Post by 50yardfan on Jul 9, 2011 14:34:49 GMT -5
www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110709/FOOTBALL09/307089905/-1/SPORTS
Erie Explosion rookie quarterback Adam DiMichele, who made the biggest noise in the 2011 Southern Indoor Football League season, was named the league's Most Valuable Player on Friday.
DiMichele's go-to guy with the Explosion, receiver Kevin Concepcion, was selected as the SIFL's offensive MVP.
DiMichele, the former Temple and Sto-Rox star from McKees Rocks, had a record-setting season by throwing 91 touchdown passes with just seven interceptions. The 6-foot 1-inch QB had a record 12 TD passes in a win over Trenton when he threw for more than 400 yards.
Concepcion, from Rochester, N.Y., who was a candidate for MVP honors in the Indoor Football League in 2010, hauled in 47 touchdowns, had 110 receptions for 1,502 yards, and led the league in scoring with 282 points, 112 better than the second-place player.
"It's a great honor, but personally, I was hoping that Kevin and I would be co-MVPs with the season he had,'' DiMichele said. "I was just happy that coach (Shawn) Liotta gave me the opportunity and let me throw the ball all over the place. This was the most fun I've had in football since I was in college.''
Erie led the league in scoring at 70.2 points per game.
"Adam's statistics were sensational, but the way he came in as a rookie and picked up the offense right away and his work ethic made him the best quarterback that I've ever coached, and the best one I've seen in my years of coaching,'' Liotta said. "In practice, he sometimes looked ordinary, but when the lights came on and he put his helmet on, he was truly a game player who was outstanding and made great decisions that often made me look good.''
Concepcion, who just this week signed with the Jacksonville Sharks of the Arena League, said he believes that DiMichele will be playing outdoors in the future. DiMichele has passed up offers from the Arena League.
"He's a tremendous kid and outstanding athlete that made things happen, and I benefitted from that and I think I helped him adjust to the league as well,'' Concepcion said. "But we also had other great wide receivers like Tirone Morris and Ernest Jackson, and Adam distributed the ball to everybody, which made us nearly unstoppable on offense.''
Liotta called Concepcion "uncoverable.''
"We had a play called a Po-Co, with the option of going to the post or the corner, and Kevin always could turn the cornerback the other way. Adam had a great knack of knowing where he was going to go. And the times that Adam might have made the wrong throw, Kevin would adjust to it and still make the catch.''
Liotta called the pair exemplary players.
"They're both good kids and were good with the community,'' Liotta said. "I wish them the best of success in continuing their football careers.''
The Explosion went 9-3 and won the Northeast Division, but lost to Southern Division runner-up Albany 68-43 in the first round of the playoffs in Georgia. The Panthers went on to win the SIFL championship.
Other league awards went to Columbus (Ga.) Lions defensive back Damian Daniels as defensive MVP with 18 interceptions, Trenton Steel kicker Craig Camay as special-teams MVP after he made 21-of-34 field-goal attempts, and coach of the year Gerald Dockery, who led the Houston Stallions to a 12-0 regular season.
Notes: Explosion linebacker Brenton Brady, an indoor football veteran who played at Alfred University (N.Y.), has signed with the Utah Blaze of the Arena League. Brady led the Explosion in sacks with 91/2. Earlier this week, offensive lineman Joe Blanks of Erie signed with the AFL's Cleveland Gladiators.
Erie Explosion rookie quarterback Adam DiMichele, who made the biggest noise in the 2011 Southern Indoor Football League season, was named the league's Most Valuable Player on Friday.
DiMichele's go-to guy with the Explosion, receiver Kevin Concepcion, was selected as the SIFL's offensive MVP.
DiMichele, the former Temple and Sto-Rox star from McKees Rocks, had a record-setting season by throwing 91 touchdown passes with just seven interceptions. The 6-foot 1-inch QB had a record 12 TD passes in a win over Trenton when he threw for more than 400 yards.
Concepcion, from Rochester, N.Y., who was a candidate for MVP honors in the Indoor Football League in 2010, hauled in 47 touchdowns, had 110 receptions for 1,502 yards, and led the league in scoring with 282 points, 112 better than the second-place player.
"It's a great honor, but personally, I was hoping that Kevin and I would be co-MVPs with the season he had,'' DiMichele said. "I was just happy that coach (Shawn) Liotta gave me the opportunity and let me throw the ball all over the place. This was the most fun I've had in football since I was in college.''
Erie led the league in scoring at 70.2 points per game.
"Adam's statistics were sensational, but the way he came in as a rookie and picked up the offense right away and his work ethic made him the best quarterback that I've ever coached, and the best one I've seen in my years of coaching,'' Liotta said. "In practice, he sometimes looked ordinary, but when the lights came on and he put his helmet on, he was truly a game player who was outstanding and made great decisions that often made me look good.''
Concepcion, who just this week signed with the Jacksonville Sharks of the Arena League, said he believes that DiMichele will be playing outdoors in the future. DiMichele has passed up offers from the Arena League.
"He's a tremendous kid and outstanding athlete that made things happen, and I benefitted from that and I think I helped him adjust to the league as well,'' Concepcion said. "But we also had other great wide receivers like Tirone Morris and Ernest Jackson, and Adam distributed the ball to everybody, which made us nearly unstoppable on offense.''
Liotta called Concepcion "uncoverable.''
"We had a play called a Po-Co, with the option of going to the post or the corner, and Kevin always could turn the cornerback the other way. Adam had a great knack of knowing where he was going to go. And the times that Adam might have made the wrong throw, Kevin would adjust to it and still make the catch.''
Liotta called the pair exemplary players.
"They're both good kids and were good with the community,'' Liotta said. "I wish them the best of success in continuing their football careers.''
The Explosion went 9-3 and won the Northeast Division, but lost to Southern Division runner-up Albany 68-43 in the first round of the playoffs in Georgia. The Panthers went on to win the SIFL championship.
Other league awards went to Columbus (Ga.) Lions defensive back Damian Daniels as defensive MVP with 18 interceptions, Trenton Steel kicker Craig Camay as special-teams MVP after he made 21-of-34 field-goal attempts, and coach of the year Gerald Dockery, who led the Houston Stallions to a 12-0 regular season.
Notes: Explosion linebacker Brenton Brady, an indoor football veteran who played at Alfred University (N.Y.), has signed with the Utah Blaze of the Arena League. Brady led the Explosion in sacks with 91/2. Earlier this week, offensive lineman Joe Blanks of Erie signed with the AFL's Cleveland Gladiators.