New York Dragons game notes
March 22, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
New York Dragons News Release
New York Dragons (4-4)
vs. Kansas City (1-7)
Date: Friday ▪ March 14, 2006
Kickoff: 7:30 PM (EST)
Site: Nassau Coliseum (11,985)
TV: SNY
Radio: WLIE 540 AM: (play-by-play) TBA and Juston Wood (analyst)
Coaches Record:
Dragons ▪ Weylan Harding (14-9, 2nd year)
Brigade ▪ Kevin Porter (1-7, 1st year)
Officials: Referee: Bill Athan (17), Umpire: Matt Jordan (74), Head Linesman: Tim Podraza (45), Line Judge: Tom Symonette (82), Back Judge: Greg Wilson (23).
ABOUT THE GAME
Now halfway through the regular season, the Dragons return home in Week Nine as they face the expansion Kansas City Brigade Friday night, March, 24th at 7:30 PM. The game will kickoff three consecutive home games for the Dragons, the longest home streak of this season. The Dragons have a current record of 4-4 this season with a 1-2 record at home. Kansas City is currently 1-7 and 0-4 on the road. The game will take place at the Nassau Coliseum.
LAST WEEK'S RECAP
Last Sunday the Dragons took on the Tampa Bay Storm at the St. Pete Times Forum for their fifth away game of the season. Despite strong first quarter efforts, the Storm came back strong, defeating the Dragons 60-44. This game marked the third starting quarterback for the Dragons this season with Nick Browder leading the way after Aaron Garcia and Juston Wood suffered season ending injuries. This game also brings the Dragons away record to 3-2 and regular season record to 4-4.
NEXT WEEK'S PREVIEW
The Dragons continue at home in Week Ten as they take on Grand Rapids Saturday, April 1st at 7:00 PM. The Dragons current home record is 1-2 and they will look to improve their home record over the next three weeks.
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DRAGONS' WEEK NINE PRACTICE SCHEDULE
Tuesday (3/21): 12:00-2:00 at Mitchel Field Practice Facility
Wednesday (3/22): 12:00-2:00 at Mitchel Field Practice Facility
Thursday (3/23): 12:00-2:00 at Mitchel Field Practice Facility
To confirm the Dragons' practice schedule/time or to receive directions, please contact Kerri Griesbeck at 516-501-6889.
IF THE DRAGONS WIN, IT WOULD GIVE...
- The team a 5-4 record for the season and a 2-2 record at home.
- The Dragons their 98th regular season victory and their 104rd of all-time.
- The team their 43rd victory since moving to Long Island in 2001.
- The Dragons a regular season and all-time record of 1-0 against the Brigade.
DRAGONS RETURN HOME
The Dragons are back home this week to take on the Kansas City Brigade and will remain here for the next three weeks for their longest home streak of the season. The Dragons will look to improve their home record to 2-2 and their regular season record to 5-4. In Week Ten the Dragons will take on Grand Rapids followed by Dallas in Week Eleven.
DEFENDING THE EAST
The Dragons are currently 0-2 in the Division after their loss to Philadelphia in Week Three and Columbus in Week Six. The Dragons will face both teams again and have yet to face Dallas, the fourth division rival currently in first place in the division. Last season, the Dragons won the Eastern Division for the third consecutive season (2003-2005). The Dragons swept all of their Eastern foes (Columbus, Dallas and Philadelphia) with a perfect 6-0 record in divisional play.
WOOD OUT FOR THE SEASON
In Week Seven vs. the Ausitn Wranglers, quarterback Juston Wood suffered a dislocated knee cap in the first quarter, the second Dragons quarterback to be injured within a two week period following Garcia's injury in Week Five. Wood underwent successful surgery last Thursday and will be out for the rest of the season.
GARCIA OUT FOR THE SEASON
In Week Five versus the Orlando Predators, QB Aaron Garcia suffered a fractured tibia in the third quarter. He underwent successful surgery and will be out for the season.
OBERT LEADS IN WEEK 5 AND WEEK 6
Rookie Kicker Jesse Obert was the leagues top kicker in week five, recording 2 field goals and going seven for seven on extra points. In Week Six he went 7-7 on PAT kicks and 1-1 on the field goals, giving him the highest field goal percentage among kickers in the league with 80.0 percent . His current season total for field goals is 5-8 and he is 49-53 on PAT kicks.
OBERT HOLDS NEW DRAGONS RECORD
After Week Eight vs. Tampa Bay, Obert now holds a new Dragons record making 29 consecutive PAT kicks. In the league he is in the top 7 of all kickers in the last 3 seasons for most consecutive PAT kicks.
BROWDER CONTINUES AS STARTING QUARTERBACK
After Wood's injury in the first quarter of Week Seven, quarterback Nick Browder subbed in with the Dragons trailing 14-7. Browder completed 21 of 39 passes for 222 yards and five touchdowns and led the Dragons to a 59-56 victory over the Austin Wranglers. Browder will be continuing as starting quarterback for the season.
BACKGROUND ON BROWDER
Browder returned to the Rampage in 2005 after a season with the expansion Philadelphia Soul, in which he set career marks in every passing category. He previously played for the Rampage in 2001 and 2003 behind the team's all-time leading passer Clint Dolezel. In 2004 with the Soul, he went 3-6 as the starting QB and set career highs in completions (145), attempts (244), yards (1,685) and touchdowns (31). In 2003 he completed 8-of-13 for 120 yards with one passing score and three rushing scores. In 2002 he went through training camp with the Rampage. He signed to the Indiana Firebirds practice squad on May 20, then was picked up by the Detroit Fury and had his best games when he tossed five scores and ran in another with 299 yards against the Rampage and was named Game MVP. He also ran in a 16-yard score. In 2001 he did not record any stats backing up Clint Dolezel, but saw action in six games on defense, registering 2.5 tackles. In the playoffs, he completed 3-of-5 passes for 26 yards vs. Chicago and rushed for a touchdown. In 2000 Browder played in five games with Buffalo where he totaled 122 yards and threw one touchdown along with one fumble recovery. In 1999, he was the starting quarterback for the Indoor Football League champion Green Bay Bombers.
Browder spent his college career at Valparaiso and ranked as the school's all-time total offense leader. He received All-Conference honors in 1995 and 1996 and was elected as an All-American in 1996. He graduated with a degree in sports management and earned his master's in athletic administration from Valparaiso and lettered in basketball, baseball, football and track in high school.
DRAGONS AND BLAZE SET NEW AFL RECORD
Garcia and Germaine also greatly added to the 24-combined touchdown total, breaking the old record of 23 combined touchdowns in a game. The four remaining touchdowns were scored by Utah's Kevin Moffett on a net recovery with :03 left in the second quarter, Utah's Justin Skaggs on a one-yard run with 2:48 left in the third quarter, Dragons OS Kevin Swayne with a 54-yard kickoff return with 1:53 remaining in the third quarter, followed by FB/LB Bruce Blue scoring on a one-yard run with :00 left in the third. The previous records of 23 touchdowns was set on April 13, 2003 when Arizona (12) faced Los Angles (11) as well as on April 3, 2004 when Los Angeles (12) faced Austin (11).
GARCIA AN ALL-TIME GREAT
It was already known by most, but QB Aaron Garcia is now enshrined as one of the top-20 all-time great players in AFL history. During training camp, the league came out with their top-20 players from the first 20 years of the AFL. Garcia ranked 11th, one spot ahead of fellow former Iowa Barnstormer QB Kurt Warner. After Warner left the franchise, Garcia supplanted him as the franchise's star quarterback and the Dragons - or Barnstormers - have never looked back.
RETURNING DRAGONS
The Dragons have 11 players on their roster from their final 2005 roster. QB Aaron Garcia is the longest tenured Dragon at eight seasons. The complete list includes: WR/LB Chris Anthony, OL/DL Jamaal Cherry, DS DaShane Dennis, WR/DB Angel Estrada, OL/DL Stacy Evans, WR/LB Mike Horacek, WR/DB Will Holder, OL/DL Joe Laudano, OL/DL Marcus "Snowball" Owen, OL/DL Steve Scifres and OS Kevin Swayne along with Garcia.
DRAGONS WITH af2 EXPERIENCE
The Dragons have 10 players on their roster who have played in af2 at one point in their career. The list includes: WR/LB Chris Anthony, WR/LB Maurice Brown, OL/DL Jamaal Cherry, WR/DB DaShane Dennis, OL/DL Jon Hall, OL/DL Joe Laudano, FB/LB Richard McCleskey, K Jesse Obert, DS Dahnel Singfield, OL/DL Andrew Tippins, OL/DL Paul White and QB Juston Wood.
SITUATIONAL RECORDS
At Home 1-2 Tied At Half 1-0
On The Road 3-2 Behind At Half 1-3
Friday Games 1-1 Ahead After Three Quarters 2-1
Saturday Games 2-1 Tied After Three Quarters 1-0
February 3-2 Behind After Three Quarters 1-3
National Conference 2-2 Outcome 6 pts or Less 1-0
Eastern Division 0-2 Outcome 3 pts or Less 2-0
Southern Division 2-0 Outcome 7 pts or More 1-3
American Conference 2-1 Outcome 4 pts or More 0-0
Central Division 1-1 Overtime 0-0
Western Division 1-0 Plus Turnover Margin 4-0
Opponents Scored First 2-2 Even Turnover Margin 0-0
Ahead At Half 2-1 Minus Turnover Margin 0-4
INSIDE THE HEADSET:
Every week, Dragons head coach Weylan Harding lets the fans get inside his headset in an open question and answer forum. Here's this week's journal.
What are your thoughts about your current 4-4 record halfway through the season? Do you have any predictions on the final outcome of the season?
WH: We had expectations of a record better than 4-4 coming into the season. considering the parity in the league our 4-4 record has us in the middle of the pack. I believe our injury situation has leveled and we will be able to field a consistent lineup from game to game. It is a difficult task to develop chemistry with different units week to week. I feel the second half should yield very positive results.
How did you feel about Nick Browder's performance and what is your main concern or focus for him and the rest of the team in practice this week?
WH: Nick is progressing well. He did some good and bad in the game but it was
mostly positive. We have to continue his development in the offense along with developing team chemistry.
You had mentioned previously that everyone needs to do their 1/8. Do you feel this equal balance was accomplished this weekend and if not, where are the areas that you will work on most?
WH: Everyone is working hard to do their part. I do not question my teams effort
because we play hard. There were moments where players seemed to press to make
a play and did not execute. This manifested itself in the areas of fumbles, dropped balls, interceptions, or missed assignments. The key is to get them to a point where they can relax and just play. We are concentrating on the little things.
Welcome home! As I'm sure you know, this will be the longest home streak of the season. Do you feel the next three weekends at home will benefit the team by providing some stability?
WH: It is good to be at home for sure. I feel the next three weeks gives us a chance to get healthy. Their is no worry about travel schedules and buses. We get to sleep in our own beds and drive to work instead of taking a plane.
NY-KANSAS CITY CONNECTIONS:
There are no current connections between the Kansas City Brigade and the New York Dragons.
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GARCIA FIRST IN TD'S, SECOND IN COMPLETIONS AND YARDS:
Although he's currently injured, here is where Dragons QB Aaron Garcia stacks up against other quarterbacks in the league. Garcia remains one of the league's top passers. He's first all-time with 757 touchdowns and is second in all-time passing yards with 36,074 and in completions with 3,062. His recent injury will prevent him from reaching 800 touchdowns this season.
The All-Arena QB became the first player to reach the 700-touchdown plateau last season on April 29 at Dallas.
LIVING YOUNG:
The Dragons are led by one of the great defensive coaches in the AFL and he also happens to be the youngest in professional football. Weylan Harding enters the 2006 season at 34 years old -- 14 months and 13 days younger than the second-youngest head coach - Los Angeles' Ed Hodgkiss. However, Harding does not hold the distinction of being the youngest coach in league history. That honor goes to Kevin Guy of the 2000 New Jersey Red Dogs, who was 27 years old.
Team Coach DOB Age
NYD Harding 1/5/1972 34
LAA Hodgkiss 10/23/1970 35
PHI Munsey 8/19/68 37
ARENA-BRED COACHES
The Dragons are the only team in the league to have their entire coaching staff comprised of former AFL players. In total, the Dragons' coaching staff has a combined 22 years of AFL playing experience and another combined 18-plus years as coaches.
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SWITCHING POSITIONS
DaShane Dennis and Jamaal Cherry have switched positions from 2005 and will now line up at DS and OL/DL, respectively. Bruce Blue began training camp as a lineman and has since converted to FB/LB. Although Cherry was listed at FB/LB last season, he played primarily as a defensive lineman in his rookie season.
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THREE DRAGONS TO WATCH:
OL/DL Marcus "Snowball" Owen: An All-Ironman selection in 2005, Owen will once again anchor the offensive and defensive line of the Dragon. Linemen sometimes go unnoticed, but watch out for Owen's contributions on the offensive side.
OS Kevin Swayne: When he remains healthy, Swayne is one of the best receivers in the league. He's a big target for Garcia and one of his favorites, too. In Week One, Swayne caught three of the four touchdowns thrown by Garcia.
DS Dahnel Singfield: Singfield is off to a strong start in his rookie season. He has recorded 41.0 tackles in the first five games with 11 solo tackles in Week Two vs. Chicago. He also recorded five interceptions so far this season for a gain of 95 yards and one touchdown.
ORIGINAL DRAGONS
QB Aaron Garcia is a New York Dragon through thick and thin. He is the only player to be a part of the team for each of its first five seasons on Long Island. Garcia made the move when the Iowa Barnstormers relocated to New York prior to the 2001 season. Garcia was traded to Iowa from New Jersey on June 2, 1998 for WR/DB Chris Spencer and OL/DL John Dixon. This is Garcia's 12th AFL season and ninth with the franchise.
OS Kevin Swayne has been the property of the Dragons for all six seasons, however he spent two seasons on the exempt list from 2002-2004. After a successful 2001 campaign, he was signed by the NFL's New York Jets and stayed there for three seasons. He returned to the Dragons mid-way through the 2004 season. Swayne also suited up for the Barnstormers from 1998-1999.
WR/LB Mike Horacek is the only other player to have played for both the Barnstormers and the Dragons. From 1997 to 2000, Horacek split time as a WR/DB and an OS with Iowa. He was the AFL's Offensive Player of the Year in 2000, his last with the team until he was selected in 2004 Dispersal Draft. The 2006 season is his second with the Dragons, but sixth with the franchise.
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