With the signing of Jeff "Ridiculous" Hughley this past October, the Soul gave themselves another experienced pass catcher for Raudabaugh and instantly upgraded their special teams.
Hughley most recently suited up for the 2011 AFL champion Jacksonville Sharks where he continued to excel as a receiver and as a return man. He received All-Ironman Team WR/KR honors after ranking in the top 10 in a variety of categories. Hughley ranked 2nd in kick return avg. (21.3), 7th in kickoff return yards (1,429), and 3rd in all-purpose yards (2,680) while collecting 89 catches for 1,171 yards and 22 touchdowns. Hughley ran back 68% of the Sharks 98 returns in 2011 compared to the Soul's leading return man (Keith Stokes) from last season who returned 55% of the Soul's 120 returns. Stokes numbers were 66 returns for 1,200 yards and 2 touchdowns which doesn't compare to Hughley's 98 returns for 1,429 yards and 1 touchdown. "Ridiculous" accomplished all of this playing in just 15 of last year's 18 games.
While attending Averett University (2003-2006) Hughley set a number of the school's receiving records in catches (221), receiving yards (2,925), and receiving touchdowns (31). He returned 65 punts for 784 yards and 1 touchdown during his time there and only returned kickoffs for one season where he had 17 returns for 308 yards. Hughley was a 4 time All-Conference WR/KR along with being recognized as All-State First Team receiver in 2006.
In 2007 Hughley broke into arena football with the AF2's Tulsa Talons where he would play for the next 4 seasons. His rookie year Hughley led the team with 46 receptions for 1,069 yards and 30 receiving touchdowns along with having 1,363 return yards for 3 return touchdowns. He was an integral component to that 2007 squad as he was named ArenaCup VIII's MVP after collecting 7 catches for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns along with accumulating 203 return yards for 2 additional touchdowns. His offensive output helped propel the Talons over my Pioneers by a score of 73-66 for the franchise's second ArenaCup championship in their history. His 203 return yards and 346 total yards set ArenaCup records.
Before the 2008 season Hughley signed on with the AFL's Colorado Crush, but was released during camp. He returned to the Talons where he found similar success again after a spectacular rookie campaign. He was selected as a Second Team All-Arena wide receiver after collecting 123 receptions for 1,629 yards for 33 touchdowns and leading the Talons in every receiving category. He amassed 1,298 return yards and 1 touchdown as their return man which kept him at pace with his 2007 numbers.
Hughley exploded in 2009 with the club during the AF2's last year of existence where he went off as a receiver and a kick returner. He received his first Ironman of the Year award in 2009 after accumulating 2,069 return yards (an AF2 record) and 1,909 receiving yards (franchise record) for a total of 4,113 all-purpose yards (an AF2 record). Selected to the First Team All-Arena as a wide receiver, Hughley had 55 total touchdowns on the year (50 receiving & 5 returning). He signed on with the AFL's Grand Rapids Rampage before the league folded in 2009.
He signed on with the Tulsa Talons again in 2010 for the newly reformed AFL and again was recognized for his dual performance as a return man and a wide receiver. He received All-Ironman Team WR/KR honors after being ranked 2nd in all-purpose yards (2,808) and 4th in all-purpose yards per game (175.5).
"Ridiculous" should impact the Soul's offensive output greatly with his play-making abilities in the receiving and return game. The Soul ranked 15th out of 18th in kickoff return average and 11th in passing offense in 2011, but with Hughley now on the roster the Soul should improve drastically in both of those numbers (especially in the return game). Hughley is a player the Soul desperately needed for their run at a championship because field position and scoring points are the two most instrumental aspects of arena football. Doing well at both will ensure quite a bit of victories for the Soul. I know there's the saying "defense wins championships" but in the AFL its all about the points. Defense is important, but with the Soul's success in that department last season I'm not seeing any reasons why it should be an area of concern for 2012.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
DT Bryan Robinson
I thought I'd write about players with the last name Robinson in back-to-back posts for your viewing pleasure. Today it's all about DT Bryan Robinson who's another one of these players who was assigned to the Soul back in October after coming off his best season in the AFL.
In 2011 Robinson played for the Kansas City Command where he found instant success as one of the Command's best defensive players on a struggling Command team that ranked 10th (out of 18) in the AFL for total defense. The Command finished the season with a 6-12 record, but Robinson was definitively one of the bright spots on the squad. Robinson was one of only two players on defense and the entire team to play in all of the 18 games last season. He did this while accumulating 29.5 total tackles and registering 9 sacks (5th best in the league) and 15 tackles for loss (2nd best in the league).
Robinson attended Wesley College for four years where he dominated his opponents every season. The team's record during that span was 44-7 due to Robinson's defensive presence and consistent performance year in-and-out. He registered 47 sacks and 92.5 tackles for loss (both Wesley College and All-Atlantic Central Football Conference records) while being awarded First Team recognition every season and named ACFC Defensive Player of the Year three seasons.
Singing with the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL in 2008 as an undrafted free agent, Robinson made it all the way to the final cuts before being let loose by the club. Robinson surfaced in the arena football ranks in 2009 with the AF2's Manchester Wolves playing 15 games while finishing the season 9th best in total sacks with 10. He then spent some time with the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats before playing with the UFL's New York Sentinels in 2009 as well.
In 2010 Robinson signed with the Milwaukee Iron of the AFL only to finish the season with the Cleveland Gladiators. He combined for 18.5 total tackles and 1 sack during his time with both clubs. With a modest performance in 2010, Robinson flew under the radar in 2011 when he signed on with the Command. Channeling his defensive success from college, the former Wolverine of Division III instantly became one of the best young defensive lineman in the AFL. He excelled beyond comparison to his rookie season and looks to continue his success with the Soul in 2012.
Again Robinson brings playmaking ability to a Soul team that's harvesting players just like him for a run at ArenaBowl XXV. I feel like I'm repeating myself in every post, but that's because I am. The Soul are doing a good job at acquiring a mix of veterans and young talent to compliment each other. With the already established relationships with the majority of the free agents, it would be a monumental collapse if this team doesn't qualify for postseason play. This team is that good on paper, but we'll have to see how that translates on the field.
In 2011 Robinson played for the Kansas City Command where he found instant success as one of the Command's best defensive players on a struggling Command team that ranked 10th (out of 18) in the AFL for total defense. The Command finished the season with a 6-12 record, but Robinson was definitively one of the bright spots on the squad. Robinson was one of only two players on defense and the entire team to play in all of the 18 games last season. He did this while accumulating 29.5 total tackles and registering 9 sacks (5th best in the league) and 15 tackles for loss (2nd best in the league).
Robinson attended Wesley College for four years where he dominated his opponents every season. The team's record during that span was 44-7 due to Robinson's defensive presence and consistent performance year in-and-out. He registered 47 sacks and 92.5 tackles for loss (both Wesley College and All-Atlantic Central Football Conference records) while being awarded First Team recognition every season and named ACFC Defensive Player of the Year three seasons.
Singing with the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL in 2008 as an undrafted free agent, Robinson made it all the way to the final cuts before being let loose by the club. Robinson surfaced in the arena football ranks in 2009 with the AF2's Manchester Wolves playing 15 games while finishing the season 9th best in total sacks with 10. He then spent some time with the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats before playing with the UFL's New York Sentinels in 2009 as well.
In 2010 Robinson signed with the Milwaukee Iron of the AFL only to finish the season with the Cleveland Gladiators. He combined for 18.5 total tackles and 1 sack during his time with both clubs. With a modest performance in 2010, Robinson flew under the radar in 2011 when he signed on with the Command. Channeling his defensive success from college, the former Wolverine of Division III instantly became one of the best young defensive lineman in the AFL. He excelled beyond comparison to his rookie season and looks to continue his success with the Soul in 2012.
Again Robinson brings playmaking ability to a Soul team that's harvesting players just like him for a run at ArenaBowl XXV. I feel like I'm repeating myself in every post, but that's because I am. The Soul are doing a good job at acquiring a mix of veterans and young talent to compliment each other. With the already established relationships with the majority of the free agents, it would be a monumental collapse if this team doesn't qualify for postseason play. This team is that good on paper, but we'll have to see how that translates on the field.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
DB Micheaux Robinson
Today I'm focusing on another big off-season addition by the Soul who sits a little closer to my heart than the previous highlighted players. Micheaux Robinson was assigned to the Soul near November's end and he adds loads of talent to an already very talented defensive squad. I'm sure you'll be able to tell why I like Robinson so much later on when I get to that point.
Robinson has spent the past two seasons with the Jacksonville Sharks most recently being part of the winning end of ArenaBowl XXIV. Last season he received First Team All-Arena honors for his play at the defensive back position. A finalist for Defensive Player of the Year, Robinson accumulated 11 interceptions (4th best in the league) while breaking the AFL record for passes defended in a season with 46. He also ranked 3rd in the AFL in total tackles (114.5).
In 2010 Robinson received Second Team All-Arena honors after registering 71 total tackles, 7 interceptions and 23 pass breakups.
Robinson started out as a four-year starter at Otterbein (2001-2004) where he was an All-OAC Player (2003-2004) and his 13 interceptions there ties a school record in that category.
The former Cardinal debuted in the AFL in 2007 with the Orlando Predators. He had some success there as he registered 36 tackles and forced a fumble while recovering one as well. It wasn't until he signed on with my hometown team (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers) in 2008 that he began to find success.
In the AF2 that year, Robinson recorded 14 interceptions and he continued his defensive dominance by interception 14 more passes in 2009. Robinson was named the AF2's Defensive Player of the Year along with receiving All-AF2 honors as well. He led the AF2 in interceptions (14) and passes defended (49) in 2009 along with ranking 2nd in total tackles (99.5). He was an instrumental piece in that Pioneers defense that led the team to an ArenaCup X appearance. The Pioneers held league lows in completion percentage (51.6) and touchdown passes (64) thanks in large part to Robinson's performance.
Robinson was an outright beast when I saw him play as a Pioneer not too long ago and by the looks of it he hasn't changed much. He's accumulated 185.5 total tackles, 18 interceptions and 74 pass breakups (all are Sharks' team records) the past two seasons after setting the Pioneers' team mark for interceptions (28). The guy can flat out play and with the players I've already highlighted and the others that I'll soon focus on, the Soul will be a scary team to face on both sides of the ball. Robinson's the type of player the Soul could build their team around if they needed too, but with the surplus of talent on both sides of the ball Robinson can just move right in an accent the squad nicely. He'll make plays in a league where plays need to be made on the defense in order for a team to have any breathing room in these high scoring contests. I'm excited to see him play closer to home and I'm sure you'll be too once he suits up and notches that first interception for the Philly faithful.
Robinson has spent the past two seasons with the Jacksonville Sharks most recently being part of the winning end of ArenaBowl XXIV. Last season he received First Team All-Arena honors for his play at the defensive back position. A finalist for Defensive Player of the Year, Robinson accumulated 11 interceptions (4th best in the league) while breaking the AFL record for passes defended in a season with 46. He also ranked 3rd in the AFL in total tackles (114.5).
In 2010 Robinson received Second Team All-Arena honors after registering 71 total tackles, 7 interceptions and 23 pass breakups.
Robinson started out as a four-year starter at Otterbein (2001-2004) where he was an All-OAC Player (2003-2004) and his 13 interceptions there ties a school record in that category.
The former Cardinal debuted in the AFL in 2007 with the Orlando Predators. He had some success there as he registered 36 tackles and forced a fumble while recovering one as well. It wasn't until he signed on with my hometown team (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers) in 2008 that he began to find success.
In the AF2 that year, Robinson recorded 14 interceptions and he continued his defensive dominance by interception 14 more passes in 2009. Robinson was named the AF2's Defensive Player of the Year along with receiving All-AF2 honors as well. He led the AF2 in interceptions (14) and passes defended (49) in 2009 along with ranking 2nd in total tackles (99.5). He was an instrumental piece in that Pioneers defense that led the team to an ArenaCup X appearance. The Pioneers held league lows in completion percentage (51.6) and touchdown passes (64) thanks in large part to Robinson's performance.
Robinson was an outright beast when I saw him play as a Pioneer not too long ago and by the looks of it he hasn't changed much. He's accumulated 185.5 total tackles, 18 interceptions and 74 pass breakups (all are Sharks' team records) the past two seasons after setting the Pioneers' team mark for interceptions (28). The guy can flat out play and with the players I've already highlighted and the others that I'll soon focus on, the Soul will be a scary team to face on both sides of the ball. Robinson's the type of player the Soul could build their team around if they needed too, but with the surplus of talent on both sides of the ball Robinson can just move right in an accent the squad nicely. He'll make plays in a league where plays need to be made on the defense in order for a team to have any breathing room in these high scoring contests. I'm excited to see him play closer to home and I'm sure you'll be too once he suits up and notches that first interception for the Philly faithful.
Monday, December 26, 2011
DB Rayshaun Kizer
After a very nice 2011 edition of Christmas I'm happy to say that I'm back to my postings. Today I'm focusing on another off-season addition made last month. The Soul were assigned DB Rayshaun Kizer who just came off his best season last year with the Orlando Predators.
Kizer (a 2010 and 2011 First Team All-Arena Defensive Back with the Predators) set the league record for interceptions (which was at 13 by multiple players) with 16 INTs and interception return yards (237) this past season. He returned 3 of those interceptions for touchdowns which adds onto his already impressive resume of play-making ability. Kizer recorded 108 tackles which led the team and ranked him 8th in the league for that category. Kizer also ranked 7th in the AFL with 1.67 pass defenses per game. He started every game for the Predators last season and delivered heavily.
The arena football standout was a 3-year starter at Walsh University from 2003-2006 where he ranks 3rd on their all-time interceptions list with 14. Kizer returned 5 of those for touchdowns the best being a 104-yard return which broke the school record for longest interception return.
In 2007 Kizer signed on with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent. He played in 3 of the 4 preseason games before being cut from the team.
Kizer signed on with the CFL's Montreal Alouettes in 2008 where he recorded 35 tackles in 10 games. Remember now, FB Derrick Ross was part of the Alouettes practice squad in 2008 so there's another kind of connection between teammates.
The former Predator first entered arena football with the Green Bay Blizzard of the AF2 in 2009. Kizer record 65 tackles, 4 interceptions, 15 pass break-ups, 1 fumble recovery and 2 forced fumbles in 17 games. It was Kizer's game ending interception in the 2009 playoffs that sent the Blizzard to the American Conference Finals to face my Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers (who defeated the Blizzard). That interception awarded him the AF2's defensive player of the week honors and preserved the 51-46 victory over the Iowa Barnstormers.
Kizer moved to the newly reformed AFL in 2010 where he set an AFL rookie record with 12 interceptions and 148 interception return yards. He also led the league as a rookie with his 12 interceptions. He played 2011 with the Predators again as stated above.
Kizer also spent some time with the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats before being assigned to the Soul.
Kizer adds another piece to the Soul's puzzle in their search for another ArenaBowl championship. In his two years with the Predators Kizer accumulated 28 interceptions, 385 interception return yards, 4 touchdowns and 37 pass break-ups in 32 games. Another productive player added to an already impressive looking unit. The Soul will have plenty of talent going into 2012 which gives them little to no excuses if things don't pan out well like last season. Again, it all rests upon the shoulders of Plank getting the most out of each and every player. If that happens then there's no reason why the Soul can't reach ArenaBowl XXV and Kizer will add onto a defensive unit that was already pretty good to begin with.
Friday, December 23, 2011
WR Position - Anthony Jones
Anthony "Tiger" Jones rejoins QB Raudabugh, FB Ross and Assistant Coach / Offensive Coordinator as a member of the Soul in 2012. Jones signed on with the Soul the same day (October 3rd) as fellow teammate Ross. Though playing different positions, Jones brings the same kind of pedigree as Ross after they both had monster years in 2011 with the defunct Dallas Vigilantes.
Jones was named Wide Receiver of the Year in 2011 a season where he accumulated 2,232 yards on 171 catches and 42 touchdowns. He ranked 1st last year in receiving yards-per-game (124), receptions (171) and reception yards (2,232). Jones also ranked 3rd in receptions-per-game (9.50) and 5th in touchdown receptions (42). To compare the Soul's top WR Donovan Morgan (who I'll highlight in a future post) led the team with 121 receptions for 1,959 yards and 39 touchdowns. Morgan has signed on for the 2012 season as well, so the Soul's biggest problem would be if Raudabaugh can throw enough passes each way to make everyone happy. That's probably the best problem an offense can have before the season starts.
Jone went to the University of Louisville where he played in 51 games from 2000-2004. Jones was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent, but was cut out of camp. In 2006 he tried to catch on with the CFL's Brittish Columbia Lions, but was a casualty in final cuts.
He started his arena football career in 2007 as a member of the AF2's Louisville Fire. Jones caught 142 passes for 1,897 yards (the Fire's single-season record) and 37 touchdowns that season.
Jones signed on with the Georgia Force of the AFL during the fifth week of that season in 2008. While playing under Head Coach Plank he was named to the league's All-Rookie Team after accumulating 1,217 receiving yards (3rd on the team) and leading the Force and all AFL rookies with 30 touchdowns.
Jones resurfaced along with the AFL in 2010, but with the Milwaukee Iron. He was named second-team All-Arena Football League in 2010 after recording 125 catches (5th in the league) for 1,810 yards (3rd in the league) and 42 touchdowns (5th in the league).
In 2011 he played for the Dallas Vigilantes before signing with the Soul this offseason. Expectations for this whole offensive unit are pretty high as three of the AFL's biggest weapons in 2011 return as teammates in 2012 but now for the Philadelphia Soul. With Morgan, Ross and now Jones the Soul now have a unit that combined for 120 touchdowns last season. That kind of 2011 productivity should shine very well on 2012 as the Soul combine past players with news players and former Dallas Vigilantes' players.
The Soul have a chance of instantly becoming one of the best teams in the AFL just by talent alone. Many Philadelphia fans have already seen an underachieving team (the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles) with an amazing amount of talent and won't be too happy if their arena team holds the same fate. Plank will have all the opportunity in the world to succeed especially with Dolezel coaching next to him giving him an instant connection with the majority of his offense. We'll see if Jones can keep up his productivity while sharing receptions with one of the games already best WRs Donovan Morgan. I'm sure both will feed off each other as Raudabaugh delivers numerous passes their way every game.
Jones was named Wide Receiver of the Year in 2011 a season where he accumulated 2,232 yards on 171 catches and 42 touchdowns. He ranked 1st last year in receiving yards-per-game (124), receptions (171) and reception yards (2,232). Jones also ranked 3rd in receptions-per-game (9.50) and 5th in touchdown receptions (42). To compare the Soul's top WR Donovan Morgan (who I'll highlight in a future post) led the team with 121 receptions for 1,959 yards and 39 touchdowns. Morgan has signed on for the 2012 season as well, so the Soul's biggest problem would be if Raudabaugh can throw enough passes each way to make everyone happy. That's probably the best problem an offense can have before the season starts.
Jone went to the University of Louisville where he played in 51 games from 2000-2004. Jones was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent, but was cut out of camp. In 2006 he tried to catch on with the CFL's Brittish Columbia Lions, but was a casualty in final cuts.
He started his arena football career in 2007 as a member of the AF2's Louisville Fire. Jones caught 142 passes for 1,897 yards (the Fire's single-season record) and 37 touchdowns that season.
Jones signed on with the Georgia Force of the AFL during the fifth week of that season in 2008. While playing under Head Coach Plank he was named to the league's All-Rookie Team after accumulating 1,217 receiving yards (3rd on the team) and leading the Force and all AFL rookies with 30 touchdowns.
Jones resurfaced along with the AFL in 2010, but with the Milwaukee Iron. He was named second-team All-Arena Football League in 2010 after recording 125 catches (5th in the league) for 1,810 yards (3rd in the league) and 42 touchdowns (5th in the league).
In 2011 he played for the Dallas Vigilantes before signing with the Soul this offseason. Expectations for this whole offensive unit are pretty high as three of the AFL's biggest weapons in 2011 return as teammates in 2012 but now for the Philadelphia Soul. With Morgan, Ross and now Jones the Soul now have a unit that combined for 120 touchdowns last season. That kind of 2011 productivity should shine very well on 2012 as the Soul combine past players with news players and former Dallas Vigilantes' players.
The Soul have a chance of instantly becoming one of the best teams in the AFL just by talent alone. Many Philadelphia fans have already seen an underachieving team (the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles) with an amazing amount of talent and won't be too happy if their arena team holds the same fate. Plank will have all the opportunity in the world to succeed especially with Dolezel coaching next to him giving him an instant connection with the majority of his offense. We'll see if Jones can keep up his productivity while sharing receptions with one of the games already best WRs Donovan Morgan. I'm sure both will feed off each other as Raudabaugh delivers numerous passes their way every game.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
FB Derrick Ross
The Soul signed former Dallas Vigilante's FB Derrick Ross back in October reuniting him with the man who handed him the ball, Dan Rauadbaugh. In my last post I said how the Soul would miss Vena's rushing ability near the redzone, but the signing of Ross improves upon Vena's 2011 contributions greatly. Ross was named a 2011 First Team All-Arena Selection for his position after he tied the league record in rushing attempts (167) and set league records in rushing yards (622) and rushing touchdowns (39). Ross accounted for more rushing attempts, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns than the Soul's entire team in 2011 (the Soul had 111 Att, 295 Yds, and 33 TDs). Vena was the Soul's leading rusher and Ross had 113 more attempts, 461 more yards and 19 more touchdowns.
Cohesiveness within an offense is always an important factor in whether or not that team executes on a consistent basis. Having the QB and FB be this familiar with one another is a big advantage for the Soul moving forward as they put together a championship contending squad. Don't forget that Clint Dolezel (former AFL champion and Head Coach of the Vigilantes in 2011) was named Offensive Coordinator by Plank in October as well. Raudabaugh and Ross' familiarity with Dolezel's coaching and schemes greatly eases the transition from team to team. In my next post I'll focus on the WRs so you'll get a better picture of how this offense will turn out in 2012. Three out of the five biggest pieces on offense will have no problem adjusting to one another.
Ross like Raudabaugh is a player who's only been in the league for a short time (1 year), but has such a promising future that its hard to pass up talent like. Ross went undrafted out of Tarleton State University but signed on with the Kansas City Chiefs. He played in 7 games that season while carrying the ball only 3 times for 8 yards. Ross played for the Cologne Centurions of NFL Europe in 2007 (NFL Europe's last season of operation) where he was named Co-Offensive MVP of the league after amassing 210 Att, 801 Yds, and 5 TDs. After NFL Europe shut down Ross went to the Canadian Football League (CFL) for two years with the Montreal Allouettes and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as a practice squad member only for both. Then in 2010 he played for the San Angelo Stampede of the Indoor Football League (IFL) where he met up with Clint Dolezel. Dolezel coached the Stampede in 2010 turning around a 5-9 team in 2009 into a 10-4 team in 2010. Under Dolezel Ross was awarded the offensive rookie of the year award of the IFL as he racked up over 800 yards rushing and 26 touchdowns while averaging more than 11 carries a game. Both Dolezel and Ross went to the Dallas Vigilantes (now defunct) of the AFL in 2011 as previously stated before coming to the Soul in 2012.
Ross has been around different leagues for awhile now but he seems to be finding his niche in the AFL. I wouldn't be surprised to see Ross go wherever Dolezel ends up in the years to come because a person of his experience can't be kept out of the head coaching ranks for long. For now I'll be looking forward to watch a more balanced Soul offense this season as Raudabaugh and Ross team up for one of if not the best one-two punch in the AFL. The Dallas Vigilantes ranked 5th in the AFL last season in Total Offense (444 yards better than the Soul) and were at 0 in turnover ratio. Both are an improvement over what the Soul was able to produce and should go a long way in helping this Soul offense become even better than Dallas and the Soul were in 2011.
Cohesiveness within an offense is always an important factor in whether or not that team executes on a consistent basis. Having the QB and FB be this familiar with one another is a big advantage for the Soul moving forward as they put together a championship contending squad. Don't forget that Clint Dolezel (former AFL champion and Head Coach of the Vigilantes in 2011) was named Offensive Coordinator by Plank in October as well. Raudabaugh and Ross' familiarity with Dolezel's coaching and schemes greatly eases the transition from team to team. In my next post I'll focus on the WRs so you'll get a better picture of how this offense will turn out in 2012. Three out of the five biggest pieces on offense will have no problem adjusting to one another.
Ross like Raudabaugh is a player who's only been in the league for a short time (1 year), but has such a promising future that its hard to pass up talent like. Ross went undrafted out of Tarleton State University but signed on with the Kansas City Chiefs. He played in 7 games that season while carrying the ball only 3 times for 8 yards. Ross played for the Cologne Centurions of NFL Europe in 2007 (NFL Europe's last season of operation) where he was named Co-Offensive MVP of the league after amassing 210 Att, 801 Yds, and 5 TDs. After NFL Europe shut down Ross went to the Canadian Football League (CFL) for two years with the Montreal Allouettes and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as a practice squad member only for both. Then in 2010 he played for the San Angelo Stampede of the Indoor Football League (IFL) where he met up with Clint Dolezel. Dolezel coached the Stampede in 2010 turning around a 5-9 team in 2009 into a 10-4 team in 2010. Under Dolezel Ross was awarded the offensive rookie of the year award of the IFL as he racked up over 800 yards rushing and 26 touchdowns while averaging more than 11 carries a game. Both Dolezel and Ross went to the Dallas Vigilantes (now defunct) of the AFL in 2011 as previously stated before coming to the Soul in 2012.
Ross has been around different leagues for awhile now but he seems to be finding his niche in the AFL. I wouldn't be surprised to see Ross go wherever Dolezel ends up in the years to come because a person of his experience can't be kept out of the head coaching ranks for long. For now I'll be looking forward to watch a more balanced Soul offense this season as Raudabaugh and Ross team up for one of if not the best one-two punch in the AFL. The Dallas Vigilantes ranked 5th in the AFL last season in Total Offense (444 yards better than the Soul) and were at 0 in turnover ratio. Both are an improvement over what the Soul was able to produce and should go a long way in helping this Soul offense become even better than Dallas and the Soul were in 2011.
Monday, December 19, 2011
QB Position
Since each team's final rosters are a ways off from being completed, I thought I'd focus on the new additions that are locks to start for the Soul in 2012 along with returning starters who'll look to contribute in a big way again for the upcoming season. I was going to have this segment posted yesterday, but I went to the Eagles game and that threw everything off. Today I'm focusing this post on one of if not the biggest free agent acquisitions for the Soul, Dan Raudabaugh:
- Raudabuagh attended the University of Miami of Ohio from '05-'09 where he earned the starting job as a redshirt freshman. He threw for 5,352 yards on 511 of 916 passing for the Redhawks. He had 24 touchdowns and 29 interceptions while throwing a 56% completion rate. The Redhawks never witnessed a winning season during Raudabaugh's tenure.
- Late in the 2010 AFL season Raudabaugh signed with the Dallas Vigilantes where he playing in their final two games. In the Vigilantes season finale against the Bossier-Shreveport Battlewings Raudabaugh led his team to a 62-56 victory throwing 22 of 29 for 311 yards and 8 toucdowns with 1 interception.
- Raudabaugh was named the starting QB for the Dallas Vigilantes in 2011 where he turned a 3-13 team into an 11-7 wildcard qualifier. The Vigilantes lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Chicago Rush 54-51.
- Here's Raudabaugh's stats for the 2011 regular season: 557 (Att) 360 (Cmp) 17 (Int) 64.6 (Pct.) 4741 (Yds) 90 (TD)
Passing Avg. per game - 7th (263.4)
Pass Efficiency - 5th (118.3)
Pass Completion Percentage - 8th (64.6)
Passing Yards - 5th (4741)
Passing Touchdowns - Tied 6th (90)
Interceptions (Most) - Tied 6th (17)
- Raudabaugh outperformed Ryan Vena (The Soul's starting QB in 2011) in all six of these categories.
- The only category that Vena cracked the top 10 was for passing yards. His 3,840 yards thrown was good enough for 10th best in the league.
- Vena also threw the 3rd most interceptions in the league with a total of 22.
- Here's Vena's stats for the 2011 regular season: 448 (Att) 276 (Cmp) 22 (Int) 61.6 (Pct.) 3840 (Yds) 70 (TD)
Hopefully the Soul won't have a similar repeat in 2012 after signing a top AFL quarterback for the second consecutive year. Raudabaugh is a much younger than Allgood having only one full season under his belt as a starting QB in the AFL. The Soul failed last season in getting the veteran Allgood to click with the team, so now they will try their luck with the up and coming Raudabaugh. I would love to see Vena come back to the Soul as their backup, but it seems unlikely as two other QBs are already on the roster for 2012. Vena can play the QB position without a doubt. He's played in the AFL/AF2 since '02 and he's had previous success. His best years came while being a part of my hometown Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers from '07-'09. Vena had a 41-7 regular season record those three years as he led the Pioneers to ArenaCup VIII and X only to lose both. He was named ArenaCup VIII's MVP even though the Pioneers lost that game.
I'm encouraged with what Raudabugh's been showing in such a young career, but I'm also hesitant to be "all-in" with him as the Soul's starting QB of the future. As last year showed you never know how a QB will perform on a yearly basis in the AFL. Sure you have more consistent QBs than others, but signing a guy based on potential can be just as risky as signing him because of previous success with another team. I like Raudabaugh and I'm ready to see what he can do with this Soul offense and especially star WR Donovan Morgan. With what the Soul is giving up in Vena's running, they are more than making up in Raudabaugh's passing. In the end I feel the Raudabaugh signing was their best option moving forward and should ensure at least a couple more victories for the Soul in 2012.
*Look out for Adam DiMichele if Raudabaugh struggles early in 2012. DiMichele led the Indoor Football League (IFL) last season in Passing Yards per game (270.6), Team Points per game (70.3), and Touchdowns (91). He went 235 of 427 passing (55% Completion Rate) and threw only 7 interceptions. DiMichile might prove to be a pleasant surprise for the Soul if given the opportunity.
Friday, December 16, 2011
American Eastern Division Coaches
I thought I'd focus today's post on the coaches that'll oppose the Soul within the division. In a league where major roster changes on a yearly basis are a part of reality, the head coach is usually the one constant that remains during a team's success. You don't mess with a good thing when it comes to Arena Football coaches and many teams are hesitant to make coaching changes (unlike their outdoor counterpart the NFL) if that particular coach has had success in the past. So here's the three other head coaches in the Eastern Division:
Steve Thonn - Head Coach of the Cleveland Gladiators
Playing Career:
- Chicago Bruisers (AFL) -> '88 WR/DB
- Albany Firebirds (AFL) -> '90-'93 WR/DB
Coaching Career (All in AFL):
- Albany Firebirds [Receivers/Special Teams Coach] '94
- Connecticut Coyotes [Offensive Coordinator] '95
- Milwaukee Mustangs [Offensive Coordinator] '96
- Houston ThunderBears [Head Coach] '98-'01 -> 18-38 Record & 1 Playoff Appearance (Loss)
- Dallas Desperados [Offensive Coordinator] '03-'04
- Georgia Force [Offensive Coordinator] '05-'07 -> Plank's offensive coordinator 3 out of 4 years
- Grand Rapids Rampage [Head Coach] '08 -> 6-10 Record & Qualified for Playoffs (2-1 Record)
- Cleveland Gladiators [Head Coach] '10-Current -> 7-9 Record ('10) 10-8 Record ('11)
Chris Siegfried - Head Coach of the Pittsburgh Power
Playing Career:
- Augusta Stallions (AF2) -> '00 WR/DB
Coaching Career:
- Cape Fear Wildcats (AF2) [Head Coach] '02-'04 -> 35-13 Record (3-3 Playoffs)
- South Georgia Wildcats (AF2) [Head Coach] '05 -> 2-8 Record (Fired after 10 games)
- Spokane Shock (AF2) [Head Coach] '06 -> 14-2 Record (3-0 Playoffs) ArenaCup VII Champs
- Kansas City Brigade (AFL) [Offensive Coordinator] '07
- Arkansas Twisters (AF2) [Head Coach] '08-'09 -> 22-10 Record (0-2 Playoffs)
- Jacksonville Sharks (AFL) [Offensive Coordinator] '10
- Pittsburgh Power (AFL) [Head Coach] '11-Current
Bob Landsee - Head Coach of the Milwaukee Mustangs
Playing Career:
- Philadelphia Eagles (NFL) -> '86-'87
Coaching Career:
- Milwaukee Mustangs (AFL) [Offensive Line Coach] '99-'01
- Toronto Phantoms (AFL) [Offensive Line Coach] '02
- Indiana Firebirds (AFL) [Offensive Line Coach] '03
- Green Bay Blizzard (AF2) [Head Coach] '05-'06 & '08-'09 -> 40-24 Record (5-4 Playoffs)
- Milwaukee Iron/Mustangs [Head Coach] '10-Current -> 11-5 (1-1 Playoffs)in '10 & 7-11 in '11
Steve Thonn - Head Coach of the Cleveland Gladiators
Playing Career:
- Chicago Bruisers (AFL) -> '88 WR/DB
- Albany Firebirds (AFL) -> '90-'93 WR/DB
Coaching Career (All in AFL):
- Albany Firebirds [Receivers/Special Teams Coach] '94
- Connecticut Coyotes [Offensive Coordinator] '95
- Milwaukee Mustangs [Offensive Coordinator] '96
- Houston ThunderBears [Head Coach] '98-'01 -> 18-38 Record & 1 Playoff Appearance (Loss)
- Dallas Desperados [Offensive Coordinator] '03-'04
- Georgia Force [Offensive Coordinator] '05-'07 -> Plank's offensive coordinator 3 out of 4 years
- Grand Rapids Rampage [Head Coach] '08 -> 6-10 Record & Qualified for Playoffs (2-1 Record)
- Cleveland Gladiators [Head Coach] '10-Current -> 7-9 Record ('10) 10-8 Record ('11)
- Thonn's been around Arena Football for over 20 years and there's no doubt that his experience has led him to where he's at currently. Though not overly productive as a head coach (41-68 Overall Record) he's found success in spurts. He's had only 2 winning seasons as a head coach, but his time with the Force may be the most important piece of experience for him at this time. Being Plank's offensive coordinator for three of his four years as Georgia's head coach, Thonn knows Planks very well and vice versa. Their close relationship should make for an interesting rivalry for years to come. Expect those games to be very competitive as neither coach will likely tolerate a loss to each other. Thonn has the upper hand being that he's been an AFL head coach consistently since '08 while Plank hasn't coached in the AFL since '08. This by far is the most interesting match up for the Soul in 2012 for these reasons alone.
Chris Siegfried - Head Coach of the Pittsburgh Power
Playing Career:
- Augusta Stallions (AF2) -> '00 WR/DB
Coaching Career:
- Cape Fear Wildcats (AF2) [Head Coach] '02-'04 -> 35-13 Record (3-3 Playoffs)
- South Georgia Wildcats (AF2) [Head Coach] '05 -> 2-8 Record (Fired after 10 games)
- Spokane Shock (AF2) [Head Coach] '06 -> 14-2 Record (3-0 Playoffs) ArenaCup VII Champs
- Kansas City Brigade (AFL) [Offensive Coordinator] '07
- Arkansas Twisters (AF2) [Head Coach] '08-'09 -> 22-10 Record (0-2 Playoffs)
- Jacksonville Sharks (AFL) [Offensive Coordinator] '10
- Pittsburgh Power (AFL) [Head Coach] '11-Current
- Siegfried holds the recognition of being the first AF2 player to become a head coach. He was the AF2 coach of the year in '06 after he led the expansion Spokane Shock all the way to an ArenaCup victory. He's only suffered a losing season once in his coaching career (his two years as an offensive coordinator for the Brigade and Sharks the teams finished 10-6 and 12-4 respectively). Siegfried has an overall record of 76-38 in the AF2 and take on his results from last season and he's 85-47 overall as an arena football head coach. A .644 winning percentage is something that the Soul will need to watch out for as Siegfried enters his second season as an AFL head coach. The Soul split the '11 season series with each team winning on the road (Soul in Week 1 and the Power in week 20) and due to a interstate natural rivalry, it's going to be hard for any team to win these games outright. Expect high attendances and great AFL football to be played between these two teams again in '12.
Bob Landsee - Head Coach of the Milwaukee Mustangs
Playing Career:
- Philadelphia Eagles (NFL) -> '86-'87
Coaching Career:
- Milwaukee Mustangs (AFL) [Offensive Line Coach] '99-'01
- Toronto Phantoms (AFL) [Offensive Line Coach] '02
- Indiana Firebirds (AFL) [Offensive Line Coach] '03
- Green Bay Blizzard (AF2) [Head Coach] '05-'06 & '08-'09 -> 40-24 Record (5-4 Playoffs)
- Milwaukee Iron/Mustangs [Head Coach] '10-Current -> 11-5 (1-1 Playoffs)in '10 & 7-11 in '11
- Bob Landsee was the coach that lost to Chris Siegfried's Spokane Shock in ArenaCup VII back in 2006. That's the closest Landsee has gotten to a championship. In '10 his Milwaukee Iron (now the Mustangs) lost a heart breaker in the National Conference title game to the Spokane Shock (who went on to win ArenaBowl XXIII) 60 to 57. After a disappointing '11 campaign the Mustangs have something to prove in '12 to ensure that '10 was not a fluke. Remember, the Mustangs had the best overall defense last season along with being one of two teams with a positive turnover ratio (+14) to no make the playoffs. It seems that the Mustangs only need to tighten things up in a couple of areas along with getting any kind of production on the offensive side of the ball before becoming a force in not just the East, but in the AFL. A disciplined team like this will not produce a 7-11 record or worse in '12 I can assure you that. The Soul is going to have to rely on their new force of a QB that is Dan Raudabaugh (formerly with the now defunct Dallas Vigilantes) can get things going on offense to counteract that tough Milwaukee defense.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Eastern Division Overall Outlook
Today I'm going to focus on how well the Eastern Division played last year and where each team ranked in various categories which will help shed some light onto whether or not the Soul can right the ship in 2012.
Yesterday I gave you the league standings for 2011, but I'll give you the Eastern Division's standings again:
American Eastern Division
1. Cleveland Gladiators 10-8
2. Pittsburgh Power 9-9
3. Milwaukee Mustangs 7-11
4. Philadelphia Soul 6-12
Here's some quick stats on the division's success:
- The American Eastern Division had the worst win percentage (.444) of all the divisions.
- The American Eastern Division also had the worst win percentage (.417) in non-divisional games.
- The American Eastern Division was the only division to send 1 representative (the Gladiators) to the playoffs. Every other division sent at least 2 teams (if you didn't know 4 of the 9 teams in each Conference qualified for the playoffs in 2011).
- The Cleveland Gladiators were the only division winner to not win their 1st round home playoff game.
From these stats alone you might already see where I'm going with this posting. The fact of the matter is that the American Eastern Division was the worst by far. There has to be one every season, but what's embarrassing last season is encouraging the next. The Soul were only 4 games back of the Gladiators--the smallest separation between first and last place teams in the league. Even though it seems as if the Soul still has a ways to go before they become an elite club again, it's simply not the case. The beauty of the AFL is that rosters can be changed on a yearly basis. Three of the Eights teams to make the playoffs in 2010 didn't qualify for the 2011 postseason. Only one team (The Jacksonville Sharks) won their division in both 2010 and 2011. So opportunity exists for any team to rise and fall within the ranks of their respective division. And with the amount of new and proven talent signed by the Soul this off-season (which I'll write about specifically in a future post) the fans of Philadelphia should really begin to follow the Soul more closely in 2012.
Here's how each team ranked in various regular season categories. I'll give you the best followed by the four Eastern Division teams in order of performance and then the worst:
Scoring Offense:
1. Sharks (1158 pts)
11. Soul (914 pts)
12. Gladiators (904 pts)
14. Mustangs (872 pts)
15. Power (870 pts)
18. Storm (802 pts)
Rushing Offense:
1. Talons (47.8 YDS/G)
3. Power (36.8 YDS/G)
8. Gladiators (25.1 YDS/G)
9. Mustangs (24.7 YDS/G)
15. Soul (16.2 YDS/G)
18. Force (4.7 YDS/G)
Pass Offense:
1. Blaze (301.2 YDS/G)
11. Soul (273.1 YDS/G)
13. Gladiators (250.1 YDS/G)
16. Power (236.4 YDS/G)
17. Mustangs (231.8 YDS/G)
18. Rush (230.9 YDS/G)
Total Offense:
1. SaberCats (321.4 YDS/G)
9. Soul (289.2 YDS/G)
13. Gladiators (275.2 YDS/G)
14. Power (273.2 YDS/G)
18. Mustangs (256.5 YDS/G)
Scoring Defense:
1. Rush (833 pts)
3. Gladiators (841 pts)
4. Mustangs (867 pts)
9. Soul (969 pts)
10. Power (972 pts)
18. Blaze (1117 pts)
Rushing Defense:
1. Talons (12.6 YDS/G)
2. Soul (15.7 YDS/G)
4. Mustangs (19.2 YDS/G)
14. Power (29.4 YDS/G)
15. Gladiators (29.8 YDS/G)
18. Force (32.9 YDS/G)
Passing Defense:
1. Storm (244.8 YDS/G)
2. Mustangs (247.6 YDS/G)
3. Soul (253.7 YDS/G)
7. Gladiators (256.9 YDS/G)
15. Power (277.3 YDS/G)
18. Sharks (302.3 YDS/G)
Total Defense:
1. Mustangs (266.8 YDS/G)
2. Soul (269.4 YDS/G)
7. Gladiators (286.8 YDS/G)
15. Power (306.8 YDS/G)
18. SaberCats (320.4 YDS/G)
Kickoff Returns:
1. Rattlers (20.3 Avg) -> 8 TDs
6. Gladiators (18.2 Avg) -> 2 TDs
7. Power (18.2 Avg) -> 3 TDs
15. Soul (15.4 Avg) -> 3 TDs
17. Mustangs (14.7 Avg) -> 2 TDs
18. Talons (13.8 Avg) -> 3 TDs
Turnover Margin:
1. Rattlers (+33)
3. Gladiators (+19)
5. Mustangs (+14)
Tied 12. Soul (-12)
14. Power (-13)
Tied 17. Storm & Voodoo (-20)
As you can see the Eastern Division finished at best near the middle of the pack in the offensive categories, but they performed very well in nearly every defensive category (except for the Power). The Soul's strengths are pretty transparent (the defense) as are their deficiencies (the offense and turnovers). The Soul won't win many games or qualify for postseason play with a sub-par offense that turns the ball over way too many times. They had that in 2011, but the front office is making strides to make sure that doesn't happen in 2012. Only two of the eight playoff teams in 2011 had a turnover margin in the negatives (Force -3 and Shock -5) while two of the seven teams in the positive didn't make the playoffs (Mustangs +14 and Talons +2). That alone won't ensure success for the Soul, but dropping that number down from -12 definitively wouldn't hurt.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
The AFL as a Whole
Before I can go into the Soul's Eastern Division of the American Conference, I thought I'd start out by getting everyone acquainted with the 17 current franchises of the AFL. Many of these you'll probably recognize from watching the Soul play from 2004-2008 and in 2011. I'll just give you guys a quick history of each team and how they've been performing since the AFL was reinstated in 2010.
Here's the league's Standings in 2010, the AFL first season back after not playing a 2009 campaign.
-American Conference-
Southern Division
1. Jacksonville Sharks 12-4 (Expansion Team)
2. Tampa Bay Storm 11-5 (AFL Franchise)
3. Orlando Predators 8-8 (AFL Franchise)
4. Alabama Vipers 7-9 (AF2 Franchise->Known previously as Tennessee Valley Vipers)
Southwest Division
1. Tulsa Talons 10-6 (AF2 Franchise)
2. Oklahoma City Yard Dawqz 6-10 (AF2 Franchise)
3. Dallas Vigilantes 3-13 (AFL Franchise->Known previously as Dallas Desperados)
4. Bossier-Shreveport Battlewings 3-13 (AF2 Franchise)
-National Conference-
Midwest Division
1. Milwaukee Iron 11-5 (AF2 Franchise)
2. Chicago Rush 10-6 (AFL Franchise)
3. Cleveland Gladiators 7-9 (AFL Franchise)
4. Iowa Barnstormers 7-9 (AF2 Franchise)
Western Division
1. Spokane Shock 13-3 (AF2 Franchise)
2. Arizona Rattlers 10-6 AFL Franchise)
3. Utah Blaze 2-14 (AFL Franchise)
The Season resulted with the Spokane Shock (a dominant AF2 franchise that won the AF2's Arena Cup in 2006 and 2009) defeating the AFL's longtime Tampa Bay Storm franchise 69 to 57 in Arena Bowl XXIII. Evidence enough of how the AFL was able to combine the two leagues while keeping the playing field equal between large and small markets.
The 2010 season saw (7) former AFL franchises, (7) former AF2 franchises, and (1) expansion team make up the AFL's newly transformed league.
The AFL's 2010 regular season attendance sat at 976,307 total fans who came out to watch the AFL with the Tampa Bay storm having the highest avg. (15,237 per game) and the Bossier-Shreveport Battlewings having the lowest avg. (3,967 per game). The league saw a per game average of 8,135 people.
After its first year the league saw even more changes occur as many different franchises folded, moved or re-entered the league for the 2011 season.
We'll start off with the 2010 teams that did not come back:
Bossier-Shreveport Battlewings->Folded
Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz->Folded
Alabama Vipers->Moved to Georgia to reinstate the Georgia Force (a previous AFL franchise)
The franchises that re-entered the league:
Kansas City Command
Philadelphia Soul
New Orleans Voodoo
San Jose SaberCats
The expansion franchises:
Pittsburgh Power
Other changes:
Milwaukee "Iron" -> became Milwaukee "Mustangs"
Now the AFL had 18 teams for 2011. Here's the standings from this past season:
-American Conference-
Eastern Division
1. Cleveland Gladiators 10-8
2. Pittsburgh Power 9-9
3. Milwaukee Mustangs 7-11
4. Philadelphia Soul 6-12
Southern Division
1. Jacksonville Sharks 14-4
2. Georgia Force 11-7
3. Orlando Predators 11-7
4. Tampa Bay Storm 7-11
5. New Orleans Voodoo 3-15
-National Conference-
Central Division
1. Chicago Rush 13-5
2. Dallas Vigilantes 11-7
3. Tulsa Talons 8-10
4. Kansas City Command 6-12
5. Iowa Barnstormers 5-13
Western Division
1. Arizona Rattlers 16-2
2. Spokane Shock 9-9
3. Utah Blaze 9-9
4. San Jose SaberCats 7-11
The season ended with the Jacksonville Sharks winning a thriller over the Arizona Rattlers after a last second touchdown gave the Sharks the lead and the win in Arena Bowl XXIV.
The League divided the 18 clubs in half (9 teams in each Conference) while also expanding the regular season by two games. 2010 saw 16 games played in 18 weeks while 2011 had 18 games played in 20 weeks. The playoff system went untouched as the league realigned the divisions to cater to the mass amount of franchise changes.
With 3 smaller markets folding/moving and 6 bigger markets joining/rejoining the AFL (not to mention the addition of two more regular season games for each team) the AFL saw a leap in overall regular season attendance with 1,330,419 total patrons attending AFL games. The average attendance for each game however, didn't change much as only 128 more people attended each game for a 8,263 per game average.
The Orlando Predators had the highest avg. (12,701 per game) and the Milwaukee Mustangs had the lowest avg. (3,953 per game).
If you're wondering how the Soul did last season here it is:
The Philadelphia Soul drew a total of 88,220 people to their 9 home games for an average of 9,802 fans per game. That's far off their 19,000 plus capacity at the Wells Fargo Center, but they finished on a high note as their last home game of the season against the Pittsburgh Power drew an announced 16,429 fans. During their championship campaign in 2008, the Soul never drew less than 14,000 to a regular season game. It had been 2 years since arena football was played in Philadelphia and starting the 2011 season off with 4 straight road games and 6 of 7 overall on the road didn't help matters much. The Soul went 2-5 during that span while winning at home only 4 times all season. Started out losing their first two home games before winning their third over the Georgia Force 68 to 49 which put the Soul at 3-6 on the season at that point. A season low 7,551 watched the Soul's first home victory. The attendance steadily increased for the last 6 home games as the Soul started to win some games at home.
I'm confident that the Soul's attendance will improve upon itself for the 2011 season. The city of Philadelphia just needs time to remember how much enjoyment can be had at Soul games again as it provides a great family atmosphere without losing any of the intensity that makes football so great.
Here's the franchise changes that are happening for the 2012 season:
"Tulsa" Talons -> becoming "San Antonio" Talons
Dallas Vigilantes -> Suspended Operations
That's about it for now. My next entry will delve into the Eastern Division while giving you my thoughts on whether or not the Soul can win it. Prepare for some 2011 season analysis as well!
Here's the league's Standings in 2010, the AFL first season back after not playing a 2009 campaign.
-American Conference-
Southern Division
1. Jacksonville Sharks 12-4 (Expansion Team)
2. Tampa Bay Storm 11-5 (AFL Franchise)
3. Orlando Predators 8-8 (AFL Franchise)
4. Alabama Vipers 7-9 (AF2 Franchise->Known previously as Tennessee Valley Vipers)
Southwest Division
1. Tulsa Talons 10-6 (AF2 Franchise)
2. Oklahoma City Yard Dawqz 6-10 (AF2 Franchise)
3. Dallas Vigilantes 3-13 (AFL Franchise->Known previously as Dallas Desperados)
4. Bossier-Shreveport Battlewings 3-13 (AF2 Franchise)
-National Conference-
Midwest Division
1. Milwaukee Iron 11-5 (AF2 Franchise)
2. Chicago Rush 10-6 (AFL Franchise)
3. Cleveland Gladiators 7-9 (AFL Franchise)
4. Iowa Barnstormers 7-9 (AF2 Franchise)
Western Division
1. Spokane Shock 13-3 (AF2 Franchise)
2. Arizona Rattlers 10-6 AFL Franchise)
3. Utah Blaze 2-14 (AFL Franchise)
The Season resulted with the Spokane Shock (a dominant AF2 franchise that won the AF2's Arena Cup in 2006 and 2009) defeating the AFL's longtime Tampa Bay Storm franchise 69 to 57 in Arena Bowl XXIII. Evidence enough of how the AFL was able to combine the two leagues while keeping the playing field equal between large and small markets.
The 2010 season saw (7) former AFL franchises, (7) former AF2 franchises, and (1) expansion team make up the AFL's newly transformed league.
The AFL's 2010 regular season attendance sat at 976,307 total fans who came out to watch the AFL with the Tampa Bay storm having the highest avg. (15,237 per game) and the Bossier-Shreveport Battlewings having the lowest avg. (3,967 per game). The league saw a per game average of 8,135 people.
After its first year the league saw even more changes occur as many different franchises folded, moved or re-entered the league for the 2011 season.
We'll start off with the 2010 teams that did not come back:
Bossier-Shreveport Battlewings->Folded
Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz->Folded
Alabama Vipers->Moved to Georgia to reinstate the Georgia Force (a previous AFL franchise)
The franchises that re-entered the league:
Kansas City Command
Philadelphia Soul
New Orleans Voodoo
San Jose SaberCats
The expansion franchises:
Pittsburgh Power
Other changes:
Milwaukee "Iron" -> became Milwaukee "Mustangs"
Now the AFL had 18 teams for 2011. Here's the standings from this past season:
-American Conference-
Eastern Division
1. Cleveland Gladiators 10-8
2. Pittsburgh Power 9-9
3. Milwaukee Mustangs 7-11
4. Philadelphia Soul 6-12
Southern Division
1. Jacksonville Sharks 14-4
2. Georgia Force 11-7
3. Orlando Predators 11-7
4. Tampa Bay Storm 7-11
5. New Orleans Voodoo 3-15
-National Conference-
Central Division
1. Chicago Rush 13-5
2. Dallas Vigilantes 11-7
3. Tulsa Talons 8-10
4. Kansas City Command 6-12
5. Iowa Barnstormers 5-13
Western Division
1. Arizona Rattlers 16-2
2. Spokane Shock 9-9
3. Utah Blaze 9-9
4. San Jose SaberCats 7-11
The season ended with the Jacksonville Sharks winning a thriller over the Arizona Rattlers after a last second touchdown gave the Sharks the lead and the win in Arena Bowl XXIV.
The League divided the 18 clubs in half (9 teams in each Conference) while also expanding the regular season by two games. 2010 saw 16 games played in 18 weeks while 2011 had 18 games played in 20 weeks. The playoff system went untouched as the league realigned the divisions to cater to the mass amount of franchise changes.
With 3 smaller markets folding/moving and 6 bigger markets joining/rejoining the AFL (not to mention the addition of two more regular season games for each team) the AFL saw a leap in overall regular season attendance with 1,330,419 total patrons attending AFL games. The average attendance for each game however, didn't change much as only 128 more people attended each game for a 8,263 per game average.
The Orlando Predators had the highest avg. (12,701 per game) and the Milwaukee Mustangs had the lowest avg. (3,953 per game).
If you're wondering how the Soul did last season here it is:
The Philadelphia Soul drew a total of 88,220 people to their 9 home games for an average of 9,802 fans per game. That's far off their 19,000 plus capacity at the Wells Fargo Center, but they finished on a high note as their last home game of the season against the Pittsburgh Power drew an announced 16,429 fans. During their championship campaign in 2008, the Soul never drew less than 14,000 to a regular season game. It had been 2 years since arena football was played in Philadelphia and starting the 2011 season off with 4 straight road games and 6 of 7 overall on the road didn't help matters much. The Soul went 2-5 during that span while winning at home only 4 times all season. Started out losing their first two home games before winning their third over the Georgia Force 68 to 49 which put the Soul at 3-6 on the season at that point. A season low 7,551 watched the Soul's first home victory. The attendance steadily increased for the last 6 home games as the Soul started to win some games at home.
I'm confident that the Soul's attendance will improve upon itself for the 2011 season. The city of Philadelphia just needs time to remember how much enjoyment can be had at Soul games again as it provides a great family atmosphere without losing any of the intensity that makes football so great.
Here's the franchise changes that are happening for the 2012 season:
"Tulsa" Talons -> becoming "San Antonio" Talons
Dallas Vigilantes -> Suspended Operations
That's about it for now. My next entry will delve into the Eastern Division while giving you my thoughts on whether or not the Soul can win it. Prepare for some 2011 season analysis as well!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Coach Plank
Let's focus on the newest edition that'll have the most say in whether or not the Soul can ultimately contend in 2012, coach Doug Plank. As you may already know, Plank played safety for the Chicago Bears from 1975-1982 where his hard-hitting style won over the respect of his defensive coordinator and former Eagles head coach Buddy Ryan. Ryan's innovative and famous "46 defense" (which was instrumental in the Bears' '85 Super Bowl victory and for the great Eagles defenses in the late 80s early 90s) was named after Plank's jersey number.
Plank started coaching in 2002 and his resume is pretty impressive:
- '02-'04 (AFL) Arizona Rattlers Defensive Coordinator -> Rattlers reached Arena Bowl each season (Lost all 3)
- '05-'08 (AFL) Georgia Force Head Coach -> Coach of the Year in '05 & '07 / Arena Bowl appearance in '05 (Lost) / Made Playoffs every season / 43-21 Regular Season record / 4-4 Playoff record
- '08 (NFL) Seasonal assistant for Atlanta Falcons (Team made playoffs that season)
- '09 (NFL) Assistant Defensive Backfield Coach for New York Jets -> Jets led the league in fewest total yards, points and TD passes allowed.
- '10 (NCAAF) Football Program Assistant at Ohio State -> Ohio State won the Sugar Bowl that season
For the most part, Plank has found success everywhere he's been. He not only has 4 seasons worth of Arena Bowl experience, but he's never experienced a losing record as a coach anywhere. He's also the winningest four-year head coach in AFL history. His worse season came in 2006 while being head coach of the Georgia Force when they finished 8-8. He only left the AFL coaching scene after the league suspended operations in '09. Now that he's back, expect the same level of success under his leadership. It doesn't hurt having a defensive minded coach man the helm especially with the amount of success that his teams have had in the past. In a league where the defense takes a backseat to the offense in every regards, it's a real advantage to have a coach with Plank's pedigree.
Expectations though can backfire as we've seen with the man Plank's replacing, Mike Hohensee. Hohensee also had an impressive resume after he coached the Chicago Rush from '01-'08 and in '10 leading them to the playoffs every season. He won Arena Bowl XX and had notched over 100 career victories in 10 years as an AFL head coach. But after a very disappointing '11 campaign, Hohensee resigned and the Soul were back to square one in their search for a head coach.
We'll have to wait and see how coach Plank fairs in his first season as an AFL head coach since 2008, but I'm expecting the Soul to become far more competitive than last season. Plank seems like a coach who has everything together on a football standpoint. Read his blog on the Soul's website to become a little more familiar with the man. He's wrote some very encouraging posts.
Plank started coaching in 2002 and his resume is pretty impressive:
- '02-'04 (AFL) Arizona Rattlers Defensive Coordinator -> Rattlers reached Arena Bowl each season (Lost all 3)
- '05-'08 (AFL) Georgia Force Head Coach -> Coach of the Year in '05 & '07 / Arena Bowl appearance in '05 (Lost) / Made Playoffs every season / 43-21 Regular Season record / 4-4 Playoff record
- '08 (NFL) Seasonal assistant for Atlanta Falcons (Team made playoffs that season)
- '09 (NFL) Assistant Defensive Backfield Coach for New York Jets -> Jets led the league in fewest total yards, points and TD passes allowed.
- '10 (NCAAF) Football Program Assistant at Ohio State -> Ohio State won the Sugar Bowl that season
For the most part, Plank has found success everywhere he's been. He not only has 4 seasons worth of Arena Bowl experience, but he's never experienced a losing record as a coach anywhere. He's also the winningest four-year head coach in AFL history. His worse season came in 2006 while being head coach of the Georgia Force when they finished 8-8. He only left the AFL coaching scene after the league suspended operations in '09. Now that he's back, expect the same level of success under his leadership. It doesn't hurt having a defensive minded coach man the helm especially with the amount of success that his teams have had in the past. In a league where the defense takes a backseat to the offense in every regards, it's a real advantage to have a coach with Plank's pedigree.
Expectations though can backfire as we've seen with the man Plank's replacing, Mike Hohensee. Hohensee also had an impressive resume after he coached the Chicago Rush from '01-'08 and in '10 leading them to the playoffs every season. He won Arena Bowl XX and had notched over 100 career victories in 10 years as an AFL head coach. But after a very disappointing '11 campaign, Hohensee resigned and the Soul were back to square one in their search for a head coach.
We'll have to wait and see how coach Plank fairs in his first season as an AFL head coach since 2008, but I'm expecting the Soul to become far more competitive than last season. Plank seems like a coach who has everything together on a football standpoint. Read his blog on the Soul's website to become a little more familiar with the man. He's wrote some very encouraging posts.
What to Watch Out For
I'm just letting you all know what I'm going to focus on before the Soul's season kicks off in March '12.
Preseason Previews:
- The Division
- New coach Doug Plank
- 2011 statistics
- Returning players analysis
- and more!
I'll focus each post on a specific topic as the days go by along with any other announcements that are released in between. I'm looking forward to the start of a great season and hopefully I'll get everyone caught up on what to expect before the season starts.
Preseason Previews:
- The Division
- New coach Doug Plank
- 2011 statistics
- Returning players analysis
- and more!
I'll focus each post on a specific topic as the days go by along with any other announcements that are released in between. I'm looking forward to the start of a great season and hopefully I'll get everyone caught up on what to expect before the season starts.
My beginnings
I first became interested in arena football when my home town of Scranton, PA received a AF2 franchise in 2002. Now the Arena Football League (AFL) has been around since 1987 when only four teams existed in the league: Pittsburgh Gladiators, Denver Dynamite, Chicago Bruisers and Washington Commandos. The four teams only played a 6 game season where each team would face each other twice. The two teams with the best records faced off in what's still known today as the Arena Bowl. The #2 Denver Dynamite defeated the #1 Pittsburgh Gladiators 45 to 16 for the league's first Arena Bowl.
The AFL has seen many different franchises come and go throughout the years after that first season. The league has swelled up to as much as 19 teams (in 2001, 2004 and 2007) and has never had back-to-back seasons where the same exact and number of teams have all come back. Only five seasons exist where the league didn't add an expansion team for the upcoming season. So the AFL has been an evolving and growing league every since its induction.
Due to the league's success, it found the Arena Football 2 League (AF2) to bring the game to mid-sized markets in an attempt to expand the product. This "minor league" was unique because it didn't act as one for it's older brother the AFL. Team's weren't designated AF2 teams where players could develop for their respective AFL franchise. The AF2 provided the means for a player to develop, but that player could be signed by any team in the AFL. It created an equal playing field in terms of acquiring young talent for the AFL while also expanding arena football throughout the country.
The AF2 started in 2000-2009 where it met it's end after the model for the AFL came to an abrupt end in 2009. The AFL didn't play its 2009 campaign, but the AF2 did which became its final season of operation. My team (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers) made it all the way to the Arena Cup (the AF2's championship game) for the second time in club history. The Pioneers started play in 2002 and also made it to Arena Cup VIII in 2007 in a loss to the only other team to have a better record than the Pioneers, the Tulsa Talons, 73 to 66. The Pioneers also came out on the losing end in Arena Cup X as the Spokane Shock (AFL mainstay to this day) trampled on the Pioneers' hopes with a 74 to 27 victory.
My hometown team was lost after that season due to a horrible financial structure that forced the AFL to suspend operations in 2009. The AFL transformed the entire makeup of the league by eliminating the AF2 and combining previous AFL franchises with the most financially sound AF2 teams in what's known today as the AFL. Small and large markets now compete among each other in an environment where either type of club could succeed despite disparities in revenue.
Thankfully for me the Philadelphia Soul were reinstated in 2011 even though the season turned out the complete polar opposite than it did in 2008 when the Soul took home Arena Bowl XXII 59 to 56 over the San Jose SaberCats. Now after a 6-12 finish in 2011, the Soul look to rebuild the team into a championship contender and I for one can't wait to see how 2012 turns out.
The AFL has seen many different franchises come and go throughout the years after that first season. The league has swelled up to as much as 19 teams (in 2001, 2004 and 2007) and has never had back-to-back seasons where the same exact and number of teams have all come back. Only five seasons exist where the league didn't add an expansion team for the upcoming season. So the AFL has been an evolving and growing league every since its induction.
Due to the league's success, it found the Arena Football 2 League (AF2) to bring the game to mid-sized markets in an attempt to expand the product. This "minor league" was unique because it didn't act as one for it's older brother the AFL. Team's weren't designated AF2 teams where players could develop for their respective AFL franchise. The AF2 provided the means for a player to develop, but that player could be signed by any team in the AFL. It created an equal playing field in terms of acquiring young talent for the AFL while also expanding arena football throughout the country.
The AF2 started in 2000-2009 where it met it's end after the model for the AFL came to an abrupt end in 2009. The AFL didn't play its 2009 campaign, but the AF2 did which became its final season of operation. My team (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers) made it all the way to the Arena Cup (the AF2's championship game) for the second time in club history. The Pioneers started play in 2002 and also made it to Arena Cup VIII in 2007 in a loss to the only other team to have a better record than the Pioneers, the Tulsa Talons, 73 to 66. The Pioneers also came out on the losing end in Arena Cup X as the Spokane Shock (AFL mainstay to this day) trampled on the Pioneers' hopes with a 74 to 27 victory.
My hometown team was lost after that season due to a horrible financial structure that forced the AFL to suspend operations in 2009. The AFL transformed the entire makeup of the league by eliminating the AF2 and combining previous AFL franchises with the most financially sound AF2 teams in what's known today as the AFL. Small and large markets now compete among each other in an environment where either type of club could succeed despite disparities in revenue.
Thankfully for me the Philadelphia Soul were reinstated in 2011 even though the season turned out the complete polar opposite than it did in 2008 when the Soul took home Arena Bowl XXII 59 to 56 over the San Jose SaberCats. Now after a 6-12 finish in 2011, the Soul look to rebuild the team into a championship contender and I for one can't wait to see how 2012 turns out.
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