Post by marinersmedia on Apr 21, 2010 12:27:47 GMT -5
WIN OVER DEFENDING CHAMPS KEEPS BALTIMORE UNDEFEATED
BALTIMORE, MD (April 20, 2010) – The Baltimore Mariners stayed the course, and managed to derail the Reading Express in their house with a big 51-27 victory. We all knew this would be a challenge to play at the Sovereign Center in front of the Reading faithful, and come out with a victory to remain undefeated. From the very start, the Baltimore Mariners remained focused and fired up for this all-important game. Observing the pre-game stretches, there seemed to be more energy and more swagger among the Mariner players leading up to this game. They came in with one thing on their mind, and that was to avenge their 2009 playoff loss and remain tops in the eastern division. The exams are in; let’s see how the Mariners did in their big win against the Reading Express.
Offense: A
Offensive Coordinator Mike Moyseenko and his offensive staff put together a terrific game plan, and the offensive players from the highest scoring offense in the AIFA delivered. Everyone had a big part in the success of the offense; from the great play of quarterback E.J. Nemeth, to the bruising rushing attack of Isaiah Grier, to the high flying acrobatics of wide outs Damon Harrison, Jamaal Stokes, and Aaron Yarbough; the Mariners offense was cooking in Reading. Mariners’ running back Isaiah Grier continues to cement his name as the elite running back in the AIFA, thanks to his 63 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. Mariners quarterback E.J. Nemeth passed for 121 yards and two touchdowns, completing 12 of 25 pass attempts. Jamaal Stokes was the leading receiver for the Mariners offense, hauling in six catches for 38 yards. Wide receivers Aaron Yarbough and Damon Harrison had one touchdown each to add to the scoring onslaught. Let’s not forget the offensive line, as they not only paved the way for 72 total rushing yards from Grier and Nemeth, but also allowed zero sacks on the day. Gus Kosmakos, Marcus Stout, and Jeff Tyler make up the giant wall that keeps defenders away from quarterback E.J. Nemeth, and they should be recognized for their efforts.
Defense: A
What more can you say about the Mariners 3rd ranked defense other than, WOW! Mariners Defensive Coordinator Steve Gaunt knew that the key to success for his defense was to put constant pressure on Express quarterback Rob Flowers, and that’s exactly what we saw last Saturday night. The Mariners defense allowed a mere 10 yards rushing and just 111 yards through the air. The defense protected their house, and only allowed the Reading offense to reach the red zone one time. The Mariners front three did an excellent job of applying constant pressure of Flowers all game long. Mariner’s defensive lineman Melik Brown managed to bring down Flowers twice, with a little help from linebacker Adam Goloboski on one sack play. Daniel Orlebar and Fearon Wright could smell blood, and while they did not bring down Flowers, they still applied pressure to the all-pro quarterback. We all know that applying pressure leads to interceptions, and the Mariners forced three interceptions last Saturday night. Mariners linebacker Brian Bradford picked off the first pass, which was returned to the five yard line, fumbled in the end zone, and recovered by guess who…Brian Bradford. Jermaine Thaxton picked off his second pass of the season, and Richard Johnson contributed to the collection of interceptions, picking off his 5th pass on the year.
Special Teams: A
There is no tougher position than that of a kicker in professional football. Sometimes, the weight of the game lies on your shoulders, and you must contain with elements on the field that could impede your progress. Kickers from the National Football League have to contend with wind, rain, and snow, but arena football kickers have to deal with low ceilings, hanging lights, and other objects in the arena. All I can say is, thank goodness we have all-pro kicker J.R. Cipra with our Baltimore Mariners. Despite all of these obstacles, kicker J.R. Cipra continues to impress Mariner fans with his strong leg and his ability to adapt to his environment. The leading scorer in the AIFA connected on three field goals, and was perfect on extra points all game. Kickoff returner Armar Watson set up the Mariners in good field position, as he returned one kickoff for as long as 24 yards.
As you can see, the Baltimore Mariners once again made the Dwayne’s List for their straight A performance. Baltimore wraps up their three game road trip with an all-important game in Fayetteville against the Guard. The players and coaching staff for Fayetteville Guard remembers the shutout that embarrassed them in Baltimore, and they will look to break the Mariners winning streak. The only problem with trying to break this team; the Mariners don’t break and will not break!
Do you see the fog clearing, Mariner fans? I see light in the distance! I can’t quite make out what it is, but it might be the one thing we’ve been striving to obtain all season. Full steam ahead to Fayetteville!
For more information, go to www.baltimoremariners.com
BALTIMORE, MD (April 20, 2010) – The Baltimore Mariners stayed the course, and managed to derail the Reading Express in their house with a big 51-27 victory. We all knew this would be a challenge to play at the Sovereign Center in front of the Reading faithful, and come out with a victory to remain undefeated. From the very start, the Baltimore Mariners remained focused and fired up for this all-important game. Observing the pre-game stretches, there seemed to be more energy and more swagger among the Mariner players leading up to this game. They came in with one thing on their mind, and that was to avenge their 2009 playoff loss and remain tops in the eastern division. The exams are in; let’s see how the Mariners did in their big win against the Reading Express.
Offense: A
Offensive Coordinator Mike Moyseenko and his offensive staff put together a terrific game plan, and the offensive players from the highest scoring offense in the AIFA delivered. Everyone had a big part in the success of the offense; from the great play of quarterback E.J. Nemeth, to the bruising rushing attack of Isaiah Grier, to the high flying acrobatics of wide outs Damon Harrison, Jamaal Stokes, and Aaron Yarbough; the Mariners offense was cooking in Reading. Mariners’ running back Isaiah Grier continues to cement his name as the elite running back in the AIFA, thanks to his 63 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. Mariners quarterback E.J. Nemeth passed for 121 yards and two touchdowns, completing 12 of 25 pass attempts. Jamaal Stokes was the leading receiver for the Mariners offense, hauling in six catches for 38 yards. Wide receivers Aaron Yarbough and Damon Harrison had one touchdown each to add to the scoring onslaught. Let’s not forget the offensive line, as they not only paved the way for 72 total rushing yards from Grier and Nemeth, but also allowed zero sacks on the day. Gus Kosmakos, Marcus Stout, and Jeff Tyler make up the giant wall that keeps defenders away from quarterback E.J. Nemeth, and they should be recognized for their efforts.
Defense: A
What more can you say about the Mariners 3rd ranked defense other than, WOW! Mariners Defensive Coordinator Steve Gaunt knew that the key to success for his defense was to put constant pressure on Express quarterback Rob Flowers, and that’s exactly what we saw last Saturday night. The Mariners defense allowed a mere 10 yards rushing and just 111 yards through the air. The defense protected their house, and only allowed the Reading offense to reach the red zone one time. The Mariners front three did an excellent job of applying constant pressure of Flowers all game long. Mariner’s defensive lineman Melik Brown managed to bring down Flowers twice, with a little help from linebacker Adam Goloboski on one sack play. Daniel Orlebar and Fearon Wright could smell blood, and while they did not bring down Flowers, they still applied pressure to the all-pro quarterback. We all know that applying pressure leads to interceptions, and the Mariners forced three interceptions last Saturday night. Mariners linebacker Brian Bradford picked off the first pass, which was returned to the five yard line, fumbled in the end zone, and recovered by guess who…Brian Bradford. Jermaine Thaxton picked off his second pass of the season, and Richard Johnson contributed to the collection of interceptions, picking off his 5th pass on the year.
Special Teams: A
There is no tougher position than that of a kicker in professional football. Sometimes, the weight of the game lies on your shoulders, and you must contain with elements on the field that could impede your progress. Kickers from the National Football League have to contend with wind, rain, and snow, but arena football kickers have to deal with low ceilings, hanging lights, and other objects in the arena. All I can say is, thank goodness we have all-pro kicker J.R. Cipra with our Baltimore Mariners. Despite all of these obstacles, kicker J.R. Cipra continues to impress Mariner fans with his strong leg and his ability to adapt to his environment. The leading scorer in the AIFA connected on three field goals, and was perfect on extra points all game. Kickoff returner Armar Watson set up the Mariners in good field position, as he returned one kickoff for as long as 24 yards.
As you can see, the Baltimore Mariners once again made the Dwayne’s List for their straight A performance. Baltimore wraps up their three game road trip with an all-important game in Fayetteville against the Guard. The players and coaching staff for Fayetteville Guard remembers the shutout that embarrassed them in Baltimore, and they will look to break the Mariners winning streak. The only problem with trying to break this team; the Mariners don’t break and will not break!
Do you see the fog clearing, Mariner fans? I see light in the distance! I can’t quite make out what it is, but it might be the one thing we’ve been striving to obtain all season. Full steam ahead to Fayetteville!
For more information, go to www.baltimoremariners.com
