Swamp Foxes Search for Win One at Florida
Published on April 10, 2003 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Charleston Swamp Foxes News Release
NORTH CHARLESTON, SC â The Charleston Swamp Foxes continue to look for their first of the young 2003 season as they travel to Estero, FL to face the Florida Firecats this Saturday, April 12 at 7:30 pm.
The game can be heard live locally on ESPN Radio, 1340 AM or on the Internet at www.goswampfoxes.com.
The Swamp Foxes (0-1) will also be looking for a team-first win over the Firecats. In 2002, Florida (0-1) swept both meetings with the Foxes, holding Charleston scoreless for nearly 53 total minutes of action, which is not good news for a Swamp Fox team which ranks near the bottom of af2 rankings offensively.
Offensive coordinator Tony Wells and the Swamp Foxes' offense will be up against one of the leagues best in Florida's Roy Stabler. He ranks tied for first in the af2 in interceptions, picking off two passes in last week's 41-32 loss to Tennessee Valley. Stabler picked off Charleston quarterbacks three times last year.
Charleston will counter with a one-two punch of signal callers, with former Clemson QB Billy Luckie earning the starting nod this week during practice. He will be backed up by two-time Heisman Trophy finalist, Major Harris. The coaching staff is hoping that Luckie's arena experience, which includes stops in Tallahassee, Mobile, and Columbus, will help calm down a jumpy offense. Last week, the Swamp Foxes were limited to 123 yards of total offense but dropped several passes, which would have given them a better shot at winning the ball game.
On the other side of the football, Florida scored a combined 106 points (52 and 54, respectively) in last year's meetings. Many might argue that those numbers were from last year â however, the Firecats, despite a coaching change at the top, return many of last year's offensive threats, while adding a few more to the arsenal.
The âCats 2003 roster includes four players who tallied scores versus Charleston last year. Two-way players Anthony Dixon and Magic Benton, who combined to rack up 143 yards on 10 catches and four touchdowns in match-ups with Charleston last year, lead Florida. Add in off-season assignment Cainon Lamb, who torched the Swamp Foxes for 66 yards on eight receptions and four TDs by himself, and Saturday night could be very offensive for Foxes' faithful.
Dixon led the Firecats with 74 yards receiving and a touchdown, while adding a missed field goal return for a score. Lamb and Benton combined for six receptions, 55 yards, and tallied one TD.
However, Charleston counters with the second-best defense in arenafootball2. The Swamp Foxes limited Travis Burns and the Norfolk Nighthawks to 124 total yards of offense in the season-opening loss last week. Charleston's defense is tied for first in red zone defense, ranks second against the pass, and is ranked fourth in pass defense rating.
Two-year starter Michael Brown and Demont Smith lead the way for head coach Rik Richards' defense. Both registered an interception in last week's loss, with Smith scoring his first points as a Swamp Fox when he took a lateral from teammate Marlon Moye-Moore on a fumble recover. Smith scored from 15 yards out.
By the numbers, many would think that the game would be won in the defensive secondary â in the Dixon, Benton, and Lamb versus Charleston's Brown and Smith match-up. However, both coaches will be keeping a close eye on the battle up front, in the trenches along the line of scrimmage.
Florida did not allow or record a sack in their Week One loss to the Tennessee Valley Vipers. But that stat can be very deceiving, as Florida sacked Charleston QBs on three separate occasions in the game played in Estero. The Swamp Foxes front three started out great as Larrell Johnson recorded his first af2 career sack on the opening play from scrimmage. However, from that point on, the rush was minimized, giving the Nighthawks' QB plenty of time in the pocket.
Florida returns Bryan Sparacino, who threw for 405 yards on 27 completions and five touchdowns against Charleston in 2002. Last week, he connected on 59 percent of his passes, 20-of-34 for 176 yards and three touchdowns.
One positive note for the road weary Swamp Foxes â Florida has dropped three of its past four games played in the TECO Arena in Estero. However, since 2000 and including the 2003 season, Charleston is 6-19 on the road, which includes a 0-1 mark in the TECO Arena.
Charleston concludes the three-game road swing next week as they face the expansion Cincinnati Swarm in Ohio.
The Swamp Foxes return 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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