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The Hawaiian Islanders have problems stopping opponents, and until they figure out how to do it, they won't be adding to their win total. Better ‘D’ key
New QB played in NFL
for IslandersBy Nick Abramo
nabramo@starbulletin.comThe Islanders (1-6) are yielding 56.3 points per game and have allowed 50 or more points in six of their seven arenafootball2 matchups.
Hawaii's defensive numbers provide a striking contrast to teams such as Richmond (7-0), Albany (5-1) and Cape Fear (4-2). All three teams give up fewer than 30 points a game.
While Richmond has averaged the fewest points allowed in the league (26.7), Albany has been the most consistent. The Conquest's worst defensive effort so far was a 42-36 win over Rochester.
The Islanders, by contrast, yielded 30 points in the second quarter alone of last week's 73-48 loss at Tulsa.
"What's happening is we've got guys who have the ability to play, and offensively we're putting up points and defensively we're putting pressure on," said Islanders coach Chad Carlson.
"But we have to sell them (the players) on the one-on-one aspect of the game. We're playing a little too much zone. They have to get used to one-on-one as defensive backs, which is the hardest position in af2 and AF1. Those guys don't get help from anybody, and they're going up against guys who have a full head of steam even before reaching the line of scrimmage. So it's just a matter of the defensive backs learning to get comfortable."
Many times this season, the DBs haven't been comfortable. Time after time, wide-open downfield receivers have burned the Islanders.
Players and coaches have stayed away from blaming any one part of the defense, saying more pressure on the quarterback will ease the load on the cover guys.
But as each game passes, the defensive backfield problem becomes more and more glaring.
The problem would be a lot worse if the Islanders were facing the af2 slouches, but they're not. Instead, Hawaii is gaining valuable experience by playing some of the best teams the league has to offer. Four of Hawaii's losses have come against division leaders --once apiece to Bakersfield (4-2) and Quad City (5-1) and twice to Tulsa (6-1).
Carlson is far from disappointed in the Islanders' defensive play.
"I've got a quote directly from (Tulsa receiver) Mitch Allner, and he said 'I'm glad we don't have to play you guys again,' " Carlson said. "He was referring to how hard our guys hit."
In two games against Hawaii, Allner caught 12 passes for 188 yards and scored six TDs.
"And (Tulsa coach) Skip Foster doesn't want to play us again. He can't believe how physical our guys are. I love our style of play. Experience is the only missing factor," Carlson added.
The Islanders are in Fresno to face the division rival Frenzy (2-5) at Selland Arena tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. Hawaii time.
Hawaii beat Fresno 50-47 in the March 30 season opener at Blaisdell Arena.
Hawaiian Islanders
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The dial on the Hawaiian Islanders experience meter rose significantly yesterday with the addition of quarterback Erik Wilhelm, who played nine years in the NFL. Islanders’ new QB
played in NFLBy Nick Abramo
nabramo@starbulletin.comWilhelm, 36, joined the Islanders (1-6) in Fresno last night and will be learning as much of the playbook as he can in practices today and tomorrow before tomorrow night's arenafootball2 game against the Fresno Frenzy (2-5).
Wilhelm spent most of his NFL years with the Cincinnati Bengals as a backup to Boomer Esiason. He also played briefly for the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals in a career that spanned from 1989 to 1997.
Islanders coach Chad Carlson and Wilhelm have been good friends for a long time, but neither knows how much game action the 6-foot-3, 215-pound quarterback will see tomorrow and in the future.
"I know his background, his competitive fire, his professionalism," Carlson said. "All of that will be a big plus. We're bringing in an NFL guy, and he can show our guys it's not about the money, it's about the fun and joy of the game.
"We've got a lot of great young talent, great young minds, but we were in need of an older mind to assist with the little things, and Erik can do that. He's an intense competitor and his desire to win is beyond belief."
Wilhelm went to Oregon State, and in 1988 he broke John Elway's Pac-10 all-time passing yardage record, which has since been broken several times.
"But I'll always be ahead of John Elway and that's fine with me," Wilhelm said yesterday in a phone interview.
Carlson sees part of Wilhelm's job as a mentor to starting quarterback Darnell Arceneaux, who has completed 101 of 224 passes for 1,284 yards with 18 touchdowns and six interceptions.
"This doesn't mean Darnell will be sitting down," Carlson said.
The coach hasn't named a starter against Fresno yet, but if Wilhelm ever steps into that role, Arceneaux is versatile enough to play elsewhere. He has 142 rushing yards on 33 carries, one reception for 41 yards, and he can play defensive back.
As of Wednesday, the 24-year-old, 6-2, 200-pound Arceneaux was not scheduled to travel with the team. Carlson cited personal issues, but yesterday Carlson said Arceneaux is flying to Fresno today.
"I want to help support Chad," Wilhelm said. "And help the real young quarterback in Darnell Arceneaux. If they need me to play, I will and I'll have fun doing it. And I'll also get to play some golf in Hawaii."
Wilhelm played in the Arena Football League last year with the Los Angeles Avengers and the Tampa Bay Storm, and sometimes he thinks about going back to the NFL.
"I don't have an agent working for me, but my competitive juices start up sometimes," Wilhelm said. "There's a couple of guys in the NFL who I could flat out beat out, not as a starter."
He'll make the standard $200 per game, a $50-per-victory bonus and a road trip per diem.
Wilhelm is proud to have stayed in the NFL as long as he did and he'll never forget several big moments. His first touchdown pass was a 46-yard bomb to Tim McGee, and one time, he escaped the wrath of San Diego's Junior Seau and bolted for a 22-yard gain.
"I'll never forget Seau's face a couple of inches away, and it was shear fear and adrenaline that allowed me to get away," he said.
The fact that Wilhelm started only one NFL game is a testament to the durability of Esiason.
"He never got hurt, that was the deal," said Wilhelm, who was building fences and doing other odd jobs before getting the call from Carlson. "My friends used to tell me to use that as my selling point. Whoever I back up never gets hurt."
Hawaiian Islanders