Gladiators getting new results under new leader

Adam Candee

Friday, Feb. 18, 2005 | 10:43 a.m.

It is admittedly tempting for Gladiators coach Ron James to peek over the hill at what could be an outstanding record to start the season.

After Sunday's game against Georgia at the Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas (2-1) plays its next three games against teams with one combined victory. A 6-1 mark is not so far-fetched, which makes it that much more important for the Gladiators to prepare for a strong Force squad to make it possible.

"It's great, because we can't look past this week," James said.

Georgia (2-1) owns victories against solid teams in New Orleans and Arizona, and the Force lost by just four points to Los Angeles. The Gladiators understand they will not see another team of this caliber until after St. Patrick's Day, and they feel it would be a bonus to beat Georgia without starting quarterback Clint Dolezel.

Dolezel will miss his second game in a row with a broken right middle finger, limiting him to offensive coordinator duties. Backup Rod Robinson, who accounted for six touchdowns (three passing, three rushing) and three interceptions in last Friday's win against New York, makes his second Arena Football League start.

"Any win we get without Clint is great for the rest of the team," James said. "We'll be that much stronger when he comes back."

On the whole, the team already looks stronger than it did a year ago. Despite scoring the fewest points of any team that has played three games and being outscored by 22 points, the Gladiators still found ways to salvage two victories.

In addition to acquiring some veteran free agents, Las Vegas fullback/linebacker Frank Carter credits the promotion of James from assistant to head coach as a primary reason for the Gladiators winning games they might have lost in years past. The Gladiators fired head coach Frank Haege in July after three seasons.

"Coach (James) is a player's coach. Players will do whatever they can to win for him," Carter said. "They'll sell off their body and soul to win for coach James. We've got a guy in that room that we can trust."

One of the hardest-working players on the team, Carter points to players running sprints and taking extra reps after practice - like Robinson and even star offensive specialist Marcus Nash did Thursday - as examples of the team's improved dedication.

"Definitely, some players have taken it upon themselves to be better," Carter said. "You didn't see things like this last year."

James sees the hard work in the Las Vegas pass rush, which has accounted for a league-high eight sacks, five of which belong to Carter. He considers the increased defensive pressure to be a "direct correlation with their work habits."

"In years prior, I could only find a handful of guys on the practice field willing to go the extra mile," James said.

The Las Vegas defense has played extremely well in its two wins, holding both Los Angeles and New York under 40 points. That task will be more difficult against a Georgia attack averaging 49.3 points per game, but defensive specialist Marvin Taylor said the defense is prepared to shoulder a big load again if necessary.

It's a shift in attitude that defensive coordinator Stan Davis is instilling in an experienced unit.

"We (commit) turnovers, and the defense plays like nothing ever happened," Taylor said.