Columbus Destroyers game notes

Published on March 30, 2004 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Columbus Destroyers News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Columbus Destroyers (1-6) vs
Orlando Predators (3-4)
Date: Sunday, April 4, 2004
Kickoff: 12:00 p.m. (ET)
Site: Nationwide Arena (17,171)
Officials: Referee – Tom McCabe; Umpire – Jeff Carr; Head Linesman – Neil Brunner; Line Judge – Bob McElwee; Back Judge – Joe Duncan.
Radio: Columbus' flagship station WAZU-107.1 FM "The Big Wazoo" will broadcast the game live with Marty Bannister handling the play-by-play duties and Greg Frey supplying color commentary.
Series Record: The Predators hold a 4-0 all-time series advantage over the Destroyers, dating back to when the Destroyers played out of Buffalo, NY. Sunday's contest will be the first meeting between the Destroyers and Predators since the Destroyers relocated to Columbus.
Last Meeting: Predators 66, Destroyers 23 (April 11, 2003)
Series Streaks: The Destroyers and Predators have met four times with the Predators prevailing in all four meetings.
Coaches: Destroyers, Earle Bruce (1-6 in 2004, 14-22 overall). Predators, Jay Gruden (3-4 in 2004, 46-27 overall).


OVERVIEW: Eight weeks in to the regular season, the Destroyers find themselves on the outside looking in as the second half of the season gets under way. Columbus has dropped six games in a row and are still in search of their first win at home in 2004. The Destroyers are coming off their bye week, looking for a fresh start Sunday versus Orlando. After dropping the first two games of the season, the Predators have won three out of their last five games, including a 60-43 decision over the Las Vegas Gladiators last Saturday night. The Destroyers aim to end their six-game slide and notch their first win at home, while the Predators look to win their second game in as many weeks and reach the .500 mark for the second time this season.

THE SERIES: The Destroyers-Predators series dates back to the 1999 season with Orlando holding a 4-0 all-time series advantage over Columbus. Sunday's contest will mark the fifth meeting between the two franchises with the first four meetings all taking place in Orlando. The two teams first met on July 30, 1999 when Orlando outscored the Buffalo Destroyers 48-40. The first three meetings between the Destroyers and Predators were decided by an average of only seven points before the Predators claimed a 66-23 win on April 11 of last season. The Destroyers and Predators have met three times in the regular season and once in the postseason. The lone playoff meeting took place on July 26, 2002 when the Predators edged the Destroyers in a low scoring affair, 32-27.

COLUMBUS DESTROYERS
Date Opponent Time (ET) Result/Streak
2/7 at Indiana 7:00 W-54-48/W1
2/13 CAROLINA 7:00 L-53-54/L1
2/21 at Philadelphia 7:30 L-34-56/L2
2/29 DALLAS 3:00 L-35-51/L3
3/5 at Arizona 9:00 L-42-65/L4
3/13 PHILADELPHIA 7:00 L-41-43/L5
3/20 at New York 7:00 L-41-62/L6
4/4 ORLANDO 12:00
4/10 NEW YORK 7:00
4/18 at New Orleans 3:00
4/25 TAMPA BAY 12:00
5/1 at Carolina 7:30
5/9 GEORGIA 3:00
5/14 GRAND RAPIDS 7:00
5/22 at Dallas 8:30
5/29 at Las Vegas 4:00

ORLANDO PREDATORS
Date Opponent Time (ET) Result/Streak
2/8 at Tampa Bay 3:00 L-41-52/ L1
2/13 AUSTIN 7:30 L-48-49/L2
2/28 at Carolina 7:30 W-59-43/W1
3/6 INDIANA 7:30 W-50-38/W2
3/12 GEORGIA 7:30 L-44-52/L1
3/21 at Chicago 12:00 L-15-58/L2
3/27 LAS VEGAS 7:30 W-60-43/W1
4/4 at Columbus 12:00
4/9 NEW ORLEANS 7:30
4/18 at Georgia 3:00
4/25 DALLAS 12:00
5/2 TAMPA BAY 3:00
5/9 at New Orleans 3:00
5/16 at Austin 3:00
5/23 NEW YORK 3:00
5/30 at Los Angeles 4:00

THE IFS...
If Columbus defeats Orlando, it would...

· End Columbus' six-game losing streak.
· Give Columbus their first win at home.
· Give Columbus their first-ever win over Orlando.
· Give Columbus their second win of the season.
· Give Columbus a 2-6 overall record.
· Prevent Columbus from falling to 1-7 on the season.

LAST GAME: The Destroyers traveled to New York looking to end a five-game losing streak, however fell to the Dragons 62-41 on March 20. QB John Rayborn made his second start for the Destroyers this season, completing 21-of-41 pass attempts for 248 yards and five touchdowns with three interceptions. Rayborn's 41 pass attempts were the most of any Destroyers quarterback this season. Destroyers wide receiver/linebacker Cornelius White had a career game, recording career highs in receptions and receiving yards as he finished the game with 11 receptions for 154 yards and three receiving touchdowns. The Dragons jumped out to the early lead three minutes into the contest following a 9-yard touchdown connection between QB Aaron Garcia and wide receiver/linebacker Cosmo DeMatteo to give New York a 7-0 first quarter advantage. However, the Destroyers quickly responded with a score of their own on a one-play strike as Rayborn hooked up with White for a 32-yard touchdown reception. Rayborn found White on his first pass attempt of the game on a curl pattern at the New York 20 yard line. White then did the rest of the work, leaving multiple would-be New York tacklers on his heels before notching his twelfth touchdown of the season. New York would score consecutive touchdowns to claim a 14-point advantage late in the first, however Columbus kept pace as Rayborn found a streaking Sedrick Robinson who had gained a step on his defender across the middle of the field for a 35-yard score. The touchdown reception was the second on the season for Robinson and cut the Dragons' lead in half at the end of the first quarter. Following a New York touchdown, the Destroyers followed suit, responding with their third touchdown of the game. Rayborn moved his offense 35 yards down field culminating with White's second touchdown of the game. Rayborn's intended receiver on the play was newcomer offensive specialist Gunnard Twyner, however the pass deflected off Twyner's shoulder up in the air, off the net and in to the conveniently positioned awaiting hands of White to pull Columbus to within seven at 28-21. The Dragons would go on to outscore the Destroyers 14-3 in the final four minutes of the second quarter to take a 42-24 lead into the half. Columbus opened up the second half with a drive consuming nearly eight minutes of game clock before putting points on the board. Amidst a flurry of penalties on both sides of the ball, the Destroyers eventually settled for a 40-yard field goal courtesy of kicker Steve Videtich, brining Columbus to within two scores of New York midway through the third quarter. The two teams traded touchdowns to close out the third with New York claiming a 49-33 advantage heading into the final quarter of play. The Dragons extended their lead to 23 on the first play of the fourth quarter after Garcia found Cosmo Dematteo in the back corner of the endzone for a 15-yard score and would never look back, claiming their third consecutive victory.

NEXT WEEK: Following Sunday's game versus Orlando, the Destroyers will remain at home to host the New York Dragons on Saturday, April 10 at Nationwide Arena. The game will mark the second meeting with the Dragons in the last three weeks.

LAST SERIES MEETING: The Destroyers and Predators last met on April 11 of last season when Orlando defeated the Buffalo Destroyers, 66-23 in Orlando. The Predators would score four unanswered touchdowns to take a 42-10 lead into halftime. The Destroyers scored two touchdowns late, however would eventually suffer their seventh loss of the season.
ALL-TIME SERIES SCORES
Date/Location Score
April 11, 2003/ at ORL Orlando 66 – Buffalo 23
July 26, 2002/ at ORL Orlando 32 – Buffalo 27 *playoffs
July 13, 2001/ at ORL Orlando 48 – Buffalo 40
July 30, 1999/ at ORL Orlando 48 – Buffalo 40

THE COACHES:
Columbus – Earle Bruce, 4th season (1st with Destroyers) 1-6 in 2004; 14-22 overall
Earle Bruce returns to the Area Football League as head coach and general manager for the Columbus Destroyers. Bruce landed his first collegiate head coaching job at the University of Tampa in 1972, where he fashioned a 10-2 record, including a win in the Tangerine Bowl. He took over at Iowa State University from 1973-1978, where he guided the Cyclones to eight wins in each of his last three seasons. Bruce succeeded long-time coach Woody Hayes at Ohio State in 1979 and went on to compile an 81-26-1 record from 1979-1987 in Columbus. He led the Buckeyes to two outright Big Ten titles (1979, 1984) and two co-championships (1981, 1986) and was named the 1980 Big Ten Coach of the Year. Following his tenure in Columbus, Bruce coached at the University of Northern Iowa in 1988 before taking over the Colorado State University program from 1989-92. He led the Rams to their best season in school history, a 9-4 record that included a win in the Freedom Bowl. Bruce began his coaching career in the AFL during the 1993-1994 seasons with the Cleveland Thunderbolts. He spent the 1994-1995 seasons with the St. Louis Stampede, making theirs the best record of an expansion football team at 9 and 4 and taking them to the playoffs. In 2001 Bruce coached the Iowa Barnstormers in the AF2 League.

Orlando – Jay Gruden, 5th season (5th with Predators) 3-4 in 2004; 46-27 overall
After spending the last two seasons as the team's quarterback, Jay Gruden returned to the bench as the Predator's head coach in 2004. Gruden began his coaching career in 1997, serving as offensive assistant for the Nashville Kats. One season later, the Predators made him the youngest head coach in the AFL. Gruden would go on to lead the Predators to three consecutive appearances in the ArenaBowl and a pair of championships. After guiding the Predators to a fourth consecutive trip to the playoffs, Gruden shocked the AFL world by announcing his intentions to resign in order to return to the playing field. In two seasons, Gruden directed the Predators to back-to-back appearances in the semifinals, falling one game short of his goal each season. In 2003, he recorded a 10-0 record with 49 touchdown passes and two interceptions as a starting quarterback during the regular season. Off-season surgery, combined with the tragic loss of former Head Coach Fran Papasedero in a June 19 traffic accident, resulted in Gruden returning to the sideline. He is 38-25 in regular season games (.603) and 8-2 as a head coach in playoff games (.800).



Recent Roster Moves (most recently first)

INJURY REPORT:. In week two wide receiver/defensive back Jason Collins-Baker suffered a season-ending torn ACL and the following week in practice defensive specialist Prentice Taylor suffered a dislocated shoulder, resulting in the team placing him on IR. Two weeks ago in the Dallas game, Antwon Jones suffered a sprained knee, leaving him on IR for a minimum of two weeks. Two weeks ago Jarrail Jackson was placed on IR following a stain in the arch of his foot prior to Titcus Pettigrew being placed on IR with a shoulder injury suffered on March 13 versus the Soul.

INJURY REPORT
Player Injury Status
Titcus Pettigrew Shoulder IR
Antwon Jones Knee IR
Jarrail Jackson Foot IR
Carey Clayton Hand Probable
Prentice Taylor Shoulder IR
Jason Collins-Baker Knee IR
Date Action Player
3/30 Signed Del Lee
3/27 Waived John Rayborn
3/18 Signed off Practice Squad Jason Walters
3/18 Signed Gunnard Twyner
3/16 Released Tony Plantin
3/15 Placed on IR Titcus Pettigrew
3/10 Signed to Practice Squad Jason Walters
3/10 Signed off Practice Squad Lavar Glover
3/9 Placed on IR Jarrail Jackson
3/3 Placed on IR Antwon Jones
3/3 Signed off Practice Squad Matt D'Orazio
3/3 Activated from IR Richard McCleskey
2/28 Signed Thomie Venisee
2/28 Signed to Practice Squad Demont Smith
2/28 Signed to Practice Squad Lavar Glover
2/28 Waived Kenny Jackson
2/28 Activated from IR Kenny Jackson
2/27 Signed Corey Hill
2/27 Signed to Practice Squad Matt D'Orazio
2/24 Waived Tony Locke
2/24 Waived Donovan Arp
2/24 Waived Matt D'Orazio
2/24 Waived Corey Hill
2/24 Activated from IR Ryan Sloth
2/19 Signed off Practice Squad Tony Locke
2/18 Signed off Practice Squad Antwon Jones
2/18 Placed on Injured Reserve Prentice Taylor
2/17 Placed on Injured Reserve Jason Collins-Baker
2/13 Signed off Practice Squad Titcus Pettigrew
2/13 Signed to Practice Squad Tony Locke
2/12 Placed on Injured Reserve Ryan Sloth
2/12 Signed to Practice Squad Antwon Jones
2/12 Signed off Practice Squad Matt D'Orazio
2/12 Signed off Practice Squad Jason Collins-Baker
2/12 Signed off Practice Squad Titcus Pettigrew
2/12 Signed off Practice Squad LaKendrick Jones
2/10 Released Alex Houston
2/10 Waived Tony Locke
2/10 Placed on Injured Reserve Kenny Jackson
2/3 Signed to Practice Squad Titcus Pettigrew
2/3 Signed to Practice Squad LaKendrick Jones
2/3 Signed to Practice Squad Matt D'Orazio
2/3 Signed to Practice Squad Jason Collins-Baker
2/3 Acquired via trade Marcus McKenzie

TALE OF THE TAPE: Here's how the Destroyers and Predators match up after eight weeks of play.

2004 LEAGUE TEAM RANKINGS
Category Columbus Orlando
Scoring Offense (Rank) 42.9 (18) 45.3 (16)
Scoring Defense 54.1(T18) 47.9 (9)
Total Offense 251.3 (11) 262.7 (6)
Total Defense 253.1 (7) 264.7 (13)
Touchdowns Scored 41 (18) 43 (17)
Pass Offense 232.4 (9) 222.3 (14)
Pass Defense 218.0 (5) 240.7 (12)
Passing Touchdowns 25 (T17) 29 (15)
Rushing Offense 18.9 (10) 40.4 (1)
Rushing Defense 35.1 (19) 24.0 (13)
Rushing Touchdowns 10 (T12) 13 (9)
Field Goal Percentage 29.4% (15) 50.0% (T6)
Field Goals Made 5(T8) 5(T8)
Interceptions 5 (T11) 4 (T13)
Kickoff Returns 52 (1) 37 (13)
Kickoff Return Average 18.8 (T6) 16.1 (16)
Turnover Margin -0.86 (16) 0.29 (8)
Sacks By 3 (18) 14 (1)
Sacks Against 2 (T1) 12 (19)

MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF
Prior to the 2004 season, Destroyers wide receiver/linebacker Cornelius White might not have been mentioned among the top receivers in the Arena Football League, despite putting up solid numbers in his six-year career. Through seven games this season however, White has established himself as a legitimate go-to receiver and placed himself among the league's elite receivers. Two weeks ago, versus New York, White set team single game highs 11 catches for 154 yards and three touchdowns. Entering week nine, White has recorded 51 catches (Tied, 5th in AFL) for 684 yards (6th in AFL) and 14 touchdowns (Tied, 9th in AFL).


PROGRAMMING NOTE
Sunday's contest versus the Predators was originally scheduled to air live on NBC Sports, however the game has been bumped from the networks' AFL lineup this weekend. Even though the game will not be televised, the Destroyers and Predators clash can be heard on the Destroyers' flagship radio station, 107.1 FM "The Big Wazoo" with Marty Bannister and Greg Frey calling all the action.

BACK IN ACTION
The Destroyers return to Nationwide Arena after having a week off to reflect and regroup. They hope to be fully rested and read to come out and snap the six game skid they find themselves in, dropping each game since a week one victory. The Destroyers find themselves in their worst drought since 2000 when they started 0-8 before finishing 5-9.

SACK MATCHUP
The Destroyers' offense is tied for first place in the league, allowing the Quarterback to be sacked just twice so far this season. Facing them will be the Predators defense who leads the league with 14 sacks on the season. Each team, though, allows just as many sacks as it gets. Orlando is dead last in sacks allowed with 12 and Columbus has only gotten to the opposing Quarterback three times good for only 18th in the AFL.

DESTROYERS VS TOP 5 RECIEVERS
The Destroyers will face their third top five receiver when they take on Orlando Sunday. Orlando's Cory Fleming comes into the game with 54 (4th in AFL) catches for 716 (5th in AFL) yards and 14 touchdowns (Tied, 9th in AFL). In week two, Carolina's Todd Doxson (3rd in receptions and yards) caught 10 passes for 128 and two touchdowns. In week six, the Destroyers saw Siaha Burley in action when they traveled to Arizona. Burley (2nd in receptions and yards) caught nine balls for 105 yards and four touchdowns.

BACK IN THE SADDLE
Destroyers quarterback Ryan Vena began the season as the starter, then alternated starts with fellow QB John Rayborn as the season progressed. Now with Rayborn having departed, Vena is the man under center for Columbus. In Four games, Rayborn completed 50-of-80 passes for 553 yards, however also threw six picks. The numbers favor Vena, who entering this week's game has completed 90-of-142 passes for 1,072 yards with 15 touchdowns and only two interceptions. Vena is also Columbus' leading rusher with 19 rushes for 57 yards and five touchdowns.

NOT PICKY WITH PICKS
The Columbus Destroyers has, as a team, five interceptions to its credit, all of them coming at the hands of five different players. WR/LB Cornelius White, DS JoJo Polk, WR/DB Ryan Sloth, WR/DB Titcus Pettigrew and DS Lavar Glover all have interceptions this season

SECOND AND THIRD QUARTER AFFLICTION
The Destroyers have been losing games just before and after half time this season. Columbus has been outscored in the second and third quarters 149-223 while only being outscored 192-218 in the first and fourth quarters. The third quarter has been particularly unkind to the Destroyers, finding themselves 36 points in the hole.


BABY RUTH REAL DEAL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME
WEEK OPPONENT PLAYER
One Indiana Brett Bech (IND)
Two CAROLINA Cornelius White (CLB)
Three Philadelphia Nick Browder (PHI)
Four DALLAS Cornelius White (CLB)
Five Arizona Sherdrick Bonner (AZ)
Six PHILADELPHIA Ricky Ross (PHI)
Seven New York Aaron Garcia (NY)
Eight ORLANDO
Nine NEW YORK
Ten New Orleans
Eleven TAMPA BAY
Twelve Carolina
Thirteen GEORGIA
Fourteen GRAND RAPIDS
Fifteen Dallas
Sixteen Las Vegas

US ARMY IRONMAN OF THE GAME
WEEK OPPONENT PLAYER
One Indiana Sedrick Robinson (CLB)
Two CAROLINA Wilky Bazile (CLB)
Three Philadelphia Ricky Ross (PHI)
Four DALLAS Wilky Bazile (CLB)
Five Arizona Wendall Gaines (AZ)
Six PHILADELPHIA Sean Scott (PHI)
Seven New York Richmond Flowers (NY)
Eight ORLANDO
Nine NEW YORK
Ten New Orleans
Eleven TAMPA BAY
Twelve Carolina
Thirteen GEORGIA
Fourteen GRAND RAPIDS
Fifteen Dallas
Sixteen Las Vegas

ADT DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME
WEEK OPPONENT PLAYER
One Indiana Anthony Derricks (IND)
Two CAROLINA Damon Mason (CAR)
Three Philadelphia Joe Todd (PHI)
Four DALLAS Chris Angel (CLB)
Five Arizona Bo Kelly (AZ)
Six PHILADELPHIA Joseph Todd (PHI)
Seven New York Terrance Joseph (NY)
Eight ORLANDO
Nine NEW YORK
Ten New Orleans
Eleven TAMPA BAY
Twelve Carolina
Thirteen GEORGIA
Fourteen GRAND RAPIDS
Fifteen Dallas
Sixteen Las Vegas

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

COLUMBUS DESTROYERS

OS CoCo Blalock: In his first year with the Destroyers, Blalock is second on the team in receptions (45), receiving yards (427) and receiving touchdowns (4). Blalock is the Destroyers' leader in all-purpose yardage, gaining 920 total yards on the season (6th in AFL).

WR/LB Cornelius White: Led the Destroyers in 2003 with 63 receptions and was second on the team with 760 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. Through seven games, White is the Destroyers leading receiver, having caught 51 balls (5th in AFL) for 684 yards (6th in AFL) and 14 touchdowns (T-9th in AFL).

DS JoJo Polk: A three-year veteran who last season set the Destroyers record for tackles in a single season (86.5/5th in AFL) in his first season with the team. He is second on the team with 29.0 tackles (T-20th in AFL) and leads team with 6 pass break-ups through eight weeks of play.

DS Chris Angel: Rookie defensive specialist leads the team in tackles (29.5/19th in AFL).

ORLANDO PREDATORS

QB Joe Hamilton: In six games Hamilton has racked up 1,241 yards on 103 completions, 23 of them finding the end-zone with a pass-rating of 114.76.

OS Cory Fleming: One of the most outstanding players in the league comes into the game with 54 (4th in AFL) catches for 716 (5th in AFL) yards and 14 touchdowns (Tied, 9th in AFL).

WR/DB Bret Cooper: The former Destroyer is second on the team in receptions (26) and yards (321), and fourth with three touchdowns.

DS Kenny McEntyre: One of the AFL's most feared defenders leads team with 45.5 tackles (3rd in AFL) and interceptions with three (T-2nd in AFL).


HOME .............................................................................. 0-3
AWAY .............................................................................. 1-3
FRIDAY ........................................................................... 0-2
SATURDAY ..................................................................... 1-3
SUNDAY ......................................................................... 0-1
VS EASTERN .................................................................. 0-5
VS CENTRAL .................................................................. 1-0
VS WESTERN ................................................................ 0-1
VS SOUTHERN ............................................................... 0-0
FEBRUARY ...................................................................... 1-3
MARCH ............................................................................ 0-3
APRIL ............................................................................... 0-0
MAY .................................................................................. 0-0
SCORE FIRST ................................................................. 0-1
OPPONENT SCORE FIRST ........................................... 1-5
AHEAD AT HALF............................................................. 0-3
BEHIND AT HALF .......................................................... 1-3
TIED AT HALF ............................................................... 0-0
AHEAD AFTER THREE QT ............................................ 0-1
BEHIND AFTER THREE QT .......................................... 1-5
TIED AFTER THREE QT ................................................ 0-0
PLUS TURNOVER RATIO ............................................. 1-2
EVEN TURNOVER RATIO ............................................ 0-1
MINUS TURNOVER RATIO ........................................... 0-3
MORE TOTAL OFFENSE ............................................... 0-3
LESS TOTAL OFFENSE ................................................. 1-3
OUTCOME 7 POINTS OR LESS ................................... 1-1
OUTCOME 3 POINTS OR LESS ..................................... 0-2
OVERTIME ........................................................................ 0-0
PLAY ON NBC ................................................................. 0-1
NOT ON NBC .................................................................. 1-5


2004 DESTROYERS TEAM LEADERS

Passing: Ryan Vena: 90-142/1072 yards/15 touchdowns
Receiving: Cornelius White: 51 catches/684 yds/14 TDs
Rushing: Ryan Vena: 19 rushes/57 yards/5 TD
Kick Returns: CoCo Blalock: 22 returns
Kick Return Yards: Sedrick Robinson: 495 yards
Tackles: Chris Angel: 29.5 total tackles

2004 DESTROYERS GAME HIGHS

Pass Attempts: John Rayborn-41 at NY/ March 20
Pass Completions: Ryan Vena-22 vs CAR/Feb. 13
Passing Yds: Ryan Vena-256 vs CAR/Feb. 13
Passing TDs: Ryan Vena-5 vs CAR/Feb. 13, John Rayborn-5 at NY/ March 20
Receptions: Cornelius White-11 at NY/March 20
Receiving Yds: Cornelius White-154 at NY/March 20
Receiving TDs: Cornelius White-3 vat NY/ March 20
Rushes: Ryan Vena-7 at ARIZ/Mar. 5
Rushing Yds: Ryan Vena-25 at ARIZ/ Mar. 5
Rushing TDs: Ryan Vena- 2 at ARIZ/ Mar 5 & vs PHI Mar. 13
Kick Returns: CoCo Blalock-5 at NY/ March 20
Kick Return Yds: Sedrick Robinson-117 vs CAR/Feb. 13
Tackles: Chris Angel-7.5 vs PHI/ March 13
Pass Deflections: JoJo Polk-3 at NY/March 20
Interceptions: (White, Polk, Sloth, Pettigrew, Glover)-tied with 1/last March 13

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 30, 2004


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