Sports stats



Tampa Bay Storm game notes

February 27, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Tampa Bay Storm News Release


STORM - PREDATORS PREVIEW

The 2007 season kicks off with the War on I-4. This rivalry is the oldest, fiercest and longest running rivalry in Arena Football. The Tampa Bay Storm and Orlando Predators have met 39 times as the Predators lead the all-time series 20-19. These interstate rivals are a short 90-minute drive on Interstate-4 from each other. So intense is the rivalry, these two teams are only separated by only a 17 point differential through the 39 games.

Tampa Bay and Orlando have appeared in the ArenaBowl a combined 13 times with the Predators winning two and the Storm winning a league record five championships. No two franchises have won more regular season games as they combined to win 307 games (Storm 164, Predators 143).

The two largest crowds in the history of the Arena Football League have witnessed this rivalry. The first was a thrilling, 46-45, Orlando victory with 28, 746 in attendance on June 9, 1993. The second was a 48-35, Storm victory in ArenaBowl IX with 25, 087 in attendance.

This past off-season only added to the rivalry as quarterback Shane Stafford left the Tampa Bay Storm via free agency to sign with the Orlando Predators. Similarly, defensive back Jeroid Johnson left Orlando for Tampa Bay creating a void in the Predators defensive backfield.

Additionally, the Predators are led by head coach Jay Gruden a former Storm hero. Gruden led the Storm to four ArenaBowl victories and has a .688 post season winning percentage. His post season winning percentage is second to only Tampa Bay Storm head coach Tim Marcum. He has a .714 winning percentage as he has won a league record seven ArenaBowl's and coached in 10 of the league's 20 ArenaBowls.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS IN THE WAR ON I-4

Orlando 51, Tampa Bay 38 (June 1, 1991)

The Storm falls to the Predators in the first game in franchise history for both teams. Orlando QB Reggie Collier threw for seven touchdowns, three each to Reggie Smith and Herkie Walls. The loss was the only blemish on the Storm's home record that season. Tampa Bay would also get the last laugh, beating Orlando in the rematch 26-16, in Orlando.

Orlando 24, Tampa Bay 21 (August 15, 1992)

After splitting a pair of games in the regular season, the Predators and Storm hooked up in the AFL semifinals. After playing to a 21-21 draw through four quarters, Jorge Cimadevilla won it for Orlando with a 17-yard field goal in overtime.

Orlando 46, Tampa Bay 45 (June 19, 1993)

The rivalry was at its pinnacle when an AFL record 28,746 fans jammed the Thunderdome to watch two of the league's best teams square off. Jay Gruden's two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete with 2:29 remaining as the Predators held on for a 46-45 win and a regular season series sweep.

Tampa Bay 55, Orlando 52 (August 14, 1993)

The league's two best teams met in the semifinals for the second consecutive year. This time, the Predators trailed for most of the game but tied the score at 38-38 on a 4th quarter Billy Owens' touchdown. Momentum appeared on the Predators side when they held Tampa Bay to a field goal on the next possession, but Arden Czyzewski's ensuing kickoff bounced off the net frame and was recovered by Jeff Mayes for a touchdown and a 10-point Storm led.

Tampa Bay 40, Orlando 39 (August 13, 1994)

Tampa Bay slashed any hopes by the Predators of running off a perfect season. After posting 11 consecutive wins, the Orlando Predators missed an opportunity to become just the seventh team in modern day professional football history to record a perfect regular season when Storm kicker Mike Lazecki booted an 18-yard field goal with 31 seconds remaining to give the Storm a 40-39 upset win. Orlando still had a chance to win, until quarterback Duke Tobin's fifth interception fell in the hands of Storm defensive back Eddie Brown in the Tampa Bay end zone with 10 seconds remaining.

Tampa Bay 48, Orlando 35 (September 1, 1995)

Under first-year head coach Tim Marcum, the Storm complete their third championship season by defeating the arch rival Predators in ArenaBowl IX. The win came exactly one year after Storm owner Woody Kern purchased the team. In the game George LaFrance became the first and only player to ever win the ArenaBowl MVP three times after scoring three touchdowns, including a 57-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

Tampa Bay 42, Orlando 34 (June 12, 1998) -First Marcum Gruden Matchup

For the first time since the former Storm quarterback took over as head coach of the Predators, Gruden's Orlando team faced the Storm and head coach Tim Marcum. Marcum gets the best of his former student, winning a 42-34 contest in Orlando.

Orlando 62, Tampa Bay 31 (August 23, 1998)

After being crushed by the Storm twice in the regular season, the Predators pulled off the biggest and most-unlikely upset in ArenaBowl history with a 62-31 win over 14-2 Tampa Bay.

Orlando 41, Tampa Bay 19 (August 7, 1999)

Orlando became the first #8 seed in AFL history to knock off a #1 seed, as the 7-7 Predators shocked the 11-3 Storm, 41-19 in the playoffs. The Storm led 10-0 at the half, but Orlando rallied and dominated the second half. Orlando would go on to become the first #8 seed to ever make it to the ArenaBowl after upsetting #2 seeded Iowa the following week, 48-41.

Orlando 34, Tampa Bay 24 (August 8, 2000)

For an unprecedented third consecutive year, the Predators and Gruden would send Tampa Bay packing in the playoffs. This time it was more difficult, as Orlando led by just three (20-17) in the third quarter. Orlando receiver Joe Douglass scored on a 33-yard pass from Connell Maynor and Maynor then ran over from the 9-yard line as the Predators took a 34-17 lead late in the 4th quarter.

Tampa Bay 48, Orlando 45 (June 9, 2002)

Tampa Bay faced Jay Gruden on the field for the first time since the former Storm signal called traded in his coaching duties to get back on the field, this time as quarterback of the hated Predators. Tampa Bay defeated its all-time passing leader, 48-45, when David Saunders caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Scott Milanovich with just seven seconds left in the game. Gruden completed 24-of-32 passes for 286 yards and four touchdowns.

Tampa Bay 60, Orlando 50 (June 7, 2003)

John Kaleo out-dueled Jay Gruden as the Tampa Bay Storm knocked off the Orlando Predators, 60-50, in the semifinals of the Arena Football League playoffs. Orlando had a 28-20 lead in the second quarter, but Tampa Bay rallied to take a 33-31 lead at the half. In the second half the Storm jumped out to a 47-31 lead and sealed the victory when TT Toliver picked off a Jay Gruden pass and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown with 40 seconds left in the game. The win propelled the Storm into ArenaBowl XVII, where they defeated the Arizona Rattlers, 43-29, for the team's fifth ArenaBowl title.

Tampa Bay 63, Orlando 58 (May 4, 2004)

The Storm win their fourth straight game against the Orlando Predators, marking the longest winning streak by Tampa Bay in the series since a five game winning streak that stretched through parts of the 1994, 1995, and 1996 seasons. Tampa Bay opened up a 51-23 lead after three quarters, but the Predators threatened to make an improbable come-back, tying the game at 51-51 before a pair of late Storm touchdowns salted the game away.

Orlando 67, Tampa Bay 64 (OT) (Feb 19, 2006)

The Predators snapped the twelve game home win streak the Storm had coming into this overtime thriller. Tampa Bay's twenty-two point fourth quarter helped the team force overtime against their heated rival. Stafford went 36 of 52 for 458 passing yards which is third all-time in the AFL's twenty year history. An overtime field goal led the Predators to victory to end the suspenseful match up.

TAMPA BAY STORM AND ORLANDO PREDATORS - A CLOSER LOOK

Tampa Bay Orlando

Joined AFL 1991* 1991

All-time Record 168-80 165-88

Winning Percentage .694 .652

Regular Season Record 148-70 132-70

Winning Percentage .679 .653

Postseason Record 20-10 22-13

Winning Percentage .667 .629

Postseason Appearances 15 15

Consecutive Appearances 15 15

Consecutive Winning Seasons 11 (1991-02) 15**

Postseason Games 30 35**

Postseason Wins 20 22**

Semifinal Appearances 9 10**

ArenaBowl Appearances 6 7**

AFL Championships 5** 2

Notes:

* Pittsburg h Gladiators moved to Tampa Bay in 1991 - these records reflect only 1991 to present

** Indicates AFL Record

STORM INJURY REPORT

Player POS Injury Status

Huey Whittaker WR/LB L. Thumb IR

Nyle Wiren OL/DL R. Ankle IR

Thaddeus Bullard OL/DL Lower Back IR

Bo Rogers DB Quad IR

A.J. Ricker OL R. Shoulder IR

B.J. Symons QB R. Shoulder IR

Hank Edwards WR Ribs IR

Clint Mitchell DL L. Groin IR

ARENABOWL XXI - New Orleans, a city renowned for sports championships, will host its first team championship since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina when ArenaBowl XXI is played at New Orleans Arena on Sunday, July 29, 2007 at 2 p.m. CT on ABC.

ALL-TIME COACHING VICTORIES

Coach Team Wins This Week

Tim Marcum Tampa Bay 181 ORLANDO

Danny White Utah 148 NEW ORLEANS

Mike Hohensee Chicago 106 @ Kansas City

Mike Dailey Colorado 99 GRAND RAPIDS

Darren Arbet San Jose 93 @ Los Angeles

Perry Moss -- 86 --

O'HARA NAMED OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Former Tampa Bay Storm quarterback Pat O'Hara has been named the team's offensive coordinator. The AFL veteran finally hung up his spikes at the conclusion of the 2006 season as he seeks to enter a career in coaching.

O'Hara is in his 5th season with Storm (second as a coach) and 13th season in the AFL. He is best remembered by Storm fans for relieving quarterback John Kaleo in the second half of ArenaBowl XVII and leading the Storm to their fifth ArenaBowl championship.

O'Hara owns three ArenaBowl rings and has played in five championship games. He spent the first six seasons of his career with the Orlando Predators, where he won ArenaBowl championships in 1998 and 2000. He also was with the Toronto Phantoms in 2001 and 2002. O'Hara has thrown for more than 13,000 yards and 200 touchdowns in his AFL career.

Tons of Experience on the Sideline

If there's one thing the Storm coaching staff has, it is Arena Football coaching experience with the addition of Pat O'Hara. Headed by Tim Marcum, the AFL's all-time winningest coach, the four-man coaching staff has a total of 38 years of AFL coaching experience entering this season.

Marcum has 18 seasons under his belt, all as a head coach. He enters his 13th 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 20 championship games.

Storm assistant coach Dave Ewart is in his fifth season with the Storm and his 13th season in the AFL. Prior to joining the Storm he served as head coach of the Florida Bobcats, Texas Terror and St. Louis Stampede. He served as an assistant with the Bobcats, Stampede, New England Sea Wolves, and Cleveland

Thunderbolts.

Assistant coach Eddie Vowell is in his fourth season with the Storm and his 8th year in the AFL. He was an assistant coach with the Austin Wranglers and the Grand Rapids Rampage.

First Timers

The Tampa Bay Storm's 20-man roster for the season opener features nine players making their Storm debuts, including three rookies. AFL veterans

Tom Briggs, Rodney Filer, Jeroid Johnson, Torrance Marshall, Marcus Owen and Terrill Shaw will play their first game for the Storm. AFL rookies Tom Kaleita, Dwayne Morgan and Mark Word will make their AFL debut with the Storm

Hey Rook

The Storm has always been a veteran-laden team under head coach Tim Marcum. The same is the case this season, as the Storm opening day active roster includes only three rookies: Tom Kaleita, Dwayne Morgan and Mark Word. However, four additional rookies did make the roster only to find their way to the injured reserve list. Starting the season on injured reserve are Hank Edwards, B.J. Symons, Bo Rogers and Clint Mitchell.

• Discuss this story on the Arena Football League (1987-2008) message board...

Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from February 27, 2007


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.

Other Recent Tampa Bay Storm Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central