Sports

Don’t panic, but consider it

Paul Dehner Jr.

In every sports movie, there is a scene in the middle that begins to spell out the dramatic reality of the end.

You’ve met the characters, learned the background and the plot line develops.

In “Rocky IV” it’s when Ivan Drago kills Apollo Creed. In “Field of Dreams” it’s when Kevin Costner discovers he will lose his farm if he keeps the baseball field. In “Rollerball” it’s when LL Cool J appears on screen and you leave the theater in disgust.

But in the new movie called “The 2008 South Georgia Wildcats,” a decisive 65-51 loss to Tennessee Valley represents that scene.

For the second consecutive home game against a division opponent considered to be among the league’s elite, the Wildcats were outplayed.

Not out-talented. Not out-lucked. Outplayed.

Those aren’t my words. Those come from the respected mouth of coach Derek Stingley. They also come from the stat line. Add a 51-41 loss to Florida to the Tennessee Valley game and the Wildcats combined for seven turnovers.

The preceding weeks have built the background of this team. Parts were added and subtracted. Injuries occurred, but nearly everyone is healed now.

We may be at the infant stages of summer, but after Saturday’s game against Corpus Christi, this regular season will be halfway over.

From this point forward, there is little change to the roster or coaching staff that will change the potential of this team.

Daryon Brutley and D. Bryant aren’t walking through the door.

What has been compiled is a team with the ability to be one of the best in the league — on paper. A feeling has existed it will only be a matter of time until they put a complete game together and all the potential blossoms into dominating wins.

This is exactly why the loss against Tennessee Valley was so concerning. It provides the defining plot twist of this movie.

Are the Wildcats bound to be a talented team that will always make too many mistakes?

Sure, on sheer ability alone they will likely finish above .500 and make the playoffs. But to win games in the playoffs and reach the goals of this team and coaching staff, they need to be more.

The learning curve has left this team tied for second in the South, 2H games behind Florida and in the middle of the American Conference pack.

“At this point we are 4-3,” Stingley said. “That means we are chasing a lot of teams within the league right now. We need to not lose another game just to be one of the top teams in the playoffs or just to position ourselves or even get into the playoffs.”

You can almost hear Drago now: “If he dies, he dies.”

This dark assessment of the situation may feel like a knee-jerk reaction to the team’s first ugly loss this season.

In part, it is.

But in part, this is reality.

Thanks to last year’s success and encouraging offseason, the bar has been raised in Albany. This team wants a championship.

But in its biggest games to this point, it hasn’t played like a team deserving of one.

“Same old, same old,” P.J. Berry said. “Turnovers and mistakes, it is like we can’t catch a break. We can’t put a complete game together.”

Saturday night, middle safety Roland Cola explained the problem with a gesture. He holds out his hand and wiggles his fingers in a weak motion.

“We can’t be like this,” he said, then switching his grip into a ball. “We got to be like this — like a fist. We got to take pride in what we do. This is our job. We got to come to work every day. I don’t come out here for nothing. I am not going to let anybody come out here and beat me. We are going to go at it all day.”

If the Wildcats’ fist can begin delivering punches, this season is nowhere near unsalvageable. One hot streak running into the playoffs and they will be as dangerous as they were last year when they ran into the eventual champion Tulsa Talons in the second round.

In fact, in all of the aforementioned movies, the main characters eventually overcome the odds to live their dreams and hold a smile in the final freeze frame.

“It’s a marathon,” Buchie Ibeh said. “We are not hitting the panic button just yet.”

No, it’s not time to hit the panic button, but it is time to think about where it’s located.

This season isn’t a disappointment yet. But after Saturday, we know what could cause it to be.