Miami Morays game notes

March 30, 2005 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
Miami Morays News Release


Texas vs Florida: Lubbock Gunslingers (0-2) at Miami Morays (2-0) at Miami Arena... Saturday, April 2nd, 7:00 p.m. ET.

This will be the first and only meeting this season between the two teams. Last season, the Lubbock Gunslingers played in the Intense Football League, which merged this season with the National Indoor Football League.

The Morays sit atop the Atlantic South Division with a 54-18 win over the New Jersey Xtreme and a 58-45 win over the Lakeland Thunderbolts, while the Gunslingers are 0-2 in the Pacific Central with a 46-23 loss to Corpus Christi and a 42-14 loss to Southwest Louisiana.

Close till the end: The Morays battle for Florida bragging rights began against the Lakeland Thunderbolts last Saturday night. Lakeland and Miami traded scores all night long with shifts in momentum happening on every possession, but with the score deadlocked at 45 points with 3:21 left in the 4th quarter, the Morays (2-0) scored two touchdowns in eight seconds to pull ahead of the Lakeland Thunderbolts (1-1) by a score of 58-45.

Keep Rollin' Rollin': The Morays offense racked up 273 yards of offense in the victory and converted on all three of their fourth-down situations. The offense racked up 53 yards on the ground and 221 yards through the air. Morays special teams ran back six kickoffs for 156 yards, giving the Morays good starting position on offense, as well as returning one kickoff for a touchdown.

Impact Maker: Receiver Kevin Heard caught seven passes for 63 yards in the win and even ran back his first kickoff attempt of the season in the 4th quarter. He also came up with a crucial interception late in the game in Miami territory as the clock was running out.

Play Both Sides: Receiver James Robinson saw double-duty at the cornerback position, and his natural athleticism served him well as he had three crucial pass deflections in the end-zone to keep Lakeland off the scoreboard.

Timely Pickup: Linebacker Jimmy Williams continued his strong play through two games. A strong hitter with a nose for the ball, Williams is leading the Morays in tackles and his fumble recovery for a touchdown on the Morays kickoff put away the Thunderbolts for good last Saturday.

Pinpoint Throws: Quarterback Derrick Vickers must have spent a lot of time throwing the ball through an empty tire. Vickers went 21-26 passing Saturday night against Lakeland, shredding the secondary for 226 yard and four touchdowns. His timely 39-yd touchdown pass to Ethenic Sands in the fourth quarter of the game put the Morays ahead for good. Runningback Leroy McFadden also got in on the passing action when he threw a 3-yd touchdown pass to Kevin Heard in the 4th quarter.

Soft Hands: Ethenic Sands continues to show that his experience in the af2 last season has carried over to this season. Sands started the Morays scoring on Saturday by pulling in a 27-yd touchdown grab as he ran into the end-zone wall. His fourth-quarter score came after a diving reception and being aware that he wasn't touched down by the defender. Sands got up and ran into the endzone untouched for the go-ahead score. His two touchdowns on Saturday bring up his total for the season to four.

The Web: www.miamimoraysfootball.com is the place to go for the latest team news, statistics, player profiles, game notes, standings, and a live scoreboard to follow the game (when available).

www.nationalindoorfootballleague.net offers the latest in league news and notes, updated standings, scoreboards, and much more.

Home Opener: Tickets are now on sale for the Morays first home game at the Miami Arena on Saturday, April 2nd at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available through the Miami Arena box-office or on www.ticketmaster.com.

Ticketmaster can also be reached at 305-358-5885 for Dade residents, and 954-523-3309 for Broward residents. A link to the Morays page for Ticketmaster can also be found at www.miamimoraysfootball.com/tickets.single

Atlantic South: The Morays will be competing for the bragging rights for the state of Florida by competing against fellow first-year expansion teams Daytona Beach Hawgs, Kissimmee Kreatures, and the Lakeland Thunderbolts in the Atlantic South Division.

Media Contact: Morays Media Contact: Mark Fischel (954)296-4362

Mark@miamimoraysfootball.com

Head Coach: Larry Little won his NIFL debut in the 58-45 victory over the Thunderbolts.

Little's previous professional experience was as the head coach of the Ohio Glory in the World Football League in 1992.

Larry Little was previously the head coach for North Carolina Central University from 1993 to 1998, compiling a record of 33 wins and 32 losses, and at his alma-mater Bethune-Cookman College from 1983 to 1991, where he compiled a record of 43-49-1. Little led Bethune-Cookman to two MEAC titles in 1984 and 1988, and was named the MEAC Coach of the Year in 1984.

Little spent 13 seasons in the NFL, 12 of which were with the Miami Dolphins. He was a member of the Dolphins Super Bowl championship teams in 1972 and 1973, and he was named to the Pro Bowl five times. He was inducted into the NFL Hall-of-Fame in 1993, the same year that he was inducted in the Dolphins Ring of Honor at Dolphins Stadium.

Got to Coordinate: Assisting Coach Little in his duties will be two very experienced indoor football coaches in Tony Wells and Ray Isaac. Asst. Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator Ray Isaac brings several years of knowledge as a former player and coach. In 2003, Isaac served as the offensive coordinator with the Myrtle Beach Stingrays and as head coach with the Greenville Riverhawks. Ray also spent time as a quarterback with the Cleveland Thunderbolts, Memphis Pharaohs, and Charleston Swamp Foxes. Isaac attended Youngstown State and led them to their first Division I-AA championship.

Isaac made his debut and earned his first victory as a Head Coach in the week one game against the New Jersey Xtreme. Isaac filled in for Coach Little who missed the game due to the passing away of his brother David.

Offensive Coordinator Tony Wells is a familiar face to South Florida indoor football fans, having played as a receiver/defensive back with the Miami Hooters and Florida Bobcats from 1995 to 1998. Wells entered the coaching ranks with the Pensacola Barracudas in 2002 and was promoted in 2003 to the asst. head coach position. In 2004, Wells served in the same capacity with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers where he helped them to a 14-4 record.

Dolphin Way: The Morays have several connections to the Miami Dolphins. Team owner Oronde Gadsden played six seasons at wide receiver, offensive line coach Jamie Nails played two seasons at offensive line. Head coach Larry Little was a 12 year member of the Dolphins. Receivers coach Leslie Shepherd played one season at receiver, and strength coach Terry Kirby was drafted by the Dolphins in 1993 and played for them for three seasons.

Home-Grown: The Morays roster consists of nine players who attended Florida colleges. Attending University of Florida was Arpedge Rolle and Steven Bell. Matriculating from Florida State University was Donald Heaven, graduating from FAMU was Salufi Nua. Bethune-Cookman had Antwon Robinson and Jimmy Williams attending, Daniel Hernandez attended Florida Atlantic University, and University of Miami graduates include Ethenic Sands and Alan Symonette.

Take a Load Off: Moray opponents are going to be very sore after dealing with the Morays backfield, which consists of two players, Ben Labelle and Leroy McFadden, who weigh a combined 515 pounds.

Sure-Handed: The Morays receiving corps will consist of two players with previous indoor football experience in NIFL All-Star Kevin Heard, formerly of the Huoma Bayou Bucks, and University of Miami stand-out Ethenic Sands, who spent parts of last season with the Florida Firecats in the af2. Rounding out the receivers are two tall natives of Miami in 6'3 James Robinson and 6'4 Patrick Rouzard.

Florida Guard: The state of Florida stands on guard for the Morays. The offensive line consists of linemen who all played for colleges in the state of Florida. Steven Bell attended University of Florida, Donald Heaven attended Florida State University, Salofi Nua attended FAMU, and Alan Symonette went to the University of Miami.

Get the QB: The Morays defensive line will be a combination of old and new experience. Bringing the experience to the first line of defense will be Kai Zeigler, Lashawn Pugh, and Deryl Lane. All three have previously played together with the Myrtle Beach Stingrays. New faces to the indoor game will be two graduates of Florida colleges. Arpedge Rolle of the University of Florida and Daniel Hernandez of FAU will be making their professional football debuts this season.

Patrol the Middle: Backing the line or dropping into coverage are two hard-hitting linebackers. Jimmy Williams of Bethune-Cookman brings a physical style to the game and will be entering his first season of indoor football. Lernard Mack is an experienced player with a nose for the ball and has previous NIFL experience.

Last Line of D: The Morays boast a defensive backfield that has extensive experience in the indoor game. Antwon Robinson, Vic White, Roosevelt Williams, and Quincy Sorrell all have one or more seasons under their belt, and they will be counted on in an offensive-minded league to keep a comfortable distance between the teams on the scoreboard.

Use your Foot: Michael Elorreaga won the Morays kicking job. Coming out of Earlham College in the North Coast Athletic Conference, Elorreaga was a pre-season All-American and also held punting duties.

I Know You: The Morays coaching staff has some familiarity with the roster. Players who previously played for Coach Ray Isaac were Travis Wilson, Kai Zeigler, Lashawn Pugh, Lernard Mack, Vic White, and Fred McCants. Tony Wells has previously coached Ben Labelle with the Wilkes-Barre Pioneers and Leroy McFadden with the Charleston Swamp Foxes.

Support the Kids: Don't forget about the Morays Youth Football Pass! Every child who was registered to play with a youth football program last season in Dade County is eligible for the program, which allows a youth football participant to receive a free season ticket or game-night ticket for all 2005 regular season Morays games with the purchase of a matching adult season or individual ticket. Interested parties can contact the Morays at 305-374-8950 X309 for details.

The Miami Morays will play in the National Indoor Football League, entering its fifth season with 21 teams located across the United States. The NIFL provides players with an opportunity to develop their skills and continue their careers in professional football.

The Miami Morays home opener is April 2nd at 7:00 PM at the Miami Arena against the Lubbock Lone Stars. Tickets are available at the Miami Arena Box Office or through Ticketmaster. For additional information about the Miami Morays, please call Mark Fischel at 305-374-8950 X309 or visit us at www.miamimoraysfootball.com.



National Indoor Football League Stories from March 30, 2005


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