Where there’s a will to win, there’s good chance of a win

JOHN BASSETTI \ Thunder Insider

The 5,700-seat facility in Youngstown is practically empty except for the 20-some men inside practicing their skills and a few workmen driving tow motors or welding pieces of steel.

As sparks fly from the welder’s torch, Mahoning Valley Thunder players and coaches ply their trade inside the Covelli Centre on a weekday morning recently.

The drill at the moment involved a full complement of eight offensive players against a short unit of seven defensive players.

“Even though it was not quite a normal practice, we got a lot out of it,” interim coach Brennen Booth said of Tuesday’s practice. “We’re a little short on linemen because some people are banged up, so we had to do more of a mental day, but it was a crisp mental day.”

Fullback Matt Brunck was placed on injured reserve for this week, but Brenton Brady is coming off IR and will start at fullback. Brady was injured in the season opener. Brunck dislocated three toes on the same foot at Albany.

Also, injuries to DE Mike Alston and WR George Murray will make them game-day decisions. Murray was inactive for the Albany game.

Mounting injuries and subpar play at times — plus the departure of one player last week — have played a part in the team’s downward spiral, but Booth and Co. aren’t looking back.

To let the pain from last week’s 50-41 loss at Albany linger unnecessarily would be a mistake, but not to remember the lessons learned from it would be equally devastating and harmful to the team’s chances to rebound.

“The other night, we were beating them, up front, pretty bad,” Booth said. “At halftime, we’re up 27-15 and we’re in control, but we didn’t finish. We’ve got to get to the point where we can play a full 60 minutes. That’s what I talked about [after practice Tuesday]: there are ups and downs every game, but you’ve got to keep pressing on. I told them at halftime [at Albany], this thing isn’t over. This is arena football. They’re not going to come out and lay down. So, we let it get away from us. We’ve got to learn how to finish the game out.”

On a five-game losing streak and facing the 5-1 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers on Friday, even Booth isn’t expecting miracles.

“They’re pretty sound all around. They’re one of the top teams in our league, there’s no doubt about it. But I think we can be competitive with them.

“I think we can do better than what we did last time and that’s what we’ve got to shoot for,” he added.

The task might seem monumental, but the worst thing the team can do is cash in its chips.

The season-ending, broken-leg loss of noseman Carlos Spinner can be used as the template for teams looking to blame its problems on injuries.

That doesn’t seem to be the case.

But the value of what the 6-foot-11 Spinner did in the season opener when he batted down a PAT can’t be underestimated. That size and range makes a difference.

To watch the Thunder practice is to watch 20-some men trying to get better at what they do.

In a 4-on-4 drill, the quarterback and three receivers face a “Jack” linebacker and three defensive backs. Anything can happen.

The receivers fly into action in a pattern that is anybody’s guess. For the defensive back, coverage of a quick receiver is a crapshoot. The trick is to anticipate the route, the direction, the move. If they get burned, it’s ugly. If there’s a mix-up or slight miscalculation on the receiver’s part, the defender rejoices.

At one point during Tuesday’s practice, Clarence Curry successfully covered his man, but he missed the pass that came right at him.

A contrite — and comical — Curry picked up the ball, then put it down on the turf and voluntarily did pushups next to it to show his remorse for missing the near-interception.

Although their business is serious stuff, the inclusion of humor can’t be dismissed. In fact, it’s a must, whether the team’s 5-1 or 1-5.

As receiver De’Tario Frederick said of his approach: “It’s just going out there and having fun.”

However, as Booth said: We’ve just got to learn how to win.”

Both will serve the team well, especially if he models translate into victories and bring spectators.

In a way, what does the Thunder have to lose by being uptight and glum?

Are the players just going through the motions to earn a paycheck?

I don’t think so.

No doubt there’s a genuine desire to get better, but winning is another matter.

The Mike Hold-to-Booth coaching change didn’t translate into a sudden revival against a winless Albany Firebirds team, so the chances of Mahoning Valley succeeding against the American Conference Eastern Division leader aren’t looking very promising.

However, that’s where humor enters the picture.

Those fans who haven’t seen a game can do themselves a favor and come to the Covelli Centre and help boost the Thunder’s spirits.

What you can do for them might make a world of difference.

Don’t expect a miracle, but a close game is achievable.

Even Booth says, “We’ve got to be in a position in the fourth quarter to be able to win. I don’t think it’s going to be a blowout, but if we don’t turn the ball over on offense and we don’t extend series on defense, we’ll be OK. We’ve got to learn how to win.”

XJohn Bassetti covers the Thunder for The Vindicator. E-mail him at bassetti@vindy.com.