TUCSON STARS [GM PANCHO]

[GM Dougie]

And I believe in you.

Go and coach these men to a win.

Lock In

[GM Dougie]

1. Discuss your weeks results.

It baffles me how the defensive player of the week wasn't even the defensive player of his own game. That said, one hell of a performance from Juan Kirk am I right? We made some big moves to fortify the defensive front and you see a performance that reminds us of the last season because when you get pressure up front, it allows your guys behind them to make plays. We weren't asked to do much on offense because of the stellar defensive performance but we ran very well and the passing game was efficient. Its nice seeing Matthews come in and make a mark right away and Scott has to be licking his chops because now who do you double team between those two guys? It was such a solid performance and we're certainly happy in the building here to be back in the W column.

2. Discuss any news that interested you.

I don't like reading anything about vandalism. You may recall we had that in our organization when Eddie Ford was with us and was struggling making some kicks that impacted a game or two. It shouldn't happen to players and their own and it shouldn't happen to our general managers either. I feel for GM Strike in these times and I know they have a big game coming up which in our division is something you always have to stay glued to.

3. With the trade deadline in the rear view, what move surprised you the most?

Speaking of our division, this may not be a typical year for Las Vegas but they certainly won the trade deadline without a shadow of a doubt with what they've done at the wide receiver position. We have to make sure we can beat them for years to come but they certainly make sure to always set a bar.

4. Tell us a player on offense and defense you want to see more from in the second half of the season.

I think someone at the wide receiver position is set to break out. Eugene is so dependable and will get his one way or the other. Finch is putting together a great year he just isn't getting those endzone grabs so that might be coming but watch out for Hyde...he's going to sneak up on people one game soon. On defense, I think Luis Peacock is going to have a big second half disrupting the middle with Matthews and Layton on each side of him. We saw that last season from him and I expect the same going forward.

5. Discuss your next opponent and game. What is your biggest advantage in this contest?

Well we've got Kansas City coming to town this week and the advantage is probably easy to say health. There's a chance we're back at 100% this week with Donald Sapp while over in their building they don't know if their kicker is going to be a quarterback. Its not something I wish upon any franchise but we're laser focused on winning and I hope that we'll put up a similar performance this week for our home fans like we did in Portland.

[GM Dougie]

Coach, what a game! And we've got another good opportunity this week before a few really big games coming up. Tell me how we're feeling.

[Talon]

 

We are feeling like bonafide title contenders, brother.

[GM Dougie]

We have a big stretch of games coming up after this Kansas City game. So I'm hoping the focus is all about this week preventing it from being a trap game. Of the guys they could bring in at QB, do you think there's someone who could give us fits or are we good shape if we play our brand of football?

[Talon]

 

If you're a free agent at this point of the season there is a clear reason.. I'm not afraid of anyone they could bring off of the street.

[GM Dougie]

Good. Well we know they like to run the ball. I trust you leading the men as always. Let's take care of business this week at home.

Lock In

[GM Dougie]

1. Discuss this past week.

Can't think of a thing I could say that's a better word than disappointment. We moved the ball all over the place. Steven had a few break aways. Maldy hit big passes...we just couldn't finish. We cleaned up some of the penalties but lost the turnover battle. I don't think we were prepared for that kind of effort from Dak Prescott and that team and I sit here as stunned as the rest of you. But that's why they say any given sunday right? We've got wounds to lick and a big stretch of games coming up. I'm all about moving on.

2. Discuss any news that interested you. (Cover your news first; then move on)

Well Eugene certainly didn't mince words and he's not wrong. We want to be a winning playoff team and you don't do that by letting lesser teams come into your home stadium and beat you. I hope his words set the tone for what we have to come.

3. Talk about your plans for this week.

The plan is to rebound and win. Miami is a pedigreed franchise with leadership that can be emulated across the league. Right now they're at the same record as us and will be a tough test. In my mind though its just as much of a must win for us as it is for them. We can't let ourselves have a repeat of the Kansas City game.

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Well we had no reason to be afraid of someone off the streets but he burned us. What happened coach?

[Talon]

The early interception gifted them points.. the missed field goal took points off of the board, and then giving up that punt return to the 1 yard line... Dak got headlines and made some throws, but he wasn't the reason we lost that game.

[GM Dougie]

With Miami coming into town, what do we need to do to adjust and clean that up? Any changes you recommend? Is there anyone on the team you think I should have a word with?

[Talon]

 

They're defense has been very good, we are going to have to claw and scratch for every yar and every point, they're giving up 19.9 per game, we're averaging 29 offensively, the only time we've been under 23 this year was a 17-0 win over Dallas, so I do believe we can score our points and get this win.

[GM Dougie]

Alright. Big few games coming up. A win at home would be massive for us to get this started.

Lock In

[GM Dougie]

1. Discuss this past week.

Virtually mistake free football. The guys played real tough all the way through. Our defense deserves a ton of credit for being able to keep a team like Miami out of the endzone. We did a little bit of everything and played an efficient football game. Converted downs, 85% completion, sacks, won the turnover battle, made stops when it mattered most. It was a huge win to start a big stretch of games for us and I couldn't be happier for these men as we continue to push toward the playoffs.

2. Discuss any news that interested you.

Not much for me to comment on here. Anytime the MVP of the league has to miss some time its certainly a big deal and maybe some good fortune for their opponents.

3. What is more interesting to you the PFL or the IFAF, do you believe either is a true rival or threat to the HIFL?  Who is your favorite player from either league and why?

Threat? Nope. Not at all. I think both leagues are important because football matters to everyone. But when one of the best players from either league is just someone who couldn't make a roster in the HIFL, I think that speaks volumes to the notion of threat or lack thereof.

4. The bye weeks are through; five games remain this season; evaluate your team and season, if you still have a shot at the playoffs what does your team have to do to close out the regular season on a high note?

We've got a 3 game lead in our division with 5 games left. That sounds great but the last 3 games are in our division and the next two are huge games so there's a ton of football left to be played. We just have to play our brand of football and win games and there's no room for complacency because we don't want another stinker like the KC game. This week will be a good test because we are on the road in Rapid City. They've scored the most points in the league and we've given up the 4th fewest. Something has to give and hopefully we come out on top.

[GM Dougie]

Coach, big rebound win this past week. And we're 100% healthy. What can we do to stop Rapid City that other teams aren't doing? Or is it just try and outscore them?

[Talon]

 

Their offense is ridiculously explosive and without a GM in the way to tinker with their scheme the wrong way, they are operating at a peak level. 

Our best bet is to challenge our secondary to stop their receivers.  Hyland is a gutsy passer and he will throw us interceptions if we can capitalize on them.   This is a gut check, brother.

[GM Dougie]

Well we are really good on the back end and can take those picks. Our offense should keep the ball out of their hands some. This would be a momentum building win. Let's see what we can do. Handle business.

Lock In

[GM Dougie]

1. Discuss this past week.

I think we walked into this game with that playoff mentality. The entire team responded and put together arguably one of the best games of their year on the road against the highest scoring team in the league. If you look at the box score, I think we knew offensively we could put up points and it really helps to get the lead early on because winning helps make the opposing team closer to being one dimensional. But defensively...perhaps the biggest part of the game was that we didn't let them convert a 3rd down. I love our CD tandem. Every week Jody or Juan make a big play and this week Jody took the Hylander to the house. We got pressure and sacks, we did our best to take care of the football and we were effective in all phases. And the team deserves a lot of credit for keeping the pressure on all game because we've had those games where the opponent comes back and Rapid City has the firepower to do that. Once Jody got that touchdown, we never let them get closer than 2 scores and that matters. Great team game.

2. Discuss any news that interested you.

Well I saw Eugene's comments and I definitely want that for him as well. With four games left to play it certainly is within reach. He's also such an unselfish player that he knows its all about winning because if this were the year he decided to call it a career, we want it to end in the Impact Bowl. But he also knows that the Stars are his home and if 1000 catches happens this year, he can come back and go for 1100. As for anything else, everyone in the league should be giving their congrats to Alesana Tuilagi for the record he set this week. I grew up in the era of football where guys ground and pound. What a game.

3. If you could will your team into fixing or improving one thing, what would it be?

My answer here is probably one of the hardest things to do and its consistency. I say that because any given week any team can win a football game. We're sitting here at 8-4 and we easily could be 11-1. But we could also have easily been 6-6. We just have to play our best game each week to keep the wins coming.

4. You going to win this week?

Isn't that the goal? In the beginning of this season I wanted this team to be tested. We have the talent and we needed to grow into being a winner and show we're even better than last year. We started the season with three straight talented playoff teams in Sydney, Alabama, and Orlando and went 2-1. We had a chance to beat Lincoln in overtime. We took two straight from Miami and Rapid City who could still both be playoff teams. This year has been a grind and I think we've shown the HIFL that Tucson belongs. And the best test comes this week because we have the champs coming to our house. We're going to have to play the kind of game we played against Rapid City to get the job done. There's no doubt in my mind we can get the job done. We've shown we can contain high powered offenses. We've already beaten the only other 10 win team in the league right now. Any given week anyone can go out there and be champions. Why not us?

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Travis! What a damn game! I wish I was in the locker room after that huge effort. I want everyone on the team to be recognized for that effort. And coaches too. Bravo sir.

[Talon]

 

Appreciate it brother, it was a damn good one for us, but we can't enjoy it for long... We want this win against Winnipeg to add to our resume.  We've beat Orlando, we've beat Miami, and we've been Rapid City, but we took the L against Lincoln and Alabama...  so lets show we can beat another title contender!

[GM Dougie]

They tend to pass more which plays to us defensively. On offense, do you like our matchups?

[Talon]

We definitely need Tommy at his best, they are #2 in points allowed defensively, so when we get a chance to score, WE HAVE TO SCORE.

[GM Dougie]

Well I am definitely excited for this game...hopefully the team is just as excited if not more. Let's go beat the champs!!

I trust your decisions as always.

Lock In

[GM Dougie]

1. What stood out to you about your team this week?

This week they were full of grit and determination. We simply couldn't finish drives and put ourselves down a score in the fourth. There's a couple of game balls that go out this week for sure. D'Angelo did not miss a kick and he put us up at the end when it mattered most. That kind of dependability in your kicker can be the difference in a playoff-like game. And last week I stood up here and told you that someone in our secondary makes at least a big play every week and if not for Jody at the end we lose that game. They are the champs for a reason and we're so damn proud that we were able to get the win.

2. Discuss any news that interested you.

Icing on the cake of this week has to be clinching the playoffs. The goal is an Impact Bowl and we've put ourselves into that opportunity. Its bittersweet when I think back to how we should have been in the dance last year and makes it all the more worth it now that there's absolutely no question. And I know there's a lot going on around the league and other leagues that exist but right now, our organization really deserves the chance to shut out all that noise and celebrate our accomplishments but also think about how we're going to build on that.

3. 3 Weeks to go, do you make changes or are you ready to roll with what brought you to the dance?

We certainly cannot rest. Despite the playoff berth and what I believe is a division clinched, the coveted #1 overall seed in the west is far from decided and we've beaten both teams who are ahead of us. So the goal is to manage what we can control and that's win football games. Its going to be a division gauntlet the rest of the way starting in Las Vegas this week where I hope we can sweep our rival but they're always going to be in games because they've been the standard. We're going to do our part to show who the new standard should be.

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Coach, we can just get rolling right away but before that, you deserve this moment as our men do. A wholehearted congratulations is necessary for all the work these men and you and your staff have put in to make this season a reality. Bravo my man.

[Talon]

 

Thank you boss, we had the locker room champagne celebration and it's in the rear view.. we want the conference championship and the Impact Bowl, so its just one goal down, next goal up.

[GM Dougie]

Do what you need to do, get into Vegas and get that win!

Lock In

[GM Dougie]

1. What stood out to you about your team this week?

Taking advantage with great pressure. We had 6 sacks this week. Its hard for a team to overcome that. We really played a good solid game. Maldy was so efficient and got everyone involved. We ran well, passed well, played good defense, and controlled the game. No matter who your opponent is, those are winning qualities. We did a great job this week and we're staying in fine tune for the playoffs.

2. Discuss any news that interested you.

Well we're at that time of the year that teams are doing their thing for the playoffs so there isn't much to comment on. We weren't able to make it out of this game without a couple of injuries. Hopefully Juan will be back in time for the playoffs. Brown on the other hand I'll have to talk to the staff about. He's done such a great job on the right side this year and its hard to lose anyone at this time of the season.

3. What makes your team more deserving of a playoff spot that the other teams competing against you?

We won our division. That's how it goes right? But aside from that these men should have been there last year with how well they've played and now we've matched last season's win total with two games left. They're getting better and better at the right time. Hopefully that translates onto the field this week with San Antonio being that white whale of a win that keeps eluding us.

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Coach, at this point I don't see a need to do anything at CB other than let our depth get in there if Juan can't go. And I know we're deep at guard but what's the outlook at right tackle with Brown being out possibly the rest of the season? 4 weeks minimum is no less than half the playoffs at this point.

[Talon]

 

We have two real options in my opinion.  We throw Rousseau in the deep and use the more talented player who is out of position; or we play Rosser who is not as gifted but is definitely more comfortable playing the position and is only a slight step down from what we have in Brown.

[GM Dougie]

Lets start with Rosser and see how that goes this week. San Antonio can get to the QB so it'll be a solid test. Maybe what we do is start Rosser this week and Rousseau next week and see what looks like the better fit prior to the playoffs.

I do have a request. See if you can get a few extra balls to Eugene this week. He's 9 catches from 1000 and I'm debating if we want to take it easy on some of the starters next week or not depending what Winnipeg and Sydney do if we're still in the mix for the #1 overall seed.

All that sound good coach?

[Talon]

 

You got it.

[GM Dougie]

Thank you.

Lock In

[GM Dougie]

1. What stood out to you about your team this week?

Getting that elusive win against San Antonio that has avoided me for quite some time and doing so in their stadium was a sweet treat for me personally. Division games are never easy no matter what the standings say. Miquel really did a good job stepping in for Juan and Jody was batting balls left and right. We played great on both sides of the ball. Maldy was so efficient and Steven had yet another good ground game proving all these other HIFL franchises why he deserved a shot at being a starting back in this league.

2. Who has to step up this weekend in your eyes?

We're at such a pivotal juncture this week considering we're still one game back of the top seed and I'm not really sure what happens if we were to get in a 3 way tie with Winnipeg and Sydney considering we beat them both head to head. There's a notion to rest your starters but then that bye week gets them rest also. Its worth playing for. We just need to keep playing our brand of football.

3. What does this final week of the season mean for you and your team?

For me personally, its a thank you to our fans, our players, our coaches, and ownership for having faith in me living up to my promise. Closing out the season at home with a big division win would be a nice cherry on top of a season both worth celebrating and yet is FAR from over. The team is going to do its best to put itself in a position to win for many weeks yet still to come. We know we need help to get to #1 but Winnipeg and Sydney both have tough games themselves. Dallas is a team that knows us and we know it won't be a walk in the park for us either. So overall this final week is special to us and also hopeful that we take care of business and get a little luck along the way.

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Coach, how did you feel about Rosser's performance this week? He didn't allow a sack but he missed a lot of blocks.

[Talon]

 

He is far from perfect, but he is now a bit of a known quantity. Do we want to try something new or ride it out?

[GM Dougie]

I think we should start Rousseau at right tackle this week and we'll possibly go back to Rosser for the playoffs. Lets just see what it looks like so we have something to compare it to.

I was looking over my notes just to see if anyone was close to an incentive or anything. We want that #1 seed so lets do our best. And we need to get Eugene 2 more catches.

Lets finish strong coach!

Lock In

[GM Dougie]

1. Talk about the final week of the regular season and how does it feel to be the top seed in the conference?

Well lets start with the Dallas game. They're an extremely tough out and played us hard again. We definitely got a lot of pressure from their line and not having Brown and losing Kane during that game had an impact on our protection. Both teams just couldn't move the ball and in the end, we got another fantastic drive from our clutch quarterback and although there are surely many great catches in the career of Eugene McReynolds, none are more important to this franchise than the one he snagged for the game winning touchdown. We needed a win and a lot of help and fortunately we got exactly that. By virtue of the amazing season these men have put together we've got the number one seed in the conference and the all important opportunity to get some rest at the exact right time for our team in general but especially our offensive line. Its an amazing feeling to have gotten this far after getting snubbed last year but there was never a doubt in my mind that we had the right players, coaches, and mentality to get here. They deserve all the credit for this.

2. What will it take for this team to win the Impact Bowl?

The easy answer is winning. That's what we've been doing. We have the longest current active win streak in the league right now. We have head to head wins over every other team with 12 wins in the league and that shows we can beat anyone on any given day. We have to be as healthy as we can be. Offensively, play balanced football and score and convert on downs to keep drives alive. Maldy might be young but he has the best completion percentage of any quarterback who has thrown over 306 passes. Defensively continue to be stingy as we're tied for 5th in points allowed. And continue being the best in the league at forcing turnovers. All 3 phases win you games. We have everything it takes on paper to be Impact Bowl champions. Now its time to go out there and take it.

[Talon]

 

BYE. WEEK. BROTHER!!

[GM Dougie]

HEY...WANNA PLAY FOOTBALL THIS WEEK?

.

.

.

HARD PASS BROTHER!!!!!!!

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That's what is up!

Ok. Celebration over for me. Give everyone in this organization my praise. I cannot express the feelings of joy and gratitude. Obviously we go back to Rosser at right tackle, and any other game plan changes we do what makes sense. Hopefully Kane is able to go next week.

Congrats personally to you from a fiscal sense as well. I also want to say a couple things to some of the guys while I have a chance. Before I do so, anything for me personally or do you just want to enjoy watching everyone else beat each other up and get the film together for playoff practices?

[Talon]

 

The most important week and a half of preparation begins right now. The guys get some rest but I'll be gameplanning and watching the games to scout who we'll be facing.

The real job starts right now.

[GM Dougie]

And it doesn't end until we're champions.

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Ms. Morningstar, Eugene McReynolds please.

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Eugene, there isn't enough that can be said about your illustrious career other than I hope you decide to keep it going after this year. BUT I for one wouldn't mind it if you rode off into the sunset with an Impact Bowl championship. Regardless of all that, I personally wanted to wish you congratulations on becoming the first...no its better to say ONLY receiver in the history of this league with 1000 receptions. There's no one more worthy of the honor.

[Talon]

 

Thank you so much GM Fresh; man... I thought my career was over when my down year happened in Vegas but you gave me new life... I love this team and I want to bring home the championship to cap it all off.

[GM Dougie]

We love having you. Let's make this happen together!

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Ms. Morningstar, Chris Johnson please.

----

Chris, congrats to you for once again hitting the incentive we put in your contract for the 2nd year in a row. I've filed the appropriate paperwork already with the league office to get you paid. You are a great in tandem with Steve and when it comes to the offseason, we hope to talk about running it back with us as a champion.

[Talon]

HE THANKS YOU

[GM Dougie]

Well I think its time we all get together, think of the work that needs to be done, and watch how this week's games play out.

Lock In

[GM Dougie]

1. Talk about your match up this week, what did you take away from wildcard weekend?

Well I think we're excited to get back on the field. The favorites in our conference all won their games and we expected to have Vancouver coming to town this week. They're a tough team with some guys on the squad who used to be in our locker room that we have familiarity with. We really needed the week to heal up and put our best men out there to compete. Overall there were some really exciting games this week and a lot of unexpected occurrences. Thoughts and prayers to the kicker in DC. We had an experience where it was bad enough to have a player's property vandalized but even worse to see the player get assaulted. That cannot happen in our league.

2. Who is an X-Factor player that you have to account for on your opponents team?

I think an easy answer here is Corrales. Like Maldy he's from that great QB draft a few years back and can really sling it. It will be a challenge to get him to make mistakes, something he did not do often proven in the regular season. But a guy we really need to watch out for is Jack Nguyen because he knows how to get to the quarterback and surely they will be trying to take advantage of the lack of depth we currently have on our line.

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Welcome in Coach. Big week ahead. How's the team?

[Talon]

 

Focused and Hungry.. I'd love nothing more than to boot that pompous ass Metro Buyers out of the playoffs.

[GM Dougie]

Sounds good to me.

Ok we are putting Rosser back at right tackle. Unfortunately Kane is doubtful. Clark has potential for the future but is he right for this game or would Rousseau moving inside be the best play?

[Talon]

 

I think we go with Rousseau, for the same reason as s befrore.

[GM Dougie]

Our great depth at guard comes in handy for these playoffs.

I trust your judgment. We've got a great team. Go out there and get us a big playoff victory. Let's go!!

Lock In

[GM Dougie]

1. How does it feel to be moving on? Talk about your game.

Its very euphoric but at the same time it fits the narrative that we've put together a lot this season AND last season and that is we're never out of games. Late game heroics can happen with any team at any time and we're fortunate enough to once again be on the winning side. That was a tough defensive game where teams just struggled moving the ball. We played outstanding defense yesterday getting to JD and forcing turnovers all game. We had long methodical drives and converted on 3rd and 4th down. We did the things we've been good at all year and it willed us to another victory. I'm extremely pleased our fans witnessed winning playoff football here at home and we get another game for them as we get closer to the impact bowl.

2. Finish this sentence: We aren't here if not for _______.

This whole team and their hunger. It all started last year when we were screwed out of the playoffs by some horribly miscalculated tiebreaker. But rather than dwell on that, it created motivation. This team has been hungry all year and there are some folks out there who will tell you we don't have the pedigree to be at this point. Look at the other three teams still in this...two champions and an Atlanta team who is making their 2nd trip in a row to the finals. Many of our men that was their first taste of playoffs. But that just makes us want it more.

3. What is the key to advancing to the Impact Bowl?

You won't hear many GMs say this...we're fortunate to have a rematch with Winnipeg. I say that because we have first hand seen their brand of football. And although regular season victories matter little at this stage, it does nothing to take away from the confidence our men have in being able to beat the champs a second time. There isn't really one key though...we have to play our best football. We will certainly have to finish drives this week and the defense will once again need to play top notch against such a great team. But we know we can do it.

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Coach Knight first and foremost, congrats to you, your staff, and all these great men on a playoff victory! There's no time now to celebrate because we have the challenge from the defending champs for a second time. What are your thoughts going into this?

[Talon]

 

Suddenly them boys found a running game, so we have to account for Carder, but we know we have what it takes to win this game, we've done it before.

One win stands between us and the Impact Bowl and this locker room is fiending for it.

[GM Dougie]

We came out of the week with no new injuries. If Kane is able to go, he should be back under center and if not, we go with Rousseau again who did a pretty good job in the spot start.

Any other changes you might recommend or do we just give it our damn best? Anything I can do?

[Talon]

You've built the team. I've coached it.. Now we just go out there and make sure we win the damn thing, brother!    LETS GO!