Philadelphia Soul game notes

Published on March 31, 2004 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Philadelphia Soul News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Philadelphia Soul (3-4)
vs Dallas Desperados (5-2)
Site: Wachovia Center (17,597)

Officials: Referee: Wes Fritz, Umpire: Tony Payne, Head Linesman: Jim Hatfield, Line Judge: David Chesney, Back Judge:
James Cole

TUNED IN:
TV: NBC Sports
WCAU NBC 10 (Philadelphia)
Play-by-Play: Tom Hammond
Color: Pat Haden
Sideline: Lewis Johnson

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

COACHES:
Soul: Michael Trigg, 73-71 regular season, 3-7 postseason (76-78 overall)
Desperados: Will McClay, 5-2 overall (1st season as AFL Head Coach)

THIS WEEK'S MATCHUP:
The Soul are looking to rebound from a turnover plagued, 65-60 loss in Austin last week. Quarterback Todd Hammel, filling in for the injured Nick Browder completed 23 of 40 passes for 287 yards, six TDs and two interceptions.

The Desperados are coming off their bye week while the Soul are heading into theirs. The next game for the Soul will be Saturday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Carolina Cobras

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 L-60-65/L2
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

DALLAS DESPERADOS SCHEDULE AND RESULTS

Date Opponent Time (ET) Result/Streak
2/18 CAROLINA L – 67- 41/L1
2/15 PHILADELPHIA W-51-47/W1
2/22 at New York W- 56-44/W2
2/29 at Columbus W-51-35/W3
3/6 GRAND RAPIDS W-66-50/W4
3/13 at Carolina W-77-52/W5
3/21 LOS ANGELES L- 66- 44/L1
4/4 at Philadelphia 12:00
4/10 SAN JOSE 7:30
4/18 at Arizona 2:00
5/25 at Orlando 11:00
5/2 NEW YORK 2:00
5/9 at Austin 2:00
5/16 at Chicago 2:00
5/22 COLUMBUS 7:30
5/30 TAMPA BAY 3:00

What If...

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

The Last Time

The last time these two teams met was the second game of the year, Sunday, February 15th. Dallas scored with 23 seconds remaining after losing a 23-point lead in the third quarter to win 51-47.

The Coaches Corner

MICHAEL TRIGG: Hired to guide the expansion Philadelphia Soul, Trigg (73-71 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.

WILL MCCLAY: Will McClay was named Head Coach of the Dallas Desperados on Feb. 5 following the resignation of Joe Avezzano. McClay will continue to serve as the team's defensive coordinator, a position he has held since the team's inception in 2002. He also works in the Dallas Cowboys Player Personnel Department. Prior to coming to Dallas, he was the Assistant Director of Pro Scouting for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2001) and the player personnel director of the XFL's Orlando Rage (2001). He was the Grand Rapids Rampage's defensive coordinator/director of player personnel (1998-99) after serving in the same capacity for the Anaheim Piranhas (1997). He was defensive coordinator for the Florida Bobcats (1996) and the Milwaukee Mustangs (1995) after beginning his coaching career with the Detroit Drive (1993). He was a WR/DB for the Drive from 1989-92, helping them win three ArenaBowl titles in four trips.

All-Time Winningest AFL Coaches

COACH TEAM WINS THIS WEEK
Tim Marcum Tampa Bay 161 vs. San Jose
Danny White Arizona 126 at Grand Rapids
Perry Moss 86
Mike Hohensee Chicago 78 at Las Vegas
Michael Trigg Philadelphia 76 vs. Dallas
(Includes post season)

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. 34 153 21 3 61.8
2 Aus 31 159 22 3 71.0
3t NY 35 175 25 1 71.4
3t SJ 35 182 25 2 71.4

Tale of the Tape

Philadelphia Category (Rank) Dallas
45.38 (15) Scoring Offense 48.25 (3)
45.0 (4) Scoring Defense 44.4 (12)
249.9 (11) Total Offense 285 (4)
257.5 (10) Total Defense 258.4 (11)
81.6% (13) Red Zone Offense 88.0% (4)
74.3% (1t) Red Zone Defense 90.0% (18)
225.6 (13) Pass Offense 266.1 (3)
237.0 (8) Pass Defense 241.3 (12)
24.3 (6) Rushing Offense 18.9 (10t)
20.5 (10t) Rushing Defense 17.1 (6t)
44 Kickoff Returns 45
20.5 (10t) Kick Return Average 19.5 (5)
56-870 Combined Returns 57-1083
15.5 Combined Return Average 19.0
-8 (17) Turnover Margin -5 (13t)
5/15 33% (13) Field Goals 3/12 25% (17t)
2/15 (19) Sacks By 12/62 (4)
6/24 (9) Sacks Against 8/46 (12)
29/53 (3t) Third Down Conversion 20/38 (5)
3/9 (16) Fourth Down Conversion 4/5 (2)
54-332 (6) Penalties (#-Yards) 56-301 (7)
68-416 (3) Opp. Penalties (#-Yards) 45-267 (18)

Direct Connections

· Soul head coach Michael Trigg and Desperados head coach Will McClay coached together with the Grand Rapids Rampage. McClay served as Trigg's defensive coordinator/director of player personnel
· Trigg, a native of San Antonio, Texas and graduate of East Texas State University, was the head coach of the Fort Worth Cavalry in 1994
· Soul OL/DL Dwayne Missouri and Trigg also attended Theodore Roosevelt High School in San Antonio, TX
· Dallas offensive coordinator Steve Thonn also served under Trigg in 1996 as the offensive coordinator with the for the Milwaukee Mustangs, helping set the AFL record for single-season turnaround as the club went from 4-8 in 1995 to 10-4 in ‘96
· Soul OL/DL Patrick Scott was acquired by the Soul in a trade with the Desperados for OL/DL Jeff Chase. Scott spent 2002 and 2003 with the Desperados and recorded 20 total tackles and one sack in his Desperados career
· Soul FB/LB C.J. McLain and Desperados WR/LB Sparky Hamilton were teammates at Arkansas
· Soul DS DeAuntae Brown and Desperados WR/LB Jason Shelley were teammates at Central State (OH).

Hey, Chief

Soul QB Todd Hammel saw action for the first time this season against Colorado on March 21st 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 has completed 32 of 57 passes so far this year for 393 yards, seven TDs and three interceptions.

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

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 against Colorado but he made up for it, scoring two against Austin.

Scott in ‘04
No. Yards Avg Long TD
25 347 13.9 41t 8

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.

Garnett wasted no time leaving his impression on the Soul. In only his second game in gunmetal grey, Garnett teamed with Dwayne Missouri for their first sack of the year.

Third Quarter Gladiators

The Soul have shut out their opponent in the 3rd quarter in three of the last six games, while Colorado and Tampa Bay only put seven and 14 points, respectively, while Austin scored 10 in the 3rd quarter.

In the first half of the season the Soul have only given up 60 points in the 3rd quarter, an average of 7.5 points in the 3rd quarter per game. However, the Soul have started the first half slow, scoring only 61 points in the 1st quarter, an average of only 7.6 points per game in the 1st quarter.

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 61 102 74 126 363
Opponents 77 104 60 119 360

Block-Heads

The Soul have blocked a kick in all but two games this season (2/8, 2/21).

FB/LB Chris Ryan leads the team in blocks with three, all of which were blocked field goal attempts.

Donovan Arp got in on the fun last week against Austin knocking down an extra point attempt while Patrick Scott and C.J. McLain blocked extra points in weeks three and four, respectively.

"That's something I work on everyday," said Ryan. "That's my thing. I'll do it every chance I can."

"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, 4th in scoring defense, allowing opponents a meager 45 points per game. The Soul defense has one of the league's lowest opponent passer ratings of 96.6 and with Joseph Todd ranked second in the league in passes defended with two INTs and 12 pass breakups, Fuller's job has begun to look somewhat reasonable.

Soul Train on Track

Chris Ryan, the Soul's leading rusher with 28 attempts for 91 yards and 9 TDs has been a force in short yardage situations for the Soul.

"Soul Train" as he is known as around town has had team game highs in rushing attempts (8), yards (27), and TDs (2, three times). Ryan is 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 12 tackles, Ryan has also recorded three blocked kicks, two pass breakups and two fumble recoveries.

0-60 in Week 8

The Soul scored 60 points for the first time in team history last week against the Austin Wranglers, however they gave up more than 60 points for the first time team history too.

Prior to last week's game against the Wranglers the most points the Soul had allowed were 51 against the Desperados on February 15th.

The Soul have not lost a game by more than eight points and have averaged a 5.4 point margin of defeat in their five losses this season.

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 led the Soul in receiving again in the loss to the Wranglers, setting a new team record in receiving yards as he pulled in 9 receptions for 113 yards and two TDs

Jones is currently ranked 7th in the AFL with a 21.2 yard kickoff return average and has returned 15 kickoffs for 318 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.

Ross, the team's second leading receiver with 35 receptions for 480 yards and 9 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.

Last week Ross was the second leading receiver with six receptions for 72 yards and one TD.

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 214 yards to reach 25,000 passing yards for his career
· Needs 10 completions to reach 2,000 for his career

Tyronne Jones:
· Needs 8 receiving yards to reach 6,000 for his career

Ricky Ross:
· Needs 20 receiving yards to hit 500 this season

Movin On Up

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

DeAuntae Brown:
· Interception Leaders – 8t (2 INTs, 17 yds)

Ken Hinsley:
· Touchbacks on Kickoffs – 9 (12 TB)
· Leading Scorers, Kickers – 11 (36/48 PAT
51 pts)

Tyronne Jones:
· Kickoff Returns – 7th (15-318 yards, 1 TD)
· 3rd Down Receiving – 9 (9-104 yards, 3 TDs)

Travis McDonald:
· Leading Rushers – 18 (18-54- 3TDs)

Chris "Soul Train" Ryan:
· 3rd and 1 Rushing – 1t (3-3)
· Leading Rushers – 5th (28-91-9TDs)

Joe Todd:
· Passes Defended – 2nd (12 PBU, 2 INTs)
· Interception Leaders – 8t (2 INTs)
· Tackles – 5th (42.5 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 1-3
Saturday 2-0
Sunday 1-5
On NBC 1-3
On UPN-57 2-1
Vs. East 1-1
Vs. Central 2-1
Vs. West 0-0
Vs. South 0-3
February 1-3
March 2-2
April 0-0
May 0-0
Score first 1-3
Opp Score first 2-2
Plus turnover ratio 1-1
Even turnover ratio 0-0
Minus turnover ratio 2-4

Players to Watch...

Philadelphia

QB Todd Hammel:
Hammel has taken the reigns of the Soul since Nick Browder was lost due to a separated right shoulder. Hammel, a 13-year AFL vet has completed 32 of 57 passes for 393 yards so far this season.

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

Dallas

QB Glen Gauntt:
Gauntt has completed 129 of 214 passes for 1,700 yards and 34 TDs this season.

WR/DB Will Pettis:
The second leading receiver on the Desperados, Pettis has 38 receptions for 499 yards and 10 TDs this season. Pettis is ranked 19th in the league in receiving yardage. Pettis is also the Desperados leading returner with 34 kickoff returns for 676 yards and two TDs.

OS Jason Shelley:
The Desperados leading receiver, Shelley is ranked 9th in the AFL in receiving with 51 receptions for 635 yards and 13 TDs.

WR/DB Bobby Sippio:
Sippio has a team high 15 receiving TDs and has brought in 32 receptions for 544 yards, an average of 17.0 yards per reception. Sippio is ranked 13th in the AFL in receiving yardage.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 31, 2004


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