Verizon Nitro are a work in progress

(Part 3 of 3)

When being in third place is good enough to get your team into the playoffs, the No. 3 spot isn’t that bad. When that spot is also the last place of a three-team league, it still isn’t that bad. Such is the saga of the Verizon Nitro.

The story of the Nitro reads more like a tale of two cities than of one team. With their defense on Tinian and their offense on Saipan, the Nitro have racked up more frequent flier miles than the presidential candidates.

That said, the Nitro have played four games, and though their 0-4 record might not bring thoughts of promise to mind, they have, at times, shown flashes of promise that make them a scary team to face in the remainder of the season and in the playoffs.

To date, the Nitro trail the pack with a total of 47 yards gained on offense and 711 allowed on defense. They have been outscored by a total of 86-8, and have not helped their cause with 66 penalties for 383 yards—that’s an average of 16.5 penalties for 96 yards per game!

At times the squad has been a victim of bad luck, but one thing that has kept them going through the disappointing season is strong leadership. The Nitro have a coaching staff that is dedicated to bringing honor to the red and white. It is not only coach Andre Winston that fuels the fire of the Nitro, and a trip down to the CPA airport field on game day will reveal to the most casual of fans that Keith Nabors knows how to get his boys in gear.

Nabors is not shy about his dedication to the team, and he doesn’t mince words when speaking to his mates about the importance of attending practice. While he often uses his voice to get his point across, the defensive stalwart does most of his talking through his play on the field.

Big No. 99 is one of the top tackles in the league and leads his team with 21.5 stops. When he isn’t rallying his soldiers to the front, Nabors has spent time on the special teams unit, where he returned a punt for a touchdown.

While the big man is the heart and soul of the defense, it would seem that the success of the offense rests squarely on the shoulder of quarterback Jeremiah Guerrero. The young gun of the Nitro has been referred to as “The Real Deal” by a few of the local veterans of the gridiron, and though his numbers might not agree, there is no denying that the youngster has a wealth of talent and a shortage of fear when he takes the field.

At times it seems that the Nitro have gone to the Guerrero well too often, as a bit of the spark that the youngster started out the season with has begun to fade. Opposing defenses have adjusted to the Nitro schemes, and made it their priority to stop the QB.

When he hasn’t been chased around the backfield by opposing tacklers, Guerrero has completed 6-of-28 passes for 97 yards in two games with a touchdown and a pair of picks, including five tosses to George Lieto for 91 yards. Guerrero used to lead his team with the most yards on the ground, but due to his line has allowed 35 sacks over the course of four games and left him with -3 yards on 39 carries.

If they ever need to give the kid a break, they have the dependable Carmen Cabrera waiting in the wings. Cabrera doesn’t boast all of the stats that Guerrero does, but he is there when he has to be, and willing to do whatever the team requires. The little man with the big heart is the consummate team player.

A key acquisition in the off-season was running back James Hargrove. The load was a gift from the military to the Nitro, and once he spends a little more time with the offensive unit, the bulldozer will do nothing but help the Nitro become a force on the ground.

Though their position in the rankings may not improve this season, they still have a good of a shot as any to find success in the playoffs. The fate of the Nitro rests firmly in the palm of their hands come Saturday, Nov. 20, when they battle the Barbarians in the first round of the playoffs, but they must first face the black and gold this weekend at 10am.