Philadelphia Soul game notes
March 5, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Philadelphia Soul News Release
WEEK 2 - SOUL @ KATS: THE FACTS
Date: Friday, March 9, 2007
Kickoff: 8:00 PM ET
Site: Gaylord Entertainment Center
Officials: Referee: Pat Garvey, Umpire: Wes Fritz, Head Linesman: Wayne Mackie, Line Judge: Rusty Baynes, Back Judge: James DeBell
THE GAME CAN BE HEARD...
On SportsTalk950 in Philadelphia with Ari Wolfe handling the call.
THE GAME CAN BE SEEN...
By logging onto ArenaFootball.com and clicking on the AFLNet logo and watch the game live.
THE SERIES - SOUL @ KATS
This week's game between Philadelphia and Nashville will be the third meeting between the two teams. The Soul hold a 3-0 record against the Kats after defeating them last season at the Gaylord Entertainment Center, 49-33. Quarterback Tony Graziani missed last season's game due to an injury and backup Matt Sauk admirable filled in for him. Sauk threw six touchdown passes and completed 20-of-29 passes for 198 yards. He connected with WR/LB Sean Scott nine times for 103 yards with four scores.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
If the Soul win, it would
- Give the Soul a 3-0 record vs. Nashville
- Give the Soul a 1-0 overall record
- Give the Soul a 1-0 road record
SCHEDULES
Philadelphia Soul (0-0)
Date Opponent Time Result Score
-- BYE -- -- --
March 9 @ Nashville 8:00
March 15 @ Grand Rapids 7:00
March 22 Colorado 7:00
April 1 @ New York 1:00
April 9 Georgia 7:30
April 16 @ Dallas 8:00
April 23 @ Columbus 7:30
April 30 @ Chicago 7:30
May 5 Kansas City 7:00
May 14 New York 7:30
May 21 New Orleans 7:30
May 27 @ Austin 4:05
June 1 Dallas 7:30
June 9 @ Tampa Bay 7:30
June 16 Columbus 7:00
June 21 Orlando 7:00
Nashville Kats (0-1)
Date Opponent Time Result Score
March 1 Columbus 7:00 L 56-58
March 9 Philadelphia 7:00
March 18 Utah 3:00
March 24 @ Austin 7:30
April 1 @ Colorado 2:00
April 7 Chicago 7:00
April 14 @ Arizona 9:00
April 20 Kansas City 7:00
April 27 @ Dallas 7:30
May 5 @ Grand Rapids 7:30
May 11 Colorado 7:00
May 19 @ Chicago 7:00
May 25 San Jose 7:00
-- BYE -- -- --
June 10 @ Las Vegas 5:00
June 16 @ Kansas City 7:00
June 23 Grand Rapids 7:00
THE SOUL'S GAME vs. NASHVILLE (April 14, 2006)
Offensive Player of the Game: Matt Sauk (PHI)
ADT Defensive Player of the Game: Eddie Moten (PHI)
Ironman of the Game: Sean Scott (PHI)
NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Matt Sauk threw three fourth-quarter touchdown passes to lift the Philadelphia Soul to a 49-33 victory over the Nashville Kats.
Holding a 28-27 lead entering the fourth quarter, the Soul (7-5) took control behind Sauk, who had TD passes of 10, nine and nine yards. Two of the scores went to Sean Scott.
Sauk completed 20-of-29 passes for 198 yards and six TDs. Scott had nine catches for 103 yards and four scores.
Clint Stoerner passed for three touchdowns for Nashville (7-5).
Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 FINAL
Philadelphia 7 14 7 21 49
Nashville 7 6 14 6 33
THE COACHES
Bret Munsey (2nd Season) (9-7 regular season) (1-1 postseason)
Bret Munsey became the third head coach for the Philadelphia Soul and helped led them to their first postseason last year. He compiled a 9-7 regular season record for the first winning season in the Soul's three year history. Following the 2006 season, he received a two-year contract extension through the 2008 season.
Munsey, 38, came to the Soul after serving on Orlando's staff for three seasons under Jay Gruden. After joining the Predators in 2003 and serving as the team's offensive coordinator and wide receivers/defensive backs coach, he was promoted to assistant head coach in August of 2003. This role also included his director of player personnel and defensive coordinator roles throughout his final two seasons there.
In 2005, the Predators finished with a 10-6 regular season record and lost in the conference finals to the Georgia Force. The team ranked third in the League in scoring defense (47.2 ppg), fifth in total defense (269.2 ypg) and second in pass rating defense (98.9).
In his role as defensive coordinator, Munsey organized Orlando's defensive game plans and served as defensive backs coach. His 2004 defense ranked first in the league in scoring defense (43.1), total defense (236.8 ypg) and pass rating defense (95.7).
The Soul look to capitalize on Munsey's defensive knowledge. Philadelphia was the worst in the League against the run last season, allowing 576 yards. They also allowed the second most touchdowns in the League and made the least amount of tackles. Cutting down on stats like these are Munsey's top priority.
Pat Sperduto (6th Season) (46-26-1 regular season) (5-4 postseason)
Pat Sperduto is in his sixth season as Head Coach of the Nashville Kats and his eighth season overall with the club, having already put together one of arena football's most impressive coaching careers. Sperduto has compiled a 46-26-1 regular season record and a post season record of 5-4 throughout his five seasons as head coach, leading his club to consecutive appearances in ArenaBowl XIV and XV. His teams have ranked in the top 10 in scoring offense, scoring defense and rush defense each year and have qualified for the AFL playoffs four out of five head coaching seasons under Sperduto. Sperduto's tutelage has garnered several players recognition form the AFL, most notably, James Baron being named Lineman of the Year (2001) and Defensive Player of the Year (1999), AFL First-Team performers Jarrick Hillery (2001), Baron (2001) and Darryl Hammond (1999) and Hammond gaining All-Ironman Team honors (2005, 2000, 2001).
Sperduto was at the helm of the original Kats team from 1999-2001, and joined the coaching and scouting staff of the NFL's Tennessee Titans after the Kats franchise was sold and moved to Atlanta in 2001. In 2004, he was given the responsibility to oversee the startup process of a new AFL team to be placed in Nashville, and in 2005, he returned to the sidelines as head coach of the new Nashville Kats.
Sperduto replaced Eddie Khayat as head coach in 1999 and posted the best record of the seven AFL coaches who took over new teams in 1999. Sperduto spent his first two years (1997-98) as defensive coordinator for the Kats and was elevated to assistant head coach/defensive coordinator in 1998.
Aside from a productive coaching career with the Kats, Sperduto is a three-time ArenaBowl World Champion, winning twice as a player with the Tampa Bay Storm (1991 and 1993) and once as an assistant coach with the Storm (1994). Sperduto began his professional career as a player with the Canadian Football League's British Columbia Lions before joining the Tampa Bay Storm of the AFL from 1991-93.
Sperduto began his coaching career as an assistant with Murray State (Ky.) during the offseason of 1991, before taking over football operations for the American Sports Foundation of Macelata in Tolentino, Italy in 1992. He was an assistant with the Storm in 1994 and defensive coordinator and director of player personnel with the Connecticut Coyotes in 1995 before joining the Nashville Kats staff in 1997 as the defensive coordinator and player personnel director. Sperduto played both fullback and linebacker for the University of Massachusetts at Boston, earning All-New England Conference honors from 1987-89.
MILESTONE WATCH
PLAYER MILESTONE CURRENT NUMBER TO GO
Tony Graziani 20,000 Passing Yards 19,627 373
2,000 Completions 1,503 497
Sean Scott 300 Receptions 214 86
3,000 Receiving Yards 2,517 483
Eddie Moten 200 Total Tackles 175.5 24.5
50 Pass Breakups 36 14
Mike Brown 100 Total Tackles 95.5 4.5
1,000 Return Yards 861 139
SOUL'S NOTES AND TRENDS
EDDIE THE CRUISER
DB Eddie Moten tied a League record with 13 interceptions last season and was named to the All-Arena First Team. In the first six games of the 2006 season, he picked off only one pass (Week 2 vs. Los Angeles). He had 12 in the next 10 games to finish out the regular season. He also ranked third in the League in total tackles with 104.
HERE'S JOHNNIE
DB Johnnie Harris is the only player to register an interception in the first regular season game played for three different franchises (Tampa Bay, 1996; Orlando, 2005; and Grand Rapids, 2006).
DOWNEY IN THE SOUTH
Offensive/defensive lines coach Pat Downey is very familiar with the Nashville Kats considering he played for the Kats during the 2000 and 2001 seasons. He helped lead them to two consecutive ArenaBowl appearances. Also, he was introduced to his wife, Andrea, by current Kats head coach Pat Sperduto.
AND THE WINNER IS...
In last season's game against the Nashville Kats, WR/LB Sean Scott was honored with the Ironman of the Game award. He had nine catches for 103 yards and four touchdowns. Defensively he tallied 7.5 total tackles including one for a loss of four yards with one sack and rushed the ball for nine yards. Scott was recognized by the League when he was named Ironman of the Week for his performance.
GRAZIANI CRACKS THE TOP 10
QB Tony Graziani will start his seventh season in the AFL ranked eighth among quarterbacks for most yards gained in a career with 19,627.
A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY
Soul co-owner and Grammy winner Jon Bon Jovi is not the only recording star to have a stake in the AFL. Country music star Tim McGraw is a minority owner of the Nashville Kats. He joined the ownership group in 2004.
MILESTONE
Last season proved to be a milestone year for Tony Graziani. The Soul quarterback completed his sixth season in the AFL with 400 career touchdowns. He reached the 400 TD plateau in the final game of the regular season against the Georgia Force.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Friday, March 9 will mark the fourth Friday game in Soul history and the first of the season. The Soul finished 1-2 on Friday night games last season with their only victory coming on April 14 against the Kats.
HOMETOWN DUDES
The Nashville Kats have a few men on their roster from around the area. OL/DL Joe Minucci attended Delaware and is a Philadelphia native. Also, Kats OL/DL Charlie Morris played at Temple University.
SOPHMORE SEASON
First year head coaches with 10 or more wins including postseason in AFL history:
- Bret Munsey (2006-Philadelphia Soul, 10-7)
- Doug Plank (2005-Georgia Force, 13-6)
- Weylan Harding (2005-New York Dragons, 10-7)
- Jay Gruden (1998-Orlando Predators, 12-5)
- Fran Curci (1991-Tampa Bay Storm, 10-2)
- Perry Moss (1988-Chicago Bruisers, 11-2-1)
REUNITED
DL Bryan Save went through training camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2005 with Todd France and played with rookie Aric Williams in NFL Europe last season.
REMEMBER ME?
Bryan Save will take the field against former college teammate Thal Woods when the Soul take on the Nashville Kats. Save and Woods were teammates at Colorado State University before entering the AFL.
STOP RIGHT THERE
Philadelphia enters this season after coming off what can only be called a milestone season. The Soul saw playoff action for the first time in franchise history and defeated the Austin Wranglers in the first road before losing to the Orlando Predators.
TOP OF THE HEEP
The Soul had three players finish last season in the Top 20 in the League in rushing yards (12th, Wes Ours-130; 16th, Sean Scott-115; 20th, Mike Brown-101).
TEAM RECORDS
The 2006 season was a record setting season for the Soul. They set several team records including:
- Most Rushing yards-461
- Most Rushes-176
- Most Sacks-21
- Most Interceptions-26
SENDING OUT AN S & S
Last season proved to be a record setting year for the Soul and its players. Sean Scott had the best season of his AFL career and led the team in receiving yards (999) and touchdowns (24). He finished second on the team in rushing yards (115) and had a career high 44.5 total tackles on defense.
SEASON OPENERS
This week's game marks the fourth season opener for the Soul and they have compiled a record of 2-1.
BYE-BYE-BYE
As the only team off last week, the Blue and Grey took their bye week early. The last time they had a bye week was during the 2005 season in Week 15.
IT'S A NEW HAVEN
OL Phil Bogle and FB/LB Idris Price re-join forces this season for the first time since their 2001-2002 seasons at New Haven.
ROOKIES GALORE
The Soul start the 2007 season with 13 rookies, nine returnees and four veterans. They also brought in one new coach with Connell Maynor as the offensive coordinator.
VACATIONS OVER
The Soul will be playing their first game in nine months this week. The last game they played was on 5/28 in the National Conference Division Playoff Game against the Orlando Predators when they fell 27-31.
STEPPING UP TO THE BIG SHOW
Philadelphia has three former players from the af2's Manchester Wolves on the roster with second year WR J.J. McKelvey to go along with rookies WR Steve Gonzalez and DB Brian Mance.
THE LONE TWO
Sean Scott and DL Dwayne Missouri enter the 2007 campaign for the Soul as the only two players still on the roster from the inaugural season in Philadelphia (2004).
STANDING TALL
With two receivers standing 6'4", the Soul have one of the tallest receivers in the League. Both J.J. McKelvey and Larry Brackins join Sean Scott (6'2"), Steve Gonzalez (6'0") and Charles Pauley (5'10") to give Graziani and admirable core of players to spread the ball around too.
SACK UP
Last season, Philadelphia's defense allowed only five total sacks ranking them third in the League.
GIMME THAT
Philadelphia finished the 2006 season with a League best 28 interceptions while the Dallas Desperados had 24 putting them in second. Nashville ended up in ninth with 16.
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