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HIDALGO - The Rio Grande Valley Dorados are hoping that their first full week of practice at Dodge Arena will pay off Saturday night against the Arkansas Twisters.
The Dorados (1-0), who are coming off a bye week, spent their entire training camp outside at Cats Stadium in Edinburg and practiced at Hidalgo High School's stadium before their 40-33 road win over Corpus Christi earlier this month.
Dorados coach Marty Hammond thinks the practices on the arena field will help the team fix some mistakes it made against the Sharks.
"We're in here so we've got our landmarks and spacing," Hammond said "It's going to help us a lot. It's going to help us with special teams as far as spacing and things like that. Being inside in the arena is going to be a big help I think."
Quarterback Nick Hill said that the film from the indoor practices has been helpful.
"Just getting the film is the biggest thing - being able to practice here and watching the film and getting the spacing," Hill said.
The Dorados face Arkansas (2-0) on the road Saturday at 7 p.m. at Alltel Arena in North Little Rock.
The Twisters boast the af2's fourth-best scoring defense, giving up an average of 31.0 points per game through the first two weeks of the season. Arkansas ranks third against the pass, limiting opponents to 174.5 yards per game while holding opposing passers to just a 47.6 completion percentage.
The Dorados, who passed for 328 yards and six scores against Corpus, will be without receiver Ramonce Taylor, who left the team on Thursday to join the CFL's Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The team signed receiver Anthony Chambers earlier in the week. Chambers caught 68 passes for 1,039 yards and 17 for RGV last season, ranking third on the team in all three categories.
Rod Windsor led the Dorados in receiving last week, hauling in 12 catches for 151 yards and four touchdowns and earning the Cutters Catch of the Week Award in the process.
"I guess the defense was more focused on other people than me, so I just so happened to be the winner that game," Windsor said. "It could be anybody next game."
Hill indicated that he'll be ready if Arkansas gangs up on Windsor tonight.
"I feel confident in all of our receivers," he said. "If they are going to double or try to put more attention to one guy, then we have other guys that will step up."
Stephen K. Lee covers the Rio Grande Valley Dorados for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4442.
