Philadelphia Soul game notes
Published on April 24, 2007 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release
WEEK 9 - SOUL @ RUSH: THE FACTS
Date: Monday, April 30, 2007
Kickoff: 8:00 PM ET
Site: Allstate Arena
Officials: Referee: Dave Lambros, Umpire: Al Granado, Head Linesman: Mike McCabe, Line Judge: Brian Matthew, Back Judge: Joe Duncan
THE GAME CAN BE HEARD...
On SportsTalk950 in Philadelphia with Ari Wolfe handling the play-by-play and Director of Communications Brian Sternberg doing color commentary.
THE GAME CAN BE SEEN...
Live on ESPN with Mike Greenberg handling the play-by-play and Mike Golic doing the color commentary.
THE SERIES - SOUL VS. RUSH
This week's game between Philadelphia and Chicago will be the fourth meeting between the two teams. The Soul have a 2-1 record against the Rush winning the last contest by one point after the game went into overtime. The Soul sent the game into overtime when backup quarterback Matt Sauk found Rob Milanese for a three-yard TD pass with 26 seconds left. Sauk had replaced the injured Tony Graziani earlier in the fourth quarter. Philadelphia grabbed a 56-49 lead when Wes Ours scored on a one-yard run and Todd France kicked the extra point. Eddie Moten intercepted Matt D'Orazio's two-point conversion attempt in overtime as the Soul edged the Rush, 56-55.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
If the Soul win, it would
- Give the Soul a 3-1 record vs. Chicago
- Give the Soul a 5-3 overall record
- Give the Soul a 4-2 road record
SCHEDULES
Philadelphia Soul (4-3)
Date Opponent Time Result Score
-- BYE -- -- --
March 9 @ Nashville 8:00 W 63-30
March 15 @ Grand Rapids 7:00 W 69-40
March 22 Colorado 7:00 W 71-47
April 1 @ New York 1:00 W 65-60
April 9 Georgia 7:30 L 49-57
April 16 @ Dallas 8:00 L 41-51
April 23 @ Columbus 7:30 L 21-44
April 30 @ Chicago 8:00
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
All Times EST
Chicago Rush (6-1)
Date Opponent Time Result Score
March 4 @ Kansas City 11:30 am L 54-41
March 9 San Jose 7:00 W 48-45
March 18 New York 2:00 W 61-40
March 24 @ Columbus 6:00 W 55-47
April 1 Los Angeles 12:30 W 66-31
April 7 @ Nashville 7:00 W 66-54
-- BYE -- -- --
April 21 @ Grand Rapids 6:00 W 75-54
April 30 Philadelphia 7:00
May 7 Colorado 7:00
May 11 @ Dallas 6:30
May 19 Nashville 7:00
May 26 @ Austin 9:00
June 2 Los Angeles 9:30
June 9 Grand Rapids 7:00
June 18 @ Colorado 9:00
June 23 Kansas City 7:00
All Times CST
THE SOUL'S GAME VS. COLUMBUS (Week 8)
Offensive Player of the Game: Damien Groce (CMB)
ADT Defensive Player of the Game: Leroy Thompson (CMB)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Damien Groce scored four touchdowns and Matt Nagy threw for 208 yards and three scores to lead the Columbus Destroyers to a 44-21 victory over the Philadelphia Soul on Monday night.
Groce caught nine passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two more TDs. His 2-yard run early in the fourth quarter gave Columbus a 30-13 lead.
Nagy's 31-yard touchdown pass to Josh Bush put the Destroyers (4-3) up 37-13 with 6:42 left in the game.
Clint Stoerner threw for 241 yards and two touchdowns for the Soul (4-3), who have lost three straight games.
Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 FINAL
Philadelphia 0 10 3 7 21
Columbus 0 20 3 21 44
THE COACHES
Bret Munsey (2nd Season) (13-10 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.
Mike Hohensee (14th Season) (101-86 regular season, 11-9 postseason)
The only head coach in team history, Mike has guided the Rush to a 59-46 overall record, six playoff appearances and the ArenaBowl XX title in 2006. In his 13 seasons as an AFL head coach, he has a 112-95 overall record. Has reached the playoffs 10 times, led the Rush to playoff appearances in each of the team's six seasons, including Central Division championships in 2002 and 2004 and the ArenaBowl title in 2006. He is the third winningest head coach in AFL history.
Prior to joining the Rush, Hohensee's head coaching stints included the Washington Commandos (1990), the Albany Firebirds (1994-96), the Anaheim Piranhas (1997) and the New England Sea Wolves (1999-2000). He began his coaching career as an assistant for the Chicago Bruisers in 1989. He is the first former AFL player to join the league as a coach and the youngest head coach in league history (at the time) when he took over the Washington Commandos in 1990. He was named one of the 14 finalists for the 2002 AFL Hall of Fame.
Hohensee played two seasons for the AFL's Pittsburgh Gladiators (1987-1988) where he threw for 2,031 yards, 39 touchdowns and four interceptions before a career ending neck injury. He is credited with throwing the first touchdown pass in AFL history on June 19, 1987. He played with the Washington federals of the USFL and the Canadian Football League's Ottawa Rough Riders and Toronto Argonauts. Hohensee also saw some NFL action with the Chicago Bears (1987). He was an All-American quarterback at San Antonio Junior College before transferring to the University of Minnesota where he was named the Golden Gophers' MVP and the university's Athlete of the Year in both 1981 and 1982 and was inducted into the university's M Club Hall of Fame in November 2000.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Offensive Player of the Game
Week Opp. Player
1 BYE ---
2 @ NAS PHI - Tony Graziani
3 @ GRR PHI - Tony Graziani
4 COL PHI - Tony Graziani
5 @ NYD PHI - Tony Graziani
6 GEO GEO - Troy Bergeron
7 @ DAL DAL - Clint Dolezel
8 @ CMB CMB - Damien Groce
9 @ CHI
10 KCB
11 NYD
12 NOV
13 @ AUS
14 DAL
15 @ TBS
16 CMB
17 ORL
ADT Defensive Player of the Game
Week Opp. Player
1 BYE ---
2 @ NAS PHI - Eddie Moten
3 @ GRR PHI - Eddie Moten
4 COL PHI - Eddie Moten
5 @ NYD PHI - Eddie Moten
6 GEO GEO - Hamin Milligan
7 @ DAL DAL - Duke Pettijohn
8 @ CMB CMB - Leroy Thompson
9 @ CHI
10 KCB
11 NYD
12 NOV
13 @ AUS
14 DAL
15 @ TBS
16 CMB
17 ORL
Ironman of the Game
Week Opp. Player
1 BYE ---
2 @ NAS PHI - Sean Scott
3 @ GRR PHI - Mike Brown
4 COL PHI - Mike Brown
5 @ NYD PHI - Charles Pauley
6 GEO GEO - Chris Jackson
7 @ DAL DAL - Will Pettis
8 @ CMB ---
9 @ CHI
10 KCB
11 NYD
12 NOV
13 @ AUS
14 DAL
15 @ TBS
16 CMB
17 ORL
SOUL'S NOTES AND TRENDS
FAMILIAR FACES
There will be familiar faces on the benches at Chicago this week. The paths of several of the Soul's and Rush's players have crossed in the past. J.J. McKelvey, Brian Mance and Woody Dantzler played together while students at Clemson. Juston Wood and Dan Frantz were also college teammates at Portland State. Charles Pauley and Dan Frantz have a bit of history as well while being teammates with the San Jose SaberCats during the 2004 season. Also, Soul OL Martin Bibla and Chicago WR Kevin Beard are former college teammates for the University of Miami.
SCHOOL TIES
Chicago WR/DB Buchie Ibeh is a graduate of Temple University where he played his final two years of collegiate football. In addition, OL/DL John Sikora of the Chicago Rush is no stranger to the Keystone State given that he lives in Edensburg, PA during the off-season and was a graduate of Slippery Rock University.
OLD SOUL
Chicago DL E. J. Burt will face his old teammates this week when the Soul travel to the Windy City. Burt played for the Soul last season and recorded 18.0 tackles with 4.5 sacks.
THREE - FIFTY
While with Nashville, Philadelphia's new addition, quarterback Clint Stoerner threw for 368 yards last season against the Chicago Rush (2/12). Prior to that while with the Dallas Desperados in 2005, he threw for 398 yards against the Rush.
BIRTHDAY BOYS!
Mike Brown and Mike Mabry will both celebrate birthdays going into Week 9 against the Rush. Brown turns 29 on Friday, April 29 and Mabry will be celebrating his 27th on Wednesday, April 26.
SCORELESS
Last week against the Columbus Destroyers marked the first time this season the Philadelphia Soul went scoreless in the first quarter. The last time this happened was last season in Week 16 against Georgia (5/13/2006).
LOW DOWN SHAME
Philadelphia recorded their lowest score of the season last week when they faced the Destroyers. With a score of 21-44, it is the lowest point total the Soul have put on the board this season and the second lowest in franchise history. The franchise low came in Columbus last season when the Soul posted 20 points against the Destroyers in Week 8 (3/18/2006).
NO SACK
The Soul defensive line has not recorded a sack since Week 5 against the New York Dragons on April 1. In Philadelphia's first four games, they tallied eight team sacks.
LOSING STREAK
Last week's loss to Columbus marked the third loss in a row for the Soul. It is the first time under head coach Bret Munsey that Philadelphia has lost three games in a row.
FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
Four rookies saw their first action in last week's game against Columbus. George Layne, Gabe Nyenhuis, Scottie Vines and Aric Williams all took the field for the first time in their AFL careers.
SECOND TO NONE
The Blue and Grey secondary began the season with three veterans (Mike Brown, Johnnie Harris and Eddie Moten). With Brown suffering a hamstring injury the past two weeks and Harris being released, the Soul have been reluctant to see two rookies step into the lineup and not miss a beat. Brian Mance and Aric Williams have been inserted into starting roles with Moten to give Philadelphia one of the youngest defensive backfields in the League.
SACKED OUT
Before the Soul faced the Destroyers last week, their offense line had only allowed one sack all season (Week 2 @ Nashville, 3/9). Last week against Columbus they allowed three sacks.
FROM TOP TO BOTTOM
The Soul are currently 2-for-8 on fourth down conversions which puts them last in the League. They take on Chicago this week who a 6-of-8 on fourth downs putting them at first in the League.
D-MO
Northwestern graduate Dwayne Missouri will be back in the Windy City this week when the Soul play the Rush. Missouri led the Wildcats with 10 sacks and 20 tackles for losses. He finished his collegiate career second in school history with 45 tackles for losses.
BACK IN THE DAY
Soul rookie Gabe Nyenhuis attended St. Charles High School in Illinois. While there he was named First Team All-Area and All-State by the Chicago Sun Times and First Team All-State by the Chicago Tribune.
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
So far, the Blue and Grey are 0-3 on Monday nights this season. They play three more Monday games starting this week. Their other two Monday night games come in Week 11 (vs. New Orleans VooDoo) and Week 12 (vs. New York Dragons).
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