Sports

Déjà vu?

• En route to a record-breaking season last year, the South Georgia Wildcats had to beat the Louisville Fire at home to start out 2-0 — the same task they face tonight.

Paul Dehner Jr.

On the verge of tonight’s home opener for the South Georgia Wildcats, fans are still talking about last week’s dramatic last-second victory at the Tennessee Valley Vipers. The same can’t be said about the conversations in the Wildcats’ locker room.

As exciting as the improbable lateral-victory and ensuing celebration was, South Georgia coach Derek Stingley has urged his team to develop temporary amnesia.

“Last week has nothing to do with this game,” Stingley said Friday. “The only thing last week says when you look in the stat book is we got a win in the win column. We can learn from last week from the mistakes we made — that is about it.

“There is no wave to ride. There is no confidence-setter.”

Certainly a crest of momentum would rush from a win and 2-0 start to the season tonight against the Louisville Fire.

South Georgia started the 2007 home season with a 77-53 victory over Louisville in Week 2. That team went on to a 10-6 season and captured its first playoff victory in team history.

That was Stingley’s first season with South Georgia. While a palpable level of comfort surrounds the Wildcats coach, he doesn’t view this year’s home opener any different than last year.

The energy of showcasing his team to the home fans doesn’t fade.

“The excitement it brings to Albany is almost second to none,” Stingley said Friday. “I have been to a lot of arenas, when the fans here really get into the game, their presence is really felt.”

Stingley knows first hand, electrifying the crowd with a win won’t be easy against a Fire team that torched the Iowa Barnstormers last week, 58-28. His understanding of the situation goes beyond game film, though.

As players for the Albany Firebirds, Stingley and Louisville head coach Tommy Johnson spent two years as roommates. A close friendship and deep respect developed between the two in the process.

Periodic conversations have kept Stingley aware of the Fire as Johnson arrives eyeing his 50th career af2 win tonight in his sixth season.

“He was the one I leaned on to get insight for how things worked when I got started,” Stingley said. “It’s not good playing against a friend. He does a good job with coaching his guys, having them prepared.”

Stingley also is readying for a chess match with Louisville middle safety Matt Forbes. A five-year veteran, Forbes is regarded among the best DBs in the league and will attempt to slow a Wildcats passing attack that led the af2 in yards this past week.

“He knows how to break down on different angles and how to come down on the ball,” Stingley said. “It is going to be a tough night coming up against him.”

When the Wildcats take over on defense, they will compete against multifaceted quarterback Matt Bassuener.

The rookie from Georgetown was 13-of-20 for 131 yards and two touchdowns through the air last week while running seven times for 37 yards and two more scores.

Stingley says Bassuener “doesn’t make a lot of mistakes” and the coach has prepared his team for Bassuener’s tendency to tuck the ball and run when plays break down.

More than x’s and o’s, the Wildcats will be focused on survival. Without a preseason scrimmage game, South Georgia endured a rough adjustment to full contact last week, sustaining a long list of injuries.

Still, the active roster will stay the same as last week except for starting center Donald Usry, who is out for 3-to-4 weeks with a knee injury.

“Everybody is a little banged up,” Stingley said. “It’s one of those games where they will have to fight through it.”

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