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Brigade hopes reunion weekend will be a smash
By TEREZ A. PAYLORThe Kansas City Star
Last season, as a member of the Columbus Destroyers, Martinez kicked a field goal and made all six of his extra-point attempts in a May 11 game against Grand Rapids, the team he played for in 2006.
But now, Martinez’s birthday — May 11 — is right around the corner. And guess who’s the Brigade’s next opponent? Columbus. The Brigade, 1-8, will try to get its second win of the season against the Destroyers at 5 p.m. today at the Sprint Center.
“It’s funny the way things work out,” Martinez said. “I was 100 percent on everything the last time I played my former team (on my birthday weekend), so I hope to do that again. It would be a great present.”
But Martinez isn’t the only member of the Brigade looking to have a good game against his former team. Defensive lineman Gillis Wilson and defensive back Jerald Brown would like to as well.
“(Columbus coach Doug) Kay, I think he’s a cocky kind of guy, so I’d like to have a good game, (get) two or three sacks,” said Wilson, who spent training camp with the Destroyers and played in their first game. “But getting a win in general for us is the big thing.”
Brown, who was a member of the Destroyers last season when they made the ArenaBowl, admits it would be nice to beat his old team.
“It’s just human nature to want to beat your old team. I’m pretty sure (Pete) is excited, too,” Brown said. “That’s just the way it is. But we’re in a different situation because we need to focus on us and we need to focus on winning.”
•BIG PROBLEM: The No. 1 priority for the Brigade defensively will probably be finding a way to slow down Columbus receiver Derek Lee.
Lee, who stands 6 feet 5 and weighs 225 pounds, has caught 83 passes this season for 1,056 yards and 23 touchdowns.
“I’m going to see him a whole lot,” Brown said. “That’s who they get the ball to. They try to create plays to get him the ball, so he’ll be in the middle or outside.”
Brigade head coach Kevin Porter said defending Lee will be a team effort.
“He’s a size problem for anybody he plays against, but you just have to be able to stay in front of him and stay on top of him,” Porter said.
“He’s a great red-zone player, so you have to be able to compete.”
•CATCHING ON: Rookie receiver Ces’are Manning is starting to make a name for himself.
In first start of the season last week, Manning caught 13 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns. His performance will earn him another start in today’s game against Columbus.
“He was really good,” Porter said. “He’s taken advantage of the chance to play. We’ve been looking for guys to make plays.”
•LINE CHANGE: Porter said offensive lineman Ed Ta’amu has a quad injury, so he’ll probably be replaced in the starting lineup by Larrell Johnson.
•BACK TO PASS: Porter said quarterback D. Bryant will start again today. So far this season, Bryant has completed 123 of 194 passes for 1,344 yards, 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
•WHEN/WHERE: 5 p.m. today at the Sprint Center
•TV/RADIO: Channel 62; WHB (810 AM)
•KEY MATCHUP: Columbus WR Derek Lee vs. the Brigade’s secondary. With his height (6 feet 5) and size (225 pounds), Lee presents a matchup problem for the Brigade.
•KEEP AN EYE ON: Brigade quarterback D. Bryant. Bryant went 30 for 37 for 266 yards and five touchdowns last week. And he didn’t throw an interception. The Brigade will need a similar performance if it hopes to win.
•BOTTOM LINE: After allowing Utah, 1-9, to get its first win of the season last week, the Brigade could be at a low point of the season. Columbus has a poor record, but the Destroyers play in a tougher conference and lost only to Dallas, the league’s perennial stalwart, by three points last week.
•EDGE: Columbus