Post by marinersmedia on Mar 5, 2010 13:07:00 GMT -5
After Playoff Loss in 2009, Baltimore Mariners Seek Championship Win in 2010
BALTIMORE, MD (March 5, 2010) – The first playoff berth in franchise history, a 6-1 record at 1st Mariner Arena, and five players named to the All-Pro team. These were just a few of the highlights from the Baltimore Mariners’ successful 2009 season. On July 2, 2009 all those accomplishments came crashing down as the Mariners were stunned by a 50-20 loss to the Reading Express in the first round of the playoffs; a team they had beaten twice during the season. The playoff loss stung the organization and almost immediately the front office, coaching staff, and players began paving a path to the 2010 American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) championship game in Baltimore. The first trip on that road to redemption is north up I-83, where the Mariners will take on a familiar foe, the Harrisburg Stampede.
When the Mariners take on Harrisburg at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex this Saturday March 6th at 7:30 PM, Mariners Head Coach Chris Simpson hopes to build on the solid base the team built in training camp, “We want to win this game and establish ourselves on the road for the remainder of the season. We always want to add building blocks to the foundation set during training camp. There will not be anything fancy from us. Just sound, fundamental football is what we want to see from this first game.”
The 2010 squad will have many familiar faces to Mariners fans, but General Manager and Director of Player Personnel Greg Justice had a busy off-season fortifying Baltimore’s offensive and defensive attacks. On the offensive side of the ball seven of eight starters are back with Quarterback E.J. Nemeth, All-Pro Running Back Isaiah Grier, the team’s top three wide-outs Scorpio Brown, Jamaal Stokes, and Aaron Yarbough, and two-thirds of the starting line in Gus Kosmakos and Jeff Tyler. Matt Folke is also back as the #2 QB and J.R. Cipra, the leading kicker in the AIFA in 2009 with 191 points, will be back for his seventh professional season.
Two additions to the offensive line and one to the receiving corps should bolster an offense that ranked fifth in the league in scoring last season. “On the offensive line we have added indoor veteran Mark Stout and rookie Rich Beverly. Stout knows the game and has already had a big impact on the line with his experience. This has made the whole group better. Beverly has picked up on the speed of the game and our pass protection schemes very quickly. He can play both tackle positions as well. At receiver, the player that has impressed me the most has been Mike Williams. He runs precise routes and has great hands. He also has deceptive speed and quickness. Williams will see a lot of playing time if he continues to progress as I believe he will,” noted Simpson.
The defense, which ranked first in the league in interceptions and second in takeaways, also added a few key players to this already solid unit. League and Mariner leading pickoff man, Armar Watson will be back for his second year with Baltimore, as will, Linebacker/Defensive End Fearon Wright, who led the Mariners in sacks last season. Baltimore fans will also see the return of LBs Brian Bradford, Adam Goloboski, and Vince Tiberi, as well as, defensive back Richard Johnson and lineman Adam Foley.
The Mariners have also fortified themselves on the defensive side of the ball. Coach Simpson commented, “Defensively, we have added three very solid athletes who we believe will be impact players for us this season. Daniel Orlebar will take over the nose tackle position. He has the size we like to plug up the middle and the quickness of a defensive end. Melik Brown will provide us will a strong, physical pass rusher. His motor does not stop. At defensive back, Jermaine Thaxton gives us a physical corner that can shut down receivers.”
Despite the return of a solid core group of players and the key additions, Coach Simpson knows that the battle in Harrisburg will not be an easy one, “Harrisburg played us tough in all three games we competed in last season. There is added motivation on both sides because there are players and staff who know each other very well. This is a good game to open up with and be tested very early in the season. I don’t expect anything less than the Stampede’s best.”
Now after eight months of planning that Baltimore hopes will carry them not just to, but through the playoffs in 2010, the Mariners road to the championship starts in Harrisburg this Saturday, and if all goes as planned ends with a win in Baltimore in late July in AIFA Bowl IV.
For more information about the Baltimore Mariners go to www.baltimoremariners.com.
BALTIMORE, MD (March 5, 2010) – The first playoff berth in franchise history, a 6-1 record at 1st Mariner Arena, and five players named to the All-Pro team. These were just a few of the highlights from the Baltimore Mariners’ successful 2009 season. On July 2, 2009 all those accomplishments came crashing down as the Mariners were stunned by a 50-20 loss to the Reading Express in the first round of the playoffs; a team they had beaten twice during the season. The playoff loss stung the organization and almost immediately the front office, coaching staff, and players began paving a path to the 2010 American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) championship game in Baltimore. The first trip on that road to redemption is north up I-83, where the Mariners will take on a familiar foe, the Harrisburg Stampede.
When the Mariners take on Harrisburg at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex this Saturday March 6th at 7:30 PM, Mariners Head Coach Chris Simpson hopes to build on the solid base the team built in training camp, “We want to win this game and establish ourselves on the road for the remainder of the season. We always want to add building blocks to the foundation set during training camp. There will not be anything fancy from us. Just sound, fundamental football is what we want to see from this first game.”
The 2010 squad will have many familiar faces to Mariners fans, but General Manager and Director of Player Personnel Greg Justice had a busy off-season fortifying Baltimore’s offensive and defensive attacks. On the offensive side of the ball seven of eight starters are back with Quarterback E.J. Nemeth, All-Pro Running Back Isaiah Grier, the team’s top three wide-outs Scorpio Brown, Jamaal Stokes, and Aaron Yarbough, and two-thirds of the starting line in Gus Kosmakos and Jeff Tyler. Matt Folke is also back as the #2 QB and J.R. Cipra, the leading kicker in the AIFA in 2009 with 191 points, will be back for his seventh professional season.
Two additions to the offensive line and one to the receiving corps should bolster an offense that ranked fifth in the league in scoring last season. “On the offensive line we have added indoor veteran Mark Stout and rookie Rich Beverly. Stout knows the game and has already had a big impact on the line with his experience. This has made the whole group better. Beverly has picked up on the speed of the game and our pass protection schemes very quickly. He can play both tackle positions as well. At receiver, the player that has impressed me the most has been Mike Williams. He runs precise routes and has great hands. He also has deceptive speed and quickness. Williams will see a lot of playing time if he continues to progress as I believe he will,” noted Simpson.
The defense, which ranked first in the league in interceptions and second in takeaways, also added a few key players to this already solid unit. League and Mariner leading pickoff man, Armar Watson will be back for his second year with Baltimore, as will, Linebacker/Defensive End Fearon Wright, who led the Mariners in sacks last season. Baltimore fans will also see the return of LBs Brian Bradford, Adam Goloboski, and Vince Tiberi, as well as, defensive back Richard Johnson and lineman Adam Foley.
The Mariners have also fortified themselves on the defensive side of the ball. Coach Simpson commented, “Defensively, we have added three very solid athletes who we believe will be impact players for us this season. Daniel Orlebar will take over the nose tackle position. He has the size we like to plug up the middle and the quickness of a defensive end. Melik Brown will provide us will a strong, physical pass rusher. His motor does not stop. At defensive back, Jermaine Thaxton gives us a physical corner that can shut down receivers.”
Despite the return of a solid core group of players and the key additions, Coach Simpson knows that the battle in Harrisburg will not be an easy one, “Harrisburg played us tough in all three games we competed in last season. There is added motivation on both sides because there are players and staff who know each other very well. This is a good game to open up with and be tested very early in the season. I don’t expect anything less than the Stampede’s best.”
Now after eight months of planning that Baltimore hopes will carry them not just to, but through the playoffs in 2010, the Mariners road to the championship starts in Harrisburg this Saturday, and if all goes as planned ends with a win in Baltimore in late July in AIFA Bowl IV.
For more information about the Baltimore Mariners go to www.baltimoremariners.com.