Game Preview: Philadelphia Battles Jacksonville in Home Opener
April 18, 2014 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Philadelphia Soul News Release
PHILADELPHIA - This is the team we all know and love. The Philadelphia Soul won their first game of the season, setting the team moral at an all-time high. The team plans to continue this success in their first home game of the season.
The Soul (1-3) will face the Jacksonville Sharks (2-2) at home at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday, April 19 at 6 p.m. This game will be a re-match of the last two American Conference Championship games in which the Soul won both times. The game can be seen on ESPN3.
The Soul hopes to carry over the momentum from last week's 69-56 victory over the Orlando Predators and match a Home Opening win against the American Conference rival, Sharks.
Soul QB Dan Raudabaugh is coming off his best performance of the season where he connected on 20-of-22 passes for 254 yards and seven touchdowns in the victory over the Predators. On the young season, Raudabaugh currently has 18 touchdown passes and only three interceptions. Soul FB Derrick Ross leads not only his team, but also the league in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. He has 105 yards, 32 attempts and nine touchdowns this season. He made a big impact during the Predators game with two rushing touchdowns on 12 carries.
Ryan McDaniel, who is in his second AFL season, has been on an All-Arena pace by leading the Soul in receptions (36), receiving yards (437) and adding 10 total touchdowns (nine receiving and one rushing.) Perennial All-Arena wide receiver Tiger Jones is also having an outstanding season with 29 catches for 349 yards and eight touchdowns.
The Sharks' have a team full of dedicated players. The receiving corps of Landon Crawford, Jeron Harvey and Jomo Wilson continues to stand out throughout this season. Crawford tops the charts with 28 receptions, 378 yards and nine touchdowns, while Harvey has added 19 catches for 166 yards and four touchdowns. Also, newly-reacquired Wilson and former Soul receiver Andrae Thurman join the Sharks after both were added to the roster earlier in the week.
The matchup players to look out for this week both won the Riddell Defensive Player of the Game during Week 5. Soul LB Joe Goosby is currently the only player to gain any interceptions (2) with 15 yards for the Soul. Sharks' DB Xavier Brewer leads his team's secondary in interceptions (2) with 23 yards. Both players have been incredible assets to their teams and should make it interesting in the secondary.
The Soul will continue to play at home next week against the Iowa Barnstormers on Sunday, April 27 at the Wells Fargo Center.
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