Daily League News & Notes

Arena Football League

Pittsburgh Power Fall to Utah in Season Opener, 64-33

The Pittsburgh Power kicked off its 2013 campaign on Saturday, March 23 with a 64-33 loss to the Utah Blaze in front of a home crowd of 8,390 at CONSOL Energy Center.

The first four possessions of the game for both teams turned into scores. The Blaze's Brandon Thompkins returned the opening kickoff 46 yards and three plays later Ben Stallings plunged into the end zone from two yards away. The Power's first score came on a 12-yard pass from Jordan Jefferson to Mike Washington ending an eight-play drive that took 5:35 off the clock.

Three minutes later the Blaze grabbed a 14-7 edge and then on the first playoff the second quarter the tandem of Jefferson and Washington hooked-up once again, this time from nine yards out knotting the score at 14-14. From there, Utah's defense came to life following Tommy Grady's second scoring toss to Mario Urrutia that made the score 21-14.

Two straight sacks on Jefferson led to 13 points for the Blaze. The first came on fourth down and the very next play; Chase Deadder ran it in for a 1-yard score. The second sack was fumbled and returned three yards by Utah's Antwan Marsh for the score pushing the lead to 34-14 following the missed point after.

Before the end of the half, the Power cut deficit to 14 points at 41-27. Jefferson tossed two scores to Christian Wise while Grady threw his third touchdown of the half finding L.J. Castile. The Blaze had a chance to extend the lead, but the Power's Sergio Gilliam intercepted Grady on the last play of the half in the end zone.

Following an explosive first half, there was only one score in the third quarter. The score came for Utah on another Stallings run making the score 48-27 after 45 minutes of play.

A safety by the Blaze to start the fourth quarter made the score 50-27. The safety was a result of Utah's third sack of the game. On the en suing possession for the Blaze, Grady tossed his fourth score of the game finding Urrutia for the third time to push the lead to 57-27. The tandem struck before the end of the contest for the fourth time to make the score 64-27.

As time expired, Jefferson found Perry Baker for an 18-yard touchdown to end the scoring at 64-33.

Jefferson finished with 196 yards passing and five touchdowns in his AFL debut on 19 of 34 passing. Washington led all receivers with eight catches for 91 yards and two scores.

SaberCats Clip Talons, 47-42 to Open the 2013 Season

The San Jose SaberCats (1-0) opened their 2013 season by knocking off the San Antonio Talons (0-1) on Saturday night at the AlamoDome in front of 8,161 fans. The SaberCats new quarterback Aaron Garcia completed 23-of-36 his passes for 264 yards and five touchdowns. Garcia also continued to improve on his Hall of Fame numbers, throwing for his 1,200th career touchdown, and currently has 1,201. Wide receiver Huey Whittaker also had a monster day, scoring five total touchdowns, four receiving and one on an interception return.

After the teams traded turnovers on their first possessions, San Jose opened the scoring as Garcia found Whittaker in the back of the endzone for a three-yard score to put the SaberCats up 6-0 midway through the first quarter. Defensive back Clevan Thomas then recorded the 51st interception of his career as San Jose shut out San Antonio in the first quarter.

Garcia found Whittaker for the second time on the first play of the second quarter from six-yards out to stretch the SaberCats lead to 13-0. Whittaker struck again midway through the second quarter, this time from the linebacker position, as he intercepted a John Dutton pass and raced 45-yards for the score to put San Jose on top 20-0. The Talons put up their first touchdown of the game late in the half, as Dutton hooked up with Arena Football League veteran Robert Quiroga on a 21-yard strike.

The teams traded touchdowns to start the second half, as Dutton picked out a wide open Jomo Wilson for a 23-yard score and Garcia found Whittaker for the third time, this time from four-yards out. San Jose led 27-14 midway through the third. The Talons fought back and took the lead briefly, as Dutton and Quiroga connected again from four-yards out and then defensive back Fred Shaw returned an interception 54 yards for the touchdown.

San Jose took the lead right back on the next play from scrimmage as Garcia found Whittaker for the 40-yard touchdown to put the SaberCats on top 34-28 early in the fourth quarter. San Antonio wrestled the lead back, as Dutton picked out a well-covered Wilson for a 27-yard touchdown, and the Talons led 35-34. The see-saw affair continued as new SaberCats offensive lineman TJ Watkins took a 17-yard screen pass in for the score, Garcia's fifth touchdown pass on the night to put San Jose in front 41-35 with a little over nine minutes to play.

A key fourth and goal conversion saw San Antonio take a 42-41 lead, as Dutton picked out a wide open Dwayne Eley, Jr. from seven yards out. SaberCats wide receiver Jamarko Simmons then dove in from one-yard out with just 52 seconds to play to move San Jose into a 47-42 lead. It all came down to a fourth and goal to go for the Talons with just 17 seconds remaining, and the SaberCats defense stood tall, forcing the incompletion to wrap up their first win of the 2013 season.

Sharks Use Late Surge to Top Storm, 64-55

Quarterback Bernard Morris connected on two long touchdown passes in the final minute as the 2012 South Division Champion Jacksonville Sharks opened the 2013 season with a 64-55 win over the Tampa Bay Storm at Tampa Bay Times Forum on Saturday night.

Jacksonville (1-0) trailed by a 55-49 count with under a minute left when Morris found Jeff Hughley for a 25-yard touchdown in the corner of the end zone. After knocking home extra point, Marco Capozzoli then executed a perfect onside kick, as Terrance Smith leaped and caught the ball at its highest point, allowing the Sharks to retain possession. On the first play from scrimmage, Morris then placed a pass into the arms of a sprinting Jeron Harvey for a long score that gave the game its final margin. The Jacksonville defense then held on the final possession to seal the victory.

The dramatic ending capped a game that was close from the start. Jacksonville took the opening kickoff and immediately put together an efficient scoring drive. After a three quick completions and a first-down run by Rendrick Taylor, Morris found an open Harvey in the corner of the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown and the Sharks' first points of the season.

The teams then traded touchdowns into the second quarter. Adrian McPherson put the Storm on the board with a pair of short touchdown runs, while Morris found the 6-foot-7 White for a five-yard score and then scrambled for another five-yard touchdown on the Sharks' first possession of the second. That touchdown run put Jacksonville ahead, 21-14.

The game's first turnover came late in the second quarter, when a Juan Bongarra kickoff took a high bounce off the rebound net and went over Hughley's head. Tampa Bay recovered the loose ball at Jacksonville's one-yard line, and McPherson plunged in four his fourth touchdown run of the first half as the Storm took a 28-21 lead.

After that score, Tampa Bay held the advantage until midway through the third. With the game tied at 35 and the Storm facing a 4th and 3, Tracy Belton swatted away McPherson's pass to give the Sharks their first defensive stop of the game. On the ensuing drive, Morris hit Harvey for a one-yard score as the Sharks went back in front by a 42-35 count.

A few possessions later, Tampa Bay turned the game with a defensive stop of their own. The Sharks faced a 4th and 6 from their own 19 when Morris looked for Harvey beyond the sticks. Harvey dove and made what was initially ruled a catch on the field, but a Tampa Bay challenge overturned the call and gave the Storm a turnover on downs. Several plays later, McPherson scored his fifth rushing touchdown of the night to give Tampa Bay a 49-42 advantage.

Morris was on point from the start of Saturday's game, connecting on each of his first 10 pass attempts. He ended the game an efficient 24-of-31 for 269 yards and seven touchdowns without throwing an interception. Rendrick Taylor led the way on the ground with seven carries for 57 yards and a score, while Morris added 20 yards and a touchdown on his five rushes.

In his return to Jacksonville, Jeff Hughley was Morris' favorite target as he hauled in 13 receptions for 146 yards and a pair of scores. Harvey led the Sharks with three touchdown catches, while White added 47 yards and a touchdown on his four catches.

Defensively, Tracy Belton led all players with 10 solo tackles, while Smith and Micheaux Robinson chipped in with 4.5 stops each. Jerry Turner brought down McPherson in the backfield for the Sharks' only sack, while Marcorelle had two quarterback hurries and a blocked kick.

The Sharks return to the road on Friday night against the Pittsburgh Power. With the win, Jacksonville would move to 2-0 for the first time in franchise history. Friday's game is set to kick off from CONSOL Energy Center at 7:00 p.m.

Soul Fall to Rattlers in Arenabowl Rematch, 66-52

The Philadelphia Soul (0-1) mounted a late fourth-quarter comeback, but were not able to overcome four turnovers and fell to the Arizona Rattlers (1-0) in a re-match of ArenaBowl XXV, 66-52, in front of 8,524 fans at the US Airways Center on Saturday night.

Soul QB Dan Raudabaugh finished by connecting on 22-of-34 passes for 323 yards, five touchdowns and one interception in defeat.

"It is hard to have any success when we put ourselves in a hole with four turnovers," said Soul head coach Clint Dolezel. "We did some things right, but the turnovers and missing extra points are unacceptable. We will identify areas and work to improve. It's a long season and we will get better."

J. Lewis Small AFL Playmaker of the Game, Tiger Jones, led Philadelphia receiver with nine receptions for 169 yards and three touchdowns. Alvance Robinson had five catches for 97 yards receiving and 161 return yards, while Andrae Thurman added five receptions for 38 yards and Larry Brackins had three receptions for 19 yards.

Derrick Ross finished with 18 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns, but had two turnovers on fumbles inside the Rattlers end of the field.

Defensively, LaRico Stevenson had 5.5 total tackles and two pass breakups, Brandon Perkins added 4.5 total tackles, including a sack and Rayshaun Kizer added 3.5 total tackles and one pass breakup.

Russell Athletic Offensive Player of the Game, Arizona's QB Nick Davila connected 23-of-34 passes for 304 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions. WR Maurice Purify had 10 receptions for 141 yards and three touchdowns and Jared Perry had six receptions for 91 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.

The Soul opened the scoring when Raudabaugh found Jones on a 33-yard, fourth-down scoring strike to give the Soul a 7-0 lead. Arizona answered when Davila found Jared Perry on a 22- yard touchdown pass to even the score at 7-7.

Raudabaugh connected with Jones again on a 23-yard scoring connection, but a missed extra point made the score, 13-7. Davila and Purify hooked up on a 33-yard scoring play and the extra point gave the Rattlers the 14-13 lead with 3:34 remaining in the first. Raudabaugh then found Robinson for a 23-yard touchdown and a 19-14 lead to end the first quarter.

The Rattlers opened the second quarter when Davila found Kerry Reed on a four-yard touchdown pass to take a 21-19 lead. The Soul answered with Derrick Ross carried a group of Rattlers into the end zone for a five-yard rushing touchdown and regain a 25-21 lead.

Arizona got a one-yard touchdown run from Davila and a 28-yard touchdown connection from Davila to Purify, while Raudabaugh found Alvance Robinson on a 26-yard score to end the half with the Rattlers leading 35-32.

Arizona open the third quarter with a 26-yard touchdown pass from Davila to Perry. After a Ross fumble gave the ball back to Arizona, the Soul defense led by Brandon Perkins held the Rattlers to a FG and a 45-32 deficit.

Ross got the Soul back on the scoreboard when he plunged in for a one-yard score and narrowed the lead to 45-39 with 6:58 remaining in the third quarter. Arizona answered when Davila found Reed on a 13-yard touchdown to push the lead to 52-39 to end third quarter scoring.

In the fourth quarter, with the Soul knocking on the doorstep, Arizona's Marcus Pittman stripped Ross and returned the fumble 44 yards for the score and a 59-39 lead.

The Soul got a third rushing touchdown from Ross, recovered an on-side kick and a passing touchdown to Jones to mount a late comeback and narrow the score to 59-52, but the Rattlers held on for a 66-52 victory.

The Soul have a bye week in Week 2, but will travel to face former coach Doug Plank and the Orlando Predators Saturday, April 6 at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Amway Arena.

Champions Professional Indoor Football League

Turnovers Again Plague Renegades In 38-26 Loss In Sioux City

The Renegades game on Friday against Sioux City looked similar to their home opener last Sunday, even down to the score. Kansas City continued to shoot itself in the foot as the team committed four turnovers.

The difference this week was that the offense couldn’t score in the first half and couldn’t hold on to the ball. Early in the second quarter, and trailing 14-7, Kansas City QB Dennis Gile was pressured by Sioux City’s Fred Mitchell. The ball popped loose in the end zone and was recovered by Darius Davis for a 21-7 lead.

The Bandits’ Sean Kelly recovered a fumble on Kansas City’s ensuing possession that Sioux City was unable to convert. Later in the half Sioux City cornerback Rahn Franklin cut in front of wide receiver Carlos Cavanaugh in the end zone to pick off Gile, but his offensive teammates were unable to capitalize on that takeaway as well. The Renegades went into the break trailing 24-10.

Early in the third quarter Kansas City’s Demetrious Walker recorded a safety to cut the deficit to 24-12. Unfortunately the Bandits Drew Prohaska scored on a 1 run and then Jon Smith collected the second Sioux City interception of the game. Damon Mothershead’s 28-yard catch at Kansas City’s 9-yard line was followed by Frederick Bruno’s second touchdown of the game that combined with Max Martin’s kick, increased the advantage to 38-12.

The one bright spot was that the Renegades outscored the Bandits 14-0 in the final quarter. The offense continued to be funneled through Gile. He was 21 of 39 with one touchdown and two interceptions and had 2 carries for 6 yards and two touchdowns.

Kansas City will be home next Saturday as they host the Oklahoma Defenders at Kemper Arena.

Wild Take Win over Koyotes

With the Wichita Wild (3-0) making their home debut against the Kansas Koyotes (0-2) Saturday night in Hartman Arena, the Wild pushed their winning streak to three to start the season with a 39-20 victory over the Koyotes. After a slow start to the game, the Wichita defense responded in the second half, shutting out Kansas for the rest of the game. Led on the defensive end by James McCartney's three sacks and a Kendrick Harper interception, the Wild stifled the Koyotes' offense on their way to a 19 point victory. Rocky Hinds and Tywon Hubbard powered the offense with Hinds throwing four touchdown passes and Hubbard rushing for one touchdown.

On their first drive of the game, Wichita trekked to the Kansas four yard line but on third down and one, Callahan Bright fumbled the ball on a carry up the middle with the Koyotes recovering. Bright would get injured on the play, ending the night for the standout defensive lineman. On the ensuing Kansas possession, the Koyotes drove to the Wild five yard line and failed to convert on third and four, but a roughing the passer penalty kept the series alive. Four plays later, Kansas was faced with a fourth and goal situation from the Wild two yard line, converting off a quarterback draw by Chris Mayabb to take the lead, 7-0. The Wild hit back on their next drive with quarterback Hinds finding wide receiver Rashad Daniels open in the back of the end zone for a 20 yard touchdown pass, cutting the score to 7-6 in favor of the Koyotes after a missed extra point by kicker Alex Fambrough. The opening quarter finished with the Wild trailing 7-6.

At the start of the second quarter, a Wichita field goal was blocked and led to the Koyotes recovering the ball in the end zone for a touchdown. With the extra point missing wide left, the Koyotes pushed their lead to 13-6. Wichita fought back again, as Hinds hooked up with Daniels again for a 33 yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 13 apiece. From then on, the Wichita defense turned up the heat. With the Koyotes facing a fourth and four from the 14 yard line, Anthony Smith recovered a fumble for the Wild. Hinds took advantage of the turnover by tossing his third touchdown of the game, this one a 10 yard pass to Joe Kassanavoid to provide Wichita with a 19-13 lead over Kansas. After a strong defensive stand, Wichita continued to build on their momentum with a six yard touchdown pass from Hinds to Kassanavoid to push the Wild lead to 26-13 over the Koyotes. Mayabb would throw an 11 yard touchdown pass with just seconds left in the second quarter to cut the Wichita lead over Kansas to six, 26-20.

The third quarter featured excellent defensive play, starting with Kendrick Harper forcing a turnover on downs with a huge pass break up, leading to a successful 31 yard field goal by Fambrough. The Wild's defensive playmaking continued in the next series with defensive lineman Darius Parish recording a sack and Harper ending the drive with a diving interception. The field goal would be the lone points of the quarter, as the Wild shut out the Koyotes bringing the score, 29-20 heading into the final quarter.

Wichita began the fourth quarter with Fambrough converting his second field goal of the game. With 1:30 left in the quarter, Hubbard ran it in from six yards out, scoring to extend the Wild lead to 39-20. With Kansas failing to score on their final drive, the Wild closed out the game for a 39-20 victory over the Koyotes.

The Wild host the Bloomington Edge next week, March 31st, in Hartman Arena; kickoff scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Indoor Football League

Blizzard Struggle in All Phases of Game, Fall 27-14 to Chicago

The Green Bay Blizzard struggled to use effective field position to their advantage in the first half at the Resch Center Saturday night, and it ultimately led to the team's fourth consecutive loss to start the 2013 regular season, falling to United Conference rival Chicago Slaughter 27-14.

Despite running well over half of their plays in Chicago territory in the first half, the Blizzard only managed a mere six points.

After kicker Jordan Wettstein missed a short field goal on the team's opening possession, the Blizzard would force the first turnover of the game when LB Derek Earls forced a fumble on a run up the middle.

Donovan Porterie started the scoring for Green Bay with a 10 yard touchdown pass to newly acquired receiver Daryl Robinson late in the first quarter. Unfortunately, that would be most of the success Porterie and the rest of the team found through the air.

Chicago took its first lead of the game about halfway through the second quarter when QB Cody Kirby found John Cooper in the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown. This was following a Porterie interception, his sixth of the season.

The kicking game once again struggled for the Blizzard. Wettstein was 0-4 throughout the course of the game, with two of his attempts getting blocked. One of these blocks came from Slaughter DL Yemi Babalola, who came clean up the middle and later scooped the ball up in the end zone putting Chicago ahead 24-6.

One of the keys going into the game was whether or not the Blizzard defense could contain former Illinois standout Juice Williams. Despite holding him to 28 all-purpose yards, Williams made a one handed acrobatic catch in the end zone to put Chicago ahead 17-6 early in the third quarter. A successful two-point conversion gave the Slaughter the momentum they needed to eventually pull away and hold on for the win.

DB B.J. Hill gave Green Bay life late in the third after a one-yard rushing touchdown. With Chicago held deep in their own territory and facing a third and long, a costly unnecessary roughness penalty on DB Elijah Fields seemed to all but diminish the hopes of the Blizzard's first win of the season.

Green Bay will go on the road next week to face the Cedar Rapids Titans, who stand alone the United Conference standings with a record of 4-0. The Blizzard will return to the Resch for their next home game on April 20, when they face off against the Tri-Cities Fever.

Professional Indoor Football League

Nighthawks Play Hard, Come up Short

The Nighthawks played their third straight road game of the young season Saturday evening, against the Richmond Raiders. Both teams were looking for their first win of the season. The Nighthawks ended up on the short end as Richmond won 41-23.

The Nighthawks struck first on a well planned 45 yard drive. Quarterback Randy Hippeard ran for a 3 yard touchdown that gave the Nighthawks a 7-0 lead with 8:30 left in the first half. The Raiders, on their first possession, scored on an 18 yard pass reception from Hakim Moore with 43 seconds left in the first quarter. That drive took eight minutes off the clock. The Nighthawks then fumbled the kickoff return and Richmond recovered. The score at the end of the first quarter was 7-7.

Early in the second quarter, Raiders quarterback Antwon Young ran for a two yard touchdown. That made the score 14-7 with 13:31 left in the half. On the Nighthawks next possession, Nighthawks quarterback Randy Hippeard found Deandre Brown for a 28 yard touchdown pass. Kicker Armondo Cuko made the extra point and added a Uno on the kickoff, to put the Nighthawks ahead 15-14 with 9:35 left in the half. Richmond then came back with another 18 yard touchdown pass to Hakim Moore. Richmond missed the extra point attempt and the Raiders were back in front 20-15 with 3:30 left in half. That's the way the half ended as Richmond led 20-15.

Nighthawks' kicker Armando Cuko started the third quarter with his second Uno of the game brining the Knoxville within four. The score was 20-16. Richmond then moved the ball down the field very slowly. Mike Jones finished the drive with a 2 yard touchdown and that made the score 26-16 with 7:07 left in the third quarter. On the Nighthawks next possession, they began moving the ball down field and got to the Richmond 7 yard line with an opportunity bring them within two points. However they came up just short on fourth and two. The score at the end of the 3rd quarter was 26-16.

In the fourth quarter, Richmond drove the ball down the field and finished it off with a 5 yard run by Mike Jones. Richmond was up 33-16. On the next possession for Knoxville, they went three and out, giving the ball back to Richmond. The Raiders scored on a 10 yard pass to Herb Jones and Stevens added the extra point and a Uno on the kickoff to make the score 41-16. Knoxville did not give up. They struck quickly on a 45 yard pass from Hippeard to Kelvin Jones breathing new life back into the Nighthawks bringing the score to 41-23. On the Raiders next possession, the Nighthawks' defense stood tall and blocked the field goal kick. The ball was placed on the Richmond 7 yard line giving the Nighthawks another opportunity with just over two minutes left in the game. However the Nighthawks were not able to score. The game ended 41-23 in favor of Richmond.

"We played hard. We went toe to toe. Our offense came up short. This team is talented and young. We look forward to our first home game next Saturday and we want to put on show for the people of Knoxville and east Tennessee. We hope the fans will come and support these guys. Indoor football is a fun and exciting game," said Coach DeMatteo.

The Nighthawks will play their first home game of the 2013 season against the Richmond Raider, Saturday, March 30th at 7:00 p.m. at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. March 30th is East Tennessee Appreciation Night. The first 500 fans get a souvenir cup courtesy of Hovis Orthopedic Clinic.

Swashbucklers Lose to Lehigh Valley Steelhawks

In a game in which about 35 yards of total offense was registered in the second half, the Louisiana Swashbucklers lose to the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks 44-22. With the loss, Louisiana drops to 0-2 while Lehigh Valley goes to 2-1. Lehigh Valley is the newest member of the Professional Indoor Football League.

Both teams commenced the game with back-to-back touchdowns. Lehigh quarterback Adam Bednarik launched a down-the-field bomb to wide receiver Troy Pascley though the point after was no good. The Swashbucklers answered immediately with a similar play from Chris Mitchell to wide receiver Jordan Rideaux. With the PAT good Louisiana takes a 7-6 lead with 12 minutes left in the first quarter. This was the only time they had the lead in the game.

From that point on Bednarik showed the Bucs defense what he was capable of. His pass to Tom Gilson along with a two-point conversion game gave the Steelhawks the lead back. The Bucs would eventually put points on the board when Mitchell threw a 20-yard pass up the middle to Brandon McLeroy. The first period ended 14-15 with a one-point Steelhawk advantage.

The second quarter saw the margin intensify for Lehigh. A holding penalty on Louisiana allowed Bednarik to hit the end zone on a quarterback sneak. The Bucs managed an interception which led to a Mitchell touchdown pass to Cortland Bell followed by an UNO from kicker Ernesto Lacayo. It was now 22-20 Lehigh Valley. After another Bednarik to Gilson bomb for a Steelhawk score an unusual play would follow a few minutes later. A botched field goal attempt by Louisiana enabled Lehigh Valley defensive back David Castillo to pick up the ball and run to the opposing end zone. But, a roughing the kicker penalty on the Steelhawks gave the Bucs a first down. However, the team was unable to take advantage of the opportunity.

The end of the second period saw a 38 yard field goal from Lehigh and a safety for them when Louisiana signal caller Mitchell was penalized for intentional grounding in the end zone. With another UNO the Steelhawks had a commanding 34-22 lead going into the half.

The second half wound up being dominated by the Steelhawks. Bednarik hit wideout Tyrone Collins for a 12 yard scoring pass and a 38 yard field goal by kicker George Pierson in the fourth. The Swashbucklers suffered from botched plays in the second half along with ill-timed penalties, and a Lehigh Valley defense that smothered the Bucs offense. Though both Mitchell and reserve quarterback Tim Curry was under center neither was able to generate enough offense to get more points on the board for Louisiana. The game ended with a Steelhawks interception of the Bucs with six minutes remaining the game and maintained possession until time ran out.

The Swashbucklers will return to action on Saturday, April 13th, when they host the Columbus Lions in the Smuggler's Den at the Lake Charles Civic Center.

Ultimate Indoor Football League

Tarpons Set to Kick Off

The Florida Tarpons are out to defend its 2012 Southern Conference Championship. Our ultimate goal is to win the UIFL Super Bowl and bring it back to S.W. Florida.

"As we prepare to kick of our 2nd season our goal is to continue bringing indoor football to S.W. Florida at affordable prices in a family friendly atmosphere", said David Reichert, owner of the Tarpons.

The Tarpons are also excided about announcing that they are teaming up with Fox Sports Radio WCRM 1350 AM. They will be airing all our home games for the 2013 season, starting Sunday, March 24, live from Hero's Field at 3:30 PM.

"Home field is a big part of any sports team, that is why the Tarpons are naming their home turf "Hero's Field", said George Tice General Manager of the Florida Tarpons. "We will also be honoring some real home town hero's" on this special nigh.

In attendance on Sunday afternoon game will be, Chief Warrant Officer, Jeffery Kerner, US Coast Guard, American Legion Post 38 Commander Kevin Boyd, US Navy veteran, Jeremy Gentile American Red Cross Veterans Coordinator, US Marine Corp Veteran, Rebecca Sewall, US Army Veteran, American Legion Post 90, Dan Ashby US Army Veteran, Cape Coral Mayoral Candidate, Ft. Myers Police Chief Doug Baker, Lee County Sheriff Lieutenant Tom Schmidt.

Coin toss by VIP guest, US Army Soldier Mike Gram home on leave from Afghanistan.

Other local dignitary

Congressman Trey Radeal, Terry Miller, District Representative with State Representative Matt Caldwell, Jasmine Villanueva District Representative Ray Rodrigues, Bonita Springs City Councilman Peter Simmons.

3:30 PM - Fox Sports coverage begins

4:30 PM - Hero's Field Dedication

4:30PM- Kick Off!