Post by oipheroes on Apr 24, 2009 10:39:43 GMT -5
Match-up
After a tough loss in Columbus, the Armor (1-4; 4th place, East Division) return home to face division rival Harrisburg (2-3, 3rd place, East Division). D.C. is searching for its first win inside the Armory, and hopes to be helped by a strong crowd on Fan Appreciation Night.
Harrisburg is fresh off a thrilling, last-second victory over the Erie RiverRats. As time expired, Stampede QB A.J. Roque converted a one-yard quarterback sneak to put Harrisburg on top 34-31. The win allowed the expansion Stampede to move one game ahead of the Armor in the standings.
This will be D.C.’s first encounter with the Stampede, with the two teams scheduled to lock up again on May 9 in Harrisburg.
When the Armor Has the Ball
Nowhere is quarterback play more crucial to team’s success than in indoor football, and through five games, the Armor have gone through three different starting quarterbacks. Thanks to an injury to most-recent starter Kenneth Irby, D.C. will be forced to make yet another switch.
Options might include Mike Scipione, who started the first three games, or Moe Hill, who started the fourth. The results were mixed, as Scipione and Hill posted NFL quarterback ratings of 70.7 and 39.0, respectively. Regardless of who starts, D.C. will have to avoid the turnover, as opposing defenses have run back five Armor passes for touchdowns, including four in the past two weeks.
The Armor offense will have their work cut out for them against Harrisburg, as the Stampede rank second in the AIFA in points allowed per game (31.8). At the same time, opposing quarterbacks have completed 60.7 of their passes against Harrisburg, the second highest mark in the league.
When the Stampede Has the Ball
Despite a poor showing in Columbus, the Armor’s defense remains one of the higher ranked units in the league, allowing just 200 yards per game. Unfortunately, D.C.’s struggling offense often puts the defense in bad situations, and opponents have been able to turn those yards into 45.2 points per game (10th in the AIFA). The Armor continue to feature one of the most dynamic defenders in the league, as LB Mike Woodhouse continues to pace the league in sacks (5.5)
Averaging 30.8 points per game, Harrisburg enters with the league’s 12th ranked offense. At the root of the problem is a poor passing attack, as the Stampede have compiled just 725 yards through the air, the second worst total in the league.
Players to Watch
Harrisburg Stampede – DB Jermaine Thaxton
At 6’2” 205, Thaxton is one of the league’s larger defensive backs, and he has no problem putting his large frame to good use. In addition to one interception, Thaxton has been a tackling machine, recording 22 individual tackles on the season. Combined with his four assisted tackles, Thaxton’s total is good for fifth in AIFA.
D.C. Armor – WR Marcus Hill
Look for whoever starts under center to rely heavily on Marcus Hill. Hill serves as the workhorse of the Armor’s receiving corps: his 28 receptions on the season nearly double the second place man’s (Ricky Simmons, 15). He has turned those receptions into a team-best 350 yards, and also paces D.C. in touchdowns, with 4.
www.dcarmor.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=55&Itemid=2
After a tough loss in Columbus, the Armor (1-4; 4th place, East Division) return home to face division rival Harrisburg (2-3, 3rd place, East Division). D.C. is searching for its first win inside the Armory, and hopes to be helped by a strong crowd on Fan Appreciation Night.
Harrisburg is fresh off a thrilling, last-second victory over the Erie RiverRats. As time expired, Stampede QB A.J. Roque converted a one-yard quarterback sneak to put Harrisburg on top 34-31. The win allowed the expansion Stampede to move one game ahead of the Armor in the standings.
This will be D.C.’s first encounter with the Stampede, with the two teams scheduled to lock up again on May 9 in Harrisburg.
When the Armor Has the Ball
Nowhere is quarterback play more crucial to team’s success than in indoor football, and through five games, the Armor have gone through three different starting quarterbacks. Thanks to an injury to most-recent starter Kenneth Irby, D.C. will be forced to make yet another switch.
Options might include Mike Scipione, who started the first three games, or Moe Hill, who started the fourth. The results were mixed, as Scipione and Hill posted NFL quarterback ratings of 70.7 and 39.0, respectively. Regardless of who starts, D.C. will have to avoid the turnover, as opposing defenses have run back five Armor passes for touchdowns, including four in the past two weeks.
The Armor offense will have their work cut out for them against Harrisburg, as the Stampede rank second in the AIFA in points allowed per game (31.8). At the same time, opposing quarterbacks have completed 60.7 of their passes against Harrisburg, the second highest mark in the league.
When the Stampede Has the Ball
Despite a poor showing in Columbus, the Armor’s defense remains one of the higher ranked units in the league, allowing just 200 yards per game. Unfortunately, D.C.’s struggling offense often puts the defense in bad situations, and opponents have been able to turn those yards into 45.2 points per game (10th in the AIFA). The Armor continue to feature one of the most dynamic defenders in the league, as LB Mike Woodhouse continues to pace the league in sacks (5.5)
Averaging 30.8 points per game, Harrisburg enters with the league’s 12th ranked offense. At the root of the problem is a poor passing attack, as the Stampede have compiled just 725 yards through the air, the second worst total in the league.
Players to Watch
Harrisburg Stampede – DB Jermaine Thaxton
At 6’2” 205, Thaxton is one of the league’s larger defensive backs, and he has no problem putting his large frame to good use. In addition to one interception, Thaxton has been a tackling machine, recording 22 individual tackles on the season. Combined with his four assisted tackles, Thaxton’s total is good for fifth in AIFA.
D.C. Armor – WR Marcus Hill
Look for whoever starts under center to rely heavily on Marcus Hill. Hill serves as the workhorse of the Armor’s receiving corps: his 28 receptions on the season nearly double the second place man’s (Ricky Simmons, 15). He has turned those receptions into a team-best 350 yards, and also paces D.C. in touchdowns, with 4.
www.dcarmor.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=55&Itemid=2