Daytona Beach Thunder Game Notes
May 27, 2006 - American Indoor Football Association (AIFA)
Daytona Beach Thunder News Release
WEB CAST: Teamline.cc at www.dbthunder.net (Dan Ryan, Kerry Kramer and Rocky Yocam)
COACHES: Daytona Beach. Ervin Bryson (4th year overall, 22-21); Ghostchasers, uh, we're working on that
KEY PLAYERS: Daytona Beach, QB Oscar Davenport (1,719 yds 34 TD), RB Brad Lee (425 yds 15td) , RB Calvin Thomas (125 YDS 6td, WR/KR Robert Bailey (47-821-19), DE Rahsaan Kearney (6.5 sacks), DB Nick Allison (12 INT), K Andy Eminger (8-24 FG, 30-36 PAT). ; Ghostchasers: QB Bob Griese, RB Mercury Morris, RB Jim Kiick, RB Larry Csonka, WR Paul Warfield, OL Larry Little, LB Nick Buoniconti, DB Nick Anderson, DB Jake Scott, K Garo Yepremian ... wait a second, those are the 1972 Miami Dolphins ... ha,ha,made you look ... again, we're working on that.
WHY YOU SHOULD GIVE A DARN: The Daytona Beach Thunder closes out its inaugural home season with a Memorial Day Weekend matchup against the AIFL Ghostchasers. Owners Zack McDonald, Kevin McDonald and Antone Smothers will make an exciting announcement concerning the team's future at halftime.
REASONS TO COME TO THE GAME: Longtime football coach and athletic director Bill Moreman will be as honored as the Thunder's seventh "Local Legend" prior to the game - Moreman coached owner Zack McDonald at New Smyrna Beach High School ... Also in attendance will be US Congressman Tom Feeney, who will serve as the game ball presenter ... And for all you NASCAR fans, consider this: You can come to the game, grab a few autographs and still make it back home to catch the final 50 laps of that endurance race in Charlotte, unless Stewart and Kenseth haven't run each other into the wall by then....We're still doing that $1,000 promo for one fan if 4,500 people show up.
WHY THIS GAME MATTERS: Daytona Beach is still alive in the American Indoor Football League Southern Conference playoff picture, needing to win both this and the regular season finale at Rome June 10 and the Chattahoochee Valley Vipers to lose their final two games to claim the fourth and final spot. Quite possible, since Rome is struggling offensively and lost to Raleigh Thursday, and the Vipers are facing a Florence team they barely beat last week and a Richmond team that can unseat Rome as conference champs. Anything's possible.
BOO WHO: About the Ghostchasers. When the Carolina Ghostriders suspended operations, the Ghostchasers were created as a travel team to help the Southern Conference teams fill out their home game schedule. Based in Florence, the Ghostchasers have been outscored by a combined 230-29, including last week's 113-0 setback at Richmond. Yep.
*: -- The AIFL has determined that any record set in a game against the Ghostchasers or the PA Cardinals, a fill-in team in the Northern Conference, will carry a Roger Maris-type asterisk. Records against regular teams will also be listed in an effort to preserve the integrity of the game.
THAT BEING SAID: Could a scoring record fall other than Bandits' 113* fall? Here's what our research found.
1) The most points ever scored in Florida on the high school, college or professional level was 144 by the University of Florida against Florida Southern (0) in 1913 (Gee, Spurrier must have been around a loooong time.) BTW, the high school record is 131 set by Jacksonville University Christian against Jacksonville Victory Christian in 1974. 2) The most points ever scored by a Florida professional team was 83 by the now-defunct Florida Bobcats of the Arena Football League against the Houston ThunderBears (36) in 1988. Hmm. Thunderbears. 3) The largest margin of victory for a Florida professional team is 55, set by the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars on 1/15/2000 when they slammed the Miami Dolphins 62-7 in an AFC playoff game. That was Dan Marino's last game. Bryson's going to make a Dolphins' joke, but hey coach, who has the better winning percentage this year, you or Nick Saban?
SALT FOR OUR WOUNDS: Six losses by 19 points. Three in a row by seven. And in the last games, the Thunder has led for 119 minutes and 41 seconds out of a possible 120 minutes of regulation time. Please let's talk about something else.
FOR THE RECORD: The Thunder did file a protest concerning the officiating at the Raleigh game. Supervisor Tom Bryan admitted the crew made several mistakes, but then again, we fumbled in the final minute and missed a field goal at the buzzer. Such is life. Move on.
THUNDER CLAPS: WR Robert Bailey has had consecutive 7-catch games ... Oscar Davenport completed over 50 percent of his passes for the second time this season in the Raleigh game ... Nick Allison has 12 picks in 12 games, last year he had 14 in 14, see the pattern? ... Allison, Rahsaan Kearney ... Seven of Andy Eminger's 8 field goals have come on the road.
BEST WISHES: The Daytona Beach Thunder organization offers its prayers and support to the Florence Phantoms and Head Coach Derric Coakley, who is battling a severe lung condition and may need a lung transplant.
NEXT WEEK: We're off.
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American Indoor Football Association Stories from May 27, 2006
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