[MIJB#19]

Maassluis At Georgia Preview: The Shoe Returns To Georgia
Joseph Schoen returns to Georgia. The two-time 1,000-yard back was traded this pre-season by the Georgia Gridlock to the Maassluis Merchantmen. This weekend, Schoen is expected to be starting against his former teammates and make a case for why he should have been kept around, despite salary cap struggles. But the Georgia Gridlock are not afraid, they beat the Merchantmen last season in Maassluis and lead the head-to-head series 2-0. The only two IHOF franchises with a continued growth in regular season wins are getting ready for an interesting game.

"'The Shoe' is going home." said Georgia Gridlock owner Celeval about two months ago. At that moment, the Gridlock had just agreed terms with the Maassluis Merchantmen to trade Joseph Schoen to Maassluis. Schoen has a dutch lastname and thus has roots on the old continent. But the reason for trade was not a lack of production. In four seasons as Georgia's tailback, Schoen racked up 908 yards rushing per season. But a big salary figure and Georgia being in cap hell made the move possible.

Merchantmen headcoach Leroy Van Der Woude is happy about 'The Shoe': "With the retirement of Rodger Mowery, I pressed for a replacement running back. The management listened and acquired two guys. Scott Bagley is not quite ready for the job, while Schoen can challenge Randy Harris for the starting job." But despite the good words, Schoen has only 117 total yards in four games, including a horrible 2.2 yards per carry average.

"He's a nice guy to have around," Randy Harris said, "I worried for my job, but I know that Joseph and I can share carries and be more productive. It's too bad that we've been playing catch-up so much this season, which means we have to pass more and can't wear down the defense with the running game. And the injuries to our linemen and Jamel (Rosenberry, fullback) haven't made things easier."

Some league pundits expected Schoen to be the new starter in Maassluis, but so far fan favorite Randy Harris is still going strong. Schoen said: "Harris has started every game in franchise history and improved his production every season. It's not easy being in the shadows of a legend. But then, the 2007 showed that the Merchantmen need two great backs to keep winning, I'm happy to be that second guy."

Schoen and the rest of the Merchantmen offense will be facing a tough Gridlock defense. The defensive line will be rotating a lot as te Gridlock have six guys who can contribute. John Bryant is the former Merchantmen player who the fans should recognize, however the likes of Alonzo Millet and Cole Alexander are even bigger names around the IHOF. Behind the line, John Culpepper and Jeffrey Flores anchor a strong linebackers quartertet. And the secondary can't be underestimated with safeties Andrew Remington and Glenn Casares playing all over the field.

The Gridlock offense isn't so bad either. Quarterback Nate Sutter will be given a lot of looks, although he might be a bit worrying about playing Maassluis again. Last season, Sutter got hurt in a freak accident against Maassluis and missed a couple of games. Lucky for him the now retired Fabian Parker stepped up and passed the team to a 28-27 upset victory.

Passing is what Sutter and company will be doing. The Gridlock are focussing a bit more on passing, although Cole Dean will be running from time to time. The fullback is playing tailback this season and has been a good replacement for Joe Schoen so far with 343 yards and a 4.8 average. Wide receiver Jules Benedict and center Bubba Kearney are the ex-Merchantmen players on the offense and could be seeing a lot of playing time against their old teammates.

The starting lineup for the Merchantmen will probably be reshuffled a bit once again. Left guard Butch White hurt his thumb and is expected to play through the pain, but probably be rotating a bit with the backups. But as right guard Timothy Lacy is troubled by a sore hamstring, right tackle Cornelius Rice is out for the season and backup tackle Harold Hurtado has a sore knee, White might be forced into play afterall.

On defense, the Merchantmen expect to play with the usual starters. Strong safety Lincoln Gilmore re-injured his shoulder. He's expected to play through the pain, however the team has confidence Emile William as a replacement. Cornerback Xavier Clyburn is still out, but the Merchantmen think their depth will cover for the injury. The biggest question will be whether Andrew Rasmussen will return to the active roster, as Rasmussen returned from injury and is fully recovered. The management, however, is having a hard time finding an active roster spot for Rasmussen.

Given the historyof the Maassluis-Georgia games, people should expect a close game. In 2005, the Gridlock won in their own house in an overtime classic. Tim Wilkes completed 50 and 78 yard touchdown passes in regulation before watching Edward Wilkes scoring the game winning 47-yard field goal two minutes into overtime. And last season the Gridlock saw Joseph Schoen score twice in a 28-27 shocker. Edward Wilkes once again was crucial, this time scoring a 36-yard field goal with 45 seconds left. Will Edward Wilkes repeat history or will the Merchantmen overcome their fear and end the losing streak versus Georgia? After tomorrow, we'll know the answers...