Fox Hole Fan Club Announces Yearly Awards
Published on August 7, 2003 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Charleston Swamp Foxes News Release
NORTH CHARLESTON, SC â The votes are in and have been counted... the results have been tabulated... and below are the winners of the Fox Hole Fan Club First-annual Players' of the Year awards.
Members of the Fox Hole voted in eight different categories: Offensive Player, Defensive Player, Ironman, "In the Trenches," Hit of the Year, Game of the Year, Vixen of the Year, and Fox Hole Member of the Year.
Offensive Player of the Year: Quarterback Johnny Turman
The Swamp Foxes offense started out the first three weeks of the season ranking at the bottom of the af2 in most statistical categories. The "O" only managed 61 points through the first three contests. However, the introduction and improved seasonal play of the Fox Hole's Offensive Player of the Year turned all of that around.
Rookie quarterback Johnny Turman was selected unanimously as the Offensive Player of the 2003 season. Turman earned player of the week four times during the season, once by the Fox Hole Fan Club.
Turman almost single-handedly rewrote the Foxes' passing record books, erasing the names of Ray Isaac, Jr. and John Craven from every single-game and single-season record. Turman threw for 3,138 yards on 246 completions, 63 of which went for touchdowns. He set single-game records of 367 yards passing in a home loss to Greensboro, and twice tied Isaac's single-game TD pass record of eight.
Turman finished ranked fourth in the af2 in passing yards per game, averaging just over 241 yards per contest. But one of the most impressive stats is the number of Foxes' receivers touched the football. Eleven different receivers caught a touchdown pass, with three surpassing 700 yards receiving, apiece. Turman also caught a two-point conversion pass from Leroy McFadden and added a rare rushing touchdown midway through his freshman campaign.
The offensive unit he guided went from 26th in total offense after the first week to a season-high of 4th with two games remaining, finishing seventh overall. The passing attack moved from 24th after Week One to sixth in arenafootball2 at the year's end.
Defensive Player of the Year: Defensive specialist Michael Brown
A three-year veteran and crowd favorite, Michael Brown was named the Defensive Player of the Year for the Swamp Foxes. A unanimous selection to the post-season honor, Brown was tabbed as the club's Player of the Week five times during the season, also garnering a pair of selections from the front office. Brown swept the weekly awards in the final week of the season, becoming one of three Foxes to accomplish the feat during the 2003 season.
Brown finished as the Swamp Foxes leader in tackles with 57.0 and interceptions with nine, two shy of his single-season record of 11 set in 2002, which ranked him third in the league. He also holds the career record in both categories, having tallied 149 career tackles and 25 picks, which ties him for second on the all-time af2 career interceptions chart. He stands tied with the former leader, Tyrone Laster, who played with the Speed from 2000-02.
Brown led the defensive squad that sat atop the af2 rankings for nine-consecutive weeks from Week Three through Week Eleven. The Foxes' defense finished ranked number one versus the rush, fifth versus the pass, and fourth overall. Charleston led the league in turnover margin, creating 50 total turnovers, 34 of which were interceptions.
Offensively, Brown caught 13 passes for 270 yards (20.8 yards per catch) and five touchdowns, giving him 28 TD receptions in his career. He also led the team in kickoff returns in 2003, racking up 392 yards on 22 returns for an average of 17.8 yards per return.
Ironman of the Year: Wide receiver/defensive back Joe Judge
The definition of the Ironman is a player who does the most for his respective team on both sides of the football. In a game such as Arena Football, having a strong two-way athlete is the difference in winning or losing. The Swamp Foxes' found that strength in the play of the Fox Hole's Ironman of the Year, Joe Judge.
The rookie from McNeese State came on strong the second half of the season. Judge led the team in all-purpose yards, tallying 1,203 on the season. He also led the team in missed field goal returns, taking five off the nets for a total of 129 yards, or an average of 25.8 yards per return.
On offense, he was second in receiving catching 59 passes for 755 yards, a mere 33 yards shy of leading the team. He tallied 13 receiving touchdowns, adding an interception and kickoff return for a season total of 90 points.
Entering the season, however, Judge's strength was his defense â and the frosh didn't disappoint anyone. He finished third on the team in tackles, tallying 42.5, 31 of which were solos. He also intercepted four passes with 50 yards in returns, tied for third on the squad.
Other players nominated for the Ironman of the Year award were veterans Michael Brown and the Swamp Foxes' all-time leading scorer, Mike Chandler.
"In the Trenches" Player of the Year: Offensive/Defensive Line Ufuoma Pela
Wanting to show appreciation for the four guys up front, the Fox Hole Fan Club voted for an "In the Trenches" Player of the Year. This award honors the guys who bring their lunch in a black pail every day; the ones who give it all they have day in and day out without getting much of the glory.
Offensive/defensive lineman Ufuoma Pela is one of those players. He was selected out of five nominees to receive the yearly honor.
Pela finished with 17 total tackles, including 10 solo stops, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. The 17 tackles were the most by any lineman this season. Pela also led the team with 13 quarterback hurries. His efforts moved him into 11th on the Foxes' all-time leading defender list with 46.5 career stops, 11.5 tackles for loss, and seven sacks.
Others nominated for the "In the Trenches" Player of the Year include linemen Darrell Bayer, Larrell Johnson, and Antoinne Scott, as well as fullback/linebacker Leroy McFadden.
Hit of the Year:
The hit and play of the year are one in the same, as voted by the Fox Hole Fan Club. The award goes to rookie fullback/linebacker, Marlon Moye-Moore for his effort that nearly brought the roof down on the North Charleston Coliseum in the win over Columbus on July 19 as he scored on a 36-yard pass from backup quarterback Tim Hicks.
Moye-Moore first made a one-handed grab, gathering in the arrant screen pass from Hicks. He then avoided one would-be tackler, cut back to his left to utilize a block by teammate Joe Judge, and then charged downfield, shedding Wardog tacklers until he staggered into the end zone.
On the season, Marlon Moye-Moore was awarded two Player of the Week selections â once by the fan club and another from the front office.
The other nominees for Hit of the Year included Moye-Moore's hit on former Swamp Foxes' quarterback Kyle Rowley in the same game versus Columbus, and one of numerous thunderous hits delivered by Brown and McFadden.
Game of the Year:
The game that was selected as the "Game of the Year" for the Swamp Foxes did not occur within the friendly confines of the North Charleston Coliseum. Instead, the biggest contest of the season was the "greatest win in Swamp Foxes' history" â at least according to head coach Rik Richards, who was quoted making the statement following the win.
The Fox Hole Fan Club has selected the 58-34 dismantling of the Cape Fear Wildcats in late-June as its Game of the Year. In that game, Charleston 's top-rated defense intercepted five Cape Fear passes, helping to limit the Wildcats then fifth-rated scoring offense to six second half points en route to the win.
Individually for the Foxes, Joe Judge, in his first game back following the neck injury in the road win over Richmond, did it all in the win for the Foxes. He led the team with nine receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, Judge intercepted a pair of passes, including one in the end zone, which he returned 26 yards.
Cape Fear struck first as the af2's leading rusher Wilmont Perry rumbled in from one-yard out. The Swamp Foxes answered three minutes later as Marlon Moye-Moore duplicated Perry's one-yard score, evening the game at seven apiece.
Trailing 14-7, the Foxes rattled off back-to-back scores to end the first and start the second quarters to take a 21-14 advantage before the âCats equaled the score at 21 midway through the half.
Charleston added a 22-yard Rob Bironas field goal late in the half, but the Cape Fear Wildcats took a four-point, 28-24 lead into the locker room.
The Foxes defense stiffened in the second stanza with the only âCat points coming on a nine-yard strike from Bryan Snyder to Anthony Hines at the 4:02 mark of the third quarter. Charleston outscored Cape Fear 27-0 over the final 19:02 to secure the victory
Other games nominated for the Swamp Foxes' Game of the Year include the home-opening win over Birmingham, which was head coach Rik Richards' first victory, or the wins over Richmond both at home and on the road.
Vixen of the Year: Karen
Entering her second-season as the choreographer of the Vixens Dance team, Karen led the squad with poise and grace. With her strong background in dance, which includes being a Radio City Rockette, and a featured performer at such places as Kings Dominion, Busch Gardens, The Carolina Opry, and Norwegian Cruise Lines, Karen led the Vixens in high-energy dances that kept the crowd glued to their seats throughout the game.
Add in the wily moves and cunning pranks of the Foxes' loveable mascot, Sly, and the Swamp Foxes' entertainment package surpassed anything in the Lowcountry.
Members of the Vixens dance team made a trip to a national dance showcase in Las Vegas, NV, representing the af2 team for the first-time ever on a national level. The squad was also busy in the local community, taking part in car washes, fundraisers for the Boys and Girls Club, and participating at the Camp Happy Days this year.
The two additional Vixens mentioned in the voting process were Becky and Gina.
Fox Hole Fan Club Member of the Year: Luke
As the Fox Hole Fan Club grew in numbers, so did the noise and enthusiasm they brought both the "the Swamp" and to select road games this season. The fan club has selected Luke as its member of the year.
According to the voting members, Luke was almost always the first to arrive on game days. He was one of the troopers who cooked over the hot grill every weekend and rarely missed a weekly coaches show or Swamp Fox event.
Other fan club members nominated within the organization were Luke's grilling-mate, Lynn Scholl and "the Fox" himself, Wink Hinkley.
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