It has been a start to forget for the Massachusetts Pirates in their sophomore season in the National Arena League.
The team has lost its first two matchups this season to the Carolina Cobras, which is good enough for last place.
Fans are worried that this young team may not be able get it done. Team president Jawad Yatim says the sample size is too small and that the season will not be judged by what has happened thus far.
“We got a lot of young guys and we knew the beginning was going to be rough,” Yatim said. As long as we hit our stride in the middle to late part of the season we’ll be fine.”
Quarterback Sean Brackett coming into this week’s set of practices told Prime Time Sports Talk that it is not their job to worry about what the other team is doing, but what their squad can do to execute better.
“We really just gotta lock in on what we’re doin and not be worried about the opponent,” Brackett said. “Because if we do what we’re suppose to do, then we’ll be successful.”
Brackett told Prime Time Sports Talk that the key to success will be to get all the little things right.
“It’s a lot of detailed work,” Brackett said. “A lot of small details, fine tuning things like that, being in the right spot, knowing the right play, knowing the right route, stuff like that, really just take it play by play.”
One of the men that needs to run the right routes Mardy Gilyard agrees with Yatim that this team is different than the one displayed previously and fans will see that.
“I can agree that this is a very different team and we’re moving at a different speed,” Gilyard said. “We’re playing pretty good right now with each other so it’s not the same team that everyone has seen play over the last two weeks let’s put it that way.”
While the team is disappointed with the start, Yatim believes that they will be at the top of the heap come season’s end.
“It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” Yatim said. “Obviously you don’t want to start like this but we know what we gotta do and we’re not really too concerned about it and we’re pretty confident about what we can do.”
The winless Pirates will take on the 1-1 Orlando Predators tonight at 7:00 p.m.
