Riptide Assigned 32 Players
Published on March 22, 2004 under arenafootball2 (af2)
San Diego Riptide News Release
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Riptide's 2004 Training Camp is now underway and the team has been officially assigned all 32 players in camp by the league. The training camp roster features 12 returning players from the 2003 team that finished with a disappointing 6-10 record, good for fourth place in the National West Division.
Among the returning players is quarterback Kane Claunch, who has been the Riptide's starting field general in each of its first two seasons of existence. Clauch, who spent time with the Arena Football League's Colorado Crush before rejoining the Riptide roster last season, had a somewhat rocky 2003, losing his starting job for one game to Wesley Phillips, before being reinserted as the primary signal caller the next week, playing well for the remainder of the season, despite injuries. This season Claunch turned down several opportunities to attend camp with AFL teams and an invitation to workout with the NFL's Buffalo Bills, instead choosing to stay in San Diego with his wife and infant son and return to the Riptide.
Providing the competition for Claunch at quarterback will be former BYU standout Kevin Feterik and UTEP alum John Carnevali. While at BYU, Feterik was a 1999 finalist for the Davey O'Brien award, given annually to the nation's top collegiate quarterback. He has spent training camps with several AFL teams and was a starter for the Canadian Football League's Calgary Stampeders. Carnevali, who was a teammate of Phillips while at UTEP, has spent time with the National Indoor Football League's Rapid City Red Dogs and Oklahoma Crude.
Joining Claunch are 11 other returning Riptide, including defensive specialist Quincy LeJay, wide receivers Eddie Miller, Darnell Lacy and Dwight Carter, and linemen Brad Greetis, Trevor Misipeka and Ryan Cuthbert. Also back with the Riptide are San Diego State alumni Rico Curtis, Marty Graham, Kevin Burton and Jesus Reyes.
Several other local products are among the new faces in camp this season, including FB/LB's Matt Guardia, who attended the University of San Diego, Scott Johnson, a former SDSU Aztec, and Rodney Knight, a Mesa College product. Kevin Brown, a member of the 2002 Riptide and alumnus of Grossmont College, will also be in camp this season.
Other new faces include Washington State product Nakou McElrath, Mississippi State lineman Conner Stephens, University of Delaware kicker Scott Collins, University of Arizona receiver Ashley Burrows and Ivy Leaguer Patrick Girardi, who attended Columbia University.
Rounding out the rest of the training camp roster is defensive back Samaji Akili, FB/LB Nathan Burgey, WR/DB Ryan Smith and linemen Oscar Grejada, Carlos Malfavon, Johnie Warren, Michael Wessel and Teddy Wilson. Burgey and McElrath begin camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list.
Rosters must be cut down to 19 active players by Mar. 31 and the Riptide's third season kicks off on Apr. 3 in Little Rock against the Arkansas Twisters.
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