Daily League News & Notes

Arena Football League
Sharks Trade for Receiver Markee White
In the hours before Friday's preseason scrimmage, the 2012 South DIvision Champion Jacksonville Sharks executed a trade with the Arizona Rattlers. The deal sends wide receiver Markee White to Jacksonville in exchange for future considerations.
The 29-year-old White (6'7", 215) brings impressive height and a championship pedigree to the Shark roster. White played with the Arizona Rattlers in 2012, totaling 30 receptions for 425 yards and eight touchdowns in the regular season. He was also a factor in Arizona's run to the ArenaBowl XXV title, particularly in the National Conference Championship Game against the Utah Blaze, as he caught six passes for 106 yards and three touchdowns in that contest.
Before heading to Arizona, White spent each of his first two AFL seasons with the Spokane Shock. In 2011, White totaled 29 catches for 303 yards and two scores. He made a huge impact as a rookie in 2010, debuting with a total of 925 yards and 18 touchdowns on 66 receptions. White saved perhaps his best game of that rookie season for ArenaBowl XXI, hauling in four touchdown receptions in the Shock's win over the Tampa Bay Storm.
White also spent time with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League during the early part of 2012. He originally signed as an undrafted free agent with the National Football League's St. Louis Rams in 2007, but was waived prior to the start of the season.
Prior to his pro career, White played his final two seasons of collegiate football at Texas State University. As a senior in 2005, White led his team with 56 catches for 786 yards and five touchdowns, earning a selection to the All-Southland Conference First Team in the process. White is a native of Long Beach, California.
To make room for White on the roster, Jacksonville placed Jack linebacker Charlie Hunt on recallable reassignment. The Sharks have the opportunity to activate Hunt prior to Saturday's mandatory roster reduction. Currently operating with a 28-man active roster, the Sharks must lower that number to the regular season league maximum of 24 active players on Saturday evening.
Sharks Announce Initial 24-Man Lineup
As training camp comes to a close, the 2012 South Division Champion Jacksonville Sharks have announced the initial 24-man lineup for a squad that will look to become the first team in Arena Football League history to win a division title in each of its first four seasons as a franchise.
The Sharks' veteran-heavy roster features just two players - defensive lineman Rashaad Duncan and wide receiver Maurice Avery - who has yet to play a game in the AFL. 11 of the 24 players on the current Jacksonville roster played with the team in 2012, while two others - defensive lineman Justin Parrish and wide receiver Jeff Hughley - returned to the team after playing elsewhere last season.
To go along with the group of returners, Sharks head coach Les Moss and his staff added ten AFL veterans who are set don a Jacksonville uniform for the first time. The team finalized its roster with a pair of trades on Saturday, as the Sharks first acquired veteran wide receiver Hank Edwards from the San Jose SaberCats in exchange for defensive lineman Delvin Johnson. Jacksonville also made a second trade with the Arizona Rattlers in as many days, adding defensive lineman Ayanga Okpokowuruk in exchange for future considerations.
Following the day's moves, the Sharks' initial 24-man roster stands as follows:
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Exp. School
Bill Alford DB 5-9 190 3 Vanderbilt
R.J. Archer QB 6-2 220 2 William & Mary
Maurice Avery WR 6-2 215 R Memphis
Dusty Bear DL 6-2 250 3 Western Kentucky
Tracy Belton DB 6-1 180 3 Massachusetts
Marco Capozzoli K 6-2 210 3 Montclair State
Thomas Claiborne OL 6-3 340 1 Boston College
Brant Clouser OL 6-3 315 1 Villanova
Rashaad Duncan DL 6-2 315 R Pittsburgh
Hank Edwards WR 6-2 185 5 Texas Southern
Jeron Harvey WR 6-4 220 3 Houston
Jeff Hughley WR/KR 5-8 175 3 Averett
Cornelius Lewis OL 6-5 335 2 Tennessee State
Matt Marcorelle DL 6-3 250 1 Delaware
Isaac Morales OL 6-6 315 3 Wyoming
Bernard Morris QB 6-4 215 3 Marshall
Ayanga Okpokowuruk DL 6-2 260 1 Duke
Justin Parrish DL 6-2 255 3 Kent State
Aaron Robbins MLB 6-3 285 3 Wyoming
Micheaux Robinson DB 5-9 185 4 Otterbein
Terrance Smith WR/DB 6-2 198 2 South Carolina State
Rendrick Taylor FB 6-2 260 1 Clemson
Nick Torresso OL/FB 6-2 305 1 Bowling Green
Jerry Turner DL 6-3 265 6 Tennessee Tech
Saturday's full list of transactions is as follows:
Offensive lineman Cornelius Lewis, defensive back Micheaux Robinson, wide receiver/defensive back Terrance Smith, Mac linebacker Aaron Robbins and wide receiver/kick returner Jeff Hughley were activated from Physically Unable to Perform.
Wide receiver Hank Edwards was traded from San Jose in exchange for defensive lineman Delvin Johnson. Defensive lineman Ayanga Okpokuwuruk was traded from Arizona in exchange for future considerations.
Wide receiver London Crawford and defensive back Tanner Varner were placed on injured reserve.
Wide receiver Markee White was placed on Refused to Report.
Quarterback Lee Chapple and defensive back LaRoche Jackson were placed on recallable reassignment.
Defensive back Jamaal Fudge, wide receiver Charles Gilbert, defensive lineman Julian Hartsell, wide receiver J.J. Hayes and defensive back Cortez Stubbs were placed on reassignment.
Storm Announces Opening Roster
With the end of training camp, the Tampa Bay Storm has announced the opening 24-man roster for its 26th season, announced vice president of football operations Jeff Gooch.
"While cut day is tough on every team, it is a necessary process," said Gooch. "We believe the staff put together a 24-man roster that is best suited for going into the upcoming Tampa Bay Storm season."
The 24-man roster is comprised of 14 veterans, nine of which return to the Storm from the previous season. One player joined the team late last season and has made the squad for 2013. The remaining 10 players on the roster are in their first season in the Arena Football League.
One player, DL Tremaine Johnson, was placed on the reserve list.
2013 Tampa Bay Storm Opening Roster:
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Exp. DOB School
Barksdale, Rashad DB 6.0 210 2 5.11.84 Albany (NY)
Beamon, Rodney DL 6.2 285 R 5.23.87 Tennessee-Chattanooga
Bongarra, Juan K 6.3 190 2 2.4.86 Albany State
Boyd, Shane QB 6.1 220 1 9.18.82 Kentucky
Burgess, LeRoy DL 6.1 290 2 11.8.87 NC State
Crosby, Terence OL 6.2 315 2 12.10.86 Catawba (NC)
Cuff, Vance DB 5.10 178 0 11.14.88 Georgia
Davis, Chris C. WR 5.10 190 R 1.23.84 Florida State
Dix, De'Audra DB 5.10 180 R 3.3.84 John C. Smith (NC)
Dolce, John-Kevin DL/LB 6.2 255 1 7.22.88 Virginia
Ellingson, Greg WR 6.4 200 1 12.30.87 Florida International
Fanor, Jean DB 6.1 205 R 6.17.89 Bethune-Cookman
Griffin, Paul DL 6.0 290 3 10.12.85 Florida State
Hills, Joe WR 6.5 215 1 10.2.87 Tennessee State
Julmiste, Jesse WR 5.10 170 R 9.2.88 University of Massachusetts
Lindsey, Michael WR/KR 6.1 200 2 7.10.87 N.W. Mississippi
McCaskill, Nevin OL 6.4 315 R 12.29.83 Hampton
McCullough, Alfred OL 6.2 330 R 7.16.89 Alabama
McPherson, Adrian QB 6.3 227 3 2.19.83 Florida State
Phillips, Pernell DL 6.1 310 1 4.5.85 Central State (OH)
Roberts, R.J. DL 6.4 255 R 8.24.89 Troy
Serini, Brad C 6.3 315 1 8.12.89 Florida International
Smith, Chris DB 5.10 186 R 6.23.87 Northern Illinois
Tyler, Demarcus DL 6.2 325 R 2.14.85 NC State
The Storm reassigned OL Jamar Bass, OL Wondell Rutledge, OL Thed Watson, WR Jason Chery, DL James Morehead, and DB Bryan Evans.
SaberCats Finalize 2013 Regular Season Roster
With the conclusion of training camp today, the SaberCats announced their 24-man roster for the 2013 regular season. In addition, San Jose acquired former Washington Redskins defensive lineman Delvin Johnson in a trade with the Jacksonville Sharks in exchange for wide receiver Hank Edwards. The season opens on Saturday, March 23 at 5:30 p.m. PT at the AlamoDome against the San Antonio Talons. Fans are encouraged to attend the Official SaberCats Viewing Party at Buffalo Wild Wings on Saratoga Ave. in San Jose at 5 p.m. PT.
"We are very excited about our group this year," said Owner/Head Coach Darren Arbet. "Now that we have our core together, we are looking forward to getting back to work and preparing this week for our opener in San Antonio against a talented Talons team."
The SaberCats roster currently consists of seven players that spent time in San Jose in 2012. Leading wide receiver Samora Goodson, receivers Huey Whittaker and Fred Williams, linebacker and Second Team All-Arena selection Francis Maka, defensive lineman Jason Stewart, defensive back Mervin Brookins and kicker Nich Pertuit return to the 2013 edition of the SaberCats. Another familiar face is back in green and gold this season as well, as Hall of Fame selection defensive back Clevan Thomas returns to the SaberCats for the first time since the 2008 season.
New faces in San Jose are highlighted by Arena Football League legend and Sacramento native, quarterback Aaron Garcia, his former teammate wide receiver Jason Willis, former Jacksonville Sharks wide receiver Jamarko Simmons, former All-Arena defensive back JC Neal, former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Andre Freeman, defensive linemen Justin Warren, Eric Norwood and Jabari Fletcher and offensive linemen George Bussey, TJ Watkins and Terrence Campbell amongst other key acquisitions.
2013 Numerical Roster
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate Exp. College Hometown
1 Goodson, Samora WR 6-3 205 10-7-84 3 SE Missouri State Hayward, Calif.
3 Pertuit, Nich K 5-11 195 4-7-83 2 UIW Billings, Mont.
6 Neal, JC DB 6-0 200 1-14-87 2 NC State Sumter, S.C.
7 Willis, Jason WR 6-1 200 7-26-80 5 Oregon Iota, La.
8 Garcia, Aaron QB 6-1 195 10-20-70 17 Sacramento State Sacramento, Calif.
8 Thomas, Clevan DB 5-10 195 4-6-79 7 Florida State Miami, Fla.
10 Mustain, Mitch QB 6-3 230 2-27-88 0 USC Fayetteville, Ark.
11 Freeman, Andre DB 5-11 190 5-6-89 0 Slippery Rock (Pa.) Pittsburgh, Pa.
13 Brookins, Mervin DB 5-11 190 5-31-85 3 Sacramento City Sacramento, Calif.
15 Williams, Fred WR 6-0 195 4-15-88 1 St. Cloud State Milwaukee, Wis.
17 Whittaker, Huey WR 6-5 225 6-19-81 6 South Florida Hernando Cty, Fla.
20 Warren, Justin DL 6-3 255 4-10-85 3 Texas A&M Tyler, Texas
21 Simmons, Jamarko WR 6-3 245 9-23-86 2 Western Michigan Flint, Mich.
23 Norwood, Eric DL 6-1 260 5-4-88 0 South Carolina Oakland, Calif.
47 Folkerts, Brian OL 6-4 310 1-30-90 0 Washburn St. Louis, Mo.
50 McNeil, Raymond OL 6-2 310 10-14-84 3 Fort Valley State (Ga.) Riverside, Calif.
54 Fletcher, Jabari DL 6-3 260 6-23-89 1 Appalachian State Atlanta, Ga.
60 Campbell, Terrence OL 6-3 295 12-18-87 0 South Carolina Austell, Ga.
68 Bussey, George OL 6-4 310 10-24-85 2 Louisville Louisville, Ky.
70 Mudge, Jordan OL 6-4 320 8-8-89 0 Nevada Fresno, Calif.
73 Watkins, TJ OL 6-4 335 10-3-78 4 Clemson North Augusta, S.C.
98 Maka, Francis DL/LB 6-2 250 5-10-85 2 Hawaii San Mateo, Calif.
99 Stewart, Jason DL 6-0 315 11-14-80 4 Fresno State Bakersfield, Calif.
- Johnson, Delvin DL 6-3 320 8-21-89 0 Marshall Woodruff, S.C.
2013 Alphabetical Roster
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate Exp. College Hometown
13 Brookins, Mervin DB 5-11 190 5-31-85 3 Sacramento City Sacramento, Calif.
68 Bussey, George OL 6-4 310 10-24-85 2 Louisville Louisville, Ky.
60 Campbell, Terrence OL 6-3 295 12-18-87 0 South Carolina Austell, Ga.
54 Fletcher, Jabari DL 6-3 260 6-23-89 1 Appalachian State Atlanta, Ga.
47 Folkerts, Brian OL 6-4 310 1-30-90 0 Washburn St. Louis, Mo.
11 Freeman, Andre DB 5-11 190 5-6-89 0 Slippery Rock (Pa.) Pittsburgh, Pa.
8 Garcia, Aaron QB 6-1 195 10-20-70 17 Sacramento State Sacramento, Calif.
1 Goodson, Samora WR 6-3 205 10-7-84 3 SE Missouri State Hayward, Calif.
- Johnson, Delvin DL 6-3 320 8-21-89 0 Marshall Woodruff, S.C.
98 Maka, Francis DL/LB 6-2 250 5-10-85 2 Hawaii San Mateo, Calif.
50 McNeil, Raymond OL 6-2 310 10-14-84 3 Fort Valley State (Ga.) Riverside, Calif.
70 Mudge, Jordan OL 6-4 320 8-8-89 0 Nevada Fresno, Calif.
10 Mustain, Mitch QB 6-3 230 2-27-88 0 USC Fayetteville, Ark.
6 Neal, JC DB 6-0 200 1-14-87 2 NC State Sumter, S.C.
23 Norwood, Eric DL 6-1 260 5-4-88 0 South Carolina Oakland, Calif.
3 Pertuit, Nich K 5-11 195 4-7-83 2 UIW Billings, Mont.
21 Simmons, Jamarko WR 6-3 245 9-23-86 2 Western Michigan Flint, Mich.
99 Stewart, Jason DL 6-0 315 11-14-80 4 Fresno State Bakersfield, Calif.
8 Thomas, Clevan DB 5-10 195 4-6-79 7 Florida State Miami, Fla.
20 Warren, Justin DL 6-3 255 4-10-85 3 Texas A&M Tyler, Texas
73 Watkins, TJ OL 6-4 335 10-3-78 4 Clemson North Augusta, S.C.
17 Whittaker, Huey WR 6-5 225 6-19-81 6 South Florida Hernando Cty, Fla.
15 Williams, Fred WR 6-0 195 4-15-88 1 St. Cloud State Milwaukee, Wis.
7 Willis, Jason WR 6-1 200 7-26-80 5 Oregon Iota, La.

Champions Professional Indoor Football League
Defenders Beat Koyotes 62-40
The Oklahoma Defenders, Tulsa's indoor professional football team, beat the Kansas Koyotes 62-40 in Topeka, Kansas tonight. The Defenders had a successful offensive attack with Quarterback Rico Watkins completing 11-21 for 159 yards, two running and two passing touchdowns, and no interceptions. Wide Receiver Juan Redmon had 7 catches for 87 yards and one touchdown. Running back KingJack Washington rushed for 118 yards (average 6.1 yd/carry) and one touchdown.
The Defenders' defensive back Gabe Ramos had a night of threes with three solo tackles, three assisted tackles, and three pass breakups. Defensive lineman Gus Jones also added six tackles. The defensive line was a strong force with linemen Gus Jones, Victor Clore, and K'iounta Cathey each with one sack. Defensive back Ronnie Neal had three tackles with two pass breakups and one interception with a 13-yard return.
The Defenders, now 1-1 in the Champions Professional Football League, have a bye week March 23rd, then return to action Saturday March 30th at 7:05pm at Kemper Arena in Kansas City to take on the Kansas City Renegades.
Hubbard Helps Wild Outpace Salina Bombers
The Wichita Wild (2-0) defeated the Salina Bombers (0-1) 63-34 Saturday night in Salina. The Bombers, hosting their first ever game to a sellout crowd, put up a good fight but were dominated on both lines of scrimmage by the Wild. Wichita was led by running back Tywon Hubbard's 4 rushing touchdowns in the first half and a big 2nd quarter that saw the Wild force two turnovers and score 28 points.
The Wild and Bombers traded blows in an exciting and competitive 1st quarter. Wichita missed a field goal on their opening drive and Salina capitalized with a 45 yard touchdown pass on their first play from scrimmage, they were unsuccessful on their two point conversion attempt. Tywon Hubbard would get the Wild on the board with a 7 yard touchdown run after a Bombers unsportsmanlike penalty put the Wild in great field position. The Bombers answered with a 1 yard run and converted on the two point conversion to make it 7-14 Bombers. On the ensuing kickoff Tywon Hubbard took it all the way back to the 5 yard line and would punch it in on the very next play. Alex Fambrough missed the extra point to end the first quarter with the score Wichita 13, Salina 14.
Wichita would turn up the heat in the 2nd quarter. Defensive lineman Matt Moss blocked a field goal attempt and the Wild recovered for a safety on the opening drive. Hubbard would add his 3rd and 4th rushing touchdowns on consecutive possessions to give Wichita a 29-20 lead. On Salina's next possession Moss again came up big chasing Bomber quarterback Dane Simoneau down from behind causing a fumble as he took him to the ground. Wild linebacker Sam Maxwell scooped the ball up at the 20 and easily made his way to the end zone for another Wild touchdown. Following a late interception from rookie corner Kiaree Daniels, Wichita quarterback Rocky Hinds found receiver Tim Simmons for a touchdown with little time remaining in the first half. Wichita would take a 43-20 lead into halftime.
Wichita opened the 2nd half with another Hinds touchdown pass to receiver Joe Kassanavoid following a Salina turnover on downs. Wild kicker Alex Fambrough connected on a short field goal to put the Wichita lead at 53-20. The Bombers would score one touchdown in the 3rd when running back Demetrius Cox made a great catch on a ball that was tipped in the end zone by both a Salina receiver and a Wichita defensive back. Taking over for Hinds in the 4th, backup quarterback Nick Hardesty had a goal line sneak to put the game out of reach for the Bombers. Salina receiver Pelton Smalls caught his second touchdown for Salina late in the 4th and Wichita finished the scoring on Fambrough's second field goal of the night to put the final score at 63-34. The game saw multiple unsportsmanlike penalties for both squads and featured several small scuffles throughout. The Bombers played well in their first ever game but were outmatched by Wichita's size and experience. Salina will have to wait till May 11th for their shot at revenge when they travel to Hartman Arena to take on the Wild.
The Wichita Wild (2-0) will host the Kansas Koyotes (0-1) in their 2013 home opener Saturday, March 23rd, at Hartman Arena. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:05pm.

Professional Indoor Football League
Lions beat by Panthers
On Saturday night, the Columbus Lions (1-1) of the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) went toe-to-toe with the defending champion Albany Panthers (2-0) only to come up short 40-37 due to a last-second field goal by kicker Ryan Gates.
Once again the Albany Panthers and Columbus Lions showcased why they are one of indoor football's most premier rivalries with the pair almost needing an extra period to finish of the twelfth meeting in the series. With five seconds remaining and deadlocked at 37, Panthers kicker Ryan Gates ended any chance of the Lions forcing overtime proving to be clutch when he nailed a 28-yard field goal.
The Lions defense picked up where it left off last week with Albany QB and PIFL Week 1 Offensive Player of the Week Cecil Lester struggling to complete just 17 of 37 passes for only two touchdowns. Despite their difficulties, Albany's offense was bailed out thanks to a significant number of Columbus penalties that became drive extenders.
Led by first-time starter QB Marcus Jones, offensively the Lions played more of a smash mouth type of football something fans and more importantly Albany was not expecting. Columbus attempted 18 rushes while just 21 pass attempts with Jones finishing the night 12 of 19 passing for 192 yards and four touchdowns.
Towards mid-way through the 3rd quarter it appeared Albany was beginning to break away stretching the game to its largest lead at 23-13. But Columbus rallied scoring touchdowns on consecutive drives giving them a 27-23 lead with the second TD stretching into the early moments of the 4th quarter.
The always entertaining 4th quarter combined to see the clubs score five of the games eleven total touchdowns with the lead changing hands four different times. Lions WR Maurice Dupree was the offensive star of the night hauling in five receptions for 127 yards and three touchdowns.
With 1:00 minute remaining, Columbus had the ball in their hands with a chance for a go-ahead score but ultimately had to settle on a game-tying 18-yard field goal by Chandler Brooks. On that drive, starting QB Marcus Jones went down with an ankle injury and had to be relieved by Garrett Sutphen. Jones' injury will be looked at closely in the next couple of days but the upcoming two weeks rest will more than likely do him so good.
Columbus will have the next two weeks off before finally returning to action on Saturday April 6th in Huntsville, AL to take on the Alabama Hammers (2-0).
Hammers Roll 65-23 on the Road at Richmond
It took a last-second play for the Alabama Hammers to win their home opener last Friday, but Saturday night's road contest at Richmond turned into an Alabama blowout in the second half.
The Hammers carried a touchdown lead into the third quarter and never looked back behind a mix of solid offensive plays and strong defense on their way to a 65-23 victory over the Raiders before over 3,000 fans at the Richmond Coliseum. It was Richmond's first home loss in over a year. The Raiders didn't score a single point in the second half.
"This was just a great road win for these guys," said Hammers coach Dean Cokinos, whose team was coming off a 29-28 victory over Lehigh Valley last Friday at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville."
"We just made the plays when we had to make plays. We played great defense, Russell Hill played well at quraterback and our receivers really improved from last game. The Hammers will take a 2-0 mark into Albany next weekend, while Richmond will host Knoxville after its home-opening loss.
Hammers quarterback Russell Hill threw for 340 yards on 30 of 40 passing attempts with nine touchdowns. Four of those touchdowns went to Jeremy Grier, while Charles McClain and Mico McSwain each had over 100 yards receiving each with two scoring catches apiece.
Linebacker Jake Trantin paced the Hammers with seven tackles and two sacks on defense, while Benji McDowell had three sacks and Travis Blanchard a pair of interceptions. Vince Hill and McClain had one pick each.
The Hammers led 30-23 at the half after Hill's 10-yard pass to Grier and Brian Jackson's extra point with time winding down. From there it was smooth sailing.
Hill hit McSwain from 8-yards and McClain from 13 for scores in the third quarter, then connected with Grier again for 9 and a touchdown and Genesis Cole for a 44-yard strike. McClain's 20-yard score from Hill closed things out with just under six minutes left in the contest.