Post by Deep Purple on Feb 19, 2007 12:25:34 GMT -5
Phantoms impressive in opener
Sunday, Feb 18, 2007 - 06:17 PM
By Shawn Singleton
Before the start of the Florence Phantoms’ season opener against Carolina, the team’s mascot rose from a casket placed at midfield.
Then the Phantoms proceeded to bury the Speed.
Mike Rathe tossed seven touchdown passes, five of them to Brian Wofford to lead Florence to a 64-35 season-opening win of Carolina on Saturday night.
“(Our players) came out with a bang tonight,” Phantoms coach Charlie Brown said. “They gave the fans everything they wanted and then some.”
The fireworks began for Florence (1-0) on their first offensive play. After Carolina took a 3-0 lead on a 36-yard field goal, Rathe lofted a pass deep that Torrey Pettigrew caught between two defenders for a 45-yard touchdown, and a 7-3 lead.
“Torrey got past the defenders, and I just threw it up,” said Rathe, the former South Carolina standout. “It’s fun being a quarterback when you’ve got receivers like we have. They played their butts off tonight.”
Florence racked up 338 total yards against Carolina’s defense.
Rathe finished 21-of-34 for 289 yards with an interception. Wofford caught nine passes for 137 yards, and Pettigrew pulled down eight balls for 99 yards and two touchdowns.
“(Rathe) is a special guy, like a coach on the field,” Brown said. “He’s a tough guy and he ran our offense like clockwork tonight.”
Rathe continued to praise his receiving corps.
“We’ve got the best of all worlds at receiver. We’ve got size in Brian Scott, and blazing speed in Brian (Wofford),” he said. “If we continue to have efforts like this all season, this is going to be fun.”
Defensively, the Phantoms came out hitting Carolina early and often, holding the Speed to 289 total yards. Florence also posted two goal line stands and turned away another red zone opportunity with an interception at the one-yard line.
“We have a couple of (defensive) schemes that we break out in the red zone,” Phantoms defensive coordinator Herbie Owens said. “Coaches call the plays, but the players have to perform them.”
Owens was most impressed with the fact his defense only allowed 35 points in a pass-happy league like the American Indoor Football Association.
“The most important thing I’ve learned in the short time I’ve been coaching arena football, is knowing your defensive assignments, and we got caught out of place on a couple of plays that Carolina scored on,” he said. “But my defense gave me all I could have asked for tonight.”
Barry Marrow led Carolina (1-2) with 216 yards passing and four touchdowns. Brett Kimble was the recipient of three of Marrow’s TD tosses, pulling down six passes for 99 yards.
Florence is at Lakeland on Sunday. The Phantoms next home game is March 3, when they host Huntington.
Sunday, Feb 18, 2007 - 06:17 PM
By Shawn Singleton
Before the start of the Florence Phantoms’ season opener against Carolina, the team’s mascot rose from a casket placed at midfield.
Then the Phantoms proceeded to bury the Speed.
Mike Rathe tossed seven touchdown passes, five of them to Brian Wofford to lead Florence to a 64-35 season-opening win of Carolina on Saturday night.
“(Our players) came out with a bang tonight,” Phantoms coach Charlie Brown said. “They gave the fans everything they wanted and then some.”
The fireworks began for Florence (1-0) on their first offensive play. After Carolina took a 3-0 lead on a 36-yard field goal, Rathe lofted a pass deep that Torrey Pettigrew caught between two defenders for a 45-yard touchdown, and a 7-3 lead.
“Torrey got past the defenders, and I just threw it up,” said Rathe, the former South Carolina standout. “It’s fun being a quarterback when you’ve got receivers like we have. They played their butts off tonight.”
Florence racked up 338 total yards against Carolina’s defense.
Rathe finished 21-of-34 for 289 yards with an interception. Wofford caught nine passes for 137 yards, and Pettigrew pulled down eight balls for 99 yards and two touchdowns.
“(Rathe) is a special guy, like a coach on the field,” Brown said. “He’s a tough guy and he ran our offense like clockwork tonight.”
Rathe continued to praise his receiving corps.
“We’ve got the best of all worlds at receiver. We’ve got size in Brian Scott, and blazing speed in Brian (Wofford),” he said. “If we continue to have efforts like this all season, this is going to be fun.”
Defensively, the Phantoms came out hitting Carolina early and often, holding the Speed to 289 total yards. Florence also posted two goal line stands and turned away another red zone opportunity with an interception at the one-yard line.
“We have a couple of (defensive) schemes that we break out in the red zone,” Phantoms defensive coordinator Herbie Owens said. “Coaches call the plays, but the players have to perform them.”
Owens was most impressed with the fact his defense only allowed 35 points in a pass-happy league like the American Indoor Football Association.
“The most important thing I’ve learned in the short time I’ve been coaching arena football, is knowing your defensive assignments, and we got caught out of place on a couple of plays that Carolina scored on,” he said. “But my defense gave me all I could have asked for tonight.”
Barry Marrow led Carolina (1-2) with 216 yards passing and four touchdowns. Brett Kimble was the recipient of three of Marrow’s TD tosses, pulling down six passes for 99 yards.
Florence is at Lakeland on Sunday. The Phantoms next home game is March 3, when they host Huntington.
Good win for the Phantoms. Who knows, they just might sneak up on some of these early favorite southern teams?