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Austin Wranglers game notes

February 17, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Austin Wranglers News Release


AUSTIN WRANGLERS (1-0) vs. TAMPA BAY STORM (1-1)
INAUGRUAL HOME GAME
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2004, 2 P.M., FRANK ERWIN CENTER

Wranglers Television

The Austin Wranglers inaugural home performance will be televised live regionally on NBC. All the action will begin at 2 p.m. with Bill Weber and Pat Sperduto in the booth calling the action and KXAN sports director Roger Wallace on the boards as the sideline reporter.

Wranglers Radio

All Austin Wranglers football games can be heard on Z102, 102.3 FM. With veteran sports radio announcer Craig Way calling the play-by-play and Wranglers assistant general manager and NFL veteran Glyn Milburn handling the color announcing.

Head Coach Skip Foster will analyze Sunday's game and take phone calls on The Zone 1300 AM with Bucky Godbolt Monday night, 7-8 p.m.

HEAD COACHES

Skip Foster
Austin Wranglers
Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator

Skip Foster is making his AFL head coaching debut with the Austin Wranglers this season. Foster, deemed the second most winning coach in arenafootball2 history, will also act as the Wranglers offensive coordinator.

Prior to joining the Wranglers, Foster served as the head coach for the 2003 af2 Champion Tulsa Talons. Foster lead the team to a 13-3 regular season record while accumulating 3,995 yards in total offense, 3,679 yards passing and 316 yards rushing. This offensive effort also concluded with Tulsa outscoring their opponents 823-690 in regular season play. The Talons totaled 745 yards in offense and outscored their postseason opponents 179-130 on their way to winning the 2003 ArenaCup. During his three years with Tulsa, Foster made history when he led his team to the National Conference Central Division Championship for two straight seasons and won the ArenaCup in 2003. Foster was the only af2 coach to go undefeated at home over three consecutive regular seasons.

Foster compiled a record of 82-39-2 at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas before moving to the Talons. Foster played for six Conference Championships during his 12 seasons as the head coach of the Red Ravens. In 1990, Foster led Coffeyville to a National Championship and an undefeated season. He was selected as Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Coach of the Year in both 1990 and 1991.

After serving as an assistant to his father, Dick Foster, for four seasons at Coffeyville, Skip took over the head coaching duties where Dick won a National Championship in 1983. They are the only father/son pair in the National Junior College Athletic Association to win a national championship at the same school. Skip played football for his father from 1979-1980 at Coffeyville. A graduate of Missouri Western State College, Foster earned a Bachelor of Science in Education.

Tim Marcum
Tampa Bay Storm
Head Coach / General Manager / Director of Football Operations

It's only fitting that the Arena Football League's top coach lead the league's most storied franchise. Legendary AFL head coach Tim Marcum coached in his ninth season as head coach of the Tampa Bay Storm in 2003 and his 15th overall as an AFL head coach.

A charter member of the Arena Football League Hall of Fame, Marcum is the winningest head coach in Arena Football history. He enters the 2004 season having won seven ArenaBowl championships and has coached in ten of the league's 17 ArenaBowls. Marcum is the only coach in Arena Football history to lead three different teams to ArenaBowl championships (Denver, Detroit, and Tampa Bay), and is the AFL career coaching leader in victories (158), winning percentage (.742), games coached (213), and postseason victories (25).

A two-time recipient of the AFL Coach of the Year Award (1987 and 1998), Marcum has overseen the Tampa Bay Storm's development into the league's flagship franchise while accumulating a 103-43 overall record in Tampa Bay. His Tampa Bay teams have earned nine straight playoff berths, winning three championships.

Marcum honed his football skills while playing quarterback at McMurry University under head coach Grant Teaff. A starting quarterback for the Indians in 1965 and 1966, Marcum held for many years the school record for yards in a game with 328. Marcum, who transferred to McMurry in the fall of 1963 from Texas A&M, was a 2001 inductee into the McMurry University Athletic Hall of Honor.

LAST WEEK

WRANGLERS WIN INAUGURAL PERFORMANCE WITH 49-48 OVERTIME VICTORY IN ORLANDO


The Austin Wranglers upset their division-rival Orlando Predators in their inaugural AFL appearance. The game was kept close throughout with an MVP performance by QB John Kaleo going 28-39 for 307 yards and an interception. Kaleo connected with WR/DB Charlie Davidson 13 times for 151 yards, WR/LB Darryl Hammond seven times for 53 yards and OS Shannon Culver five times for 51 yards. Defensively, the Wranglers were lead by DS Cedric Walker who accumulated eight total tackles on the evening and linemen Tom Briggs and Eric Thomas who each collected one sack with a total loss of six yards. The Wranglers answered the Predators on each score and ended up on top after a dramatic overtime victory.

The Wranglers first offensive possession of the game ended with a fumble recovered by Orlando. However, Wranglers FB/LB Patrise Alexander recovered an Orlando fumble on the ensuing drive. The Orlando defense stepped in again with an interception of a Kaleo pass intended for Culver, which the Predators offense converted to a touchdown. The Wranglers answered with their first scoring drive of the game. Kaleo hit Davidson three times for 46 yards and a touchdown on the drive. Dodson's point-after attempt was good and left the Wranglers only one touchdown behind at the end of the first quarter with a score of 14-7.

The second quarter began with a quick touchdown by Orlando which the Wranglers answered with a 40-yard scoring drive of their own highlighted by a 19-yard reception by Briggs that put the Wranglers in the red-zone. Kaleo ran the ball in one yard for the score. Dodson's PAT kept the Wranglers just one touchdown away from the Predators, 21-17.

Orlando again answered with a touchdown after they were put on the spot with a third-down brought about by a Briggs sack for a loss of five yards leaving the score 28-17. However, the Wranglers marched down the field and answered on a seven-play scoring drive culminated by a four-yard Kaleo pass to Culver on third-and-goal. After a missed field goal by Orlando, the Predators maintained a 28-21 lead at halftime.

The Wranglers received the ball at the beginning of the third quarter and opened the half with a fiery performance from Kaleo, who found Davidson and Hammond twice each on consecutive attempts. Alexander capped off the drive by pounding into the endzone on a one-yard rushing touchdown. After Dodson's extra point, the score stood tied at 28.

Orlando answered with Hamilton completing another deep passing play to Fleming for a touchdown. However, the quick score put the Wranglers offense back to work with a 27-yard drive that tied the game again. Kaleo shot Davidson and Culver the ball for 17 total yards and OL/DL Jeremy Beutler rushed the ball for seven yards before Kaleo completed a three-yard scoring pass to Davidson, which again, tied the game at 35 after Dodson's extra point.

Upon completing a nine-play scoring drive taking the game into the fourth quarter, Orlando scored on a rushing touchdown by FB/LB Rupert Grant giving the Predators the lead only temporarily. The Wranglers answered again with a drive to tie the score at 42. Highlighted by at 22-yard pass to Davidson, Kaleo found Hammond in the endzone on third-and-goal who came down with the ball after a spectacular leap over the Predator defender to make the scoring catch. Dodson's kick completed the drive, putting the Wranglers defense in motion. The unit held the Predators to fourth-and-goal leading to a missed field goal attempt by Predator kicker Jay Taylor. The Wranglers took over at their own five-yard line and, after converting on a critical fourth down with a 22-yard Kaleo pass to Culver, ended regulation with a 36-yard missed field goal.

The overtime period started with a five-play scoring drive for the Wranglers who took their first lead in the game. Kaleo completed two passes to Davidson for eight and 17 yards respectively before finding Hammond for a 10-yard touchdown reception. Dodson's point-after left the Wranglers ahead by seven. Orlando answered with a scoring drive and attempted a two-point conversion that was ruled unsuccessful after Hamilton stepped out of bounds before making into the endzone.

The Tampa Bay Storm lost to the Georgia Force, 70-62.

WEEK TWO STATISTICAL COMPARISON

AUS TB
First Downs 21 19
Net Yards Rushing 29 13
Net Yards Passing 293 292
Total Offensive Plays 57 42
Total Net Yards 322 305
Third-Down Conversions 6/11 2/4
Forth-Down Conversions 3/3 0/2
Red-Zone Scores-Chances 6/7 3/5

WRANGLERS TO WATCH

QB JOHN KALEO – This ten-year veteran proved he still has what it takes opening the 2004 season against Orlando passing for 307 yards for five touchdowns, which boosted his career totals to 22,364 yards and 350 touchdowns. He also earned the Most Valuable Player award for the game. This week will prove interesting for Kaleo since he played his last four seasons at Tampa Bay. While with the Storm, he broke the single-season record for completions, attempts, passing yards and touchdowns in 2003, finishing the season with 316 completions for 4,188 yards and 75 touchdowns.

WR/DB CHARLIE DAVIDSON – This two-way player began his tenth season with an impressive offensive start in week two with 13 catches for 151 yards and two touchdowns. This puts his career total at 4,212 yards and 78 touchdowns. He rushed the ball three times for a gain of eight yards total and gained 51 yards on two kickoff returns bringing his total all-purpose yards to 210 for the game. Davidson made three solo stops during the game at defensive back. This Austin native promises an exciting outing for this third week of the season.

DS CEDRIC WALKER – This native of Lufkin, Texas opened the 2004 season leading the Wranglers in tackles registering eight tackles, seven solo. As a nine-year veteran, Walker has now accumulated 478 tackles, 406 solo. Despite and injury that limited his playing time in 2003, Walker led the Chicago Rush in tackles for the second straight season with 56.5 and reached a career-total 470 tackles, the fourth in AFL history.

STORM TO WATCH

QB SHANE STAFFORD—After a successful 2003 season with the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe, Stafford returns for his third AFL season with the Storm. In 2002, after taking over for the injured, then-Storm QB John Kaleo, Stafford completed 203 passes for 2,164 yards with 39 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 12 games. With Kaleo now playing for the Wranglers, Stafford went 24-34 with one interception and eight touchdowns while rushing for one of his own in his second game at the helm of the Storm.

OS FREDDIE SOLOMON—Solomon ended 2003, his first full season in the AFL making a dent in the Storm's record books. He caught 106 passes for 1,553 yards and 28 touchdowns, setting the Storm single-season records for receptions and receiving yards. Solomon finished the regular season with 2,805 all-purpose yards, coming up just 23 yards shy of the team single-season record in that category. Solomon caught five touchdowns in week two while catching eight passes for 119 yards.

WR/DB ANTOINE "T.T." TOLIVER—Entering his third AFL season with the Storm, Toliver played in the final four games of the regular season for the Storm in 2003, finishing offensively with eight catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns. He returned 11 kickoffs for 264 yards, an average of 24.0 yards per return. His 2003 defensive performance concluded with 12 tackles, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery. Week two brought about a four-reception, tackle performance. Toliver gained 55 receiving yards for the Storm with one touchdown and added one pass breakup defensively.

AUSTIN WRANGLERS SINGLE-GAME AND SEASON TICKETS

The Austin Wranglers have released single-game tickets for the team's 2004 inaugural season. Tickets are available for as little as $8 through Texas Box Office by calling 477.6060, logging on to www.texasboxoffice.com, visiting the Frank Erwin Center's Red River box office Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., or visiting any HEB grocery store.

Season tickets and group tickets are still available through the Wranglers ticket office by calling 233.7800. Fans that purchased season tickets prior to January 22, are scheduled to receive their tickets via express delivery by February 15. All fans that purchased a season ticket package after that date can pick their tickets up at the Erwin Center Red River box office with photo identification after February 10.

2004 AUSTIN WRANGLERS SCHEDULE

Week Date Opponent Time/Results
1 BYE
2 Friday, February 13 @ Orlando Predators W 48-49
3 Sunday, February 22 TAMPA BAY STORM 2:00 p.m.
4 Friday, February 27 @ Colorado Crush 8:00 p.m.
5 Sunday, March 7 CAROLINA COBRAS 2:00 p.m.
6 Sunday, March 14 INDIANA FIREBIRDS 2:00 p.m.
7 Thursday, March 18 @ Detroit Fury 6:30 p.m.
8 Sunday, March 28 PHILADELPHIA SOUL 2:00 p.m.
9 Saturday, April 3 @ Los Angeles Avengers 9:30 p.m.
10 Sunday, April 11 GEORGIA FORCE 2:00 p.m.
11 Sunday, April 18 @ Tampa Bay Storm 2:00 p.m.
12 Sunday, April 25 NEW ORLEANS VOODOO 2:00 p.m.
13 Saturday, May 1 @ Grand Rapids Rampage 6:30 p.m.
14 Sunday, May 9 DALLAS DESPERADOS 2:00 p.m.
15 Sunday, May 16 ORLANDO PREDATORS 2:00 p.m.
16 Sunday, May 23 @ Georgia Force 2:00 p.m.
17 Sunday, May 30 @ New Orleans Voodoo 3:00 p.m.

GAMES IN ALL CAPS ARE HOME GAMES PLAYED
AT THE FRANK ERWIN CENTER
All game times and locations are subject to change



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from February 17, 2004


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