KICKERS GET MORE HEROICS, THIS TIME FROM NEWCOMER CELA

 Weekend Watch … and then some:



If, like AL MICHAELS, you believe in miracles … 

here’s one soccer fans might find hard to believe … The 

2024 Richmond Kickers qualified for the USL League 

One playoffs. Come on! You can’t be serious! No way! 

Surely you jest! You’ve got to be kidding me. Ad 

infinitum … Well, it’s true. With Saturday’s 2-1 victory 

over the Chattanooga Red Wolves, your Kickers became 

the eighth – and final -- team to clinch a spot in post-

season play … Newcomer KLAIDI CELA scored the 

game-winning goal in the 72nd minute on home grass at 

City Stadium … to keep Richmond unbeaten in its last six 

games (4-0-2) … or since coach DARREN SAWATSKY

 inserted 18-year-old JAMES SNEDDON in goal for a 

team all but left for dead in the 12-team circuit … Injuries 

have been a problem – but not the only problem – for the 

Kickers, who went from first in 2022 to next to last a year 

ago and appeared destined for more of the same this time 

around … From April 17, when they were ousted from 

U.S. Open Cup play by amateur Loudon United on 

penalty kicks after failing to score during regulation and 

overtime, through August 24, when United of Omaha 

gave them their most one-sided loss of the season (3-0) 

… the Kickers were 3W-7T-10L (all competitions) … 

outscored 30-16 including eight shutouts. The setback at 

Omaha left Richmond mired in a seven-game non-

winning streak (0-5-2).What’s a coach to do? … If you 

are Sawatsky, having pretty much run out of options, 

you try just about the only thing left – turn to 

Sneddon, who survived a 3-2 decision over Spokane 

then tied a league record for back-to-back-to-back 

shutouts before a 2-2 standoff at South Carolina 

followed by Saturday’s match in which the Kickers 

trailed – what else is new? – after 17 minutes … But,

 CHANDLER O’DWYER, 25, evened the count 

before halftime, knocking in a short header by

 GRIFFIN GARNETT,18, off a corner kick … 

Then Cela, 25, a 6-3, 170-pound left back from 

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, darted behind the 

Chattanooga defense to take a long serve from NIL 

VINYALS and beat keeper TJ BUSH for his first 

goal in five games since signing with the Kickers in 

August … Richmond completes its regular-season 

schedule Saturday (6 p.m.) against Charlotte 

Independence at City Stadium.


……. Wow! What’s going on at Florida State? In losing to 

Duke, 23-16 ... for the first time (22-1), the 1-6 Seminoles 

became the first team in NCAA history to turn the ball 

over three times on consecutive snaps … when freshman 

quarterback BROCK GLENN had a pick-6, followed by 

a lost fumble then was intercepted again … In the first 

period, leading 3-0, FSU’s RYAN FITZGERALD

 attempted another field goal … but the snap was high, 

the holder got the ball down (perfectly it appeared), and 

Fitzgerald wound up nailing the center in the back with 

the kick. Take that, fool! … It was described by one 

writer “the worst field goal attempt of all time.” 

Obviously, he didn’t see the horrible shank by TYLER 

GLASS of the NFL Bills against the Jets last Monday 

night (Oct. 14) … when the snap and hold could not have 

been better ... Maybe the Seminoles aren’t too good for 

the ACC after all … A year ago, after going 13-0 and, 

nevertheless, being snubbed by the playoff committee, 

Florida State rewarded coach MIKE NORVELL with a 

new, eight-year contract worth a minimum of $84 million 

… starting at $10M in 2024, with $11.05M due in 2031 

… plus bonuses, of course … How quickly fans can turn 

on you. FIRE NORVELL? Hey, why not? It will only cost 

SeminoleNation a measly $63, 778, 333 in buyout bucks 

if it’s done after this season … which is third most behind 

University of Georgia warden … sorry about that … 

coach KIRBY SMART ($118.1 million) and Alabama’s

 KALEN DEBOER ($70.1M) … By the way, Norvell is 

the highest paid coach in the ACC … 16th overall … with 

Virginia Tech’s BRENT PRY eighth in the ACC, 44th

 overall at $4.8M while Virginia’s TONY ELLIOTT is 

10/48 ($4.3M) … Finally … in a rambling, occasionally-

incoherent post-game Q-and-A with reporters, Norvell 

resorted to about 180 you-knows … as in “… You know, 

but, you know, I thought you saw the competition, you 

know, from the defensive backs.”


Until next time ...

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