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Cobras Game Notes

April 17, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Carolina Cobras News Release


Quick Facts:
Carolina Radio: WRBZ-850 AM (Gary Hahn, Tony Haynes)
Dallas Radio: KTCK-1310 AM (George Dunham, Greg Williams)
Carolina TV: None
Dallas TV: UPN 21; Dallas-Ft. Worth (Brad Sham, Michael Irvin)
Series Record: First Meeting
Coaches: Mike Neu (Carolina); 1st season; 0-1 career record; Joe Avezzano (Dallas), 1st season; 0-0
Officials: Referee: Bill Athan (3rd season, Western Athletic Conference); Umpire: Rick Nelson; Head Linesman: Tim Podroza; Line Judge: John Hussey; Back Judge: Rob Vernatchi

The Game

The Carolina Cobras host the expansion Dallas Desperados in the Arena Football League season-opener for both clubs this Saturday, April 20, 7 p.m. at the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Raleigh, N.C. Both teams are under the direction of first-year head coaches (Mike Neu, Carolina; Joe Avezzano, Dallas) looking for their first AFL win. The third-year Cobras have history on their side heading into Saturday's match-up against Dallas.

Carolina is 2-1 all-time against expansion teams and 1-1 all-time in season-openers. Dating back to 1997, the AFL has welcomed 10 expansion (non-relocated) teams (New Jersey '97, Nashville '97, New England '97, New York CityHawks '97, Grand Rapids '98, Buffalo '99, Carolina '00, Los Angeles '00, Detroit '01 and Chicago '01), which have gone a combined 2-8 (.200) in their first-ever games.

The Stakes

Carolina looks to open the 2002 regular season on a positive note with a non-conference win over the expansion Desperados from the American Conference Western Division. Over their short two-year history, Carolina is just 2-5 (.285) versus the American Conference, but 2-1 against the Western Division.

What's Next

Carolina opens Southern Division play with a road contest against the new Georgia Force, who moved from Nashville to Atlanta in the off-season. Kickoff is set for Friday, April 26, 7:30 p.m. at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Ga.

Cobras Last Week (preseason game #2)...Chicago 56, at Cobras 25

RALEIGH, N.C. (April 6, 2002)- The Chicago Rush used a fierce pass rush to derail the Carolina Cobras 56-25 in preseason action Saturday night at the Entertainment & Sports Arena. The Rush, who finished the night with four sacks, held the Cobras to just 137 yards of total offense. Quarterback Lance Funderburk started the game and finished 8 of 16 for 52 yards with an interception and a touchdown. Connell Maynor replaced Funderburk and completed 7 of 12 pass attempts for 61 yards and a score. Aaron Sparrow played most of the fourth quarter and connected on 6 of 11 passes for 48 yards and a touchdown. Offensive specialist Aaron Bailey led Carolina with seven catches for 54 yards and a touchdown. He also added a fumble recovery in the end zone for another score. Jamaal Garman added three grabs for 27 yards, and Rj Anderson (3 catches for 26 yards) and Carl Bond (2 for 18 yards) each added touchdown receptions in the loss, which dropped Carolina to 0-2 in the preseason. Chicago (1-0) quarterback Tim Carey was impressive in the win, connecting on 11 of 13 passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Stewart Patridge finished 5 of 9 for 86 yards with an interception, and rushed for a pair of touchdowns. Starter Billy Dicken finished 3 of 5 for 82 yards and two scores. Lindsay Fleshman led the Rush with four catches for 68 yards and a touchdown.

Team 1 2 3 4 Final
CHI 16 19 14 7 56
CAR 7 6 0 12 25

About the Cobras (0-0)

Carolina enters their third season in the AFL with hopes of winning an Arena Bowl championship. Last season the club qualified for the playoffs with a 7-7 overall record after struggling to a 3-11 finish during their inaugural season in 2000. Offensive specialist Aaron Bailey will be the go-to guy in 2002. Bailey led the club in receptions (61), receiving yards (915) and touchdowns (19), despite playing in just seven games in 2001. The Cobras also added some veteran leadership in the off-season, acquiring AFL vets WR/LB Cory Fleming (Nashville), QB Connell Maynor (New Jersey), FB/LB Andre Bowden (Tampa Bay), DS Kevin Gaines (Florida) and DS Clarence Lawson (Florida).

* Rookie WR/DB Jamaal Garman led the club with 12 catches for 150 yards and two TDs during the preseason

* Averaged 44.5 ppg and gave up 59.0 ppg. in two preseason loses

About the Desperados (0-0)

The scope of expansion franchises has changed over the past two seasons with the addition of free agency in the AFL. With the ability to sign experienced AFL veterans, expansion clubs can now become instant contenders (both Chicago and Detroit made the playoffs last season as expansion teams in the first year of free agency). The Desperados hope to ride the arm of free agent QB Andy Kelly in 2002. Kelly, an 8-year veteran of the AFL, spent the last five seasons as the starting quarterback for the Nashville Kats before signing a free agent deal with Dallas in the off-season. The Desperados also have veteran receivers in WR/DB Ben Bronson (Houston) and WR/LB Bernard Holmes (Florida). Rookie WR/LB Dialleo Burks has also been impressive in the preseason. The offensive/defensive line is anchored by AFL veteran Tom Briggs.

* Road Warriors...Dallas opens the regular season on the road after playing away from home in both of their preseason games. Actually, the Desperados won't play at home until week 3 (5/4 vs. LA). They open the season with back-to-back road games and play 3 of their first 4 and 5 of their first 7 games on the road.

* Finished the preseason 0-2 (56-52 loss at Tampa Bay; 44-36 loss at Arizona)

* The city of Dallas fielded an AFL team (Dallas Texans) from 1990-93

* Texans played in ArenaBowl IV as an expansion team in 1990, losing 51-27 to the Detroit Drive

The IF's...
* If Carolina wins it will give the Cobras a 1-0 mark to open the season for the second year in a row
* If Carolina wins it will give the Cobras an 8-7 all-time record at home
* If Carolina wins it will give the Cobras a 2-1 record on opening day
* If Cobras WR/LB Cory Fleming gets 81 receiving yards, he will surpass 5,000 career receiving yards
* If Dallas wins it will give the Desperados their first-ever franchise win

Cobras in the Preseason

Carolina dropped both of its preseason contests for the first time in franchise history. The Cobras opened the preseason with a 66-64 loss on the road at San Jose (3/29/02) and fell to the Chicago Rush 56-25 at home on April 6. The Cobras have been outscored 118-89 in the preseason.

Date Site Score W-L Att.
March 29, 2002 San Jose, CA San Jose 66, Carolina 64 L 8,344
April 6, 2002 Raleigh, NC Chicago 56, Carolina 25 L 7,367

Same Faces, Different Places...Connections

Cobras WR/DB Nick Ward graduated from Seagoville HS in Dallas...Carolina WR/LB Cory Fleming and Desperados OL/DL Shante Carver won a Super Bowl ring with the NFL Dallas Cowboys in 1996...Fleming and Cobras DS Robert Davis were also teammates with Desperados QB Andy Kelly and WR/DB Adrian Lunsford with the Nashville Kats in 2001...Cobras line coach Brennen Booth coached the Kats fullbacks/linebackers in '01...Fleming and Kelly were also teammates at the University of Tennessee...Cobras QB Aaron Sparrow played behind Kelly in Nashville in 1997, along with Cobras head coach Mike Neu...Neu became Kelly's quarterback coach in 1998 and offensive coordinator in 1999...Dallas WR/DB Rico Clark visited the Cobras late last season...He was a college teammate of Carolina OS Aaron Bailey at Louisville as well as a teammate with the NFL Indianapolis Colts...Dallas WR/LB Dialleo Burks spent time on the NFL Carolina Panthers roster in 2000...Cobras OL/DL Desmond Byrd, DS Clarence Lawson and WR/DB Nick Ward were teammates with Desperados WR/LB Bernard Holmes with the AFL's Florida Bobcats in 2001...Dallas WR/DB Adrian Lunsford (2000), OL/DL Patrick Scott (2001) and OL/DL Matt Norwood (2001) were all on the Cobras roster at some point...Dallas OL/DL Bernard Holsey and WR/DB Lamar Grant both attended Duke University in Durham, N.C...Desperados DS Hassan Shamsid-Deen went to N.C. State University in Raleigh, N.C...Dallas offensive coordinator Tom Luginbill was head coach of af2 Tennessee Valley Vipers in 2000, he was succeded by Cobras defensive coordinator Bret Munsey in Tennessee Valley...Luginbill coached against Neu (Augusta Stallions), as did Dallas line coach Joe Norris (Tulsa Talons in af2...Luginbill also served as special teams coach for the AFL Nashville Kats in 1999 and coached along side Neu on the Kats staff...Fleming as also on the Kats roster at the time...Desperados defensive coordinator Will McClay was the defensive coordinator for the Grand Rapids Rampage in 1998, the same season Cobras QB Aaron Sparrow was on the Rampage roster.

2002 Rule Changes

There are a few rule changes for the 2002 regular season:
* Kick returner may have one foot on the end line (out of bounds) when retrieving kickoffs and missed field goals off the end zone rebound net or the soft net
* On PAT attempts, if the kick is blocked and behind the line of scrimmage, the ball is live and can be recovered for a two-point conversion by either team. In the event that the ball is kicked, crosses the line of scrimmage and/or strikes any part of the goal system, whether deflected or not, it is whistled dead immediately.
* Free substitution (kicking team only) on all scrimmage kicks (field goals and PAT)
* Rush on Kicks...The four down linemen (must be helmet to helmet with the offense, excluding the center) may rush outside and may twist on PAT and field goal attempts

Carolina Cobras 2001 in Review

For the Carolina Cobras, their second season in the Arena Football League was a tale of two halves. The Cobras started the season 4-2 but finished the 2001 campaign on a sour note, losing 4 of their last 5 games. Their 7-7 regular season record was four wins better than their inaugural season (3-11) in 2000 and good enough to qualify the second-year club for their first-ever post-season berth. The roller coaster season took another unforeseen turn just three days before the club's first playoff appearance as head coach Doug Kay abruptly resigned. Mike Neu was appointed head coach and led the team in the playoffs against Indiana. Carolina entered the 2001 playoffs as the No. 12 seed and fell to the No. 5 seed Firebirds, 58-41, in the first round.

The Coaches...

Carolina: Mike Neu, 1st Season (0-1 overall; 0-0 reg. season; 0-1 playoffs), First-year head coach Mike Neu was promoted from Cobras offensive coordinator on July 26, 2001, just three days before the club's first-ever playoff game. Neu stepped in for Doug Kay, who abruptly resigned after leading the Cobras to a 7-7 regular season finish. Neu, a veteran of Arena Football, signed a three-year contract in September 2001. At age 31 (12/9/70), he is the youngest head coach in the Arena Football League. Prior to joining the Cobras as offensive coordinator in 2001, Neu served as head coach and director of football operations for the Augusta Stallions of af2. He led the Stallions to an overall record of 14-4, including a 13-3 regular season finish and was named af2 Coach of the Year. A standout quarterback at Ball State University, Neu played in the CFL and with the Orlando Predators and Nashville Kats of the AFL.

Dallas: Joe Avezzano, 1st Season (0-0) After establishing himself as one of the top assistant coaches in the NFL, Avezzano is making his Arena Football League debut this spring. Since joining the Cowboys in 1991, he has consistently produced high results with his special teams units, earning NFL Special Teams Coach of the Year honors three times. Before coming to Dallas, he coached collegiately at Texas A&M (1985-88), Oregon State (1980-84), Tennessee (1977-79), Pittsburgh (1973-76), Iowa State (1969-72) and Florida State (1968). Avezzano starred at guard for Florida State before being drafted by the Boston Patriots.

The Quarterbacks...

Carolina: Aaron Sparrow- A 2-year AFL veteran...Has been a back-up both seasons...Played behind Kelly in Nashville in 1997...Has seen game action only once in 1998 for the Grand Rapids Rampage, replacing QB Sparky McEwen in an 80-36 loss to Houston...Completed 13 of 16 passes for 172 with two TDs and an INT...Was a standout QB for Mike Neu with the af2 Augusta Stallions in 2000...Passed for 4,000 yards and 78 TDs...Connell Maynor- An 8-year veteran of the AFL...Played for the New Jersey Gladiators last season...Enjoyed his best season with the Orlando Predators in 2000...Guided the Preds to an ArenaBowl championship win over Andy Kelly and the Nashville Kats and earned ArenaBowl MVP honors...Holds a 2-2 head-to-head record against Kelly (1-2 regular season; 1-0 playoffs)...

Dallas: Andy Kelly- An 8-year veteran of the AFL...Has passed for 20,587 career yards with 382 touchdowns...Spent his first three years as a back-up with the Charlotte Rage...Led the Nashville Kats to back-to-back ArenaBowl appearances (2000 and 2001)...Passed for 2,699 yards (230 of 382) with 47 TDs and seven INTs...Holds a 2-0 record vs. Carolina (both wins with Nashville in 2000). Kelly's career numbers versus Carolina:
Date Team Comp. Att. Yds. TD INT Result
5/26/00 at Carolina 21 31 244 6 0 W, 60-28
6/23/00 vs. Carolina 27 35 292 4 0 W, 54-31
2-game Totals: 48 66 536 10 0 2-0 record

Cobras News & Notes...

Cobras vs. Expansion Teams...Carolina has had some success versus AFL expansion clubs over the past two seasons. The Cobras are 2-1 all-time versus first-year franchises. Here's a look at the Cobras recent results vs. expansion clubs:
Date Team Result
4/20/00 at Los Angeles Avengers W, 58-50
4/20/01 vs. Detroit Fury W, 79-52
4/28/01 at Chicago Rush L, 38-41

Let's Get it On...The Cobras are 1-1 in season-openers so far in their brief two-year history in Raleigh. Carolina opened their inaugural season in 2000 with a 61-53 loss to the Florida Bobcats (4/14/00) in front of their largest crowd in franchise history (14,123) and started the 2001 season with a 52-21 road win at New Jersey (4/14/01).

Home Sweet Home...Carolina has a 7-7 overall mark in two seasons at home in the Entertainment & Sports Arena, including an impressive 5-2 mark in 2001. Over 14 regular season games at home, the Cobras have averaged 54.5 ppg. at home compared to just 47.3 ppg. on the road.

If You Build It, They Will Come...Over their first two seasons in the Triangle, the Cobras have been in the AFL's top 5 in overall attendance in each of the past two years (3rd out of 17 in 2000 and 5th out of 19 in 2001). A total of 176,177 fans have been to see the high-scoring action of Arena Football during Carolina's first two seasons (12,584 two-year average) in Raleigh. Here's a look at the Cobras Top-5 all-time home crowds:
Date Opponent Att. Result
4/14/00 Florida Bobcats 14,123 L, 53-61
5/26/00 Nashville Kats 13,951 L, 28-60
7/20/01 Toronto Phantoms 13,823 L, 50-53
7/21/00 Tampa Bay Storm 13,762 L, 69-72
7/13/01 Los Angeles Avengers 13,232 W, 66-28

Quick Hitters...

OS Aaron Bailey- A second-year player, he will be the go-to guy for Carolina in 2002...Led the club in receptions (61), receiving yards (915) and receiving touchdowns (19) despite playing in just seven games in 2001...Spent five seasons (1994-98) in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts.

WR/DB Nick Ward- Could be a sleeper in 2002...Selected in the second round of the 2002 Dispersal Draft (from Florida)...Played in 12 games for the Bobcats in 2001, catching 9 passes for 82 yards...Also added 32.5 tackles and an interception on defense...A natural safety, he's picked up the offensive scheme very quickly.

OL/DL Jon McCall- A veteran lineman, he will be looked to for leadership down in the trenches...Considered one of the Cobras best pass rushers...Notched 3.0 sacks in just four games last season as a member of the Orlando Predators.

FB/LB Marrio Grier- A true Ironman...Is the only Cobras player who has been with the team since its inception in 2000...A natural fullback, he's a force both rushing and receiving...Scored 11 total touchdowns (8 rushing, 3 receiving) last season...Is finally 100 percent after injuring his knee as a rookie in 2000.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 17, 2002


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