Monday, December 14, 2009

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Rematch rapidly approaching By KELSIE JOHNSON ~ NG Sports Reporter ~ kelsie@nasguard.com: The John Bull Jets are looking to make a statement against the defending champions of the Commonwealth American Football League (CAFL), the Orry J. Sands Pros, when they take to the field this Sunday. Although the Jets have not played in three weeks, the team is hoping to bring the "thunder" when they take to the field. The highly anticipated game is set for this Sunday at the D.W. Davis playing field. Even though both games this season for the Jets were shutouts, Head Coach Obie Roberts is not taking anything for granted. Despite the lack of play due to the limited access to the field, Roberts said that the Jets have been preparing. He went on to say that "the Jets are ready for any opponent, on any given day." "I think that we are going to make a statement in this game, truly displaying the Jets' toughness, drive and will power to play," pointed out Roberts. "The Jets, without question, is the most talented team, but talent alone does not win games. It is a matter of execution and a game plan, and the will to get it done. I think that is one thing that this team now realizes. Maturity has finally caught up with the talent, which everyone knows the Jets have. The Pros are a good team, they have the savvy veteran of Mr. Foster, they have Ricardo Hamilton and a talented tailback in Charles Edwards. Also, their coaching staff is quite knowledgeable about the game," he added. The Jets and the Pros lined the field earlier in the year to play for the championship title in the CAFL. Even though the Jets won the pennant, the Pros walked away as victors with a 22-12 beating. This Sunday will mark the first time the Jets and Pros will meet in the regular season. The two teams were originally supposed to play on October 31, but the match was postponed by league officials. The Pros and the Jets are both undefeated. The third game this season for the Pros was against the Royal Bahamas Defence Force team two weeks ago. The Pros were able to keep a undefeated record. That same weekend, November 7-8, was a bye week for the Jets. The last game for the Jets was Sunday, October 25. Roberts said: "The last time the Jets played was three weeks ago against the Stingrays. We were practicing and remaining sharp. We were disappointed that we were not allowed to play last week against the Defence Force due to the problem with the accessibility to the field, so in terms of that, we just have to redirect our efforts for the upcoming n See Rematch on C2 game, this Sunday against the Pros. "In terms of sharpness and everything else, being off for some time you will have some effects from that, but I think throughout the course of the game, when the game starts and everything else, execution will start to pick up and it will get a lot better. The focus of the players from the beginning of the game, I think will be very important, but I think we will be fine." Even though the game between the Pros and the Jets is being called the game of the season, Roberts is not to concerned about that. The head coach explained that this Jets' team is a balanced one in terms of having the ability to run and pass. He believes that the team which executes the best will prevail. "Once we execute our game, on both sides of the ball, we should be fine," said Roberts. "I think we match up well against anybody. The last time we played them (Pros) in the championship game I think we were over confident and just our maturity, at some point, was something to question. "I think the players are fully aware and are a lot more prepared mentally. The Jets know that they can beat the Pros, that has been proven before in the past. The confidence of the team is at an all-time high. It is just a matter of when you beat a team, to be consistent and not just after one win you determine that you are the best team. Consistency occurs over a period of time and that is something that we want to display, coming this Sunday. Being a champion is all about being a consistent winner, not just winning one game, but doing it when it counts and doing it on a consistent basis." On Sunday, November 29, the Pros and the Jets will take to the field again. The game on Saturday, November 28 is yet to be determined. Friday, November 20, 2009