Daily League News & Notes

Arena Football League

Storm to Donate a Total of $5,000 to Three Local Charities

The Tampa Bay Storm is teaming up with local company, Celestar, to create a new Facebook application called "Charity Vote." The application will appear on the Storm Facebook page, and asks fans to vote for one of three local charities.

"We are firm believers in giving back to the community," said Storm president Derrick Brooks. "This is a way for the Storm, and the fans, to team up for a greater cause."

Fans will have the opportunity to vote for one of the following charities:

Wounded Warriors In Action,

Exalted Warrior Foundation, or

Southeastern Guide Dogs.

The charity with the most votes will win $3,500, with second place receiving $1,000 and third place $500.

Voting begins on Saturday, May 4 at 12:01 AM ET. In order to cast their votes, fans can visit the following website: tampabaystorm.com/charityvote.

All three winning charities will be honored during the Storm's Military Appreciation Night on Saturday, May 25 when the team takes on the Philadelphia Soul.

Blaze Assigned Emergency Kicker

The Utah Blaze have been assigned emergency kicker Kyle Brotzman, the franchise announced today. Brotzman will play in place of kicker Adrian Trevino, who remains sidelined after suffering an injury last week during Utah's victory over the Cleveland Gladiators.

Brotzman (5-10, 193, Boise State) served as Utah's kicker for every game during the 2012 season and successfully connected on 124 PAT attempts, finishing second on the Arena Football League's single-season record list. He averaged 54 yards per kickoff while posting 37 touchbacks on his 158 attempts.

As a rookie in 2011, Brotzman joined the Blaze for the final third of season, serving as the team's kicker for six games. He connected on 41 PAT attempts and a 34-yard field goal. Brotzman averaged just over 53 yards per kickoff and registered touchbacks on 13 of his 52 attempts.

Throughout his tenure in Utah, Brotzman became known for his skillful onside kicks. With Brotzman handling kicking duties, the Utah Blaze successfully recovered six onside kick attempts in 2012, tying as the most in the Arena Football League.

Second Half Rally Leads Barnstormers to Victory

The Iowa Barnstormers overcame a 15 point halftime deficit, rallying to defeat the San Antonio Talons by a score of 48-36 on Friday night. Iowa outscored the Talons 34-7 in the second half, putting an end to their four game losing streak. With the victory, Iowa improves to 3-4 on the season, while San Antonio falls to 2-4.

The Talons jumped out to an early 14-0 lead as the Barnstormers offense struggled to get organized. Iowa finally broke through on the scoreboard early in the second quarter when QB J.J. Raterink connected with WR Marco Thomas on a screen pass that turned into a 30 yard score. Raterink finished the night throwing for 7 touchdowns with no interceptions. Trailing 20-14 the Barnstormers seemed to be on the move, but a mishandled snap led to a San Antonio safety, and when the dust settled Iowa trailed 29-14 + at the half.

Iowa came out of the locker room looking like a different team. The Barnstormers turned up the defense, forcing 3 second half interceptions by Talons QB Nick Fraser. DB Ter'Ran Benton accounted for two of the interceptions, and he now leads the Barnstormers with 5 on the season. Raterink was near perfect in the second half, throwing for 5 touchdowns, including 3 in to WR Jesse Schmidt. Trailing 41-36 with less than 9 minutes remaining Raterink found Schmidt for touchdowns on consecutive drives to seal the Iowa victory.

Next up for the Barnstormers is a visit from the New Orleans Voodoo next Saturday May 11 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. Kickoff is set for 7:05pm. For this game only, all 100 level corner and end zone tickets are now on sale for just $15.00, while supplies last.

Tonight's Sharks Game - What You Need to Know

The 6-0 Jacksonville Sharks are the last undefeated team remaining in the Arena Football League, but that spotless record will be put to the test on Saturday, as the 5-1 Arizona Rattlers make their way to Sea Best Field. This will be the first meeting between the Sharks and Rattlers since Jacksonville's last-second 73-70 victory in ArenaBowl XXIV at the end of the 2011 season.

The Sharks have never beaten Arizona during the regular season, and hold a 1-2 overall record against the Rattlers. Tonight's game features a matchup of the Sharks' league-leading defense (42.7 points allowed per game) against an Arizona offense that is averaging 71.7 points per contest.

Kickoff is set for 7:00 on Saturday. Whether you are a longtime Season Ticket Holder or are about to head to your first Sharks game, please see below for a rundown of what to expect at the Shark Tank tonight!

Education Appreciation Night

Tonight, we are taking the time to recognize those who have dedicated their lives to helping teach our youngest generation. As part of Education Appreciation Night, all school teachers, administrators and employees are eligibile for Buy One, Get One Free tickets at the arena box office. Simply present your school ID or another form of proof of employment to take advantage of this offer!

Saturday's game is also the culmination of Chum's Reading Initiative for the 2012-13 school year. During this past offseason, Chum, Sharks players and staff members dedicated a significant amount of time visiting a total of 38 elementary schools in our area, helping students develop a strong habit of reading. By meeting their quarterly reading goals throughout the year, students earned a free ticket to tonight's game!

Inflatamaniacs

Tonight, the Inflatamaniacs return to Sea Best Field! Be sure to keep an eye out during breaks in action, as the Inflatamaniacs and their antics deliver laughs to fans of all ages!

SharkFest

We're ready to kick off the night at SharkFest! Check out our pregame block party just outside the front entrance of Sea Best Field, where you can ride the giant inflatable Shark Slide (weather-permitting).

Also at SharkFest, you have the chance to help save lives by participating in The Blood Alliance's blood drive. The drive will run from 4:00-7:00 p.m. Donate now so you will be eligible to contribute again before the end of the season!

Many of our other corporate partners will be on hand, so be sure to stop by their displays as well. It's all set to begin at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, but please note that inclement weather may impact the exact nature of SharkFest.

Doors Open

Tonight, doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for season ticket holders and 6:00 p.m. for the general public.

Champions Professional Indoor Football League

Haymakers Hold Off Edge, Seal Victory With Late Onside Kick Recovery

The Haymakers hosted the Bloomington Edge in a game that featured two teams battling for a playoff berth. The game started fast and ended exciting. At the end of the night, the Haymakers came out on top 48-39 led by outstanding performances by Blake Bolles, Cortney Grixby, and Willie Horn. The Haymakers wasted no time getting the excitement started against Bloomington. Cortney Grixby returned the opening kick all the way to the 4 yard line, setting up an easy touchdown run for Marlon Lucky to give the Haymakers an early 7-0 lead. The Lincoln defense also came ready to play, with Linebacker Willie Horn intercepting a Bloomington pass on their first defensive possession. Only a few plays after the interception, Quarterback Black Bolles ran for a 12 yard touchdown on a designed QB draw giving the Haymakers a 14-0 lead only six minutes into the game. With the early momentum, the Lincoln offense drove right down the field, setting up a fourth down touchdown run by Bolles, his second of the game, this time from 6 yards out. At the end of the first, the Haymakers were up 20-0.

The second quarter started just the same as the first quarter had ended: with a Blake Bolles touchdown, this time through the air to wide receiver Marquis Rolle, giving the Haymakers an early 26-0 lead. Bloomington wasn't ready to throw in the towel however, scoring quickly on a kick return and then adding a short touchdown run later in the quarter. The half ended with a Benny Hanaphy field goal as time expired to give us a 29-13 Haymaker lead at halftime.

The third quarter was a story of field goals and fumbles. Each team kicked one field goal and recovered one fumble until another Blake Bolles touchdown run added six points with 2 minutes left in the quarter.

The teams entered the fourth quarter with a score of 36-19, but Bloomington was determined to make it a close game at the end. The Edge started with a touchdown pass early in the quarter to bring themselves within ten. With five minutes left in the game, the Edge lined up for a 56 yard field goal. The kick sailed wide left into the waiting hands of Cortney Grixby. Grixby returned the kick the entire length of the field for a Haymakers touchdown. The score gave Lincoln a 42-26 lead and just about blew the roof off of the Pershing Center. The Edge, still determined, scored on a quick touchdown pass, had an important defensive stop, and then scored another quick touchdown to bring the score to 42-39 with only 1:01 left to play. Bloomington then lined up for the most exciting play in football: the onside kick. The kick bounced ten yards where it was batted by a Lincoln player and rolled into the endzone where it was recovered by Kaylon Price for a Haymaker touchdown. An interception on Bloomington's last hope sealed the Haymaker victory! Lincoln moves to 3-4 on the year and are in the hunt for the final playoff spot.

The Haymakers travel to Omaha next Saturday to take on the in-state rival Beef. The next home game for the Haymakers will be Saturday June 1st at 7:05pm in the Pershing Center for the final showdown with the Omaha Beef.

Indoor Football League

Revolution Wins Big Home Game vs. Chicago 48-23

The Texas Revolution (4-5) set the defensive tone early against the Chicago Slaughter (6-4). The Revolution defense's first half numbers were astounding. The Revs forced two fumbles, made the Slaughter miss two field goals, and most importantly, held them to zero points on the scoreboard.

Texas had been having trouble in the past couple of weeks making the big stops, but for Coach Billy Back's birthday, they delivered. Throughout the game, the defensive pressure was consistent. E.J. Underwood and Kendrick Alexander both forced fumbles, Walter Thomas and James Frazier added sacks, and Frankie Solomon Jr. added his league leading sixth interception.

On offense, QB Marcus Jackson controlled the game, using his usual repertoire of receivers. Keith Smith (8 rec, 75, 3 TDs) had one of his best games in a Revs uniform. Mack Ogletree (4 Rec, 39 yards) and Phillip Barnett (5 Rec, 23 yards) each came up with big plays down the stretch.

On the ground, the Jackson cousins each played well with very similar numbers. Quarterback Marcus Jackson had 11 carries for 34 yards and one touchdown and Receiver/Running Back R.J. Jackson tallied 10 carries for 36 yards and a score.

The final score was Revolution 48, Slaughter 23.

The Revolution will travel up to Chicago next week for a rematch with these Slaughter. The Revolution don't return to Allen until May 25th vs. Green Bay, following a bye week.

Legends Football League

Former LFL USA Franchise Set To Return To Play In 2014

Legends Football League officials are expected to announce the return of LFL Football to a former LFL USA city in 2014. With the recent announcement of expansion into Pittsburgh for 2014, it is expected that the other new franchise will be in the western part of the country.

Candidates in the west include the possible return of the Dallas Desire, Denver Dream or San Diego Seduction.

The chosen city will also be awarded a round of the 2013 LFL USA Playoffs.

The announcement is expected as early as mid-May.