Post by marinersmedia on Jul 7, 2010 13:05:53 GMT -5
Baltimore 7-0 at 1st Mariner This Season, 16-2 over Two-Year Stretch
BALTIMORE, MD (July 7, 2010) – The numbers can be quite intimidating for opponents visiting 1st Mariner Arena to play the Baltimore Mariners. The Mariners are 7-0 in Baltimore this season, 13-1 at home dating back to the start of the 2009 season, and 16-2 at 1st Marnier Arena since May 10, 2008.
Their opponent in this week’s American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) Eastern Conference Championship, the Harrisburg Stampede are 0-2 at 1st Mariner Arena dropping a tight 58-55 decision to the Mariners in June 2009 and then being throttled 50-17 on May 2nd of this season.
Mariners’ Head Coach Chris Simpson noted, “Home field is what we strived for all season. I believe there is a definite advantage in playing in Baltimore. 1st Mariner has become a tough place for opponents to beat us. There are a lot of different factors that attribute to that success such as our fans and our pregame routine.”
Despite the obvious home field advantage Simpson says the Mariners are not taking the Stampede for granted, “Harrisburg is a good football team and every game we have played against them has been a dog fight. I expect more of the same this weekend. We are very familiar with each other’s schemes. We simply need to focus on our execution and the outcome of the game will take care of itself. This is not a game we are taking lightly.”
In Harrisburg the Mariners are facing a team riding a six-game win streak since inserting Aries Nelson as the starting quarterback. Nelson took the field in relief duty in a 56-31 loss to Reading on May 22nd and has posted a 6-0 record since, including a come from behind 52-48 win over the Erie Storm in the first round of the AIFA playoffs.
Nelson must contend with a Mariners pass defense that ranks first in interceptions with 44 and applies constant pressure, leading the AIFA with 45 sacks. Led by the league’s leading interception man, Armar Watson, and veterans Richard Johnson, Desmond Maul, David Smith, and Jermaine Thaxton, Baltimore is first in pass defense efficiency with a rating of 96.
The Mariners will counter with a 14-game win streak of their own and quarterback E.J. Nemeth who has started 29 straight games for the Mariners, is 23-6 at the helm, and is riding a personal 11-0 streak at home. In his fourth season of professional football, Nemeth had a breakout season with 52 touchdown passes against only ten interceptions and 2,333 yards passing. He also added eight rushing touchdowns.
Nemeth will rely on a corps of receivers who have now played together for three seasons with the Mariners. Scorpio Brown, Jamaal Stokes, and Aaron Yarbough have totaled 91 touchdown receptions, 376 receptions, and 4,592 receiving yards for Baltimore. Rookie Damon Harrison became a valuable fourth receiver with six touchdowns and 160 receiving yards. Nemeth was also protected well by a veteran line of Gus Kosmakos, Jeff Tyler, and Mark Stout, who allowed only 8 sacks; a league leading total.
Nemeth will face a Harrisburg pass defense which is ranked second in the AIFA in efficiency with a rating of 117.9 and third in interceptions (36), but has not applied as much pressure ranking 10th in the 13-team AIFA with 22 sacks.
One of the biggest battles of the day may feature two of the league’s top running backs. In 2010 the Mariners’ Isaiah Grier led all backs with 30 rushing touchdowns, 37 total touchdowns, and 565 rushing yards. Harrisburg’s Eugene Goodman ranked second in rushing touchdowns (23) and total touchdowns (28) and finished third in rushing yards with 335. Grier also led the league in rushing (514 yards) last season.
Both backs will face one of the league’s top defensive units with the Mariners and Stampede, ranked one and two, respectively, in rushing defense. With defensive ends Melik Brown and Fearon Wright, nose tackle Daniel Orlebar, and linebackers Brian Bradford and Adam Goloboski, and help from lineman Adam Foley the Mariners allowed only 10.6 rushing yards per game and only 12 rushing touchdowns all season.
Harrisburg ranked second in the AIFA allowing only 18.3 rushing yards per game. Their defense ranked tenth in passing defense (181.1 yards per game) and sixth in total defense (199.4 yards per game) and scoring defense (39.4 points per game).
The Mariners should also continue to operate on all cylinders as kicker J.R. Cipra, who led the league in extra points (100), field goals (17), unos (21), and kicking points (172) will be teeing it up for Baltimore. Harrisburg will be relying on kicker Phil Marfuggi, a mid-season addition.
If Baltimore’s impressive home stats weren’t enough, home teams have also ruled the playoffs in the AIFA’s four seasons, going 16-3. If history holds true, 1st Mariner Arena should look like home sweet home to the Mariners on Saturday night.
- John Wolfe
For more information about the Baltimore Mariners go to www.baltimoremariners.com.
BALTIMORE, MD (July 7, 2010) – The numbers can be quite intimidating for opponents visiting 1st Mariner Arena to play the Baltimore Mariners. The Mariners are 7-0 in Baltimore this season, 13-1 at home dating back to the start of the 2009 season, and 16-2 at 1st Marnier Arena since May 10, 2008.
Their opponent in this week’s American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) Eastern Conference Championship, the Harrisburg Stampede are 0-2 at 1st Mariner Arena dropping a tight 58-55 decision to the Mariners in June 2009 and then being throttled 50-17 on May 2nd of this season.
Mariners’ Head Coach Chris Simpson noted, “Home field is what we strived for all season. I believe there is a definite advantage in playing in Baltimore. 1st Mariner has become a tough place for opponents to beat us. There are a lot of different factors that attribute to that success such as our fans and our pregame routine.”
Despite the obvious home field advantage Simpson says the Mariners are not taking the Stampede for granted, “Harrisburg is a good football team and every game we have played against them has been a dog fight. I expect more of the same this weekend. We are very familiar with each other’s schemes. We simply need to focus on our execution and the outcome of the game will take care of itself. This is not a game we are taking lightly.”
In Harrisburg the Mariners are facing a team riding a six-game win streak since inserting Aries Nelson as the starting quarterback. Nelson took the field in relief duty in a 56-31 loss to Reading on May 22nd and has posted a 6-0 record since, including a come from behind 52-48 win over the Erie Storm in the first round of the AIFA playoffs.
Nelson must contend with a Mariners pass defense that ranks first in interceptions with 44 and applies constant pressure, leading the AIFA with 45 sacks. Led by the league’s leading interception man, Armar Watson, and veterans Richard Johnson, Desmond Maul, David Smith, and Jermaine Thaxton, Baltimore is first in pass defense efficiency with a rating of 96.
The Mariners will counter with a 14-game win streak of their own and quarterback E.J. Nemeth who has started 29 straight games for the Mariners, is 23-6 at the helm, and is riding a personal 11-0 streak at home. In his fourth season of professional football, Nemeth had a breakout season with 52 touchdown passes against only ten interceptions and 2,333 yards passing. He also added eight rushing touchdowns.
Nemeth will rely on a corps of receivers who have now played together for three seasons with the Mariners. Scorpio Brown, Jamaal Stokes, and Aaron Yarbough have totaled 91 touchdown receptions, 376 receptions, and 4,592 receiving yards for Baltimore. Rookie Damon Harrison became a valuable fourth receiver with six touchdowns and 160 receiving yards. Nemeth was also protected well by a veteran line of Gus Kosmakos, Jeff Tyler, and Mark Stout, who allowed only 8 sacks; a league leading total.
Nemeth will face a Harrisburg pass defense which is ranked second in the AIFA in efficiency with a rating of 117.9 and third in interceptions (36), but has not applied as much pressure ranking 10th in the 13-team AIFA with 22 sacks.
One of the biggest battles of the day may feature two of the league’s top running backs. In 2010 the Mariners’ Isaiah Grier led all backs with 30 rushing touchdowns, 37 total touchdowns, and 565 rushing yards. Harrisburg’s Eugene Goodman ranked second in rushing touchdowns (23) and total touchdowns (28) and finished third in rushing yards with 335. Grier also led the league in rushing (514 yards) last season.
Both backs will face one of the league’s top defensive units with the Mariners and Stampede, ranked one and two, respectively, in rushing defense. With defensive ends Melik Brown and Fearon Wright, nose tackle Daniel Orlebar, and linebackers Brian Bradford and Adam Goloboski, and help from lineman Adam Foley the Mariners allowed only 10.6 rushing yards per game and only 12 rushing touchdowns all season.
Harrisburg ranked second in the AIFA allowing only 18.3 rushing yards per game. Their defense ranked tenth in passing defense (181.1 yards per game) and sixth in total defense (199.4 yards per game) and scoring defense (39.4 points per game).
The Mariners should also continue to operate on all cylinders as kicker J.R. Cipra, who led the league in extra points (100), field goals (17), unos (21), and kicking points (172) will be teeing it up for Baltimore. Harrisburg will be relying on kicker Phil Marfuggi, a mid-season addition.
If Baltimore’s impressive home stats weren’t enough, home teams have also ruled the playoffs in the AIFA’s four seasons, going 16-3. If history holds true, 1st Mariner Arena should look like home sweet home to the Mariners on Saturday night.
- John Wolfe
For more information about the Baltimore Mariners go to www.baltimoremariners.com.