It’s football season! I know the calendar says May and High Schools just wrapped up their season and the NFL is still a few months away but the National Arena League kicks off the 2021 season tomorrow night beginning with the defending NAL champions, the Carolina Cobras, taking on the Jersey Flight. Head Coach Joshua Resignalo spoke with Trey Snide and Ron Noel Thursday on WIZS Radio’s SportsTalk about the prospects for his team this season.
While the 2020 season was cancelled due to Covid, Coach Res, as he is called, said Covid “put a hinder on all businesses.” He also said that even with the cancellation of the 2020 season it didn’t shake up what the Cobras wanted to do. Players are signed to seasonal contracts and he has been able to bring back players originally signed for last season. It’s been 18 months since the 2019 championship game in Jacksonville, Florida and Coach Res has spent the down time putting together the best roster that he could for the team. Along with the players he brought back from the cancelled 2020 season, he has also added seven players with ties to the Triad and Triangle. “Bringing in local players was a big emphasis. It helps with marketing in the community,” said the coach. Many players on the team use their playing time with the Cobras as a way to either get back to the NFL or as a stepping stone from smaller colleges to the NFL or CFL.
Coach Res expects the Cobras to be physically ready for tomorrow night’s game however, “mentally ready is going to be the key,” Coach Resingalo says of the first game of the season. He says the Jersey Flight offers a good challenge as they were able to pick up players from the now defunct Arena Football League which closed up shop in 2019. “Pretty experienced,” Coach Res said of the Flight.
The Cobras have made it to the NAL championship game for the last two seasons, and he expects the team to be there again this season.
The Cobras play their home games at Greensboro Coliseum and will have a four game home stand beginning on June 19th after two road games to kick off the season. For those interested in watching the Carolina Cobras play, tune in to the NAL Youtube channel. There you will find all of the game broadcasts for the entire league.
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