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Brigade ends first week of camp with eye on scrimmage

February 12, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Kansas City Brigade News Release


Kansas City, Mo. (Feb. 12) - The pace of practice slowed down last Friday as the first week of the Brigade's 2007 training camp concluded. Head coach Kevin Porter let the team work at less than full speed, partly as a reward for enduring four straight two-a-days, but also as a precaution. Porter wants his players fresh for Tuesday night's scrimmage against the Utah Blaze at Kemper Arena.

The Brigade is now less than a month away from its nationally televised home opener on March 4 against the defending ArenaBowl champion Chicago Rush. However, roster changes continue as Porter and his staff seeks to maintain a competitive camp. The most notable move was the release of quarterback Chris Sanders, a starter for eight games in 2006. Wide receiver Talman Gardner and lineman Stan Primus were waived, and lineman Jamaar Ward and defensive back Rob Carey were placed in injured reserve. The team added linebacker Joseph Oniwor, wide receivers Donald Hayes and Anthony Bright, and linemen Derrick Worford and Chris Cook.

Highlighting the early stages of camp is the three-headed competition at quarterback. Ray Philyaw, a late-season acquisition in 2006, was named the starter before camp. However, AFL veteran Michael Bishop and former NFL quarterback Jonathan Quinn are playing well. Porter is pleased with the play of his three signal callers and said that Philyaw is still the frontrunner for the job.

"We need him to continue to progress," Porter said. "He obviously has the most experience right now and he is doing a really good job."

Philyaw enjoys the competition, citing Bishop as a playmaker and Quinn as being in more of the "new guy" role, still learning the game. Philyaw is still getting into a rhythm of sorts himself. Arena Football's all-time leader in touchdown-to-interception ratio (9-1), Philyaw sat out most of last season after leading the Chicago Rush to the 2005 American Conference championship game.

"No matter who is here I want them to make sure they could step up if something was to happen to me," Philyaw said.

The Brigade finished its 2006 inaugural season with a 3-13 record, but the team had no cause to feel down in the off-season. Porter revamped his entire coaching staff, hiring four new assistants, including offensive coordinator Chris Siegfried, the most successful coach in arenafootball2 history.

The staff, with the blessing of co-owner Neil Smith and the front office, made a statement in free agency. Eight AFL free agents joined the Brigade and 16 other new players were brought in to compete for starting jobs and turn around the franchise's fortunes for its second year.

"There are a lot of new guys that are showing they want to be here and as long as they work hard there is nothing more you can ask for," Byron Douzart, who returns as a starting linebacker, said.

However, not all of the new faces are unproven players. As defensive end B.J. Cohen points out, the Brigade has a veteran at every position, including defensive back DaShane Dennis, defensive end Chris Demaree, fullback Robert Thomas, and linemen Donny Klein, Dan Koons, and Larrell Johnson.

"We have guys here that have been to ArenaBowls and won ArenaBowls and they are going to lead us into the right direction," said Cohen, a champion with the Tampa Bay Storm and the Orlando Predators, where he played with new teammate Kenny McIntyre.

One of the team's many new faces is kicker Clay Rush, an eight-year veteran who kicked the game-winning field goal for the Colorado Crush in ArenaBowl XIX. He is anxious to kick off the Brigade's next campaign, literally.

"We have been training for so long," Rush said. "I am ready for the season to start."

Two more weeks of training camp remain, in addition to the scrimmage against the Blaze and a Feb. 20 scrimmage against the Arizona Rattlers. Both teams will return to Kansas City as part of the schedule this season after the Brigade was realigned to the American Conference. The team's Central Division schedule featured the Rush, Crush, Nashville Kats and Grand Rapids Rampage.

While opening the season on a national stage against the defending champs does not cut the Brigade any early breaks, players such as Cohen love the challenge.

"That is the best opportunity the league could have given us," Cohen said. "We are coming from being the worst team and this game gives us a perfect opportunity to make a statement and raise some eyebrows."



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from February 12, 2007


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