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Teams to watch in af2
Mike Vergane/For the Times April 4th
A snapshot of who should be the strongest teams in af2 this season:
Florida Firecats
The Florida Firecats made it all the way to the ArenaCup, falling to Peoria.
This season the Firecats will be coached by former AFL quarterback and 2002 assistant coach Ben Bennett. Quarterback Brian Sparacino returns.
Sparacino separated his throwing shoulder in the second quarter of the af2 championship game, but he is healthy.
With Sparacino and his two favorite targets, Anthony Dixon and 6-foot-3 Magic Benton, back, the Firecats have to be considered a favorite to make it to the playoffs again.
Bennett has raided the rosters of some defunct franchises to bolster the Firecats.
On offense, Bennett has brought in Tallahassees top receiver, Cainon Lamb, along with Columbus Clifton Robinson and Mohegans Brandon Burnside. The three receivers combined to catch 267 passes for 80 touchdowns in 2002.
Defensively, Bennett brought in the defunct Tallahassee Thunders defensive front line, which combined to lead the league in sacks last season.
Cape Fear Wildcats
In their first season, the Cape Fear Wildcats won the Atlantic Division with a 13-3 record and lost in the final seconds to Florida in the American Conference championship game.
Head coach Chris Siegfried and defensive coordinator and former Steamwheeler assistant Troy Biladeau return.
Gone at quarterback are last seasons starters, Bobby Pesavento and former Steamwheeler Mike Gluski. Behind center this season is Bryan Snyder.
Snyder was last seen by Wheeler fans in a Tennessee Valley uniform in the 2000 ArenaCup game being politely asked by Quad-City coach Frank Haege to get up off the field in the closing seconds.
Snyder will be throwing to returning wide receiver Mitchell Galloway, offensive specialist Matt Burnstein and former Wake Forest standout Jamie Deese.
The top-rated 2002 defense loses the af2s top sacker, E.J. Burt, but Biladeau believes they still will be strong.
We were able to sign defensive specialist Elton Davis, who was the second-leading tackler with Macon last season, Biladeau said. We also have strength at the FB/LB spot with Wilmont Perry, who spent some time with the New Orleans Saints, and Russ Lindgren, who returns for us again.
Tulsa Talons
The Tulsa Talons had the leagues best record, 14-2, in 2002. However, they exited in the conference semifinals to the Birmingham Steeldogs 55-34.
Head coach Skip Foster enters his third season with the Talons and looks to once again have a talented roster.
With last seasons starting quarterback Anthony Buich in Wichita, the Talons have brought back 2001 starter Craig Strickland.
Strickland, who spent last season with Detroit of the AFL, is the Talons all-time leading passer (6,972 yards, 129 TDs).
The Talons also return the af2s 2002 Offensive Player of the Year, Mitch Allner. Allner, also a former Wheeler, believes that Tulsa could go a long way.
Were going to be tough, Allner said. Right now were not. We have got some things we need to correct, but when we do, we are going to be tough to beat.
Columbus Wardogs, Mohegan Wolves
Keep an eye on the Columbus Wardogs and the Mohegan Wolves.
Mohegan lost its final eight games of the season and finished 3-13.
In the offseason, management brought in Mark Stoute to turn things around. Stoute, who coached the defunct AFL Toronto Phantoms last season, has brought in a new attitude and some new talent, including former New York Giants cornerback Andre Weathers and FB/LB Ronnie Nicks, who was drafted by the 49ers in 2001.
Although it was only a scrimmage, the Wolves beat up on Northeast Division champion Albany last weekend.
The Wardogs play in arguably the leagues toughest division. Southern Division foes Birmingham, Florida, Macon and Tennessee Valley all qualified for the playoffs last season.
However, new head coach John Fourcade might have the leagues most intriguing team.
Fourcade, who coached Florida to the title game last season, has taken his past two teams to the championship game of their respective leagues. This year he is leading a team that was 4-12 last season.
The former NFL quarterback has assembled a strong coaching staff that includes defensive coordinator Tony Missick, a former head coach at Norfolk, and Bubba Diggs, a three-year assistant at Augusta.
Fourcade also raided the rosters of defunct teams, taking WR/DBs James Dickerson and Mesiah Porter from the high-scoring Tallahassee Thunder and OL/DL John Cralic from Augusta.
Compiled by Mike Vergane
http://www.qctimes.com/steamwheelrs/1010398.html
Gooch: Dont pin loss on missed extra point
By Mike Vergane/For the Times April 5th
Ira Gooch was at a loss for words.
And he was mad.
Not at Brian Hegnauer, but at the missed opportunity of not coming away from The Mark with a win.
If anyone blames Brian Hegnauer for this loss, then he doesnt know football, an upset Gooch said after the 53-52 defeat. This was a team loss, pure and simple.
. As the teams offensive specialist last season, Gooch has relinquished the specialist role to Purdues Randall Lane, moving to the wide receiver/linebacker spot in hopes of moving up to the AFL next season.
. To the best of his knowledge, Ira believes he last played defense in junior high school.
. I cant sit here and talk about myself and how I played on defense when we lost, Gooch said. Nobody plays good in a loss.
. Gooch finished with three catches for 29 yards, and on defense he led the Steamwheelers with five solo tackles. He also returned one kick for 19 yards.
. When asked to pinpoint the problem areas on defense in the loss, Gooch again was at a loss for words.
. You got me, he said. I dont know what to say other than we didnt perform.
. But regarding the Steamwheelers final offensive drive, Gooch gathered his composure and was philosophic.
. That is arena football for you, he said. A lot of games come down to that last drive. We had a great effort tonight, we just didnt capitalize tonight as a team.
. There are a lot of guys that stepped up and made plays tonight. It just wasnt enough.
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Wheelers-Pioneers scoreboard
Mike Vergane/For the Times april 19th
Score
Quad-City Steamwheelers 66,
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers 34
Up next
The Steamwheelers travel to Bakersfield, Calif., on April 26 to host the Blitz in a 9 p.m. game. Bakersfield is 0-2 heading into tonights game with Hawaii.
Best foot forward
Newly signed kicker Rich Ehmkes highly anticipated debut with the Steamwheelers was uneventful in light of Quad Cities 32-point victory.
Ehmke was 6-of-10 on extra-point attempts and missed his only field-goal attempt. He reached the net on 9 of his 11 kickoffs, but he did not want to give himself a good grade on the evenings performance.
Im pretty critical of myself, so I would give myself a C-minus, said the 37-year old. I was pleased with my kickoffs, but it was inexcusable to miss those extra points.
Because of the Quad-City Mallards playoff hockey games this week, The Mark was unavailable for Ehmke to practice in, so his first kick at The Mark was shortly before the game.
Going into this weekend, the league average on extra-point attempts made is 66.4 percent.
A blessed event
Former Saturday Night Live performer Don Nardello, aka Father Guido Sarducci, came out to midfield before Saturday nights contest and blessed the game ball.
When asked how the Pope could afford to let him come an arena football game on such a busy weekend, Sarducci said that the Pope has many emissaries and wants him to spread his word around.
Asked if he understands American football, Sarducci seemed to know what he was talking about.
I catch arena football on television. American football and Italian football is all the same. A ball is a ball, is a ball. They can all be blessed.
Head games
Pioneers coach Dean Cokinos tried his best to pull a fast one over Steamwheeler coach Rich Ingold.
Offensive specialist Cosmo DeMatteo, who caught five touchdowns in the Pioneers loss last weekend to Mohegan, did not make the trip because a knee injury he suffered late in last weekends game.
According to Wikes-Barre/Scrantons radio announcer, DeMatteos availability was well-kept secret during the week.
Without their most explosive weapon, the Pioneers offense sputtered the entire evening.
A good beginning
Davenport West graduate James Houston also saw his first action of the year, and he saw significant playing time in the fourth quarter. He was credited with a tackle-for-loss and recovered an onside kick in the fourth quarter.
Houston, who plays fullback/linebacker, sold 16 tickets to family and friends who were able to watch him play in his hometown.
Houston, who played linebacker at William Penn College, had not played on offense since his days at Davenport West.
Last Updated: 12:16 am, Friday, May 2nd, 2003 af2 notebook
Mike Vergane/For the Times
Out west in Wichita
The Fresno Frenzys suspension of operations during the offseason forced the af2 to realign the National Conferences Western Division. Their answer was to put the Wichita Stealth in the four-team division.I had a number of conversations with (af2 director of football operations) Robert Banks after Fresno folded, so we knew that we were the prime candidate to move out west, said Wichitas general manager, Mike McCoy.
. McCoy was concerned with added travel costs and possible scheduling nightmares, but the Stealth will make only three trips out west one more than Quad-Cities, Peoria, Tulsa and Arkansas.
. The move could be more than temporary, however.
. Quite frankly, the league is going to be cautious with future expansion, said SteamWheelers GM Jim Foster, who recently was selected to the af2 executive committee. Bad franchises drag down the rest of the league. More attention is going to be paid to the quality of the prospective market and the quality of the ownership group.
. Ironically, Wichita (3-1) would be leading the Midwest Division had they not moved in the offseason. .Expansion Bowl I
The two newest af2 entries squared off in Green Bay last Saturday, in what was billed as the Expansion Bowl.
It wasnt much of a contest, with the Cincinnati Swarm pounding the Green Bay Blizzard 69-33.
The Swarm (2-2) are in a first-place tie with Louisville and Quad-Cities atop the Midwest Division.
Green Bay (0-4) ranks near the bottom of the league in scoring offense (30.2) and scoring defense (53.2) and has been plagued with inopportune penalties and turnovers in all season.
Green Bay visits The Mark of the Quad-Cities on May 16. Louisvilles on Fire
. Although both teams were 1-2 entering their game Friday, Louisvilles 54-50 win over Peoria raised a few eyebrows.
. After the Fire failed to score an offensive touchdown in a 54-20 loss to Cape Fear in Week 2, coach Wally English was fired.
. GM Will Wolford promoted 31-year old defensive coordinator Tommy Johnson, a former Univiersity of Alabama defensive back who played defensive specialist for Albany and Carolina in the AFL.
. During the bye week Johnson put in a new offensive scheme. The first effort produced 27 points and 180 yards in a loss to Tennessee Valley, but it clicked against Peoria.
. Johnson started former Florida Firecat quarterback Josh Rogers, who torched the Pirates, hitting on 23 of 36 passes for 318 yards and four touchdowns.
. Pirates coach Bruce Cowdrey told the Peoria Journal-Star, We looked like we had three little schoolgirls back there (in the secondary). Im absolutely disgusted with our defense.
. Circle this game
. Aside from tonights game at The Mark, the weeks most intriguing game will be played in Macon, Ga., as the Arkansas Twisters (2-2) visit the Macon Knights (3-1).
. The Twisters are on a two-game winning streak and have their offense in high gear.
. The Knights are coming off their first loss of the season, and they field the one of the leagues top defensive units under af2s winningest coach, Kevin Porter.
. The top five
. Top five receiving performances from the past weekend:
. Player team rec.-yds TDs
. Michael Dritlein Wichita 12-202 5
. Cainon Lamb Florida 11-156 5
. Aryvia Holmes Birmnghm 9-102 4
. D. Thompson Richmond 14-152 3
. Jack Walker Peoria 4-140 3
Wheelers out for revenge against rival Pirates af2 notebook
Last Updated: 12:18 am, Friday, May 23rd, 2003 Columbus team could be on the move
Mike Vergane/For the Times
. The Columbus Wardogs operator and CEO, Ed Randle, met May 14 with officials from the Albany, Ga., city government about moving the Wardogs to that southwestern Georgia city.
. D.J. Jones, the teams vice president and director of football operations, said Randles goal is to sell the team to local investors.
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Ed is from Birmingham and is not able to be here in the community and work in the local area, Jones said of the Wardogs owner. When he purchased the team in 2000, he stated that he wanted to build a winner and then turn the team over to local ownership. However, if that does not happen then he will have to seek other options.
. Tommy Ford, the marketing and promotions director for the Albany Civic Center, was instrumental in bringing the Wardogs to Columbus, Ga., when he was the general manager of the Columbus Civic Center in 2000.
. Ex-Wheeler QB watch
. Former 2000 and 2001 Steamwheeler backup quarterback Mike Gluski has had his season come to an early end.
. Gluski, who signed with Columbus shortly before the season, broke his right collarbone during a loss to the Florida Firecats last weekend.
. Gluski broke the same bone late last season while playing with the Cape Fear Wildcats.
. Injuries have been a big part of my af2 career, Gluski said Wednesday as he packed to head home to Detroit.
. Gluski would not say if he is retiring from football.
. I dont need surgery, so I can start throwing in six weeks. But to play at a high level would be impossible.
. In Memphis, backup QB Mike Cawley, who finished last season with Quad-Cities, has lost his job to another former Steamwheeler, Will Burch.
. Cawley was released May 15 to make room for Burch, who came to Memphis after a stint in the National Indoor Football League.
. Burch was obtained in a 2001 trade with Macon for Gluski.
. Road warriors
. After beginning the season with five of their first six games on the road, the Albany Conquest find themselves on top of the American Conference Northeast Division with a 5-1 record.
. With only three more road games remaining, Albany is positioning itself to receive a first-round bye.
. Under the new format, the best two records in each conference receive the bye.
. Albany could improve its seeding in the conference this weekend by beating the Birmingham Steeldogs. The other two division leaders, Tennessee Valley and Cape Fear, square off in Huntsville, Ala.
. Circle this game
. Cape Fear (5-1) at Tennessee Valley (6-0). The leagues only undefeated team will face its second straight serious challenge, as Cape Fear brings its four-game winning streak into Huntsville.
. The Vipers opened some eyes around the league Saturday when they hung 56 points on Macons top-ranked defense. Vipers quarterback Matt Sauk threw five touchdown passes to five different receivers as Tennessee Valley jumped out to an early lead.
. The Wildcats, who fell a game short of the ArenaCup in 2002, no longer are a defensive powerhouse. However, their offense, led by quarterback Bryan Snyder, is averaging 52.8 points per game.
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Peoria is forced to rebuild
Mike Vergane/For the Times April 4th
The hunter is now the hunted.
The Peoria Pirates no longer are the underdog team that wants to take the af2 crown away from the evil empire in the Quad-Cities.
Now Peoria is the evil empire. And the Pirates have the swagger to prove it, right down to silver and black uniforms, the Harley-Davidson pregame escort and the heavy-metal music between plays.
This season the champion Pirates will have to take everybodys best shot. Peoria opened with a 42-39 home loss to Tulsa.
Head coach Bruce Cowdrey, who has won a Canadian Football League championship with Toronto and two indoor championships with Peoria, is forced to rebuild from scratch.
Gone are 2002 af2 Rookie of the Year Lincoln Dupree, 2002 ArenaCup MVP Cornell Craig, starting quarterback Walt Church and OL/DL stalwart Ken Bouie.
These are players that came up big for us last year and are not easily replaced, Cowdrey said.
Cowdrey has six players on his opening-day roster who have worn the Pirate uniform. Of his new players, the one who will garner the most attention is starting quarterback Charlie Peterson.
Peterson, a BYU product, played 12 games last season for now-defunct Pensacola, throwing for more than 3,000 yards and leading the league with 264.3 yards per game.
The 6-foot-3 Peterson wanted to come to a winner.
I sent tapes to every AFL team, hoping to move up the ladder, but I dont feel that I got the exposure in Pensacola, Peterson said. I came here because they won it all.
Peterson was well-schooled at BYU. His offensive coordinator was Norm Chow, who turned USC quarterback Carson Palmer into a Heisman Trophy winner last season.
Peterson brought WR/LB Jack Walker, a Pensacola teammate, with him to Peoria.
The other receiver spots are filled by newcomers Versie Gaddis (Indiana), Davaren Hightower (Arizona State) and returning Pirate Charles Sheffield.
Protecting Peterson is a massive front line of Thomas Guynes, Paul Steffick and Tyshaun Whitson. They average 325 pounds.
The difference for us will be on the lines, Cowdrey said. These guys only practiced with each other for a week before the season started. I lost three of my linemen to the CFL right before our training camp opened.
Contact the sports desk at (563) 383-2285 or sports@qctimes.com.
http://www.qctimes.com/steamwheelrs/1010399.html
Memphis GM: Dont mix football, hockey ownership
Mike Vergane/For the Times April 11th
Greg Griffith sees a problem with the af2.
The new general manager of the Memphis Xplorers believes that af2 football teams should be run by football people, not hockey people.
Griffith, the former GM of the 2002 af2 champion Peoria Pirates, heard rumblings during the offseason that the Piratess ownership Orlando Predators Entertainment was unhappy that Peoria lost money. When rumors circulated that the owners of the Peoria Rivermen, an East Coast Hockey League team, were interested in purchasing the Pirates, Griffith felt it was time to leave his hometown and look for employment elsewhere.
OPEs money always headed back to Orlando, and we in Peoria saw very little of it, Griffith said. Being the GM, Im held responsible when the team shows a loss.
Fearing that the Peoria Rivermen would purchase the Pirates and bring in their own GM, Griffith interviewed for the Xplorers GM job and was in January.
During the offseason, the Xplorers and the Memphis Riverkings of the Central Hockey League were purchased by The Maddox Foundation, a local group that funds educational programs in Memphis.
What sold Griffith on the new Memphis ownership was that the football and hockey teams were to be run separately, each with their own personnel. That did not exist during the Xplorers first two seasons.
The Xplorers have always had hockey guys acting as their GMs, and the hockey guy would primarily sell his team first, while the Xplorers were always an afterthought, Griffith said.
Griffith cited the Roanoke Steam, Pensacola Barracudas, Jacksonville Tomcats and Carolina Rhinos all af2 franchises that folded during the offseason as examples of teams that withered on the vine because they were operated by the local hockey franchise.
The Xplorers lost their starting quarterback to the San Diego Chargers five days before the season opener and lost that game, 26-25 to Columbus, but Griffith remains optimistic.
I feel like I did last season in Peoria when the season began, Griffith said. (Head coach) Danton Barto is a hell of a coach and has done some great recruiting to upgrade this team. I feel like we are going to have a great year.
Circle this game
Friday, Bossier City Battlewings (1-0) at Birmingham Steeldogs (1-0).
Bossier City opened its season with a 72-58 win over the Peoria Pirates. Bossier City quarterback Sherard Poteete had an incredible evening, throwing for four touchdowns and also running for four scores.
New Battlewings coach Chad Carlson, formerly with the Hawaiian Islanders, will have his hands full against the high-scoring Birmingham Steeldogs.
Birmingham rolled over the expansion Cincinnati Swarm 63-33 in its opener Saturday night.
Quarterback Jeff Aaron, a rookie out of Alabama-Birmingham, was efficient, throwing for 206 yards, including two touchdown passes to rookie offensive specialist Aryvia Holmes.
Contact the sports desk at (563) 383-2285 or sports@qctimes.com.
Gluski is giving it one last shot
Mike Vergane/For the Times April 25th
Former SteamWheelers quarterback Mike Gluski still is bouncing around arenafootball2.
He is the starting QB for the Columbus Wardogs and is a big reason for the Wardogs 2-1 start.
In a June 2002 QUAD-CITY TIMES story, Gluski was quoted as saying he would not return to af2 in 2003, instead wanting a backup job in the AFL.
I did get a contract with Detroit (AFL) in the offseason, the 28-year-old said. I signed in January and was there for 10 days. My shoulder was hurt, and my arm just wasnt right, so they released me. I figured I was close, so I didnt want all this to end without giving it one last shot.
Gluski, who played for Cape Fear in 2002, then was contacted by Columbus head coach John Fourcade a week before the season began and signed on for his fourth season in af2.
Gluski strained his right knee in the Wardogs 47-32 win over Rochester and was unable to play last weekend in Peoria, Ill. Without Gluski, Columbus lost to the Pirates 53-9.
Speaking of QBs ...
Former 2002 Quad-City quarterback Mike Cawley was involved in a trade last week.
Cawley, who lost his starting job with the Rochester Brigade, was traded to the Memphis Xplorers (1-2) for their backup QB, Kevin Carty.
What makes the trade interesting is that Memphis believes they have a real find at QB in Rod Robinson.
When asked if Robinson is being scouted by the CFL, or NFL, Memphis general manager Greg Griffith would not answer, only saying, Rod is our man at quarterback. Anytime you can upgrade the quarterback position, you do it.
Flag day
Those in attendance at last Fridays SteamWheelers victory saw how entertaining arena football can be when the officials keep the flags in their pockets.
The two teams combined for four penalties, and the contest lasted only 2 hours, 15 minutes.
That was not the case around the rest of the league.
Birmingham was called for 15 penalties for 115 yards in a loss to Macon. Columbus was called for 14 penalties in a brawl-filled game in Peoria. The expansion Green Bay Blizzard played its first home game of the season and entertained the fans by committing 13 penalties for 129 yards.
The Albany Conquest and Mohegan Wolves combined for 15 penalties for 272 yards in a contest that took 2:55.
After the loss on the road, Albany coach Pete Costanza was quoted in the New London Day, Ive never seen anything like this. The reputation here is that there is a big home-field advantage Its hard to beat eight players, its even harder to beat 13 (with the additional five officials).
A twist of the knife
The Peoria Pirates unveiled the 2002 af2 championship banner during halftime of last Saturdays contest.
Why did they wait until their second home game?
Because the opponent was the Columbus Wardogs, coached by John Fourcade. Fourcade coached the Florida Firecats against the Pirates in last years ArenaCup.
Reportedly, Fourcade and Peoria coach Bruce Cowdrey have a mutual dislike for each other that goes back to a game-ending injury to Florida quarterback Bryan Sparacino in that contest.
Last Updated: 9:57 pm, Thursday, May 15th, 2003 New rule brings cheap first downs
Mike Vergane/For the Times
. The new rule that awards an automatic first down on a defensive offsides penalty is drawing mixed opinions from coaches.
. The rule, which was implemented by the Rules and Competition Committee during the offseason, is inflating a lot of statistics, especially penalty first downs. It was designed to improve the flow of the game and cut down on defensive offsides penalties, af2 spokesman Ron Dueter said.
. Quad-City SteamWheelers coach Rich Ingold believes it has.
. I think it has improved the game and cut down on the sloppy play, Ingold said.
. But it has changed the complexion of the game, too.
. Last season, 17 percent of all first downs gained were gained by penalties. This season, 22 percent of first downs have been gained by penalty. More drives are being prolonged for reasons other than completed passes.
. In 2002, the Tennessee Valley Vipers led the league with 264 first downs. This year, six teams are on pace to break that mark.
. Penalties also seem to be on the rise, with the Greensboro Prowlers on pace to set a record with an average of 104 penalty yards per game.
. Several coaches declined to talk on record about the subject for fear of fines by the league, but Ingold, whose team is averaging a league low 31.7 yards per game, likes the new rule and has a theory on why some teams do not.
. It is a matter of discipline, he said. The teams that are constantly jumping offsides are probably poorly coached.
. A little perspective
. The expansion Green Bay Blizzard are off to a poor start. With an 0-5 record, the Blizzard are the only winless team in the league. But they have a long way to go before they can be called the worst expansion team in af2 history.
. In 2001, the expansion Columbus Wardogs went 0-16, and last year the Mobile Wizards matched that mark.
. Actually, Green Bay is doing a few things right. They rank third in the league in passing offense, under quarterback Ryan Aulenbacher, and fourth in the league in total offense.
. On the other side
. Tennessee Valley remains the only undefeated team in the af2 after their 66-55 victory in Bossier City last weekend.
. The Vipers schedule has been relatively easy so far, though, with Quad-Cities their only opponent sporting a winning record.
. Tennessee Valley has one of the leagues best offenses, led by quarterback Matt Sauk. What makes their offense dangerous is that they do not have a single go-to receiver. Calvin Hall, Ronney Daniels, Jerrian James, and former Steamwheeler Xavier Patterson all are averaging more than 40 yards in catches per game.
. If the Vipers have a chance to finish the season without a loss, the next two weeks should be a barometer. They host Macon (5-1) and Cape Fear (4-1).
. Circle this game
. Saturday, Macon Knights (5-1) at Tennessee Valley Vipers (5-0). Arguably, the best two teams in the league.
. This matchup features the offense of the Vipers against the af2s best defense in the Macon Knights.
. The Knights strength is in the front line. Macon quarterback Sean Peterson has been sacked only once, while the Macon defense leads the af2 with 10 sacks.
. Contact the sports desk at (563) 383-2285 or sports@qctimes.com.
. The top five receiving performances from the past weekend.
. Player Team catches-yards TDs
. 1 Ira Gooch Quad City 11-189 4
. 2 Tacoma Fontaine Tulsa 8-135 4
. 3 Travis Burns Norfolk 9-108 4
. 4 Eric Mahanke Bakersfield 10-104 4
. 5 Jacques Rumph Macon 7-136 3
Wheelers-Fire scoreboard
Mike Vergane/For the Times/
June 14th
Score
Quad-Cities 55, Louisville 30
Savich Injured
Quad-City kicker Paul Savich was injured in the second half when he pulled a quadriceps muscle in his kicking leg.
On the kickoff I felt my knee buckle, and (I) fell to the ground right at impact, Savich said. I ended up squibbing it.
It feels like I might have pulled or tore a muscle in my quads. It has been bothering me for the past two days, but I thought I might have been able to work it out.
Savich was able to finish the game and drew praise of Rich Ingold afterwards for gutting it out.
Going into Saturdays game, Savich was fourth in the af2 in PAT percentage at 88.9.
He made 5 of 8 PATs and hit the net on 7 of 9 kickoffs.
What a rush
Before Friday, 12 af2 players individually had more sacks than the SteamWheelers team total of four. But with the addition of Asa Francis as a defensive specialist, the Quad-City pass rush took it to another level against the Louisville Fire.
Francis had three sacks, including a safety, and the defense had seven quarterback hits (unofficially) on Louisvilles Josh Rogers, three by T.J. Schnekloth. Schnekloth also blocked a field goal in the second quarter.
Californian debut
Orange County native Brian Berg made his debut after being picked up on waivers from the San Diego Riptide.
The 6-foot 270-pounder, who played linebacker at San Diego State, has lived in California all of his life.
I love the environment here, Berg said of The Mark of the Quad-Cities. People in the Quad Cities are behind this team. This is a great place to play.
Berg, who says he has been timed in the 40-yard dash at 4.7 seconds, got his first carry as a Steamwheeler in the third quarter, taking a pitch around left end and scampering for 15 yards, only to have the play called back because of a penalty.
Mike Vergane
The summary
Louisville 10 0 14 7 30
Quad-Cities 7 22 19 7 55
First quarter
Louisville Marc Samuel 40 field goal
Q-C Jeff Hewitt 28 pass from Tony Zimmerman (Paul Savich kick)
Louisville Torrey Day 13 pass from Josh Rogers (Samuel kick)
Second quarter
Q-C Hewitt 14 pass from Zimmerman (Savich kick)
Q-C Hewitt 13 pass from Zimmerman (kick failed)
Q-C Safety
Q-C Tim Dodge 6 run (Savich kick)
Third quarter
Q-C Ira Gooch 34 pass from Zimmerman (kick failed)
Louisville Day 27 pass from Rogers (Samuel kick)
Q-C Dodge 32 pass from Zimmerman (Savich kick)
Louisville Day 27 pass from Rogers (Samiel kick)
Q-C Hewitt 19 pass from Zimmerman (kick failed)
Fourth quarter
Q-C LaRico Cole 6 pass from Zimmerman (Savich kick)
Louisville Jerry Dorsey 9 pass from Pookie Jones (run failed)
Lville Q-C
First downs 12 17
Rushing yards 4 4
Passing yards 252 334
Passing (C-Att-Int) 18-34-0 20-44-1
Fumbles-Lost 3-1 0-0
Sacks-Yds 0-0 3-11
Penalties 8-36 3-17
Individual results
Rushing Louisville: James Dawson 1-6, Demtrius Forney 1-4. Q-C: Tim Dodge 1-6, Josh Fourdyce 1-(-2).
Passing Louisville: Josh Rogers 14-28-0-223-3, Pookie Jones 4-6-0-38-1. Q-C: Zimmerman 20-42-1-334-7, Ronnie Gordon 0-2-0-0-0 Tim Dodge 0-1-0-0-0.
Receiving Louisville: Torrey Day 7-148, Dennis Fryzel 5-50, Alfonzo Browning 3-36, Jerry Dorsey 3-27. Q-C: Jeff Hewitt 8-116, Ira Gooch 6-115, Tim Dodge 5-97, LaRico Cole 1-6.
Tackle leaders Louisville: Demont Smith 4, Corey Wallace 3, Arkee Thompson 3, James Dawson 3. Q-C: Tim Dodge 9, Asa Francis 7, Leo Fenceroy 3.5, Mike Schaefer 2.4.
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Last Updated: 12:02 am, Sunday, June 22nd, 2003
Peoria looking for local ownership
By Mike Vergane/For the Times
The Peoria Pirates are on course to lose $185,000 this season and are to be sold by majority stockholder Bruce Bouchy and Orlando Predators Entertainment Inc., according to a recent article published in the Peoria Journal-Star.
According to the article, OPE board chairman and former Quad-City Mallards owner Dr. Eric Margenau could be a possible buyer for the 2002 ArenaCup champions. But that would not solve the teams lack of local ownership.Bouchy told the Journal-Star, What Peoria deserves is a group of local investors. I am in control of the Pirates franchise and am running the sale of the team. I have no doubt the Pirate operation is behind on paying its debts to some of its vendors. I dont know offhand how much the team is behind, but I want to get this team off our OPE books now.
In the offseason, the Pirates were for sale for an asking price in excess of $1 million. .
Bouchys terms of sale reportedly include a $400,000 asking price plus a provision under which the buyer surrenders territorial rights to the Bloomington/Normal, Ill., area, where OPE is planning on moving a future franchise once a new arena is completed.
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The article also states that 1,600 of the teams 2,909 season tickets were given away free by former Peoria GM Greg Griffith.
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Griffith, now the general manager of the Memphis Xplorers, told the QUAD-CITY TIMES that many of those 1,600 tickets were given out in part to OPEs accounting practices.
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OPE dictated that when a sponsor would buy a group of season tickets along with a dasher board, or advertising, that they would pay for everything in full, but for accounting purposes the tickets were comped out, Griffith said from Memphis. Why did they do it that way? I dont know, but about 500 or so season tickets were actually paid for, not comped. Add to that the tickets given to coaches, players and cheerleaders.
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Calls to Dr. Margenaus New York office and to Pirates GM Andrea Soffietti were not returned immediately.
Florida heats up
The Florida Firecats made it to the 2002 ArenaCup by getting hot late in the season. They appear to be following that trend this season by winning three of their past four, due in great part to the quarterback play of Chicago Bear camper Ken Mastrole.
The 6-foot-3, 250 pound QB threw eight touchdown passes last weekend to lead Florida (5-5) past Macon 60-49 and move the Firecats to within one game of the playoff hunt. .
Mastrole, who was a late cut in the 2002 Bears camp, took over five weeks ago for injured Brian Sparacino. Since then, the Firecats offense has picked up, averaging 56 points over the past two weeks.
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Snyder sets career TD record
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Arena journeyman Bryan Snyder set the af2 mark for career touchdown passes last weekend as he threw for three TDs to lead the Cape Fear Wildcats to a 54-28 victory over Rochester.
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Snyder, who has spent time over the past four seasons in the af2 with Tennessee Valley, Peoria, Jacksonville, Scranton and Cape Fear, has thrown for 169 touchdowns breaking the mark previously held by Richmonds Bob Bees.
Last Updated: 12:31 am, Saturday, July 5th, 2003 Richmond releases volatile coach
By Mike Vergane/For the Times
Richard Davis, the volatile head coach of the Richmond Speed, was relieved of his duties last week by owner B.K. Katherman.
Davis, who had coached the Speed since Week 5 of the 2000 season, argued with Katherman after the Speeds 60-54 victory over Cape Fear June 21
According to the Fayetteville Observer, Davis was offended by Kathermans friendly postgame conversation with Chris Siegfried, the Cape Fear coach, whom Davis has had a long running fued with.
. Davis had accused Siegfried of breaking league transaction rules by requesting a rental car, two nights lodging in Richmond and $100 in exchange for kicker Ty Dondelinger,.
. Siegfried denied the allegations.
. Katherman said, Our focus has been bad this year because Richard focused on the negatives and none of the positives. Richard drew a line in the sand tonight. He forgot it is my sand.
. Before his fued with Siegfried, the coach that drew Davis ire was Frank Haege, who led the SteamWheelers in 2000 and 2001.
. Davis called out Haege for the Wheelers 103-3 victory over Greensboro prior to Richmonds June 2000 contest with Quad-Cities. He again criticized Haege a year later for a similar win over Memphis.
. The bad blood culminated at the 2001 Arena Cup championship game, when Davis sent film to the league the week of the game, accusing Haege of running an illegal defense by blitzing the rush linebacker outside of a legal imaginary box.
. Davis finished his stint in Richmond with a 39-19 record, including a 5-6 record this season.
. Going into this season, no Richmond quarterback outside of Bob Bees had won a game for the Speed. Davis was unable to find a quarterback this season that matched Bees, who moved up to the Arena Football League this year.
. More Pirate problems
. Peoria was shorthanded when it traveled to Bakersfield last weekend after three members of the team were arrested at a downtown Peoria nightclub hours before the team was to fly to California
. Wide receiver Will Bumphus was thrown off the team by coach Bruce Cowdrey after Bumphus was charged with criminal trespass to land.
. Bumphus and his two teammates were released from Peoria jail in time to make the 5:30 a.m. flight, but Bumphus became combative at the airport and was sent home, according to reports.
. Chazz Moore and Ken Williams, the two other players arrested, were released Tuesday.
. There will be discipline, Cowdrey said. Those who wear our uniform and represent Peoria are going to be good people.
. Rochester in trouble
. The Rochester Brigade closed their Rochester office Monday and moved to the home of Mark Hamister, owner of the AFL Buffalo Destroyers, in Buffalo, N.Y.
. Although Brigade general manager Mike Muscato said that no formal decisions have been made for the 2004 season, the move raises serious questions as to the future of arena football in Rochester.
. Muscato was fired one day later leaving no front-office employees remaining on payroll.
. The Brigade have struggled on and off the field. The team is 2-11 this season and a combined 12-32 during their three seasons of existence.
. Odds and ends
. Charges against two Greensboro players stemming from a brawl at Wilkes-Barre in May have been dismissed because witnesses declined to testify. Thaddeus Bullard was charged with assault after reportedly slamming a Wilkes-Barre players head into a wall, and Cranston Johnson was charged with harassment and disorderly conduct after allegedly striking a fan with his helmet. Johnson was banned for life from af2 for the incident. Johnson received a calendar-year suspension that was reduced on appeal to eight games. A trade to Florida is in the works, and he could play in the season finale and playoffs. ... Peoria will start former Pekin high school quarterback Troy Edwards today when the Pirates host Louisville. Starting quarterback Charlie Peterson, a BYU graduate, will be in Tokyo playing in a benefit game for the university. San Diego quarterback Kane Claunch had a perfect passer rating of 158.33 in San Diegos 60-53 win last weekend. Claunch, who was 16-for-19 for 281 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions, will quarterback San Diego when they visit Quad City next Saturday.
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Last Updated: 11:34 pm, Friday, June 27th, 2003
Islanders QB set to retire after getting coaching job
By Mike Vergane/For the Times
Hawaiian Islanders quarterback Darnell Arceneaux was named this week as the head coach of the nationally ranked Honolulu Saint Louis high school football program.
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Arceneaux, who will quarterback the Islanders against the Quad-City SteamWheelers this weekend, once led the Saint Louis Crusaders to three consecutive Hawaii prep titles in the 1990s.
.The 25-year-old Arceneaux will finish the season with the Islanders, and then retire, focusing his full attention as a high school coach.
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Ironically, Arceneauxs coach in high school, Cal Lee, also is his coach with the Islanders.
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A shift in strength
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The once powerful National Conference is in jeopardy of sending one, or possibly two, teams into the playoffs with .500 records, or less.
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The American Conference holds a decisive advantage this season in inter-conference matchups.
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Add to that the move of Tennessee Valley (11-0) into the American Conference, and the addition of expansion Green Bay (1-10) and Cincinnati (4-8) to the National Conference, the probability of sub-.500 teams making the six-team field has increased.
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If the season were to end today, Arkansas (6-5) would be the fifth seed and Bakersfield (5-7) the sixth seed. The Peoria Pirates and Memphis Xplorers, both at 4-7, sit only a half of a game out of the playoff hunt.
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Arkansas schedule appears to be the toughest with games remaining against Tulsa, Macon and Birmingham, while this weekend, Peoria can get back into the playoff race as it goes on the road to play Bakersfield.
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The Pirates schedule appears to be the easiest of the group, as the only team left on their schedule with a winning record are the SteamWheelers on July 26. Defense wins titles
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In the brief high scoring history of the af2, it has been the teams that possess a solid defense that ended up winning the championships.
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Since 2000, the Arena Cup winner has never given up more than an average of 38 points per game during the regular season. The Mohegan Wolves (8-3) are the only team that would qualify under this scenario, giving up only 34.7 points a game.
The SteamWheelers are in the middle of the pack defensively, giving up close to 43 points per game. They have clamped down over the past four games, giving up an average of only 31 points in those four wins.
Odds and ends
With the return of starting quarterback Rod Robinson from the IR, former Quad-City backup QB Will Burch has been released from the Memphis Xplorers. As a starter for Memphis in June, Burch went 1-2. Using a two-way quarterback platoon of Aaron Sparrow and former Orlando (AFL) backup Chris Wallace, the Norfolk NightHawks (6-5) put up a season- high 63 points to defeat Albany last weekend. The high-scoring Tulsa Talons have scored at least 60 points in five of their past eight contests. In 2002, Albany Conquest offensive specialist Corey Hill broke the single-season all-time professional football reception record by catching 161 passes. The former Iowa Barnstormer is on pace to break his record again this season, as Hill has caught 112 passes in 11 games for Albany.
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These games are key to playoffs
Mike Vergane/For the Times
The best game of the af2 regular season probably will be next week, when undefeated Tennessee Valley visits The Mark of the Quad-Cities to take on the SteamWheelers. But three games that could make or break the season of National Conference contenders are tonight in the af2.
Hawaii (9-4) at Tulsa (10-3)
This is the only meeting between these two, so an Islanders win would give them the tiebreaker over Tulsa. With the top two seeds receiving a first-round bye, this game is huge for both squads.
Both teams were off last week and lost the week before. The normally high-scoring Talons played their worst game of the season in a 45-29 loss to Arkansas, and Hawaii fell to Quad-Cities 54-36.
The Talons finish the season on the road at Louisville and Bossier City both very winnable games while the Islanders visit San Diego and host Bakersfield.
Arkansas (7-6)
at Memphis (5-8)
The Xplorers are one game out of a wild-card spot.
Memphis has the tiebreaker with 6-7 Bakersfield, which holds the sixth and final playoff spot. To qualify for the playoffs, Memphis would have to win out and hope that Bakersfield and San Diego (5-8) lose at least one game.
Arkansas, which owns the fifth playoff spot, would like to advance to the fourth, which comes with a first-round home playoff game. Wichita is fourth and has won both contests against the Twisters.
Arkansas also has a tough schedule, finishing with Macon and Birmingham.
Wichita (8-5) at Bakersfield (6-7)
This is the first of two games between these two.
Bakersfield is hot winning five of six. But the Blitz are in jeopardy of losing the final playoff spot, with Memphis and San Diego looming.
By winning both games against Wichita and their finale with Hawaii, they would do no worse than the fifth seed.
Wichita has been playing .500 football over the past two months but has an opportunity to put together a winning streak and move up in the playoff seeding.
Contact the sports desk at (563) 383-2285 or sports@qctimes.com.
TOP SEEDS
Top six seeds in the National Conference
1 Quad City (11-2)*
2 Tulsa (10-3)*
3 Hawaii (9-4)
4 Wichita (8-5)
5 Arkansas (7-6)
6 Bakersfield (6-7)
On the outside looking in:
7 San Diego (5-8)
8 Memphis (5-8)
9 Cincinnati (5-8)
* first-round bye
Zimmerman breaks record
Tony Zimmermans eight-touchdown performance Saturday gave him the Quad-City single-season record with 81, breaking the old mark of 73 held by Billy Dicken in 2000 and Jay McDonagh in 2001.
Zimmerman feels the SteamWheelers offense is clicking.
Right now we are really tight, were starting to understand each other, Zimmerman said. Ira (Gooch) made some great adjustments tonight on routes that were incredible.
FenceRoy sent home
Defensive specialist Leo FenceRoy was sent home hours before the game for a violation of team rules, according to head coach Rich Ingold.
There was a little bit of squabbling at practice this past week, and I heard some squabbling before the game, and I got fed up with it. I didnt trust him it was insubordination, a violation of team rules, Ingold said.
Head Hawk is in town
University of Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz was in town to see some of his former pupils Tim Dodge, Pete Traynor and O.J. Payne.
Ferentz especially was impressed with how WR/DB Dodge has emerged as a starter for the SteamWheelers.
The great thing about Tim is that he is such a great kid a poor mans Dallas Clark, if you will, Ferentz said. When we had him he was still in the developmental stage. It sounds like he is really hitting his stride, and only big things are ahead for him
As for Ferentzs 2003 Hawkeyes, the big question when camps open next month is how they plan on filling the shoes of Brad Banks.
I think Nathan Chandler is clearly our number one quarterback coming into camp, Ferentz said. What will be interesting is finding out who will be our number two and three QBs.
The streak is intact
The radio voice of the SteamWheelers, Jim Albracht, was involed in an automobile accident in the northwoods of Wisconsin on July 4 while vacationing with family.
Jim and his wife suffered broken ribs and were treated and released from a hospital.
They asked me if I was still going to broadcast the next nights game in Green Bay, and I said I have to keep the streak alive, Albracht said. I havent missed one yet, I cant let this stop me.
It really was the vacation from hell.
Mike Vergane
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