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Philadelphia Soul game notes

March 24, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Philadelphia Soul News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Philadelphia Soul (3-4)
at Austin Wranglers (4-2)
Site: Frank Erwin Center (14,990)
Officials: Referee: Bill Athan, Umpire: Rick DiBernardo , Head Linesman: Rod Pearson
Line Judge: Al Riveron, Back Judge: Rob Vernatchi

TUNED IN:
RADIO: WNJC (1360-AM)
www.1360wnjc.com
Play-by-Play: Ari Wolfe
Color: Darrin Kenney


COACHES:
Soul: Michael Trigg, 73-70 regular season, 3-7 postseason (76-77 overall)
Wranglers: Skip Foster, 4-2 (1st season as AFL head coach)

THIS WEEK'S MATCHUP:
The Soul fell to the Colorado Crush last week 40-33 in one of their most painful loss of the season. QB Nick Browder was lost for the second half after suffering a right shoulder separation on a 1-yard TD rush to end the first half. Todd Hammel stepped in for the ailing Browder and completed 9 of 17 passes for 106 yards and one TD.

The Wranglers scored a season high 70 points in their win over the Detroit Fury. Wranglers OS Tacoma Fontaine averaged 29.2 yards per reception as he ended the game with seven receptions for 205 yards and five TDs on his way to being named Baby Ruth Real Deal Offensive Player of the Week.

PHILADELPHIA SOUL SCHEDULE AND RESULTS

Date Opponent Time (ET) Result/Streak
2/8 NEW ORLEANS L-34-42/L1
2/15 at Dallas L-47-51/L2
2/21 COLUMBUS W-56-34/W1
2/29 at Tampa Bay L-37-40/L1
3/7 CHICAGO W-53-47/W1
3/13 at Columbus W-43-41/W2
3/21 COLORADO L-33-40/L1
3/28 at Austin 3:00
4/4 DALLAS 12:00
4/17 at Carolina 7:30
4/24 NEW YORK 7:30
5/2 at Colorado 3:00
5/8 LAS VEGAS 7:30
5/15 CAROLINA 7:30
5/22 at San Jose 10:30
5/30 at New York 4:00

AUSTIN WRANGLERS SCHEDULE AND RESULTS

Date Opponent Time (ET) Result/Streak
2/13 At Orlando W-49-48/W1
2/22 TAMPA BAY W-56-48/W2
2/27 At Colorado L-37-35/L1
3/7 CAROLINA W-56-55/W1
3/14 INDIANA L-64-41/L1
3/18 At Detroit W-70-58/W1
3/28 PHILADELPHIA 3 p.m.
4/3 At Los Angeles 10:30 p.m.
4/11 GEORGIA 3 p.m.
4/18 At Tampa Bay 3 p.m.
4/25 NEW ORLEANS 3 p.m.
5/1 At Grand Rapids 7:30 p.m.
5/9 DALLAS 3 p.m.
5/16 ORLANDO 3 p.m.
5/23 At Georgia 3 p.m.
5/30 At New Orleans 3 p.m.

What If...

If Philadelphia defeats Austin, it would...
· Place the Soul at the .500 mark with a 4-4 record
· Give Philadelphia their first win against Austin
· Give the Soul their second win on a Sunday

The Coaches Corner

MICHAEL TRIGG: Hired to guide the expansion Philadelphia Soul, Trigg (73-70 reg. season, 3-7 post season) spent the last six seasons with the Grand Rapids Rampage. Trigg has led his teams to eight playoff appearances and an ArenaBowl in 2001, when he was also named AFL Coach of the Year. A veteran of expansion endeavors, Trigg spent 1994 as the head coach and general manager for the expansion Fort Worth Calvary (1994) and as head coach of the Milwaukee Mustangs (1995-97) he turned a 0-12 team into a two-time playoff participant and set the AFL record for single-season turnaround as he guided the Mustang's from 4-8 in 1995 to 10-4 in 1996.

SKIP FOSTER: In his first season as an AFL head coach, Foster is the second most winning coach in af2 history. Prior to joining the Wranglers, Foster was the head coach of the 2003 af2 Champion Tulsa Talons. Foster made history when he led his team to the National Conference Central Division Championship two consecutive seasons and won the ArenaCup in 2003. Foster was the only af2 coach to go undefeated at home for three consecutive seasons. Prior to joining the Talons, Foster compiled an 82-39-2 record at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas. In 1990, Foster led Coffeyville to a National Championship and an undefeated season. Skip took over the head coaching duties at Coffeyville after his father, Dick, won a National Championship in 1983. The two are the only father/son pair in National Junior College Athletic Association to win a national championship at the same school. Skip played football for his father from 1979-80 at Coffeyville and earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from Missouri Western State College.

All-Time Winningest AFL Coaches

COACH TEAM WINS THIS WEEK
Tim Marcum Tampa Bay 160
Danny White Arizona 126
Perry Moss 86
Mike Hohensee Chicago 78
Michael Trigg Philadelphia 76 vs. Austin
(Includes post season)

Tale of the Tape

Philadelphia Category (Rank) Austin
43.3 (16) Scoring Offense 51.2 (8)
42.1 (2t) Scoring Defense 51.7 (15)
242.7 (14) Total Offense 294.8 (3)
260.4 (11) Total Defense 289.7 (18)
71.4% (13) Red Zone Offense 89.7% (2)
59.4% (1) Red Zone Defense 69.0% (2)
214.9 (15) Pass Offense 272.2 (3)
238.6 (10) Pass Defense 262.7 (18)
27.9 (5) Rushing Offense 22.7 (8)
21.9 (12) Rushing Defense 27.0 (16)
34/614 Kickoff Returns 30/541
18.1 (10) Kick Return Average 18.0 (11)
47/741 Combined Returns 34/580
15.8 Combined Return Average 17.1
-5 (15t) Turnover Margin 0 (8t)
3-13 23.1% (17) Field Goals 1-6 16.7% (19)
1-7 (19) Sacks By 6-32 (8)
6-24 (9t) Sacks Against 7-30 (12t)
55.3% (3) Third Down Conversion 53.2% (5)
25% (16) Fourth Down Conversion 66.7% (6t)
51-300 (10) Penalties (#-Yards) 51-318 (13)
61-367 (4) Opp. Penalties (#-Yards) 45-274 (15)

Red Zone Enforcers

The Soul defense is ranked first in the league in red zone defense. Soul opponents have had 32 possessions inside the 10-yard line and have only given up 19 TDs and 138 points.
Rank Team Poss Pts TD FG TD%
1 Phi. 32 138 19 3 59.4
2 Aus. 29 145 20 3 69.0
3 SJ 30 151 21 1 70.0
4 Det. 24 119 17 1 70.8
5 NY 35 175 25 1 71.4

Direct Connections

· Wranglers fullbacks/linebackers coach Eddie Vowell spent 13 season as head coach of Texas A&m-Commerce (formerly East Texas State University) and coached Soul head coach Michael Trigg and Soul WR/LB Gary Compton.
· Wranglers OL/DL Tony Bowick and Lucas Yarnell were members of Michael Trigg's 2001 ArenaBowl Champion Grand Rapids Rampage.
· Wranglers' WR/LB Darryl Hammond earned a graduate degree from Penn State University and was a graduate assistant for Joe Paterno.
· Soul OL/DL Corey Mayfield is a native of Tyler, TX, the "Rose Capital of the World."

The Training Room

Soul QB Nick Browder suffered a Grade 1 right shoulder separation in the Soul's loss to the Colorado Crush last weekend. Browder suffered the injury on a one-yard TD run to end the first half.

From Open Tryout to Starter

Soul WR/LB Sean Scott took the long road to playing for his hometown Arena Football League team. Scott has been a star on Broad Street, home of the Wachovia Center and Spectrum, however, it was 15 minutes north on Broad Street where he was found by the Soul coaches.

Scott participated in the Soul's open tryout at Temple University's Geasey Field, a short drive north on Broad Street from the Soul's home field.

Over 1,200 people registered for the tryout, over half of which designated themselves as WR/DB. Scott was the only person from the group of receivers to stick and has quickly become one of the rising stars of the Arena Football League.

Although Scott was deactivated for the first two games of the Soul's inaugural season, in his Philadelphia debut against the Columbus Destroyers, Scott hauled in five receptions for 67 yards and one TD. Scott's four-game streak of at least one TD ended last weekend against Colorado.

In Scott's House:
Date Opp. Rec. Yards TDs
2/21 CLB 5 67 1
3/7 CHI 6 62 3
3/21 COL 3 57 0
TOTAL 14 186 4

Hey, Chief

Soul QB Todd Hammel saw action for the first time last week while filling in for an injured Nick Browder. A 13-year veteran of the Arena Football League, leadership is in Hammel's blood. His great-great-grandfather was Comanche Chief Quanah Parker, the last Chief of the Comanche's.

Hammel became the first QB in Arena Football history to pass for 18,000 yards, complete 1,500 passes and throw for 300 TDs.

Hammel completed nine of 17 attempts in the second half for one TD against Colorado.

"We're Breaking Up"

DS Joe Todd has become a breakup specialist, although he's not breaking hearts, he's breaking up passes.

Todd is ranked tied for 1st in the AFL in passes defended with 11 breakups and two interceptions. Todd is also the leading tackler for the Soul, recording 39.5 tackles.

An early candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, Todd has certainly grown comfortable telling quarterbacks, "it's not you, it's me."

Third Quarter Gladiators

In the last five games, the Soul have shut out their opponent in the 3rd quarter in three of the games, while Colorado and Tampa Bay only put seven and 14 points, respectively, on the board in the 3rd quarter.

In the first seven games of the season the Soul have only given up 50 points in the 3rd quarter, an average of 7.14 points in the 3rd quarter per game. However, the Soul have started the first half slow, scoring only 55 points in the 1st quarter, an average of only 7.8 points per game in the 1st quarter.

The Soul took a lead into halftime against Colorado for the first time since their first win against the Columbus Destroyers on February 21st.

The Soul have been outscored in the first half 147-131 but have outscored their opponents 172-148 in the second half.

Score by Quarters:
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total
Soul 55 76 67 105 303
Opponents 57 90 50 98 295

Rush Hour

Winfield Garnett was acquired by the Soul after being activated and waived from the Colorado Crush's refused-to-report list. Garnett spent the 2001 season with the Minnesota Vikings and recorded 12 tackles along with two sacks.

Garnett starred in NFL Europe, recording 34 solo tackles and eight sacks in 2001 with the Amsterdam Admirals.

Garnett had best season of collegiate career as a senior in 1997 when he recorded 47 tackles and two sacks and started all 13 games for Ohio State.

"FULL" Of Defense

His job is arguably one of the hardest in professional sports. Stop the offense in a league geared towards scoring. Coordinate the defense in a league where wide receivers get a head start on defensive backs. Good luck.

Soul defensive coordinator James Fuller has turned the Philadelphia defense into one of the most dominating groups in the Arena Football League.

One of the stingiest defenses in the AFL the Soul defenders are ranked 1st in the Red Zone, tied for 2nd in scoring defense, allowing opponents a meager 42.1 points per game. The Soul defense has the league's lowest opponent passer rating of 97.7 and with Joseph Todd ranked tied for 1st in the league in passes defended with two INTs and 11 pass breakups, Fuller's job has begun to look somewhat reasonable.

Soul Train on Track

Chris Ryan, the Soul's leading rusher on 26 attempts for 90 yards and 8 TDs has been a force in short situations for the Soul.

"Soul Train" as he is known as around town has game high's in rushing attempts (8), yards (27), TDs (2, three times). Ryan is also ranked 5th in the AFL in rushing and is tied for 1st in Third-and-One rushing, converting three attempts for three first downs.

Not only can Ryan rush, he is also a force on defense. Ranked fifth on the Soul with 10.5 tackles, Ryan has also recorded three blocked kicks, two pass breakups and two fumble recoveries.

Born To Be A Philly QB

Nick Browder grew up idolizing former Eagles QB Randall Cunningham, he wore the same number and emulated his play on the field, but that's not the only Eagles QB Browder would become familiar with. When Browder was signed by the Soul there's no doubt he recognized Soul president Ron Jaworski, a former Eagles QB, and growing up in Waukegan, Il he was close in proximity to another Eagles QB, Donovan McNabb, who attended Mount Carmel High School outside of Chicago while Browder attended Waukegan High School.

7-11 Jones

Soul OS Tyronne Jones recovered from a concussion he suffered in the beginning of the Soul's victory against Chicago against Columbus with four receptions for 28 yards, however, last week against Colorado Jones had the best receiving game of the season, hauling in 8 passes for 78 yards and one TD.

Jones was given the nickname "7-11" by OL/DL Madison Johnson when he noticed one thing in common with the convenience store and offensive specialist, they always seem to be open.

Jones is currently ranked 3rd in the AFL with a 23.8 yard kickoff return average and has returned 13 kickoffs for 310 yards this season.

Slick Rick

One of the first players acquired by head coach Michael Trigg was one of his most familiar faces... and hairdos. WR/LB Ricky Ross was picked up by Trigg on November 7, 2003, less than two months after the launch of the Philadelphia Soul and Ross has proved to be a sound investment in the Soul's inaugural season.

"Trigg has been my man from day one," said Ross. "I've been with him for four years. He's been loyal to me, so I'm going to be loyal to him. It's just a great place for us to have an opportunity to come and show our skills."

Ross, the team's second leading receiver with 29 receptions for 408 yards and 8 TDs, was named Baby Ruth Real Deal Offensive Player of the Game against Columbus after scoring the game-winning TD with 18 seconds left in the game. Ross finished the contest with 3 receptions for 61 yards and 1 TD. Last week against the Crush Ross pulled in two receptions for 41 yards including a 34 yard TD.

History in the Making

Nick Browder entered the Soul's inaugural season without much history. Through his four years in the AFL, Browder completed 51 of 91 attempts for 651 yards. In his first season with the Soul, Browder has more than doubled those numbers, completing 123 of 212 pass attempts for 1426 yards and 26 TDs.

Browder Comp Att. Yds TDs
2000-2003 51 91 651 9
2004 123 212 1,436 26

That's a First...

First coin toss (2/8/04) – Soul won, elect to receive
First kickoff return (2/8/04) – Ricky Ross, 28-yard return
First play (2/8/04) – Derin Graham, 8-yard rush
First pass (2/8/04) – Complete to Derin Graham for 9-yards
First TD (2/8/04) – Nick Browder to Tyronne Jones for a 7-yard TD with 11:29 left in the first quarter
First rushing TD (2/8/04) – Browder 1-yard run with 13:11 remaining in the 4th quarter
First tackle (2/8/04) – Mike Harrison and Travis Seaton stop VooDoo kick returner Aaron Bailey after a 19-yard return
First FG Attempt (2/8/04) – Ken Hinsley's 25-yard attempt blocked by Gaylon Hyder
First TD against the Soul (2/8/04) – Four-yard rush by Dan Curran with 13:45 left in the second quarter. Brian Schmitz point after attempt failed.
First turnover (2/8/04) – Browder's pass intercepted by Monte Montgomery at the New Orleans 2 yard-line
First Interception (2/15/04) – Joe Todd intercepts Dallas QB Glen Gauntt in the Soul endzone with 1:21 remaining in the 1st quarter.
First Kickoff Return for a TD (2/15/04) – Tyronne Jones 54-yard return against Dallas
First successful field goal (2/21/04) – Ken Hinsley kicked a 24-yard field goal for the first of the season, and his career with 9:34 left in the first quarter.
First 100-yard Receiver (3/7/04) – Ricky Ross pulled in eight receptions for 102 yards and two TDs
First Sack (3/13/04) – Eric Gohlstin sacked Columbus Destroyers QB Ryan Vena in the 2nd quarter of the Soul's 43-41 win at Columbus

Milestones

Todd Hammel:
· Needs one yard to reach 25,000 passing yards for his career
· Needs 33 completions to reach 2,000 for his career

Tyronne Jones:
· Needs 121 receiving yards to reach 6,000 for his career

Ricky Ross:
· Needs 44 kickoff return yards to reach 2,000 for his career

Movin On Up

Here's a look at where the Soul ranks among the league leaders:
Nick Browder:
· 3rd Down Passing – 3th (38-21-306 8 TDs)
· 4th Quarter Passing – 6th (57-32-423 10 TDs)

DeAuntae Brown:
· Interception Leaders – 6t (2 INTs, 17 yds)

Ken Hinsley:
· Touchbacks on Kickoffs – 7t (11 TB)
· Leading Scorers, Kickers – 12t (30/41 PAT
39 pts)

Tyronne Jones:
· Kickoff Returns – 6th (13-298 yards, 1 TD)
· 3rd Down Receiving – 10t (7-78 yards, 3 TDs)

Travis McDonald:
· Leading Rushers – 16t (14-50- 2TDs)

Ricky Ross:
· Yards per Catch- 10th (14.1 yards)

Chris "Soul Train" Ryan:
· 3rd and 1 Rushing – 1t (3-3)
· Leading Rushers – 5th (26-90-8TDs)

Joe Todd:
· Passes Defended – 2nd (11 PBU, 2 INTs)
· Interception Leaders – 6t (2 INTs)
· Tackles – 5th (39.5 total tackles)

Soul Defense:
· #1 defense inside the 10 – (32 possessions, 138 points, 19 TDs, 3 FGs)

2004 Record When...

Wachovia Center 1-2
Wachovia Spectrum 1-0
On the Road 1-2
Saturday 2-0
Sunday 1-4
On NBC 1-3
On UPN-57 2-1
Vs. East 1-1
Vs. Central 2-1
Vs. West 0-0
Vs. South 0-2
February 1-3
March 2-1
April 0-0
May 0-0
Score first 1-2
Opp Score first 2-2
Plus turnover ratio 1-1
Even turnover ratio 0-0
Minus turnover ratio 2-3

BY THE NUMBERS

-5
Philadelphia Soul turnover ratio, seven take-aways, 12 give-aways

0
Austin Wranglers turnover ratio, 12 take-aways/give-aways

1
The Soul defense is ranked 1st in the Red Zone with a 67.9 scoring percentage

1-4
The Philadelphia Soul's record on Sundays. The Soul are 2-0 in Saturday contests.

2
Austin Wranglers rank in Red Zone Offense and Defense

5
Philadelphia Soul's rushing offense rank, averaging 27.9 yards per game.

5.5
Average point difference in the Soul's four losses

10
Number of TDs by the Soul's three leading scorers, Tyronne Jones, Ricky Ross and Chris Ryan

13
Passes defended by Soul DS Joe Todd, 11 pass breakups, two interceptions. Todd ranks tied for 1st in the AFL in passes defended

16.7
Philadelphia Soul opponents 4th-down conversion rate (1-6), ranked 2nd in the AFL

22
Total number of points the Philadelphia Soul have lost by in their four losses. The Soul have not lost by more than 8 points all season.

97.7
Opponent's passer rating against the Soul, the lowest of any defense.

110
Number of footballs the Philadelphia Soul has lost to fans in the stands, including pregame

300
Number of penalty yards by the Soul, the least by an expansion team this year

61-367
Opponent penalties for the Soul, ranked 19th in the AFL

$8,798.90
Cost of 110 Authentic AFL footballs at their $79.99 retail price.

Players to Watch...

Philadelphia

OS Tyronne Jones:
Jones, a seven-year veteran of the AFL had his best game of the season last week, pulling in eight receptions for 78 yards and one TD. Jones currently has 35 receptions for 333 yards and 8 TDs this season.

FB/LB Chris Ryan:
"Soul Train" has rushed an AFL 5th best 26 times for 90 yards and 8 TDs and currently leads the Soul in rushing.

WR/LB Sean Scott:
Scott has continued his dominance at the WR/LB position in his rookie campaign in the AFL. Scott recorded three receptions for 57 yards. After being deactivated for the first two games of the season, Scott has since recorded 21 receptions for 283 yards and six TDs

DS Joe Todd:
The team's leading tackler with 39.5 stops, Todd ranks 5th in the league in tackles and tied for 2nd in the AFL in passes defended with 11 knock downs and two INTs.

Austin

OS Tacoma Fontaine:
An AFL rookie, Fontaine holds all but one single game receiving record for the Wranglers and was named Baby Ruth Real Deal Offensive Player of the Week as well as the AFLWA Player of the Week after hauling in seven receptions for 205 yards and five TDs. Fontaine's 205 yards ranks highest in the league for single game receiving yards.

DS Cedric Walker:
Walker, a nine-year veteran of the AFL, recorded 6.5 tackles last week leaving his just two shy of recording his 500th career stop. Last week was the second time this season Walker led the Wranglers in tackles.

OL/DL Tom Briggs:
Named ADT Defensive Player of the Game last week for his 1.5 tackle, one sack and forced fumble effort, Briggs also recorded one reception for eight yards and his first TD of the season.

Awards Show

Baby Ruth Real Deal Offensive
Player of the Game

2/8 NEW ORLEANS Aaron Bailey (NO OS)
2/15 @ Dallas Jason Shelly (Dal WR/LB)
2/21 COLUMBUS Nick Browder (Phi QB)
2/29 @ Tampa Bay Lawrence Samuels (TB WR/LB)
3/7 CHICAGO Nick Browder (Phi QB)
3/13 @ Columbus Ricky Ross (Phi WR/LB)
3/21 COLORADO Damian Harrell (Col OS)

ADT Defensive Player of the Game

2/8 NEW ORLEANS Monte Montgomery (NO DS)
2/15 @ Dallas Kevin Aldridge (Dal FB/LB)
2/21 COLUMBUS Joe Todd (Phi DS)
2/29 @ Tampa Bay Nyle Wiren (TB OL/DL)
3/7 CHICAGO Dwayne Missouri (Phi OL/DL)
3/13 @ Columbus Joe Todd (Phi DS)
3/21 COLORADO Rashad Floyd (Col WR/DB)

US ARMY Ironman of the Game

2/8 NEW ORLEANS Keita Crespina (Phi WR/DB)
2/15 @ Dallas Will Pettis (Dal WR/DB)
2/21 COLUMBUS Ricky Ross (Phi WR/LB)
2/29 @ Tampa Bay Lawrence Samuels (TB WR/LB)
3/7 CHICAGO Ricky Ross (Phi WR/DB)
Sean Scott (Phi WR/DB)
3/13 @ Columbus Sean Scott (Phi WR/DB)
3/21 COLORADO Chris Ryan (Phi FB/LB)

Baby Ruth Real Deal Offensive
Player of the Week

Week 1 Matt Nagy (Car QB)
Week 2 Markeith Cooper (Geo OS)
Week 3 Nick Browder (Phi QB)
Week 4 Clint Dolezel (LV QB)
Week 5 Aaron Garcia (NY QB)
Week 6 Mark Grieb (SJ QB)
Marcus Nash (LV OS)
Week 7 Tacoma Fontaine (AUS OS)

ADT Defensive Player of the Week

Week 1 Omarr Smith (SJ DS)
Week 2 Kevin Ingram (LA WR/DB)
Week 3 John Moyer (Chi OL/DL)
Week 4 Lawrence Samuels (TB WR/LB)
Week 5 Lamont Moore (NO WR/DB)
Week 6 Dialleo Burks (Geo WR/LB)
Week 7 Bob McMillen (Chi FB/LB)

US ARMY Ironman of the Week

Week 1 Will Holder (NYD WR/DB)
Week 2 Kevin McKenzie (Col WR/DB)
Week 3 Rashied Davis (SJ WR/DB)
Week 4 Hunky Cooper (Ari. WR/LB)
Week 5 Jermaine Smith (Orl OL/DL)
Week 6 Lincoln Dupree (NY WR/DB)
Week 7 Jarrick Hillery (Car. WR/LB)



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 24, 2004


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