Stampede Look for Complete Team Effort against Richmond
April 1, 2011 - Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL)
Harrisburg Stampede News Release
HARRISBURG, PA (April 1, 2011) - Four quarters, a complete game, a complete effort. No matter, what you call it, the Stampede will need to do it in order to win their first game of the season when they face the Richmond Raiders Saturday at 7:30 PM at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex's Equine Arena.
In the course of this young season the Harrisburg Stampede has faced two challenges: one, putting together a solid four quarters, and two, gelling as a team when only five players from last's season 12-4 squad are still on the roster.
As a result of challenge number one, the Stampede has been outscored 68-26 in the first half this season, including a staggering 32-8 in the second quarter.
The good news is they have outscored their opponents 65-53 in the second half and waged a stunning comeback from a 50-22 halftime deficit against the Fayetteville Force to take a 66-62 lead with 57 seconds to go, only to fall to Fayetteville 75-66 when the Force scored two TDs in the closing minute.
The Stampede was a victim of its own success as six former Harrisburg players found their way on Arena Football League (AFL) rosters this spring. As a result, Stampede General Manager and Head Coach Bernie Nowotarski had a busy offseason as he had to largely re-tool the roster with only three returning players from last season's team: Eugene Goodman, Will Hines, and Archie Smith.
After a slow start in camp Nowotarski continued to work the waiver wire and brought back two members from last season's team which made it to the conference championship game, Kelvin Robinson and Cory Groover, and also signed eight players with arena and indoor football experience.
On offense wide receiver Collis Martin and linemen Kobie Howell and Mark Stout and on defense, backs Tay Wynn and Derek Patterson and lineman Alfred Dubose, Brandon McCauley, and Fearon Wright.
Along with rookie receiver John Sharbaugh 11 of the 21 active members on the Stampede roster have been signed since the start of training camp just four weeks ago. As a result a good deal of the team were literally strangers just a week or two ago.
If there is a moment when all of that changed, many could point to 31 seconds left in the third quarter in the Stampede's game last Sunday against the Force. With Fayetteville already reeling from two straight Stampede scoring drives Jermaine Thaxton picked off a Lamar Little pass and returned it 22 yards for a score to cut the Force lead to 52-43.
Just under two minutes later Thaxton intercepted another Little pass and returned it to the Force four setting up another Stampede score and reduced the Force lead to 52-50. Just like that the Stampede was in its first battle of the season and the Harrisburg players suddenly melded with high fives and chest bumps.
Although Fayetteville still rallied to win, the effort provided a building block for the Stampede this week when they take on the Raiders in search of their first win of the season. This week's active roster is also largely the same, with the only addition being DB Patterson.
For more information on the Harrisburg Stampede, their remaining schedule, and tickets please visit www.HarrisburgStampede.com.
• Discuss this story on the Southern Indoor Football League message board...
Southern Indoor Football League Stories from April 1, 2011
- Stampede Look for Complete Team Effort against Richmond - Harrisburg Stampede
- SIFL Week 3 Game Capsules - SIFL
- Lions, Panthers Rivarly Resumes This Saturday - Columbus Lions
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.
