Battle on the Gridiron: April 2016

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Rattlers Defeat the Sharks in Overtime, 75-68

April 24,2016

Jacksonville - The five time World Champion Arizona Rattlers (4-0) triumphed over the Sharks in overtime Saturday night at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida by a score of 75-68 in front of 8,354 fans.
The Rattlers and the Sharks was unable to decide the game in 60-minutes, and had to play some bonus time, with Arizona coming out on top. This was the first time the Rattlers have had to play in overtime since the first game of the 2014 season (45 games).
On offense, Rattlers Quarterback Nick Davila earned the J. Lewis Small Playmaker of the Game award for throwing for 390 yards and eight touchdowns. He did, however, throw his first two interceptions of the season. Fullback Mykel Benson had another all-arena type game rushing for 29 yards (4.1 yards per rush) and three touchdowns.
Defensively, the Rattlers came up big late in the game, with a forced fumble on a late fourth quarter kickoff by linebacker / wide receiver Kerry Reed, and an interception by Arkeith Brown in overtime to end the game. Allen Chapman also had a big game, tallying 5.5 tackles and 3 pass breakups. Chapman earned the Riddell Defensive Player of the Game.
It was a seesaw battle through much of the first half, with the Rattlers scoring, and the Sharks responding. The first quarter featured back to back rushing touchdowns, first by Arizona’s fullback Mykel Benson, followed up by Jacksonville’s fullback Derrick Ross. Rattlers quarterback Nick Davila ended the scoring in the first half with a 41-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Maurice Purify.

The second quarter began with a seven yard touchdown pass from Shark’s quarterback Tommy Grady to wide receiver Anthony Jones. Davila responded with a six yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Rod Windsor. Grady once again knotted the game up with a 14-yard pass once again to Jones for six.
The Rattlers were temporarily able to put some distance between themselves and the Sharks when Benson was able to score on a two yard rush. Arizona was then able to force a four and out, and on the next play, Davila threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Purify.
The Sharks were able to get back in the game with a last second touchdown pass from Grady to wide receiver Joe Hills, which was the Cutters Catch of the Game. Hills also earned the Under Armour Offensive Player of the Game Award. The Rattlers led at halftime 34-27.
The third quarter belonged to Jacksonville. It started with a quick 35-yard strike from Grady to Hills for the score. Four plays later, Davila was intercepted for the first time this season by defensive back LaRoche Jackson. The Sharks were then able to capitalize with a 33-yard touchdown rush by Ross, taking their first lead of the game.
The Rattlers were able to close out the third with a four yard touchdown pass from Davila to Purify. The third quarter ended with both teams equal at 41.
The two teams again traded blows in the fourth, with the Sharks scoring three touchdowns on passes from Grady to Hills, and the Rattlers scoring on three passes from Davila to Windsor (2) and Purify (1). With 53 seconds to go, the game was all tied up at 62.
On the Sharks next drive, Tommy Grady threw a 9 yard pass with 35 seconds left in the game to Joe Hills for the touchdown to take the lead. However, the Jacksonville kicker Marco Capozzoli missed the extra point, opening the door for the Rattlers. On the ensuing possession, Mykel Benson rushed in for his third touchdown of the night, but Rattlers’ kicker Kenny Spencer also missed the point after. On the next kickoff, Rattlers linebacker Reed forced Sharks return man David Hyland to fumble the ball, and was recovered by defensive back Marquis Floyd.
With a short field, the Rattlers looked to end the game, when Davila threw his second interception of the game in the end zone with six seconds remaining. In an attempt to end the game, the Sharks tried a hook and lateral, which was fumbled by Hills, and recovered by Reed, who returned it to Jacksonville’s 6-yard line. However, the clock showed all zeros and the game would go into overtime with a score of 68-68.
The Sharks won the toss but differed, kicking the ball off to the Rattlers. The Rattlers would capitalize, scoring in five plays with a pass from Davila to Purify.
Jacksonville would not be able to respond, when on fourth down, Brown would intercept a pass from Grady to end the game.
The Rattlers will return to Phoenix, Ariz. next Saturday, April 30th and face the Portland Steel for the second time this season. Arizona opened the season with an 80-28 win in Portland. The game will take place at the Talking Stick Resort Arena at 6:00 p.m. PDT, and will be nationally televised on the CBS Sports Network.
Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 OT Score
Arizona 13 21 7 27 7 75
Jacksonville 7 20 14 27 0 68
Under Armour Offensive Player of the Game: Joe Hills (JAX)

Riddell Defensive Player of the Game: Allen Chapman (AZ)

J. Lewis Small Playmaker of the Game: Nick Davila (AZ)

Cutters Catch of the Game: Joe Hills (JAX) 4 Yard TD Pass to end the Half.

AFL Highlight of the Game: Derrick Ross (JAX) 33 Yard TD Run.

LA KISS Cannot Overcome Costly Turnovers in Orlando

April 23,2016

Orlando - The LA KISS (2-2) were unable to overcome four turnovers and a botched kick and were defeated by the Orlando Predators (4-0) by a score of 43 to 40 in front of 10,127 fans at the Amway Center on Saturday evening.
LA KISS quarterback Nathan Stanley led the offensive attack by completing 27 of 41 passes for 297 yards and 5 touchdowns. DJ Stephens continued his stellar play, catching 10 passes for 137 yards and three touchdowns. Brandon Collins added seven receptions for 62 yards. Donovan Morgan tallied six receptions for 54 yards and two touchdowns.
Orlando Predators quarterback Randall Hippeard completed 22 of 32 pass attempts for 273 yards, while throwing five touchdowns and two interceptions. Brandon Thompkins led the Predators offense with seven catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns. Lamark Brown caught six passes for 72 yards and a touchdown.
Fredrick Obi led the LA KISS defense with five tackles and one interception. Rayshaun Kizer added three tackles and an interception. Kent Richardson led the Predators defense with 11 total tackles. Willie McGinis added three tackles and two sacks.
After returning the opening kickoff, the LA KISS got on the scoreboard first when Rory Nixon scored on a one-yard touchdown run. The Kevin Goessling kick was good making the score 7-0 with 10:13 remaining in the quarter. Then Hippeard found Brown for a two-yard touchdown. After a Mark Lewis found the uprights, the score was even at seven. On the first play of the following possession, Varmah Sonie intercepted Stanley’s pass. Orlando capitalized on the LA KISS turnover when Hippeard hit Carr for an 11-yard touchdown. After an unsuccessful point after, the score was 13-7. Then the LA KISS capped off a five-play drive with an eight-yard touchdown reception from Stanley to Stephens. Goessling’s point after was good and the LA KISS regained the lead with 18 seconds left in the period. At the end of the quarter, the LA KISS led by a score of 14-13.

Orlando led off the second quarter with a Hippeard to Thompkins 22-yard touchdown. Brown missed his second straight point after and the Predators led 19-14. The LA KISS countered with a 33-yard touchdown pass from Stanley to Stephens. The point after was good making the score 21-19. On the ensuing possession, Orlando settled for a 22-yard Lewis field goal and retook the lead. After a Stanley interception, the Predators were unable to find the end zone as time expired. Orlando led at halftime by a score of 22-21.
Hippeard connected with Brackins for a 5-yard touchdown to start the third quarter. A successful Lewis kick gave the Predators a 29-21 lead. Orlando extended their lead to 15 after Hippeard found Thompkins for a 44-yard touchdown pass. The LA KISS botched the ensuing kickoff. After Brackins recovered the ball in the end zone, Lewis’ kick was good and the Gladiators led by 22 points. At the end of the third quarter, the score was 43-21.
On the first drive of the fourth quarter, Stephens scored on a 15-yard pass from Stanley to limit the LA KISS deficit to 15 points. Then Hippeard and Stanley threw interceptions on back-to-back possessions. After an Orlando turnover on downs, Stanley connected with Morgan for a six-yard touchdown. The LA KISS were unable to convert a two-point conversion and the Predators led by nine points with two minutes remaining. Following a successful onside kick, Morgan caught a 22-yard touchdown from Stanley. The point after was no good and the score was 43-40. The LA KISS magic ran out and were unable to convert a second straight onside kick. The final scoreboard had the Orlando Predators beating the LA KISS by a score of 43 to 40.
Next week, the LA KISS will welcome the Philadelphia Soul to the Honda Center on Monday, May 2nd. Kickoff for the first installment of the ‘Rocks vs. Jocks’ rivalry will be at 7:00 pm. The game will be broadcast on Univision Deportes and be available to streamed online via WatchESPN and ESPN 3.
Postgame Awards:
Under Armour Player of the Game: Orlando QB Randy Hippeard
Riddell Defensive Player of the Game: Orlando DB Varmah Sonie
J. Lewis Small Player of the Game: Orlando WR Brandon Thompkins
Cutters Catch of the Game: 33-yard touchdown reception by LA WR DJ Stephens (Q2 | 10:34)
AFL Highlight of the Game: CLE - 44-yard TD reception by Orlando WR Brandon Thompkins (Q3 | 5:02)

Gladiators Start Fast, But Fall to the Soul, 67-50

Raudabaugh's eight TD's sink Cleveland in first road game

April 23,2016
Philadelphia - In their first road contest of the season, the Cleveland Gladiators started fast but ultimately fell to the Philadelphia Soul Saturday afternoon in front of 7,057 fans at Wells Fargo Center, 67-50. Soul quarterback Dan Raudabaugh threw for 315 yards and eight touchdowns while wide receiver Darius Reynolds hauled in ten passes for 114 yards and three scores. Wide receivers Thyron Lewis, Collin Taylor, and Quentin Sims each found the end zone in the Gladiators loss.
The Gladiators opened the scoring with a three-play 35 yard drive, capped off by a two-yard scoring draw from quarterback Dennis Havrilla. On the ensuing possession, Raudabaugh would answer for the Soul, finding wide receiver Shaun Kauleinamoku for a nine-yard touchdown to even the score, 7-7. On the following drive the Cleveland offense, set-up by a 27-yard catch and run from Phillipkeith Manley, pulled ahead 14-7 on another Havrilla touchdown run, this time from one-yard out to reclaim the lead 14-7.
Both teams continued to trade touchdowns to open the second quarter as Philadelphia marched eight-plays and 47 yards capped off by a two-yard touchdown from former Gladiator Jeramie Richardson. Kicker Pat Clarke’s missed extra point kept Cleveland in front 14-13, with 11:27 remaining in the half. After Manley scored for the Gladiators on a four-yard rush to go up 21-13, defensive back Marvin Ross intercepted his first pass of his AFL career and returned it 30 yards to extend the Cleveland lead to 28-13 with 6:24 remaining in the second quarter.

Raudabaugh and the Soul offense would recover as wide receiver Ryan McDaniel was left all alone in the end zone for a six-yard touchdown catch. However, another missed extra point from Clarke kept it a two-score game, 28-19. After a Gladiators turnover on downs, Raudabaugh would find Reynolds in the back corner of the end zone for his first of three touchdowns, an 11-yarder, to close the gap to 28-26 at the end of the half.
The Soul received the second-half kick-off and only took two plays to get in the end zone, as Raudabaugh connected with Reynolds for a 13-yard score, his second of the game, to give Philadelphia its first lead of the game. A third missed extra point made the score 32-28. The lead didn’t last long as Havrilla would hook up with Lewis for a 35-yard score, giving the Gladiators the lead once again, 35-32.
On the following drive, Reynolds would find pay dirt for the third time, a six-yarder from Raudabaugh, to give the lead back to the Soul, 39-35 with 6:05 left in the third quarter. After Havrilla was intercepted by jack linebacker Joe Goosby on the next drive, the Soul would score once again as Richardson would plunge into the end zone from two-yards out, his second score of the game, increasing their lead to 46-35 with 1:50 left in the third quarter.
With Havrilla leaving the game due to injury on the interception, jack linebacker Arvell Nelson stepped under center and hit Sims for his first catch and touchdown as a Gladiator, a 16-yarder. A successful two-point conversion from Nelson to Lewis closed the gap to 46-43 with 13:25 remaining in the game. The Soul responded on the next possession, with Raudabaugh tossing a six-yard touchdown pass to McDaniel to bump their lead to 53-43 with 10:29 left. Nelson would answer quickly, finding Taylor on the first play of the ensuing drive for a 35-yard touchdown. Kicker Adrian Trevino’s extra point pulled Cleveland to within 53-50 with 9:02 remaining. That was as close as the Gladiators would get as Raudabaugh would cap the scoring with touchdown throws of seven and 45 yards to Kauleinamoku and wide receiver Chris Duvalt, respectively, resulting in the 67-50 Philadelphia victory.
Up next for the Gladiators is a home date with the Orlando Predators next Friday at 7:00 p.m. for Cedar Point Youth Sports Night. The game can be heard live on 92.3 The Fan.
Post-Game awards:
Offensive Player of the Game: PHI, #7, Darius Reynolds (WR), 10 receptions, 114 yards, three touchdowns
Defensive Player of the Game: PHI, #8 Jake Metz (DL), four tackles
Playmaker: PHI, #5, Dan Raudabaugh (QB), 26/31 for 315 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and one interception
Catch: PHI, #7, Darius Reynolds (WR), leaping touchdown catch over the wall in the third quarter
Highlight: PHI, #6, Joe Goosby (JLB), 7-yard interception return in the 3rd quarter

SOUL HIGHLIGHT 100TH REGULAR-SEASON VICTORY

Winning a Constant in Soul's Short History

April 21,2016

PHILADELPHIA -- When the Philadelphia Soul defeated the Portland Steel last Sunday, it marked the team's 100th regular season win in franchise history. A feat that was captured in just over 10 seasons of play.
When rock legend Jon Bon Jovi and Craig A. Spencer founded the franchise entering the 2004 season, expectations were simple, win! Philadelphia fans are passionate and they show their hearts on their sleeves.
"When we bought the team in 2003, we knew the only way for us to survive is to win, and win a lot," said co-majority owner Craig Spencer. "We're proud of what we have accomplished to date, but also know we have a lot more to accomplish."
While the team got off to a slow start in their first two seasons of play, the Soul showed it was serious about getting to the next level as one of the top teams in the AFL by targeting the most prolific free agent on the market: quarterback Tony Graziani. The Soul signed Graziani to the largest contract in AFL history and that was the starting point of success for the Soul.
"In the Arena Football League, it all starts with the quarterback position," said Soul co-majority owner Ron Jaworski. "We wanted to be the best, so we went out and got the best quarterback in the league as soon as we had an opportunity to do so."
Investing in Graziani had paid off, as the quarterback was able to lead the Soul to their first playoff appearance in 2006. In the first round of the playoffs, Graziani led the Soul to their first playoff win, a 52-35 victory over the Austin Wranglers. The following week they fell to the Orlando Predators in a closely contested 31-27 loss, but the organization was headed in the right direction.
The 2006 season propelled the Soul into the upper echelon of AFL teams for the next few seasons. The team qualified for the playoffs yet again in 2007, but were bounced in the second round for the second straight season. Then, in 2008, the Soul went on a historic run.
In the offseason leading up to the 2008 season, the Soul acquired former Rookie of the Year (2003) and Offensive Player of the Year (2006) wide receiver Chris Jackson. The added firepower at the receiving core was what the Soul thought they would need to get them over the early playoff hump and into ArenaBowl.
In Week 3 of the 2008 season, Graziani left late in the game after being hit to the knee. His season was all but over, and many thought so too were the Soul's chances of making a run at a title. But then, backup quarterback Matt D'Orazio answered the bell in the weeks to come. Graziani's injury was the start of a trend in the Soul locker room, as numerous key players felt the woes of the injury bug in the coming weeks.
D'Orazio went down in Week 10 a hobbled Graziani stepped in for the injured quarterback. However, Graziani was not fully recovered from his own knee injury and by the end of the game he had re-aggravated his injured knee, forcing him to be placed on the injured reserve. That same week defensive lineman Bryan Save suffered an arm injury and both defensive back Mike Brown and linebacker Rod Davis did not play in Week 10 due to injury.
Then came the bye week, allowing the injured players to rest up, and all were ready to return the following week against Dallas. Graziani was back under center to start the game, but suffered a concussion forcing D'Orazio to step in at quarterback yet again. The team rallied around their backup quarterback, and finished the year with three straight wins to clinch the best record in the league and secure home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Soul were tested yet again in the first round of the playoffs. The New York Dragons held a 48-42 lead late in the fourth quarter. D'Orazio led his team down the field, and in the waning seconds completed a pass to Larry Brackins for the game winning touchdown and a chance to win the conference championship.
The Soul doubled the Cleveland Gladiators score 70-35 in the National Conference Championship game, securing their first spot in ArenaBowl. Reigning ArenaBowl champions, the San Jose Sabercats were the Soul's opponent, and the Soul were up to the task, defeating the SaberCats 59-56. D'Orazio was named ArenaBowl MVP.
Just as the Soul were reaching their peak, the AFL folded, suspending operations for the 2009 season. At that point, the Soul had 41 wins in franchise history, and the idea of getting to 100 wins was a pipedream. When the AFL started up again in 2010, the Soul were not an active team. The AFL reached out to the organization and former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski who was previously a minority owner of the team as well as the team president, partnered with Spencer to form the new ownership group. Pete Ciarrocchi, owner of Chickie's and Pete's, Cosmo DeNicola and Marty Judge also joined the Soul ownership group.
In the first season back after a two-year hiatus, the Soul finished with a record of 6-12. That finish once again prompted the Soul to sign a prolific AFL quarterback this time they brought in Dan Raudabaugh, the 2015 AFL MVP, who was tutored by AFL Hall of Fame quarterback Clint Dolezel, currently the Soul head coach.
In the two seasons that followed the 2011 restart, the team won a total of 27 games in the regular season and won the American Conference Championship both seasons. However, they lost in both the 2012 and 2013 ArenaBowls, the Soul proved they could bounce back quickly after two years of inactivity.
After a disappointing 2014 season where the Soul posted a record of 9-9 and were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round, the team bounced back in 2015. Last season they tied a franchise record with 15 regular season wins, finishing the season with 98 wins in franchise history.
This season, the Soul traveled to Cleveland in Week 1, and disposed of the Gladiators 69-41 for the franchise's 99th victory. In Week 3, the Soul pounced on the Portland Steel 70-32, securing a 2-1 record on the season, securing their historic 100th victory in franchise history!
The winningest pro franchise in Philadelphia since their inaugural season in 2004 (winning percentage) the Soul can now check another milestone off its list. However, getting to 100 wins was not the team's ultimate goal. Wins are nice, but every year the goal is to win it all. The 100th win was simply a byproduct of their goal of winning another ArenaBowl Championship.
While the league has endured some tough times the past few seasons since the restart in 2010, the momentum is now swinging in a positive direction under the direction of new league commissioner Scott Butera. Recent AFL news has included a national partnership with Geico, a broadcast partnership with Univision has been added to the ESPN, CBS Sports Network, and expansion in Washington DC with Monumental Sports, optimism is in the air for the 29 year-old league.
"Great things are about to happen in the Arena Football League," said Ron Jaworski. "You will see significant growth in this league in the coming years, and the great thing is, no matter how many teams there will be in this league, the Soul will continue to be a consistent winner. We feel we have a great shot this season to bring home our second ArenaBowl championship."
The Soul look for win number 101 this Saturday, April 23 at 4pm, at the Wells Fargo Center. The Soul take on conference rival, the Cleveland Gladiators. The game will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network, and 97.5 The Fanatic.
ABOUT Philadelphia Soul The 2015 Eastern Division Champion Philadelphia Soul are in their 11th Season of play. In the first ten seasons, the Soul have won four Division Championships, three Conference Championships and a World Championship. Since the inaugural season in 2004, the Soul are the winningest professional sports team in Philadelphia. Season memberships and Group tickets for the Soul's upcoming 2016 season are on sale now. For tickets, contact the Soul sales department at (215) 253-4900 ext. 3, or request contact from a Soul representative by filling out the form on www.philadelphiasoul.com. Follow the Soul on Facebook at facebook.com/soul and Twitter at https://twitter.com/soulfootball.

AFL Scoreboard for Week 4 and Schedule for Weeks 5-8 of the 2016 regular season from ARENAFOOTBALL.COM

Week 4
04/23/16	Philadelphia 67, Cleveland 50	Philadelphia, Pa	4:00 p.m.
	Arizona 75, Jacksonville 68 ( OT )	Jacksonville, Fla.	7:00 p.m.
	Orlando 43, Los Angeles 40	Orlando, Fla.	7:30 p.m.

Week 5
04/29/16	Orlando at Cleveland	Cleveland, Ohio	7:00 p.m. ET
04/30/16	Portland at Arizona	Phoenix, Ariz.	9:00 p.m. ET
05/01/16	Jacksonville at Tampa Bay	Tampa, Fla.	2:00 p.m. ET
05/02/16	Philadelphia at Los Angeles	Anaheim, Calif.	10:00 p.m. ET

Week 6
05/06/16	Jacksonville at Cleveland	Cleveland, Ohio	7:00 p.m. ET
05/07/16	Arizona at Orlando	Orlando, Fla.	7:30 p.m. ET
	Los Angeles at Portland	Portland, Ore.	10:00 p.m. ET
05/09/16	Tampa Bay at Philadelphia	Philadelphia, Pa	7:00 p.m. ET

Week 7
05/13/16	Portland at Cleveland	Cleveland, Ohio	7:00 p.m. ET
	Tampa Bay at Orlando	Orlando, Fla.	7:30 p.m. ET
05/14/16	Arizona at Philadelphia	Philadelphia, Pa	6:30 p.m. ET

Week 8
05/21/16	Portland at Jacksonville	Jacksonville, Fla.	7:00 p.m. ET
	Orlando at Philadelphia	Philadelphia, Pa	7:30 p.m. ET
	Los Angeles at Arizona	Phoenix, Ariz.	9:00 p.m. ET
05/23/16	Cleveland at Tampa Bay	Tampa Bay, Fla.	7:30 p.m. ET

Current AFL Standings as of the games of Week 4 of the 2016 regular season from ARENAFOOTBALL.COM

Standings

NATIONAL CONFERENCE


Team	Overall	Points	Pct.	Division	Pct.	Home	Away	Streak
Arizona Rattlers	4-0-0	284-151	1.000	2-0-0	1.000	1-0	3-0	Won 4
LA KISS	2-2-0	179-193	0.500	1-1-0	0.500	1-1	1-1	Lost 1
Cleveland Gladiators	1-3-0	174-212	0.250	0-1-0	0.000	1-2	0-1	Lost 2
Portland Steel	0-3-0	110-203	0.000	0-1-0	0.000	0-1	0-2	Lost 3

(Updated April 23)
AMERICAN CONFERENCE


Team	Overall	Points	Pct.	Division	Pct.	Home	Away	Streak
Orlando Predators	4-0-0	235-171	1.000	2-0-0	1.000	2-0	2-0	Won 4
Philadelphia Soul	3-1-0	247-182	0.750	0-1-0	0.000	2-1	1-0	Won 2
Jacksonville Sharks	1-3-0	222-243	0.250	1-1-0	0.500	0-2	1-1	Lost 2
Tampa Bay Storm	0-3-0	81-177	0.000	0-1-0	0.000	0-1	0-2	Lost 3

(Updated April 23)

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Last Game Heroics Lift Predators Past Rival Sharks

April 18,2016

Orlando - The Orlando Predators (3-0) renewed their rivalry with the Jacksonville Sharks (1-2) in front of 7,835 fans at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena on Monday night. The back-and-forth battle came down to the game’s final moments as Orlando emerged with a 63-56 victory to remain perfect on the 2016 season.

The contest looked to be in jeopardy when Jacksonville recovered an onside kick to regain possession inside Orlando territory with under a minute remaining and the score tied, 56-56. In need of a big play from the defense, nose guard Terrance Taylor answered the call for the Predators as he broke through the interior and stripped Jacksonville QB Tommy Grady, recovering the loose ball to regain possession for Orlando with only 32 seconds remaining.

Two plays into the resulting drive, Hippeard dropped back and launched a deep 33-yard pass to WR Greg Carr, who secured an outstanding one-handed touchdown grab with a defender hanging on him.

Jacksonville got the ball back with 19 seconds remaining and managed to drive to Orlando’s 10, but DB Varmah Sonie broke up a pass to the end zone as time expired to seal the victory.

Randy Hippeard completed 26-of-37 pass attempts for 296 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions, adding 12 yards and two more scores on the ground. Brandon Thompkins paced the receiving corps with nine receptions for 83 yards and one touchdown and also returned a missed field goal 54 yards for a score. Making his first appearance of the season, Larry Brackins caught two passes for 37 yards and two touchdowns while adding a 12-yard kick return for a score. Greg Carr added eight receptions for 108 yards and another score.

The Predators return to the Amway Center in Week 4 to take on the LA KISS on Saturday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Tickets are available for purchase by calling 407-355-2200 or online at OrlandoPredators.com.

UNDER ARMOUR OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Jacksonville WR Joe Hills
RIDDELL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Jacksonville LB Alvin Ray Jackson
J.LEWIS SMALL PLAYMAKER OF THE GAME: Orlando WR Brandon Thompkins
CUTTERS CATCH OF THE GAME: 33-yard TD reception by Orlando WR Greg Carr (Q4 | 0:19)
AFL HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME: 54-yard missed FG return for a TD by Orlando WR Brandon Thompkins (Q2 | 0:00)

Score By Quarters 1 2 3 4 Total
Orlando Predators 0 28 7 28 63
Jacksonville Sharks 0 34 7 21 56
2nd Quarter
JAX – Ross 1 yd run (Capozzoli kick failed) 13:20.
ORL – Hippeard 1 yd run (Lewis kick) 10:09.
JAX – Ruffins 6 yd pass from Grady (Capozzoli kick) 5:32.
ORL – Brackins 28 yd pass from Hippeard (Lewis kick) 2:08.
JAX – Hills 13 yd pass from Grady (Capozzoli kick) 0:45.
ORL – 12 yd kickoff return by Brackins (Lewis kick) 0:40.
JAX – Ross 10 yd run (Capozzoli kick) 0:29.
JAX – Jackson 21 yd fumble return (Capozzoli kick) 0:25.
ORL – Thompkins 54 yd field goal return (Lewis kick) 0:00.

3rd Quarter
ORL – Hippeard 1 yd run (Lewis kick) 11:33.
JAX – Hills 8 yd pass from Grady (Capozzoli kick) 5:10.

4th Quarter
ORL – Brackins 9 yd pass from Hippeard (Lewis kick) 13:34.
JAX – Ross 1 yd run (2-PT conversion by Jackson good) 9:04.
ORL – Moore 1 yd run (Lewis kick) 5:38.
JAX – Hills 19 yd pass from Grady (Capozzoli kick) 2:11.
ORL – Thompkins 2 yd pass from Hippeard (Lewis kick) 0:42.
ORL – Carr 33 yd pass from Hippeard (Lewis kick) 0:19.

About The Orlando Predators
The Orlando Predators celebrate their 25th Anniversary in 2016 as Central Florida’s most exciting and innovative professional sports franchise. Proud members of the Arena Football League, the Predators have achieved unprecedented success on the field. Orlando has advanced to the AFL playoffs a league-leading 22 times in their history while securing seven conference championships, including two ArenaBowl Championship victories in 1998 and 2000.

Steel Drop Second Straight Contest on the Road

Lose 70-32 to the Philadelphia Soul at Wells Fargo Center

April 17,2016
Philadelphia - Philadelphia, Pa. – The Portland Steel drop their second straight road contest and lose to the Philadelphia Soul 70-32 in front of 8,782 fans at Wells Fargo Center on Sunday afternoon. The Steel (0-3) were unable to recover from a first half where they put six points on the scoreboard. The Soul (2-1) score nine touchdowns on ten possessions and add a defensive touchdown to cap the scoring for the game.
After a slow start to the game, Steel quarterback Danny Southwick completed 30 of 49 passes for 280 yards and five touchdowns. The Soul were able to capitalize on three turnovers, two interceptions and one fumble, for 21 points. Wide receivers Tom Gilson and Jared Perry were able to carry the load for the Steel offense. Gilson hauled in 11 passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns while Perry caught nine passes for 111 yards and two scores.
The Steel receiving corps, already suffering from two key injuries to start the season, inserted Tyrone Goard into the lineup for the Week 3 contest against the Soul. The veteran wide receiver was able to contribute six receptions for 55 yards and one touchdown catch.
Down by 14 points to start the game, the Steel scored their first touchdown as Southwick found Perry for a 11-yard scoring strike on 4th down to open the scoring for Portland. After a missed extra point attempt, the Steel trailed 14-6 at the end of the 1st quarter.
After a scoreless 2nd quarter for the Steel, they opened the second half with a touchdown as Southwick found Gilson for a 13-yard touchdown pass. The touchdown gave the Soul a 42-13 advantage.

With the score 49-19, defensive back Mike McMillan was able to strip the football away from Soul wide out Shaun Kauleinamoku and recovered by Tim Shelley II. On the very next play Southwick found Perry for a 23-yard scoring strike down the middle of the field. The score at the end of the 3rd quarter was 49-26 in favor of the Soul.
Southwick would find Gilson early in the fourth quarter for a 13-yard scoring strike, giving the Soul a 56-32 advantage. The two have pared for four touchdowns to start the season.
The Steel return to action on Saturday, April 30 when they travel to face the Arizona Rattlers. Kickoff at Talking Stick Resort Arena is set for 6 p.m. (PST). The game can be seen on the CBS Sports Network and can be heard on 750AM The Game. The Steel return to the friendly confines of Moda Center on May 7 when they take on the LA KISS. For tickets please visit www.pdxsteel.com or call (360) 798-5496.
Under Armour Offensive Player of the Game – PHI QB Dan Raudabaugh
Riddell Defensive Player of the Game – PHI DL Teddy Jennings
J. Lewis Small Playmaker of the Game – PHI WR Ryan McDaniel
Cutters Catch of the Game – PHI WR Chris Duvalt
AFL Highlight of the Game – PHI DL Jake Metz sack of Southwick, fumble recovered by DL Teddy Jennings

LA KISS Outlast the Gladiators in Cleveland

April 17,2016

Cleveland - The LA KISS (2-1) emerged victorious in a back-and-fourth matchup against the Cleveland Gladiators (1-2) in front of 12,243 fans at the Quicken Loans Arena on Saturday evening.
“Offensively we decided to execute today,” said LA KISS Head Coach Omarr Smith. “We played to our standard today and made big plays.”
LA KISS quarterback Nathan Stanley led the offensive attack by completing 20 of 35 passes for 191 yards and four touchdowns. DJ Stephens was an offensive catalyst. He caught 12 passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns. Brandon Collins tallied four receptions for 31 yards and scored a touchdown. Donovan Morgan added three receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown, while also scoring a rushing touchdown.
Cleveland Gladiators quarterback Dennis Havrilla completed 24 of 39 passes for 236 yards, while throwing five touchdowns and two interceptions. Collin Taylor led the Gladiators offense with 13 catches for 101 yards and three touchdowns. Dominick Goodman caught five passes for 34 yards and a touchdown.
Riddell Defensive Player of the Game Rayshaun Kizer led the LA KISS defense with seven and a half tackles, one interception, while adding an interception return touchdown. Fredrick Obi recorded an interception and five and a half tackles. Brandon Stephens led the Gladiators defense with nine total tackles and an interception. His 49-yard interception return was the AFL Highlight of the Game.

After the LA KISS kicked off to the Gladiators to start the game, Kizer picked off a Havrilla pass on the one-yard line and returned the interception 49 yards for a touchdown. After the Kevin Goessling kick was successful, the LA KISS led the Gladiators by a score of 7-0. On the following possession, Cleveland were unable to get on the scoreboard when Adrian Trevino missed a field goal. At the end of the first quarter, the LA KISS were beating the Cleveland Gladiators by a score of 7-0. Following the LA KISS turnover on downs to start the second quarter, Havrilla found Taylor for a nine-yard touchdown. The Trevino point after was good, evening the score at 7 with 11:15 left in the quarter. Stanley connected with Morgan for a 14-yard touchdowns pass. Goessling was unable to connect on the point after and the score was 13-7 with 8:23 left on the clock. On the ensuing kickoff, Obi covered the Goessling bar-ball giving the LA KISS the possession. Then Morgan scored a one-yard touchdown rust extending the LA KISS lead to 13. Taylor caught a 14-yard touchdown reception from Havrilla cutting the LA KISS lead to six with one minute left in the half. After the LA KISS recovered the Gladiators onside kick attempt, Stanley’s first pass was intercepted in the end zone. Cleveland took a 21-20 lead when Havrilla found Brandel for an eight-yard touchdown. Rory Nixon ran in a six-yard touchdown but Goessling missed the point after and the LA KISS led by five points. The score at halftime was 26-21.
On the first possession of the second half, Stanley connected with Stephens for a six-yard touchdown. Goessling’s kick was good and the score was 33-21. Taylor caught a Havrilla pass for a four-yard touchdown. After a successful Trevino kick, the score was 33-28, which was the score at the end of the third quarter.
The Gladiators scored first in the fourth quarter when Havrilla capped off a three-play drive with a one-yard touchdown run. After a successful two point conversion, the Gladiators led by a score of 36-33. The LA KISS retook the lead when, on fourth down, Stanley hit Collins on for an 11-yard touchdown. Following an Obi interception, Stephen made a 19-yard touchdown reception. After a successful point after, the LA KISS led 47-36 with 3:06 remaining in the game. Cleveland cut the lead to three when Havrilla found Goodman for a six-yard touchdown. Following an unsuccessful onside kick by Cleveland, the LA KISS were able to run out the clock. The final score, LA KISS 47, Cleveland Gladiators 42.
Next week, the LA KISS will travel to Orlando to take on the Predators on April 23rd at the Amway Arena. Kickoff will be at 4:30 pm PT and the game will be available online live via ESPN 3 and WatchESPN.
Postgame Awards:
Under Armour Player of the Game: LA - #10 Nathan Stanley
Riddell Defensive Player of the Game: LA - #7 Rayshaun Kizer
J. Lewis Small Player of the Game: CLE - #17 Collin Taylor
Cutters Catch of the Game: CLE - #16 Dominick Goodman - 6-yard touchdown reception at the end of the 4th
AFL Highlight of the Game: CLE - #1 Brandon Stephens - 49-Yard Interception Return in the 2nd Quarter

Storm Falls in Arizona, Lose to Rattlers 60-27

April 16,2016

Phoenix - The Tampa Bay Storm (0-3, 0-1) were defeated by the Arizona Rattlers (3-0, 2-0) by a score of 60-27 on Saturday Night in front of 14,872 fans at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The night saw the return of Storm quarterback Jason Boltus.

Boltus led the Storm offense, completing 11-of-37 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns. He would also rush three times for three yards and a touchdown. The Storm’s top receiver of the night was V’Keon Lacey who caught five passes for 80 yards and a touchdown.

The Rattlers offense was led by quarterback Nick Davila, who completed 28-of-37 passes for 248 yards and seven touchdowns. Davila’s favorite target of the night was receiver Rod Windsor, who caught 13 passes for 141 yards and four touchdowns.

Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Total
Tampa Bay Storm 0 13 7 7 27
Arizona Rattlers 13 20 14 13 60

1st Quarter
ARI – Rod Windsor 18-yard reception (Alex Zendejas, No Good)
ARI – Maurice Purify 3-yard reception (Alex Zendejas, Good)

2nd Quarter
TAM – T.T. Toliver 30-yard reception (Craig Peterson, Blocked)

TAM – Phillip Barnett 41-yard reception (Craig Peterson, Good)
ARI – Chase Deadder 13-yard reception (Alex Zendejas, Good)
ARI – Tyre Glasper 32-yard fumble recovery (Alex Zendejas, No Good)
ARI – Maurice Purify 5-yard reception (Alex Zendejas, Good)

3rd Quarter
ARI – Rod Winsor 2-yard reception (Alex Zendejas, Good)
TAM – V’Keon Lacey 15-yard reception (Craig Peterson, Good)
ARI – Rod Windsor 4-yard reception (Alex Zendejas, Good)

4th Quarter
TAM – Jason Boltus 1-yard rush (Craig Peterson, Good)
ARI – Rod Windsor 5-yard reception (Alex Zendejas, Good)
ARI – Kerry Reed 39-yard interception return (Alex Zendejas, No Good)

Statistical Leaders:

Passing (C-A-INT-Yds-TD)
TAM – Jason Boltus (11-37-1-186-3)
ARI – Nick Davila (28-37-0-248-7)

Rushing: (Att-Yds-TD)
TAM – Jason Boltus (3-3-1)
ARI – Mykel Benson (4-2-0), Nick Davila (3-(-1)-0), Rod Windsor (1-5-0), Chase Deadder (1-0-0)

Receiving: (Rec-Yds-TD)
TAM – V’Keon Lacey (5-80-1), Phillip Barnett (4-70-1), T.T. Toliver (2-36-1)
ARI – Rod Windsor (13-141-4), Maurice Purify (7-44-2), Chase Deadder (4-37-1), Mykel Benson (3-19-0), Kerry Reed (1-7-0)

KO Returns: (No.-Yds-TD)
TAM – Cameron McGlenn (6-163-0), Gerald Young (1-13-0) T.T. Toliver (1-4-0)
ARI – Arkeith Brown (6-23-0)

Under Armour Offensive Player of the Game: Nick Davila, ARI
Riddell Defensive Player of the Game: Tyre Glasper, ARI
J. Lewis Small Playmaker of the Game: Rod Windsor, ARI
Cutters Catch of the Game: Mykel Benson, ARI
AFL Highlight of the Game: Tyre Glasper fumble recovery for TD, ARI

AFL Scoreboard for the games of Week 1-3 and the Schedule for the games of Week 4-6 of the 2016 regular season from ARENAFOOTBALL.COM

2016 Schedule

Date	Opponent / Event	Location	Time / Result

Week 1
04/01/16	Orlando 76, Tampa Bay 25	Tampa, Fla.	7:00 p.m.
	Philadelphia 69, Cleveland 41	Cleveland, Ohio	7:00 p.m.
	Arizona 80, Portland 28	Portland, Ore.	10:00 p.m.
04/02/16	Los Angeles 64, Jacksonville 39	Anaheim, Calif.	9:00 p.m.

Week 2
04/09/16	Cleveland 41, Tampa Bay 29	Cleveland, Ohio	7:00 p.m.
	Orlando 53, Portland 50	Orlando, Fla.	7:30 p.m.
	Arizona 69, Los Angeles 28	Anaheim, Calif.	11:00 p.m.
04/11/16	Jacksonville 59, Philadelphia 41	Philadelphia, Pa	7:00 p.m.

Week 3
04/16/16	Los Angeles 47, Cleveland 42	Cleveland, Ohio	7:30 p.m.
	Arizona 60, Tampa Bay 27	Phoenix, Ariz.	9:00 p.m.
04/17/16	Philadelphia 70, Portland 32	Philadelphia, Pa	4:00 p.m.
04/18/16	Orlando 63, Jacksonville 56	Jacksonville, Fla.	7:00 p.m.

Week 4
04/23/16	Cleveland at Philadelphia	Philadelphia, Pa	4:00 p.m. ET
	Arizona at Jacksonville	Jacksonville, Fla.	7:00 p.m. ET
	Los Angeles at Orlando	Orlando, Fla.	7:30 p.m. ET

Week 5
04/29/16	Orlando at Cleveland	Cleveland, Ohio	7:00 p.m. ET
04/30/16	Portland at Arizona	Phoenix, Ariz.	9:00 p.m. ET
05/01/16	Jacksonville at Tampa Bay	Tampa, Fla.	2:00 p.m. ET
05/02/16	Philadelphia at Los Angeles	Anaheim, Calif.	10:00 p.m. ET

Week 6
05/06/16	Jacksonville at Cleveland	Cleveland, Ohio	7:00 p.m. ET
05/07/16	Arizona at Orlando	Orlando, Fla.	7:30 p.m. ET
	Los Angeles at Portland	Portland, Ore.	10:00 p.m. ET
05/09/16	Tampa Bay at Philadelphia	Philadelphia, Pa	7:00 p.m. ET

Current AFL Standings as of the games of Week 3 of the 2016 regular season from ARENAFOOTBALL.COM