The Road Not Taken

July 17,2015
By DAN VATCH
"Two roads diverged into a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." - Robert Frost
Classic poems and Arena Football go together like... well nothing really. However unlikely, `The Road Not Taken', a Robert Frost poem seared into the memory of countless high school students, seems like a perfect fit to describe the journey taken by Orlando quarterback Randy Hippeard. Stories of small-college standouts making it to the AFL are not unheard of, but Hippeard's path may be the most improbable of them all.
Coming out of the University of Virginia-Wise, the 6-foot-2-inch quarterback tried out for the AFL's Georgia Force before the League's restructuring in 2009. When the opportunity in the AFL was no longer there, Hippeard took his talents to Switzerland before coming back stateside to play for the Tampa Bay Storm in 2013. The Stafford, Virginia native then joined Coach Rob Keefe and offensive coordinator Siaha Burley in Orlando this past off-season where he immediately won the starting job.
"It's been great ever since day one," Hippeard said. "Coach Keefe is definitely a players' coach and Coach Burley has always been a top tier player and coach. They are part of the reason I decided to come here."
The choice to come to Orlando has paid countless benefits as Hippeard and the Predators have compiled a 9-6 record heading into Week 17, with two of those losses coming by just one point. Rather than take a stereotypical `one-game-at-a-time' approach, Hippeard chooses to be more realistic when thinking about a title chase.
"You have to realize the talent you have and how far you can go," Hippeard said. "This team definitely has the talent to take home an Arena championship... but you can't get there if you don't win the next one and our next three games are Cleveland, Jacksonville, and Tampa Bay and we're all vying for the same playoff spot. We just have to continue to be efficient."
Being efficient is something said throughout every locker room in the Arena Football League, but it has truly been a theme in Orlando. With help from his entire offense and coaching staff, Hippeard is on track to challenge Aaron Garcia's completion percentage record for a single season. Hippeard's percentage of 75.6 is just 1.5 percent away from the seemingly untouchable mark. The entire offense is essential to the success of the team and Hippeard clearly knows that.
"It's been a combination of everything, the system is a little more open and Coach Burley teaches the game the way I needed it to be taught to me," Hippeard said. "The offensive line has been doing a great job of keeping the pass rush at bay and opening lanes for me to step up in the pocket."
As for his receiving core of Kendal and Brandon Thompkins, Greg Carr, and Larry Brackins among others, Hippeard realizes how special they are.
"I think I have the best receiving core in the League," Hippeard said. "Day-in and day-out, they work together. The way they work together, there are mismatches across the board."
This week's matchup is the fourth time the Predators will be on national television this season. The defending conference champion Gladiators are still serious playoff contenders and Hippeard knows what it is like to play against a hostile crowd in Quicken Loans Arena.
"The energy their fans bring puts us at a disadvantage," Hippeard said. "We beat them at home earlier this year so they are looking for a bit of revenge. We just need to start fast and be efficient."
The national spotlight will be on the Cleveland Gladiators and Orlando Predators this Saturday as the final run for the postseason begins. Both teams will be ready for a knock-down, drag-out contest for a full 60 minutes. The playoffs are on the line for both teams, as Orlando can clinch a spot with a win and Cleveland desperately needs victories to keep pace in the standings. However, Hippeard and the Predators' efficiency could prove to be the difference Saturday at The Q.