Swamp Foxes Seek Second Straight Versus Speed
Published on June 12, 2003 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Charleston Swamp Foxes News Release
NORTH CHARLESTON, SC â To say that the Charleston Swamp Foxes are seeking "second" this weekend as they travel to face the Richmond Speed would be a gross understatement.
A victory over the Atlantic Division rival would mark the second-straight win in a row for the Foxes when coupled with last week's 68-44 thrashing of Norfolk. Couple a victory over Richmond with the 49-44 win over the Speed at home in 2002 and it would mark the second-consecutive win over the foe in the five-game series.
And to top it all off, a win over Richmond, coupled with a Norfolk loss at Northeast Division leading Albany (8-1) and the Swamp Foxes could find themselves in second place in the Atlantic Division, edging Norfolk because of point spread in head-to-head meetings.
The game is scheduled for a 7:00 pm kickoff and can be heard locally on ESPN Radio, 1340 AM.
All of the above factors haven't gone unnoticed by Swamp Foxes' head coach Rik Richards
"After the win Saturday night with the way we played offensively, I actually got a full night's rest. I though I might get to sleep well all week, but the new week started and the sleep deprivation began again," said the first-year skipper.
Richards probably loses more sleep over his own team than his opponent. The tough task of deciding who will suit up for the Foxes in Richmond is a difficult one for the youngest head coach in Arena Football. Five different Swamp Fox players made a reception in last week's game, with four of those tallying scores.
Add to the mix the assignment of former Fox WR/LB Antoine Calloway and WR/DB Corey Kelley from the Louisville Fire in the Demont Smith trade and the competition for starting positions heats up.
But Richards is quick to point out that the team on the horizon â the Richmond Speed â is very talented and in the same situation of needing a win as his own squad.
"Richmond is a very tough, well-coached team," said Richards of his adversary. "This is a huge game for both teams both in the division in with playoff implications."
Roy Johnson, a very talented quarterback out of Hampton University, leads the Richmond attack. Last year's back-up to the af2's all-time leading passer Bob Bees, Johnson enters the game ranked second in league in passer rating (124.3) having completed 68.3 percent of his passes. He's tossed 35 touchdowns with only surrendering three interceptions. Johnson ranks fifth in passing yards and tenth in total offense for the Speed.
Johnson's favorite targets this season have been Damon Thompson and Jeff Townsley. Thompson currently ranks third in af2 in scoring with 134 points and fourth in all-purpose yards. Townsley is a familiar name around the arenafootball2 community. In the lone meeting versus the Foxes in 2002, he hauled in five passes for 80 yards. He currently ranks second on the Speed in all-purpose yards and fourth in receiving.
The key to Saturday's game could come up front in the trenches. Last week, the Cape Fear Wildcats front four harassed Johnson and the Speed in the 55-26 defeat in Fayetteville, NC. That puts pressure on line coach Daryl Evans and the linemen of the Swamp Foxes to apply pressure at the point of attack and force Johnson to get rid of the football early and on the run.
Charleston's defense slipped a bit following the bout with the Nighthawks but continues to rank among the af2's statistical leaders in several categories. The Foxes' "D" leads the league in total defense and rush defense, only surrendering 198.6 and 5.7 yards per game, respectively. The defense ranks third in pass defense rating, fifth in pass defense, and the team ranks sixth in turnover margin, which includes a league-high 16 interceptions.
In the past two games, the Swamp Foxes offense has been the bigger story. After starting the season in the bottom of many stat categories, the offense has turned it around, cracking the Top Ten in rushing offense with a 20.3 yard per game average. The team is up to 14th in passing offense, 16th in total offense, and 19th in scoring offense in af2 rankings.
The major story has been the improved play of starting quarterback Johnny Turman. The rookie signal caller from the University of Pittsburgh earned the af2's Offensive Player of the Week for his 18-for-27, 283-yard, and team record-tying eight touchdown pass performance last week.
Turman will have to have another big night and the defense will have to slow down his counterpart for Charleston to bring home their second-straight win, both this season and over Richmond, to wrap up the weekend in second in the division.
The Swamp Foxes battle the Speed this Saturday, June 14 at 7:00 pm live on ESPN Radio, 1340 AM.
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