The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

BOTH the Central Michigan Chippewas and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers have arrived in town and have settled in at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island in preparation for the initial Popeyes Bahamas Bowl collegiate football game to be played at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium on Wednesday.

The two teams arrived on Saturday and were greeted to a taste of the rhythmic sound of junkanoo as they were officially greeted to the Bahamas. “I think our players are really excited,” said Chippewas’ head coach Dan Enos. “Just seeing their faces when we were walking into the resort, I know they’re really, really excited to be here. I know they just can’t wait to get started, can’t wait to start practice and can’t wait to enjoy this place.”

Noted Jeff Brohm, head coach for the Hilltroppers: “Well, we couldn’t be happier. This is a premier destination. Our team, our fans, our families are excited to finally getting here and we are looking forward to having a great time.”

For Brohm, this is his second trip to the Bahamas, having travelled here on a Disney cruise when they made a stop to allow him to get a glimpse of Atlantis.

“It’s a slightly taste of heaven when you come over here,” Brohm said. “A lot of people haven’t been over here, especially from our team, and they are excited and eager to experience everything it has to offer.”

Before coming to the Bahamas, Brohm said his Hilltoppers had a chance to get in two weeks of practice so that they could take advantage of all of the amenities that they are afforded once they got here.

“Definitely, when it’s time to practice we are going to practice and stay focused and locked in,” he said. “We understand that the number one important thing is winning the game, but we do want to have fun. I think our guys are looking forward to it. It will be fun and we are looking forward to having a great week.”

Likewise, the Chippewas have also had a chance to practice, so Enos is confident that the facility at Atlantis won’t be a disturbance to his team achieving their goal.

“We practiced a little bit even before we knew who we were playing just to try and stay sharp,” he said “Our practices have gone very well. We like playing before Christmas. A game on the 24th is a great day. We’re looking forward to having a couple of good practices while we’re down here.”

The two teams come in with identical win-loss records of 7-5 with Central Michigan at 5-3 in the Mid-American Conference and Western Kentucky at 4-4 in the Conference USA. The game is scheduled to start at noon on Wednesday and will be televised on ESPN and carried on ESPN Radio.

They will play for the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl Championship Trophy. It’s the first of a six-year deal that Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen have struck with the organising committee, headed by Cjris Pika. Both the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture are playing a vital role in the local organising committee, along with the Commonwealth American Football League.

For Enos, they are just happy to be here for such a prestigious event. “The big thing is that it’s a reward to go to a bowl game so just enjoy it,” he said. “But when it’s time to work, we need to practice hard and make sure that we’re here to play a game and we want to play very well.”

Brohm likes the match-up.

“I think it’s a good match-up. I think they’ve done a tremendous job this year. They’re very well-coached. They’re a hard-nosed team, they play physical, they like to control the football, run the ball, they’re very good on defence – a top-ranked defence in the (MAC) conference,” he said.

“So, it’s a great match-up for our offence. It will be a huge test for us. So it will be an interesting game. I think the team that plays the hardest and commits the fewest turnovers has the best chance to win.”

Some of the players also expressed their sentiments about being in the Bahamas.

Hilltoppers’ quarterback Brandon Doughty, representing Western Kentucky, called it an unbelievable feeling. “To go to a bowl anywhere is really superb for our team and to be in the Bahamas, at a place like this, is really unbelievable,” he said. “I think you could see the excitement on our guys’ faces as they came off the bus. We’re really excited to be here and to get things going.”

He noted that they are so excited to be here.

“To be one of the inaugural teams to come in here and play the first game here – I think that was important – to show the local people what (American) football really is and we’re really excited about playing here, getting better and trying to focus on the game – I think that’s important,” he said.

“There’s a lot of distractions in the Bahamas. We want to have fun with it, but we understand why we are here – to play a football game.”

As a native from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Doughty said while he has never played outside of the United States, the close proximity to the Bahamas makes it easy for his family to come over on game day to watch him play. He said the majority of the players are making their first trip outside of the United States, so they are also looking forward to the trip here.

Central Michigan was represented by cornerback Jason Wilson and tight end Deon Butler.

Wilson, who hails from Farmington Hills, Michigan, said everyone from the Chippewas is excited to be here.

“Coming into warm weather, we were in that cold, it’s just a great feeling to be in the Bahamas. Especially for football. That’s not something you expect. This is my first time outside of the US other than Canada,” he said.

“I took plenty of pictures coming down here. I’ve never seen water that colour. It’s just beautiful here. I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of stuff to do and see. I want to win the game first and foremost but it’s going to be a great experience. There’s so much to do – swimming with dolphins – it’s just going to be great.”

And Bulter, who comes from Detroit, Michigan, added: “It’s a great environment and I’m looking forward to experiencing it. I’ve never been outside of the US or Canada. It was a beautiful trip down here. Obviously we want to win the football game but we want to go as a team and see what we can find out about the Bahamas.”

Representatives from both teams will entertain the residents at the Ranfurly Home for Children 2-3pm today before they engage in a football clinic for local players, organised by the CAFL, at the Roscoe Davies Developmental Center at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex from 3-5 pm.