DEMONS, WARRIORS, BLITZ… NOW UTAH HEAT; MANY OF THE SAME PLAYERS EXPECTING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AS SEMI-PRO FOOTBALL COMES TO TOOELE, UTAH

 

Team Preview by: Jared Neumeier

 

SALT LAKE CITY – For what is technically described as an “expansion franchise”, the Utah Heat have very few of the qualities of a typical expansion franchise. I.e. this is a team that has plenty of players “listed” with previous RMFL experience… many of them played with RMFL teams like the old Demons, Utah Warriors, Utah Blitz, Wasatch Wildcats… This is a seasoned group.

 

The only question is how well will this team come together as a unit with such a diverse background of experience. How well will they be able to play together as a “team”… as they bring the excitement of semi-pro football to Tooele, Utah.

 

Although almost ALL of the Heat players live in the Salt Lake Valley, the teams’ home games will be played in the remote satellite town on the west side of the Oquirrh Mountains, a range I use to hike into there often as a kid growing up in Kearns, Utah.  This will be a great, secluded venue for the Heat’s inaugural season and if they can pull this team of talent together, they could be vying for  a playoff spot come mid-June.

 

This team is probably comprised of about 66% ex-Utah Blitz players, 24% ex-other teams and 10% new players to the league entirely. They are certainly chock full of seasoned talent.

 

What I do NOT see, however, is any proven make-a-difference-to-win-a-championship type talent… oh, or an offensive line.

 

This is not to say that there aren’t some position players who are capable of making a major splash; it is only to say that these players have had opportunities in the past to make major splash’s, and just haven’t yet.

 

Quarterback Adam Cunningham has looked good at times before, tailback, Danny Gagnier has looked explosive before, however, I am highly unfamiliar with the Heat offensive line and receiving corp.  The defense consists of many more familiar names.  Sione and Fisi Tuatonga, Phil Filimoeatu, Nate Mackey, Jay Fletcher, Solo Toala and Reggie McLucas (who also plays the athletic version of quarterback for the Heat).  The Heat defense will be a bit more familiar and a bit more proven.

 

Still, the Heat have plenty of question marks and with most of them revolving around both their offensive and defensive line, we should temper our expectations for this first year team as they learn and progress as a franchise.

 

I absolutely love that they have established a team in Tooele and with such a great venue and a cast of talented and committed players, this team will be fun to watch and shouldn’t be anyone’s patsy in the AAA division.  I’m not expecting them to be in the mix for a playoff spot in June, but I won’t be shocked at all if they do have the talent and do get some victories against teams like the Matadors, Wolverines or Nemesis.

 

With Cache Valley and Ogden for 4 of nine games, however, this team will have to learn to play together very quickly…

 

 

OFFENSE:

 

At press time, it was not clear whether or not the Heat would go with veteran quarterback, Adam Cunningham or multi-threat talent, Reggie McLucas as the teams offensive signal caller.  With McLucas counted on for defense, the logical choice would be to hand the ball over to Cunningham and let him use his vast RMFL/UFL experience to keep the offense rolling.  Cunningham, however, struggled as a part-time starter for the powerful Wildcats, compiling only a 37 point quarterback efficiency rating (19 completions of 65 attempts, 5 TD’s, 6 interceptions).  Having some experience at the position myself, however, a lot may depend upon how well the offensive line is able to protect him.  Cunningham is a certain proven qb, but he is also a prototypical drop back quarterback that hurts teams from the pocket. If the Heat offensive line isn’t “up to snuff”, then McLucas may become a necessity as they will need a big time scrambler to have a chance to get positive plays when the blocking breaks down.  So.. lets skip ahead to the offensive line.  The Heat list only 4 offensive linemen on their depth chart: Brady Schroeder, Cody Jackson, Dez Alverado and John White.  Schroeder, Jackson and White are all ex-Blitz… and White will not be playing with the Heat after all, preferring to play with the Wolverines.  Which leaves only 3 on their depth chart, two of which aren’t even on the current Heat roster (Jackson and Shroeder), which at this juncture, only three days before the season is to start means that the 6’0, 275-lb Alverado is left to block the entire Utah Wolverine defensive front on Saturday! Good luck with that Dez!!!    Okay, all kidding aside, I’m sure they will have 5 guys along the offensive front, however, this close to the season start and they have yet to announce those players, I would say that AT BEST, this is a real concern. Without a proven offensive line against the tough defenses of the AAA southern division, it will not matter if they have Cunningham, McLucas or Peyton Manning in the backfield, they will not succeed on offense.  Gagnier may be capable of making people forget Reggie Bush, but neither will go anywhere without top notch line support.   I’ve been impressed by Gagnier, I think he is an explosive running back who lead the Blitz in rushing in 2005 with 517 yards and a 5/2 yard per carry average, and fullback, Dennis Glasker is a proven strong back himself.  It is just difficult to get to excited about either without confidence in the 5 guys up front.  The Heat project another new name at tight end, Oa Misifoa (5’9, 200) and at wide receiver, the familiar ex-Wildcat, Jay Fletcher and another new-to-the league, Angel Castillo. Fletcher, at 5’7 is small but quick and Castillo isn’t a lot bigger at 5’9, however only 160 lbs.  If Cunningham  can get the protection, these “smurfs” could have a big season, but with pressure in a quarterbacks face, its hard enough to find the 6’2 receivers, much less the guys 6 inches lower.   So the Heat offense is going to get the low mark for preseason and maybe that is exactly how they want it.  For the past two seasons, it was their previous GM, Jeff LaBounty’s, philosophy to pump up the talent of his team for the strongest possible preview. Maybe this years Heat figure a low profile and and drop off the radar screen will set them up just right to explode on the RMFL AAA scene.  I’m just not going to bet on it.  Projected Offensive Rank: 10th

 

DEFENSE:

 

The good news is the defensive depth chart is not only full, it is full of proven players that ARE, by the way, mostly on the RMFL master roster for the team.  The Heat defense should be solid, probably almost as solid as the 9th ranked Blitz defense of last year… but probably not quite that good.  The defensive front looks to be anchored by their entire offensive line, Dez Alvarado (man, he must be good!) who will be joined by familiar ex-Blitz players, Sione Tuatonga (22-1/2 tackles in 2005; not on current Heat roster), Shane Reynolds (5’10, 240) and newcomer, Maseiua Sarmani (not on current Heat roster).  Do you see a pattern here?  Better news at the linebacker position, however, with Fisi Tuatonga (25 tackles, 4-1/2 sacks for the Blitz in ’05), Fil Filimoeatu (42 tackles, 2 sacks in ’05) and Nate Mackey (14 tackles, 3 sacks) projected to be the proverbial “line in the sand” for the Heat defense.  Although Tuatonga is not on the current roster and Mackey is listed as Doug Mackey, this is a group that has played together before and with good success. If the Heat can pull this front seven together as they have planned, it should be a pretty good unit.  The Heat only project 3 defensive backs on their depth chart, so I’m not sure if they think we are playing with 10 guys a side or if they are just hiding their true stars until the roster deadline, but who they do list is Jay Fletcher, who played almost exlusively offense last season for the Wildcats who were very deep at defensive back and Solo Toala (on roster, 20 tackles in ’05) and Reggie McLucas who brings speed and athleticism to the secondary.  It is very difficult to speak to this team’s talent since so much is unknown.  Why there are so many depth chart players left off the roster (so far) is beyond me. Names on the roster, not on the depth chart include known talents like: Benny Mafi, Zane Church, Dustin Reid, Mike Tooa and Suka Ahio.  I can only hope, for Heats sake, that the teams organizational program has just not kept up with their talent.  Right now, it looks fairly hopeless, especially at the AAA level.  This team will need all of its barrels loaded and will need to come out firing if they are to not only compete, but avoid some lopsided losses in ’06.  Projected Defensive Rank: 10th.

 

COACHING AND INTANGIBLES;

 

Obviously there is significant concern here. Hopefully it is all unfounded.  Head coach, Steve Lilly and GM/assistant coach, Mike Hinds who is a well-respected and experienced man in the semi-pro business,… probably know what they are doing… probably.  Assuming there will be a decent offensive line and assuming that the roster glitches all get fixed in the next couple of days, this team still has an uphill battle.  There are some quality roster players that have not appeared in this preview, nor the Heat depth chart and maybe they will be the stars that will be making the difference (along with those already mentioned) that will get the Heat into a playoff position, but it is impossible for this previewer to have that confidence.  Many of the players that are listed as projected to start are players that were never full-time starters before and now look to have the opportunity to really prove it in 2006.  Perhaps the Heats biggest intangible advantage might just be in setting up this pre-season preview.  The whole thing is nothing more than the biggest sand-bagging effort of all-time; a ruse to get teams to overlook them… starting with the Wolverines.  I guess we will find that out shortly.  If the Heat compete well against, and or beat the Wolverines, then we will all know that is what has happened, but for now, this team draws the pre-ranking cellar… with no where else to go… but UP.

 

OVERALL RANKING: 10th