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Wolves Game Notes

May 21, 2002 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Mohegan Wolves News Release


QUICK FACTS:
New Haven Ninjas (2-4) vs. Mohegan Wolves (2-5)
Date: 5/24/02
Kickoff: 7:30 pm
Site: New Haven Coliseum (8,725)
National Anthem: TBA
Coin Toss: TBA
Officials: Howard Brechtel (Referee), Mike Perry (Umpire), Mike Roberts (Head Linesman), George Santoro (Line Judge), Paul Wzontek (Back Judge)
Radio: WMOS-The Wolf
TV: none
Series Record: Ninjas 1-0
Last Meeting: April 27, 2002
Streaks: Mohegan-Lost 4/New Haven-Lost 1
Coaches: Gary Porter (9-14, 2nd Year)
Rick Buffington (2-4, 1st Year)

THE STAKES: Mohegan's playoff hopes are dangling by a thread and back-to-back games with New Haven could prove to be the difference. The winner of these two games will also claim the Constitution Cup for the entire off-season, giving that team state bragging rights throughout the off season. The Wolves are currently on a 4 game losing streak that the Ninjas started on April 27th. A loss to New Haven would give the Ninjas a 2-0 record for season series.

THE SERIES: The second road trip in franchise history was not as successful as the first. The Wolves lost to the New Haven Ninjas giving the Ninjas their first win in team history. Second half turnovers and penalties were the Wolves downfall giving the Ninjas the victory 51-38. Quarterback Cable Davis came out hot connecting on 6 of his first 8 passes in the first quarter.

Offensive/Defensive Lineman Jeff Cogell punched in a one-yard touchdown run for the only scoring of the quarter giving the Wolves a 7-0 lead after one period. Wolves' former kicker Charles Eger added a field goal to give the Wolves the lead 10-0 early in the second. New Haven marched 39 yards to make the score 10-7. They would take the lead when Ironman of the Game FB/LB Kerry Taylor rushed for a six-yard touchdown. The Ninjas would score again when a 61-yard field goal attempt by Eger was blocked and recovered for another Ninja touchdown. The Wolves final first half efforts were thwarted by a controversial call when WR/DB Brent Burnside caught a pass near the sidelines, stepped out of bounds with :06 seconds remaining, and somehow the remaining time expired giving the Ninja's a 21-10 first half lead. The 3rd quarter only got worse for the Wolves. Starting QB Cable Davis started the half, threw an interception on the first possession, and was relieved due to a hand injury after the first series. The Ninjas capitalized on the Wolves mistake by adding a 1-yard touchdown pass to Eric Wise putting the Ninjas up by 18 points. Backup QB Kevin Carty provided a spark for the Wolves leading them down the field and hooking up with WR/LB Melvin Phillips for a 7-yard touchdown. The two-point attempt was converted and the Wolves only trailed 28-18. The Wolves came up with an important three and out defensive stand, but a turnover at the end of the 3rd would put New Haven in the driver's seat the rest of the way. The 4th quarter saw a flurry of scoring, with the Wolves adding two late touchdowns: one to Brent Burnside (40 yards) and the other to Anthony Giovingo (45 yards) but the Ninjas prevailed 51-38. The Wolves recorded 5 turnovers in the game to go with 69 total yards of penalties; giving New Haven much needed field position throughout. Ironman Kerry Taylor who rushed for 42 yards on 10 carries to go with 2 touchdowns led the Ninjas. QB Jarred Rouanzoin passed for only 74 yards and 2 touchdowns. WR/DB Ryan Bland was named ADT Defensive Player of the Game with 6.5 tackles and an interception. Anthony Comer was named game MVP with 1 reception for 11 yards and a touchdown as well six tackles. QB Kevin Carty who threw for 191 yards and 4 touchdowns in one half of work led the Wolves after Davis went down. Andy Macaione led the Wolves receivers with 7 catches for 66 yards. Brent and Brandon Burnside again added a touchdown for the 4th straight game; Brent had one touchdown to go with 6 receptions for 101 yards while Brandon had 4 receptions for 48 yards and one touchdown. Carlos McLaurin again led the pack in tackles with 7. Jeff Cogell recorded the Wolves only sack on the night.

THE IFs:

If Mohegan defeats New Haven, it would ...

· Give Mohegan 1-1 series record with New Haven

· Give Mohegan 2-2 road record in 2002

· Give the Wolves a 2-4 divisional record

· Give Head Coach Gary Porter a 3-5 record as coach of the Wolves and a 10-14 overall record as an af2 coach

· Give Wolves Head Coach Gary Porter a 1-1lifetime record vs. New Haven

· Give Wolves Head Coach Gary Porter a 1-1 lifetime record vs. Ninjas Head Coach Rick Buffington

· Give the Wolves a 3-5 conference record

· Give the Wolves their third win in franchise history

· Give the Wolves the Constitution Cup, a traveling trophy awarded to the winner of each Mohegan/New Haven game

HEAD COACHES: In just his second season as head coach, Gary Porter leads his second expansion team into af2 play. Last season he led the expansion Peoria Pirates to a 7-9 record. The Pirates had the top-rated run defense in af2. Porter played in the Arena Football League in 1997 as a Quarterback for the Texas Terror. Rick Buffington brings his 14 years of Arena Football experience to New Haven to captain the expansion Ninjas in their inaugural season. LAST SERIES MEETING: New Haven defeated Mohegan 51-38 at the New Haven Coliseum on April 27th.

SERIES NOTABLES: Brent Burnside: 6 receptions 101 yards, 1 TD...Kevin Carty: 13-20, 191yards 4 TD's...Andy Macaione: 7 receptions, 66 yards...Carlos McLaurin: 7 tackles...Jeff Cogell: 1 sack, 1 rushing TD...Anthony Comer: Game MVP, 6 tackles, TD run, TD reception...Kerry Taylor: Ironman of the Game, 2 rushing TD's, 10 rushes, 42 yards, 2 ½ tackles, forced fumble Ryan Bland: ADT Defensive Player of the Game, 2 receptions, 6 ½ tackles, interception, two passes broken up

FAMILIAR FACES: With both teams only an hour drive away, many of the players on each team's roster were recruited by the other team. Coach Buffington and Coach Porter consistently ran into each other while courting the area talent. WR/DB David Bradford played at the University of New Haven and was a standout corner back.

THIS WEEK'S QUOTES:

Head Coach Gary Porter on last week's game vs. Rochester:

"I'm not going to give up on this team. I don't think that they are going to give up on this season either. We've got a long way to go, and with the way the schedule is set up we can get right back in the mix of things by winning a couple of games in the division.

I don't believe in waiting for a break, I believe in creating your own breaks, but right now we need a few breaks.

I have all the faith in the world in my guys, we have so much talent, we just aren't playing 4 complete quarters, once we do that, we'll start winning some ball games."

MILESTONES:

· QB Cable Davis threw the first completion as well as touchdown in franchise history. That happened on the same play, which was the opening offensive play in team history. He hooked up with Brandon Burnside from 33 yards out for the first touchdown in franchise history versus the expansion Albany Conquest on 4/5

· OL/DL Pete Govens recorded the first sack in team history vs. the Conquest on 4/5

· WR/LB Melvin Phillips recorded the first interception in team history vs. Albany on 4/5

· OS Brandon Burnside became the first player in Mohegan Wolves history to return a kick for a touchdown (56 yards) vs. Norfolk on 4/12

· FB/LB Kenyea Ware recorded the first rushing touchdown in franchise history with a 1 yard plunge versus Norfolk on 4/12

· QB Cable Davis became the first 300 yard passer in franchise history with his 357 yard effort versus Rochester on 4/19

· WR/DB Brent Burnside became the first 100 yard receiver in franchise history with 9 receptions for 172 yards against Rochester on April 19th

· Brent Burnside recorded the second 100 yard receiving game in team history vs. New Haven on 4/27, he caught 6 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown

· Offensive Specialist Brandon Burnside became the first player other than his twin brother to record a 100-yard receiving night. Brandon had 8 receptions for 142 yards and 3 touchdowns against Norfolk on 5/4

· May 4th's game at Norfolk marked the first time in team history that both Brandon and Brent Burnside didn't both catch a touchdown pass. · May 10th's game vs. Albany was the first game in Mohegan Wolves history that OL/DL Jeff Cogell didn't record at least ½ a sack.

· May 17th's game vs. Rochester was a record-breaking night for the Mohegan Wolves. OS Brandon Burnside came within 50 yards of breaking the af2's single game record for total yards. Burnside recorded 354 total yards on the night. QB Cable Davis passed for 373 yards on the night, a franchise record as well.

DROPBACK: The Rochester Brigade were able to withstand a 26-point 3rd quarter by the Mohegan Wolves to hang on and win 53-50 at the Mohegan Sun Arena. The win is Rochester's second straight and puts them over .500 for the first time this season. The Brigade are now 4-3, and 4-3 in the Northeast Division. The loss, Mohegan's 4th straight, drops them to 2-5 and 1-4 in the division. Rochester drew first blood with a Matt D'Orazio 8 yard touchdown run. D'Orazio was later flushed from the pocket and stepped on the end line to give the Wolves their first points of the night on a safety. Shawn Maclean added a 25 yard field goal to make the score 7-5 at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter saw Rochester score three touchdowns while the Wolves could only muster a 16-yard touchdown reception by Brandon Burnside, giving the Brigade a 28-11 halftime lead. A spirited pack of Wolves took the 3rd quarter over, scoring twenty unanswered points to take the lead 31-28. D'Orazio found Derek Baker to put the Brigade back on top before Brandon Burnside scored from 27 yards out giving the Wolves a 37-34 lead going into the 4th quarter. As has been the case throughout the four game losing streak, the Wolves have not been able to put their opponent away. Rochester scored 12 unanswered points and would never trail again, winning 53-50. Brigade QB D'Orazio passed for 293 yards and 3 touchdowns; he also rushed for 3 more. Ironman of the Game Derek Baker recorded a rushing touchdown, 3 receiving touchdowns and 11 catches for 125 yards to go with 8 tackles. Brigade offensive specialist Martino Theus had 12 receptions for 123 yards on the night. Rochester's Willie Watson was named ADT Defensive Player of the Game. He had 5 ½ tackles, two of which came late in the game to preserve the Rochester victory. Cable Davis again bested his previous team high for passing yards. Davis was 23-36 for 373 yards and 6 touchdowns. Five of the six touchdowns were to Game MVP Brandon Burnside. Burnside caught 9 balls for 205 yards and 5 touchdowns. He recorded 357 total yards of offense for the game. Carlos McLaurin led all tacklers with 9 ½ on the night.

FORWARD MOTION: Following the trip to New Haven the Wolves will welcome the Ninjas to the den. It will be the 3rd and final time the two teams will meet this season. Game time is set for 7:30 on the 31st. In attendance that night will be World Wrestling Entertainment star Terri. She will be flipping the coin to start the game and signing autographs following the contest.

TEAM NOTES/TRENDS:

From Heron Out: Defensive Specialist Heron O'Neal looks to continue the success that he had the previous two seasons with the Milwaukee Mustangs. As a two year started in the AFL Heron recorded 3 interceptions to with 100 tackles and 2 touchdowns. Heron had 4 tackles in his Wolves debut. O'Neal recorded his first af2 interception against Norfolk while defending 2 passes as well. Heron added a key forced fumble late in the game against Rochester to help seal the victory. He also recorded 2 tackles and defended one pass. Against New Haven Heron had a tackle, a fumble recovery and two passes defended. In the second game versus Norfolk Heron had 3.5 tackles and one pass broken up. O'Neal recorded another interception against Albany. He was injured on the play and did not return to the game. Heron had his second straight game with an interception vs. Rochester the second time around. He also had his best tackling output of the season with 8 ½ tackles on the night.

Big 4: The next four games for the Mohegan Wolves will go a long way in determining the fate of the 2002 Mohegan Wolves. They will play, New Haven and Wilkes Barre-Scranton twice. After losing the first two of the divisional six-pack, the Wolves need to win the next four to stay on the playoff track.

Burning up the Turf: Brent and Brandon Burnside look to have the same impact on the Mohegan Wolves that they did with Tulsa. In 2000 Brandon had 120 receptions for 1721 yards and 33 touchdowns for the Talons while Brent had 54 receptions for 623 yards and 11 touchdowns as well as 45 tackles and 6 interceptions. Brent and Brandon both recorded a receiving touchdown in their Wolves debut. The twins matched their opening night effort with each brother hauling in a touchdown catch. Brandon also added a kickoff return for a touchdown. The trend continued against Rochester when both brothers recorded more than one touchdown: Brent had 3 while Brandon recorded 2 in only one half of play. The twins did it again with both scoring touchdowns versus New Haven. Brent had 6 receptions for 101 yards while Brandon had 4 receptions for 48 yards against the Ninjas. Brandon had his best game in the blue and silver against Norfolk. He recorded 8 receptions for 142 and 3 touchdowns. Brent rushed for 26 yards and caught one pass for 6 yards. He also had a tackle in the defeat. Brandon exploded for a huge effort against Albany. He caught 12 passes for 163 yards and 4 touchdowns. Twin brother Brent caught 2 passes for 18 yards against the Conquest. His efforts were best felt on defense where he had 3.0 tackles, an interception and 2 passes broken up. Brandon proved again why he might very well be the best offensive specialist in the af2 vs. Rochester. Brandon had 9 receptions for 205 yards and 5 touchdowns to go with 149 yards on kick returns. He fell just short of breaking the all time af2 record for total yards in a game, which is currently 400. Brent had very business like numbers against the Brigade as well. He had 6 receptions for 57 yards on the night. He added 4 tackles on defense as well. Listed below are the Burnside's career af2 receiving statistics:

Player Rec. Yards TDs
Brandon Burnside 191 2,669 53
Brent Burnside 94 1,166 25

Top Tackler: Defensive Specialist Carlos McLaurin is a two time ADT Defensive Player of the Game. He led the team in tackles in each of the first four games. Carlos was named Built Ford Tough Player of the Game for his 7-tackle effort against New Haven. Carlos recorded 4 tackles, an interception and 2 passes broken up against Norfolk. McLaurin had his lowest tackle output of the year the second time around against Albany. He had 3.0 tackles in a pretty quite evening for McLaurin. Carlos bounced back for his season best 9-½ tackles vs. Rochester.

PLAYERS/MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

Wolves DS Heron O'Neal: Heron enters his first af2 season with two years of AFL experience under his belt. He stands to be one of the most dominant defensive specialists in the entire af2. He will be called upon for leadership on and off the field this season.

Ninjas WR/DB Anthony Comer: Comer earned Game MVP honors in the first meeting. The Wolves defensive backfield will have to contain Comer if they want to bring back the cup.

Wolves OS Brandon Burnside: As one of the top receivers in the af2, Brandon is coming off two of his best games, and hopes to chop up the Ninjas defensive backfield.

Ninjas FB/LB Kerry Taylor: Taylor ran wild vs. the Wolves front line in the two teams first meeting. If the Wolves intend on beating the Ninjas, they will have to keep Taylor from chewing up the yards.

KEY DATES IN TEAM HISTORY:

· July 19th, 2001: Mohegan Sun Arena and Dr. Eric Margenau announce agreement to bring af2 to southeastern Connecticut

· Nov. 1st, 2001: 1st Season Tickets sold, Margaret Lidden becomes first Wolves Season Ticket holder

· Dec. 12th, 2001: Team Name and logo unveiled

· Dec. 12th, 2001: Jeff Cogell, Randy Hart, Greg Gildea and Mike Thomas become first Mohegan Wolves assignees

· Jan. 5th, 2002: Team Holds Inaugural Player tryout

· Jan. 14th, 2002: Wolves sign Andy Macaione, Heron O'Neal, Daniel Porter

· Jan. 25th, 2002: Wolves sign Kevin Carty, and Mondez Haire

· Jan. 28th, 2002: Wolves Hold Inaugural Cheerleader Tryouts at Stashes Café on Super Bowl Sunday

· Feb. 5th, 2002: Wolves sign Mike Zawilinski, Edwin Moore, Gary Bolden, Anthony Giovingo, and Bryan Sparacino

· Feb. 17th, 2002: Wolves hold second cheer leader audition

· Feb. 20th, 2002: Wolves sign James Duckett, Carl Wisnieski, Pete Govens, Antron Peebles, Alex Sepulveda, Isaiah Holloway, and Brian Shubin

· Feb. 27th, 2002: Wolves sign Carlos McLaurin, Mike Summers, Troy Davidson, and Brian Hegnauer

· Mar. 1st, 2002: Single Game Tickets go on sale at Mohegan Sun Box Office as well as tickets.com

· Mar 7th, 2002: Opening night April 5th vs. the Albany Conquest dubbed "Pride of America Night"

· Mar 19th, 2002: First practice in Mohegan Wolves history, held at Workout World in Waterford

· April 5th, 2002: The Wolves drop the inaugural game in team history to the Albany Conquest by the score of 29-14

· April 12th, 2002: Wolves win their first game in team history by defeating the Norfolk Nighthawks 47-29 at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

· April 19th, 2002: Wolves win their first road game in franchise history by defeating the Rochester Brigade 54-45.

· April 27th, 2002: Wolves lose their first road game in team history to the New Haven Ninjas 51-38. They also lost possession of the "Constitution Cup" a traveling trophy that goes to the winner of each Ninja/Wolves game

· May 4th, 2002: Wolves lose first overtime game in team history to the Norfolk Nighthawks 58-51.

· May 17th, 2002: Wolves losing streak grows to 4 games after a disheartening loss to Rochester, 53-50



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