Miami Morays vs. Daytona Beach Hawgs game preview
April 28, 2005 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
Miami Morays News Release
Big Two Weeks: Miami Morays (4-1) against the division rival Daytona Beach Hawgs (5-1) on Ford Allen Field at the Miami Arena...Sunday, May 1st, 3:05 p.m. ET.
The Morays and Hawgs will be playing each other twice over the next two weeks, and the winner of these two match-ups can put themselves in a good situation to take the Atlantic South crown. Currently, the Hawgs have a half-game lead over the Morays for first-place in the Atlantic South.
This will be the first of three meetings between these two Atlantic South rivals this season. The third meeting on June 4th in Miami will be a non-conference match-up. Both teams are expansion teams in the National Indoor Football League.
Fabulous Gifts!: In addition to action-packed, up-close and personal professional football at affordable family prices, Morays Jewelers will provide the first 2,500 fans in attendance on May 1st with a free hand-bound autograph book to collect Morays and other celebrity autographs.
Group Day: The Morays are having a Faith & Family Day Promotion this Sunday with $5 (plus $1.50 facility fee) lower-bowl tickets for faith-based groups in the Dade and Broward County areas. Group leaders in bringing out their groups can contact the Morays ticket sales office by calling 305-374-8950.
Last Games: The Morays are coming off of a bye-week after dropping a last-minute decision to the Kissimmee Kreatures on April 16th. The Morays came back from a 14-point deficit twice, tying the game up at 48 with 1:18 left in the fourth quarter. But the Kreatures came back and stunned the Morays when James Panui kicked a 38-yd field goal as time expired.
Derrick Vickers threw for three touchdowns and 237 yards and Leroy McFadden rumbled nine times for 30 yards and three touchdowns, while pulling in six catches for 76 yards. Ethenic Sands led in receiving by catching six balls for 82 yards and three touchdowns.
On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Jimmy Williams and defensive back Vic White each intercepted one pass, while linebacker Lernard Mack tallied one sack.
The Hawgs emerged victorious against the Rome Renegades last Sunday by a score of 22-17, despite the Hawgs offense not scoring in the second-half of the game. Oscar Davenport completed 17 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns, while Brad Lee ran for 51 yards and one touchdown. Robert Bailey caught eight passes for 71 yards, while the Hawgs defense intercepted six passes.
Overall, the Hawgs total offensive output racked up 224 yards while limiting the Renegades to 68 yards total.
Daytona Leaders: The Hawgs have a multi-pronged offensive attack. Running Back Brad Lee is just one of the catalysts for the Hawgs offense, scoring 14 rushing touchdowns and averaging 79.7 yards a game. Receiver Robert Bailey has hauled in 30 catches for 355 yards and six touchdowns, and has returned twenty kickoffs for 346 yards and one touchdown.
Quarterback Oscar Davenport was brought in to helm the offense after the Hawgs loss in week one. In five games, Davenport has thrown for 13 touchdowns on 62 completions, averaging 147 yards through the air per game.
On the flip side, the Hawgs have a ball-hawking defense that thrives on getting turnovers. Defensive back Nick Allison leads the Hawgs defense with eight interceptions for 58 yards, followed closely by defensive back Micah Simmons with six interceptions for 40 yards. Overall, the Hawgs have intercepted the ball 21 times in six games. Linebacker Levar Sims leads the Hawgs in tackles with 29.
Head-to-Head: The Hawgs and Morays are evenly matched up on the offensive side of the ball. The Hawgs are averaging 39.2 points per game, while the Morays are averaging 39.6 points per game. The Morays are second in the Atlantic South in points scored, while the Hawgs are third in points scored.
The Hawgs defense is tops in the NIFL in points allowed. Through six games, the Hawgs have only given up 135 points overall, averaging 22.5 per game. The Morays have given up 158 points in five games, which ranks them third in the NIFL with an average of 31.6 points allowed per game.
Getting some Rest: The Morays are coming off a much-needed bye-week. After the loss to Kissimmee and being on the road for their first four of five games this season, the Morays spent this bye-week allowing the players to rest up and mentally prepare for the remaining schedule in which six of the final nine games are at home.
Banged up: Defensive back Vic White suffered a dislocated elbow injury against Kissimmee, and will be out of the lineup for six weeks.
Roster Changes: Offensive lineman Alan Symonette was granted his release last week, with Troy Davis taking his spot in the lineup.
Will this be Final?: The NIFL adjusted the schedules once again, with the change effecting the Morays home schedule opponents. Replacing the Dayton Warbirds on June 4th will be the Daytona Beach Hawgs. The game was originally supposed to be against the Lakeland Thunderbolts.
Past and Future: The schedule and standings so far:
MIAMI MORAYS (4-1)
Date: Opponent: Result:
March 19 @ New Jersey W 54-18
March 26 @ Lakeland W 58-45
April 2 LUBBOCK W 53-13
April 9 @ Lakeland W 35-31
April 16 @ Kissimmee L 51-48
May 1 DAYTONA BEACH
May 7 @ Daytona Beach
May 15 NEW JERSEY
May 21 KISSIMMEE
May 28 @ Rome
June 4 DAYTONA BEACH
June 12 EVERETT
June 17 @ Everett
June 25 FAYETTEVILLE
The Web: www.miamimoraysfootball.com is the place to go for the latest team news, statistics, player profiles, game notes, standings, and a live scoreboard to follow the game (when available).
www.nationalindoorfootballleague.net offers the latest in league news and notes, updated standings, scoreboards, and much more.
Next Home Game: The Morays head to Daytona on May 7th before returning home to Ford Allen Field at the Miami Arena to take on the New Jersey Xtreme on May 15th for a 7:05 pm. Kickoff. Tickets are available at the Miami Arena Box Office or through Ticketmaster. For additional information about the Miami Morays, please call Mark Fischel at 305-374-8950 X308 or visit us at www.miamimoraysfootball.com
Schedule Changes: With the addition of the Dayton Warbirds to the NIFL, the visiting teams have changed for two games. Replacing the Lakeland Thunderbolts on June 4th will be the Dayton Warbirds, and replacing the River City Rage on June 25th will be the Fayetteville Guard.
Atlantic South: The Morays will be competing for the bragging rights for the state of Florida by competing against fellow first-year expansion teams Daytona Beach Hawgs, Kissimmee Kreatures, and the Lakeland Thunderbolts in the Atlantic South Division.
Media Contact: Morays Media Contact: Mark Fischel (954)296-4362
Mark@miamimoraysfootball.com
Head Coach: Heading up the Miami Morays is NFL Hall-of-Famer Larry Little. This is Coach Little's first year coaching an indoor football team.
Little's previous professional experience was as the head coach of the Ohio Glory in the World Football League in 1992.
Larry Little was previously the head coach for North Carolina Central University from 1993 to 1998, compiling a record of 33 wins and 32 losses, and at his alma-mater Bethune-Cookman College from 1983 to 1991, where he compiled a record of 43-49-1. Little led Bethune-Cookman to two MEAC titles in 1984 and 1988, and was named the MEAC Coach of the Year in 1984.
Little spent 13 seasons in the NFL, 12 of which were with the Miami Dolphins. He was a member of the Dolphins Super Bowl championship teams in 1972 and 1973, and he was named to the Pro Bowl five times. He was inducted into the NFL Hall-of-Fame in 1993, the same year that he was inducted in the Dolphins Ring of Honor at Dolphins Stadium.
Got to Coordinate: Assisting Coach Little in his duties will be two very experienced indoor football coaches in Tony Wells and Ray Isaac. Asst. Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator Ray Isaac brings several years of knowledge as a former player and coach. In 2003, Isaac served as the offensive coordinator with the Myrtle Beach Stingrays and as head coach with the Greenville Riverhawks. Ray also spent time as a quarterback with the Cleveland Thunderbolts, Memphis Pharaohs, and Charleston Swamp Foxes. Isaac attended Youngstown State and led them to their first Division I-AA championship.
Isaac made his debut and earned his first victory as a Head Coach in the week one game against the New Jersey Xtreme. Isaac filled in for Coach Little who missed the game due to the passing away of his brother David.
Offensive Coordinator Tony Wells is a familiar face to South Florida indoor football fans, having played as a receiver/defensive back with the Miami Hooters and Florida Bobcats from 1995 to 1998. Wells entered the coaching ranks with the Pensacola Barracudas in 2002 and was promoted in 2003 to the asst. head coach position. In 2004, Wells served in the same capacity with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers where he helped them to a 14-4 record.
Dolphin Way: The Morays have several connections to the Miami Dolphins. Team Co-owner Oronde Gadsden played six seasons at wide receiver, offensive line coach Jamie Nails played two seasons at offensive line. Head coach Larry Little was a 12 year member of the Dolphins. Receivers coach Leslie Shepherd played one season at receiver, and strength coach Terry Kirby was drafted by the Dolphins in 1993 and played for them for three seasons.
Home-Grown: The Morays roster consists of eight players who attended Florida colleges. Attending University of Florida was Arpedge Rolle and Steven Bell. Matriculating from Florida State University was Donald Heaven, graduating from FAMU was Salofi Nua. Bethune-Cookman had Antwon Robinson and Jimmy Williams attending, Daniel Hernandez attended Florida Atlantic University, and University of Miami graduate Ethenic Sands.
Take a Load Off: Moray opponents are going to be very sore after dealing with the Morays backfield, which consists of two players, Ben Labelle and Leroy McFadden, who weigh a combined 515 pounds.
Sure-Handed: The Morays receiving corps will consist of two players with previous indoor football experience in NIFL All-Star Kevin Heard, formerly of the Huoma Bayou Bucks, and University of Miami stand-out Ethenic Sands, who spent parts of last season with the Florida Firecats in the af2. Rounding out the receivers are two tall natives of Miami in 6'3 James Robinson and 6'4 Patrick Rouzard.
Florida Guard: The state of Florida stands on guard for the Morays. The offensive line consists of linemen who all played for colleges in the state of Florida. Steven Bell attended University of Florida, Donald Heaven attended Florida State University, and Salofi Nua attended FAMU.
Get the QB: The Morays defensive line will be a combination of old and new experience. Bringing the experience to the first line of defense will be Kai Zeigler, Lashawn Pugh, and Deryl Lane. All three have previously played together with the Myrtle Beach Stingrays. New faces to the indoor game will be two graduates of Florida colleges. Arpedge Rolle of the University of Florida and Daniel Hernandez of FAU will be making their professional football debuts this season.
Patrol the Middle: Backing the line or dropping into coverage are two hard-hitting linebackers. Jimmy Williams of Bethune-Cookman brings a physical style to the game and will be entering his first season of indoor football. Lernard Mack is an experienced player with a nose for the ball and has previous NIFL experience.
Last Line of D: The Morays boast a defensive backfield that has extensive experience in the indoor game. Antwon Robinson, Fred McCants, Roosevelt Williams, and Quincy Sorrell all have one or more seasons under their belt, and they will be counted on in an offensive-minded league to keep a comfortable distance between the teams on the scoreboard.
Use your Foot: Booting the ball this season will be Michael Elorreaga. Coming out of Earlham College in the North Coast Athletic Conference, Elorreaga was a pre-season All-American and also held punting duties.
I Know You: The Morays coaching staff has some familiarity with the roster. Players who previously played for Coach Ray Isaac were Travis Wilson, Kai Zeigler, Lashawn Pugh, Lernard Mack, Vic White, and Fred McCants. Tony Wells has previously coached Ben Labelle with the Wilkes-Barre Pioneers and Leroy McFadden with the Charleston Swamp Foxes.
Support the Kids: Don't forget about the Morays Youth Football Pass! Every child who was registered to play with a youth football program last season in Dade County is eligible for the program, which allows a youth football participant to receive a free season ticket or game-night ticket for all 2005 regular season Morays games with the purchase of a matching adult season or individual ticket. Interested parties can contact the Morays at 305-374-8950 X308 for details.
National Indoor Football League Stories from April 28, 2005
- Hawks Sign Keyon Kemp - Everett Hawks
- Ahmed Plummer Visits Warbirds - Dayton Bulldogs
- Derek Brown Joins the Capitols - Lincoln Capitols
- Martin, Andrews out for Friday's game at Dayton - Lakeland ThunderBolts
- Former Buckeyes visit Warbirds - Dayton Bulldogs
- Panui's famous kick continues to resonate - Kissimmee Kreatures
- Miami Morays vs. Daytona Beach Hawgs game preview - Miami Morays
- Maulers deploy "Operation Adoption" - Montgomery Bears
- Warbirds Offer Discounted Tickets - Dayton Bulldogs
- Meet Warbirds Players at The Ohio Business Center - Dayton Bulldogs
- Drillers sign three players - Beaumont Drillers
- Everett Hawks To Do Live Web Casting For All Away Games - Everett Hawks
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