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The Weekly Matchup Report

April 24, 2009 - American Indoor Football Association (AIFA)
Baltimore Mariners News Release


The Baltimore Mariners continue their weekly matchup report by previewing and breaking down the Baltimore Mariners' upcoming game against the Florence Phantoms.

Baltimore Mariners (3-2) vs. Florence Phantoms (5-1)

Date/Time: Friday, April 24th, 7:30 PM

Place: 1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore Mariners Last Outing: There are big wins and then there are BIG WINS! Last week was a BIG ONE. After a two-game skid the Mariners reestablished themselves as North Division contenders by defeating the Reading Express 40-36, on the road, and coming back from an 18-point deficit.

Florence Phantoms Last Outing: The Phantoms notched their fifth win in a row by defeating the Carolina Speed 37-31 in Charlotte, North Carolina on an Omar Jacobs 15-yard touchdown run in overtime, avenging a 37-29 loss to the Speed in their opener.

Series: Mariners Lead 1-0. Way, way back at the start of the 2008 season, the Mariners earned their first franchise win by defeating Florence on the road 35-32.

Baltimore Mariners Profile: Did you feel something? I think it was the shift in power in the North Division. After defeating the Reading Express for the second time this season the Mariners pulled within a ½ game of the North Division lead and clinched the head-to-head tie-breaker with the Express.

Florence Phantoms Profile: Oh yeah, their tough. After racing to the AIFA title last season, the Phantoms have not lost any steam bolting to a 5-1 record. After a shaky 8-19 records in their first two seasons (2006-2007) Florence now is 18-5 (including playoffs) since the start of the 2008 season.

Players to Watch:

Baltimore Mariners Offense: Last week was all about resurgence. QB E.J. Nemeth (6'3", 245, Sacred Heart) pummeled Reading with 19 for 35 passing for 204 yards and four TD strikes. With his yardage surge, Nemeth now ranks eighth in the league in total offense with an average of 175.6 yards per game. Isaiah Grier (6'1", 215, Rhode Island) also got back on track averaging 6.2 yards per carry while netting 50 yards on the ground. He catapulted to the number two spot in the AIFA rushing race with 138 yards. WR Aaron Yarbough (5'10", 185, Virginia Military) crafted his best performance of the season grabbing three receptions for 58 yards and two touchdowns, including a 32-yard touchdown grab that put the Mariners ahead for good at 37-26.WR Jamaal Stokes(6'1", 185, Alcorn St.) and WR Scorpio Brown (6'4", 225, Morehouse) continued their strong early season play. Stokes now has 29receptions for 307 yards and ranks fifth in the league in receptions per game with a 5.8 average. Scorpio also has racked up impressive numbers with 26 catches, 277 yards, and both have visited the end zone three times.

Defense: The DBs shined against Reading. DB Armar Watson (5'11", 180, Duquesne) led the team with nine tackles, all solo, and picked off a pass to stall an early Express drive. Armar is now tied for third in the league with four interceptions. DB Richard Johnson (5'11", 200, Virginia Tech) continues to hold second place in the league with six INTs. DB T-Waun Prather (5'10", 180, Bowie State) notched 5.5 tackles (5 solo, 1 assisted) against Reading with a forced fumble and fumble recovery in the first quarter to set the defensive tone for the rest of the game.

Special Teams: J.R. Cipra (5'9", 170, Ohio Northern) was back in full stride against the Express booting four of five field goals through the uprights, hitting three PATs, and a rouge to total 16 points. J.R. now leads the league in field goals (13) and is secondin scoring with 59 points (just one behind league leader Carlos Martinez of Columbus). It was a quiet day for the return team againstReading, but Armar Watson averaged 16.5 yards per return on two kickoff returns and Richard Johnson (5'11", 200, Virginia Tech)had a 16 yard return.

Florence Phantoms: When the Mariners take on the Phantoms it will all be about Omar (No, not the one from "The Wire"), Omar Jacobs (6'4", 225, Bowling Green). In just four games Jacobs has tallied 22 touchdown passes, 1,065 yards, and led thedefending AIFA champions to four straight wins. Jacobs leads the league in passing yards per game (266.2) and total offense (280.8 yards per game). Jacobs has three main receiving targets: A.J. Bennett (33 receptions, 506 yards, and seven TDs), Reggie Eubanks (28 catches, 461 yards, and 11 touchdowns), and Torri Pettigrew (25 grabs, 275 yards, and four scores). Bennett ranks tenth in the league with 5.5 catches per game.

Defense: Against the Carolina Speed Rontrell Woodruff led the Phantoms with seven tackles (all solo) and currently ranks 20th in the league with 17.5 tackles (17 solo and 1 assisted). Larry Thompson holds the league edge in interceptions, with seven, including one for a touchdown. Ryan Brown is second on the team with 17 tackles (13 solo and 8 assists).

Special Teams: Kicker Derrick Scott is tied for second in the AIFA with 11 field goals and leads the league with a 64.7 field goal percentage. He ranks third in the league with 54 points. Larry Thompson averaged 18 yards on two missed field goal returns andReggie Eubanks has amassed 97 yards on just five kick returns.

When the Mariners have the ball: You better be ready to play the pass and the run. Baltimore has earned a sixth place ranking in scoring offense by relying heavily on their number one ranked rushing offense and big plays from their 12th ranked passing offense. The end result is 42.4 points per game. The Phantoms have the sixth ranked scoring defense (37.5 points per game) but rank in the lower half (eighth) of the league in total defense (213.5 yards per game). They continue to rank in the bottom portion of the league in rushing defense (9th) and passing defense (8th). The Phantoms have won their last three games by a combined11 points. If the Mariners can stick to their solid mix of rushing with timely big pass plays, they should put up some points. Of note, the Mariners have averaged 59.5 points per game at home and are 2-0 at 1st Mariner.

When the Phantoms have the ball: Expect a heavy dose of passing. The Phantoms lead the league in total offense (262.3 yardsper game) primarily by piling up 239.2 passing yards per game. The Mariners rank 11th in scoring defense with 46.2 points per game - take away the Columbus whipping and they have given up only 37.25 points per game. Should be strength against strength as the Mariners 5th ranked passing defense will try and real in Omar Jacobs.

Game Outlook: After their dramatic win against Reading last week, Baltimore will be out to prove it not only is a North Division contender, but an AIFA championship contender. The best way to do that is to beat the defending champs. Florence has nothing to prove, but will be looking to earn their sixth win of the season. Despite their 5-1 record they are knotted with the Lions for the South Division lead.

- John Wolfe

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American Indoor Football Association Stories from April 24, 2009


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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