Related Links

• Florida Firecats official Web site

More Florida Firecats

• Former Florida Firecats standout Sorrell expected to be released from jail today
• Germain Arena 10-year anniversary: SW Florida sports fans share their thoughts and memories
• 10th anniversary: Send us your memories of Germain Arena

Tell us about it

• What would you add to this story? Tell us what we missed.
• Do you have photos from this event? Documents we need to see? Share with us.
• Upload photos & videos
• More ways to get your stuff online and in the paper.

STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

Share and Enjoy [?]

The Florida Firecats, who have never started a season with six straight wins, stand one victory shy of doing just that.

But wait a second.

The few Firecats who played for the team three years ago — the only other time Florida got off to a 5-0 start — know what can happen.

They remember a trip to Bossier City, La. They remember a 28-22 upset by the Battle Wings, who entered that game with one win.

“We come out and execute,” said quarterback Chris Wallace, in his fourth full season on the team, “we won’t have to revisit that.”

Don’t think that the Firecats, the only unbeaten arenafootball2 squad in the American Conference right now, are overlooking Manchester.

They know better.

They know the Wolves (1-4), despite four straight losses and an injury-ravaged roster, will show up at Germain Arena with a hop in their step.

A 6-0 start?

The Firecats know they will have to work for it, the same way they worked for the five that came before.

“Every time we have the ball,” Firecats coach Kevin Bouis said, “we need to score. That needs to be our goal.”

A 6-0 start?

Bouis would like that, sure, but he insists his focus is on improvement. He can rattle off a dozen reasons he’s not content.

“We just need to play better as a team,” he said. “We’re getting there, but we’re not there yet. Too many mental mistakes.”

You figure Danton Barto, who took over for Ben Bennett in Manchester this year, would love to have the Florida coach’s problems.

Manchester’s season began with a 45-39 victory over Mahoning Valley. Since then, however, the Wolves have gone winless.

Now they’re here, set to face Florida, which the af2 coaches rank third in the league. Here to stop history, they hope.

“I love coming home,” said Barto, who is from Niceville, up in the Panhandle, “but I hate having to play these guys.”

Barto made a name for himself in af2 as the coach of the Memphis Xplorers, leading the now-defunct franchise to its only championship. He hoisted the ArenaCup trophy in 2005, the same season Florida started 5-0.

Memphis was a division rival of the Firecats the following season, the last before Barto left to take the Las Vegas Gladiators job.

He re-entered af2 after a 2-14 season in Arena One. He succeeded Bennett, the coach who led Florida to its ArenaCup title in 2004.

Bennett, after three seasons as the Manchester coach, has landed in Austin, where he took over the af2 rival Wranglers.

He and Barto are old friends.

So when Barto was offered the Manchester job, he gave Bennett a call to make sure he had the former Manchester coach’s blessing.

“He was all for it,” Barto said. “He was actually one of the main reasons I came.”

Now, Barto comes home — to Florida.

But he has to do it, most likely, without star quarterback Brian Jones, who has been on Barto-coached teams the last four years.

Jones suffered a shoulder injury two weeks ago. He’s doubtful tonight after missing Sunday’s loss to expansion Daytona Beach.

No matter.

The Firecats will look for their opponent’s best effort, something they might not have done the last time they started this fast.

“It’s arena football, man,” Wallace said. “You’ve got to come out to play. The records don’t matter, period.”

Records?

Well, 6-0 would be nice.