By Aaron Wilson
Satisfied? Hardly.
The Houston SaberCats have won two consecutive games, including an impressive comeback victory in Los Angeles followed by a strong finish at home last week to defeat the rival Seattle Seawolves.
Although they’re off to a 2-1 start, the defending Western Conference division champions aren’t resting on their laurels.
If anything, they’re looking for an even higher standard of play heading into a road match against the Utah Warriors.
“Analyzing where we’re at, we need to make sure we take that confidence forward,” Dom Akina said. “Remember, we’re not a finished product.”
Against the Seawolves, there were still too many penalties and missed opportunities in the try zone.
The score didn’t need to necessarily be as close as it was.
“Most definitely,” said Pita Anae-Ah Sue, who scored the game-winning try against the Seawolves. “This finish is the way we want to be headed going into Utah.”
The SaberCats opened the season with a loss at home to the Chicago Hounds.
“Our first game put the pressure on us,” Anae-Ah Sue said. “We didn’t like that feeling.”
Now, the SaberCats have the opportunity to win their third match in a row.
“I think we’ve got to keep building on our performance,” Anae-Ah Sue said. “We go back to the drawing board and look at stuff we can work on.”
Against the Seawolves, a strong kicking game headlined by AJ Alatimu gave the SaberCats a boost.
It’s going to take more of the same against the Warriors on Saturday at Zions Bank Stadium.
“It’s an incredibly competitive league,” said Rufus McLean, who scored his first try for the SaberCats against Seattle. “There’s no room to take our foot off the pedal. We’re going to try and improve our game.”
Davy Coetzer expects much more from the SaberCats.
“We’ve got to look at certain things, we’re giving away way too many penalties,” he said. “It’s back to the drawing board, look at things and get ready for the next one.”
From a camaraderie standpoint, the SaberCats are back in business.
it’s another closeknit locker room.
“We have a real family-oriented, faith-based team,” Anae Ah-Sue said. “I’m proud to be a part of it.”
