Foxes Finish Record-Breaking 2003 Tied for Second
Published on August 6, 2003 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Charleston Swamp Foxes News Release
NORTH CHARLESTON, SC - After back-to-back 7-9 seasons, the Charleston Swamp Foxes finished the 2003 season under first-year head coach Rik Richards a team-best 9-7, tied for second in the American Conference's Atlantic Division.
The Cape Fear Wildcats (10-6) successfully defended their Atlantic crown, winning the division for the second-consecutive year of their existence. The âCats earned the third seed in the af2 playoffs and are the only representative from a highly-contested Atlantic Division to make the post-season.
Charleston (9-7) finished in a two-way tie for second place with the Greensboro Prowlers, which also finished with a team-best record of 9-7 under its first-year head coach, Steven Jerry.
The Norfolk Nighthawks duplicated its 2002 record, finishing 8-8 and in third place in the division. Richmond wrapped up the finishing order in the Atlantic Division at 6-10, the worst overall record for the Speed in the team's four-year existence.
The Swamp Foxes are still searching for the illusive first post-season playoff berth in team history. Each year, however, the Foxes have shown improvement, besting the 7-9 records of the past two seasons and the 4-12 mark posted in the inaugural 2000 season.
Charleston's offense started out the 2003 season dead last in the 27-team af2, only mustering 61 points through the first three road losses. However, offensive coordinator Tony Wells righted the ship, rallying the offense to finish rank in the Top Ten in four af2 statistical categories (scoring offense, total offense, passing offense, and scoring).
The cornerstone of the Swamp Foxes the past three seasons has been its defense. Behind defensive coordinator-turned head coach Rik Richards, the Foxes continued that tradition, ranking atop the areanfootball2 defensive stat categories for nine-consecutive weeks during the middle portion of the season.
The defense finished ranked in the af2's Top Ten in seven categories, including leading the league in rushing defense and turnover margin. Charleston created 50 total turnovers in 2003, including 34 interceptions, two shy of the all-time af2 record.
Individually, the Foxes re-wrote their own record books this year. Three-year veteran Mike Chandler became the Swamp Foxes' all-time leading scorer, finishing with 238 career points. On the strength of a single-season touchdown and scoring record, Leroy McFadden moved into second on the list behind Chandler with 208 points, while Michael Brown moved to third with an even 200 career points.
McFadden's 31-touchdown, 196-point season set the single-season records for both TDs and points in one year. Brown became the Foxes' all-time leading defender, tallying 57 tackles in 2003 for a career mark of 149. He also solidified his hold on the career interceptions list with nine picks to take his career tally to 25.
Entering the 2003 season, former Fox Ray Isaac, Jr. held the majority of the Foxes' passing records. After one season, minus the first three games, 2003 signal caller Johnny Turman now owns the records for pass attempts, completions, passing yards, and touchdowns in a single-game and season. Turman completed 246 of his 455 attempts for 3,138 yards and a record 63 scoring strikes this season.
The guys on the receiving end of Turman's record passes also had a big season. Returning after a one-year hiatus from the Lowcountry, Antoine Calloway became the all-time leader for receptions with 118 for the Swamp Foxes' career. Chandler moved into second on the all-time list, with Brown finishing the year fourth, McFadden in sixth, and Joe Judge in seventh.
Rookie kicker Rob Bironas, en route to setting a new career field goals record, established a new single-season mark, tied the single-game tally, and booted a Swamp Foxes' long 45-yarder in the late-July home win over Columbus.
After the aforementioned three-game losing skid to start the season, which had Charleston winless in its previous five attempts dating back to the 2002 season, the Foxes went on a winning streak equaling the trio of losses. The Swamp Foxes picked up the first-victory in the Richards' era, a one-point, 38-37 thriller over the Birmingham Steeldogs in the home opener.
With a chance to move above the .500 mark, the Foxes dropped two-in-a-row at home to Cape Fear and on the road at Greensboro to slip to 3-5, only to taste victory in the next two match-ups to return to .500.
The Swamp Foxes won four of their final six match-ups, including what was billed as the "greatest win in team history," a 58-34 road victory over rival Cape Fear, en route to the best season in the team's four-year existence.
Charleston's 2003 opponents had a combined record of 74-86 (.463), with three of the seasonal opponents making it to the post-season. However, teams within the Atlantic Division tallied a combined record of 42-38 (.525) and the top four teams were battling for the playoffs entering the last two weeks of the season. The Swamp Foxes finished a 5-3 at home and a team-best 4-4 on the road, including a record-setting three-game road-winning streak.
Records set during the 2003 season:
Team Best Overall Record: 9-7
Best Road Record: 4-4
Total Plays: 55 vs. Birmingham (4-26-03)
Most Points by the Swamp Foxes: 68 vs. Norfolk (6-7-03)
Most Passing Yards: 380 vs. Greensboro (7-5-03)
Interceptions: 5 vs. Cape Fear (6-28-03)
First Wins Against: Bossier City Battle Wings
Birmingham Steeldogs
Cape Fear Wildcats
Florida Firecats
Won third-straight versus the Richmond Speed (dating back to 2002)
Individual All-Time Leading Scorer: 238 points by Mike Chandler (2001-03)
Touchdowns in a Single-Season: 31 by Leroy McFadden (2003)
Touchdowns in a Career: 39 by Mike Chandler (2001-03)
Most Passing Attempts in a Single-Game: 51 by Johnny Turman vs. Macon (6-21-03)
Most Completed Passes in a Single-Game: 31 by Johnny Turman vs. Macon (6-21-03)
Most Passing Yards in a Single-Game: 367 by Johnny Turman vs. Greensboro (7-5-03)
Most Passing TDs in a Single-Game: 8 by Johnny Turman vs. Greensboro (7-5-03)
8 by Johnny Turman vs. Norfolk (7-5-03)
Most Passing Attempts in a Single-Season: 455 by Johnny Turman (2003)
Most Completed Passes in a Single-Season: 246 by Johnny Turman (2003)
Most Passing Yards in a Single-Season: 3,138 by Johnny Turman (2003)
Most Passing Touchdown in a Single-Season: 63 by Johnny Turman (2003)
Most Receptions in a Career: 118 by Antoine Calloway (2001 & 2003)
Most Field Goals Made in a Single-Game: 3 by Rob Bironas vs. Bossier City (7-11-03)
Most Field Goals Made in a Single-Season: 12 by Rob Bironas (2003)
Most Field Goals Made in a Single-Career: 12 by Rob Bironas (2003)
Most PATs Made in a Single-Season: 58 by Rob Bironas (2003)
Longest Field Goal: 45 yards by Rob Bironas vs. Columbus (7-19-03)
Most Tackles in a Career: 149 by Michael Brown (2001-03)
Most Interceptions in a Career: 25 by Michael Brown (2001-03)
Most Tackles for Loss in a Career: 17.5 by Preston Vinson (2000-03)
Most Sacks in a Career: 22 by Preston Vinson (2000-03)
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