Twisters turn it up a notch for Talons
Posted on Saturday, July 12, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Sports/231101/
TULSA — The Arkansas Twisters think today’s game against rival Tulsa is a big one, but only because it’s the next game and Tulsa is in first place.
Twisters President Jack Lankford said no rivalry in Arena Football 2 matches the one between Arkansas and Tulsa. The Talons market the game as “the biggest rivalry in AF 2,” Tulsa director of game operations Allison Webb said.
Arkansas (9-4, 4-3 ) and Tulsa (11-2, 5-1 ) are among three teams left of the 29 in AF 2 that have been playing since the league’s first season in 2000, and they have played each other an AF 2-record 18 times. Their 19 th game is today at 7: 05 p. m. Central at the Tulsa Convention Center.
Arkansas players say they recognize the significance of the rivalry to their fans and the Twisters booster club, but they know much more is on the line than regional bragging rights.
With three games left in the regular season, Arkansas trails Tulsa by two games in AF 2 National Conference Central Division. Arkansas needs one victory to assure itself a spot in the AF 2 playoffs, and two for a first-round playoff home game.
“This game means a lot to this city,” Arkansas quarterback Kyle Rowley said. “The booster club’s been great to us, and the fans have been great, so we want to win it because we know it’s important to them.
“ But It’s not like we have to look for extra significance. There’s actual, numerical significance to what we’re trying to do.”
Two of Arkansas’ players played with the Twisters before this season. The rest were introduced to the Tulsa rivalry when the teams played on April 11. It was a game Arkansas lost 64-60 after it held a 50-28 thirdquarter lead.
“I didn’t know until we played them the first time this season how big the rivalry is,” Arkansas defensive back Lawrence Richardson said. “And it’s a big game. It’s a game we’ve got to have, and I’m pretty sure it’s a game they want to have.
“ I know there are going to be a lot of our fans there, and I know they love it. Hopefully we can give them something to cheer about.”
Twisters booster club historian Deanna Sawyer said she hopes the players’ disappointment from their loss to Tulsa in the second game of the season will serve as motivation.
“We do talk to the players about this game,” Sawyer said. “We understand that they haven’t been here, so they don’t really know the history of it. But I know they still have a sour taste in their mouths from losing in the last [seven ] seconds last April.”
Arkansas wide receiver Chris Denney joined the team for the sixth game, a 68-25 victory over Oklahoma City, but said he realized the impact the late loss to Tulsa had.
Arkansas dominated early and
“To me, Tulsa’s no different than Amarillo or Bossier or any other team we play,” Siegfried said. “It’s an important game to us just because Tulsa is who we’re playing and we need to win. They’re first in our division, and if we want any hope of winning the division, we’ve got to beat them.
“ If the fans get more excited about Tulsa, good for them. I’m happy for them, but I’m not paid to take any one opponent any more or less seriously than the next.”
“I do thinks it’s the biggest rivalry in the league,” Lankford said. “But this is a huge game and both teams know it. There’s just so much on the line.” led 38-21 at halftime, but it took a 25-yard field goal by James Paul to give Arkansas a 60-57 lead with 12 seconds left.
Tulsa took the kickoff and scored on its first play, a 30-yard touchdown pass from Justin Allgood to Jeff Hughley, for a series-tying victory. Arkansas had won its previous six games with Tulsa.
“I think everybody was happy with the way we came out in that game, but not the way we finished,” Denney said. “We’ve been working hard these last few games on finishing, and figuring out how to do that better, and I think we’ve improved on that.”
“At that point, our mantra kind of became to finish,” Rowley said. “Now, I think we’re a fourthquarter team. I think we can call ourselves that without anyone questioning us. We know how to win games at this point, and we have a bunch of playmakers and winners on our team.”
Arkansas Coach Chris Siegfried said winning is what counts, regardless of the opponent.