Daily League News & Notes

Arena Football League

Shock prepare for third West Division matchup in four weeks

The Spokane Shock (5-1) take on the Utah Blaze (2-3) for their third West Division matchup in four weeks.

Last week, in only their second home game of the season, the Shock fell to the Tampa Bay Storm 70-62 after scoring only one touchdown in the first half. Quarterback Erik Mayer completed 21 of 35 attempts for 258 yards and 7 TDs, but his first 2 interceptions of the season made the difference in the game. Spokane's defense was unable to corral Storm quarterback Adrian McPherson who completed 21 of his 36 passes for 310 yards and 7 touchdowns, as well as added 17 rushes for 50 yards and 3 touchdowns. Despite the shortage of scoring in the first half, the two teams would go on to set a new AFL single-game record for most combined points in a half through the final two quarters of plays with 97 points, breaking the previous record set in 2005 between San Jose and Las Vegas (95).

In Week 6, the Utah Blaze defeated the Cleveland Gladiators 57-40 to record their second road win of the season and still have yet to win at home. Against the Gladiators, Blaze quarterback Tommy Grady completed 30 of 42 attempts for 300 yards, 7 touchdowns, and one interception. Wide receiver Aaron Lesue hauled in 14 receptions for 156 yards and 2 touchdowns. Despite having possession of the ball for only 3 minutes in the first quarter the Blaze would go on to dominate the 2nd and 3rd quarters, keeping possession of the ball for 21 minutes and 45 seconds as they went on their way to putting up 28 unanswered points.

Blaze quarterback Tommy Grady shattered AFL single season records in 2012 for passing touchdowns (142), total touchdowns (149), passing yards (5,870), pass completions (507), pass attempts (743) and tied the single-game record for touchdown passes (12) in week 19 versus the Cleveland. He also set postseason single-game records for touchdowns (10) and attempts (63). In 2013, however, Grady has been off to a less than stellar start and is tied for the league lead in interceptions (13) after only five games in the first six weeks of the season. The Blaze return their 2012 leading receiver in Aaron Lesue (has played only 3 games) and have added former Shock wide receiver Brandon Thompkins and Mario Urrutia (leads the team after 5 games with 13 touchdowns) after losing former receiver Tysson Poots to Arizona through off-season free agency.

Despite leading the league as the top passing offense (300.6 yds/G), the Blaze are tied for a league's worst turnover margin (-8) and are the most penalized team in the league (59.8 yds/G). The Shock will enter the game as the second most efficient passing offense (128.3) behind Arizona, a turnover margin of +9, and are the second highest scoring team in the league (67.7).

During the 2012 season, Utah handedly won the team's first meeting by a final score of 84-63. After forcing a safety on Spokane's opening possession, Utah never looked back and went on to outscore the Shock 43-21 in the first half. Shock quarterback Kyle Rowley was able to throw for 9 touchdowns but would be intercepted three times in the contest while Blaze quarterback Tommy Grady would throw for 11 touchdowns on the day. In the team's second meeting of the season, back and forth action would continue throughout the game as the teams would not see more then a 6 point separation. In the final 40 seconds, Spokane would take an 11 point lead at 55-44 and seemingly take control of the game. After a three play drive by Utah that would culminate in a 2-yd touchdown pass from quarterback Tommy Grady to Aaron Lesue, Utah would fail the two point conversion and leave the Shock lead at 55-50. With 18 seconds remaining the Blaze would go on to recover an onside kick, drive the remainder of the field and score with 3 seconds remaining on a 3-yd pass from Tommy Grady to take the lead and win the game by a final score of 58-55 at Spokane Arena.

After suffering their first loss of the season last week to Tampa Bay, the Shock will have to regroup and stay focused to get the win and stay atop the West Division. "This is a division game which makes it more important than any other. We have an opportunity to go 3-0 in the west and put Utah at 0-3 which makes it a must win situation no matter what our overall record is right now," said Shock Head Coach Andy Olson. Olson added, "They're [Utah] the best 2-3 team in the league. Grady is a great quarterback and they have a talented wide receiver group with Lesue's experience and Urrutia coming into his own. On the other hand, they've struggled at home this season and we plan to keep that streak going against them this week."

Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday, May 4th at 6:00 PM at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, UT and will be available for on SWX TV, streaming at shock.arenafootball.com/allaccess, and available for your listening pleasure on 700AM ESPN radio.

Storm Faces the VooDoo Saturday

The Tampa Bay Storm (4-2, 1-1) will face South Division rival New Orleans VooDoo (1-4, 1-1) this Saturday, May 4 at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on "NET10 Wireless Arena Football Saturday" on CBS Sports Network. Kickoff is set for 9:00 PM ET. A win over the VooDoo will put the Storm at a 2-1 record in the South Division, and 2-2 at home.

This will be the thirteenth meeting between these two rivals, and the seventh in Tampa Bay. While the Storm holds a 7-5 advantage over New Orleans, the VooDoo has outscored Tampa Bay by a margin of 30 points over the course of the series.

The two teams share much in common and there is familiarity with the coaching staffs. VooDoo head coach Pat O'Hara played for the Storm from 2003 to 2006. He patrolled the sidelines as a Storm assistant coach from 2007 to 2008. Storm head coach Dave Ewart joined the staff in 2002 and served as an assistant coach with O'Hara. Storm offensive coordinator Lawrence Samuels played 15 seasons with the Storm, and caught the game winning touchdown from O'Hara in ArenaBowl XVII.

Tampa Bay enters this weekend's matchup coming off a statement victory over the once undefeated Spokane Shock. Quarterback Adrian McPherson completed 21-of-36 passes for 310 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions. The dual-threat quarterback also got it done with his legs, rushing 17 times for 50 yards and three touchdowns. He now leads the league in rushing yards (233) and rushing touchdowns (17).

The Storm's receiving corp. is lead by Joe Hills. Hills leads the league with 769 receiving yards, and is second with 19 touchdowns. He is joined by former VooDoo player, Greg Ellingson. Ellingson had breakout performance against the Shock with 108 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He will be facing his former team as he spent part of the 2012 season with the VooDoo.

The Storm defense should not go unnoticed either. The defense enters the game having recorded an interception in five consecutive games. The defensive backfield is led by Chris Smith who is tied for second in the AFL with four interceptions on the season. Look for the defensive backs to swarm the receivers, looking for opportunities to intercept a team that has thrown nine interceptions on the season, including two in its last game.

The VooDoo enters the game with a question mark at the quarterback position as the injury bug has surfaced. Entering the season, the team counted on returning starter Kurt Rocco. However, with Rocco out last week due to injury, the team may need to rely on Zach Eskridge and Bill Stull this coming weekend. This does not mean the Storm can rest on its laurels. The VooDoo does have a talented group of receivers led by Courtney Smith. The team distributes the ball evenly with Smith, Derek Lee, and Donovan Morgan each having five or more touchdowns on the season.

The Storm offensive line will also have its hands full with the VooDoo defensive line. New Orleans is in a tie for fourth in the AFL with nine sacks on the season. The team has recorded at least two sacks in two consecutive games leading up to this weekend's matchup. The offensive line will have to protect McPherson if it wants to come away with the win.

West Division Foes Collide in Salt Lake City

The Utah Blaze (2-3) versus Spokane Shock (5-1) can be seen live and locally in high-definition on KJZZ, featuring Steve Brown and Aaron Boone in the booth with Alema Harrington reporting from the sidelines. The matchup can also be heard on The Zone 97.5 FM with Scott Garrard and Riley Jensen calling all of the action.

Utah's victory over the Cleveland Gladiators was highlighted by an outstanding third quarter in which the Blaze outscored its opponent 22-0 while forcing two interceptions and one turnover on downs. The lopsided affair was Utah's most complete effort of the season.

The Spokane Shock remain atop the West Division after opening 2013 with five straight victories, but the team suffered its first defeat of the season last week at the hands of the Tampa Bay Storm. Spokane quarterback Erik Meyer threw his first two interceptions of the season in the first half of the matchup, putting the Shock in an early hole they were never able to overcome.

Meyer heads an offense that ranks second in the Arena Football League in scoring (67.7 points per game) as well as fourth in passing (293.2 yards per game). He currently leads the AFL with 1,779 passing yards and 47 touchdowns. Meyer's favorite target - wide receiver Adron Tennell - has posted League-highs with 58 receptions for 20 touchdowns while gaining 718 receiving yards through six games.

Fresh off of back-to-back seven touchdown passing performances, MVP quarterback Tommy Grady will be looking to out-duel Meyer this Saturday. Utah currently owns the AFL's top-ranked passing offense, as Grady & Co. have averaged over 300 aerial yards per game. They will have the opportunity to take advantage of Shock defense that has allowed just over 312 passing yards per game - placing next-to-last on the AFL charts.

In the receiving corps, Aaron Lesué looks as sharp as ever after missing the first two games of the season with injury. In just his third outing of the year, Lesué nearly doubled his season totals against Cleveland, hauling in 14 passes for 156 yards and four touchdowns. Rookie receiver Mario Urrutia continues his hot streak and leads the team with 38 receptions for 482 yards and 13 touchdowns. Brandon Thompkins - Utah's third-leading receiver - spent the first two seasons of his AFL career with the Shock. With a chip on his shoulder, Thompkins will look to add to a campaign that has already seen him snare 27 balls for 345 yards and four scores.

The trenches will feature strength-against-strength as a productive Shock pass rush battles the stout Blaze offensive line. Led by Mac linebacker Beau Bell's 3.5 sacks, Spokane has registered 11 total sacks on the year to place third in the AFL. However, Utah's protection has surrendered a mere five sacks on the season, ranking fourth in the League. The combination of Antonio Narcisse, Shannon Tevaga, Yoshi Hardrick and Neal Tivis has stalemated opponents throughout the past two weeks, rarely letting the defense get to Grady.

Special teams may be the biggest unknown for Blaze entering this week's matchup. Kicker Adrian Trevino went down early against Cleveland, forcing defensive back David Hyland to step in and handle kickoff duties. Trevino's status this week remains uncertain and if he is unable to play, the Blaze will must find a suitable replacement as they face the AFL's top-ranked kickoff return unit.

Spokane has averaged just over 22 yards per return to place first in the Arena Football League. Defensive back Terrance Sanders is one of the most electric kickoff returners in the AFL, and has already taken two kicks back for touchdowns. In total, Sanders has gained 852 yards on 38 kickoff attempts.

As the first third of the 2013 campaign rounds out this week for the Blaze, knocking off Spokane would go a long way in setting the course towards the postseason. Although it is still early in the year, notching a victory inside the division would give Utah a leg-up on San Jose, who holds a 0-2 record inside the West.

Philadelphia Expects to Bounce Back against Chicago

The Philadelphia Soul look to end their two-game losing streak and get back to .500 against the Chicago Rush this weekend. Philadelphia will face a red-hot Chicago team that is on a four-game winning streak. These two teams haven't faced each other since the 2011 season, when Chicago defeated the Soul 62-28.

The Soul (2-3) enter this week after falling short of upsetting the undefeated Jacksonville Sharks. The Soul scored a touchdown to pull within two points with 18 seconds left on the game clock. However, on the two point conversion, QB Dan Raudaubaugh's pass was knocked down, giving the Sharks the win.

"Turnovers are the main issue coming into this week," explained Dolezel. "We have to protect the ball. We've constantly been losing the turnover battle week in and week out. We need to be better than that. Not only do we need to protect the ball more, but we need to force the turnovers to happen. When that starts happening, everything else on the field will take care of itself."

Philadelphia's defense is tied for No. 5 in the league in total yards allowed (263.0), but allowed more than 50 points in all three losses. The Soul rank No. 2 in fewest rushing yards allowed (17.6) and have allowed the fewest rushing touchdowns in the league (3).

After posting a season-low 263 yards of total offense against Iowa in Week 4, Philadelphia has averaged 341 yards of total offense in the previous two games. The Soul lead the league in total offense (319.0), but rank No. 6 in scoring offense (55.4) because of their 14 turnovers (No. 4).

The Rush (4-2) capitalize on their ability to win close games. After going 4-4 last season in games decided by seven points or less, the team is 3-0 during this season. Chicago's offense is in the middle of the pack in most offensive categories (No. 6 in rushing, No. 7 in scoring, No. 9 in passing and No. 11 in total offense). However, Chicago has the second most first downs in the league (124).

Despite Chicago's offensive struggles, Reggie Gray ranks No. 4 in all-purpose yards per game (177.8). He ranks No. 2 in the league in receiving yards (733) and No. 2 in receptions (52). Gray also ranks No. 6 in kick return average (20.3).

Chicago's defense ranks No. 9 in total defense (284.2), but has two members that rank in the top five in tackles per game (Jorrick Calvin and Joe Phinisee). Calvin averages 8.1 tackles and 2.3 passes defended per game (No. 2 in the league).

Discipline will the deciding factor in this battle. Philadelphia and their No. 1 ranked offense should be able to move the ball against Chicago, but the Soul's -7 turnover ratio hampered their ability to score. The Rush have are on a four-game winning streak, but still rank No. 3 in the league in penalties (51). In a tight matchup with two evenly-matched teams, whichever team makes the fewest mistakes will come out with the victory.

Storm Season Ticket Members Receive Added Benefit

The Tampa Bay Storm is adding a new benefit to the season ticket member (STM) ticket package. Prior to its May 4th matchup versus the New Orleans VooDoo, all Storm season ticket members will receive an exclusive STM discount card.

The STM discount card entitles season ticket members to a 15% off discount on food and beverages, and a 25% off discount on merchandise sold at the Tampa Bay Sports Store. Discounts are exclusive to season ticket members, and are good for all of the Tampa Bay Storm home games at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

To take advantage of these discounts, season ticket members must present the discount card separate from their STM ticket card.

The STM discount card is non-transferable, and may not be combined with any other discounts.

For more information contact Client Services at 813.301.6800.

VooDoo Acquire WR Samora Goodson in Trade

The New Orleans VooDoo have acquired wide receiver Samora Goodson in a trade with the San Jose SaberCats for future considerations, announced the VooDoo front office on Wednesday, May 1.

So far this season, Goodson has recorded 11 receptions for 134 yards and one touchdown while with the San Jose SaberCats. In 2012, Goodson led the SaberCats in receiving with 114 catches for 1,471 yards and 27 touchdowns. In 2011, as a rookie with the SaberCats, Goodson caught 46 passes for 630 yards and 30 touchdowns. In 2008, Goodson was a member of the SaberCat practice squad before joining the active roster in the post season.

During his collegiate career at Southeast Missouri State, Goodson tallied 37 receptions for 439 yards and four touchdowns in 22 games. He earned All-Western State Conference and All-State honors at Citrus Community College prior to transferring to Southeast Missouri State.

Indoor Football League

Titans to Offer Three Unique Youth Camps this Summer

The Titans announced this week that the team will offer three unique summer camp programs for youth throughout Eastern Iowa. In addition to the Titans youth football camps conducted by Titans players, the team has added "Dance With the Dolls", a first year program conducted by the Titans Dolls, and "Titans Adventure Camps", which will be ten week-long day camp programs put on by Titans players and area athletes at the Eastern Iowa Sports Complex.

The team will host seven week-long football camps in Cedar Rapids, Center Point/Urbana, Hiawatha, Vinton/Shellsburg, and Marion beginning in mid June. The week-long camps are geared towards youth ages 6-14 both beginner and advanced athletes are encouraged to attend. Cost of the week-long camp is $125 which includes a camp T-shirt and Titans goodie bag. Campers will learn about consistent effort, proper technique, and keeping football fun from former Division I, I-AA, and Division II successful college players as well as coaches with NFL and AFL coaching and playing experience. All current Metro Youth Football players will receive $25 off camp registration. Titans youth football camps will be held Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Those parents who have children interested in dance will want to check out the all new "Dance With the Dolls" camp program. These week-long camps will be conducted by the Titans Dolls. There are five separate opportunities for a 4-day camp in the styles of pom, jazz and hip hop at only $125 per dancer. The camps are modeled from the Titans brand new Junior Dolls Dance Teams open to dancers ages 3-18 and all levels of experience. The three programs include Baby Dolls (3-6), Lil Dolls (7-12), and Teen Dolls (13-18).

Our final camp offering and brand new day camp program, "Titans Adventure Camps", will be offered at the Eastern Iowa Sports Complex. Ten week-long day camp programs will be offered for boys & girls ages 4-12. Activities will include sports, arts & crafts, playground activities, field trips, reading, talent shows, swimming, mini golf, movies, and much more! The Eastern Iowa Sports Complex features an indoor basketball court, indoor soccer field, outdoor fields, 18 hole miniature golf course, and is located next to Clark Park in Hiawatha. The camps will run Mondays through Fridays beginning in June until mid August. Drop off times will be 7am-9am and pick up times will be between 5pm-6pm. Cost is $175 per week or $150 per week for multiple weeks.

Parents can register their child for any of the camps by visiting the Titans website www.cedarrapidstitans.com or by calling the Titans office at (319) 730-6301.

The Camps are presented by the Dr. Fitzgerald & Associates, Macaroni Kid, and Mediacom. The camps are managed and operated by Eastern Iowa Marketing & Entertainment LLC.

Professional Indoor Football League

Former All League Player Promoted to Head Steelhawks Defense

The Lehigh Valley Steelhawks (2-4) announced today that former Steelhawks ALL LEAGUE IRON MAN, and Lehigh University All American, Matt Cohen has been promoted to Defensive Coordinator by the team effective immediately. The move comes on the heels of the team accepting the resignation of Kevin O'Hanlon who steps down to focus on a personal matter.

"There are few others I respect more in the professional football world then Coach Kevin O'Hanlon," stated Steelhawks General Manager Mike Clark. "He is a future Head Coach in these ranks, and has been instrumental in our success over the past three seasons, which included a top three defensive unit last season in the IFL. He will always be family to us, but we are confident in his grooming of Coach Cohen to lead our Defense in the second half of this season as we attempt to make a strong playoff push."

Coach Cohen entered the coaching ranks this season with the Steelhawks as their Linebackers Coach after two successful seasons on the field as a member of the Steelhawks. The former All-American is the team's record holder in total tackles, and was awarded by the Indoor Football League last year as their FIRST TEAM ALL-IRONMAN after a season that saw him contribute over 100 tackles on defense, two rushing touchdowns on offense, and playing in all facets of Special Teams.

Cohen's first action as Defensive Coordinator begins this weekend as the team takes on the Columbus Lions for the first time in team history. Kickoff is slated for 4:05 (EST), this Sunday inside the Stabler Arena. Tickets are available by calling the Stabler Arena box office at 866-734-6204 or by getting tickets the day of the game.

The Steelhawks will be on the road in Knoxville for their game next week but then will return back home to the Valley for their final two home games of the season May 18th and 25th. The game on the 18th is Non Profit Awareness night and is also a night dedicated to the Race for Adam.

The Steelhawks have been working hard, both on and off the field, filling their roster with a ton of talent and adding great partners to the Steelhawk family. The Steelhawks' 2013 PIFL schedule is now available online and individual and season tickets are available. Get your season ticket flex plans now and you will get a FREE Steelhawk 9th Man jersey, and be entered to win a FREE vacation from Boscov's Travel! For further information please call Lehigh Valley Steelhawks Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Clark at (610) 282-3100, or visit our website at www.LVSteelhawks.com for the latest Steelhawks news!

Nighthawks Back at Home on Saturday, May 4

The Knoxville Nighthawks (2-5) will take on the Louisiana Swashbucklers (2-3) Saturday, May 4th at 7:00 pm EST at the Knoxville Civic Center Coliseum.

The Knoxville Nighthawks are preparing for their rematch against the Louisiana Swashbuckler after a big win over the Alabama Hammers. The Nighthawks beat the Hammers 53-51. Knoxville has been practicing at the Knoxville Civic Center Colesium in preparation for Saturday's game. We got a huge win last week and we want to build on that success. Louisiana had a great win against Columbus and put 77 point on the board. Our defense will need to be ready and our offense has to continue to improve. We look forward to playing at home on Saturday, said Head Coach Cosmo DeMatteo.

Some of the bright spots in last weeks game was new quarterback Ryan Porter who went 27-41 passing, which included 287 yard passing and four touchdowns. Deandre Brown scored two touchdowns, include the winning score, as well as 89 yards receiving. Kelvin Bolden had two touchdowns and 98 yards receiving. Armando Cuko was named the PIFL special teams player of the week for the second time this season for his performance against the Hammers.

This is the second of three meetings between the Nighthawks and Swashbucklers during the 2013 season. The final meeting between the two teams will be Friday, June 7th, at 7:30 pm at the Knoxville Civic Center Coliseum.

Bring (2) cans of food to the game and receive $2.00 off the price of tickets. Food donations will go to the Fish Hospitality Pantry of Knoxville.

Raiders to Host Panthers Saturday Night

The Richmond Raiders (4-2) will attempt to claim a share of first place against the team that denied them last year's championship, the Albany Panthers (3-2), on Saturday night at 7:00 at the Richmond Coliseum. It's the teams' first meeting since the title tilt in Albany last June. Both squads will be battling to keep pace in the loss column with the first place Alabama Hammers.

The last regular season meeting came down to a T.C. Stevens field goal at the final horn, and the matchup Saturday on Healthy Living Night presented by Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc. promises to be just as exciting. Last week the Raiders came back from a 21 point deficit to defeat the Lehigh Valley SteelHawks, 66-64. After giving up a team record 51 points in the first half, the Raiders' defense stifled the SteelHawks in half number two. Lehigh Valley managed just one touchdown and 50 passing yards, and committed two turnovers - both interceptions by RoShawn Marshall, who was named PIFL Defensive Player of the Week. Meanwhile, the Raiders' offense used a vertical passing game to score quickly and frequently. Warren Smith threw for 327 yards and 8 touchdowns, setting franchise records in both categories. Jason Lovett and Hakeem Moore each had over 130 receiving yards. Lovett scored on five of his six receptions.

Marshall's two interceptions came at critical junctures in the fourth quarter. The first came after the SteelHawks stopped the Raiders on fourth and goal from the one yard line, which left Richmond still trailing by five. He stepped in front of the receiver on a deep pass and returned it 34 yards to the Lehigh Valley 10, setting up the eventual game winning touchdown by Herb Jones on the next play. Lehigh Valley drove the ball downfield, eventually getting to the Raiders' 15 with less than a minute to go. But on third and long, Marshall made a great break on Adam Bednarik's pass to clinch the win.

The Panthers have lost two straight games but have had the last two weeks off to prepare for their third straight road game. In their last outing they fell to the first place Alabama Hammers, 51-38. Albany scored touchdowns on their first three possessions and recovered a fumble on the second half kickoff, leading to another TD and a 10 point lead. But a late third quarter interception and a fumble to start the fourth quarter led to two straight touchdowns by Alabama and gave the Hammers a 12 point lead. The Panthers got the ball with a minute left needing a score and an onside kick to have any hope, but couldn't overcome their own mistakes, as an interception (negated by penalty), a penalty, and a sack sealed their fate.

The Raiders, Panthers, and Hammers (5-2) each have two losses and occupy the top three spots in the PIFL standings. The Hammers are idle this week, meaning this game's winner will have a leg up on the rest of the league for a home playoff game. The Raiders would claim a share of first place with a win and be at least one full game ahead of the third place team.

Saturday's matchup will be on Healthy Living Night, presented by Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc. The Raiders and HDL will promote the importance of staying active and staying healthy.

HDL will provide free giveaways during the game. Before the game, the Raiders will attempt to set the indoor football record for most flags on the field, when over 10 color guards participate in the flag presentation and national anthem ceremony! Scholar-athletes from Richmond Public Schools will be honored at halftime.

Ultimate Indoor Football League

Raiders Continue Home Win Streak vs Vipers

Thirty-six seconds into the game and the rout was on.

Eight different players scored touchdowns for the Raiders. They scored on offense, defense, and special teams. They scored on the first play of the game and the last play of the game and a whole lot in between. The Raiders even found a way to score on their opponents' extra point attempt (when Troy Johnson returned a botched snap all the way to the Raiders' end zone for a two point conversion). By the time the final whistle was mercifully blown, the score stood at 90-6 and the visiting team from the AIFL was ready to return to their own league and get far away from the powerhouse of the UIFL.

The Raiders defense completely shut out the opposing offense for the second week in a row. The only Chattahoochee points of the game came on a pick six interception of an uncharacteristically poor Chris Walley pass in the first quarter. The Lakeland D registered two safeties, two touchdowns, and a whopping five interceptions (3 by LB Sam Smith and 2 by DB Rashad Ethridge). The Raiders harassed, chased, and sacked Chatman over and over again throughout the game.

Other than the one bad pass by Walley, the offense was unstoppable all day long. In his first official game as the team's first-string starting QB, Walley spread the ball around, tossing touchdown passes to Etheridge, Roderick Jefferson (2), Tyler Batts (2), Jason Harmon, and Josh Smith. Head Coach Mike Mink also dialed up a good number of running plays, resulting in TD runs by Batts and FB KC Tolson.

Coming up this week the Raiders have the opportunity for a long-awaited rematch with the Corpus Christi Fury. The only previous meeting between the two teams resulted in a hard-fought overtime loss for Lakeland. This time around the Raiders will have the benefit of the home field and the opportunity to snatch home-field playoff advantage from the Fury. You can contribute to that advantage by purchasing tickets for the game. Join the battalion! Wear your black and blue war paint and prepare to be loud in support of your home team this Saturday, May 4th.