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Tampa Bay Storm game notes

February 21, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Tampa Bay Storm News Release


STORM/WRANGLERS PREVIEW
After starting the season at .500 (2-2) the Tampa Bay Storm tussle with the undefeated Austin Wranglers (4-0) at the St. Pete Times Forum. The Storm enter the game with the number one offense in the league, putting up 331 yards per contest. The majority of Tampa Bay's offensive output has gone through the air as they are averaging 320 yards per game, also first in the league. QB Shane Stafford leads the AFL in completions with 111 and yards passed for with 1,296. Lawrence Samuels is tied for second in the league with 41 receptions and 481 yards receiving. This is the third time in franchise history Austin has won four consecutive games and are off to their best start all time. The Wranglers come to Tampa Bay playing their fourth of five consecutive games away from the Frank Erwin Center. Austin boasts the AFL's fourth ranked rushing offense behind FB Dane Krager and QB John Fitzgerald who have combined on 34 attempts for 92 yards and eight touchdowns. The Wrangler defense has proven to be stingy at this point in the season giving up only 40.5 points per contest. The Wrangler defense is led by defensive specialists Damon Mason and Devontis Franklin who have combined for 47.5 tackles this season. Mason leads the league in interceptions with five.

STORM/PREDATORS RECAP
The "War on I-4" is alive and well as the Storm lost an overtime thriller to their foes from 85 miles east, the Orlando Predators, 67-64, in front of 14,692 at the St. Pete Times Forum. Stafford completed a Storm all-time game high 36 passes for 458 yards, the only Storm quarterback to pass for over 400 yards in a game. His 458 yards rank third highest all-time in AFL history. Lawrence Samuels had a three touchdown performance and caught 15 passes for 182 yards, both career highs. Bobby Sippio added 10 receptions for 136 yards and two touchdowns. Down, 49-64, with one minute a fifty seconds remaining in regulation, Stafford led the Storm to two touchdowns before capping off the Storm comeback with a two-point conversion run. The Storm failed to score on their one possession of the overtime period before an injured QB Joe Hamilton converted two crucial third downs to set up a game winning field-goal by Jay Taylor from 17 yards.

Record Setting Day
Stafford and Samuels set numerous records last week versus the Orlando Predators.

Shane Stafford completed 36 passes for 458 yards and eight touchdowns versus the Orlando. All of which are all-time Storm game highs.

The 36 completions ties him for second most all-time in AFL History with Andy Kelly (Nashville, 1999). The most completions in a game record belongs to Tommy Maddox with 38 (New Jersey, 2000).

Stafford's 458 passing yards gained is the third highest mark all-time in the AFL. In 1999, Clint Dolezel passed for 479 yards and in 2000 Todd Marinovich passed for 469 yards.

This is the fourth time he has thrown for eight touchdowns in a game. He shares that record with John Kaleo (three times) and Jay Gruden (7/18/92). The last time Stafford accomplished the feat was January 30, 2005 versus the San Jose Sabercats.

Samuels caught 15 passes, tying him for most receptions all-time by any Storm player. His 182 yards receiving was a career high and ties him for fifth on the Storm list with teammate Freddie Solomon who achieved the feat in May 2004.

Mr. Milestone
Lawrence Samuels continues to re-write the Storm record books. Last week he toppled the career mark for tackles. He surpassed Tracey Perkins who set the mark at 348. With six tackles vs. Orlando Samuels has set the benchmark with 352.5 stops.

Up next... Samuels needs 13 receiving yards to tie Storm great Stevie Thomas' career mark of 7,784.

Pick Your Poison
The dynamic duo of Samuels and Bobby Sippio has become a deadly combination for opposing defenses. They have combined for 67 receptions, 769 yards (receiving and rushing combined) and 15 touchdowns (Sippio has one rushing).

The pair account for 60 percent of Stafford's completions, 58 percent of the offensive output and 52 percent of the team's touchdowns.

Not A Bad Second Option
Bobby Sippio is displaying why he was a highly sought after free-agent in the off season. This season he has caught 26 passes for 285 yards and six touchdowns, second on the team in each category. Sippio has carried the ball once for a three yard score.

The Kissimmee, Florida native has made it difficult for opposing quarterbacks to throw near his 6-foot-3 frame. On the season Sippio has made five and a half tackles.

They Fought The Law and The Law Won
Samuels currently is tied for second in the AFL with 41 receptions and second in the league with 481 yards receiving. He also leads the team with 538 all purpose yards, which is the eighth best mark in the league.

Samuels set a Storm record for receptions last season with 123 grabs in 16 games. The previous record was held by Freddie Solomon, who made 106 catches in 2003.

Stat-ford Keeps The Numbers Rollin'
Shane Stafford is coming off one of the most remarkable seasons in Storm history. He broke season passing records for attempts (631), completions (405), touchdowns (83), yards (4,522) and completion percentage (64.2).

His career totals also benefited from his huge season in 2005. Including this season, he has passed for 12,216 yards and 225 touchdowns, becoming the 2nd QB in Storm history to pass for more than 11,000 yards and throw 200 TD's (Jay Gruden 15,623 yards, 280 TD's).

It's As Easy As Putting Up A President Grant...
The Storm have scored 50 or more points in their last three games. They scored 51 at Grand Rapids in Week 2, 61 versus Georgia in Week 3 and 64 in a losing effort against their War on I-4 rival Orlando Predators.

The longest consecutive streak of 50 points or more games is seven in 2003, the same year the Storm won their fifth World Championship.

In The Market
General Manager/Head Coach Tim Marcum and Director of Player Personnel Dave Ewart were busy during the off-season signing highly sought after free agents WR/LB Bobby Sippio (Dallas), as well as linemen Thaddeus Bullard (Las Vegas) and Buck Gurley (Orlando).

The Storm returned 15 of 20 players from last season. Of the players lost during the off season, two were kicker Matt George and backup QB Stoney Case.

Super Size Me!!!
The average weight of the Storm lineman this season in comparison to last is up nearly 10 pounds (2006 = 287.3 lbs.; 2005 = 277.8). New lineman include Thaddeus Bullard (275 lbs.), Mondre Dickerson (300 lbs.), Buck Gurley (300 lbs.), Aaron Hunt (275 lbs.), A.J. Ricker (295 lbs.) and Greg Taplin (280 lbs.). Bullard and Hunt are currently on IR.

Hey Rook!
Eight players on the 2006 Storm roster are in their first AFL season. The Storm rookies include kicker Bill Gramatica, linemen A.J. Ricker, Mondre Dickerson, Aaron Hunt, Greg Taplin and Kevin Dogins, as well as wide receiver/defensive backs Alphonso Roundtree and Leroy Smith.

Gramatica saw time in the NFL for four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins. Ricker spent time in the Chicago Bears camp in 2005 and Alphonso Roundtree spent three seasons with the Miami Dolphins (2003-05).

Gramatica has converted 24 of 27 point after attempts. Taplin, while showing great speed at the defensive end position, has three tackles. Dickerson (Week 3 versus Georgia) and Smith (Week 4 versus Orlando) have made their AFL debuts.

Youth Movement
Tim Marcum football teams are usually veteran laden. This year's team features 13 players on the current 24-man roster with less than three years of experience.

Lynarise Elpheage, Jarrod Penright, Ronney Daniels, and DeMarcus Johnson are key returnees from the 2005 Storm roster with less than three years in the league.

The average age on the team is 28 years, 10 months.

Buck's Back In Town!
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer lineman Buck Gurley is back in Tampa with the Storm. The University of Florida standout won a Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers in 2003. In that season he played in eight games for the Bucs and recorded two tackles.

Gurley spent his last two AFL seasons with the Orlando Predators. This season he has assisted on one tackle and recorded one quarterback hurry.

Leading at the Half
The Storm were unstoppable during the 2005 regular season when leading at the half, going 8-0. They are 133-16 all-time when leading after two quarters. Tampa Bay outscored opponents 423-388 in the first half last season, including 254-204 in the second quarter. They are 1-0 this season (30-27, Week 3 vs. Georgia).

The Magic Number
The Storm are 47-3 in franchise history when they score 60 points or more. They scored 60 points or more on six separate occasions during the 2005 season and won all contests excluding one loss to the Philadelphia Soul.

This season the Storm have scored 60 points or more on two occasion and are 1-1.

Tons of Experience on the Sideline
If there's one thing the Storm coaching staff has, it is Arena Football coaching experience. Headed by Tim Marcum, the AFL's all-time winningest coach, the three-man coaching staff has a total of 37 years of AFL coaching experience entering the season.

Marcum has 18 seasons under his belt, all as a head coach. He enters his 12th season in Tampa Bay, and prior to that served as the head coach of the Detroit Drive and Denver Dynamite. Under his guidance his teams have won seven ArenaBowl titles and have played in 10 of the 18 championship games.

Storm assistant coach Dave Ewart is in his fourth season with the Storm and his 11th season in the AFL. Prior to joining the Storm he served as head coach of the Florida Bobcats. He has also been the head coach of the Texas Terror and St. Louis Stampede and served as an assistant with the Bobcats, Stampede, New England Sea Wolves, and Cleveland
Thunderbolts.

Special teams coach Jimmy Dunn has coached arena football for 10 years. He was the head coach with the Miami Hooters in 1994 and Charleston Swamp Foxes of the arenafootball2 from 2000-2002. Also, he has served as offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Rockers, Miami Hooters, Charlotte Rage and special teams coach for the Orlando Predators.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from February 21, 2006


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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