Sports

Playoffs land in Albany, Part I

• Tonight's first-round showdown between Manchester and South Georgia pits two of the hottest teams in af2 against one another.

Paul Dehner Jr.

For four years, the South Georgia Wildcats have showcased the sport of arena football for the city of Albany.

High-flying, higher scoring and wild celebrations have filled the Civic Center with a new age of football excitement.

But, each year, as the postseason increased the intensity of a sport already built on enthusiasm, Albany could only watch from afar.

Until tonight.

Beginning at 7:30 p.m. - and for the first time in franchise history - the city will host an af2 playoff game.

"This is the playoffs," quarterback Andrico Hines said. "This is what you play all season for; to get the opportunity to battle for a championship."

During the course of a season altered at the midpoint by a team that almost magically molded a combination of capability and chemistry into a seven-game win streak, the team's first South Division title and No. 2 seed emerged.

Yet, that's far from the minds of the Wildcats. Their hands are full tonight. For all their regular-season achievements, South Georgia (12-4) earned a matchup with one of the hottest teams in the af2, the Manchester Wolves (9-7), who have won eight of their last nine games.

A win tonight would earn an encore in Albany next Saturday against the No. 3 seeded Green Bay Blizzard, who won their playoff game late Friday night. A loss, however, would slam what has been a dream season to a painful halt.

"We don't want to become a welcome mat and let them come in and walk all over us," Wildcats receiver Buchie Ibeh said. "That is a nasty feeling when it is all over having to pack your bags at the exit physicals."

As almost a mirror image of South Georgia, the light also flickered on midseason for a Wolves team that began the year 1-6. Since, a new quarterback, new secondary and overwhelming confidence propelled Manchester on their run, including a win over American Conference top seed, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers.

Tonight, Albany represents the epicenter of two surging forces barreling toward each other. Indeed, there is no easing into this highly anticipated postseason.

"We deserved our seed, we got it," Wildcats receiver P.J. Berry said.

"They're hot, we're hot, but we still feel like we have the best talent in the league, regardless. Spokane was hot, they were 11-0 and we won there. We didn't care. We don't care how hot they are or who we are playing because we always feel like we are the better team."

The same feeling exists among the visiting Wolves. Led by a crew of receivers which became only the sixth in the history of af2 to have three wideouts each compile 1,000 yards, Manchester enters with the seventh-ranked offense in the league.

Quarterback James Pinkney has been the man distributing the ball to Bradly Chavez, Emery Sammons and Stephen Savoy. A total of four QBs rotated through before Pinkney took over in Week 5. Since then, the Wolves' offense has rarely slowed.

It has created a confidence that will only be rivaled by the team standing across the field.

"We are definitely not overlooking South Georgia, but at the same time our focus has been mainly on us," Chavez said. "As long as we limit our mistakes we feel like nobody can stop us."

Wildcats coach Derek Stingley will attempt to after pouring over hours of game film. Some nights ran late and sleep came in spurts for a coach attempting to win the second playoff game of his head coaching career.

Last season, Stingley and the Wildcats traveled to Florida and pulled out a victory before losing the following week at the eventual af2 champion Tulsa Talons.

The win against Florida in the playoff opener was the third victory in as many tries against the Firecats. Stingley arrived at that game with few secrets between the two teams. The certainty of what to expect won't exist tonight against Manchester and provides yet another variable for the coach to lose sleep about.

"It is better if I have already played them, especially more than once," he said. "You don't know their guys, what they are good at and how they match up against you guys. Film is one thing, but live you get a better look."

Stingley will receive an eyeful tonight. And for the first time, so will the city of Albany.

"Just to bring a home playoff game to Albany, win that one, bring another back. That means a lot to us and the fans," Hines said. "They give so much to us, we just hope we can give something back."

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