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Headlines, hardships and hope: Wranglers' sophomore IFL season one for the storybooks
BY Matt Welch, mwelch@starlocalnews.com
You'd have to look far and wide to find an indoor football team that generated more hype than the 2012 edition of the Allen Wranglers.
But with that anticipation comes expectations and with the IFL season having culminated Saturday in the United Bowl, the fact the Wranglers were absent from the championship game means the team's ultimate goal wasn't accomplished.
"Based on the signings and predetermined definition as far as where you should have reached," said Quinn Cairo, defensive coordinator and co-interim head coach, "we should have been playing for the championship in a rematch with Sioux Falls."
On paper, the Wranglers showcased no shortage of talent.
The four months that encompassed the team's sophomore season showed more is required.
"Bringing a lot of talent together isn't all it takes to win a championship," said Luke McArdle, Allen receiver. "You have to come together and stay composed through the adversity."
"I think that was one of our biggest problems," Cairo added. "We looked too far ahead and I don't think we did a good job preparing these guys week in, week out to match the hype they were given preseason."
A stout portion of that hype came with the groundbreaking signing of former NFL wideout Terrell Owens, who joined the Wranglers as a player and co-owner in January.
While bringing one of the NFL's most credentialed receivers to the indoor game sparked curiosity and intrigue league-wide, it also painted a bit of a bulls-eye on the chest of the young franchise.
"I don't think anyone's ready for that," Cairo said, "but we all want to be noticed for what we do. Nobody goes into anything to just be average and I think we all went into this wanting to be good. The attention wasn't asked for, but we enjoyed it while we got it.
"I don't think it affected us in a negative way; we got attention and didn't produce."
The fanfare reached a tipping point Feb. 25 for the season opener against the Wichita Wild, with legions of fans packed into the Allen Event Center for an eventual 50-30 victory that was broadcasted on ESPN3 and featured three touchdown catches by Owens.
The Wranglers stayed the course for a 5-1 record entering the most high-profile game on their schedule: an April 14 home tilt against reigning IFL kingpin Sioux Falls Storm.
A nip-and-tuck matchup that featured a myriad of momentum swings and lead changes was won by Sioux Falls, but instead of instilling the notion the Wranglers had the ability to compete with the league's very best, the setback was a precursor to a stretch that saw Allen drop three of its next four.
The ramifications were quick to surface, with head coach Patrick Pimmel relieved of his duties and nearly one month later, the Wranglers severing ties with Owens, citing the receiver's unwillingness to join the team for a late-season road trip and missing a scheduled appearance at a children's hospital.
With the Wranglers, Owens totaled 35 catches for 420 yards and 10 touchdowns.
"I can only base it on my interactions with [Owens]," Cairo said, "and from the first day he walked through the door and the time I spent with him, I had no issues with him. He was very professional, practiced hard and played hard."
Those yards were acquired from no shortage of signal callers as Allen employed six different quarterbacks -- Randall, Casey Printers, Ben Sankey, Maurice Avery, Steve Gachette and David Knighton -- during the season.
"That makes [finding an offensive rhythm] a lot harder," Cairo said. "You've got to have that one main guy who's going to be the leader. Players tried, but it's tough when you look over your shoulder and see this carousel at your position.
"But as coaches, I think we should have done a better job identifying a starting QB and trusting them a bit more."
The carousel stopped at Knighton, a veteran who started the Wranglers final four games, including a three-game winning streak to close out the season and raise Allen from on the playoff bubble to a 9-5 record and the No. 2 spot in the Intense Conference.
Fudge helped fuel the run game en route to a second-team All-IFL nod while Avery led the team in receptions (52), McArdle in yards (596) and touchdowns (18) and Ramonce Taylor burst onto the scene following Owens' release as a receiving and special teams threat.
While the Allen defense featured a bevy of new faces and starters, it was one of the lone carry-overs from the team's inaugural season that proved the most worthwhile.
"Frankie Solomon Jr. was our most consistent player from day one," Cairo said. "He sets the tone and you know what effort you'll get from him everyday. What you saw in games is what we saw everyday in practice."
Solomon piloted the secondary with 115 tackles and seven interceptions while Prince Hickman and Mike Landry accrued 4 and 4.5 sacks up front, respectively.
While defensive play fluctuated late in the season, the offense's growing rhythm was enough to net the squad a home playoff game for the second straight year. But just as their season began with a home win over Wichita, the Wild got the last laugh in a 43-40 playoff victory.
The loss precluded the Wranglers from a return to the Intense Conference Championship, ending the season at 9-6.
And the lessons learned laid groundwork to build on entering the offseason.
"Chemistry, mental," Taylor said. "We have to be mentally focused for all 60 minutes. Against Wichita, we weren't."
"I think they have to learn that you get what you put into it," Cairo added. "I think we got what we put into it and I think these guys might have taken Wichita a bit lightly."
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