Riptide Game Notes

Published on April 17, 2002 under arenafootball2 (af2)
San Diego Riptide News Release


QUICK FACTS:
San Diego Riptide (1-1) vs. Tulsa Talons (1-1)
Date: Saturday, April 20, 2002
Kickoff: 7:00 pm (PDT)
Site: SD Sports Arena (12,000)
Officials: Jeff Hansen (referee); Kevin Matthews (umpire); Scott Monaco (head linesman); Steve Hoslette (line judge); Mike Cuttone (back judge)
Radio: KSDO 1130 AM (Scott Kaplan, Billy Ray Smith)
COACHES:
Talons: Skip Foster (14-4, 2 nd year)
Riptide: Cree Morris (1-1, 1 st year)

This week's opponent – Tulsa Talons

The Riptide look for their first win at home when they take on the Tulsa Talons (1-1). Tulsa enters Saturday's game after a stunning 27-14 loss to the Bossier City Battle Wings last week. Last year, Tulsa went 13-3 before losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Carolina Rhinos. Their last six regular season losses have come on the road.

Tulsa led 14-6 at the end of the third quarter last week at Bossier City, before the Battle Wings scored 21 unanswered points. The Talons stingy defense forced the Battle Wings to four field goals and just one touchdown (the other TD came on an interception return).

Last week at Fresno – Riptide 69, Frenzy 52

The San Diego Riptide (1-1) used a 30-point second quarter scoring burst to earn their first victory in franchise history 69-52 over the Fresno Frenzy (0-2) last Thursday. Riptide QB Kane Claunch completed 13-of-22 passes for 219 yards with 7 TDs, a passer rating of 113.5 and ran in another score en route to Game MVP honors. San Diego went ahead 27-24 on a 33-yard pass from Claunch to Altie Parker with 10 minutes left in the second quarter and Riptide never looked back, going on a 23-point scoring spree to jump to a 43-24 lead late in the second quarter. The teams traded scores in the final 30 seconds of the first half to head into the locker room with 82 points on the board (San Diego 50, Fresno 32). Eight different Riptide players scored touchdowns on the night with Mark Butler and Jason Burke scoring twice and Scottie Nicholson, Rico Curtis, Melvin Blue, Graham, Parker and Claunch adding one apiece. Curtis also led all defenders with seven tackles and forced a fumble. The Riptide ground game racked up 72 yards (30 Arena yards rushing equates to about 100 in the NFL) and scored three times.

SCOUTING REPORT ON TULSA

Anthony Buich – quarterback Buich comes to the Talons from the Iowa Barnstormers, where he tossed 58 TDs and ran in another 12. On the year, he has completed little more than 50% with 5 TDs and a passer rating of 69.2. He, however, is the team's leading rusher with 30 yards and 2 TDs on just four carries.

RIPTIDE-TALONS CONNECTIONS

Riptide FB/LB Melvin Blue was the teammate of Talons QB Anthony Buich, WR/DB Mitch Allner and OL/DL Joe Shin.

LONGEST af2 GAME IN HISTORY

April 6's Riptide-Blitz game's overtime period lasted 10:38, which put the game at 70 minutes and 38 seconds. This marks the longest game in the history of the league.

GOLDEN GRAHAM

Despite the loss to Bakersfield on April 6, the Riptide OS set an af2 record for most all-purpose yards in a single game (400) and grabbed four touchdowns. He averaged more than 25 yards per touch in the contest with TD grabs of 40, 16, 36 and 46 yards (his other three catches went for 26,19 and 14). He also added kickoff returns of 15, 24, 12, 38, 43, 46 and 21.

MARTY BALL

Graham, heading into Week 4, leads the af2 in numerous categories. He is tops in all-purpose yards, kickoff return yards, yards per reception, yards per kickoff return, combined return yards, yards per combined return and yards per overall touch. He also has many single game marks that top the af2 charts including most all-purpose yards, kickoff return yards, combined return yards and average per reception, return and touch.

THE CLAUNCH LAUNCH

Riptide QB Kane Claunch's seven TD passes and 8 overall TDs responsible is tied for the most in the af2 through three weeks with Augusta's Glen Gauntt. In the first half at Fresno, he completed 6-of-8 passes for 130 yards with 5 TDs for a passer rating of 156.25. Claunch has had the hot hand in the first half of both games this season.

RICO SAUVE

Riptide WR/LB Rico Curtis leads the af2 in tackles with 19.5 and his 12.5 against Bakersfield (4/06) tops the af2 in single-game this year.

A TRUE IRONMAN

Brian Berg scored the Riptide's first franchise points on a seven-yard run against Bakersfield and then last week against Fresno, he was forced to play center the entire game after starting center Jason Henry's injury in the first game. Berg is the only Riptide player named a Built Ford Tough Player of the Game both weeks.

WHAT A RUSH

The San Diego Riptide ran for 72 yards last week against Fresno, which ranks second in the league this season behind Hawaii's 85.

FIRST HALF AT FRESNO

The Riptide scored 50 points in the first half against the Frenzy last week. They scored TDs on all seven possessions on just 13 plays.

NEXT WEEK'S OPPONENT – at Arkansas Twisters The Riptide travel to Little Rock, Arkansas to take on the Arkansas Twisters on Saturday, April 27 at 5pm PDT. The Twisters are in their third season in the af2 and started the year 1-1. They lost their home opener to Tennessee Valley 37-28 and bounced back last week to defeat Wichita 34-13.

RIPTIDE AZTEC ARMY

Over a third of the Riptide 21-player roster consists of former San Diego State Aztec players.

Pos Player Years at SDSU
DS Aazaar Abdul-Rahim 1997-99
FB/LB Brian Berg 1999-2000
DS Kevin Brown 1999
DS Kevin Burton 1998-99
WR/LB Rico Curtis 1996-99
OS Marty Graham 1996-97
WR/LB Scott Nicholson 1998-99
OL/DL LaPrice Reynolds 1998

LOCAL PLAYERS KEY FOR RIPTIDE

In addition to the eight former Aztecs, the Riptide roster is stock full of local players. Of the 21-man roster, 15 have connections to the San Diego area (by birth, schooling and/or professional experience).

Player Local Connection
Aazaar Abdul-Rahim SDSU
Brian Berg SDSU
Brad Bohn Born in San Diego
Jason Burk Mt. Carmel High/Palomar JC
Kevin Brown Lincoln High/SDSU
Kevin Burton SDSU
Robert Craig Montgomery High
Rico Curtis SDSU
Marty Graham Torrey Pines High/SDSU
Brad Greetis Orange Glen High/Palomar JC
Jason Henry San Dieguito High/ Palomar JC
Trevor Misipeka Temecula Valley High
Scott Nicholson SDSU Altie Parker Crawford High
LaPrice Reynolds SDSU
Ryan Smith Escondido High/Palomar JC

RIPTIDE INJURY REPORT:

Pos. Name Injury Status
DS Kevin Burton Knee On IR
OL/DL Jason Henry Hamstring On IR
WR/DB Mark Butler MCL Probable

WHERE TO LISTEN TO THE RIPTIDE GAME

If you cannot make it to this Saturday's game, you have three options to listen to the Riptide-Talons game.

RADIO – KSDO 1130 AM Join Scott Kaplan and Billy Ray Smith for the pre-game show at 6:30pm and at 7pm get ready for all the high-scoring Arena football action.

INTERNET – sandiegoriptide.com Log-on to the Riptide's official homepage (sandiegoriptide.com) to listen to every second of tonight's game anywhere that the Internet is available on the planet.

TELEPHONE – 1.800.846.4700 Team Code: 4101 There's no need to have Internet access to listen to the Riptide games. To hear live play-by-play of all 16 Riptide games make a toll-free to 1-800-846-4700 and enter 4101 as the Riptide 'Team Code'.

BUILT FORD TOUGH AWARD

The Built Ford Tough Award is a national recognition award given after every game to the player or players on each team best demonstrating determination and toughness in that game. The award honors the players who made a game-saving tackle or score-saving tackle, threw a key block on the big play or exhibited physical sacrifice or consistent tough blocking and tackling on both sides of the ball. Riptide Built-Ford Tough Players of Game
4/06 vs. Blitz Brian Berg, Rico Curtis, Ryan Cuthbert
4/13 at Frenzy Brian Berg, Scottie Nicholson, Altie Parker, Jason Burk

ADT DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME/WEEK/YEAR

This is a brand new award that honors the top defensive player of the game/week/year. ADT Security Services, Inc., a unit of Tyco Fire and Security Services recently signed on to sponsor this award and become one of the af2's primary sponsors.

ADT Defensive Players of the Game
4/13 at Fresno Ryan Cuthbert

THE HEAD COACHES

Riptide – Cree Morris
Former Orange Glen High School quarterback Cree Morris, who has playing experience with the NFL, Arena Football League and the World League enters his first season as a head coach at any level. Morris also played collegiate football with San Diego State and St. Mary's College. He participated in the training camp of the Los Angeles Raiders in 1994 and with the St. Louis Rams in 1995. In 1996, Morris spent a season in the World League of American Football with the London Monarchs. The following year, Morris began his two-year Arena career spending a year and half with the Arena League's San Jose SaberCats (1997-98) and finishing his career with the Iowa Barnstormers (1998).

Talons – Skip Foster
Foster enters his second year as the head coach of the Tulsa Talons. He led the Talons to a 13-3 record in the 2001 season. This past off-season, Foster helped six former Talons players sign Arena Football League contracts. Before joining the Talons, Foster recorded a record of 82-39- 2 at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas. In 1990, Foster led Coffeyville to a national championship and an undefeated season. He was selected as Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Coach of the Year in both 1990 and 1991.

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