Riptide vs. Blitz April 6, 2002
Published on April 1, 2002 under arenafootball2 (af2)
San Diego Riptide News Release
QUICK FACTS:
San Diego Riptide (0-0) vs. Bakersfield Blitz (0-0)
Date: Saturday, April 6, 2002
Kickoff: 7:00 pm (PT)
Site: SD Sports Arena (12,000)
National Anthem: Liquid Blue
Radio: KSDO 1130 AM (Scott Kaplan, Billy Ray Smith)
Series Record: First game in both franchises' history
COACHES:
Blitz: James Fuller (0-0, 1 st year)
Riptide: Cree Morris (0-0, 1 st year)
HISTORIC NIGHT
This Saturday's game between the Riptide and the Blitz marks the first af2 game played in the state of California and first Arena game played in San Diego since a pre-season game on April 18, 1995. Riptide Defensive Assistant Coach Henry Milton played in that game with the Arizona Rattlers against the Las Vegas Sting. The Rattlers won 44-35.
THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT - Bakersfield Blitz This marks the first game for either club in the newly formed West Division of the National Conference. Aside from San Diego and Bakersfield, the division has the Fresno Frenzy and Hawaiian Islanders. Last week in the af2's Kickoff 2002 game, the Islanders beat the Frenzy 50-47 to kickoff the 2002 af2 season with Hawaiian QB Darnell Arceneaux threw three TDs and ran in three more, including the game-winning 1-yard plunge with 9.8 seconds left.
RIPTIDE PRACTICE SCHEDULE
Day Where Times
Mon SD Sports Arena 7-10pm
Tues SD Sports Arena 7-10pm*
Wed No practice
Thurs Jackie Robinson YMCA 7-10pm
Fri Jackie Robinson YMCA 7-10pm
* Media Night Times are tentative
THE COACHES
Riptide â 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. Morris, 31, led Orange Glen to a 12-1 record his senior year in 1988, finishing second in the state in passing with over 3,000 yards and 30 TDs. He was named Palomar League Offensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-CIF and Honorable Mention All-State. He spent three years at San Diego State, before transferring to Division II St. Mary's College in Moraga, California. In two seasons with the Gaels, he threw for 3,451 yards and 24 TDs, as well as six rushing scores. He is listed 16 times in the school's all-time record books after leading them to consecutive winning seasons in just 15 starts. 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).
Blitz â James Fuller Fuller spent the past two seasons as the associate head coach and defensive coordinator for the Oklahoma Wranglers in the Arena Football League. He quickly established himself as one of the top coaching prospects in Arena Football during the 2000 season by leading the Wranglers to the No. 1 league rankings in total defense and pass defense.
Before his breakout coaching season in 2000, he spent two years as an assistant defensive coach for the Portland Forest Dragons of the AFL and also played for Portland in 1998, where he recorded 14 tackles (7 assisted). Fuller also spent time in the NFL as a defensive back after being drafted in the eighth round of the 1992 draft by the San Diego Chargers. He also played for the New Orleans Saints and the Philadelphia Eagles over the next four years before a knee injury ended his NFL career.
NEXT WEEK'S OPPONENT â Fresno Frenzy
The Riptide will go on the road for the first time when they drive north to Central California to take on the Fresno Frenzy. The Frenzy have already played one game this season, losing to the Hawaiian Islanders 50-47 on March 30. Fresno has a bye this week and play their first home game in team history Saturday night against the Riptide.
RIPTIDE AZTEC ARMY
A third of the Riptide 21-player roster consists of former San Diego State Aztec players. An eight SDSU player (Kevin Brown) is currently on the injured reserve.
Pos Player Years at SDSU
DS Aazaar Abdul-Rahim 1997-99
FB/LB Brian Berg 1999-2000
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 PLAYER KEY FOR RIPTIDE
In addition to the seven 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). Both players on the injured reserve (Brown and Hendrickson) have local ties.
Player Local Connection
Aazaar Abdul-Rahim SDSU
Brian Berg SDSU
Brad Bohn Born in San Diego
Jason Burk Mt. Carmel High/Palomar JC
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 Brown Nose On IR
FB/LB Steve Hendrickson Knee On IR
THIS WEEK IN af2 HISTORY
April 7, 2001: Lincoln WR/DB Heath Staples sets af2 record for most tackles in a game with 14.5 in the Lightning's 50-45 win over the Iowa Barnstormers.
April 8, 2000: Arkansas has a crowd of 16,068, the largest crowd to see an af2 game in the 2000 season as they wallop Charleston 86-13. Richmond QB Cody Whipple catches a 32-yard touchdown pass from himself after a deflection off of a defender, but the Speed lose 48-41 at Pensacola.
RIPTIDE COMMUNITY EVENTS THIS WEEK
Day Times Where
4/3 4-6pm Pershing Middle
4/8 12-2pm Mission Bay Rotary Club
4/8 All day John Carney Golf Tourney
4/10 8:45-11am Monte Vista High
To schedule or request any Riptide players, coaches, cheerleaders, staff members and/or the team mascot please contact Community Relations Director Dawn Ridz at 619.990.9107.
WHERE TO LISTEN TO THE RIPTIDE GAME
If you cannot make it to this Saturday's inaugural game against the Bakersfield Blitz, you have two options to listen to the Riptide-Blitz game. RADIO - KSDO 1130 AM Join Scott Kaplan and Bill Ray Smith for the pre-game show at 6:45pm and at 7pm get ready for the first Riptide game ever.
INTERNET â 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.
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. The honored players receive a helmet sticker that recognizes the Built Ford Tough Player of the Game.
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