Kansas City Brigade Weekly

Published on March 9, 2006 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Kansas City Brigade News Release


Monday Night Football and Neil Smith Number Retirement

The city's first taste of Monday night Arena Football is a popular attraction. Tickets sold has exceeded 13,000 for the game against Philadelphia in which Brigade Vice President Neil Smith will have his number 90 retired in a ceremony at halftime. A banner bearing Smith's name and number in white trimmed in sky blue will be raised to the rafters. Soul president and former Eagles and Chiefs quarterback Ron Jaworski will emcee the ceremony.

MDA "Jerseys off their Backs" Promotion

The Kansas City Brigade in conjunction with the Muscular Dystrophy Association will hold a "Jersey off Their Backs" promotion after Monday night's game against the Philadelphia Soul. Ten players will give up their game jerseys to be auctioned off after the game. Chris Sanders, Jerel Myers, Denario Smalls, Dawan Moss and Aaron Hamilton will have their jersey given to the winners of a scratcher contest in which fans will pay $1 for specially marked tickets. B.J. Cohen, Andy Kelly, Lucas Yarnell, Steve Smith and Chris Pointer will have their jersey put in a live auction to be bid on by fans. The MDA uses funds generated through public support to fulfill its three-fold mission of research, program services, and education.

Specifically we provide and fund:
* A comprehensive MDA Clinic Program at KU Medical Center.
* The MDA/ALS Clinic also at KU MED.
* Assistance with the provision of wheelchairs, leg braces and communication devices.
* Summer camp is held at Tall Oaks which is in Linwood, KS for children between the ages of 6 and 21 with MD.
* Each child at Camp is assign their own personal Camp Counselor.
* Widespread professional and public health education.
* $624,430 in grant funded research, $52,212 of that at The University of Kansas Medical Center.
* All funds stay locally to assist families afflicted with neuromuscular diseases.

Game Preview
Kansas City Brigade vs. Philadelphia Soul
Monday, March 13, 7:00pm CST
TV: Fox Sports Net Midwest
Radio: 97.3 MAX-FM
Webcast: www.kcbrigade.com

The Brigade offense scored a season high and franchise record eight touchdowns and 59 points as Kansas City fans witnessed their first two "one-hitter quitters"-touchdowns on the first play from scrimmage. The task this week will be to compliment that first breakthrough performance with an equivalent effort against a stingy Soul defense.

The Brigade faces a Soul team carrying little momentum after two consecutive losses, the last at Las Vegas. Philadelphia started the season strong but the team got off track when QB Tony Graziani was injured in Week 2. Graziani has played the last three games but the offense has not functioned very well. The Soul's strength is on third down and in the red zone, where it has scored 22 touchdowns in 27 possessions.

The Brigade defense, still first in the league, seems to peaking at just the right time. The line has stepped up and will need to play well again against Philadelphia, who has two rushers in the league's top 10. The playmakers in the backfield will have to create turnovers to keep the Soul out of the red zone and give the Brigade offense a short field.

News, Notes and League Rankings

- Andy Kelly led a high-octane offense last week, throwing six touchdowns for the second time this season. He is sixth in the league in yards (1,644) and first in completions (161) and attempts (262). Kelly also surpassed 38,000 career yards (38,256) with 278 against the Storm. Kelly continues to outpace all comers in career completions (3,504) and attempts (5,616). His 48-yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith in Week 6 at Georgia is the longest in the league this season.

Kelly is behind New York's Aaron Garcia-out for the season with a broken leg-for most career touchdowns:

Player Career TD Margin 2006 total
Aaron Garcia, NYD 757 - 32
Andy Kelly, KCB 739 18 22

- Lucas Yarnell's net recovery for a touchdown off Tim Seder's missed field goal was his first score of any kind at any level (19 years).

- Steve Smith exploded for 124 receiving yards and four touchdowns against the Storm, both franchise single-game records. A return total of 181 yards gave him 309 all-purpose yards, another team record and a league-high this season.

- Jerel Myers did not match his typical output with the move to wide receiver last week, but three catches gives him 49, good for fifth in the league.

- Dawan Moss is in a tie for fifth in the league in rushing with 73 yards. His 3.5 average is third in the league with a minimum 15 carries.

- Denario Smalls remains in the top 15 in the league in solo tackles (tied for 10th) and total tackles (12th).

- Tim Seder leads the league in field goal attempts with 16.

- The Offense established team records for touchdowns and points, in addition to recording at least 20 first downs for the sixth straight game.

Community Events - Chris Sanders will appear at Barry School Elementary on March 15 to discuss with students the importance of academics.

- Chris Morant will appear at the Negro League Baseball Museum for "Reading around the Bases," a program for school groups on April 3.

- Kansas City Brigade Blood Drive with the American Red Cross on March 21.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 9, 2006


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