Command Look To Stop Slide, Host San Jose This Sunday

The Command have lost two in a row after winning two straight and look to get back on the winning track as they take on the San Jose Sabercats this Father’s Day. The game is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Sprint Center.
Last Saturday Kansas City Command quarterback Brian Jones and wide receiver Bret Smith connected for five touchdowns (tying a franchise record), but Spokane lit up the scoreboard and KC dropped their second game in a row, losing (70-46) in front of 8,628 fans at Spokane Veterans
Memorial Arena. Shock QB Kyle Rowley spread the ball around to five different receivers, passing for 272 yards and eight touchdowns.
“It’s the same old same old,” said Command Coach Danton Barto. “Our starting quarterback is out and we don’t know if Zack’s ready to play. Brian is giving us everything he can but we’re just out of sync at
times. We’ll go back to the drawing board and see what we can do.”
Jones got his second start for KC stepping in for the injured Matt Gutierrez, but never found a consistent rhythm. The Command defense, led by JC Neal’s eight tackles, helped keep the Shock in check during the first half; that allowed Jones to find his favorite target of the night, Bret Smith who had three touchdowns by the halfway point. KC and Spokane traded scores and went into halftime tied at 28 points apiece.
On connecting with Jones for eight touchdowns in just two games, Command wide receiver Bret Smith said, “I wish we could put together some wins with it, but Brian and I have that chemistry dating back to
our Arkansas days (they played together at Arkansas in 2010 under Coach Barto). “We’ve just gotta keep working hard and hopefully it will turn into wins. We’re not pointing any fingers; we’ve just got to
improve as a team.”
Spokane came out firing on all cylinders in the third quarter, quickly going up 35-28 with a six yard touchdown catch by Steven Black at the 12:28 mark and never relinquished their lead. The Shock receiving core of Black, Rod Harper, Jefferey Soloman, and Adron Tennell kept KC ’s defense on their heels all night and five different Shock receivers combined for 26 catches and 272 yards. Spokane’s defense gave KC a taste of their own medicine compiling four sacks, two interceptions, and three fumble recoveries; scoring 21 points off turnovers alone.
“We keep turning the ball over, and we keep losing,” said Barto. “It’s not some secret formula and we do it at crucial points and it hurts us, and we’re just not good enough to recover right now.”
Last week San Jose defeated the Orlando Predators 51 - 34. The Sabercats (9-4) are one game behind the Arizona Rattlers (but hold the tie breaker in head to head play) in the National Conference West Division.
The Command lost to San Jose 49 - 35 earlier this season and are 0 - 3 all time in the series.
The game will be broadcast on SportsRadio 810 WHB AM, KSMO-TV 62 and Ustream.tv/kansascitycommand.