Yesterday the Soul announced the assignment of local product Jeremy Schonbrunner for the 2012 season. The 6'3", 305 lb center out of Temple (2008-11) showed great versatility within the offensive line for the Owls during his tenure with the team.
His most productive season came this past as he helped lead Temple to their first bowl win in 31 years with a 37-15 victory over Wyoming in the New Mexico Bowl. Schonbrunner played in 12 games last season, starting 8 at center including the bowl victory over Wyoming; he also played on the field goal unit as well. Schonbrunner was part of an offensive line unit that didn't allow any sacks in games against Wyoming, Ohio, Buffalo and Akron.
In 2010, Schonbrunner played in 9 games with 1 start at center (a 30-0 thrashing of Akron) for a successful 8-4 Owls squad; he played on the punt unit as well that season. The year before that he played in 9 games for the Owls without any starts as he first saw action in his collegiate career against No. 5 Penn State (a 31-6 loss). Schonbrunner dressed for 8 games in 2008, but failed to see game action after he redshirted in 2007.
Schonbrunner adds a local face to a local team looking to rekindle some of that 2008 magic after such a disastrous first season back in the AFL after suspending operations from 2009-10. He'll provide some of that local draw that is so very much unique to a sport like arena football. Getting to see good players who missed out playing outdoors in a fan friendly atmosphere.
The Soul look to improve upon their 11th ranked sacks against ranking in the AFL last season after allowing 31 sacks. Schonbrunner brings great size and athleticism to the offensive line and seems to be a player on the rise after performing on a limited basis for Temple.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
DB Kent Richardson
One of the bright spots for the Soul in 2011 was the play and development of rookie DB Kent Richardson. Richardson stepped into a starters role in Week 9 against the Jacksonville Sharks right after DB Tanner Varner suffered a season ending injury the week prior against his former team the Iowa Barnstormers.
Before his first start in his young AFL career, Richardson played in 5 of the Soul's first 7 games racking up 11.5 total tackles (10 unassisted and 3 assisted). Richardson was contributing 2.3 tackles per game coming of the bench in a reserve role.
Then Richardson's production increased rapidly while starting for the Soul in 9 of their last 11 games. During that span Richardson recorded 52.5 total tackles (47 unassisted and 11 assisted), forced 2 fumbles (against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Spokane Shock), recovered one fumble (returned it 36 yards against the Tulsa Talons), and picked off 1 pass (against the New Orleans VooDoo). Richardson registered 4.8 tackles per game during that span and his 2 FF, 1 FR and 1 INT all came in starts.
Richardson didn't start against the Arizona Rattlers (a 55-54 loss) and in the regular season finale against the Pittsburgh Power (a 61-48 loss). He only recorded 5 total tackles (4 unassisted and 2 assisted) in those 2 games.
So in the 9 games he started, Richardson registered 47.5 total tackles for a 5.3 per game average and 16.5 total tackles in the 7 games he didn't start in for a 2.4 per game average.
If we look at it from a games won perspective, the Soul went 4-5 in games that Richardson started and 2-7 in games he did not. That's a bit of an anomaly since the Soul are obviously a better team when Varner is on the roster, not too mention that QB Ryan Vena took over for failed big free agent signing QB Justin Allgood for good in Week 8 in the very same game that Varner got injured. Vena's play was a big reason why the Soul were able to muster a total of 6 wins in 2011, but Richardson's youth infusion into the DB position paid dividends for the Soul.
Richardson ended the season leading the Soul in total tackles (64.0) and pass break ups (11) and has found himself a permanent place on the Soul's roster because of it. A reliable backup at the very least, Richardson should further compliment his fellow veteran defensive backs for seasons to come.
Before his first start in his young AFL career, Richardson played in 5 of the Soul's first 7 games racking up 11.5 total tackles (10 unassisted and 3 assisted). Richardson was contributing 2.3 tackles per game coming of the bench in a reserve role.
Then Richardson's production increased rapidly while starting for the Soul in 9 of their last 11 games. During that span Richardson recorded 52.5 total tackles (47 unassisted and 11 assisted), forced 2 fumbles (against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Spokane Shock), recovered one fumble (returned it 36 yards against the Tulsa Talons), and picked off 1 pass (against the New Orleans VooDoo). Richardson registered 4.8 tackles per game during that span and his 2 FF, 1 FR and 1 INT all came in starts.
Richardson didn't start against the Arizona Rattlers (a 55-54 loss) and in the regular season finale against the Pittsburgh Power (a 61-48 loss). He only recorded 5 total tackles (4 unassisted and 2 assisted) in those 2 games.
So in the 9 games he started, Richardson registered 47.5 total tackles for a 5.3 per game average and 16.5 total tackles in the 7 games he didn't start in for a 2.4 per game average.
If we look at it from a games won perspective, the Soul went 4-5 in games that Richardson started and 2-7 in games he did not. That's a bit of an anomaly since the Soul are obviously a better team when Varner is on the roster, not too mention that QB Ryan Vena took over for failed big free agent signing QB Justin Allgood for good in Week 8 in the very same game that Varner got injured. Vena's play was a big reason why the Soul were able to muster a total of 6 wins in 2011, but Richardson's youth infusion into the DB position paid dividends for the Soul.
Richardson ended the season leading the Soul in total tackles (64.0) and pass break ups (11) and has found himself a permanent place on the Soul's roster because of it. A reliable backup at the very least, Richardson should further compliment his fellow veteran defensive backs for seasons to come.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Roster Update (2nd Version)
[Names in bold indicates the players I've already highlighted in past posts]
Returning Players:
#55 OL Aumaitre, Nyere* (Open Tryout Player)
#8 DL Barno, Dustin
#1 WR Brackins, Larry*
#58 FB/LB Brown, Melik*
#92 OL/DL Campbell, Darrell*
#95 OL/DL Fitzgerald, Jeffrey
#22 WR/LB Frank, Chris
#28 DB Gardner, Drew
#27 LB Hayes, Jerome* (Open Tryout Player)
#2 WR Morgan, Donovan*
#6 LB Perkins, Brandon*
#9 DB Richardson, Kent*
#20 DB Varner, Tanner*
(The * indicates being on the 2011 opening day final roster)
Free Agent Acquisitions
OL/DL Amoo, Anthony
#19 DB Burch, Koreen
#17 DB Cooper, Jesse (Open Tryout Player)
#13 QB DiMichele, Adam
#72 OL Duncan, Zipp
#18 LB Goosby, Joe
#33 WR/KR Hoggard, Alfonso (Open Tryout Player)
#3 WR/KR Hughley, Jeff
#78 OL Johnson, Christian
#11 WR Jones, Anthony
#7 DB Kizer, Rayshaun
K Marfuggi, Phil (New Addition) (Open Tryout Player)
#15 QB Nemeth, EJ
#52 DL Paramoure, Reggie
#5 QB Raudabaugh, Dan
#12 DL Robinson, Bryan
#23 DB Robinson, Michaeux
#4 FB Ross, Derrick
#30 FB/LB Smith, Clifton
Returning Players:
#55 OL Aumaitre, Nyere* (Open Tryout Player)
#8 DL Barno, Dustin
#1 WR Brackins, Larry*
#58 FB/LB Brown, Melik*
#92 OL/DL Campbell, Darrell*
#95 OL/DL Fitzgerald, Jeffrey
#22 WR/LB Frank, Chris
#28 DB Gardner, Drew
#27 LB Hayes, Jerome* (Open Tryout Player)
#2 WR Morgan, Donovan*
#6 LB Perkins, Brandon*
#9 DB Richardson, Kent*
#20 DB Varner, Tanner*
(The * indicates being on the 2011 opening day final roster)
Free Agent Acquisitions
OL/DL Amoo, Anthony
#19 DB Burch, Koreen
#17 DB Cooper, Jesse (Open Tryout Player)
#13 QB DiMichele, Adam
#72 OL Duncan, Zipp
#18 LB Goosby, Joe
#33 WR/KR Hoggard, Alfonso (Open Tryout Player)
#3 WR/KR Hughley, Jeff
#78 OL Johnson, Christian
#11 WR Jones, Anthony
#7 DB Kizer, Rayshaun
K Marfuggi, Phil (New Addition) (Open Tryout Player)
#15 QB Nemeth, EJ
#52 DL Paramoure, Reggie
#5 QB Raudabaugh, Dan
#12 DL Robinson, Bryan
#23 DB Robinson, Michaeux
#4 FB Ross, Derrick
WR Sammons, Emery (New Addition)
#30 FB/LB Smith, Clifton
That bring's the roster number to 33 players. The Soul must cut down to 24 players remember before their first game this coming March. A great mixture of young and veteran players is something that the Soul are lucky enough to have currently. When all is said and done, look out for one of the most talented bunch of players the Soul have ever had in their 7 year history.
If you've noticed, many of the free agents have been assigned numbers (something that wasn't updated on my last post regarding the roster) and some of the returning players have changed their numbers as well. So here's the latest when it comes to how the Soul's 2012 roster is shaping up.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Great Event
Today I have a bit of non-Soul related news to share with you all. The Jacksonville Sharks are teaming up with Second Harvest North Florida for the second year in a row in an effort to donate non-perishable canned goods to the organization. Second Harvest helps feed food-insecure households around the area through donations and various other means. Second Harvest distributed more than 20 million pounds of food last year to the 17 counties the organization serves.
The Sharks will host the New Orleans VooDoo on March 3rd at 12:30 p.m. for a free preseason contest two weeks before the Sharks first game and three weeks before the Sharks home opener. Admission will be free-of-charge, but fans are asked to bring a donation of non-perishable canned goods to the scrimmage. All canned goods will be collected outside of Sea Best Field as the event hopes to collect 15,000 pounds of donated food. Last year the same event collected 8,140 pounds of food, so the goal is to almost double the amount of donations.
This is just another example of why the AFL continues to exceed expectations when it comes to charitable events. AFL teams are able to really connect with their fan base and community in ways that more prolific sports leagues simply cannot. Free events are just about unheard of anywhere else and what makes these types of events possible you might ask? It's all because of the restructuring the AFL underwent back in 2009 and even though the players are making less, the team's charitable contributions are increasing.
Giving back to your fans and communities especially after coming off a championship season is something that many other AFL organizations should definitively look into. I don't see a reason why at least half of the teams cannot pull of an event like this once a year. It just makes someone like myself proud to be a fan of the AFL, a league that takes itself very seriously.
The Sharks will host the New Orleans VooDoo on March 3rd at 12:30 p.m. for a free preseason contest two weeks before the Sharks first game and three weeks before the Sharks home opener. Admission will be free-of-charge, but fans are asked to bring a donation of non-perishable canned goods to the scrimmage. All canned goods will be collected outside of Sea Best Field as the event hopes to collect 15,000 pounds of donated food. Last year the same event collected 8,140 pounds of food, so the goal is to almost double the amount of donations.
This is just another example of why the AFL continues to exceed expectations when it comes to charitable events. AFL teams are able to really connect with their fan base and community in ways that more prolific sports leagues simply cannot. Free events are just about unheard of anywhere else and what makes these types of events possible you might ask? It's all because of the restructuring the AFL underwent back in 2009 and even though the players are making less, the team's charitable contributions are increasing.
Giving back to your fans and communities especially after coming off a championship season is something that many other AFL organizations should definitively look into. I don't see a reason why at least half of the teams cannot pull of an event like this once a year. It just makes someone like myself proud to be a fan of the AFL, a league that takes itself very seriously.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Soul add a Kicker to their Roster
At the Soul's most recent tryout in Philadelphia, the Soul were able to sign a kicker out of the 285 participants that showed off their skills this past Saturday. Phil Marfuggi, a New Jersey native, impressed the coaching staff enough for coach Plank to rest the consistency of the Soul's kicking game solely on his shoulders.
Marfuggi is a converted soccer player whose trying his luck at kicking footballs for a change. Marfuggi was an acclaimed goal keeper out of Clemson (2003-2006) earning All-American honors. He was named team Captain and MVP in 2006 while garnishing First Team All-American by Soccer America and soccertimes.com in 2005. Marfuggi was drafted and signed by the New England Revolution in the first round of the 2007 MLS Supplemental Draft.
In 2010 Marfuggi signed with the Harrisburg Stampede of the American Indoor Football Association where he flourished. He connected on 71-79 PATs (90% success rate) and 3-5 on field goals in the 40-49 yard range and scoring 129 points for the 11-3 Stampede that season.
Marfuggi then signed with the Iowa Barnstormers of the AFL in 2011 just two games into the season. He only appeared in the team's next three contests where he connected on 15-22 PATs (68% success rate) and missed a 47-yard field goal in his only attempt.
Bringing consistency to the kicking game is one of the biggest keys to the Soul's success in 2012. The Soul rotated four different kickers throughout the season in 2011 and performed below average in every kicking category. Marfuggi didn't perform all that well with the Barnstormers, but from the reactions out of Saturday's open tryout, things must have turned around for Marfuggi. He's shown success in the past, but now must produce results fast or else Marfuggi might be seeing another early exit from the AFL.
Marfuggi is a converted soccer player whose trying his luck at kicking footballs for a change. Marfuggi was an acclaimed goal keeper out of Clemson (2003-2006) earning All-American honors. He was named team Captain and MVP in 2006 while garnishing First Team All-American by Soccer America and soccertimes.com in 2005. Marfuggi was drafted and signed by the New England Revolution in the first round of the 2007 MLS Supplemental Draft.
In 2010 Marfuggi signed with the Harrisburg Stampede of the American Indoor Football Association where he flourished. He connected on 71-79 PATs (90% success rate) and 3-5 on field goals in the 40-49 yard range and scoring 129 points for the 11-3 Stampede that season.
Marfuggi then signed with the Iowa Barnstormers of the AFL in 2011 just two games into the season. He only appeared in the team's next three contests where he connected on 15-22 PATs (68% success rate) and missed a 47-yard field goal in his only attempt.
Bringing consistency to the kicking game is one of the biggest keys to the Soul's success in 2012. The Soul rotated four different kickers throughout the season in 2011 and performed below average in every kicking category. Marfuggi didn't perform all that well with the Barnstormers, but from the reactions out of Saturday's open tryout, things must have turned around for Marfuggi. He's shown success in the past, but now must produce results fast or else Marfuggi might be seeing another early exit from the AFL.
Monday, January 30, 2012
AFL Makes Minor Rule Changes
Today the AFL announced a couple of rule changes that will affect play in 2012. First the AFL announced that the league will move from a five-man officiating crew to 6 officials effective in 2012. The league has had a five-man officiating crew in place since their inaugural season in 1987, but this move was made in order to bring more credibility and accuracy to the game. The AFL added a second back judge in order to keep interference from the players and the fans to a minimum. Now the league will utilize one referee, an umpire, a line judge, a side judge and two back judges in every game; to compare the NFL uses a seven-man officiating crew for their games.
The move will add another eye on the field that's ready to look for any infraction worthy of throwing that yellow flag. Teams last season averaged a total of 157.77 penalties in 18 regular season games, good for 8.77 penalties a game. The Soul ranked 7th last season in fewest penalty yards per game with 909 penalty yards for a 50.5 per game average. The Soul were penalized 153 times for a 8.5 average, both of which came under the league average. The Soul were one of the best disciplined teams in the AFL in 2011 and look to improve on that figure despite the added back judge. The least penalized team was the Tulsa Talons (102 time for a 32.8 penalty yards per game average) and the Tampa Bay Storm were the most penalized team (184 times for a 70.8 penalty yards per game average).
The league also changed the replay and challenge rules by allowing coaches challenges and replays to be available for every regular and postseason contest in 2012. Each team has two challenges each per game and if both challenges are successful then a third challenge will be awarded to that team. A team must have at least one timeout remaining in order to challenge a play. These changes replicates what is done in the NFL for their replay management except for the "two minute warning rule" where all plays must be reviewed by the replay both within that time. The AFL uses a "one minute warning" and doesn't add any special replay rules during that time. The NFL also reviews every scoring play which the AFL does not currently do at this time.
Both of these changes will bring a tighter, more competitive atmosphere to the game of arena football which I feel is needed in the league. Anytime you can bring credibility without sacrificing the pace of the game is a victory for a league like the AFL.
The move will add another eye on the field that's ready to look for any infraction worthy of throwing that yellow flag. Teams last season averaged a total of 157.77 penalties in 18 regular season games, good for 8.77 penalties a game. The Soul ranked 7th last season in fewest penalty yards per game with 909 penalty yards for a 50.5 per game average. The Soul were penalized 153 times for a 8.5 average, both of which came under the league average. The Soul were one of the best disciplined teams in the AFL in 2011 and look to improve on that figure despite the added back judge. The least penalized team was the Tulsa Talons (102 time for a 32.8 penalty yards per game average) and the Tampa Bay Storm were the most penalized team (184 times for a 70.8 penalty yards per game average).
The league also changed the replay and challenge rules by allowing coaches challenges and replays to be available for every regular and postseason contest in 2012. Each team has two challenges each per game and if both challenges are successful then a third challenge will be awarded to that team. A team must have at least one timeout remaining in order to challenge a play. These changes replicates what is done in the NFL for their replay management except for the "two minute warning rule" where all plays must be reviewed by the replay both within that time. The AFL uses a "one minute warning" and doesn't add any special replay rules during that time. The NFL also reviews every scoring play which the AFL does not currently do at this time.
Both of these changes will bring a tighter, more competitive atmosphere to the game of arena football which I feel is needed in the league. Anytime you can bring credibility without sacrificing the pace of the game is a victory for a league like the AFL.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
STAND UP
We're going to put football aside for now and focus on a truly unprecedented event that will be taking place in just two days. The Philadelphia Soul, Philadelphia radio stations and the Philadelphia Children's Alliance are teaming up to help bring justice and healing to child victims of sexual abuse. Here's a straight quote from the Philadelphia Children's Alliance's website:
"On Monday, January 30, we will launch the STAND UP Radio Rally - a one day awareness campaign created in response to recent and troubling headlines related to the sexual abuse of children. During the 18 hours of the Radio Rally, for every ticket sold to the Soul home opener (April 1st), Philadelphia Soul will donate $15 to support the important work of Philadelphia Children's Alliance. Join with Mayor Michael Nutter, ESPN Monday Night Football broadcaster and Soul owner Ron Jaworski, Congressmen Mike Fitzpatrick and Chaka Fattah, The Roots keyboardist Kamal Gray, Last Comic Standing Todd Glass, Philadelphia Eagles Coach Andy Reid, wide receiver Chadd Hall, and Longsnapper Jon Dorenbus (and his wife Julie), Olympic Gold Medalist Carl Lewis, Eagles Legend Vince Papale, PHL17/NBC10 host Steve Highsmith, Survivor Rhett Hackett, and many others who will take the pledge to support Philadelphia's child victims. Visit philadelphiasoul.com/STANDUP to take the pledge and buy your ticket to donate $15 in support of Philadelphia Children's Alliance."
It's a remarkable gesture for the Philadelphia Soul organization to donate $15 from every $28 ticket sold to the Philadelphia Children's Alliance; that's a 54% donation from every ticket sold. Monday, January 30th, is the first day that single game tickets go on sale and what better to commemorate the occasion than to put the entire focus on such a worthy cause. The radio stations (including WMGK 102.9 FM, WMMR 93.3 FM, WBEN 95.7 FM, WPEN 950 AM, WPEN 97.5 FM) will be put to good use as the Soul and the Philadelphia Children's Alliance work to spread the sad, but important message of child sexual abuse.
This of course comes in wake of the recent Penn State scandal involving former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky and numerous accusations of fowl play with numerous child victims. It's such a unique partnership that brings multiple benefits to all parties involved. The awareness of child sexual abuse is the primary focus obviously and it's a welcomed event that many other organizations would be hard pressed not to participate in. I think it's a no-brainer that the Pittsburgh Power at the very least should do something very similar if not join the Soul to help bring forth this message. Pennsylvania's two biggest cities, east and west, joining together to bring awareness to child sexual abuse and eventually meeting in the middle at State College (where this whole mess began) would be monumental. It would bring publicity to both teams and the sport of arena football as well. What other sports team would donate 54% of each ticket sold? It doesn't matter what level the AFL is on fan wise, the point of the matter is the Philadelphia Soul are doing something one step in the right direction for all of Pennsylvania and the entire United States.
This event will assure an electric atmosphere for the Soul's 2012 home opener on April 1st against division rival the Cleveland Gladiators. Hopefully this sparks a fan base that hasn't been the same since the Soul's 2008 championship. Bringing fans back to the game of arena football while also educating the masses is a great opportunity for all involved. Here's to thanking the classiest organization in the AFL for such a wonderful event and hoping for great success to come from it.
"On Monday, January 30, we will launch the STAND UP Radio Rally - a one day awareness campaign created in response to recent and troubling headlines related to the sexual abuse of children. During the 18 hours of the Radio Rally, for every ticket sold to the Soul home opener (April 1st), Philadelphia Soul will donate $15 to support the important work of Philadelphia Children's Alliance. Join with Mayor Michael Nutter, ESPN Monday Night Football broadcaster and Soul owner Ron Jaworski, Congressmen Mike Fitzpatrick and Chaka Fattah, The Roots keyboardist Kamal Gray, Last Comic Standing Todd Glass, Philadelphia Eagles Coach Andy Reid, wide receiver Chadd Hall, and Longsnapper Jon Dorenbus (and his wife Julie), Olympic Gold Medalist Carl Lewis, Eagles Legend Vince Papale, PHL17/NBC10 host Steve Highsmith, Survivor Rhett Hackett, and many others who will take the pledge to support Philadelphia's child victims. Visit philadelphiasoul.com/STANDUP to take the pledge and buy your ticket to donate $15 in support of Philadelphia Children's Alliance."
It's a remarkable gesture for the Philadelphia Soul organization to donate $15 from every $28 ticket sold to the Philadelphia Children's Alliance; that's a 54% donation from every ticket sold. Monday, January 30th, is the first day that single game tickets go on sale and what better to commemorate the occasion than to put the entire focus on such a worthy cause. The radio stations (including WMGK 102.9 FM, WMMR 93.3 FM, WBEN 95.7 FM, WPEN 950 AM, WPEN 97.5 FM) will be put to good use as the Soul and the Philadelphia Children's Alliance work to spread the sad, but important message of child sexual abuse.
This of course comes in wake of the recent Penn State scandal involving former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky and numerous accusations of fowl play with numerous child victims. It's such a unique partnership that brings multiple benefits to all parties involved. The awareness of child sexual abuse is the primary focus obviously and it's a welcomed event that many other organizations would be hard pressed not to participate in. I think it's a no-brainer that the Pittsburgh Power at the very least should do something very similar if not join the Soul to help bring forth this message. Pennsylvania's two biggest cities, east and west, joining together to bring awareness to child sexual abuse and eventually meeting in the middle at State College (where this whole mess began) would be monumental. It would bring publicity to both teams and the sport of arena football as well. What other sports team would donate 54% of each ticket sold? It doesn't matter what level the AFL is on fan wise, the point of the matter is the Philadelphia Soul are doing something one step in the right direction for all of Pennsylvania and the entire United States.
This event will assure an electric atmosphere for the Soul's 2012 home opener on April 1st against division rival the Cleveland Gladiators. Hopefully this sparks a fan base that hasn't been the same since the Soul's 2008 championship. Bringing fans back to the game of arena football while also educating the masses is a great opportunity for all involved. Here's to thanking the classiest organization in the AFL for such a wonderful event and hoping for great success to come from it.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Assistant Head Coach Clint Dolezel
A man that Philadelphia Soul fans once booed is now an essential component to the Soul's 2012 title aspirations. Clint Dolezel played in the AFL from 1995-2008 for 5 different teams while amassing 44,594 yards, 955 touchdowns and a 117.75 QB rating. Dolezel went right into coaching in 2009 after retiring from the Dallas Desperados which has led him to his current position with the Soul.
Dolezel debuted in the AFL in 1995 with the Milwaukee Mustangs where he played sparingly in his two seasons with the club. In 1997 Dolezel signed with the Texas Terror (renamed the Houston Thunder Bears in 1998) where he saw action as the team's starting quarterback. After two more good seasons with the Thunder Bears, Dolezel joined the Grand Rapids Rampage in 2001 where he led the squad to the ArenaBowl XV championship. Dolezel was awarded an All-Arena Second Team nod for his performance during the Rampage's 2001 championship season. Dolezel then joined the Las Vegas Gladiators in 2004 after two more less successful seasons with Grand Rapids. Dolezel continued to succeed at the quarterback position, but his Gladiators' teams only could muster back-to-back .500 seasons despite Dolezel's efforts.
In 2006 Dolezel signed on with the Dallas Desperados and instantly became a villain in the eyes of Soul fans everywhere. His three years with the Desperados were by far Dolzel's best seasons as an AFL professional quarterback. Dolezel racked up a combined 40-8 record in those three seasons leading the Desperados to the playoffs every season. In 2007 Dolezel became the first quarterback to lead his team to a 15-1 record in the history of the AFL. But Dolezel couldn't extend his regular season success into the playoffs as the Desperados were only able to win 1 game (in 2006) out of the 4 games they played from 2006-2008. Dolezel did however become the first quarterback in league history to surpass the 900 touchdown plateau in 2008.
Dolezel had a 4-4 career record against the Philadelphia Soul, 2-0 with the Gladiators and 2-4 with the Desperados. The Soul joined the league in 2004, so Dolezel only had the pleasure of facing off against the Soul for five seasons. With the Gladiators, Dolezel led his team to back-to-back victories over the Soul in 2004 and 2005 at the Wachovia Center (now the Wells-Fargo Center). In his six games against the Soul as a member of the Desperados, five out of the six contests were decided by 10 points or less.
In 2006 the Soul beat the Desperados twice by a combined 7 points between the two contests. In 2007 the Desperados defeated the Soul twice during their record breaking season by a combined 13 points between the two contests. In the Soul's 2008 championship season, the Soul routed the Desperados by 29 points in their first match up (a 57-28 home victory) and later slipped by that very same Desperados team 71-64 later that season at Dallas.
After the AFL folded in 2009, Dolezel joined the AF2's Florida Firecats as the team's offensive coordinator after 13 seasons as an AFL quarterback. Dolezel's offense wasn't good enough as the Firecats failed to qualify for postseason play for the first time since the Firecats' inaugural season in 2001. After a 7-9 season with the Firecats, Dolezel didn't resurface with the newly reformed AFL until 2011. In 2010 Dolezel was named the San Angelo Stampede Express' head coach of the IFL. Dolezel took a 5-9 Stampede Express team and turned them into a 10-4 playoff team in 2010.
Dolezel then rejoined his Dallas roots and coached the Dallas Vigilantes of the AFL in 2011. Dolezel again transformed a bottom-dweller into a playoff caliber team as he led the Vigilantes to an 11-7 record and a playoff appearance. The Vigilantes had finished at 3-13 in 2010 which marked the best turnaround for any team in the AFL for the 2011 season. When the Vigilantes folded and no coaching offers were presented to the second year coach, Dolezel joined the Philadelphia Soul along with many of his former players.
It's this familiarity with the many former Vigilantes that joined the Soul this off-season that coach Dolezel will be counted on the most in 2012. He possess a great offensive mind and will have no trouble running the Soul's offense for his former starting quarterback, full back, and wide receiver. The expectations for this Soul team doesn't stop at the players, but the coaches as well. The pieces are here to win it all, so hopefully the Soul are able to put everything together for another chance at an ArenaBowl championship.
Dolezel debuted in the AFL in 1995 with the Milwaukee Mustangs where he played sparingly in his two seasons with the club. In 1997 Dolezel signed with the Texas Terror (renamed the Houston Thunder Bears in 1998) where he saw action as the team's starting quarterback. After two more good seasons with the Thunder Bears, Dolezel joined the Grand Rapids Rampage in 2001 where he led the squad to the ArenaBowl XV championship. Dolezel was awarded an All-Arena Second Team nod for his performance during the Rampage's 2001 championship season. Dolezel then joined the Las Vegas Gladiators in 2004 after two more less successful seasons with Grand Rapids. Dolezel continued to succeed at the quarterback position, but his Gladiators' teams only could muster back-to-back .500 seasons despite Dolezel's efforts.
In 2006 Dolezel signed on with the Dallas Desperados and instantly became a villain in the eyes of Soul fans everywhere. His three years with the Desperados were by far Dolzel's best seasons as an AFL professional quarterback. Dolezel racked up a combined 40-8 record in those three seasons leading the Desperados to the playoffs every season. In 2007 Dolezel became the first quarterback to lead his team to a 15-1 record in the history of the AFL. But Dolezel couldn't extend his regular season success into the playoffs as the Desperados were only able to win 1 game (in 2006) out of the 4 games they played from 2006-2008. Dolezel did however become the first quarterback in league history to surpass the 900 touchdown plateau in 2008.
Dolezel had a 4-4 career record against the Philadelphia Soul, 2-0 with the Gladiators and 2-4 with the Desperados. The Soul joined the league in 2004, so Dolezel only had the pleasure of facing off against the Soul for five seasons. With the Gladiators, Dolezel led his team to back-to-back victories over the Soul in 2004 and 2005 at the Wachovia Center (now the Wells-Fargo Center). In his six games against the Soul as a member of the Desperados, five out of the six contests were decided by 10 points or less.
In 2006 the Soul beat the Desperados twice by a combined 7 points between the two contests. In 2007 the Desperados defeated the Soul twice during their record breaking season by a combined 13 points between the two contests. In the Soul's 2008 championship season, the Soul routed the Desperados by 29 points in their first match up (a 57-28 home victory) and later slipped by that very same Desperados team 71-64 later that season at Dallas.
After the AFL folded in 2009, Dolezel joined the AF2's Florida Firecats as the team's offensive coordinator after 13 seasons as an AFL quarterback. Dolezel's offense wasn't good enough as the Firecats failed to qualify for postseason play for the first time since the Firecats' inaugural season in 2001. After a 7-9 season with the Firecats, Dolezel didn't resurface with the newly reformed AFL until 2011. In 2010 Dolezel was named the San Angelo Stampede Express' head coach of the IFL. Dolezel took a 5-9 Stampede Express team and turned them into a 10-4 playoff team in 2010.
Dolezel then rejoined his Dallas roots and coached the Dallas Vigilantes of the AFL in 2011. Dolezel again transformed a bottom-dweller into a playoff caliber team as he led the Vigilantes to an 11-7 record and a playoff appearance. The Vigilantes had finished at 3-13 in 2010 which marked the best turnaround for any team in the AFL for the 2011 season. When the Vigilantes folded and no coaching offers were presented to the second year coach, Dolezel joined the Philadelphia Soul along with many of his former players.
It's this familiarity with the many former Vigilantes that joined the Soul this off-season that coach Dolezel will be counted on the most in 2012. He possess a great offensive mind and will have no trouble running the Soul's offense for his former starting quarterback, full back, and wide receiver. The expectations for this Soul team doesn't stop at the players, but the coaches as well. The pieces are here to win it all, so hopefully the Soul are able to put everything together for another chance at an ArenaBowl championship.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Soul's Defense in Big Situations
As I've posted earlier, the Soul had the 2nd best overall defense last season despite their 6-12 record. Today I'm going to take a closer look at why the Soul had just the 9th best scoring defense in the AFL last season while giving up the second fewest yards per game.
The Soul performed above average in their 3rd-down conversion rate. The Soul ranked 7th in the AFL giving up 51 conversions on 115 attempts for a 44.3% success rate. The Tampa Bay Storm had the league's lowest success rate at 37.6% on 38 of 101 attempts. The Iowa Barnstormers had the worst, they allowed 54 conversions on 104 attempts for a 51.9% success rate. The Soul performed the best out of the East Division in this category.
The Soul did not hold up so well when teams took a shot at them on 4th down, the Soul ranked next to last in this category. The defense allowed 20 4th-down conversions on 36 attempts--good for a gut wrenching 55.7% success rate for their opponents. Only the Iowa Barnstormers (yet again) allowed a worse percentage than the Soul--a 62.5% success rate on 20 of 32 attempts. The New Orleans VooDoo quite surprisingly held opponents to an AFL best 40.0% on 12 of 30 attempts.
And now we've come to the biggest indicator that the Soul's 2011 defense wasn't quite as advertised, the scoring defense. The Soul ranked 9th in the AFL in this category which was admirable, but after I give the numbers you'll see the area of concern for yourself.
Teams scored on the Soul on 94 (89 TD's and 5 FG's) of their 120 possessions in the red zone for a 78.3 success rate. Of those 89 touchdowns, 32 were rushing scores and 57 were passing touchdowns. Opponents attempted 11 field goals overall, but only came away with 5 of them made successfully.
Teams had the second most red zone scores against the Soul in the league and the Soul also defended against the most red zone possessions. The Utah Blaze gave up the most scores (106) on 120 red zone possessions. The Soul gave up the second most touchdowns, the second most rushing touchdowns, and the third most passing touchdowns.
These are not the type of numbers the Soul need in order to compete for a ArenaBowl championship in 2012. Improvement in this area must result pretty quickly in order for the Soul to have any chance, unless their offense improves that much more after all these off-season acquisitions. A prolific offense can keep the Soul close in any game they play, but a better than average defense is essential in order to advance throughout the playoffs.
One of the Soul's biggest reasons for such a poor scoring defense is because of their 49 turnovers lost last season. Things probably would look more favorable for the Soul if they had found a way to hold onto the football more often, but with a new season comes new possibilities. I look for the turnovers to improve and the scoring defense as well. The Soul still have some improvements to make on their second ranked defense from last year, but I don't see Plank allowing this defense to under perform one bit.
The Soul performed above average in their 3rd-down conversion rate. The Soul ranked 7th in the AFL giving up 51 conversions on 115 attempts for a 44.3% success rate. The Tampa Bay Storm had the league's lowest success rate at 37.6% on 38 of 101 attempts. The Iowa Barnstormers had the worst, they allowed 54 conversions on 104 attempts for a 51.9% success rate. The Soul performed the best out of the East Division in this category.
The Soul did not hold up so well when teams took a shot at them on 4th down, the Soul ranked next to last in this category. The defense allowed 20 4th-down conversions on 36 attempts--good for a gut wrenching 55.7% success rate for their opponents. Only the Iowa Barnstormers (yet again) allowed a worse percentage than the Soul--a 62.5% success rate on 20 of 32 attempts. The New Orleans VooDoo quite surprisingly held opponents to an AFL best 40.0% on 12 of 30 attempts.
And now we've come to the biggest indicator that the Soul's 2011 defense wasn't quite as advertised, the scoring defense. The Soul ranked 9th in the AFL in this category which was admirable, but after I give the numbers you'll see the area of concern for yourself.
Teams scored on the Soul on 94 (89 TD's and 5 FG's) of their 120 possessions in the red zone for a 78.3 success rate. Of those 89 touchdowns, 32 were rushing scores and 57 were passing touchdowns. Opponents attempted 11 field goals overall, but only came away with 5 of them made successfully.
Teams had the second most red zone scores against the Soul in the league and the Soul also defended against the most red zone possessions. The Utah Blaze gave up the most scores (106) on 120 red zone possessions. The Soul gave up the second most touchdowns, the second most rushing touchdowns, and the third most passing touchdowns.
These are not the type of numbers the Soul need in order to compete for a ArenaBowl championship in 2012. Improvement in this area must result pretty quickly in order for the Soul to have any chance, unless their offense improves that much more after all these off-season acquisitions. A prolific offense can keep the Soul close in any game they play, but a better than average defense is essential in order to advance throughout the playoffs.
One of the Soul's biggest reasons for such a poor scoring defense is because of their 49 turnovers lost last season. Things probably would look more favorable for the Soul if they had found a way to hold onto the football more often, but with a new season comes new possibilities. I look for the turnovers to improve and the scoring defense as well. The Soul still have some improvements to make on their second ranked defense from last year, but I don't see Plank allowing this defense to under perform one bit.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Kicking Position
One of the Soul's biggest weaknesses last season was the kicking position. The Soul had four different kickers on their roster at various points last season and their inability to find an "answer" at the position really hurt them. Team's with veteran, proven kickers can take chances when it comes to kicking field goals. Not many teams put much faith in their kicker at crucial times because they face such a disadvantage in the game of arena football. In the NFL, goal posts are 10 feet high and 18 feet, 6 inches wide. In the AFL, goal posts are 15 feet high and just 9 feet wide. That's basically cutting a kicker's chance of making a field goal in half because the crossbar in the AFL is so much shorter than the NFL's (the NCAA has the same dimensions as the NFL).
Unlike the NFL where extra points are basically a given, in the AFL, nothing is guaranteed when it comes to the kicking game. A missed field goal can turn into a return by the opposition resulting in a touchdown. Punts don't exist in the AFL, long field goals are like punts since the kicker has little chance to make field goals at such long distances. This is also what makes the AFL more exiting than the NFL in this regards, points can be scored at anytime. "Punts" can result in a made field goal and missed "field goals" can turn into run backs for the other team.
These possibilities become more evident when a team does not contain a reliable kicker on the roster. Since field goal stats can be skewed, the biggest indicator of a great kicker is his percentage of PAT's (Point After Touchdown) made. A kicker that converts a high percentage of PAT's is a very desirable player to have on one's roster.
Well the Soul didn't have any such luxury as kickers came and went time and time again throughout the season. The Soul weren't horrible at PAT kicking, but they weren't where they needed to be in order to compete with the rest of the league. The Soul ranked 12th out of 18 teams last season in PAT kicking. Soul kickers made 104/128 PAT for a .812 conversion rate. The top 5 PAT kicking teams in the AFL (Force, Predators, Vigilantes, Shock and Rattlers) last season qualified for post season play. Two teams (Gladiators and Sharks) actually kicked worse then the Soul, but still made the playoffs. The Sharks went on to win ArenaBowl XXIV despite a .781 PAT conversion rate, but they also attempted the most PAT in the league with 155 attempted and 121 made. The Soul did not contain such a high octane offense which led to them not being able to overcome such weaknesses.
Here's each kicker and how he fared while with the Soul in 2011:
James Paul (Games 1,2,3) - 13/17 PAT -> 76% made [1-2 record]
Massim Scaccia (Games 4,5,6) - 17/22 PAT -> 77% made [0-3 record]
Robbie Smith (Games 7,8,9,10,13) - 35/41 PAT -> 85% made [2-3 record]
Jon Strictsky (Games 11,12,14,15,16,17,18) - 39/48 PAT -> 81% made [3-4 record]
Here's how each kicker fared kicking field goals with the Soul in 2011:
James Paul (Games 1,2,3) - 2 made (18 and 25 yards) & 1 missed (24 yards) -> 67% made
Massim Scaccia (Games 4,5,6) - 0 made & 5 missed (26, 18, 59, 51, and 37 yards) -> 0% made
Robbie Smith (Games 7,8,9,10,13) - None attempted
Jon Strictsky (Games 11,12,14,15,16,17,18) - 2 made (20 and 19 yards) and 2 missed (41 and 44 yards)
No Soul kicker converted a field goal longer than 25 yards and even though the overall conversion rate for the team was at 4/12 good for just 33% made, that total included some "punts" that I spoke about earlier. The Soul ranked tied for 11th in the league with their 33% of field goals made with 3 other teams. The best team was the Spokane Shock who converted 6/9 for 67% made. The Milwaukee Mustangs attempted the most field goals (32) and made the most (20) in the AFL. The Utah Blaze attempted the league's fewest with just 3 attempts, only making 1 of them.
Each team last year averaged around 14.39 field goal attempts last season--making 6.44 of those attempts. So the league didn't even average at a 50% conversion rate for field goals, it averaged 45% made on the season. The Soul ranked below the league's average in every category and finding a veteran kicker should be one of the team's top priorities this off-season. Shouldn't underestimate the value of a quality kicker because as Soul fans witnessed in 2011, every point matters in these high scoring games. I don't see the answer anywhere among the Soul's 4 kickers last season, so hopefully Plank has someone in mind since the season is approaching ever so quickly.
Unlike the NFL where extra points are basically a given, in the AFL, nothing is guaranteed when it comes to the kicking game. A missed field goal can turn into a return by the opposition resulting in a touchdown. Punts don't exist in the AFL, long field goals are like punts since the kicker has little chance to make field goals at such long distances. This is also what makes the AFL more exiting than the NFL in this regards, points can be scored at anytime. "Punts" can result in a made field goal and missed "field goals" can turn into run backs for the other team.
These possibilities become more evident when a team does not contain a reliable kicker on the roster. Since field goal stats can be skewed, the biggest indicator of a great kicker is his percentage of PAT's (Point After Touchdown) made. A kicker that converts a high percentage of PAT's is a very desirable player to have on one's roster.
Well the Soul didn't have any such luxury as kickers came and went time and time again throughout the season. The Soul weren't horrible at PAT kicking, but they weren't where they needed to be in order to compete with the rest of the league. The Soul ranked 12th out of 18 teams last season in PAT kicking. Soul kickers made 104/128 PAT for a .812 conversion rate. The top 5 PAT kicking teams in the AFL (Force, Predators, Vigilantes, Shock and Rattlers) last season qualified for post season play. Two teams (Gladiators and Sharks) actually kicked worse then the Soul, but still made the playoffs. The Sharks went on to win ArenaBowl XXIV despite a .781 PAT conversion rate, but they also attempted the most PAT in the league with 155 attempted and 121 made. The Soul did not contain such a high octane offense which led to them not being able to overcome such weaknesses.
Here's each kicker and how he fared while with the Soul in 2011:
James Paul (Games 1,2,3) - 13/17 PAT -> 76% made [1-2 record]
Massim Scaccia (Games 4,5,6) - 17/22 PAT -> 77% made [0-3 record]
Robbie Smith (Games 7,8,9,10,13) - 35/41 PAT -> 85% made [2-3 record]
Jon Strictsky (Games 11,12,14,15,16,17,18) - 39/48 PAT -> 81% made [3-4 record]
Here's how each kicker fared kicking field goals with the Soul in 2011:
James Paul (Games 1,2,3) - 2 made (18 and 25 yards) & 1 missed (24 yards) -> 67% made
Massim Scaccia (Games 4,5,6) - 0 made & 5 missed (26, 18, 59, 51, and 37 yards) -> 0% made
Robbie Smith (Games 7,8,9,10,13) - None attempted
Jon Strictsky (Games 11,12,14,15,16,17,18) - 2 made (20 and 19 yards) and 2 missed (41 and 44 yards)
No Soul kicker converted a field goal longer than 25 yards and even though the overall conversion rate for the team was at 4/12 good for just 33% made, that total included some "punts" that I spoke about earlier. The Soul ranked tied for 11th in the league with their 33% of field goals made with 3 other teams. The best team was the Spokane Shock who converted 6/9 for 67% made. The Milwaukee Mustangs attempted the most field goals (32) and made the most (20) in the AFL. The Utah Blaze attempted the league's fewest with just 3 attempts, only making 1 of them.
Each team last year averaged around 14.39 field goal attempts last season--making 6.44 of those attempts. So the league didn't even average at a 50% conversion rate for field goals, it averaged 45% made on the season. The Soul ranked below the league's average in every category and finding a veteran kicker should be one of the team's top priorities this off-season. Shouldn't underestimate the value of a quality kicker because as Soul fans witnessed in 2011, every point matters in these high scoring games. I don't see the answer anywhere among the Soul's 4 kickers last season, so hopefully Plank has someone in mind since the season is approaching ever so quickly.
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