STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

Tell us about it

• What would you add to this story? Tell us what we missed.
• Do you have photos from this event? Documents we need to see? Share with us.
• Upload photos & videos
• More ways to get your stuff online and in the paper.

More All

• It’s Christmastime at Palm Cottage
• Great Depression unlike today’s troubling times
• You Review Movie: John Augustine

Share and Enjoy [?]

To reach Oklahoma City for tonight's game against the Yard Dawgz, Florida's coaches and players were to leave Estero at 3 a.m. Friday on a chartered bus.

Then, they'd catch a plane in Fort Lauderdale.

After that, they'd get on another bus in Dallas.

Three hours later, they'd arrive in Oklahoma's capital city and head for Ford Center, where the Firecats would take in a light workout soon after 1 p.m. local time.

Throughout the week, coach Kevin Bouis could sense his players were dreading the hectic itinerary. The advice he fed them sounded a lot like coach speak.

"We've got a tough travel situation," Bouis said after Thursday night's practice, "but I've told the guys to take it one leg at a time. The first thing is to show up at 3 a.m., and then we'll go from there."

So you can imagine what Bouis has said about tonight's game. Actually, he hasn't even had to.

The Firecats are a veteran group whose ups and downs this season evoke a long road trip. They won three straight games to open the season and then dropped into a funk in which they lost three of four. They have now won five in a row to reach the top spot in the National South standings.

Forget that next weekend's showdown against South Georgia will likely decide the division title. The Firecats (9-3) know not to focus on any obstacle -- any leg -- but the one in front of them.

"We've already been scarred by looking past teams we're supposed to beat," said quarterback Chris Wallace, who has thrown 17 touchdown passes and no interceptions during the five-game winning streak. "We just want to go out there and execute. We're looking forward to each game. Each game is fun."

Of course, the one after this should be a blast. South Georgia's trip to Germain Arena will be the most anticipated home game the Firecats have played since last year's playoffs. It is especially appealing since the Wildcats (8-3) beat Florida earlier this year.

But the Firecats will first look to take care of the Yard Dawgz. They hung a 55-22 victory on them in the season opener, with Wallace passing for eight scores.

This time, Oklahoma City (6-5) isn't a bunch of fresh faces. Quarterback Stan Hill, one of af2's top quarterbacks, is comfortable running the offense, and a new coaching staff has 11 games under its belt.

"Across the board," Bouis said, "they really haven't changed much. The only difference now is they are more in tune."

They are at home, too, and that has its benefits. Consider Oklahoma City's experience on its trip to Florida for the opening game.

The Yard Dawgz flew into Tampa on a Friday and bused to Naples to spend the night. Their bus driver was supposed to stay there with them, coach John Fitzgerald said, but he left town for another job, inadvertently taking Oklahoma City's equipment with him.

The crowd inside Germain Arena waited out a 30-minute delay, as the driver hustled into Estero. The Yard Dawgz got their equipment back, and the game finally began.

Three months later, Oklahoma City is in the middle of the National Conference playoff chase. Luckily for them, the Yard Dawgz must travel only once in the final five weeks.

"That's going to help," Fitzgerald said. "Our schedule works out where we've got four of five games at home on the back end."

Conversely, the Firecats will be road warriors down the stretch. Florida has three road games remaining, with South Georgia the final team to visit Germain Arena.

No matter.

Florida will take any obstacles one leg at a time. Sort of like a hectic itinerary.

"We've got to focus on this game right now," Bouis said. "The guys know every game counts to keep pace."

---

FIRECATS vs. YARD DAWGZ

What: Florida Firecats (9-3) at Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (6-5)

Where: Ford Center, Oklahoma City

When: 8 p.m., Saturday

Radio/Internet: ABC-7.com, NBC-2.com, Floridafirecats.com

Notes: Florida blitzed Oklahoma City, 55-22, in the season opener. ... Yard Dawgz quarterback Stan Hill ranks first in af2 with 286.4 passing yards per game. ... Oklahoma City has lost two straight on the heels of a five-game winning streak. ... Firecats receiver Ethenic Sands, who suffered a knee injury last week, made the trip with Florida to Oklahoma. However, his role in the game could be limited. ... Oklahoma City is on the playoff bubble, with the seventh-best record in the National Conference. Eight teams get in.