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Wolf Newsflash
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Tuesday, 02 October 2007 |
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By Jeff
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Published: September 28, 2007
Record-wise the Southern Michigan Timberwolves 14th season would have to be considered a disappointment.
By Jeff
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Published: September 28, 2007
Record-wise the Southern Michigan Timberwolves 14th season would have to be considered a disappointment.
Monroe County's semipro football team finished 5-5 overall and only 2-5 in the Mid-Continental Football League. It failed to make the playoffs for the first time in three years.
But the T-Wolves were a young team that played their best ball in the final two weeks of the regular season despite numerous injuries to key players.
They scored with 33 seconds remaining to knock off the Ohio Swarm 21-14 two weeks ago. Then in the season finale, the T-Wolves led most of the second half before succumbing to the 9-2 West Michigan Force 29-26 on a field goal with 3.8 seconds left.
Offensive lineman Joe DeVault has played 13 seasons dating back to the original team in 1994. He said the team showed heart when it could have folded the last two weeks.
"Overall, the won/loss record wasn't as successful as we wanted it to be," DeVault said. "On paper it looks like we took a couple of steps back, but I think we took a couple of steps forward in terms of camaraderie and building a good core for next year."
Southern Michigan began the season with three straight wins, one of them by forfeit. What would have been the team's home opener before a large crowd had to be scrapped when the Great Lakes Makos folded on the day of the game. A month later, the team would lose another home game when no officials were available because a lightning storm the night before had postponed most high school games.
"The one word I would use to describe this season is frustrating," said head coach Dick Clark. "The injuries were a large part of it. We're already talking to our physical reps about how we can change spring training next year.
"We had four MCL tears. Mike (Iatzko) broke his finger. Our tight end Rob (Hemrick) messed up his knee but kept playing because it couldn't get any worse. Our quarterback (Andy Denryter) was never the same after he got hit in the (Detroit) Seminoles game. Nate (leading-rusher Nate Lewis) got hurt. Jovan (Johnson) was hurt. It's unfortunate, but that's life in the MCFL. I give credit to my coaches."
Clark thought his team could contend for an MCFL title.
"I had higher expectations," he said. "I felt we gave two games away."
Backup quarterback Orlando Wright missed most of the team's practices for personal matters and hadn't played in seven weeks when he was called upon Saturday because of an injury to Denryter. Wright played well and nearly led the T-Wolves to an upset.
"There was a CFL (Canadian Football League) scout at the game," Clark said. "He liked Orlando, our left tackle (Mario Tucker) and (defensive lineman) Greg Tomecek. Greg was finally healthy and had a great game."
General manager Scott Beard said the T-Wolves were a couple of bounces from being 7-3. He liked the way the players regrouped after midseason setbacks.
"I'm more proud of that than anything else this season," he said. "The team seemed very much together and a family. Not many people bailed out. I don't know what to attribute that to. I think they believe in the coaches. They believe like I do that we're very close."
Beard said the franchise is in better shape financially than it was a year ago because of fundraising and sponsorships. The T-Wolves actually made money this season but they still are paying off a debt from previous years.
"I'm a little disappointed in the record. I'm not disappointed in the way we played though," Beard said. "We're very young. We played a lot better at the end of the season. I would have thought we would have had a good shot against anybody in the playoffs."
Beard had already talked with Clark returning with his staff next year, That would be Clark's fourth season, the longest tenure of any head coach in T-Wolves' history.
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