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Carolina Cobras game notes

March 16, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Carolina Cobras News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Carolina Cobras (2-4) vs. Tampa Bay Storm (2-4)
Date: March 21, 2004
Kickoff: 3:00 p.m.
Site: Charlotte Coliseum (12,229)
Officials: Tom McCabe (Referee), Matt Jordan (Umpire), Neil Brunner (Head Linesman), Bob McElwee (Line Judge), Joe Duncan (Back Judge)
Series Record: Tampa Bay leads 5-2
Coaches: Carolina: John Gregory (10th season, 66-48)
Tampa Bay: Tim Marcum (16th season, 135-51)

THE SERIES: Tampa Bay leads the all-time series 5-2
Tampa Bay 45, at Carolina 38 (OT), April 11, 2003
Tampa Bay 60, vs. Carolina 20, January 31, 2003
Carolina 49, at Tampa Bay 45, May 25, 2002
Carolina 46, vs. Tampa Bay 36, May 4, 2002
Tampa Bay 58, vs. Carolina 51 (OT), June 1, 2001
Tampa Bay 72, at Carolina 69, July 21, 2000
Tampa Bay 50, vs. Carolina 29, May 4, 2000

THE IFs: If the Cobras defeat the Storm it would:
...Snap the Cobras 16-game home losing streak.
...Give the Cobras the first win at the Charlotte Coliseum.
...Snap the Cobras four-game overall losing streak.

COBRAS LAST WEEK: The Carolina Cobras dropped their fourth straight contest as the Dallas Desperados won in convincing fashion, 77-52, in a battle between Eastern Conference foes at the Charlotte Coliseum. Dallas' offense was led by former Carolina quarterback Glen Gauntt, who completed 16-of-24 passes for 307 yards six touchdowns on the night, while Carolina was led by the arm of Matt Nagy, who finished the game 19-of-27 passing for 224 yards and six touchdowns.

STORM LAST WEEK: The Tampa Bay Storm saw their furious fourth quarter rally come up just short, as Terrance Joseph broke up a Pat O'Hara pass in the end zone on the final play of the game to preserve a 40-35 New York Dragons victory Sunday afternoon at the St. Pete Times Forum. O'Hara was 25-of-49 for 264 yards and three touchdowns in his first start ever for the Storm. Lawrence Samuels was the leading receiver for Tampa Bay, catching eight passes for 103 yards.

CAROLINA COBRAS (2-4)
Date Opponent Time Result Score
Feb. 8 at Dallas 3:00 W 67-41
Feb. 13 at Columbus 7:00 W 54-53
Feb. 21 ARIZONA 7:30 L 38-45
Feb. 28 ORLANDO 7:30 L 43-59
Mar. 7 at Austin 3:00 L 55-56
Mar. 13 DALLAS 7:30 L 52-77
Mar. 21 TAMPA BAY 3:00
Mar. 27 at New Orleans 8:00
Apr. 4 NEW YORK 3:00
Apr. 11 at Indiana 3:00
Apr. 17 PHILADELPHIA 7:30
May 1 COLUMBUS 7:30
May 8 at New York 7:00
May 15 at Philadelphia 7:30
May 22 GRAND RAPIDS 7:30
May 30 at Georgia 4:00

TAMPA BAY STORM (2-4)
Date Opponent Time Result Score
Feb. 8 ORLANDO 3:00 W 52-41
Feb. 13 GEORGIA 7:30 L 62-70
Feb. 22 at Austin 3:00 L 48-56
Feb. 29 PHILADELPHIA 3:00 W 40-37
Mar. 7 at New Orleans 12:00 L 43-55
Mar. 14 NEW YORK 12:00 L 35-40
Mar. 21 at Carolina 3:00
Mar. 27 at Georgia 7:00
Apr. 4 SAN JOSE 12:00
Apr. 11 at Chicago 3:00
Apr. 18 AUSTIN 3:00
Apr/ 25 at Columbus 12:00
May 2 at Orlando 3:00
May 9 LOS ANGELES 3:00
May 23 NEW ORLEANS 3:00
May 30 at Dallas 4:00

THIS WEEK'S AFL SCHEDULE:
Thursday Austin @ Detroit 7:30 p.m.
New Orleans @ Arizona 9:00 p.m.
Saturday Georgia @ Indiana 7:00 p.m.
Columbus @ New York 7:00 p.m.
Las Vegas @ San Jose 10:30 p.m.
Sunday Los Angeles @ Dallas 4:00 p.m.
Orlando @ Chicago 12:00 p.m. Colorado @ Philadelphia 12:00 p.m.
HEAD COACHES: A two-time Arena Football League Coach of the Year, John Gregory (66-48) guided the Iowa Barnstormers/New York Dragons franchise to two ArenaBowl berths and four Central Division titles in his nine seasons from 1995 to 2003. He ranks among the all-time coaching leaders in AFL history with 72 career wins (6th), 126 games coached (5th) and six postseason victories (5th). His teams have qualified for the playoffs six times and advanced to the ArenaBowl twice (1996, 1997). Gregory was named AFL Coach of the Year in 1995 and 1996. Gregory's offenses have averaged 52.8 points per game over his career. His 2001 club in New York set an AFL scoring record with 64.1 points per outing, including a league-record 99 points on July 7, 2001 against the Cobras.

Tim Marcum is a charter member of the AFL Hall of Fame and currently ranks as the league's all-time leader in total victories (160), winning percentage (.734), games coached (218) and postseason victories (25). Entering his 10th season with the Storm, and 16th overall, Marcum has earned AFL Coach of the Year honors on two occasions en route to seven ArenaBowl victories in 10 championship game appearances. He directed the Detroit Drive to titles in 1988, 1989 and 1992 before joining the Storm in 1995. Since, he has led Tampa Bay to three championships and nine consecutive playoff appearances.

COBRAS-STORM LAST MEETING:
Tampa Bay 45, at Carolina 38 (OT)
April 11, 2003 – Charlotte Coliseum (6,121)
Top Passer: John Kaleo 25-38-0 332 (TD)
Top Rusher: Andre Bowden 7-20 (4 TD)
Top Receiver: Freddie Solomon 9-131
Carolina forced Tampa Bay to overtime before losing a 45-38 heartbreaker to the Southern Division leaders at the Charlotte Coliseum. The Storm's eighth consecutive victory extended the Cobras' winless streak to 11 games. Tampa Bay quarterback John Kaleo completed 25-of-38 passes for 332 yards and a score, while Andre Bowden added four rushing touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime. Bernard Holmes led the Cobras with seven receptions for 70 yards and two touchdowns. He finished the game with 200 all-purpose yards, his eighth straight game with 200 or more all-purpose yards.

COBRAS NEXT WEEK:The Cobras travel to square off with former Carolina head coach Mike Neu and the expansion New Orleans VooDoo. Neu directed the Cobras for their final two seasons in Raleigh (2001-2002), including the club's last playoff victory. The VooDoo roster contains a number of former Cobras, including OS Aaron Bailey, FB/LB Jason Bratton, QB John Fitzgerald and WR/LB Kerry Hayes.



TALE OF THE TAPE: Here's how Carolina and Tampa Bay match up after six weeks of play.

Statistical CAROLINA TAMPA BAY
Category Rank Stat Rank Stat
Scoring Offense 51.5 6th 46.7 12th
Scoring Defense 55.2 18th 49.8 14th
Total Offense 254.7 9th 265.0 6th
Total Defense 283.3 19th 226.8 3rd
Pass Offense 242.7 9th 249.3 5th
Pass Defense 262.3 19th 214.2 4th
Run Offense 12.0 17th 15.7 13th
Run Defense 21.0 9th 12.7 2nd

LEAGUE LEADERS: The following players rank among the league leaders after five weeks of action in 2004.
Player Stat Total Rank
Matt Nagy Pass Attempts 191 6th
Pass Comp. 133 2nd
Pass Yards 1457 4th
Pass TDs 32 T-4th
Todd Doxzon Receptions 49 3rd
Rec. Yards 579 2nd
Rec. TDs 13 3rd
Scoring 80 5th
Damien Groce Scoring 78 6th
Rec. TDs 11 T-8th
KOR Avg. 19.6 12th
Rob Bironas Scoring (kick) 47 4th
Travis Reece Rushing Yards 52 12th
Damon Mason Tackles 43.0 2nd

COBRAS MILESTONES:
WR/DB Damien Groce needs:
• 380 receiving yards to reach 1,500

WR/DB Jarrick Hillery needs:
• 210 receiving yards 2,500
• 17 receiving TDs for 50
• 9 rush attempts for 100
• 46 tackles for 200

OL/DL Otis Moore needs:
• 3.0 tackles for 125
• 2.5 sacks for 20

FB/LB Travis Reece needs:
• 9 rush attempts for 150
• 48 rushing yards for 500

OL/DL Robert Stewart needs:
• .5 sack for 40

WR/LB Sir Mawn Wilson needs:
• 8 receptions for 100
• 8 receiving yards for 1,000


COBRAS IN AFL HISTORY:
Player Rank Category Stat
Rickey Foggie 9th pass attempts 2,416
10th pass completions 1,357
10th pass yards 16,989
10th pass TDs 306
Damon Mason 3rd tackles 539.0
3rd forced fumbles 19
Otis Moore 10th tackles for loss 15.5
6th forced fumbles 12
Robert Stewart 3rd sacks 39.5

SNAKE BITES:
Home Not So Sweet: The Cobras have yet to secure a victory in for the fans of Charlotte. The team remains winless in 11 contests since its relocation from Raleigh following the 2002 season. Overall, Carolina has dropped an AFL-record 16 consecutive home contests. Their last home victory came against the Tampa Bay Storm on May 4, 2002 (46-36).

New Sheriff in Town: Following the Cobras recent four-game losing streak, former Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator John Gregory was announced as the team's head coach and director of football operations on Monday. Gregory previously spent nine seasons at the helm of the New York Dragons/Iowa Barnstormers franchise and has directed some of the most prolific offensive teams in AFL history.

Team Yr Rec. Pts Avg
New York 2001 8-6 898 64.1*
Iowa 1997 11-3 803 57.4
Iowa 2000 9-5 797 56.9
Iowa 1999 11-3 750 53.6
*denotes AFL record

Hitting the Skids: Following a promising 2-0 start to the 2004 campaign, the Cobras have fallen on hard time as of late, dropping four straight contests. Following is a comparison between the two stretches.

Team First 2 Last 4
Points Scored 60.5 47.0
Points Allowed 47.0 59.3
Pass Yards 289.0 218.8
Pass Yards Allowed 247.0 283.3
Turnover Margin +7 -3

M.A.S.H. Unit: The Cobras have been hard hit by injuries, losing OL/DL Kendrick Gholston and OL/DL Wes Stephens to season-ending injuries in the team's last two contests. The team has also missed DS Glenn Davis and linemen Yusuf Scott and Sean Tremblay for short periods of time early in the season.


Pace Setter: OS Todd Doxzon has been the Cobras most productive receivers early in the 2004 campaign and is on pace to shatter many of the franchise's single-season receiving records. Thus far, he ranks second in the league with 49 receptions and fourth with 579 yards. Following is how he would stack up with the top pass catchers in Carolina's five-year history if he continues on his current pace.

Player Rc Yds TD Pts
T. Doxzon (2004) (131) (1544) (35) (213)
B. Holmes (2003) 83 995 16 120*
A. Bailey (2002) 89* 1102* 18 118
A. Bailey (2001) 61 915 19* 116
*denotes single-season record

ArenaBowl X Revisited: John Gregory and Tim Marcum have met up many times in their storied careers, but no meeting was as important than in 1996 when Marcum led the Storm against Gregory's Iowa Barnstormers in ArenaBowl X. Marcum was victorious in the contest, as the Storm batted down a pass attempt from Kurt Warner on fourth-and-goal to preserve a 42-38 win.

Third Down Blues: The Cobras have struggled from both sides of the ball on third down. Thus far, Carolina has converted 18-of-36 (50%) third down attempts, while their opponents have converted 25-of-38 chances (66%). Their defense rating ranks last in the AFL.

Start Your Engines: The outcome of the contest may be decided in the first quarter. Through six games, the Cobras have outscored their opponents by 17 points in the first frame, while the Storm have been out-gunned by 21 points. However, if Tampa Bay gets the upper-hand after one quarter, it could spell trouble for the Cobras, who have won only three of 32 games in team history when they trailed after the first stanza.

Leader of the Pack: Perennial AFL standout DS Damon Mason has paid immediate dividends in his first season with the Cobras. Named as the ADT Defensive Player of the Game in each of the first three games, Mason currently ranks second in the league with 44.0 tackles. He has registered three of the top four single-season tackle totals in AFL history and ranks third all-time with 545.0 career tackles.

Player Yr UA A Total
Cornelius Coe (IND) 2001 102 39 121.5
Damon Mason (ORL) 2000 100 16 108.0
Damon Mason (ORL) 1999 90 26 103.0
Damon Mason (ORL) 2001 87 28 101.0


Heartbreaker: The Cobras were defeated in devastating fashion on their trip to Austin on March 7, as Wranglers' head coach Skip Foster gambled - and won - on a risky two-point conversion call. After a John Kaleo to Tacoma Fountaine touchdown with no time on the clock left Austin down by one point, the Wranglers elected to go for two points and the victory. Kaleo was able to find Shannon Culver in the flat for the conversion and the 56-55 win.

Comeback: In the Cobras' come-from-behind victory over the Columbus Destroyers on February 13, Carolina outscored their opponent 13-3 in the final quarter and 20-3 in the final 16 minutes of the game. It was only the second victory in 35 games in which the team trailed entering the final quarter.

Streak Buster: The Cobras put an end to a franchise and league record 17-game losing streak with their victory in the season opener on Saturday, February 8 at Dallas. The Cobras 26-point margin of victory (67-41) was the largest in Desperados' history.

Have We Met?: The Cobras have experienced a very dramatic makeover following the disappointments of the 2003 season. Only two players from last year's squad will be on the field in the fifth week of 2004, OL/DL Robert Stewart and 2003 Team MVP Bernard Holmes. Of the 21 remaining players on the active roster, 20 were signed as free agents. The only player not acquired in the free agency frenzy was QB Matt Nagy, who joined the Cobras via trade from the New York Dragons in exchange for OL/DL Tim McGill.

Head South Young Man: Joining Gregory in making the move to Charlotte are six former New York Dragons. OS Todd Doxzon, WR/DB Damien Groce, QB Matt Nagy and OL/DL Sean Tremblay all spent the 2003 season in the Big Apple, while OL/DL Cory Stone and WR/LB Jack Walker Jr. previously spent time with Gregory in the Nassau Coliseum. OL/DL Robert Stewart appeared in 28 games with the Dragons in 2001 and 2002.

Experienced Linemen: The Cobras boast one of the most experienced starting offensive/defensive lines in the entire AFL. Otis Moore, Robert Stewart and Cory Stone have appeared in 298 career games over a combined 29 seasons of play. The starting group, along with six-year veteran OL/DL Sean Tremblay, will look to provide leadership to a line that also includes three first-year AFL players and one second-year player.

Lineman Exp Games Teams
Otis Moore* 11 122 7
Robert Stewart* 11 126 6
Sean Tremblay 7 64 3
Cory Stone* 6 50 5
COBRAS PLAYERS TO WATCH:
QB Matt Nagy: The second-year quarterback has made an immediate impact in his first season with the Cobras, accounting for 35 touchdowns through six weeks of play. Overall, Nagy has completed 133-of-191 passes for 1,457 yards and 32 scores. He earned AFL Offensive Player of the Week honors after passing for 282 yards and accounting for seven touchdowns in the Cobras' season-opening victory at Dallas (2/8/03). Prior to missing the 2003 season with a knee injury, Nagy enjoyed a successful 2002 campaign with the New York Dragons, completing 88 of 140 passes for 1,025 yards and 25 touchdowns in four starts.

OS Todd Doxzon: Doxzon continues to show the knack for finding the end zone that made him a valuable commodity in the offseason free agent market. He has accounted for 13 touchdown receptions this season and leads the team with 49 receptions for 579 yards. The former Iowa State standout has reeled in a career-high 10 receptions in three of the first six contests of the 2004 season. In 36 career games he has posted 54 touchdown catches.

WR/DB Damien Groce: Groce has emerged as a dangerous weapon as a receiver, rusher and kick returner this season. In six games, he has 32 catches for 359 yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns, including the game-winning score in the Cobras come-from-behind win at Columbus. He also added a seven-yard TD run against Austin (3/7) and a 56-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the club's loss to Arizona (2/21).

DS Damon Mason: The six-year AFL veteran earned ADT Defensive Player of the Game honors in each of the Cobras first three games of the 2004 season. He currently ranks second in the league with 44.0 tackles on the year, including a season high 10.5 takedowns in Carolina's win at Columbus (2/21). Mason ranks third in league history with 545.0 career tackles.


FAMILIAR FACES: Carolina Defensive Coordinator Ron Selesky served as the director of player personnel and assistant coach for Tampa Bay from 1997 to 1999...FB/LB Sir Mawn Wilson spent three seasons (2000-2002) with the Storm, seeing action in 20 games...WR/DB Tramain Jones saw action in six games for the Cobras in 2003, recording 8.5 tackles and 13 catches for 169 yards...FB/LB Andre Bowden spent the 2002 season with Carolina.


STORM PLAYERS TO WATCH:
OS Freddie Solomon: Solomon has racked up touchdowns at an alarming rate early in the 2004 season. Through six games, the second-year receiver has compiled 17 receiving touchdowns and 19 overall. Ranked second on the team with 36 catches for 421 yards, Solomon leads the league with 114 total points scored. In his rookie season in 2003, Solomon set Storm single-season records with 106 receptions for 1,553 yards and 28 scores.

WR/LB Lawrence Samuels: A 10-year veteran of the AFL, Samuels currently leads the Storm with 38 receptions for 421 yards on the year. He has also added 10.0 tackles and an interception on defense. Named as Game MVP and Ironman of the Game in Tampa Bay's ArenaBowl XVII victory, Samuels ranks at or near the top of the franchise list in all major offensive categories.

FB/LB David White: Entering his third season in Tampa Bay, White heads the Storm's rushing corps, posting a team-high 58 yards and four touchdowns. The University of Nebraska alum led the team in rushing in 2003 with 107 yards and 11 scores, while adding 2.5 sacks on defense.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS:
March 2: Activated WR/DB Bernard Holmes and OL/DL Yusuf Scott from injured list and placed DS Glenn Davis on injured list. Waived OL/DL DeAngelo Lloyd and signed OL/DL Bryan Ray from practice squad.

March 4: OL/DL DeAngelo Lloyd signed to practice squad.

March 10: OL/DL Kendrick Gholston placed on injured reserve list.

INJURY UPDATES: OL/DL Wes Stephens suffered a season-ending leg injury in loss vs. Dallas...OL/DL Kendrick Gholston was placed on injured reserve after suffering an ACL injury in loss at Austin...WR/DB Lenzie Jackson remains out with a knee injury...DS Glenn Davis was placed on IR after suffering a neck injury versus Orlando.

COBRAS INJURY REPORT:
Pos. Name Injury Status
K Rob Bironas Head Quest.
OS Todd Doxzon Knee Quest.
OL/DL Sean Tremblay Calf Doubtful
OL/DL Wes Stephens Leg IR
OL/DL Kendrick Gholston Knee IR
DS Glenn Davis Neck IR
WR/DB Lenzie Jackson Knee IR


AFL STANDINGS
National Conference
EASTERN Win Loss Tie PF PA
Dallas 5 1 0 342 295
New York 3 3 0 297 278
Philadelphia 3 3 0 270 255
Carolina 2 4 0 309 331
Columbus 1 5 0 259 317

SOUTHERN Win Loss Tie PF PA
New Orleans 5 1 0 268 250
Georgia 4 2 0 310 307
Austin 3 2 0 237 252
Orlando 3 2 0 242 234
Tampa Bay 2 4 0 280 299

American Conference
CENTRAL Win Loss Tie PF PA
Chicago 4 1 0 267 218
Colorado 4 2 0 267 295
Detroit 2 3 0 217 221
Indiana 1 5 0 261 269
Grand Rapids 0 6 0 195 332

WESTERN Win Loss Tie PF PA
San Jose 4 1 0 286 228
Los Angeles 3 2 0 268 234
Arizona 3 3 0 290 285
Las Vegas 3 3 0 303 268

BABY RUTH OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Wk Player Team
1 Matt Nagy CAR
2 Cornelius White CMB
3 Sherdrick Bonner ARI
4 Joe Hamilton ORL
5 John Kaleo AUS
6 Glen Gauntt DAL

ARMY IRONMAN OF THE GAME:
Wk Player Team
1 Travis Reece CAR
2 Wilkie Bazile CMB
3 Tom Pace ARI
4 James Bowden ORL
5 Charlie Davidson AUS
6 Will Pettis DAL

ADT DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Wk Player Team
1 Damon Mason CAR
2 Damon Mason CAR
3 Damon Mason CAR
4 Jermaine Smith ORL
5 Charlie Davidson AUS
6 Henry Taylor DAL
THE COBRAS THIS SEASON ARE:

0-3 at home
2-1 on the road

2-1 vs. Eastern Division
0-0 vs. Central Division
0-2 vs. Southern Division
0-1 vs. Western Division

1-0 on Friday
0-3 on Saturday
1-1 on Sunday

2-2 in February
0-2 in March
0-0 in April
0-0 in May

0-0 in televised games on NBC

1-3 when leading at the half
0-0 when tied at the half
1-1 when trailing at the half

1-1 when leading after 3 quarters
0-1 when tied after 3 quarters
1-2 when trailing after 3 quarters

0-1 outcome 7 points or less
1-1 outcome 3 points or less
0-0 overtime games

2-1 when the Cobras score first
0-3 when opponent scores first



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 16, 2004


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