Week 7
-Michael Burmeister
In WFA D1 action, we see what people are already thinking of as an American Conference Championship preview; the Pacific Region juggernauts the Cali War (4-0, 1-0 D1) make the 1,600+-mile trip out East for a showdown against a team who is perhaps the epitome of “better than their record,” the Midwest Region’s Kansas City Titans (0-5, 0-0 D1).
This is the first time the War and Titans have ever played each other, and will be their only meeting of the regular season (emphasis on “regular season.”)
Thoughts on the War: Featuring the best of two POWERHOUSE teams of yore (the Central Cal War Angels and Los Angeles Warriors), the War have lived up to the hype and then some, outscoring their opponents 209-7 in their four games so far. Chantel Niino-Wiggins continues to prove why she’s one of the GREATEST (20 TDs to only one INT, 143.5 passer rating), with Jamie Robinson, Kielyn Wilson, Lisa Gibbons King and Svetlana Stepanchuk serving as her top “Four Horsewomen” targets. When combined with their HARD-HITTING, ruthless defense, the War have a clear battle plan in place to pick up the ultimate victory in Colorado this July…a win over the Titans will all but ensure home-field advantage throughout that campaign.
Thoughts on the Titans: Despite “clinching” their first regular-season losing record in team history, the Titans are the DEFINITION of “better than their record,” and.there is a VERY good reason why they’re still projected to be the #1 seed in the Midwest Region. How many other teams can put up a strong, valiant fight against the likes of the St. Louis Slam, Minnesota Vixen AND Mile High Blaze all in the same season? (Hint: they’re all also in D1). Though some may see the Titans’ placing as a problem with the Masseys, this writer sees it as them not letting ANY bit of adversity get in their way…they’re going to give the War EVERYTHING they’ve got today, and a victory today would erase ALL the pain of these close defeats earlier in the season, setting themselves up as the favorites to represent the American Conference at the main event in Colorado Mines’ stadium in July. (This game will be AMAZING!)
The questions are: Will the War roll through another formidable opponent and have the team start making hotel reservations for Colorado even now? Or will the Titans pick up the statement win, making the question no longer “Why are they still #1 in their region,” but “Can anybody stop them in their pursuit of the natty?”
