Post by The Grim Reaper on Jun 23, 2008 14:48:48 GMT -5
By Shawn Singleton
Published: June 21, 2008
FLORENCE — During their six-game winning streak, the Florence Phantoms have punished their opponents on both sides of the ball.
For the season, the Phantoms have outscored their opponents 47-31 on average, and they will put everything on the line tonight when they head to Concord, N.C. to face Carolina in the regular-season finale.
A win over the Speed coupled with a Reading loss to Baltimore Monday night will give Florence (9-4) home field advantage throughout the American Indoor Football Association playoffs.
During the winning streak, the Phantoms have been dominant on defense, allowing just 23 points per contest.
The offense has seemingly scored at will in what has been a record-setting season that has resulted in the team’s first-ever postseason berth.
Florence signal-caller Omar Jacobs leads the league with 3,089 yards from scrimmage. The Bowling Green star has accounted for 64 touchdowns this season (56 passing, eight rushing).
A.J. Bennett and Tres Moses have combined for 33 of Jacobs’ scoring tosses, but they’ve missed the last two games due to injuries.
Reggie Glover, along with South Florence’s Torrey Pettigrew, Jonathan Wedlock and C.J. Washington have more than made up for the loss of the Phantom playmakers, however.
Glover, who was signed when the Lubbock Renegades of Arena Football-2 put him on waivers, has made an instant impact in Florence, catching 14 passes for 223 yards and four scores in just two games.
Wedlock has scored 12 times on runs and receptions, and Washington has found the end zone seven times.
Pettigrew has caught 500 yards in passes this season with six TDs.
On paper, one might think the AIFA’s Eastern Division champions will have an easy time disposing of a Carolina team that is on the outside looking in of the playoffs — but not so fast.
Carolina running back Jimmy Bell is second in the league in rushing with a 3.9 yard-per-carry average and 15 touchdowns in eight games.
Rodney Milbourn is one of three quarterbacks the Speed have used this season, throwing for 12 TDs and nine interceptions in 10 games. Tory Woodberry has 11 scores and six picks in five games.
But one player on Carolina’s roster gave Florence more trouble than the team has had all season. As a member of the expansion Baltimore Mariners, Dixie Wooten came off the bench and rushed for two scores to spark an upset of Florence in the Phantoms season opener on March 15.
Wooten was traded to the Speed two weeks later when Milbourn went down with an injury, and has rushed for two more scores to go along with six scoring passes.