American Indoor Football Association Discussion

Discussion in 'Other American Football' started by truebluefan, Apr 17, 2010.

  1. truebluefan

    truebluefan Administrator Staff Member Administrator

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    Cavalry Hand Wolves First Loss, 54-25​


    Excessive penalties took points off the board and the defense failed to slow down Wyoming quarterback Matt Strand, as the San Jose Wolves were handed their first loss by the Wyoming Cavalry 54-25 at the Casper Events Center Friday night.

    Strand settled down the Calvary offense that had numerous bad snaps in the first half, in what has customarily happened thanks to the San Jose Wolves' defensive front, leading to the highest point total allowed by a Wolves' opponent yet.

    Despite the Wolves' defensive line continuing their relentless pressure, the Calvary staked an early lead thanks to 16 points on five offensive snaps in the first quarter.

    Strand found ways to move the football against heavy pressure in the first half including an amazing touchdown catch by wide receiver Jasonus Tillery in the end zone with just 1.9 seconds remaining in the half.

    San Jose was able to get the final opportunity in the half, but A.J. Bennett's touchdown was waived off because of an offensive pass interference call that kept Wyoming in front 32-7 at the half.

    The second half was more of the same as San Jose penalties setup one of two Strand touchdown passes to Brooks Charlton.

    Wolves' quarterback Omar Jacobs did his best bring the Wolves back, taking in a QB sneak as well as finding Reggie Eubanks and A.J. Bennett for a touchdown passes. But the Calvary offense proved too much as the Wolves failed to stop any of the Calvary's offensive possessions.

    Wyoming becomes the first team to hold San Jose under 50 while scoring over 50 themselves.

    The Wolves will look to get back on track in two weeks when they host the Wenatchee Valley Venom on May 1st at 7:15 pm at the Cow Palace.
     
  2. truebluefan

    truebluefan Administrator Staff Member Administrator

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    Express' struggles continue in loss to Mariners

    altimore Mariners running back Isaiah Grier hasn't forgotten his roots.

    Grier started his professional indoor football career in Reading during the Express' first season in 2006. He helped Reading advance to the American Indoor Football Association championship game the following season.

    Saturday night, Grier and his teammates - many of them former Express players - made themselves at home in the Sovereign Center, handing the Express one of its most lopsided losses in team history.

    Grier rushed for three touchdowns as the undefeated Mariners rolled by the defending AIFA champion Express 51-27, handing Reading just its third regular season home loss in four years.

    http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=213612
     
  3. truebluefan

    truebluefan Administrator Staff Member Administrator

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    Redemption, 6-0 Record Belong to Baltimore Mariners

    Heading into their match-up with the Reading Express the Baltimore Mariners had redemption on their minds. In their final game of the 2009 season, Baltimore was stymied by Reading 50-20 in the first round of the playoffs to ruin an otherwise bright season.

    Saturday night Baltimore received their redemption; and then some, as the Mariners ripped Reading 51-27 pulling three games ahead of the defending American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) champions and running their record to 6-0.

    After Reading completed a 30-yard, 8-play touchdown drive to open the game and the Express defense held the Mariners to two J.R. Cipra field goals in Baltimore's first two drives; it looked like the Mariners' season opening win streak could be in jeopardy as Reading held a 7-6 lead.

    Reading's David Smith then returned Cipra's kickoff 38 yards to the Baltimore 20 and the momentum continued to shift the Express' way. Just two plays later Mariners linebacker Brian Bradford read a Flowers' pass perfectly, picked off the ball, and rambled toward the end zone. The ball was stripped from Bradford, but he hustled to recover his own fumble in the back of the end zone to stake the Mariners to a 13-7 lead, which seemed to secure the game's momentum for the Mariners.

    Baltimore Defensive Coordinator Steve Gaunt's "Hit Squad," came up big again on the next drive as Jermaine Thaxton intercepted a Flowers pass and returned it to the Reading 12 to set up a Mariners' drive, which ended with Cipra's third field goal of the day.

    On the subsequent Reading drive, the Express fell short on a fourth and eight. Just one play later Mariners' quarterback E.J. Nemeth hit rookie Damon Harrison with a 25-yard scoring strike to expand the Mariners' margin to 23-7.

    The teams exchanged scores as Flowers hit receiver Jeff Willis on a 30-yard touchdown pass and Mariners running back Isaiah Grier capped a 7-play, 30-yard drive with a two-yard scoring run and the East Conference rivals headed to halftime with Baltimore leading 30-14.

    In the third quarter the two teams notched two scores each as Grier took off on a 10-yard run for his second touchdown of the day and Nemeth hit Aaron Yarbough for a 13-yard score, while Flowers connected twice with Dan Kelly, ending the third period of play with the Mariners holding a substantial 44-27 margin.

    Reading's first drive of the fourth quarter ended with a Richard Johnson interception, providing Baltimore with the ball and its league leading 18th pickoff of the season. Grier then scored his AIFA-best 13th rushing and 18th total touchdown to increase the final scoring gap to 51-27 and give Baltimore its sixth straight win to start the 2010 season.

    On the night, Grier tallied 63 rushing yards and three scores. Jamaal Stokes led all Mariners receivers with six receptions for 38 yards, while Aaron Yarbough (5 receptions for 58 yards) and Damon Harrison (1 reception for 25 yards) each added touchdown scores. Nemeth completed 12 of 25 attempts for 121 yards and had the two TD passes to Yarbough and Harrison.

    On the defensive side of the ball in addition to the interceptions by Bradford, Johnson, and Thaxton, Adam Goloboski (.5) and Melik Brown (1.5) added sacks and Daniel Orlebar applied constant pressure on Flowers. Bradford led the Mariners with four tackles.

    With the Harrisburg Stampede perched just 1.5 games behind the Mariners, Head Coach Chris Simpson's squad faces another crucial test as they complete a three-game road trip in Fayetteville, North Carolina on Saturday, April 24th at 7:00 PM as they will take on the Guard and seek to run their record to 7-0.
     
  4. truebluefan

    truebluefan Administrator Staff Member Administrator

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    Baltimore Mariners Roll over Reading

    The Baltimore Mariners stayed the course, and managed to derail the Reading Express in their house with a big 51-27 victory. We all knew this would be a challenge to play at the Sovereign Center in front of the Reading faithful, and come out with a victory to remain undefeated. From the very start, the Baltimore Mariners remained focused and fired up for this all-important game. Observing the pre-game stretches, there seemed to be more energy and more swagger among the Mariner players leading up to this game. They came in with one thing on their mind, and that was to avenge their 2009 playoff loss and remain tops in the eastern division. The exams are in; let's see how the Mariners did in their big win against the Reading Express.

    Offense: A

    Offensive Coordinator Mike Moyseenko and his offensive staff put together a terrific game plan, and the offensive players from the highest scoring offense in the AIFA delivered. Everyone had a big part in the success of the offense; from the great play of quarterback E.J. Nemeth, to the bruising rushing attack of Isaiah Grier, to the high flying acrobatics of wide outs Damon Harrison, Jamaal Stokes, and Aaron Yarbough; the Mariners offense was cooking in Reading. Mariners' running back Isaiah Grier continues to cement his name as the elite running back in the AIFA, thanks to his 63 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. Mariners quarterback E.J. Nemeth passed for 121 yards and two touchdowns, completing 12 of 25 pass attempts. Jamaal Stokes was the leading receiver for the Mariners offense, hauling in six catches for 38 yards. Wide receivers Aaron Yarbough and Damon Harrison had one touchdown each to add to the scoring onslaught. Let's not forget the offensive line, as they not only paved the way for 72 total rushing yards from Grier and Nemeth, but also allowed zero sacks on the day. Gus Kosmakos, Marcus Stout, and Jeff Tyler make up the giant wall that keeps defenders away from quarterback E.J. Nemeth, and they should be recognized for their efforts.

    Defense: A

    What more can you say about the Mariners 3rd ranked defense other than, WOW! Mariners Defensive Coordinator Steve Gaunt knew that the key to success for his defense was to put constant pressure on Express quarterback Rob Flowers, and that's exactly what we saw last Saturday night. The Mariners defense allowed a mere 10 yards rushing and just 111 yards through the air. The defense protected their house, and only allowed the Reading offense to reach the red zone one time. The Mariners front three did an excellent job of applying constant pressure of Flowers all game long. Mariner's defensive lineman Melik Brown managed to bring down Flowers twice, with a little help from linebacker Adam Goloboski on one sack play. Daniel Orlebar and Fearon Wright could smell blood, and while they did not bring down Flowers, they still applied pressure to the all-pro quarterback. We all know that applying pressure leads to interceptions, and the Mariners forced three interceptions last Saturday night. Mariners linebacker Brian Bradford picked off the first pass, which was returned to the five yard line, fumbled in the end zone, and recovered by guess who...Brian Bradford. Jermaine Thaxton picked off his second pass of the season, and Richard Johnson contributed to the collection of interceptions, picking off his 5th pass on the year.

    Special Teams: A

    There is no tougher position than that of a kicker in professional football. Sometimes, the weight of the game lies on your shoulders, and you must contain with elements on the field that could impede your progress. Kickers from the National Football League have to contend with wind, rain, and snow, but arena football kickers have to deal with low ceilings, hanging lights, and other objects in the arena. All I can say is, thank goodness we have all-pro kicker J.R. Cipra with our Baltimore Mariners. Despite all of these obstacles, kicker J.R. Cipra continues to impress Mariner fans with his strong leg and his ability to adapt to his environment. The leading scorer in the AIFA connected on three field goals, and was perfect on extra points all game. Kickoff returner Armar Watson set up the Mariners in good field position, as he returned one kickoff for as long as 24 yards.

    As you can see, the Baltimore Mariners once again made the Dwayne's List for their straight A performance. Baltimore wraps up their three game road trip with an all-important game in Fayetteville against the Guard. The players and coaching staff for Fayetteville Guard remembers the shutout that embarrassed them in Baltimore, and they will look to break the Mariners winning streak. The only problem with trying to break this team; the Mariners don't break and will not break!

    Do you see the fog clearing, Mariner fans? I see light in the distance! I can't quite make out what it is, but it might be the one thing we've been striving to obtain all season. Full steam ahead to Fayetteville!
     
  5. truebluefan

    truebluefan Administrator Staff Member Administrator

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    Steve McNelly's Baltimore Mariners Keys to Victory

    The road has been very friendly to our Baltimore Mariners during this all-important three game road trip. It all started out with a 61-27 win against the New Jersey Revolution after overcoming a scare from the winless Revolution in the first half. Next came redemption, as the Mariners handled the defending AIFA Champions, the Reading Express, and cemented their name as the elite organization in the AIFA.

    This Saturday night, the Mariners wrap up their road trip against the Fayetteville Guard. The last time these two teams faced off, the Mariners embarrassed the Guard with a 59-0 victory at the 1st Mariner Arena. The win was the first shutout ever recorded in AIFA history. Fayetteville has not forgotten that, and with a new coach they will look to avenge their embarrassing loss in Baltimore. In order for the Mariners to come with another win on the road, here are my keys to victory:

    No Pressure...Well Maybe a Little: The Fayetteville Guard boasts an outstanding defensive unit, ranking 2nd in the AIFA allowing just 184 yards per game. The Guard pass defense is solid, ranking 1st in the AIFA and only allowing 145 yards per game. Their run defense is also very good, allowing just 39 yards per game. Coach Mike Moyseeko will need to have another great game plan ready for this strong defensive unit. Mariners quarterback E.J. Nemeth has been incredible under center for this team, but will have a great challenge against the Guard pass defense.

    Run, Zeke, Run: What more can you say about Mariners running back Isaiah Grier. He is currently the second leading scorer in the AIFA, and has been a forced to be reckoned with on the field. Grier ranks 1st in the AIFA, totaling 184 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. The last time he faced the Guard defense, he ran for three touchdowns.

    Anyway You Want It: The Mariners didn't score on offense you say? No problem, we have kicker J.R. Cipra, who leads the AIFA in scoring, and has made over half of his field goals on the season.

    The Mariners can score on every possession if they want to, as they are the highest scoring offense in the AIFA. That's what this game will ultimately come down to, if the Guard can stop the Mariners offense from scoring. The Mariners don't put up a ton of yards, but what good is gaining a bunch of yards and have zero results. When the Mariners drives do stall, which isn't very often, we have the kicker J.R. Cipra, to back up the offense. Also, if we need to score on defense...guess what, we can do that to. This game is more of a challenge for the Guard than it is for the Mariners. Step up and see if your defense can stop us from scoring, because in my personal, humble opinion; I don't see that happening.
     
  6. truebluefan

    truebluefan Administrator Staff Member Administrator

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    Storm even up record with 41-34 win over Reading

    The Erie Storm beat the Reading Express 41-34 before 3,855 fans at Tullio Arena on Sunday.

    Quarterback Rod Rutherford threw four touchdowns and ran for another to lead Erie (3-3) past the Express (3-4) and win the season series 2-1.
     
  7. truebluefan

    truebluefan Administrator Staff Member Administrator

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    The Wyoming Cavalry Win

    The Wyoming Cavalry grabbed control of the West Division race of the American Indoor Football Association with a surprisingly easy 54-25 victory over the San Jose Wolves last week.

    But coach Dan Maciejczak knows the Cavalry (4-0) will be right back in the thick of things if they don't take care of business tonight in Wenatchee Valley, Wash., where the Cavs take on the first-year Venom.

    "We're hoping that last week was a tone-setter for us," Maciejczak said. "We know the opportunity for us to be a good team is there, we just have to take advantage of it."

    Playing their first road game since the season opener March 22 the Cavs know they have their work cut out for them. After all, they needed a fourth-down touchdown pass from Matt Strand to B.J. Charlton to escape with a 48-46 overtime victory over the Venom (1-2) back on March 26.

    http://www.trib.com/sports/pro/article_282864b0-bd5c-57b4-b302-a15eb24f16b7.html
     
  8. truebluefan

    truebluefan Administrator Staff Member Administrator

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    Cavs coast to big victory

    After a 14-hour bus ride, the Wyoming Cavalry took a little while to get untracked Saturday in their game against Wenatchee Valley, Wash.

    The Cavs led just 6-0 after the first quarter before scoring on all four possessions in the second quarter and coasting to a 68-28 victory over the Venom in the American Indoor Football Association.
     
  9. truebluefan

    truebluefan Administrator Staff Member Administrator

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    Storm even up record with 41-34 win over Reading

    When they were 1-3, the Erie Storm vowed to turn around their season.

    Two consecutive wins are proof of it happening as the Storm beat the Reading Express 41-34 before 3,855 fans at Tullio Arena on Sunday.

    "We're starting to put it together," Storm head coach Shawn Liotta said.

    Quarterback Rod Rutherford threw four touchdown passes and ran for another to lead Erie (3-3) past the Express (3-4) and win the season series 2-1.

    http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100426/FOOTBALL09/304259864/-1/SPORTS
     
  10. truebluefan

    truebluefan Administrator Staff Member Administrator

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    Rested Wolves Look To Get Back On Track

    The San Jose Wolves (4-1) are back on the prowl after a bye week that rested a team much maligned with injuries. San Jose opens up a stretch of four home games Saturday, May 1st at 7:15pm with the Wenatchee Valley Venom (1-3).

    With each team's most recent game coming against the Western Division leading Wyoming Calvary, the Wolves and Venom clash while jockeying for early playoff position. This meeting will be the first of three between the divisional foes with all of the contests coming within a five-week stretch, the first two at the Cow Palace.

    San Jose will be riding some momentum, despite losing their last contest in Wyoming. The bye week has given the Wolves the time to rest up offensive threats Jayson Boyd and Fitu Tuua, as well as defensive lineman Rakine Toomes, who all sat out the week five contest in Wyoming.

    In addition to the much-needed rest, the Wolves are at home at the Cow Palace throughout May, taking them into the second half of the season.

    Half of the stretch is against the Venom, who could easily fall out of the playoff race with a couple of losses in California. Wenatchee Valley has entered panic mode after a 1-3 start to the season. With only two playoff spots in the Western Division, the Venom are looking for some relief as their first four games have come against the other two of the top three teams in the division. Still, the Venom have posted impressive numbers, putting themselves toward the top half of the league in nearly every statistical category on both sides of the ball.
     
  11. truebluefan

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    Records Fall as Baltimore Mariners Drop Guard

    No record appears to be safe from the Baltimore Mariners. In their third game of the season the Mariners recorded the first defensive shutout in league history, defeating the Fayetteville Guard 59-0. This past weekend their scoring machine got in on the record breaking act in the Mariners 91-19 win over Fayetteville in North Carolina.

    The 2010 edition of the Mariners set team records for most points in a half (59) and most points in a game (91). With those numbers they also tied the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) record for points scored in a half; a record set by the 2008 Wyoming Calvary in a 103-15 win over the Utah Saints.

    Wyoming's 103 points is also the league standard for most points in a game. Baltimore's 103 ranks third on the AIFA all-time list.

    Now in sight of the Mariners is Wyoming's record 9-0 start in 2008 as Baltimore ran its record to 7-0 with their latest win over Fayetteville.

    In compiling 91 points all aspects of the Mariners' game contributed. The offense supplied eight touchdowns as running back Isaiah Grier increased his league leading touchdown total to 21 with three rushing scores.

    Quarterback E.J. Nemeth boosted his season touchdown pass tally to 24 with scoring strikes to Damon Harrison, Scorpio Brown, Jamaal Stokes, and Aaron Yarbough. Back-up QB Matt Folke also added a touchdown sprint to the offense's totals.

    On the defensive side of the ball the Mariners' league leading takeaway producers add three interception return touchdowns and a safety. Linebacker Adam Goloboski returned two interceptions for scores within nine seconds in the third quarter and Armar Watson also returned a pickoff for a touchdown. The team also snagged a late safety.

    The Mariner special teams kicked in 23 points as Goloboski smothered a blocked field goal in the end zone for a score and Armar Watson returned a blocked PAT attempt for a two-point score.

    Mariners Kicker J.R. Cipra added 15 points with an AIFA-record six unos on kickoffs and nine extra points.

    Provided with amazing field position all game long, as the Mariners started six drives in Fayetteville territory, the Baltimore offense was amazingly efficient. Grier had 18 carries, scoring on three of those, while Folke scored on one of his three attempts.

    Nemeth tossed just 12 passes, but completed eight of 12 for a 66% completion rate. He also threw touchdowns on 33% of his passes as he connected on four scores with his receiving corps.

    On the defense, rookie Daniel Orlebar has his best game as a pro leading the team in tackles (9), tackles for a loss (4) and sacks (3). In addition to his three scores, Goloboski had 5.5 tackles and .5 sacks.

    Melik Brown also set a new Mariners single season sack record by boosting his 2010 total to eight with 1.5 sacks.

    After three straight road games the Mariners now return home to face the Harrisburg Stampede (5-1) in a crucial East Conference match-up on Sunday May 2nd at 4:00 PM at 1st Mariner Arena.

    With the top three teams in the East making the AIFA playoffs, the Mariners have now opened a four game lead on the fourth place Reading Express (3-4) with seven games left to go. A win over the second place Stampede could go along way toward solidifying the East Conference regular season championship and a playoff spot.
     
  12. truebluefan

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    Venom Announce Brian Smith as Interim Head Coach

    The Wenatchee Valley Venom Professional Indoor Football Team of the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) has relieved Keith Evans as Assistant General Manager and Head Coach effective immediately. Brian Smith, the Venom's Assistant Head Coach, Defensive Coordinator, and Special Teams Coach will assume the position of Interim Head Coach for the next two weeks and will be considered for the Head Coach position along with a number of other candidates who have submitted applications.

    "We thank Keith Evans for the work he did in helping to bring professional indoor football to the Wenatchee Valley," says Venom co-owner and General Manager Mark Helm. "However, it has become apparent to Venom management and the ownership group that a change at the head coaching position was necessary for our organization to get to that next level, both on and off the field. We are excited to have Coach Brian Smith guide our team while we review our options. His character, integrity, and passion for the game of football have already started to motivate and prepare our players for the game against the San Jose Wolves this week."

    Following a tough 52-48 loss to the Wasilla Arctic Predators in Alaska last Saturday that included a potential game-winning touchdown pass on the last play of the game called back due to a penalty, the Venom are re-grouping for another road trip to San Jose on May 15 before starting a 4-game home stand on May 22 at Town Toyota Center in Wenatchee. Despite a 2-5 record, the Venom are only two plays away (a fourth down defensive stop in overtime in Wyoming and a fourth down defensive stop or no penalty on winning touchdown in Wasilla) from a 4-3 record and have five (5) of the remaining seven (7) games at home.

    So, with Coach Brian Smith at the helm, optimism and a renewed confidence is in the air for the Venom. Coach Smith starred at Curtis High School in Tacoma winning two Washington State football championships and played linebacker at Boise State University from 1991-1995. Following graduation from Boise State with a degree in psychology, Coach Smith played professionally for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League and four years of professional arena football. His coaching credentials started in 2007 and included stints with the New York Dragons of the Arena Football League and Boise Burn and Central Valley Coyotes of the Arena Football 2 League prior to joining the Venom this season.
     

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