Storm - Rampage Preview

Published on May 13, 2008 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Tampa Bay Storm News Release


The Tampa Bay Storm (4-6) are coming off a huge win last week and hope to carry that success into Friday's game on the road against the Grand Rapids Rampage (3-7).

Friday's game will be the teams' ninth meeting, with the Storm holding a 7-1 advantage in the series. Due to a scheduling glitch, seven of the past eight games have been played in Grand Rapids, where Tampa Bay is 6-1.

The match-up between Tampa Bay and Grand Rapids will be a battle of sophomore quarterbacks in Tampa Bay's Brett Dietz and Rampage QB James MacPherson. Look for MacPherson to target wide receiver Kenny Higgins. Higgins, in his first year with the Rampage, is leading the team with 74 receptions, 22 touchdowns and 1,076 receiving yards.

The Rampage, despite their 3-7 record, have a potent offense that can explode at any moment when the team is on their game. First-year head coach Steve Thonn is known as an offensive-minded coach, and it has shown in the team's victories. In their three wins, the team has averaged 82.7 points per win, including a 92-52 victory over Kansas City in Week 4. The 92 points are the second-highest total by a team in AFL history, behind only New York's 99 in 2001.

Another tool the Rampage have hanging in their shed is kickoff-return specialist Chris Martin. The defensive back is third in the league with 1,135 kickoff-return yards this season and leads the league with four returns for touchdowns. The Storm will need to contain him and seem to have the kickoff coverage unit to do just that. In a unit that epitomizes the word team, Traco Rachal has stepped up with 13.5 special-team tackles, the second highest in the league. It was also Rachal who came up with the game-winning interception last week against New Orleans to seal the Tampa Bay victory. Across the field, the Rampage will see pitted against them a former Grand Rapids teammate in Terrill Shaw. Shaw, who played in Grand Rapids from 2001-2003, still holds seven Rampage records. He has scored more career touchdowns (76) than any player in Rampage history. He also holds the record for most touchdowns (41) and receiving yards (1,658) in a single season.

Finally, linebacker Torrance Marshall has been tearing it up on the ground this season, punching in two more rushing touchdowns last week against New Orleans. With 14 this season, second in the league, Marshall is on pace to shatter the franchise record of 17 he set last season. The Storm will look to him to notch a few more key touchdowns this week. With six games remaining in the season, it's time to keep a close eye on Tampa Bay's Ironman, Lawrence Samuels. With his team-high 11 receptions last game, Samuels has accumulated 971 career receptions, just 20 off the all-time league record of 991. While the record is a huge milestone, it's Samuels' assault on 1,000 receptions that should be watched. Samuels is in a race to become the first player in AFL history to record 1,000 receptions, and seems on pace to do it this season.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 13, 2008


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