Swamp Foxes Ready for Season Opener
April 3, 2003 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Charleston Swamp Foxes News Release
NORTH CHARLESTON, SC â The preseason fun and games are over for the Charleston Swamp Foxes arenafootball2 team. It's now down to business as the Foxes open their fourth season of af2 football this Saturday as they battle the Norfolk Nighthawks at 7:00 pm.
The game can be heard live locally on ESPN Radio 1340 AM or, for the first time in team history, the games can be heard over the Internet. Visit www.goswampfoxes.com and clicking the link inside the game preview story.
The Charleston â Norfolk series is one of the most competitive in the af2. Norfolk holds a 4-1 lead in the overall series, but four of the five previous meetings have been decided by six points or less with two of the match-ups needing to be settled in overtime. The Swamp Foxes picked up their first win in the spirited series last season at home, defeating the Nighthawks 40-37. However, Norfolk returned the favor, winning by one, 42-41, in dramatic fashion at the Scope Arena in late June.
Season openers have been kind to the Swamp Foxes the past two seasons. Charleston is 2-0 the past two years with wins over Columbus and Greensboro, respectively, to start the schedule.
Heading into this year's opener â the first for head coach Rik Richards â the Swamp Foxes will be led by the two-time Heisman Trophy finalist, Major Harris and Brown University's all-time leading passer, Kyle Rowley. The two have been battling it out for the starting position heading into Saturday.
In the exhibition last week, Rowley had more impressive numbers completing 5-of-12 passes (42 percent) for 64 yards and a TD strike of 14 yards as compared to Harris' 2-for-8 for 25 yards. Both QB's tossed a pick, with Rowley's coming on a tipped ball. Harris did, however, rattle off a 13-yard scamper, showing his old prowess and demeanor.
The tandem of signal callers will turn to offensive specialist Terrance Quattlebaum, who plagued the Nighthawks in 2002, when looking to deliver a strike. "Q" ran rampant versus Norfolk for the New Haven Ninjas last season. He scored touchdowns receiving, on a kickoff, and on a missed field goal return in one game versus Norfolk last year. In the exhibition, Quattlebaum took the opening kickoff 56 yards for a score en route to 130 combined return yards on the night. He added four catches for 41 yards to lead the team. Receivers Mike Chandler, Hosea Laney, Leonard Conley and Leroy McFadden, who scored the only offensive touchdown in the exhibition, will join Quattlebaum on offense. Look for returning fullback Mike Davis and rookie Marlon Moye-Moore to get in on the action as last year the Swamp Foxes rushed for a combined 103 yards versus the âHawks.
On defense, the Swamp Foxes did what they needed to do in the preseason tune-up with Macon. The "D" held the Knights to 169 total yards of offense, an average that would rank tops for total defense in 2002. Charleston managed three stops â a fumble, an interception, and a field goal attempt â, which in Arena Football could be considered a success.
One major area Charleston must address is discipline. The Swamp Foxes committed 10 penalties for 104 yards in the exhibition with Macon. In 2002, Norfolk ranked 34th in the league in penalties, racking up an average of 89.3 yards per contest. However, they also brought their opponent down, ranking third in the af2 in opponent penalties with an average of 77.9 yards per game.
However, Norfolk does have a new look at the top for 2003. Rick Frazier, who brings nearly a quarter of a century of coaching experience to the table, is the new commander for the Nighthawks in his first season. His experience ranges from defensive coordinator/assistant head coach for the Toronto Phantoms (AFL) to assistant coach and defensive coordinator for the Milwaukee Mustangs (AFL).
Norfolk returns two of last year's three Killer "B's." Dominc Banks from the University of Delaware and offensive specialist Travis Burns from Liberty University return to the âHawk's roster for '03. Banks and Burns had a combined 13 catches for 246 yards and nine touchdowns combined in the two head-to-head meetings in last season. Burns did most of the damage, recording a pair of four-catch games for 94 and 86 yards, respectively. He added eight rushes for 57 yards in those two meetings.
The flight theme continues when you look at the starting quarterback for the Nighthawks. Aaron Sparrow, the af2's Offensive Player of the Year in 2000, will be under center for Frazier and Company to start the 2003-year. Sparrow completed 335-of-513 passes (65 percent) for over 4,000 yards and 78 touchdowns for the Augusta Stallions three years ago. He also has AFL experience with the Grand Rapids Rampage, Nashville Kats, and Buffalo Destroyers. Sparrow's 2000 performance continues to rank him second in the af2 record book for QB rating (122.9), third in passes completed (335), and third in completion percentage (65.3).
Defensively, Frazier looks to capitalize on an already solid unit. The 2003 Nighthawks held the Swamp Foxes' QB's in check, limiting them to 340 combined passing yards in the two games.
Charleston returns to action in the Lowcountry on Saturday, April 26 at a new start time, 7:30 pm, as they play host to the Birmingham Steeldogs at the North Charleston Coliseum. It'll be the first time these two teams have squared off on the gridiron in the teams' histories.
Festivities kick off at 5:00 with the tailgating zone, which features food, drinks, and a LIVE band. The Travis Allison Band (www.travisallisonband.com) from the Isle of Palms will be performing.
Season and individual game tickets for the 2003 season are on sale now with great seats still available. Call (843) 554-4321 for more information.
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