Ryan Baker - Journalist
The Madison Radicals were able to extend the losing streak of the Detroit Mechanix to 77 consecutive losses on May 18.
It was a dominant game for the Radicals from the beginning as they walked into Detroit with a big win behind them in their season opener, and walked out 2-0 with a 27-10 win. In a game, where Madison was missing a ton of key guys, there was no sense of panic for a single second.
It was a relatively clean game for the Radicals as they didn’t let up a single break and went 10-11 on O-line possessions. There were times throughout the game that Madison seemed a bit too relaxed, taking shots that they wouldn’t have in a closer game that resulted in 15 turnovers. However, Detroit made up for the relaxation by playing sloppy, giving up the disc 33 times and getting blocked 20 times.
“A win is a win in the UFA, and every win is important. No matter what people want to believe, you have to go into every game, including against Detroit, with full effort and a desire to win. Winning convincingly, which for us is taking care of business, feels like another step towards our goal of getting better every game and competing in every game. All of the scoring is just a confidence builder for our team,” said veteran Avery Johnson.
Throughout the game, head coach Tim DeByl made playing time incredibly even. Throwing 20 different guys out on the field for at least 12 or more points each. It was an all-around effort from the Rads, and you saw players that normally don’t get playing time, not only see the field but make an impact.
Players such as David Nester, Val Post, Ken Adams, Mac Weber, Matt Grinde, and John Tan all got a ton of tick in the blowout. That last name in particular, John Tan, had an incredible game. Tan had three goals, 100 receiving yards, and added a block to the resume.
“Since I have joined the Radicals, there has always been a deep lineup of players. This has always made practices that much more intense, as there are a lot of guys eager to earn their chance out on the field. To see the wave of players who’ve been waiting and consistently building, get to ball out makes everyone excited for the team— for each other,” said Luke Marks.
Marks has been a consistent high-end defensive player for the Rads in the last couple seasons, who had himself an efficient game with three assists, two goals, and three blocks in just 15 points played. Another efficient game came from Johnson, who in just twelve points, led the team with 455 total yards and six assists. Johnson also added a goal and a block to his stat line.
“No wind, and I was just feeling my throws in that game. We were able to create a lot of separation on our cuts and we were making hard cuts to and in the endzone which made the job of dishing goals easy. I just decided to have an aggressive throwing mindset, because I knew I'd have open options late in the stall. I was also seeing flat marks that allowed easy break throws from side to side near the endzone,” said Johnson.
Another highlight of the game came from rookie Gabe Vordick who had five goals in the 17-point victory, giving him the team-lead in goals throughout their first two games with a total of seven on the season. The young core has really stepped up for Madison to begin the season, and will need to continue the high-level play in order for these wins to keep coming.
“To win by the amount we did is great, and I believe it can be attributed to our focus. We came into this game with the same mentality that we want to have in every game. We didn’t want to change anything that is keeping our focus, intensity, discussions of improvement, communication on the field, and sideline involvement; all the subtleties, despite the score, is what helped us,” said Marks.
With a win, and a loss from the Minnesota Wind Chill this past weekend, the Radicals take sole possession of the Central Division with a 2-0 record. Granted there have only been a few weeks played thus far, the lead for the division will be on the line this Friday night when Madison hosts Minnesota at Breese Stevens Field for their home opener on Friday night May 24th!
