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Columbus Destroyers game notes

May 16, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Columbus Destroyers News Release


DESTROYERS/CRUSH PREVIEW

The teams will face-off for the third time in history with the series tied at one game apiece. On Mar. 25 last season the Destroyers used a 27-point second quarter and outscored the Crush 31-14 in the final half on their way to a 65-21 victory on Frontier Field at Pepsi Center. The 44-point victory is the franchise's largest margin of victory over an opponent. The Destroyers defense forced seven turnovers in the game (3 interceptions, 4 forced fumbles), while the offense scored on all eight possessions in the red-zone. The two-time Arena Football League Offensive Player of the Year Damian Harrell leads the 2007 edition of the Crush. On the season, the Florida State University graduate, has hauled in 82 passes for 1,001 yards and 31 touchdowns. Crush quarterback John Dutton has completed 262-of-432 passes for 2,916 yards and 58 touchdowns this season. The 262 completions are ranked third amongst all quarterback's in the AFL. The Crush defense is led by Rashad Floyd, he leads the league with 113 tackles (101UT-24AT), five interceptions and 10 pass breakups.

DESTROYERS/RAMPAGE RECAP

The Destroyers defeated the Grand Rapids Rampage 59-56 in front of 12,014 fans on Huntington Field at Nationwide Arena last Friday night. The Destroyers move to 5-1 on the season at home and have won five consecutive games at home. Ironman of the Game B.J. Barre had another strong outing as he caught one touchdown, rushed for a score and added eight tackles (7UT-2AT). The team's leading tackler Brandon Hefflin took home Defensive Player of the Game honors as he led all defenders with 10 tackles (9UT-2AT) with two pass breakups. Quarterback Matt Nagy completed 16-of-23 passes for 173 yards, four touchdowns passing and rushed for one touchdown. He now has 203 completions on the season giving him four consecutive seasons of over 200 completions.

GROUND CONTROL

The Columbus Destroyers ground game has taken off this season as they put up 23.7 yards per contest. The rushing attack is led by Fullback Harold Wells who has set career-highs with 52 carries and eight touchdowns. He has run for 129 yards this season and is five yards from setting another career best in that category. Quarterback Matt Nagy is also called upon in short yardage situations, he's carried the ball 12 times for 25 yards and scored six touchdowns.

The Destroyers rank fourth in the AFL putting up almost 24 yards per contest. In fact when the Destroyers rush for over 20 yards in a game they have a record of 6-1 in 2007.

The Colorado Crush are last in the league as they average 5.2 yards per contest on the ground.

"WE MUST PROTECT THIS HOUSE"

The 2007 Columbus Destroyers have set a season franchise mark with five wins on Huntington Field at Nationwide Arena. The team bested the 2006 squad and the 2002 Buffalo Destroyers whom all won four games at home in their respective seasons. The 2002-03 Buffalo Destroyers put together a string of seven consecutive wins at home over the course of two seasons.

BRINGIN THE "D"

The Destroyers defense is holding its opponents to an average of 47.9 points per contest, fourth best in the AFL. In 2006, the defense held its opponents to 44.8 points, second best scoring defense in the AFL.

The defense is among the league leaders when it comes to allowing opposing offenses to convert on third and fourth down situations. The Destroyers have combined to allow 44 first downs on 92 attempts (47.8%), sixth in the league. The Dallas Desperados lead the AFL on third and fourth down allowing opposing offenses a first down 43 of 108 attempts (39.8%).

TAKE IT AWAY NOW: A season ago the Destroyers finished with the 2nd best give-away, take-away ratio in the AFL with a +14. This season the defense has 17 take-away's (nine interceptions and eight fumbles recovered) giving the team an overall +7 give-away, take-away ratio that ties them for 5th in the league. Jerald Brown leads the team with three interceptions and David Saunders leads the team with two fumble recoveries.

The Chicago Rush lead the league with a +18 give-away, take-away ratio. The Rush have the league lead with 16 interceptions and 15 fumble recoveries.

JOLTING JONES

Ken Jones is the all-time franchise leader in sacks with 15.5 to his credit. Last season he eclipsed the mark of Kerwin Hairston by leading the Destroyers with five sacks in 2006. This season he leads the team and set a franchise record with 8.5. He sacked Rush QB Matt D'Orazio twice in Week 4, Georgia's Chris Griesen for 1.5 in Week 5, while stripping the ball and recovering it on one occasion, a pair of sacks on Apr. 23 against Soul QB Clint Stoerner and last week against the New York Dragons he was able to get a hold of QB Aaron Garcia twice.

Being able to get pressure on the quarterback is his specialty and he's making a statement against offensive lineman as he second in the AFL in sacks with 8.5 (8UT-1AT) and holds the league lead in tackles for loss with 12 (8.5 sacks, 3.5 tackles in the backfield).

PROTECTION AT ITS BEST

The Destroyers offensive line has allowed one sack in six games dating back against the Georgia Force on Mar. 30. In fact the sack-less streak included 158 pass attempts. In ten games the offensive line of Howard Duncan, Will Rabatin, Jason Hilliard and fullback Harold Wells have surrendered seven sacks on 330 attempts. Wells (Gardner Webb) and Duncan (Oklahoma University) are in their second season and are flanked by a pair of AFL rookies from the University of Louisville in Rabatin and Hilliard.

TOUCHDOWN MACHINE

Destroyers' wide receiver Damien Groce set an all-time AFL record with eight consecutive touchdowns scored spanning two games. He scored the final four touchdowns against the Austin Wranglers on Apr. 14 and led the game off with the first four Destroyers touchdowns Apr. 23 against the Soul. The previous record for consecutive touchdowns was held by Derek Lee of the Georgia Force in 2005 (Week 7-8) with seven. The previous franchise record was held by Sedrick Robinson in 2004, who scored four-straight against the Dallas Desperados on May 22.

CATCH HIM IF YOU CAN

Wide receiver Damien Groce torched the Wranglers secondary in Week 7, as he caught 13 passes for 129 yards and set a franchise record with five touchdown receptions. Against the Soul on April 23rd he hauled in a game-high nine passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns. On the season, he leads the team with 72 receptions (T-19th in the AFL) for 847 yards (23rd in the AFL) and 19 touchdowns. He also is second in the league with 27 kick returns for 649 yards (24 avg.) and two touchdowns, giving him 1,561 all-purpose yards, which ranks him sixth in the AFL.

THE MAGIC NUMBER

The Destroyers put 72 points on the scoreboard, the second most points in franchise history, in a win over the Austin Wranglers in Week Seven. Since the Destroyers have moved to Columbus, they hold a perfect 7-0 record in games in which they score 60-plus points. Earlier this season the Destroyers defeated the Georgia Force in Week Five, 62-61.

The most points the Buffalo Destroyers scored in a game is 79. They accomplished that on the road at New Jersey on June 25, 2000.

AERIAL ATTACK

In Week Seven against the Wranglers, Destroyers QB Matt Nagy threw for a team record and set a personal best with nine touchdown passes.

Nagy bested the previous Destroyers record set by Ryan Vena who threw for eight scores against the Dallas Desperados on May 22, 2004.

DYNAMIC DUO

The tandem of Matt Nagy and Damien Groce has sparked the Destroyers offense in the first eight games of the season. The two have combined for 19 touchdowns through the air.

Nagy has passed to Groce for 847 yards on 72 receptions, that consists for over a third (35%) of the Destroyers offensive output in ten games this season.

Groce is accountable for 32% of the Destroyers scoring this season with 23 total touchdowns (19 receiving, 2 rushing, 2 kick off returns).

DEFENDING THE CROWN

Reigning AFL Defensive Player of the Year Jerald Brown picked up right where he left off 2006 as he's intercepted five passes this season (tied for fifth in the AFL), including two in Destroyers' victories over the Georgia Force in Week 5 and two in Week 7 against the Austin Wranglers. A season ago, Brown finished second in the league with 11 interceptions and 133 interception return yards.

In addition to the five interceptions, Brown has amassed 38 tackles (31UT-14AT), one fumble recovery and holds for the team lead with 12 pass breakups (tied for eighth in the AFL).

WHAT'S SO SPECIAL?

The Destroyers special teams are providing a much-needed boost to the team's overall game, ranking among league leaders in kick returns.

Kick returners Damien Groce (27 KOR for 649 yards and 2 TD's) and Josh Bush (22 KOR for 450 yards and 2 TD's) have supplied great starting field position for the offense. The two have combined for 1,099 yards on 49 kick returns and four touchdowns. The team's kick return average of 21.3 yards per return leads the AFL.

DÉJÀ VU

In Week Five against the Georgia Force the Destroyers kickoff returners were all over the field as they returned two the length of the field for touchdowns. In the second quarter Josh Bush returned his second in as many games from 56-yards and in the third quarter Damien Groce returned a Xavier Betita offering 56-yards for the score.

This is the first time the Destroyers have had two kickoff returns for touchdowns in a game since May 9, 2004 against the Georgia Force. In history the Destroyers have now accomplished the special teams feat four times including Week Five, three of those have been at the hands of the Georgia Force.

SPREADING THE LOVE

Quarterback Matt Nagy found five different receivers for touchdowns against the Dallas Desperados in Week Six. Damien Groce, Tony Locke, David Saunders (2), Josh Bush and Howard Duncan were the recipients of the scoring strikes.

Nagy has now accomplished this feat twice in his career. The first coming on March 7, 2004, as a member of the Carolina Cobras he threw for six touchdowns in the game to five different receivers including current teammate, Damien Groce.

THE TOLEDO TACKLER

Toledo graduate, Brandon Hefflin, leads the team (5th in the AFL) with 66 (55UT-22AT) tackles. Now in his third year with the Destroyers, Hefflin led the team in tackles in 2005 (76.5) and 2006 (84.5).

Hefflin made a strong showing in the season opener against the Kats, he corralled 9.5 tackles and one pass breakup. Against the VooDoo a week later, he made 10 stops, two tackles for a loss totaling three yards and forced one fumble. In Week 10 against the Storm he led the squad with 7.5 tackles. Against the Rampage last week he led the team with 10 stops.

O-H-I-O

Five Destroyers players have ties to the Buckeye state.

DB B.J. Barre

- Grew up in Toledo, attended Whitmer High School and played at The Ohio State University one season.

DB Brandon Hefflin

- Attended the University of Toledo

OL Juan Porter

- Prepped at St. Ignatius High School (Cleveland) and played at The Ohio State University

DB Anthony Floyd

- Born in Youngstown

QB Josh Harris

- Prepped at Westerville High School and played quarterback at Bowling Green State University

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

The Destroyers 2007 coaching staff brings with it 37 years of coaching experience in Arena Football. Collectively the Destroyers coaches have won three ArenaBowl Championships (Head Coach Doug Kay, Tampa Bay Storm - ArenaBowl VII and Arizona Rattlers - ArenaBowl XI; Coach Mitch Matuska, Tampa Bay Storm - ArenaBowl XVII)

Offensive coordinator Skip Foster (2003) won an ArenaCup in arenafootball2 with the Tulsa Talons as head coach.

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