Silverbacks seeking revenge in title tilt
Dayton lost last meeting with Saginaw; indoor championship on line.
The Dayton Silverbacks TROTWOOD — vividly remember their last trip to Saginaw, Mich.
Saginaw defeated Dayton 4125 on May 11, the last game of the regular season. It was the only defeat for a Silverbacks team that is the best in the history of the franchise — a team that was winless three years ago and went 8-1 this year.
Dayton returns to Saginaw today for the Continental Indoor Football League championship game at 7:30 p.m. at the Dow Event Center.
The game will be broadcast live on the Internet at www.wave96.net.
“They didn’t get the whole meal last time,” running back Bruce Peters said. “This time they are getting the dessert, the appetizer — everything.”
One of the things Saginaw didn’t get was Peters, who missed the last meeting to be at the birth of his child. Now he’s back on the roster, one of several Silverbacks who were missing or injured for the May 11 loss.
“We have a few players back,” Silverbacks coach James Scott said. “(Peters) is a force. He’s played wide receiver, running back and kick returner. I don’t believe they’ll be ready for him and I think he’ll have a huge impact on the game.”
Peters has rushed for four touchdowns and received four.
Saginaw throws the ball, while Dayton showcases a balanced attack behind quarterback Evan Sawyer, a Jefferson High School grad.
On offense, Scott said his plan is to attack Saginaw’s manto-man pass coverage.
“With Bruce, I think he can open up our package and maybe we can get them out of that man-to-man,” Scott said. “We need to execute better than last time.”
Dayton players are savoring a chance at a championship, but also appreciate where the franchise has been in the last few years. At one point, the team was operating on the road and didn’t have a home arena. Now it is one game away from a title.
“It’s exciting, considering where we’ve been as an organization,” Chris Respress said. “Being a Dayton native — I went to Meadowdale — it’s exciting.
“We’re on a mission. We didn’t play to expectations last time. We want revenge.”
Scott preached to his players early in the year that they had a chance at a title. He was still preaching this week.
“I think this time we’ll have all our manpower and be ready to play,” Scott said.
Roy Roundtree (TrotwoodMadison) reacted after being issued No. 21 instead of the iconic No. 1 he had been hoping to wear this fall as a fifth-year senior and team captain.
It’s a subject that had been playing out in the Michigan media for months, and now, finally, it can be laid to rest.
Much ado about nothing? Maybe so, but it was judged important enough by the school’s sports information department to warrant a statement from Roundtree, which read in part:
“Coach (Brady) Hoke (Fairmont East) and I discussed it, and one day I came into the locker room and didn’t see my name anymore. I laughed, looked around and there it was, at No. 21.
“I know what it takes to wear the winged helmet and I know what it takes to be a Michigan football player. I won’t disappoint wearing this jersey.”
Roundtree, who had been wearing No. 12, now sports the number once belonging to legendary Michigan receiver and Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard.
“It’s a blessing,” he said in the statement.
The new jersey includes a patch bearing Howard’s name as Michigan tries a broader approach to honoring its greats than waiting for the next Anthony Carter or Braylon Edwards to come along and be judged worthy of No. 1.
Now that this is settled, Roundtree — who graduated this spring — can concentrate on having a better season than last year when he caught 19 passes for 355 yards and two touchdowns (including a memorable game-winner against Notre Dame).
He’s moving to flanker, where he might be a more frequent target of QB Denard Robinson, who still wears No. 16.