Columbus Lions ready for ‘Showdown Saturday’

The Columbus Lions have tabbed it “Showdown Saturday.”

In a battle of two undefeated teams in American Indoor Football, the Columbus Lions (4-0) are set to face the Florida Tarpons (3-0) on Saturday night.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in what is expected to be a raucous Columbus Civic Center crowd, with members of the military from Fort Benning in attendance.

Observers around the AIF have circled Saturday’s game as the best chance for the rest of the league to pick up a win against the Lions. The game is also huge for playoff implications as the winner will have the inside track to win the Southern Division and host a postseason game as opposed to playing on the road.

The two teams come in with the No. 1 and No. 2 offense and defense in the Southern Division. The Lions have racked up 305 points in four games, a 76 point per game clip, while Florida comes into the game with 201 points in three games, or 67 points per contest. Columbus has allowed 65 points in four games, an average of 16 per contest, while the Tarpons’ defense has allowed 87 points, or 29 per game, in their three regular season games so far.

“Obviously, it’s a big game, because first place is on the line,” Lions coach Jason Gibson said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for (Florida). I’ve gotten to know their ownership and some of their players and coaches. It’s a really good organization. We’re excited to play them.”

The two teams have had two common opponents. The Lions defeated Central Florida 90-42 on March 26, while the Tarpons have played the Jaguars twice, winning by scores of 84-34 on March 12 and 65-22 on April 10. Columbus blew out the Georgia Firebirds 86-0 in its season opener on March 20, while the Tarpons beat a much-improved Georgia team behind new coach Antwone Savage 52-31 last Sunday.

“Some of that stuff goes out the window,” said Gibson when asked about the common opponents. “The thing about it is both of us had such big leads in the games that we weren’t really getting pressured to perform at the highest level because of the score.

‘It’s almost like being in a fight. (Saturday will) be the first time someone will punch back, so let’s see how we react and let’s see how they react.”

Gibson also says for the players, it’s business as usual despite the gravity of Saturday’s matchup.

“Nothing’s different,” he said. “You think it would be, but I’ve said it all season, we’re playing against ourselves. We treat practice week like it’s a game and Saturday like it’s fun.

“If you play a team that you don’t think you need to show up for, you can get in trouble, and if you play a team that you think you need to change things around for because you think it’ll be a tougher game, then you can be in trouble. We challenge our guys based on our expectations, not based on who we’re playing and when we’re playing. Our guys have bought into that.”

The quandary week in and week out for Gibson is not the opponent on the other side of the football; rather, it is who to play on one of if not the most deep and talent-laden roster in the league. Teams in the AIF can keep a roster of 30 players, but only 21 are allowed to dress for each game.

“I’ve got seven wide receivers who would start on any team in this league or any other league,” Gibson said. “They push each other in practice. I think that’s why our defense is so good, because of the offense they see every day. I’ve got really tough decisions to make.”

Like the Lions, the Tarpons bring a roster full of not only talent but experience. Florida center Raymond James was actually a teammate of Gibson’s with Greensboro in the af2 in the early 2000s. Florida starting quarterback Chris Wallace is also an indoor football veteran, still playing at a high level at the age of 40. He played against Gibson in the af2 with the Carolina Rhinos and Tennessee Valley Vipers, and also saw time in the AFL with the Orlando Predators, New Orleans VooDoo, and Pittsburgh Power. He was the quarterback for six seasons for the af2 Florida Firecats, which played in the same home arena as the Tarpons from 2004 to 2009, and has been behind center for the Tarpons for four of the past five seasons.

“Our history mirrors itself, and our play on the field mirrors itself, too,” said Tarpons coach Michael Taylor. “We both have veteran guys who have played in the AFL or af2.”

“It’s a big game for us,” he continued. “It’s a game both teams have had their eye on since the beginning of the season. We’re excited to play a team with such a rich history.

“(The Lions are) the most talented team and the best coached team we’ll face all year. We’re excited for the challenge.”

This story was originally published April 22, 2016 at 10:08 PM with the headline "Columbus Lions ready for ‘Showdown Saturday’."