Grizzlies plundered by Swashbucklers
Published Sunday, May 18, 2008
Kicker Brian Stuvek was missing everything but the Carlson Center wall, Bo Baritk was back on the bench and the Grizzlies were destined to head to their eighth loss.
And it was only halftime. That’s just how rough this one was.
Taking on the best team in the Intense Football League, the Grizzlies time and time again managed to hurt their own cause — dropping passes in the end zone, making poor decisions with the ball, blowing coverages in the secondary or failing to connect on the center/quarterback exchange.
The result was a 35-point halftime deficit that left Bartik on the bench and the Grizzlies en route to a 93-27 embarrassment at the hands of the Louisiana Swashbucklers Saturday.
“First, I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart to the fans and the city of Fairbanks. This is an embarrassment,” Grizzlies coach John Fourcade said. “I take responsibility for this.”
The Swashbucklers (8-0), the reigning IFL champions, showed the killer instinct that put them atop the league standings in the first place, making the Grizzlies (1-8) pay for every miscue.
When quarterback Bartik and center Josh Craft couldn’t get together on the snap, Travis Moses turned it into seven the other way for Louisiana.
When Derek Zak went for a pick on a tipped fourth-down pass instead of just taking the wideout out of the play, Marcus Wilridge out-jumped him for the score.
When Bartik threw a pass right into the chest of defender Warren St. Junious, Swashbucklers quarterback Alvin Bartie found Sammy Knight in the back of the end zone two plays later for his second of four touchdown passes.
“There are players here that don’t want to be here,” Fourcade said. “They’re happy just being Fairbanks Grizzlies. I saw guys with no heart out there today.”
Even when something good happened, the Grizzlies managed to hurt their own cause.
After Zak put Fairbanks on the board with a 45-yard kickoff return to start the second half, the ensuing extra point try was blocked and returned the length of the field by Louisiana’s Damien Huren, scoring two points for the Swashbucklers.
“We had dropped passes, balls thrown too low, receivers running the wrong routes,” Fourcade said. “You can’t turn the ball over. We’re not good enough.”
The Grizzlies know they can ill afford those mistakes, even against lesser teams. But this time, they ran into a Louisiana team that had a chip on its shoulder after nearly getting beaten last week by the Alaska Wild.
“I think our defense, everyone, talked about the Alaska Wild game,” said Swashbuckler defensive lineman John Paul Jones, whose penetration helped shut the Grizzlies out in the first half. “We felt like we had something to prove.”
What exactly did they want to prove?
“We don’t lose,” lineman Jerrell Hinnant said.
After missing two games with a bulging disc in his neck, Bartik was back at quarterback to start this one, but he took a hard hit on the first drive, injuring his hip and he never recovered.
“My first completion, I got slammed on my hip,” Bartik said. “This turf is so hard — it’s just got concrete underneath — and it went down hill from there. I couldn’t plant my feet.”
And his receivers couldn’t help him out.
Solomon Jones and Kenny Wilson both dropped passes in the end zone — catches that would have kept Fairbanks in the game early when they were down just 14-0.
Jones dropped another would-be touchdown later on a go route down the right boards that saw him get behind the Swashbucklers defense.
The drops marred an otherwise strong night for Jones that saw him catch 10 passes for 95 yards and one score.
Bartik, who lost two fumbles and threw two interceptions, was pulled late in the first half, going 7-of-22 for 65 yards in his time under center.
Backup Damion Ward fared better, completing 12 of his 22 attempts for 87 yards and two scores.
Kenny Wilson provided the Grizzlies with their lone rushing touchdown of the night, scoring on an end-around from 4 yards out.
“All I know is I wanted to score,” Wilson said. “It’s my second time with the team, I wanted to prove I could do something.”
He did. But it was way too little, way too late.
“We didn’t come to play tonight, and I’ll take that on my shoulders,” Bartik said. “First half, not scoring any points, I think that lost us the game.”
While it didn’t help matters, the Grizzlies defense proved to be outmatched by the Swashbucklers as well — no matter who was behind center for Louisiana.
Starter Alvin Bartie was 11-of-18 passing for 142 yards and five touchdowns, while backup Darnell Lee completed seven of his nine passes for 85 yards and four scores.
“How do (we) not know the (offensive) plays? How do (we) not know the (defensive) coverages?” Fourcade asked. “It’s an embarrassment. Nobody’s job is safe. I don’t care if you’re local or we brought you in from far away, your job isn’t safe. If I’m going to lose, I want to lose with guys with heart.”
That means more changes are ahead for a team that signed five new players heading into Saturday’s game.
Community Discussion
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I watched this game tonight
Everyone was terrible from the coaches down
At half time the clock was running down and the grizzlies were at mid field. Fourcade doesnt recongive that they are under a minute and lets the clock run down to about 20 seconds before he calls a time out. Very poor clock managment
Lousiana looked like a very good team there is no doubt, but Fairabnks looked like a very very bad team. Most of their possesion were starting at midfield because the kicker for Lousiana kept hitting the scoreboard. Cant imagine what the score would have been if they had consistently started deep in their end.
Why doesnt the IFL insist that there is padding underneath the carpet to protect the players. Doing something on the cheap certainly isnt benefiting the players at all. Invest in the health and well being of your players.
Maybe the grizzlies should have offered the guy throwing the ball at half time a jersey, he looked better than the two quarterbacks that they had.
And finally for the back up quarterback. Dont try to act tough with the opposing team when they are handing you your ass on a platter. Down by 50 points is not the time to be tough and talk smack. It just makes you look like a punk
We need a defense....and a new announcer!
Announcer - Yes
Defense - Yes
Offense - Yes. Offense couldnt do a darn thing last night. They often looked like it was their first scrimmage of the season
~*~*~*~Never Give up.~*~*~*~
~*~*~*Never Surrender.*~*~*~
*******4~Ever*GRIZZLIES*******
I think its funny that the Grizzly pimps were announcing their "deal" for 10% off next years season's tickets during the game.
I believe at that time we were down by 60.
I'm a season ticket holder this year, but there is no way I'm getting season tickets next year. Especially when the weather gets nice. I'd rather spend my saturday nights enjoying the outdoors than being cooped up in the Carlson Center watching the Grizzlies lie down for the opposing team.
Proud Grizzly season ticket holder- And for me and mine we will renew our 4 season tickets.
Go Grizzlies -
keep ward in, bartik no good, one game wonder. clock doesnt mater at the end when you down by 50, let it run out. That 2 games in a row the score at half with bartick in was 30s to 0.
pool4money-
Bo Bartik hasn't played in 4 weeks because he has 4 different serious injuries. He has a bulging disc, torn rotator cuff on his throwing shoulder, a badly bruised hip, and sprained knee. It's only normal to play as he did with those injuries and not playing for a month. Bartik is a better QB than Ward even when he's injured. The reason the score was 35-0 at halftime was because our defensive backs cannot cover anyone to save thier lives. The D-Line was getting the job done with 2 sacks and 6 QB hurries. The O-Line was not blocking well enough and the WR's were dropping passes they usually do not drop. Keep in mind that Louisiana is the best team in the league and could probably hold their own against the best arena teams in the country. 66% of the Louisiana's roster has either played in the NFL, NLF Europe, or CFL. Once the Grizzlies get Bartik healthy and the O-Line and defensive secondary have some changes made, they will be just fine.
hahaha we will see not saying it was only bartick yess the defense sucks but going bac to Alaska wild blow out with bartick starting throwing an outragious 6 or so interceptions, ya ok hes great (hahaha sike) this game if some of our wide recievers could catch a damn ball, it woulda been closer. No worries we might win again some day hopefully this weekend, start ward
the problem is missmatches. they were a better team and should win. i hear good things about our coach and with time things are sure to get better.
we need to protect our players with a softer field. get players with more experience and see what happens. playing against true football players from the lower 48 is no easy task.
our team needs experience, time playing together and refs that know the rules of the indoor game. teams offensive players are lining up wrong and getting away with it. line backers taht are suppose to play up are dropping too deep and getting away with it.
once the refs get trained, players get more playing time and we get players with a few years under their belt we will win! keep your heads up and believe in the system that the coaches are teaching you.
look the ball in, cover your man!
peace
pool4money-
Bo Bartik wasn't even on the team against the first Wild blowout. Chris Powell is the one who threw 6 INT's! Get your QB's straight.... Bo played for the 1st quarter of the 2nd Wild game and only threw 2 INT's in that one...while Ward threw 3 INT's after taking over in that game. Bartik has 20 TD's and only 7 INT's in the year, while Ward has 10 TD's with 9 INT's...I wonder who is the better QB? Know the facts before you start running your mouth pool4money.
hambone-
You are exactly right. Give Coach Fourcade some time to get a defensive secondary put together with some experience under their belts. The Louisiana team was the best there is in this league and that was their 3rd time scoring over 80 points this year! They beat Katy 89-26 and again 80-45...they also beat Centex 82-21. Both of those teams are playoff teams that the Grizzlies can beat. It is very frustrating when the LB's drop too deep and another thing that is going on that is illegal is the DE's are occasionally dropping into the flats for short pass defense!! Our refs need to wake up or we need to replace them, they are horrible!
yes hambone is right, footballman your an idiot, but its ok we forgive you, oviously i meant the second wild game duh since like you said bartik didn't play the first. Yes the ref suck. just for the record i have gone to all the home games so for, but had to work for this game, but i watched on b2, and i listen to all away games on 820 sport, i want them to win games but yes they have to get experience
pool4money-
How am I an idiot? I stated correct facts while you stated incorrect facts. Just because you don't like being corrected doesn't mean you have to call people names. You just threw out an outrageous number of INT's you thought Bartik through, which was off by 4! Maybe you should stop commenting if you are going to say ridiculous comments.
blah blah,, in the second game, the score was what when we finally sat bartik? Like 20 or so to 0 don't remember point is we had 0, after ward came in the final we had like 20 i think, nevermind all the game are in the past lets focus on the games coming up. I know we were supposed to lose to louisiana, but by 66 point oh well new week. GO GET EM GRIZZLIES
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