man win.
On the defensive side of the ball, Spetlar Tonga is back and looks better than ever. Not only is Spetlar a physical force in the middle, he now brings a wealth of experience to the middle linebacker position. Alex "Trip" Ardley, John Zevenbergen, Chris Ried, and Laron Striplin will control the defensive backfield until new comers Johnell Brown, Bobby Speer, Kaylon Price, and Jamaal Jonas adapt to the speed of this game. On the D Line we have a battle going on there. Teon Wilson, Broderick Durley, Daniel Tuiono, Brandon Thompson, Jesse Heeren, and Brandon Franklin are all fighting for the starting spot. Zac Gradoville and Mitch Lynch will take care of the kicking duties.
See you at the game and as I once said, "1 city, 1 state, 1 goal" its starts Sunday..
Coach DeGeorgia
First Week of Practice
(02/18/08)
The Sioux City Bandits are off to a great start in 2008! Friday night the team met at Hoover Middle School for their first team dinner. Forty-five players showed up and were ready to go. Saturday marked the first practice and I can tell you I haven't been that anxious since the 2005 season! I finally got to put a name with the player and I was pleasantly surprised by many.
In my 11 year professional football career, I have never been to a better "first day" practice than I witnessed on Saturday afternoon. The veterans really stepped up and took charge and the new faces were eager to show what they had. Usually in my past experiences, the defense gels more quickly than the offense but the offense held its ground and scored on numerous occasions.
Sunday we had two practices; the nine o'clock practice the defense rose to the challenge and looked better than the offense did the previous night. At the three o'clock practice the tempo was energetic and up beat which proved to me that these guys came to camp in shape. Typically in training camp the third practice guys become sore and lose focus but this did not happen as this was our best practice thus far.
Wednesday night will be our first cut night and will be a very difficult time on the coaches because of all the talent we have so far this year. This is by far the fastest team that I have ever been around from offense to defense to special teams.
We look forward to seeing some of you out there at practice this week as all of our practices are open to the public. Feel free to write in with any questions you may have using the Contact Us page. 2008 is going to be great!
Sincerely,
Coach DeGeorgia
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