Home / Fall 2012 / Blazers must finish on a high note

Blazers must finish on a high note

Let’s give the Blazers a round of applause.

The “six-game schedule” that the Blazers geared themselves to following the loss to West Alabama refocused their attention for the second half of the season.

VSU has won four straight games since and been picked fourth in the Division II Super Region 2 rankings.

After dropping two games in the first four, this season didn’t look bright for VSU.

The disappointing news that former Florida State Seminole Greg Reid was out for season due to a torn ACL seemed like it was going make a major difference in the season’s outcome, especially after dropping the opener to Saginaw Valley State.

Weeks later, the Blazers got their first taste of conference play losing to the UWA Tigers, who have earned third on the Super Region 2 rankings.

Sitting at 2-2 on the season VSU was in an unusual situation with increased pressure to not lose another game.

The strong-willed Blazers answered to the pressure beating their next four opponents by an average of 26 points.

A tune-up victory against Edward Waters helped the ‘Black Swarm’ get their winning mojo back just in time to hit the road for their next games against rivals West Georgia and North Alabama.

The commanding win bringing the peach basket back and pulling off the nail-bitter against the Lions in Florence, Ala. has taken the Blazers’ momentum to an all-season high as they prepare for the playoffs.

Because UWA is still undefeated in conference play, the Blazers’ chance of winning the Gulf South Conference is slim.

UWA won’t have to share their champion status if they manage not to lose either of their last two games.

VSU must win their last two games as well to secure their berth in the playoffs while they have no control in their conference race.

Regardless if the Tigers win the GSC, which they most likely will, the Blazers will get what they missed out on last season; a shot to play for a national championship.

The Blazer will no doubt have a tougher game next week against Texas A&M: Kingsville than tonight’s matchup.

Assuming VSU picks up two more straight wins to close the regular season, it would do the team wonders to head into the post-season streaking.

The Blazers’ offense has caught fire in the past couple weeks and is showing no sign of cooling off.

Freshmen running back tandem Austin Scott and Cedric O’Neal have helped balance the attack.

VSU has the highest scoring offense in the conference with assistance from an average of 233 rushing yards-per-game.

If the tandem can continue to balance the offense, it will take stress off the passing game that upcoming opponents are well aware of.

Scott and O’Neal are currently the No.1 and No.2 in the GSC in rushing yards-per-game.

Quarterback Cayden Cochran has lived up to his expectations this season coming a long way from where he was a year ago when the Blazers dropped their last three games missing the playoffs.  This experience Cochran says is one that he can’t forget.

With the NCAA playoffs around the corner, it is imperative that the Blazers bring the same steam they’ve been building this entire month into next month.

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