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Indiana Firebirds game notes

March 16, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Albany/Indiana Firebirds News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Indiana Firebirds (1-5)
at Georgia Force (4-2)
Date: March 20, 2004
Kickoff: 4:00 pm (EST)
Site: Conseco Fieldhouse (14,559)
Officials: Referee: Bill Athan; Umpire: Rick DiBernardo; Head Linesman: Rod Pearson; Line Judge: Al Riveron; Back Judge: Rob Vernatchi
Series Record: 1-0, Georgia Leads
Last Meeting: Georgia defeated the Firebirds 77-56 in week 14 last season in a game played at Conseco Fieldhouse.
Coaches: Mike Wilpolt (1st Season, 1-0)
Marty Lowe (3rd Season, 18-15)
RADIO:
Firebirds' Radio Network: ESPN RADIO 950 AM, WIJY 95.9 FM, ESPN Radio 1130 AM (Brazil, IN), & ESPN Radio 1300 AM (Terre Haute, IN) (with Rob Blackman and Barry Krauss).
WEBCAST: www.espn950.com

THE FIREBIRDS:
For the first time in the 2004 campaign the Indiana Firebirds are coming off a win. Indiana dominated Austin 64-41 in head coach Mike Wilpolt's first game at the helm. Indiana's offense was aided greatly in week six, by four forced turnovers by the Indiana defense. The 64-point outing was not only a season-high for the Firebirds, but it marked the first time Indiana cracked the 50-point plateau in 2004. The defense has been rock solid, ranking in the top ten in the league in scoring. Rookie QB Adrian McPherson started for the third consecutive week on Saturday against Orlando. McPherson has put up an impressive line (49-87, 670 yards, 11 touchdowns), in three starts for Indiana. The Firebirds also appear to have developed depth at the receiver position. OS Mike Horacek, the 2003 league leader in receptions, has to compete for catches with long-time Firebird Evan Hlavacek, and young receivers Brett Bech, Anthony Hines, and now two-year veteran Andy McCullough. Leroy Thompson (70 yards, 2TD) once again guides the Indiana ground game, but has received help from FB/LB Jeff Cogell (44 yds, 3 TD) and McPherson (128 yds, 7 TD) in moving the ball on the ground. Three of Indiana's five losses have been decided in the last minute of action. OL/DL Ricky Hall may be having the best season of his five-year AFL career. He currently leads all linemen on the Firebirds with 12.5 total tackles (two for loss). DS Anthony Derricks leads the defense with 36.0 tackles, one interception and one forced fumble.
THE FORCE:
The Georgia Force comes into this week (4-2) after winning three consecutive games. Georgia has the look of a playoff contender with key wins over league-favorite Los Angeles, last-years champion Tampa Bay and perennial powerhouse Orlando. Leon Murray has taken every snap for Georgia at the quarterback position and has guided the Force offense to success. Murray has completed 130 of 205 passes for 1526 yards, 25 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Georgia has three major threats at the receiver position: Markeith Cooper (39 receptions, 509 yards), Dialleo Burks (28 receptions 336 yards), and Dameon Porter (26 receptions 296 yards). Kevin Gaines leads the defense with 33 tackles, 15 more than the next highest teammate.
INDIANA FIREBIRDS (0-5)
Date Opponent Time Result Record
2/7 COLUMBUS 7:00 L 54-48 0-1
2/14 at New Orleans 3:00 L 41-40 0-2
2/23 at Detroit 7:30 L 34-25 0-3
2/29 CHICAGO 3:00 L 49-46 0-4
3/6 At Orlando 7:30 L50-38 0-5
3/14 at Austin 3:00 W64-41 1-5
3/20 GEORGIA 7:00
3/26 GRAND RAPIDS 7:30
4/3 at Colorado 3:00
4/11 CAROLINA 2:00
4/17 at Grand Rapids 6:30
4/25 ARIZONA 2:00
5/2 at Las Vegas 2:00
5/8 DETROIT 7:00
5/16 COLORADO 2:00
5/23 At Chicago 2:00

GEORGIA FORCE (4-2)
Date Opponent Time Result Record
2/8 NEW YORK 3:00 L54-28 0-1
2/13 At Tampa Bay 7:30 W70-62 1-1
2/22 At New Orleans 3:00 L55-52 1-2
3/1 At Los Angeles 10:30 W53-52 2-2
3/7 LAS VEGAS 12:00 W55-40 3-2
3/12 At Orlando 7:30 W52-44 4-2
3/20 At Indiana 7:00
3/27 TAMPA BAY 7:00
4/1 At Detroit 7:30
4/11 At Austin 3:00
4/18 ORLANDO 3:00
4/25 SAN JOSE 12:00
5/9 At Columbus 3:00
5/15 At New Orleans 8:00
5/23 AUSTIN 3:00
5/30 CAROLINA 4:00
COACHES:
Mike Wilpolt (1-0, 1st year): Mike Wilpolt was named head coach of the Firebirds on March 10, 2004, following the team's (0-5) start. He has been with the organization coaching defensive backs for the past six years, the last five he also served as the team's defensive coordinator. In his first season with the Firebirds, Wilpolt coached the special teams and helped them to a 1999 ArenaBowl Championship. In 2002, his defense had a breakthrough season, leading the league in red zone defense (74.4%) and ranking 2nd in points allowed (46.1) and interceptions (21). Wilpolt played four years in the AFL as a defensive specialist with the Charlotte Rage (1992), Las Vegas Sting (1994-95) and the Anaheim Piranhas (1996). During his time with Anaheim, Wilpolt held a then league record for tackles with 16 in one game.

Name Years Record
Mike Wilpolt 2004 - 1-0
Steve DeBerg 2004 0-5
Mike Dailey 1997-2003 63-44
Mike Hohensee 1994-1996 30-14
Rick Buffington 1990-1993 19-24

Marty Lowe (18-15, 3rd Year): Marty Lowe took over as head coach of the Georgia Force five games into the 2002 season. Lowe took control of a team that was 1-4 at the time, and guided them to the Force's first playoff appearance in 2003. Lowe is the second-youngest head coach in the league at age 32. Lowe played two seasons in the AFL for Saint Louis and Texas. Lowe rejoined the AFL in 2000 after coaching stints at Louisville and Texas- El Paso. Lowe was an Offensive Assistant in 2000 with the Nashville Kats. Lowe also served as the Kats offensive coordinator and assistant coach, while in Nashville.

INDIANA FIREBIRDS INJURY REPORT:
Player Pos Injury Status
Doug Lytle OL/DL Knee Doubtful
Greg Krause OL/DL Knee Doubtful
Anthony Herron OL/DL Shoulder Doubtful
Kevin Daft QB Neck OUT
Kerry Brown WR/LB Thumb OUT
____________________________________________
THE IF'S:
If INDIANA beats Georgia it would...
§ Give Indiana their second win of the season
§ Be the ‘Birds first win at home since 4/13/03
§ Give the Firebirds their first win over Georgia franchise
§ Keep Wilpolt undefeated as Firebirds head coach

If GEORGIA beats Indiana it would...
§ Give Georgia four consecutive victories
§ Keep Georgia undefeated against Indiana
§ Be the Force fifth road win

THE SERIES:
This is the second meeting between the Firebirds and Force. Georgia won the teams first match-up 77-56 at Conseco Fieldhouse in week 14 last year.

PRACTICE SCHEDULE FOR March 2nd THROUGH March 6th
Start End
Tue. March 9, 2004 OFF

Wed. March 10, 2004 11:00am 1:00pm
Thurs. March 11, 2004 11:00am 1:00pm

Fri. March 12, 2004 11:00am 1:00pm

Sat. March 13, 2004 7:00 PM KICKOFF

All practices are held at the SportsZone (6601 Coffman Road, Indiana polis, IN 46268). Media are encouraged to get interviews 15 minutes prior to, or following, each practice session.

FIREBIRDS RECORD IN 2004 WHEN:
At Home...............................................0-2
On the Road..........................................1-3
Vs. National Conference..........................1-4
Vs. American Conference........................0-1
Vs. Southern Division.............................1-2
Vs. Eastern Division...............................0-1
Vs. Western Division..............................0-0
Vs. Central Division...............................0-2
Score First............................................0-2
Lead After 1st Quarter.............................0-0
Trail After 1st Quarter.............................1-4
Lead After 2nd Quarter............................1-2
Trail After2nd Quarter............................0-3
Lead After 3rd Quarter............................1-2
Trail After 3rd Quarter............................0-3
Overtime Games....................................0-0
On NBC...............................................0-2
Win Turnover Battle...............................1-2
Lose Turnover Battle..............................0-3
Score Over 50 Points..............................1-0
Score Over 60 Points.............................1-0
Allow Under 40 Points...........................0-1
Allow Under 30 Points...........................0-0

Firebirds get first one, in BIG WAY
Head Coach Mike Wilpolt guided the Indiana Firebirds to a 64-41 victory over the Austin Wranglers Sunday afternoon in Austin, TX, in front of 10,315 fans at the Frank Erwin Center. The win gives the 'Birds their first win of the season and marks the first career game for Wilpolt as the team's head coach. The Firebirds took advantage of four Austin turnovers and returned two kickoffs for scores in amassing their highest scoring output of the season.

Opening the second half the Firebirds received the ball, but a fumble at the Wrangler's 14-yard line gave the ball back to the home team. Coming out of the locker room after a rough start, Kaleo handed the ball off to fullback Jeremy Buetler, who then proceeded to fumble the ball right back to Indiana. McPherson hit Horacek for a 41-yard completion and Jeff Cogell followed it with a 2-yard scoring run, getting the Firebirds on top, 48-19.

Kaleo hooked up with Tacoma Fontaine on the following drive from 39-yards out, making the score 48-25 with 6:16 remaining in the third quarter. The Wranglers' score ended a 41-point run that the Firebirds put together, which began with 12:43 left in the first half. The Austin streak would not last as long as the 'Birds, as four plays later McPherson ran in his third touchdown of the game. Austin's Buetler blocked the extra point and Charlie Davidson took lateral from Walker for two points the other way. With three quarters finished, the Firebirds led 54-28.

Starting off the final fifteen minutes, Kaleo hit Davidson for his second touchdown reception of the game and got Austin within nineteen points, 54-35. Clay Rush attempted his first field goal of the game and proceeded to drill it right between the uprights for a career-long 59-yarder. Rush's previous long was 56-yards, a kick he converted in 2000 with the Iowa Barnstormers.

With the Firebirds now ahead 57-35, Austin returned to the field with 10:21 left in the game. Kaleo drove down the field and capped it off with a strike to Fontaine for his fifth scoring toss of the game. The score, Fontaine's second, got the Wranglers back within 16 after a failed two-point conversion, 57-41.

With 6:18 to go in the game, the Firebirds' Duff (ADT Defensive Player of the Game) recovered an onside kick attempt and rumbled 8-yards for a touchdown to put Indiana up 64-41. Knowing that a defensive stop could potentially give the Firebirds enough room to stand tall for the remainder of the game, a Mike Sutton sack pinned Kaleo inside his own ten and Anthony Derricks broke up a fourth down pass attempt to end the drive for Austin.

With their first victory in sights, McPherson and the offense took over at the Wranglers' 11-yard line. Three plays later, McPherson carried the ball for the final play of the game. The rookie finished the game 11-for-20 for 173 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for three scores on 36 rushing yards.

INDIANA FIREBIRDS NEXT WEEK
The Firebirds stay in Indianapolis and play host to the Grand Rapids Rampage in a Friday night showdown. Grand Rapids and Indiana have split eight meetings, each winning four.


QUOTE ME
Firebirds Coach Mike Wilpolt on...
Last Week's Game plan: "We tried not to put pressure on the guys. We said we're 0-0. We were loose. You never would have guessed we'd lost five in a row."
The Win: "I couldn't be happier. It was a complete team effort," Wilpolt said. "Our staff did a good job. Special teams won the special teams battle. The offense was clicking. . . . It was a complete team and staff effort."
Firebirds QB Adrian McPherson on...
How the Team Responded to Wilpolt: "The team reacted in a great way. When coach Wilpolt came in, he told us we were going to win games and turn it around and be more up-tempo.
The Game plan under Coach Wilpolt: "Coach said we're going to keep it simple. We have a great offensive line and great receivers, and my job is just to get the ball in their hands and let them make plays."

GAME AWARD WINNERS:
Game - Opponent U.S. Army Ironman Baby Ruth Offensive Player ADT Defensive Player
2/7 - COL Sedrick Robinson (COL) Brett Bech Anthony Derricks
2/14 - NOV B.J. Cohen (NOV) John Fitzgerald (NOV) Chris Pointer (NOV)
2/23 – DET Brett Bech Andy Kelly (DET) Ron Carpenter (DET)
2/29 - CHI Etu Molden (CHI) Adrian McPherson Leroy Thompson
3/6 - ORL Jermaine Smith (ORL) Corey Fleming (ORL) Rupert Grant (ORL)
3/14 - AUS Evan Hlavacek Adrian McPherson Bill Duff

FIREBIRDS AMONG 2004 LEADERS
Rushing Yards:
QB Adrian McPherson 2nd in AFL (128 yards)
FB/LB Leroy Thompson 6th in AFL (70 yards)
FB/LB Jeff Cogell 17th in AFL (44 yards)
Receptions:
OS Mike Horacek 11th in AFL (36)
Receiving Yardage:
OS Mike Horacek 7th in AFL (513 yards)
Yards from Scrimmage:
OS Mike Horacek 8th in AFL (513 yards)
Kick Return Average:
WR/DB Evan Hlavacek 13th in AFL (19.6 yards/return)
DS Anthony Derricks 20th in AFL (18.3 yards/return)
Leading Scorers (Kickers):
K Clay Rush 9th in AFL (39 points)
Touchbacks on Kickoffs:
K Clay Rush 4th in AFL (13)
____________________________________________
TRIPLE-THREAT HLAVACEK
WR/DB Evan Hlavacek's TD Tracker...
Rec. TD Rush TD Return TD Total TD
4 0 3 (FR,MFG,KO) 7


OFFENSIVE LEAGUE RANKS (OUT OF 19):
CATEGORY INDIANA GEORGIA
Yards/Game 16 4
Rushing Yards/Game 1 3
Passing yards/Game 18 7
First Downs/Game 18 5
3rd Down Efficiency 18 14
4th Down Efficiency 8 10-T
Kickoff Return Average 10 8
Points/Game 16 5
FG % 11-T 15
____________________________________________

READY TO RUN
Head Coach Mike Wilpolt showed a commitment to the rushing game in the victory over Austin. Indiana rushed for 49 yards and four touchdowns on 13 carries. QB Adrian McPherson has led the ground game with 128 yards and seven touchdowns in three games. Leroy Thompson is having another stellar season with 70 rushing yards. The Firebirds have added a third threat on the ground in 2004 with Jeff Cogell. Cogell has rushed for 44 yards in three games this season. The Firebirds are currently first in the AFL in team rushing.

2004 AFL Leading Rushing Statistics
RUSHING TD'S YARDS
1. Dan Curran – NOVD 10 131
2. Adrian McPherson 7 128
3. Bob McMillen 6 106
6. Leroy Thompson 2 70
17. Jeff Cogell 3 44

THOMPSON SETS RECORD, EYES ANOTHER
With 29 yards rushing in week one, Leroy Thompson became the Firebirds all time leading rusher. Thompson who has been with the franchise since 1996 has 833 career rushing yards. The record was held by Chad Dukes, who had 803 rushing yards between 1996 and 1998 for the Firebirds. With his next touchdown Thompson will move into a tie for fourth place with Nelson Garner on the Firebirds all-time leading scorers list.
Firebirds All-Time Leading Rushers
RUSHING YARDS
Leroy Thompson 833
Chad Dukes 803
Rodney Smith 311
Tim Brown 245
Eddie Brown 204

Firebirds All-Time Scoring Leaders
SCORING POINTS
Eddie Brown 2,070
Greg Hopkins 668
Fred Gayles 500
Nelson Garner 344
Leroy Thompson 338

ADRIAN'S OFFENSE
In the first four weeks of the season, the Firebirds had started three different quarterbacks. With strong showings in three starts (49-87, 670 yards, 11 TDs) it appears as if Adrian McPherson has ended any quarterback controversy, at least for the time being. Opening day starter Kevin Daft was impressive, but an injury forced him out of the game against Columbus, and Daft has not seen the field since. af2 Offensive Player of the Year in 2003 Tony Zimmerman, replaced Daft, and despite showing signs of brilliance, struggled at times. McPherson was under center for every snap as the Firebirds picked up their first win of the season in Austin.

DOUBLE-THREAT
QB Adrian McPherson ranks among the league leaders in rushing, despite only seeing action in four of Indiana's first six games. McPherson has rushed for 128 yards and seven touchdowns. The 20-year old rookie has also shown the ability to be a great passer completing 62 of 107 passes with 13 touchdowns and one interception, for 842 yards.

A GAME OF FIRSTS
A win was not the only first for the Firebirds in Austin, but also...
§ OL/DL Bill Duff had never scored a touchdown in his AFL career before the weekend, but scored two of the Firebirds nine touchdowns.
§ The Firebirds as a team did not have a sack in 2004, but had two against Austin (Chris Snyder, Mike Sutton).
§ Firebirds K Clay Rush hit a 59-yard field goal, the longest successful kick in the AFL this season.
§ The Firebirds scored over 50 and 60 points for the first time in 2004.
§ Austin coach Skip Foster lost at home for the first time as an Arena League head coach (including 3 years in af2).

TRADING PLACES
Indiana and Georgia made a deal last week that sent WR/DB Scotty Lindsey from Indiana back to Georgia, where he played the past two years; in exchange for WR/LB Andy McCullough. McCullough is in his third season in the league and caught 96 passes for Dallas last year.

HORACEK CATCHES ON
Mike Horacek, arguably the most dominant receiver in the AFL over the past two years has joined the Firebirds receiving corps. Horacek was the Offensive Player of the Year in 2000, had 118 receptions in 2002, and 126 receptions in 2003. He played last season with Las Vegas. Horacek exploded in week three catching 10 passes for 144 yards (4th highest in AFL this season) and one touchdown.

INDY'S IRONMEN
In past seasons, the Indiana Firebirds have been defined by their Iron Men. The Built Ford Tough Man of the Year in 2002, Leroy Thompson, is back for his ninth season with the Firebirds. Rookie FB/LB Jeff Cogell won the same award in af2 that season and in 2003 Evan Hlavacek, was named to the All IronMan team. Through six games this season, only two Firebird has been named as the U.S. Army Ironman of the game. That honor went to Brett Bech in Week Three against Detroit, and Evan Hlavacek in week six at Austin.

RECORD BOOK
Entering Week Five the following players are within reach of moving up the team record book...
FB/LB Leroy Thompson:
§ Touchdown ties him for fourth with Nelson Garner on points list with 344.
§ Four sacks tie him for fourth in team history (currently has 12.0 sacks)
OL/DL Chris Snyder:
§ One sacks tie him for fourth in team history (currently has 15.0 sacks)

DEFENSIVE LEADERS
While the offense has struggled until the past Sunday, the Indiana defense ranks with the AFL's elite. The Firebirds rank 6th in points allowed, and 8th in yards allowed. DS Anthony Derricks has led the unit with 36 tackles and OL/DL Ricky Hall leads the line with 12.5 tackles.

BIRDS OFF THE NETS
Firebirds DS and return man Anthony Derricks put up impressive numbers in week one. Derricks is currently 20th in the AFL in kickoff return average at 18.3 yards per return, slightly behind teammate Evan Hlavacek who is 13th with 19.6 yards/return. Hlavacek added a return touchdown at New Orleans, and a MFG return score at Austin. Hlavacek now has 10 career kickoff returns for touchdowns, while Derricks brings his 16 career return scores to the team for 2004.
Returns No. Yards Avg TD
1. Rashied Davis – SJS 13 408 31.4 3
2. Siaha Burley – ARI 11 328 29.8 2
3. Sedrick Robinson – CLB 18 450 25.0 2
13. Evan Hlavacek – IND 16 313 19.6 1
20. Anthony Derricks - IND 15 274 18.3 0



‘BIRDS BLITZ
Join ESPN RADIO 950's Rob Blackman, along with head coach Mike Wilpolt, every Wednesday night from 6-7 pm for ‘Birds Blitz, a weekly variety show broadcast on the entire Indiana Firebirds Radio Network, covering the Firebirds, the Arena Football League, and recent happenings around the world. The show is located at Daddy Jack's Restaurant on 96th and Meridian. The public is invited to attend.

KEY MATCHUP:
FIREBIRDS DEFENSE vs. GEORGIA OFFENSE:
Saturday nights Showdown will feature one of the leagues top offenses against one of the top defensive units. Georgia's success has been in large part due to the play of the offensive team. Georgia ranks 5th in the league in points per game and 4th in yards per game. The Firebirds defense is currently 6th in scoring allowed and 8th in yards allowed. Much of the Firebirds offensive success against Austin can be credited to the defense creating four turnovers. The Firebirds will again look to win the turnover battle against a Georgia team that has gone 4-1 on the road in 2004.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

INDIANA FIREBIRDS:
QB Adrian McPherson:
20-year old rookie QB Adrian McPherson has made three AFL starts in his career, but looks like a 10-year veteran on the field. McPherson ranks 2nd in the league in rushing with 128 yards and seven scores, he also has passed for 842 yards and 13 touchdowns.

OS Mike Horacek:
Despite missing significant time on February 29th against Chicago, Horacek leads the Firebirds in receptions. Horacek ranks 11th in the league with 36 receptions and 7th with 513 receiving yards. Playing for Las Vegas in 2003, Horacek led the AFL in receptions. Horacek has also deflected pressure from WR/DB Evan Hlavacek, who is still adjusting to the receiver position, after becoming a two-way player in 2003.

WR/DB Evan Hlavacek:
Hlavacek has been a true triple-threat for the Firebirds. Offensively, he is the second-leading receiver, behind Horacek. Defensively, Hlavacek ranks among all-time leaders in tackles, interceptions, and pass break-ups. On special teams, Hlavacek is one of the great threats in the game, averaging nearly 20 yards per return, and scoring three times on special teams. Hlavacek also ranks with Firebird greats in kick returns, return yards, and return scores.

DS Anthony Derricks:
Firebirds Defensive Specialist Anthony Derricks is out to a great start in 2004. Derricks is leading the Firebirds in tackles (36), including a game-high 7 tackles in last week's win at Austin. Derricks has also been a threat on returns. A top-20 return man in the AFL, Derricks has averaged nearly 20 yards per return, second on the team to Evan Hlavacek.

GEORGIA FORCE:
QB Leon Murray:
Murray has been impressive, in taking every snap for Georgia this season. Murray has completed 130 of 205 passes for 1526 yards. He has completed 25 touchdowns, while throwing 4 interceptions. Murray's best game in 2004 came when the Force upset Los Angeles, thanks to his 297 passing yards, while completing 71% of his pass attempts.

OS Markeith Cooper:
Has recorded 39 receptions for 509 yards and 10 touchdowns. Has 26 receptions in the past three games. Ranks among league leaders in receptions, receiving yards, and yards from scrimmage.

DS Kevin Gaines:
Gaines has a team-high 31 tackles, and has been a major defensive presence for Georgia. Gaines has 15 more tackles than any other member of the Force.

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