Post by marinersmedia on May 12, 2010 13:42:55 GMT -5
Baltimore Can Tie Record with 9-0 Start, Proud Fayetteville Looks for Upset
BALTIMORE, MD (May 12, 2010) – Baltimore certainly has experienced its share of football joy with Super Bowl championships by the Colts and Ravens and league championships by the Stallions (CFL) and Stars (USFL). Baltimore also has familiarity with the pain of a “sure thing” gone wrong. Games such as the Colts loss to the Jets in Super Bowl III and the Ravens heartbreaking playoff collapse against the Indy Colts following the 2006 season, still provide Baltimore fans many painful memories.
Now the Baltimore Mariners (8-0) sit atop the indoor football world. They are one win away from tying the Wyoming Cavalry’s record for best start (9-0) in American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) history. To get that win, they must face a Fayetteville Guard team that they have defeated by a combined 150-19 score in two games. Could this be an infamous “trap game?”
Despite their shortcomings against the Mariners this year, the Guard is a team with a proud indoor football tradition. Now in their eighth season, the Guard has made the playoffs in four of the last five seasons. In one two-year period (2006-2007) they were a combined 28-1 and won the national championship in 2007. After a down season in 2008 (5-9) they rebounded last season and earned a playoff berth with an 8-6 record.
The 2010 season, however, has been a different story as they have stumbled to a 2-6 record; their lone wins coming against the winless New Jersey Revolution (0-7).
Despite the Guard’s record this season and the Mariners success against Fayetteville, Mariners Head Coach Chris Simpson does not see this game as a guaranteed win, “To me, there are no sure wins and there are no easy victories. I don't believe that you can ‘just walk onto the field’ and be assured a win. As a team, we must execute. It doesn't matter if we've previously beaten a team by 100 points or by one point. There is no place for complacency on this team. I don't expect any team, including Fayetteville, to roll over just because we have beaten them soundly in the past.”
In predicting a winner of this game it is hard not to look at the Mariners impressive overall record and the staggering statistics of many of its players. The Mariners feature the league’s number one ranked scoring offense (65 points per game) and number two scoring defense; allowing just 26.1 points a game. They also continue to lead the AIFA with an amazing +26 turnover margin and their roster is dotted with league leaders.
Running back Isaiah Grier leads the league in rushing yards (273), rushing touchdowns (17), total touchdowns (22), and points (132). Quarterback E.J. Nemeth ranks fourth in passing efficiency (102.8 rating), and is fifth in passing yards (1,367) and passing touchdowns (27).
On the defensive side of the ball, Armar Watson continues his two-year run as the league’s top interception man with ten pickoffs, lineman Melik Brown ranks second in the AIFA with nine sacks, while Adam Goloboski and Fearon Wright are close behind with 6.5 takedowns. Defensive back Jermaine Thaxton also is among the league leaders, tallying 24.5 tackles; good enough for tenth in the AIFA standings.
For the Guard the bright spots statistically have been wide receiver/kick returner Walter Ford who ranks second in the league with a 19.9 kick return average and lineman Clent Cochran who is tied for third in the AIFA with seven sacks and ranks eighth with 7.5 tackles for a loss.
In addition to Fayetteville’s top performers, the Mariners also face some roster challenges as two key players, starting linemen Jeff Tyler and league-leading kicker J.R. Cipra will be unable to suit up. Despite the losses, Coach Simpson is not concerned about his roster this week. “Anytime you lose a couple of key players, it affects your team. However, it gives some of our backups an opportunity to get some quality playing time. We've dealt with injuries all season long and players have stepped up and played very well.”
Late Thursday night Baltimore Mariners fans can either celebrate another record performance by their team or seek comfort after an upset. Prior performance this season points toward a Mariners win, but as Coach Simpson said, there is no such thing as a “guaranteed win.”
For more information about the Baltimore Mariners go to www.baltimoremariners.com.
BALTIMORE, MD (May 12, 2010) – Baltimore certainly has experienced its share of football joy with Super Bowl championships by the Colts and Ravens and league championships by the Stallions (CFL) and Stars (USFL). Baltimore also has familiarity with the pain of a “sure thing” gone wrong. Games such as the Colts loss to the Jets in Super Bowl III and the Ravens heartbreaking playoff collapse against the Indy Colts following the 2006 season, still provide Baltimore fans many painful memories.
Now the Baltimore Mariners (8-0) sit atop the indoor football world. They are one win away from tying the Wyoming Cavalry’s record for best start (9-0) in American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) history. To get that win, they must face a Fayetteville Guard team that they have defeated by a combined 150-19 score in two games. Could this be an infamous “trap game?”
Despite their shortcomings against the Mariners this year, the Guard is a team with a proud indoor football tradition. Now in their eighth season, the Guard has made the playoffs in four of the last five seasons. In one two-year period (2006-2007) they were a combined 28-1 and won the national championship in 2007. After a down season in 2008 (5-9) they rebounded last season and earned a playoff berth with an 8-6 record.
The 2010 season, however, has been a different story as they have stumbled to a 2-6 record; their lone wins coming against the winless New Jersey Revolution (0-7).
Despite the Guard’s record this season and the Mariners success against Fayetteville, Mariners Head Coach Chris Simpson does not see this game as a guaranteed win, “To me, there are no sure wins and there are no easy victories. I don't believe that you can ‘just walk onto the field’ and be assured a win. As a team, we must execute. It doesn't matter if we've previously beaten a team by 100 points or by one point. There is no place for complacency on this team. I don't expect any team, including Fayetteville, to roll over just because we have beaten them soundly in the past.”
In predicting a winner of this game it is hard not to look at the Mariners impressive overall record and the staggering statistics of many of its players. The Mariners feature the league’s number one ranked scoring offense (65 points per game) and number two scoring defense; allowing just 26.1 points a game. They also continue to lead the AIFA with an amazing +26 turnover margin and their roster is dotted with league leaders.
Running back Isaiah Grier leads the league in rushing yards (273), rushing touchdowns (17), total touchdowns (22), and points (132). Quarterback E.J. Nemeth ranks fourth in passing efficiency (102.8 rating), and is fifth in passing yards (1,367) and passing touchdowns (27).
On the defensive side of the ball, Armar Watson continues his two-year run as the league’s top interception man with ten pickoffs, lineman Melik Brown ranks second in the AIFA with nine sacks, while Adam Goloboski and Fearon Wright are close behind with 6.5 takedowns. Defensive back Jermaine Thaxton also is among the league leaders, tallying 24.5 tackles; good enough for tenth in the AIFA standings.
For the Guard the bright spots statistically have been wide receiver/kick returner Walter Ford who ranks second in the league with a 19.9 kick return average and lineman Clent Cochran who is tied for third in the AIFA with seven sacks and ranks eighth with 7.5 tackles for a loss.
In addition to Fayetteville’s top performers, the Mariners also face some roster challenges as two key players, starting linemen Jeff Tyler and league-leading kicker J.R. Cipra will be unable to suit up. Despite the losses, Coach Simpson is not concerned about his roster this week. “Anytime you lose a couple of key players, it affects your team. However, it gives some of our backups an opportunity to get some quality playing time. We've dealt with injuries all season long and players have stepped up and played very well.”
Late Thursday night Baltimore Mariners fans can either celebrate another record performance by their team or seek comfort after an upset. Prior performance this season points toward a Mariners win, but as Coach Simpson said, there is no such thing as a “guaranteed win.”
For more information about the Baltimore Mariners go to www.baltimoremariners.com.
