Soul Weekly
April 7, 2008 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Philadelphia Soul News Release
SOUL PUT OUT THE BLAZE AND CONTINUE WINNING STREAK
The Philadelphia Soul's Saturday night 64-56 win over the Utah Blaze in front of 16,390 ecstatic fans at a sold out Wachovia Spectrum marked their sixth consecutive victory of the season. Dating back to last season, this also marks the sixth consecutive home win. The triumph also notes the Soul's largest winning streak in franchise history at six. 6-6-6 sure isn't an evil number for the Philadelphia Soul.
CHRIS "MONEY" JACKSON BECOMES CHRIS "MILESTONE" JACKSON
WR Chris "Money" Jackson had yet another incredible game with the Soul and hit another milestone. The Offensive Player of the Game recorded season-high and single-game franchise-record 13 receptions for 138 yards and 5 touchdowns. Jackson hit another major career milestone by becoming only the fifth player in AFL history to record 900 receptions. The reception came in the 2nd quarter with a 7 yard touchdown pass from QB Matt D'Orazio with 4:55 remaining. He now has an astounding 905 total career receptions. This was the second major milestone Jackson has made in recent history. Last week against the Tampa Bay Storm, he became the fourth wide receiver in AFL history to break 12,000 receiving yards.
MORE RECORDS TO FALL?
Jackson is also close to hitting a number of other milestones. Here they are:
- 7 TD catches to become the third player all-time with 300 career receiving TDs.
- 11 TD catches away from passing Eddie Brown (303) for second on the all-time list.
- 5 TD catches away from becoming the Soul's single-season franchise leader (Steve Smith 28, 2005)
- 7 TDs to become the Soul's single-season franchise leader (Steve Smith 31, 2005).
QB MATT D'ORAZIO CONTINUES TO STEP UP
This was the 3rd straight win with QB Matt D'Orazio filling in for QB Tony Graziani. D'Orazio completed 28-of-37 passes for 300 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. For the three games he started this season, he has completed 81-of-114 attempts (71 percent) for 934 yards with 20 touchdowns and no interceptions. He is yet to throw an interception this season. His impressive stats earn him the No. 1 ranking spot in the league with a 133.8 quarterback rating.
SOUL ON THE ROAD
The undefeated Soul play four of their next five games on the road starting this Saturday when the club visits the San Jose SaberCats for an 11:45 p.m. (et) kickoff. The Soul then visit division rival Columbus on Monday, April 21 before returning home for their lone home game over this span against the Dallas Desperados on Monday, April 28 at 8 p.m. The Soul then hit the road to face a third straight division rival in Cleveland on Friday May 2 at 7 p.m. and wrap of the stretch at the Georgia Force on Monday, May 12 at 8 p.m. For the season, the Soul are 2-0 as the guest, having won in Chicago and in Los Angeles.
UNDEFEATED RIVALS
Besides the Soul, the only other undefeated team in the league is the Dallas Desperados. If both teams stay undefeated until their match-up on April 28th, the Soul's next home game, they will line up against each other at 8-0.
SAFETY FIRST
DL Bryan Save, the Defensive Player of the Game, recorded a pivotal safety at the end of the 1st quarter with only 2:09 remaining. The safety gave the Soul a 16-14 edge over the Blaze at the end of the quarter, giving Philly a lead it would never relinquish. Save additionally added a tackle and sack.
LET'S GET READY TO FUMBLE
One of the essential components to the Soul's victory was their ability to recover two key fumbles. In the 3rd quarter, DB Mike Brown returned a fumble four yards for a TD. Brown, the Ironman of the Game for the sixth game in a row, also recorded 5 kick returns for 71 yards.
FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
OL Martin Bibla scored his first touchdown with the Soul in the 3rd quarter with a 14 yard pass from D'Orazio with 7:42 remaining.
WIDE RECEIVERS CONTINUE TO BE KEY
Wide receivers Darius Watts and Larry Brackins both contributed to the Soul's win. Watts recorded 8 receptions for 96 yards and Brackins recorded 4 receptions for 47 yards.
WHAT THE WIN MEANT FOR THE SOUL
This gives the Soul a 6-0 season record
The win gives the Soul a 4-0 home record for the season
The Soul have won their last 6 home games (dating back to last season)
This extends the Soul's best start to a season in team history to 6-0
This is the Soul's longest winning streak in franchise history
SOUL.COM
Keep up with all the daily news on the Soul at www.philadelphiasoul.com.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 7, 2008
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- Destroyers travel to the Big Apple to take on the first of three consecutive Eastern Division oppone - Columbus Destroyers
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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
