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Storm does the heavy lifting, Wins season opener

March 11, 2011 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Tampa Bay Storm News Release


New Orleans - The Tampa Bay Storm opened their 2011 campaign with a comprehensive 46-40 win over the re-established New Orleans VooDoo in front of 6,335 fans thanks in part to five rushing touchdowns and five sacks.

"I am happy for our players," said Head Coach Dave Ewart. "I told them if we cut down on mistakes, don't turn the ball over and are more physical we would win. And we did that tonight."

Rookie receiver Michael Lindsey had a breakout with three total touchdowns (two rushing and one kick return). Lindsey was used in the Storm's goal-line package after LB/FB Eric Ortiz went down with an elbow injury early in the game, and to great effect. After a preseason riddled with issues on the kick return, Lindsey stepped up, returning three kicks for 118, including one for a touchdown.

"The guys set up a great wall and when I saw the seam I knew all I had to do was beat the kicker," added Lindsey after the game.

PJ Berry was brilliant for the VooDoo in the loss, catching seven passes for 73 yards and three total touchdowns (two receiving and one kick return) while leading all players with 233 all-purpose yards.

It was an ecstatic atmosphere at the New Orleans Arena as the VooDoo were playing their first game in nearly three years. Unfortunately their fans were sent home unhappy as the Storm defense held the VooDoo offense in check.

Linebacker Cliff Dukes, who had four sacks on the night - a single-game franchise record, set the tone for the evening early in the first, forcing VooDoo quarterback Danny Wimprine into an illegal forward pass in the endzone, resulting in a safety on only the VooDoo's second play from scrimmage. He continued to terrorize Wimprine and the VooDoo offensive line throughout the rest of the game en route to those four sacks.

On the ensuing drive after the safety, quarterback Mike Potts marched the Storm down the field completing five of six passes for 43 yards setting up Ortiz for the two-yard scamper.

The teams traded scores on each of the next four drives. During those drives, back up quarterback Grant Gregory, also filling in for Ortiz at fullback, tallied two rushing touchdowns, before a defensive back Deonte Bolden interception set-up a Kyle Chilton 29-yard field goal to help give the Storm control for the remainder of the evening. Chilton, in his first game with the Storm, was five-of-six on PAT's and one-of-three on field goals, narrowly missing a 56-yard attempt off the crossbar on the first drive of the game.

The Tampa Bay Storm head to Utah to play the Blaze Thursday, March 17 at 9:00 PM EST. The game can heard on 1250 AM-WHNZ with Jack Harris and Chris Garrido calling the action.

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