AUSTIN WARD Star-Tribune staff writer | Posted: Saturday, May 26, 2007 12:00 am
There are no secret hand signals.
No meaningful glances to tip the other off about the defense.
There's no psychic connection or special routes.
Matt Strand and Dante Dudley have become the best scoring tandem for the National Indoor Football League's highest-scoring offense without any tricks - just experience and chemistry.
"They really seemed to gel right away when they met," Wyoming Cavalry coach Dan Maciejczak said. "One of the first couple of days of training camp Matt told me that he thought (Dudley) was the real deal."
The Cavs will be facing the only other team in the league close to being the real deal today in San Diego, taking on the Shockwave in a game that could essentially clinch the Pacific Conference title for Wyoming.
A Cavs win at Cox Arena would put them two games up on the Shockwave in the NIFL standings - and perhaps ensure a home playoff date and a third meeting between the only two squads who haven't postponed or canceled a home game in the conference.
But Wyoming will likely need another big night from Strand and Dudley, as the Cavs play for the first time away from the Casper Events Center against a team that hasn't lost at home this season.
Dudley hauled in three touchdown passes in the first meeting between the teams - a 57-20 Cavs' win - and the athletic receiver has multiple scoring grabs in every game but one so far this season.
"I think it's just that Dante does a good job sitting in the holes when he finds them," Strand said. "Then he does a good job of catching the balls when he's there.
"When that's working - and we actually have a good group of other receivers right now - it's kind of a lethal weapon.
"We really are on the same page. Dante's got some experience over some of the other guys, and some of the routes are different for them, so I think it's just his experience paying off."
It's mostly paid off against teams without a chance of slowing down Wyoming, although the expansion Shockwave impressed the Cavs enough that they circled the rematch on the calendar about five minutes after shutting San Diego out in the second half of the first meeting.
That game was just the second in franchise history for the Shockwave, and their lack of conditioning was evident as they tried to chase down Dudley after intermission.
"We've been looking forward to going down there," Maciejczak said. "And it's great to have a good hookup like that, but the rest of our guys are working hard and Matt's become comfortable with just about everybody.
"Dante's work ethic is what sets him apart from everybody. The kid works hard and does everything that's asked of him, he trained really hard in the offseason, and Matt's just a great quarterback."
And now the secret is out.
Contact sports reporter Austin Ward at (307)266-0534 or austin.ward@casperstartribune.net.
CAVS TRACKER
n TODAY: Wyoming at San Diego
n RECORDS: Cavalry (5-0); Shockwave (6-1).
n SERIES HISTORY: The Cavs won the first meeting between the two teams, dominating the Shockwave after halftime and cruising to a 57-20 win at the Casper Events Center.
n MARCH TO THE INDOOR BOWL: Wyoming can basically wrap up the Pacific Conference and ensure a home playoff date with a win over San Diego. The Cavs would own a two-game lead over the Shockwave with an edge in the tiebreaker and likely no more than three games left in the always-changing NIFL regular season.