BY: Alex “Shaggy” Shragis
PHOTO BY: Don Mennig
Hotbird Nation suffered a crushing defeat on Saturday, as the visiting Rush trounced the Phoenix 24-17, the first victory by Toronto over Philly since 2018. Toronto grew the lead each quarter except for the fourth, and scored on buzzer beaters to end both the first and second quarters, further demoralizing a Philadelphia squad that was already falling behind. This marks the fifth straight year that the Phoenix have lost their first game of the season.
Unlike previous years, when a slow start was predicated on a particularly dismal offense, Philly’s offense played an average game — impressive considering the dramatic turnover in personnel. Eight of the nine players primarily in rotation for Philadelphia’s O-line: Campanella, DiGiorgio, Holmgren, Nye, Rawlins, Sarles, Suvorov and Keller, either played defense or did not play for Philly in 2025, leaving just one player from the offensive rotation, Colin White, who participated in offense for the Phoenix last season. Philadelphia was able to generate consistent open looks, and rarely looked stymied in the flow of the offense.
However, that turnover tends to create communication and chemistry issues, which seemed to be evident throughout the game. Philly had 21 turnovers despite just 10 blocks for Toronto, and several of those blocks were the result of miscues, a throw put over the head of 6-foot-4-inch Chase Rawlins fell into the hands of a Rush defender, while a disc put behind Dmitry Suvorov hit the trailing defenseman. Ethan Sarles — the center handler for many of the Phoenix offensive possessions — had an up and down game, his three assists, one goal, and 430 total yards were offset by his three turnovers. Sarles is also 21 years old, and debuting in a brand new role as the quarterback of the new offensive system. The aggressive attack and overall poise the second year Sarles demonstrated in his first game in the new position should offset any perceived growing pains.
While the offensive systems looked good, the plethora of mistakes meant it fell to the defense to put together enough breaks to keep Philly in the game. That simply did not happen. The Phoenix routinely let Toronto convert on easy hucks, and made an offense that looked pedestrian the night before in New York suddenly appear like the best offense in the league. The offense was rocky, but the defense was most impacted by all the personnel losses. With only Matt Hanna and Jack Wisner still in their same roles performed a year ago, the D-line sorely needed a shot in the arm that did not come. There were promising moments, rookies Spencer Whitcomb, Jimmy Bray, Sam Davies and Jesse Thornton all looked capable, particularly on the turn, but ultimately the Phoenix did not provide enough defensive pressure to counteract the missed opportunities on offense.
The Hotbirds will want to figure out the defensive gameplan quickly, because as good as Toronto is, the Phoenix next play the Carolina Flyers, a team who had one of the best offensive games all season in their trip to San Diego to kick off the UFA’s Friday Night Frisbee. Carolina had just six turnovers in that game, were 6/7 on hucks and 13/14 in the red zone, about as perfect a game as there can be. With this being their first road game, the Phoenix will also have to contend with travel fatigue and playing in front of a hostile crowd. With so many new pieces in new places, every layer of logistical complication increases the difficulty the team faces. This is an enormous test for a brand new coaching staff and a fledgling roster.
One option would be to lean even further into their strengths. Philadelphia doesn’t quite have the height to match up with some of the high flyers in the league, such as Carolina’s Jacob Fairfax, they do have a plethora of “Chris Zaleskis”. The fifth year Phoenix pro has the strength and defensive IQ to hold his own against all sorts of opposing players. More importantly, Zaleski has never thrown a turnover in his UFA career. While the Philly defense may be porous, one avenue towards success would be increasing the rate they score when they do get the disc. The combination of Zaleski, Pastor, White, Keller, Michel, Thornton and perhaps, dare I say Paul Owens, would provide a formidable attack on the turn, grinding out possessions and forcing opposing offenses to play extended minutes on defense before finally punching in the goal.
A huge test awaits Philly down south, as the Phoenix have never won in Carolina, but as with every test, this one presents an opportunity. The Hotbirds can use this as a chance to strengthen their brand new core, an opening to forge a fiery new team in the ashes of the first half of the decade. The Phoenix have stunned the Flyers in the past, and even a win is not off the table. Tune in on watchufa.tv this weekend at 7:30 PM to catch exciting Hotbird action!
