Post by marinersmedia on Apr 6, 2010 12:06:12 GMT -5
Seven Mariners, Including 5 of 16 Starters are New Jersey Football Products
BALTIMORE, MD (April 6, 2010) – When the Baltimore Mariners take on the New Jersey Revolution this Sunday at 4:00 PM in Morristown, New Jersey, it will feel a lot like home for seven Mariners, including five starters, who are all New Jersey high school products. For a team that wants to turn a 4-0 start to a championship run on the road, any advantage away from home is a plus.
“There is a little more motivation to do well when friends and family are there to watch. I think it's a nice opportunity for the New Jersey guys to play in their home state,” said Mariners Head Coach Chris Simpson.
In a sport where you have 16 starters total, on offense and defense, nearly one-third of the Mariners starters hail from New Jersey. Quarterback E.J. Nemeth, running back Isaiah Grier, offensive lineman Jeff Tyler, and defensive linemen Melik Brown and Fearon Wright all are seasoned starters and all got their starts on the prep fields of New Jersey.
Rookies, offensive lineman Rich Beverly and wide receiver Damon Harrison are also New Jersey school products and all of the players except Beverly and Tyler, still call Jersey home during the off-season.
Nemeth noted, “Playing ball in NJ is special because it's my home state and I will have a lot of people seeing me play live for the first time. It's always nice to go home.”
While the seven have represented high schools from all parts of the state, Beverly (South Regional) and Tyler (Delsea Regional) from the south, Brown at Woodrow Wilson in Camden, Nemeth just north of Trenton at Lawrenceville’s Notre Dame, Wright at Jersey City’s Ferris, and Harrison at Shabazz High School in Newark, for star running back Grier, this weekend’s game will be a true homecoming as he played his high school ball at Madison’s Bayley-Ellard, which is just 5.5 miles and less then ten minutes from Mennen Arena, the home of the Revolution.
“It’s a great feeling going back to play ball in Jersey. I will get to see a lot of my family and friends and I also get to show people that you should never give up on your dreams. This will be my first time playing so close to home since I was in high school,” said Grier.
Jeff Tyler, also noted, “I can't wait to go back to Jersey for my first football game since high school. We have all talked about having a big group from NJ and that we represent our state well. We will be ready to go back up to our old stomping ground and battle to get one step closer to our ultimate goal.”
On the way to achieving their ultimate goal of a championship, Baltimore must play five of their next six games on the road; the lone home game coming against the Harrisburg Stampede (3-1), who trail the Mariners (4-0) by one game in the East Conference, on May 2nd at 1st Mariner Arena.
In New Jersey (0-3), the Mariners will face a team that knows the trials and tribulations of playing on the road and are struggling in their first season in the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA). After being mauled by the Mariners, in Baltimore, 68-23 in their season opener, they then fell at the Richmond Raiders 51-38 after taking a 16-0 lead. In their third straight road game they were pounded by the Fayetteville Guard 75-15 in North Carolina. Now, while Baltimore will be on the road most of the next two months, New Jersey gets to play six of seven at home in April and May.
Following New Jersey, the Mariners travel to the Reading Express on April 17th, followed by Fayetteville on April 24th. After the game against Harrisburg, they hit the road again for games against the Guard (May 15th) and Raiders (May 29th) before finishing with three of four games at home in June.
Simpson knows, however, that to achieve their title aspirations they must win on the road, “In order to win a championship, we have to adjust to unfamiliar surroundings and prove we can win on the road. We understand the challenges set before us and we will embrace them one game at a time.”
For more information about the Baltimore Mariners go to www.baltimoremariners.com.
BALTIMORE, MD (April 6, 2010) – When the Baltimore Mariners take on the New Jersey Revolution this Sunday at 4:00 PM in Morristown, New Jersey, it will feel a lot like home for seven Mariners, including five starters, who are all New Jersey high school products. For a team that wants to turn a 4-0 start to a championship run on the road, any advantage away from home is a plus.
“There is a little more motivation to do well when friends and family are there to watch. I think it's a nice opportunity for the New Jersey guys to play in their home state,” said Mariners Head Coach Chris Simpson.
In a sport where you have 16 starters total, on offense and defense, nearly one-third of the Mariners starters hail from New Jersey. Quarterback E.J. Nemeth, running back Isaiah Grier, offensive lineman Jeff Tyler, and defensive linemen Melik Brown and Fearon Wright all are seasoned starters and all got their starts on the prep fields of New Jersey.
Rookies, offensive lineman Rich Beverly and wide receiver Damon Harrison are also New Jersey school products and all of the players except Beverly and Tyler, still call Jersey home during the off-season.
Nemeth noted, “Playing ball in NJ is special because it's my home state and I will have a lot of people seeing me play live for the first time. It's always nice to go home.”
While the seven have represented high schools from all parts of the state, Beverly (South Regional) and Tyler (Delsea Regional) from the south, Brown at Woodrow Wilson in Camden, Nemeth just north of Trenton at Lawrenceville’s Notre Dame, Wright at Jersey City’s Ferris, and Harrison at Shabazz High School in Newark, for star running back Grier, this weekend’s game will be a true homecoming as he played his high school ball at Madison’s Bayley-Ellard, which is just 5.5 miles and less then ten minutes from Mennen Arena, the home of the Revolution.
“It’s a great feeling going back to play ball in Jersey. I will get to see a lot of my family and friends and I also get to show people that you should never give up on your dreams. This will be my first time playing so close to home since I was in high school,” said Grier.
Jeff Tyler, also noted, “I can't wait to go back to Jersey for my first football game since high school. We have all talked about having a big group from NJ and that we represent our state well. We will be ready to go back up to our old stomping ground and battle to get one step closer to our ultimate goal.”
On the way to achieving their ultimate goal of a championship, Baltimore must play five of their next six games on the road; the lone home game coming against the Harrisburg Stampede (3-1), who trail the Mariners (4-0) by one game in the East Conference, on May 2nd at 1st Mariner Arena.
In New Jersey (0-3), the Mariners will face a team that knows the trials and tribulations of playing on the road and are struggling in their first season in the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA). After being mauled by the Mariners, in Baltimore, 68-23 in their season opener, they then fell at the Richmond Raiders 51-38 after taking a 16-0 lead. In their third straight road game they were pounded by the Fayetteville Guard 75-15 in North Carolina. Now, while Baltimore will be on the road most of the next two months, New Jersey gets to play six of seven at home in April and May.
Following New Jersey, the Mariners travel to the Reading Express on April 17th, followed by Fayetteville on April 24th. After the game against Harrisburg, they hit the road again for games against the Guard (May 15th) and Raiders (May 29th) before finishing with three of four games at home in June.
Simpson knows, however, that to achieve their title aspirations they must win on the road, “In order to win a championship, we have to adjust to unfamiliar surroundings and prove we can win on the road. We understand the challenges set before us and we will embrace them one game at a time.”
For more information about the Baltimore Mariners go to www.baltimoremariners.com.