Phantoms Game Notes

Published on April 17, 2002 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Toronto Phantoms News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Toronto Phantoms (0-0) at Tampa Bay Storm (0-0)
Date: Saturday, April 20
Kickoff: 7:30 PM EST
Site: Ice Palace (20,082)
Officials: Wes Fritz (Referee), Tony Payne (Umpire), Rich Grube (Head Linesman), Kent Payne (Line Judge), Tony Lombardo (Back Judge)
Series Record: Tampa Bay leads 1-0
Last Meeting: 5/12/01 – Tampa Bay 70 Toronto 33
Streaks: Tampa has won the only meeting
Coaches: Toronto - Mark Stoute (8-6, 2nd year)
Tampa Bay – Tim Marcum (136-42, 14th year)

THE STAKES: This is the first game of the regular season for a pair of playoff teams from a year ago. Toronto captured the Eastern Division in 2001 with an 8-6 record. Toronto defeated the New York Dragons in the first round of the playoffs, before falling to the Nashville Kats in a league quarterfinal. Tampa Bay compiled a 10-4 record earning a first round playoff bye. The Storm also lost in the quarterfinal round, falling to the Indiana Firebirds 68-31.

THE SERIES: Tampa Bay dominated Toronto in the only previous meeting between the clubs, winning 70-33 on May 12, 2001 in a game played in Tampa Bay. Toronto led 20-14 at the end of the first quarter, but was outscored 56-13 the rest of the way. James Bowden scored 4 touchdowns to earn MVP honours.

THE IFs:
If Toronto defeats Tampa Bay, it would ...
· Give Toronto a 1-1 series record with Tampa Bay
· Give Toronto its 1st win in a season opener
· Give Toronto its 6th consecutive regular season win dating back to last season
· Give Toronto its 1st win in the state of Florida in 4 attempts

HEAD COACHES: Toronto's Mark Stoute begins his second season as the Head Coach & General Manager of the Toronto Phantoms. In his first season, Stoute led the Phantoms to an 8-6 regular season record, an Eastern Division championship and a first round playoff victory.

Tampa Bay's Tim Marcum has won 136 games as a head coach in the Arena Football League – more than any other coach in the league's history. Already enshrined in the Hall of Fame, Marcum now enters his 14th season in the AFL.

2000 REVIEW: : In the team's inaugural season in Toronto, the Phantoms posted a record of 8-6 capturing the Eastern Division championship. The Phantoms won just 3 times in the club's first 9 games, but rallied to win the final 5 games on the regular season schedule surging to the top of the division.

Toronto emerged a winner in the first playoff game in team history, defeating the New York Dragons 64-57 on July 27, 2001. Toronto thus completed a unique 4-game sweep of the Dragons having won 1 preseason game, 2 regular season games and 1 post-season game with New York. The Phantoms 2001 campaign came to a disappointing end on August 3 in Nashville. The hometown Kats scored a touchdown with 1 second remaining in regulation time to defeat the Phantoms 45-38.

Charlie Davidson enjoyed a most successful season in 2001, being named as a 2nd Team All-Arena WR / DB. The team captain missed 5 games due to injury during the season. In his absence the Phantoms struggled with a 1-4 record. Toronto was 7-2 in the games in which Davidson appeared.

Anthony Derricks further confirmed his status as one of the league's most dangerous kick return specialists racking up 1606 kick return yards. Derricks finished in the AFL's top 10 in all-purpose yardage, interceptions, passes defended, tackles and fumbles recovered.

Damian Harrell emerged as the unquestioned leader of the Phantoms' receiving corps. Harrell scored a team-high 20 touchdowns and finished among the league leaders in receiving yards and receiving yards per game.

PRESEASON HISTORY: The Toronto Phantoms split the club's two preseason games falling to Grand Rapids on the road and defeating the New York Dragons at home.

On Saturday, April 6, the Phantoms faced the defending league champs, the Grand Rapids Rampage, in Van Andel Arena. The Rampage scored 10 unanswered points in the last 2 minutes of regulation time to pull out a 47-46 win. Brian Gowins kicked a 52 yard field goal as time expired for the win. Toronto's Jerald Long was named as the Ironman recording team highs with 2 touchdown receptions and 3½ tackles.

The Phantoms returned home to Air Canada Centre to tackle the visiting New York Dragons on Thursday, April 11. Offensive Specialist Damian Harrell scored 4 touchdowns to lead Toronto to a 51-42 victory. Harrell sealed the win with a spectacular over-the-shoulder touchdown reception while being driven into the boards by a Dragons defender. New York's Steve Papin turned in a strong individual showing in the losing effort returning a pair of kickoffs for scores.

The Phantoms all-time preseason record now stands at 2-2 – 2-0 at home, 0-2 on the road.

LAST SERIES MEETING: (5/12/01) Tampa Bay, FL: The Tampa Bay Storm outscored the Toronto Phantoms 43-7 after the halftime break en route to a 70-33 win. James Bowden scored 2 of his 4 touchdowns during that stretch earning MVP honours. Bowden racked up 256 all-purpose yards in this rather one-sided affair.

The lone bright spot for Toronto was the play of Damian Harrell. The Florida native led all receivers with 9 receptions for 140 yards. He made a pair of 1st quarter touchdown catches helping Toronto build a short-lived 20-14 lead.

This game marked the 7th time the Storm had scored 70 points in a game in team history – not surprisingly, Tampa Bay has won all 7 of those contests.

FAMILIAR FACES: Toronto defensive specialist Tommy Henry enjoyed a distinguished 3-year career with the Storm before being traded to Toronto in the off-season (in return for OS Carlos Johnson). In 2001, Henry led the league with 40 passes defended and finished 4th overall with 81 ½ tackles.

There are 8 Phantoms on the 2002 roster that hail from the state of Florida. Tommy Henry (#4), Damian Harrell (#7), Luke Leverson (#8), Ty Law (#15), Pat O'Hara (#17), Kerry Brown (#21), Kelvin Ingram (#95) and Connell Spain (#99) all make their off-season homes in the Sunshine State.

THIS WEEK'S QUOTES:

"I give 110 percent and if that means I run into a wall to score a touchdown than that is what I'll do. Stats and all that stuff does not matter, I want to win it all this season." Toronto offensive specialist Damian Harrell after scoring 4 times in the preseason win over the New York Dragons.

"He's a tough kid and we are very fortunate to have him on our team. We have enough problems covering him in practice." Phantoms' Head Coach & General Manager Mark Stoute when asked about the play of his star specialist Harrell.

"Basically, I've just been getting the chance to play – that's the biggest thing. I also spent a lot of time working out during the off-season. And, I guess, part of it is that I'm still learning the game and I feel now that I have a better sense of what I'm supposed to do. I know how to play the game now." Toronto WR/LB Jerald Long on the success he has enjoyed during the preseason. Long was named as the Ironman in each of Toronto's 2 exhibition outings.

"He's going to be a big help for us in this game, from the point of view that he knows all of their plays. He knows their system as well as anyone. He knows all of their secrets – that's a slight advantage for us." Jerald Long on Tommy Henry's return to Tampa Bay.

TORONTO PHANTOMS LAST WEEK: (4/11/02)

Toronto, Ontario: It was the Damian Harrell show at the Air Canada Centre.

In front of a crowd of 7,717 fans, the star offensive specialist scored four touchdowns, including a great diving grab heading into the boards to seal the Phantoms' 51-42 win over the New York Dragons.

"I give 110 percent and if that means I run into a wall to score a touchdown than that is what I'll do," Harrell said.

Toronto's Head Coach & General Manager Mark Stoute gushed about the play of his offensive specialist after the game. Says Stoute, "He's a tough kid and we are very fortunate to have him on our team. We have enough problems covering him in practice."

While the Phantoms emerged victorious for the 5th time in 5 meetings with New York, the final pre-season game actually started on a sour note for Toronto. After a holding penalty negated quarterback Chad Salisbury's apparent touchdown pass to Harrell, the Phantoms were forced to try for a field goal. The Dragons blocked it and Christopher Clopton picked up the loose ball and raced 36 yards to the end zone as New York jumped out to a 7-0 lead.

But The Phantoms regrouped and scored 21 unanswered points. Salisbury hit Harrell twice during that offensive surge and threw a 31-yard bomb to Luke Leverson. Salisbury completed 13 passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. The Phantoms took a 21-7 lead into the locker room.

The Harrell show continued in the third. Quarterback Pat O'Hara launched a twenty-yard dart to Harrell for the third of his four touchdowns in the game. The Phantoms were up 28-7. Although the Dragons offence sputtered in the first half with only 31 yards of total offence, it showed some signs of life after the break. The Dragons were able to find the end zone on a six-yard Danny Ragsdale to Todd Doxzon touchdown pass closing the gap to fourteen.

After the Phantoms padded their lead with a Matt George field goal, the sleeping Dragons came to life, breathing fire on special teams. Steve Papin slashed his way through the Toronto kick coverage team for 57-yard kick off return touchdown. After Toronto scored a touchdown to go ahead 38-21, it was Papin again slicing his way through the Toronto defenders for another score. The Toronto lead was down to ten and the Dragons kept coming. With quarterback Matt Nagy at helm, the Dragons closed the gap to three on an eleven-yard touchdown pass caught by Shon King.

But, once again, Harrell made a big play – he hauled in a circus style touchdown catch to secure the victory for the Phantoms. Toronto went on to tame the Dragons 51-42, getting the final score of the game on a touchdown run from the Ironman Jerald Long.

After the game Harrell said that he was pleased with the four-touchdown performance, but even more so that he got to do it front of a noisy home crowd of more than seven thousand fans. Harrell says he has one goal for the season for himself and his teammates -- "Stats and all that stuff does not matter, I want to win it all this season."

With the regular season on the horizon, Stoute said he was glad to win the final preseason game. "It is a big plus. Mentally it sets us on a winning track." TORONTO PHANTOMS NEXT WEEK: On Thursday, April 25th, the Toronto Phantoms will play host to the Detroit Fury. It's the first meeting between the clubs, both of whom made the playoffs in 2001. The Phantoms will be looking for the club's first win in a home opener after dropping a hard-fought decision to Buffalo last season, in the first Arena Football game ever contested in Air Canada Centre. Toronto's 2002 home opener marks the beginning of "Thursday Night Gridiron Madness" -- Toronto will be holding each of its home dates at Air Canada Centre on Thursday nights through the summer months ahead.

PHANTOMS NOTES/TRENDS:

Phantoms Sunburnt in Florida in 2001: Unlike most Canadian tourists, the Toronto Phantoms have hardly enjoyed their trips to Florida. The Phantoms played 3 games in the Sunshine State in the 2001 regular season schedule, dropping all 3 decisions. Here's a list of the results of those games:

Date Opponent Result
5/12/01 @ Tampa Bay L 70-33
5/26/01 @ Florida L 51-44
6/2/01 @ Orlando L 70-22

Toronto posted an 8-3 record outside of the state of Florida, but was 0-3 within the state boundaries losing by an average score of 64-33. In its other 11 games, Toronto outscored the opposition 595-515. It's worth noting that Toronto plays a pair of road games in Florida this season, visiting Orlando on June 21.

Henry Set to Weather the Storm: Tommy Henry will open the new AFL season in Tampa Bay – that's not unusual. The fact that he'll be preparing for this game in the visitor's locker room certainly is though. During 3 seasons in Tampa Bay, the former All-Arena performer registered 204 total tackles, 98 passes defended, 7 interceptions and 5 forced fumbles.

Henry was acquired during the off-season in a trade completed on November 12. 2001. Tampa Bay acquired OS Carlos Johnson in the deal. The trade marked a return to Canada for Henry. He spent 7 seasons in the Canadian Football League earning All-Star status and a championship ring, before returning to his native Florida to begin his AFL career.

PLAYERS/MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

Toronto OS Damian Harrell: The Phantoms leading receiver has set an ambitious goal for the season ahead. Harrell hopes to double his numbers from a year ago – 98 receptions, 20 touchdowns and 1340 receiving yards. Harrell has been spectacular in the preseason scoring 5 touchdowns, 4 in the win over New York alone.

In last year's game in Tampa Bay, Harrell led all receivers with 9 receptions for 140 yards. He scored twice in a losing effort, hauling in 12-yard and 32-yard touchdown passes in the first quarter of that game.

Phantoms Special Teams vs. Storm Kick Return: In the preseason win over New York, Toronto gave up a pair of touchdowns on kickoff returns by Steve Papin. The Phantoms will need to tighten up their efforts on kick coverage if they hope to capture the club's first victory in Tampa Bay.

In last year's loss to Tampa Bay, the Storm racked up 152 kickoff return yards on just 6 kicks – an average of 25.4 yards per return. The Storm's play on special teams was one factor in what turned out to be a one-sided rout of the Phantoms.

KEY DATES IN PHANTOMS HISTORY:

April 2001 was an important month for the Toronto Phantoms Arena Football Club. Here are 3 key dates to consider:

April 2, 2001 – 9,397 phans turn out for the Phantoms first home preseason game at Air Canada Centre. Toronto defeats the New York Dragons soundly by a final score of 67-35.

April 14, 2001 -The Phantoms inaugural season kicks off in front of 10, 023 phans at Air Canada Centre. Toronto jumped out to a 35-21 first half lead over the Buffalo Destroyers, but ultimately fell 61-54. Pat O'Hara was named as the game MVP throwing for 315 yards and 7 touchdowns.

April 21, 2001 - The first win in Phantoms history comes in the Nassau Coliseum in New York. MVP Pat O'Hara and Ironman Charlie Davidson hook up for a pair of scores in a 68-58 win over the New York Dragons.

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