Cobras Game Notes
April 29, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Carolina Cobras News Release
Quick Facts:
Carolina Radio: WRBZ-850 AM (Gary Hahn, Tony Haynes)
Tampa Radio: WDAE-620 AM (Jack Harris, Jason Dixon)
Carolina TV: None
Tampa TV: Sunshine Network (Rick Peckham, James Bates)
Series Record: Tampa Bay leads, 3-0
Coaches: Mike Neu (Carolina); 1st season (1-1 in '02); 1-2 career record
Tim Marcum (Tampa Bay), 14th season overall; 8th season with TB; 115-37
career regular season record; 21-7 post-season; 136-44 overall
THE GAME
The Carolina Cobras return home to take on Southern Division rival the Tampa Bay Storm on Saturday, May 4, 7 p.m. at the Entertainment & Sports Arena. The Cobras return to the Triangle after going on the road to defeat the Georgia Force, 55-54, last week in Atlanta. The road win was only the fourth victory away from home in franchise history (4-11 on the road all-time) and tied the Cobras (1-1) for first place in the National Conference Southern Division. The Cobras have won back-to-back games only twice in their three-year history in Raleigh (beat New Jersey and Detroit to open the 2001 season and knocked off New Jersey and Buffalo in consecutive weeks last year). Carolina is 2-8 (.200) all-time in games following a win. The Cobras are 0-1 at home in 2001 and 7-8 at the ESA all-time and will look to make amends for an embarrassing 57-44 season-opening loss at home to the expansion Dallas Desperados on April 20. Tampa Bay enters the game looking for their first win of 2002. The Storm, which fell 61-54 at home to San Jose last week, will be making their first road trip of the season after back-to-back home losses to open the year. The Storm's 0-2 start is their worst since 2000, when they opened the year 0-3 before knocking off the expansion Cobras 50-29 at the Ice Palace. Since 1991, the Storm has lost back-to-back games only six times and is 4-2 in games following back-to-back losses.
THE STAKES
First place in the Southern Division is on the line, as the Cobras take on their second straight division opponent. Carolina (1-1) is currently tied with Georgia (1-1) and Orlando (1-1) for the division lead. Last week's win over the Georgia Force was the Cobras' first-ever win over a Southern Division opponent. Tampa Bay (0-2) needs a win to keep pace in the division race early in the 14-game Arena Football League season.
WHAT'S NEXT
Carolina travels to the Meadowlands to take on the New Jersey Gladiators next Saturday, May 11, 7:30 p.m. at Continental Airlines Arena. Tampa Bay returns home to host the Chicago Rush on Friday, May 10, 7:30 p.m. at the Ice Palace.
COBRAS LAST WEEK ...Cobras 55, at Georgia 54 ATLANTA- (April 26, 2002) The Carolina Cobras gave first-year head coach Mike Neu his first career AFL victory with a stunning 55-54 upset win over the Georgia Force in front of 8,462 at Philips Arena on Friday night. Cory Fleming hauled in a game-winning 4-yard touchdown pass from Connell Maynor to give the Cobras (1-1) their first road win of the season. Fleming's catch gave Carolina a 55-48 lead with under a minute remaining, but Georgia (1-1) closed to 55-54 on a 2-yard run by Jarrick Hillery with 30 seconds left. The Force elected to go for the win with a two-point conversion. After back-to-back intentional delay of game penalties on the conversion attempt moved the ball back to the 13-yard line, Kevin Gaines intercepted Force quarterback Kevin McDougal to seal the game for Carolina. But, the ending was not without a scare as Gaines was hit and fumbled attempting to advance the interception and two Georgia players missed an opportunity to scoop up the ball in the end zone that would have won the game. Maynor was an efficient 14 of 20 passes for 177 yards and three touchdowns for Carolina. Fleming nabbed six passes for 29 yards and a score and Carl Bond grabbed 5 passes for 70 yards and a touchdown. He also returned a kickoff 53 yards for another touchdown. Marrio Grier paced the Cobras ground game with 30 yards on six carries and a pair of touchdowns. Andre Bowden also rushed for a score and Clarence Lawson returned a kickoff 55 yards for touchdown. McDougal, who left the game briefly in the first half after suffering a sprained ankle, finished the night 18 of 31 for 196 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Donnie Davis replaced McDougal and connected on 2 of 3 passes for 47 yards and a touchdown. Markeith Cooper led all receivers eight catches for 122 yards and a touchdown. Fullback Travis Reece added 21 yards rushing and a pair of scores in the loss.
Team 1 2 3 4 Final
CAR 7 21 13 14 55
GEO 14 7 7 26 54
SOUND OFF...Quotes after last week's 55-54 win at Georgia
Head Coach Mike Neu
(on the win at Georgia)
"Our guys took it to them up front all night long and they fought for four quarters and came out with a win. We were a little bitter when we came into this place because their coaches were making some comments that we needed some help up front, so we made that a know fact to our group and we came out with a win. No matter how you get it, it's a win."
(on if he thought the team broke down by allowing the Force to come back late in the game) "We didn't break down, that's Arena Football. The biggest thing is that our football team showed a lot of character and resilience to come back and get the win."
QB Connell Maynor
(on the win)
"It's always good to get a win, especially on the road. If you can go on the road and win and stay focused in adverse situations, that's certainly a sign that you've got something going. The first thing is to just get the "w" and we got that. Offensively, we looked like a machine in the first half and in the second half we kind of sputtered. They had two stops in the second half and that's two too many for us, because we expect to score on every possession, but we'll get those wrinkles worked out."
(on what the win does to the team)
"It was a big win for us because we were 0-3 (0-2 in preseason and lost season-opener vs. Dallas) even though two of those games were preseason games. It was good for us to finally jump out in front and get a lead because we had been trailing in all the other games. But, when they tied the game up, it really showed the character of this team go back down and get that score, that was huge."
WR/LB Cory Fleming
(on what it means to beat his old team)
"It's pretty sweet. I was really excited to play them because I think they looked at us and thought that they would just come in here and have their way with us. But, you always have to respect a professional athlete on all levels and they made some comments about our guys up front so it was sweet. I like to play against my old guys and I was fortunate to make some good things happen out there. Some of those guys in that organization (Georgia moved from Nashville in the off-season) thought they didn't need me anymore so for that reason, it was real sweet."
(on if coach Neu challenged him during the week)
"I really didn't say anything after the first game because I really don't worry about how may balls I get. I just need to worry about getting involved in the game. Coach Neu came to me and asked me what I would feel comfortable with in order to get me in the flow of the game. I put some plays down and he told me that we were going to work it. I have confidence in him and that was one of the main things that brought me here. I know he's going to get guys that are going to play ball. I look at guys like Carl Bond and Aaron Bailey, they bring their "A" game every week. There are going to be enough balls to go around, and what makes it so great is that nobody is selfish, everybody makes plays. We're all going to have those days where it's just not happening, but what we have to do is just be consistent. Tonight we played an all-around good game and we made a few mistakes, but we're coming around and making the plays that we have to make."
WR/DB Carl Bond
(on the win vs. Georgia)
"This is probably the biggest win, confidence wise, ever for us. It's probably going to be even bigger once we look at it on film. We made some mistakes to let them back in the game, but if we can eliminate those mistakes, there's no limit to where this team can go."
(on making the big catches on 3rd down)
"I guess right now, I've been kind of making a living on that. I like to make big plays and I consider third downs a pretty big play. If it's 3rd and 1 or 3rd and forever, if I can make a play, I'm going to make it."
(on the special teams touchdowns)
"It was very important because the coaches talked about it all week, that we needed to win the special teams battle. We feel that we have just as good special teams as any team in this league. I feel that with our three guys returning (himself, Aaron Bailey and Clarence Lawson), we've got a three-headed dragon. Most teams have one guy but we have three guys that are always fresh. Every time someone kicks off to us, they're scared because there's a fresh guy back there. Even when we were on kickoff coverage, we were going down and making plays. Special teams was really a big key for us tonight."
ABOUT THE COBRAS (1-1)
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. Carolina opened the season with a disappointing loss to the expansion Dallas Desperados but bounced back to defeat the Georgia Force last week. 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).
* WR/DB Carl Bond leads the club in scoring (30) and receiving with 11 catches for 118 yards and 3 TDs thru two games...Bond also has 5 KOR for 115 yards (23.0 avg.) with a 53-yard TD and has totaled 1.5 tackles and a fumble recovery that we ran back 47 yards for a score on defense.
* QB Connell Maynor, filling in for injured starter Aaron Sparrow has completed 20 of 30 (.667) passes for 226 yards and 4 TDs with no INTs in two games.
* Carolina has averaged 49.5 ppg. while giving up 55.5 ppg.
* 2-4 mark all-time in the month of May; 1-5 all-time on Saturday's (0-1 in 2002)
STORM LAST WEEK...San Jose 61, at Tampa Bay 54 TAMPA- Mark Grieb threw for seven TDs to power the San Jose SaberCats past the Tampa Bay Storm, 61-54. Grieb, who passed former San Jose (2-0) quarterback Tony Kimbrough for the team record for most career completions (417) last week, went 17-for-24 for 334 yards, combining with three different receivers for touchdowns. James Hundon caught six passes for 132 yards and two scores; Barry Wagner pulled in three TDs; and Jerry Reese caught two more for the SaberCats, who needed Bob McMillen's 46-yard interception return for a TD with 30 seconds left in regulation to seal the win. Rookie Clevan Thomas tied an AFL record with a 58-yard kickoff return for a TD. Lawrence Samuels caught 11 passes for 102 yards and two TDs for Tampa Bay, which doubled San Jose on time of possession (40:02 to 20:16) and first downs (23-11) but still dropped their second straight to start the season. Deryl Lane rushed for a pair of TDs and Shane Stafford, starting in place of injured quarterback John Kaleo, threw three scoring passes and ran for a fourth for the Storm.
ABOUT THE STORM (0-2)
The Storm has been one of the perennial powers in Arena Football since joining the league in 1991. Tampa Bay has never had a losing season (worst year was in 1994 when the club went 7-6) and has made the playoffs every year, including Arena Bowl championships in 1991, 1993, 1995 and 1996. Head coach Tim Marcum is the AFL's winningest coach with 115 career regular season victories and 21 post-season wins. Tampa suffered a major setback on the last play of their season-opening loss to Toronto when starting QB John Kaleo was lost for the season with a torn ACL. QB Shane Stafford, who played in six games as a rookie in 2001, was named the starter last week prior to the Storm's 61-54 loss vs. San Jose. Stafford has a veteran receiving corps to work with in WR/DB Lawrence Samuels (15 catches for 175 yards and 2 TDs in 2002), WR/DB Melvin Cunningham (12 grabs for 131 yards and one TD) and OS Carlos Johnson (11 receptions for 179 yards and one TD). Six-year AFL veteran FB/LB Basil Proctor leads the ground game (9 rushes for 25 yards and 3 TDs), while fellow FB/LB Nyle Wiren presents problems on the defensive side of the ball (5.0 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1.0 sacks in two games). Kicker Mike Black is playing his 10th season in the AFL and is currently the AFL career leader in PATs, FG made and scoring for kickers.
* Has only started a season 0-3 once (in 2000)
* Has a 49-19 (.720) overall record on the road during the regular season and a 69-24 (.741) all-time mark on Saturday's during the regular season (0-2 in 2002)
* Has been outscored 34-24 in the 2Q and 23-13 in the 4Q in two games in 2002
* Averaging 45.5 ppg., while giving up 56.0 ppg.
* Have lost 5 fumbles in two games and converted just 6 of 13 (.460) 3rd down conversions
THE SERIES...Carolina vs. Tampa Bay (TB leads, 3-0) The Storm has a 3-0 advantage in the all-time series, including a 58-51 overtime thriller last season. In three games, the Storm has outscored the Cobras 170-149, but two of the three contests have been decided by seven points or less, including one in overtime. Tampa holds a 1-0 mark over Carolina at the ESA and a 2-0 record against the Cobras at the Ice Palace in Tampa.
* The Storm has defeated the Cobras the most times of any team in Carolina's three-year history (3)
* Tampa Bay is one of three teams the Cobras have taken to overtime during their short tenure in Raleigh (0-3 in those games, including a 58-51 OT setback last season in TB)
Here's a look at the Cobras history vs. the Storm:
Date Game Result
5/4/00 at Tampa Bay L, 29-50
7/21/00 vs. Tampa Bay L, 69-72
6/1/01 at Tampa Bay L, 51-58 (OT)
at Tampa Bay 50, Carolina 29
TAMPA- (May 4, 2000) Tampa Bay quarterback John Kaleo passed for 294 yards and six touchdowns as he helped the Storm snap a three-game losing skid by defeating the expansion Carolina Cobras 50-29 on TNN's Game of the Week in front of 10,546 Thursday night at the Ice Palace in Tampa, Fla. Kaleo, who made his first start for the Storm (1-3) after being traded to Tampa from the New England Sea Wolves, connected on his first nine passes of the game and finished 23 of 28 (82.1 percent). Cobras (1-3) starter Jim Arellanes struggled, completing just 6 of 17 passes for 60 yards with an interception before being pulled late in the second quarter. Backup Carlos Garay came in and completed 5 of 14 pass for 39 yards in relief. Lawrence Samuels led the Storm with 8 catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. Offensive specialist Charles Wilson added three grabs for 42 yards and two scores before leaving the game with a pulled hamstring in the third quarter. Carolina fullback Marrio Grier led the Cobras with 14 yards on five carries and two scores. Offensive specialist Jack Jackson was held to just three catches for 40 yards. Carolina struggled offensively and managed just seven first downs and 109 total yards. Cobras' quarterbacks combined for just 85 yards in the air and failed to find the end zone for the first time this season.
Team 1 2 3 4 F
CAR 0 12 3 14 29
TB 14 22 7 7 50
Tampa Bay 72, at Carolina 69
RALEIGH, N.C. (July 21, 2000)- The Carolina Cobras' hopes for an upset sailed wide right as they dropped a heartbreaker to the playoff bound Tampa Bay Storm, 72-69, in front of 13,762 at the Entertainment and Sports Arena. The loss closed out the Cobras inaugural season. The Cobras (3-11), who were eliminated from the playoffs last week, rebounded from a 28-6 first quarter deficit to take a 69-65 lead on a Greg Harris interception return for a touchdown with 6:30 left in the game. Tampa Bay (8-6) regained the lead on Andre Bowden's 1-yard run with 18 seconds left. The Cobras had a chance to tie the score with less than 10 seconds left, but Remy Hamilton's 25-yard field goal attempt missed wide right. David McLeod had a career night for Carolina, hauling in seven passes for 156 yards and five touchdowns. Cobras QB Fred McNair completed 15 of 30 passes for 262 yards and eight touchdowns. DS/KR Adrian Lunsford had nine returns for 235 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown. John Kaleo connected on 19 of 34 passes for 260 yards and five touchdowns for the Storm. Lawrence Samuels caught a game-high nine passes for 130 and two scores and James Bowden added seven receptions for 80 yards.
Team 1 2 3 4 F
TB 28 16 14 14 72
CAR 6 21 28 14 69
at Tampa Bay 58, Cobras 51 OT
TAMPA - (June 1, 2001) Storm quarterback John Kaleo tossed seven touchdown passes, the last one to seal the victory in overtime, as the Tampa Bay Storm came back to defeat the Carolina Cobras 58-51 in front of 13,942 Friday night at the Ice Palace. Harvey Middleton hauled in a 7-yard touchdown pass from Kaleo to give the Storm a 58-51 advantage in overtime and the Tampa Bay defense sacked Cobras quarterback Fred McNair on fourth down to secure the win. Cornelius White caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from McNair to give Carolina a 51-48 lead with eight seconds left in regulation, but Mike Black nailed a 43-yard field goal as time expired to send the game into overtime. The game was a seesaw battle with 14 lead changes and two ties. Storm offensive specialist James Bowden caught a career-high 15 passes for 184 yards and four scores and added a touchdown run to lead Tampa Bay (7-0). Kaleo completed 27 of 36 passes for 295 yards with two interceptions for the Storm. McNair connected on 23 of 36 passes for 275 yards and six touchdowns, including a 1-yard touchdown run for Carolina. White led the Cobras (4-3) with seven catches for 100 yards and three touchdowns.
Team 1 2 3 4 OT F
CAR 7 16 14 14 0 51
TB 12 15 7 17 7 58
THE IF's...
* If Carolina wins it will give the Cobras a 2-1 mark in 2002
* If Carolina wins it will give Carolina a 1-1 record at home in 2002 and an all-time mark of 8-8 at the ESA
* If Carolina wins it will give the Cobras a 3-4 mark all-time in the month of May
* If Carolina wins it will tie the Cobras' longest franchise winning streak at 2 games (done two other times)
* If Cobras WR/LB Cory Fleming gets 46 receiving yards, he will surpass 5,000 career receiving yards
SAME FACES, DIFFERENT PLACES...Connections Storm special team coach Doug Kay was the first head coach in Carolina Cobras history (2000-01)...Cobras head coach Mike Neu served under Kay as the Cobras' offensive coordinator in 2001...Carolina FB/LB Andre Bowden played his first eight seasons in the AFL with the Tampa Bay Storm (1991-01) and holds almost every Storm rushing record...QB Connell Maynor spent his first four seasons in the AFL with the Storm (1994-96)...Carolina DS Kevin Gaines and Storm DS Keita Crespina were the secondary duo for the New Jersey Red Dogs/Gladiators in 2000 and 2001...Storm QB Shane Stafford and Cobras WR/DB Carl Bond were college teammates at the University of Connecticut and teammates with the Tallahassee Thunder of af2 in 2000...Tampa Bay OL/DL Ernest Certain was also a teammate of Bond in Tallahassee in 2000...Storm FB/LB Darion Conner played the 1995 season with the NFL Carolina Panthers...Cobras OL/DL Tony Henderson and Storm WR/LB Sir Mawn Wilson were teammates with the AFL Arizona Rattlers in 1997...Storm WR/DB Lawrence Samuels attended Livingstone College in Salisbury, N.C. and Tampa Bay DS Tommy Henry played for East Carolina University...Carolina WR/LB Rj Anderson is from Gainesville, Fla. (Buchholz HS) and played two seasons at the University of South Florida...He also makes his home in the Bay area during the off-season...Cobras QB John Fitzgerald, who the Cobras signed last week, went to training camp with the Storm in 2002...Carolina fullbacks/linebackers and special teams coach Jorge Cimadevilla was a kicker for the Storm from 1995-96 and still holds the Storm record for career scoring (203), career field goals (20) and career PATs (141).
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
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 (1-2 career; 1-1 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.
Tampa Bay: Tim Marcum, 8th Season with TB, 14th Overall (0-2 in '02; 115-37 regular season record; 21-7 playoffs; 136-44 career record) As the AFL enters its 16th season, the 58-year old native of Synder, Texas has notched six Arena Bowl titles including two in Tampa Bay, three with the Detroit Drive and one with the Denver Dynamite. Heading into 2002, he has compiled an overall record of 136-42. He is the only coach in AFL history to win 100 or more games and his winning percentage is also best in the league. He's a charter inductee to the Arena Football League Hall of Fame and is the first coach in pro football history to be elected to any professional Hall of Fame while still an active coach. He knows every level of football from high school to the NFL. He began his coaching career in the high schools of West Texas before moving on to the coaching staff at Rice University. From there he made his professional coaching debut in 1984 with the San Antonio Gunslingers of the USFL as linebackers coach. He also spent time with the New York Knights of the World League, the University of Florida and the Atlanta Falcons.
THE QUARTERBACKS...
Carolina: 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 the Nashville Kats and earned ArenaBowl MVP honors...Aaron Sparrow- Entering his third season in the AFL...Has been a back-up (Nashville, 1997; Grand Rapids, 1998)...Was a standout QB for Mike Neu with the af2 Augusta Stallions in 2000...Passed for 4,000 yards and 78 TDs...Made his first AFL start in week 1 vs. Dallas before leaving the game in the third quarter with an injury (sternum/shoulder)...Did not play last week at Georgia...Status is still questionable.
Tampa Bay: Shane Stafford- Second season in the AFL...Learned the ropes with the Tallahassee Thunder of af2 in 2000...Played in 6 games for the Storm (started 2) in 2001...Replaced injured started John Kaleo in the line-up after week 1 loss to Toronto...Scott Milanovich- Is rookie by AFL standards but spent several years in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1996-99)...Also played in NFL Europe and the XFL.
QB Comparison (2002)
Name Team GM Comp Att. Yds TD INT
Connell Maynor CAR 2 20 30 226 3 0
Aaron Sparrow CAR 1 10 21 101 2 1
Shane Stafford TB 1 24 41 270 3 1
Maynor vs. Tampa Bay
Veteran QB Connell Maynor has faced the Storm as a starting quarterback four times during his career (2 regular season and 2 playoff games) and gone 3-1 (.750) in those games, including a prefect 2-0 mark in the post-season. Maynor has started a total of 32 career games at quarterback (first start for Carolina was last week at Georgia) and is 19-13 (.593) as a starter, including 5-1 in the playoffs with an ArenaBowl championship in 2000.
COBRAS NEWS & NOTES...
SOUTHERN COOKIN'...The Cobras will play in the Southern Division (Tampa Bay, Orlando and Georgia) in 2002, after playing the 2001 season in the Eastern Division. Carolina played their inaugural season (2000) in the Southern Division and struggled to an 0-8 record in division play. Carolina earned their first Southern Division win last week with a 55-54 victory vs. Georgia. The Cobras have a 1-9 (.100) all-time record against Southern Division teams. Since the AFL established division play in 1995, Southern Division members have won four Arena Bowl championships and have appeared in the championship game in four straight and six of the last seven ArenaBowls.
KAY'S BACK...Tampa Bay special teams coach Doug Kay makes his return to the Triangle after a bizarre turn of events last season. Kay, who was head coach of the Cobras during the 2000 and 2001 season, abruptly resigned his position just three days before the Cobras first-ever playoff game last year. Offensive coordinator Mike Neu was promoted to head coach and led the team into the playoffs against Indiana. Kay turned the Cobras from a 3-11 expansion club in 2000 to a 7-7 playoff contender in 2001.
SGT NEU...After the Cobras 17 penalty performance in week 1 vs. Dallas (tied a franchise high), Cobras head coach Mike Neu needed to instill some discipline into his club. After a few hundred wind sprints and a tough week of conditioning, the Cobras responded with just five infractions last week in a victory over Georgia. Even with that performance, Carolina still ranks 15th out of 16 teams in number of penalties (22). Georgia leads the league with 34 penalties in two games, while the expansion Dallas Desperados have the least number of infractions (8).
OLD vs. NEU...When head coaches' Mike Neu (Carolina) and Tim Marcum (Tampa Bay) square off on Saturday, it will be case of old school vs. generation X. At age 31, Neu, in his first season as a head coach in the AFL, is the youngest head coach in league. Marcum (58), who is entering his 14th season in the AFL (8th with the Storm), is 27 years older than Neu.
MAKING PLAYS...Cobras free agent WR/LB Cory Fleming was signed in the off-season to give the Cobras another offensive threat and to simply make plays on the field. After an un-Fleming like one catch performance in the season opener vs. Dallas, Fleming responded against his old team in week 2 vs. Georgia, catching six passes for 29 yards, including the game-winning touchdown. He also broke up a pass and notched 1.5 tackles on defense.
ISN'T THAT SPECIAL...The Cobras special teams units have been providing the team with a spark on both kickoff returns and kickoff coverage so far in 2002. In just two games so far, the Cobras have returned a league-high three kickoffs for touchdowns and lead the AFL with a 26.4-yard average on kick returns (12 for 317 yards). Through two games, the Cobras average starting field position is their own 16-yard line, while opponents average start is the 12.5-yard line. Last week at Georgia, the Cobras average starting position was the Carolina 19, while holding the Force to a starting position of their own 10-yard line. Carolina also currently has a streak of two games with a kickoff returned for a touchdown. The franchise record for consecutive games with a kickoff or missed field goal return for a score is three games, set last season from June 30, 2001 to July 13, 2002.
THREE HEADED MONSTER...Most teams usually have one player designated as their kickoff return specialist, but the Cobras are fortunate to have three players with the ability to return kicks: OS Aaron Bailey, WR/DB Clarence Lawson and WR/DB Carl Bond. As per league rules, two specialists (one offensive and one defensive) must be on the field for all kickoff returns, with the offensive specialist being one of two players that are back near the net. For the Cobras, their main return man is Bond, a two-way player who is not on the field at all times. The other returner is Lawson, who is essentially the third defensive specialist when he's on the field. Like Bond, Lawson is a two-way player and is not on the field at all times, leaving Bailey as the main return man. The "three-headed monster" has worked so far this season for the Cobras. Carolina leads the AFL in kickoff return average (26.4). Lawson leads the team with six returns for 150 yards (25.0 avg.) and a TD, Bond has five kickoff returns for 115 yards (23.0 avg.) and a TD, and Bailey has chipped in with one return for 52 yards (touchdown).
"SUPER" MARRIO GRIER...A true Ironman, FB/LB Marrio Grier is the only Cobras player who remains from the club's inaugural training camp in 2000. Grier, who is a natural fullback, is starting to make an impact on the defensive side of the ball as well. He was credited with a key sack in last week's win over Georgia. A former starter for the NFL New England Patriots (1996-97), Grier has a knack for finding the end zone. Last week he rushed six times for 30 yards and two scores and has scored 18 career touchdowns in 21 career games. Last season he was the Cobras' nominee for the Built Ford Tough Man of the Year Award.
KG...A new addition to the Cobras secondary in 2002, DS Kevin Gaines has been a pleasant surprise. Gaines, entering his fifth season in the AFL (Orlando, 1998-99; New Jersey, 2000-01; Florida, 2001), has been a dominant force in the defensive backfield. At 6-1, 190 pounds, he has the size and strength to battle big receivers. Last week at Georgia, he intercepted a pass in the end zone and later picked off a potential game-winning two-point conversion to preserve the victory. He also leads the club and is tied for 8th in the AFL with 12.5 tackles and five pass deflections.
NO BIG NUMBERS, NO PROBLEM...Every football coach will tell you that the only statistic that matters is the number of wins. The Cobras are 1-1 on the season but haven't really been tearing it up offensively. The Cobras are a respectable 9th in the AFL in scoring offense (49.5 ppg.) but last in the league in total offense (180 ypg.) and pass offense (152.0 ypg.). Those numbers can be a bit deceiving as the Cobras special teams (ranked No. 1 in the league) has given the offense a short field in which to work. QB Connell Maynor, filling in for injured started Aaron Sparrow, has been efficient, completing 20 of 30 passes for 226 yards with 4 TDs and no INTs in two games. He is currently tied for second in the AFL in pass rating (149.3).
CODE RED...One of the biggest challenges facing the Cobras offense heading into the 2002 season was being able to score inside the "Red Zone" (10-yard line). That hasn't been a problem for the Cobras so far through their first two games. Carolina leads the AFL in red zone offense, scoring on 8 of 8 opportunities. Even more impressive, the Cobras have scored touchdowns on all eight possessions (4 runs and 4 passes). In contrast, the Cobras red zone defense is ranked 8th in the league, yielding scores on 9 of 11 possessions (9 TDs).
A DAY FOR FIRSTS...Last Friday's win over Georgia was a day of many firsts for the Cobras. Here are just a few:
* Head coach Mike Neu's FIRST career AFL win
* QB Connell Maynor's FIRST start as a Cobra and FIRST win as quarterback
* Rookie Jamaal Garman's FIRST career TD catch (33-yarder from Maynor)
* Cobras FIRST road win of 2002 (only 4th road win in franchise history, 4-11)
* Carolina's FIRST win over a Southern Division opponent (1-9 all-time)
* FIRST 1-point game in franchise history
AWARDS... Each week during the season, there are a number of awards that are given out to players who exemplify outstanding play. This season there are three awards: Built Ford Tough Award, Game MVP and Game Ironman. The Built Ford Tough Award is a national recognition award given after every game to the player or players (up to 5) on each team best demonstrating determination and toughness in that game. The award honors the players who made a game-saving tackle or score-saving tackle, threw a key block on the big play or exhibited physical sacrifice or consistent tough blocking and tackling on both sides of the ball. The honored players receive a helmet sticker that recognizes the Built Ford Tough Player of the Game. Game Built Ford Tough Winners (selected by coaches) Week 1 vs. DAL (4/20) Marrio Grier, Carl Bond, Jon McCall Week 2 at GEO (4/26) Marrio Grier, Carl Bond, Cory Fleming, Kevin Gaines, Jon McCall
OTHER ACCOLADES...(selected by media in attendance) Game Game MVP Game Ironman Week 1 vs. DAL (4/20) Andy Kelly (DAL) Shante Carver (DAL) Week 2 at GEO (4/26) Connell Maynor (CAR) Travis Reece (GEO)
MATCH-UPS TO WATCH (Quick Hitters)... Cobras Pass Offense vs. Tampa Bay Pass Defense...If the Cobras ever wanted a game to get their air attack in line, this is it. Carolina, which has the league's worst passing offense (152.0 ypg.) through the first two weeks, will be taking on the Storm and the AFL's last rated pass defense (305.0 ypg.)
Cobras Special Teams vs. Tampa's Doug Kay...Last season under the direction of head coach Doug Kay, the Cobras had the best special teams unit in the AFL (ranked 1st in KOR and MFG return yardage). This season, Kay heads the special teams for the Storm and the Cobras have picked up right where they left off in 2001. Carolina is currently ranked first in kickoff return yards (26.4) and fifth in missed field goal returns (17.0).
Andre Bowden vs. His Old Team...Cobras FB/LB Andre Bowden played is first eight seasons in the AFL for the Storm. He'll be taking on his old buddies for the first time this week. Last week at Georgia, Bowden rushed three times for eight yards and scored a TD. On the season, he's rushed four times for 10 yards and two scores. In last week's win at Georgia (moved from Nashville to Atlanta in the off-season), Cobras WR/LB Cory Fleming (played in Nashville) played against his former teammates and caught the game-winning TD with 56 seconds remaining.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 29, 2002
- Rampage Game Notes - Grand Rapids Rampage
- Cobras Game Notes - Carolina Cobras
- Week Two Game Recaps - AFL I
- Dragons upend Destroyers 69-54 - Buffalo Destroyers
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
