Tampa Bay Storm game notes

March 15, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Tampa Bay Storm News Release


STORM/DRAGONS PREVIEW
The Tampa Bay Storm (4-3) close out a two-game home stand when they take on the New York Dragons (4-3) this Saturday night at the St. Pete Times Forum. The Storm lead the league in offensive yards per game with 330 and rank sixth in the league putting up 53 points per contest. While the Dragons sit last in the league giving up 312 yards and surrendering close to 60 points a game. Storm QB Shane Stafford leads the AFL with 2,267 passing yards, ranks second with 179 completions and is third in the league with 38 touchdown passes. Stafford has also scored six times via the rush. Stafford's targets include Lawrence Samuels and Bobby Sippio. Samuels is tied for 10th in the AFL with 50 receptions and eighth with 613 receiving yards. Sippio is 14th with 46 receptions and tied for 15th with 559 receiving yards. The Dragons suffered a huge blow in Week 5 as they lost future AFL Hall-Of-Famer Aaron Garcia. The Dragons now have signal callers Juston Wood and Nick Browder leading the offense. Their receiving corps are led by Mike Horacek and Kevin Swayne who have combined for 103 receptions for 1,253 yards and 30 touchdowns. In a Week 16 contest a season ago, the Storm squeaked out a 61-58 victory in a game that Stafford completed 19 passes for 317 yards and seven touchdowns. Samuels contributed with nine catches for 166 yards and three touchdowns.

STORM/DESPERADOS RECAP
The Storm suffered a set back Sunday afternoon against the Dallas Desperados (6-1), 64-35, in front of 13,114 fans at the St. Pete Times Forum. In a game that billed two of the league's offensive juggernauts, the game was littered with penalty flags and turnovers. Tampa Bay lost three fumbles and had one interception while Dallas had 12 penalties for 83 yards and one interception of their own. Stafford was sacked three times for a loss totaling 21 yards. He completed 20 of 37 passes for 245 yards and five touchdowns in the loss. OS Demetris Bendross caught eight passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns to lead all receivers. Desperados QB Clint Dolezel recorded his 700th passing touchdown as he found Duke Pettijohn in the second quarter. Dolezel is the third member of the 700 touchdown club joining Aaron Garcia (New York) and Andy Kelly (Kansas City).

"Let Me See Your One, Two Step..."
The Storm have hit a pattern of one loss and two wins to start the season. After a Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Soul, the Storm bounced back to victory against the Grand Rapids Rampage and Georgia Force.

After a Week 4 setback to their rival Orlando Predators, the Storm handed the Austin Wranglers their first loss of the season and a week later beat the expansion Kansas City Brigade at Kemper Arena.

Starting Off On the Right Note
The Storm have scored on their opening drive in seven consecutive weeks to start the season. All six game-opening drives ended with a touchdown (5 passing, 2 rushing).

The Storm are 4-0 this season when leading after the first quarter. They have outscored their opponents 93-77 after the first 12 minutes of play to date.

Getting Offensive
The Storm lead the AFL in yards per game with an astounding 330 yards per contest. A bulk of those yards are 317 through the air, also tops in the league.

The team's highest output of yardage came in Week 5 versus the Orlando Predators where they put up 452 yards in offense, a team record.

No Harm, No Foul
The Storm are the least penalized team in the AFL. They average four penalties per game for an average of 26 yards per contest.

The least penalties they've had in a game this season is one for five yards against the Georgia Force in Week 3. The most times the Storm have been caught "red handed" is eight for 50 yards against the Austin Wranglers in Week 5.

Pick Your Poison
The dynamic duo of Samuels and Sippio has become a deadly combination for opposing defenses. They have combined for 96 receptions for 1,172 yards and 24 touchdowns. Those numbers account for 54 percent of Stafford's completions, 53 percent of the team's yards receiving and 63 percent of touchdowns caught.

The leading duo in the league belongs to the Utah Blaze. Siaha Burley and Orshawante Bryant have combined for 107 receptions for 1,400 yards and 27 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 46 passes for 559 yards and a team-high 14 touchdowns. He is second on the team in receptions and receiving yards. Sippio has carried the ball once for a three-yard touchdown.

Defying Father Time
Future Hall-of-Famer Lawrence Samuels continues to show that it's the little things that have made his 12-year career so successful. Amidst leading the Storm in receiving categories this season and single-handedly rewriting the Storm record books, Samuels is tied for first in the AFL in special teams tackles with nine.

Riding the Green Wave
Lynarise Elpheage and Jeff Sanchez have proven to be quite the combination in the defensive backfield. The Tulane University graduates played together in New Orleans from 2000-03. This season Elpheage is second on the squad with 27 tackles and two interceptions. Sanchez has made 18 stops, fifth on the team, and one interception. The two have combined for 10 of the team's 26 passes defended.

Kicking With Perfection
Rookie kicker Bill Gramatica connected on his last 14 point after attempts versus the Kansas City Brigade and Dallas Desperados the previous two weeks. Gramatica also converted on two of three field goal attempts. Against the Brigade he connected on a career-high 47 yard field goal and another from 34-yards out en route to a career-high 15 points in the game.

The former University of South Florida place kicker is tied for sixth in the AFL in points scored for kickers with 60 and is seventh (minimum of 10 attempts) in the league with a .918 conversion percentage on point after attempts.

Need A Tackle? Call Mr. Ordway
Jonathan Ordway leads the team in tackles this season with 42.5, which is also the seventh best mark in the league (36 solo, 13 assisted).

A season ago Ordway set the third best mark in Storm history with 87.5 tackles. Teammate Tramain Jones set the all-time high in the same season with 114.

Ben-d Don't Break
Second-year man OS Demetris Bendross certainly makes good use of his time and speed on the playing field. In four games this season he has caught 29 passes for 485 yards and six touchdowns, including a 182-yard performance in Week 5's win versus Austin. That ties him for fifth in franchise history for receiving yards in a game with Samuels (2006) and Freddie Solomon (2004).

Following last week's 164-yard performance, Bendross holds two of the top 15 receiving games in the AFL this season, tied with Siaha Burley of Utah(259, 173) and Mike Horacek of this week's opponent the New York Dragons (179, 167).

Last season, in three games played, he made 13 receptions for 212 yards and five touchdowns.

Stafford, So Nice Let's Do It Twice...
Shane Stafford became the first quarterback in AFL history to pass for 400 or more yards in consecutive games against the Austin Wranglers during Week 6.

Stafford passed for 424 yards in the win versus the Wranglers and tossed for 458 yards, a Storm record, in Week 5 against the Orlando Predators. Giving him a two week total of 882 yards passing on 62 completions and 15 touchdowns.

Mr. Milestone
Lawrence Samuels continues to re-write the Storm record books. In Week 5 against the Austin Wranglers he toppled the career mark for receiving yards. He surpassed Storm great Stevie Thomas who set the mark at 7,784. Samuels has set the current benchmark at 7,882.

In Week 4 against the Orlando Predators, Samuels set the franchise high for tackles previously held by Tracey Perkins (348). Currently his record stands at 359.5.

A Game For The Ages...
Stafford and Samuels set numerous records February 19 versus their rival from 85 miles east, the Orlando Predators.

Shane Stafford completed 36 passes for 458 yards and eight touchdowns. 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 in the AFL's 19-plus year history. 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 Storm record with John Kaleo (three times) and Jay Gruden (7/18/92). The last time Stafford accomplished the feat was January 30, 2005 in last year's season opener versus the San Jose Sabercats.

Samuels caught 15 passes, tying him for most receptions all-time by any Storm player in a game (Freddie Solomon, 2004). His 182 yards receiving was a career high and tied him for fifth on the Storm list with teammate Freddie Solomon who achieved the feat in May 2004 and a week later duplicated by Demetris Bendross (Week 5, 2006).

Stafford Season-to-Season Comparison
Last year QB Stafford had one of the most prolific seasons by any Storm signal caller, establishing Storm season highs. Last season he finished with 405 completions on 631 attempts for 4,522 yards and 83 touchdowns.

Through 7 Games
ATT COMP PCT YDS TD's
2005 287 189 .658 2,033 43
2006 282 179 .635 2,267 38

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 2-0 this season (30-27, Week 3 vs. Georgia and 34-33, last week versus Kansas City) when leading at the half.

The Magic Number
The Storm are 48-3 in franchise history when they score 60 points or more. This season the Storm have scored 60 points or more on three occasions and are 2-1.

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 = 287.0 lbs.; 2005 = 277.8). New lineman include Thaddeus Bullard (275 lbs.), Mondre Dickerson (300 lbs.), Buck Gurley (300 lbs.), A.J. Ricker (295 lbs.) and Greg Taplin (280 lbs.). Dickerson is 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 40 of 44 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. Smith has recorded two tackles and one reception for six yards. Ricker has played in every game this season at the center and nose guard position.

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 39 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 19 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.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 15, 2006


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