Krunch moving with quick first step
By JEREMY BANKS/Kansan Sports writer

In football or any sport, the first step is probably one of the more important steps one can make out of an entire play. Especially in football, the quickest step can give one the advantage it needs over its opponent to accomplish its goal.

The Kansas City Krunch, the area's women's professional football team, has made the first step it needed and has gotten a quick jump on its opponents.

With a 3-1 record this season, the Krunch have propelled itself into first place in the National Women's Football Association's three-team Midwest Division.

The St. Louis Slam trails the Krunch by just one half game with a record of 2-1. The Evansville Express is behind both St. Louis and Kansas City with a 0-4 record.

Already the Krunch are on pace to surpass its 5-3 record it had last season, just missing a playoff appearance in its first year of existence.

Last season, the Krunch were on the brink of qualifying for the playoffs of the 35-team NWFA league, but a loss at the end of the season ended all hopes of it happening.

This season looks as though it can be different.

After five weeks of play, the Krunch have the fourth-best record in the league. The top team is the Philadelphia Phoenix with a 4-0 record. Six other teams have records of 3-0.

The Krunch have shown its improvement over the course of the season with impressive victories.

In week one of the season the Krunch put together a dominating performance as it ran away with a 59-0 victory over the Denton Stampede on the road.

It then came home the next week and suffered a close 6-2 loss to the second place Slam at home, but since facing St. Louis, the Krunch have not had to taste defeat.

It went on to hand out 36-6 and 32-0 dominations over the Evansville Express in successive weeks -- one on the road, the other at home.

The Krunch now find themselves with a quick start and a leg up on the competition for the time being.

One of the reasons it has been on a run this season, has been because of it's performances of its players.

In week three against Evansville, Krunch quarterback Ursula Copeland had a solid game where she controlled the offense and made things happen. She completed six of 18 pass attempts and threw for two touchdowns and 110 yards in the win.

Also her receiver Dorothy Haughton, had one of the better games in the league during week three as well. She caught three passes for 84 yards, a 28-yard average per a catch. She also ended up being on the receiving end of both of Copeland's touchdown passes.

The offense has been prolific as it has averaged 32 points per a game, but the defense has been just as impressive, making the Krunch a tough group to beat and one of the more balanced teams in the league.

Kansas City is surrendering just two points per a game and have two shutouts under its belt thus far. It has not allowed anymore than six points in any of its games.

Players such as Monica Cheirs and Courtney Danley have made it possible for the defense to be so successful.

Cheirs in the 6-2 loss against St. Louis provided the team with a pass rush which resulted in a sack and a assisted sack, while a week later Courtney recorded two sacks of her own.

With four games remaining in the regular season, the Krunch hope it can continue to play well on both sides of the ball and continue to win football games in the fashion it has become accustomed to thus far.

This weekend's road game on May 8 against the Stampede, the only team to defeat the Krunch this year will tell a lot about where the team's season will go. A win will give the team a two-game lead in the division with just three to play, while a loss would place the Krunch in second place due to tie-breakers and place them in a position to where it will have to win all three remaining games to have a chance at the playoffs.

Kansas City Kansan Online 05/06/2004