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04/14/2005: "MFL Semi-Finals, Shoremen: Preview"

MFL Semi-Finals, Shoremen: Preview
Playoff semi-finals are Sunday
2005-09-22
The Central Minnesota Thunderbirds will continue their championship quest Sunday when they host the Duluth-Superior Shoremen in Mid-America Football League semifinal action.
The Thunderbirds played the Shoremen earlier this season and came away with an easy 49-0 victory. In that game, quarterback Chris Esterley completed 16 passes for 261 yards and five touchdowns. While the offense was dominant, the defense was just as solid and held the Shoremen scoreless.
 Even with the big shutout in their last meeting, the Thunderbirds aren’t expecting to glide through Sunday’s game quite as easily.
  “I think this game will definitely be closer than last time because they have all their players in now,” said nose tackle Ray Reinhart. “I don’t foresee this being a 49-0 game.”
The Shoremen are coming off a big quarterfinal victory over the Minnesota Valley Warriors, and will be looking to knock-off the unbeaten Thunderbirds on Sunday.
  “I think we match up better against them because what they like to do is what we have trouble stopping,” Coach Chad Baldwin said.
 In last week’s Mid-America Football League quarterfinals, the Thunderbirds routed the Midwest Pioneers by a score of 60-0. Due to the lopsided game, the T-Birds had trouble staying focused and playing with intensity. Baldwin said that will need to change in order to come away with a victory on Sunday.
  “We’ll need a little more intensity because they’re a better football team,” he said.
Baldwin said the Shoremen have a lot of depth and talent, which should lead to some good football entertainment for the fans.
 Baldwin said that even though he isn’t taking Sunday’s game lightly, the Shoremen will have to pull a few tricks out of their sleeves to win.
  “For them to have some success, they’re going to have to come in and do some pretty impressive things,” Baldwin said. “That’s just where we’re at right now.”
The Thunderbirds are 9-0 this season and will host the Shoremen Sunday at 3 p.m. The game will be held at St. John’s University.
  “I expect this will be a closer game than the first one, but I still feel we’re the better team and we should win the game,” Reinhart said.
 Sunday’s game should be a good one if the T-Birds offense and defense play to their full capability, like they did in the last meeting between the two teams.
  “We’ve got great acceleration,” Baldwin said. “We’re coming wide open.”