Post by 50yardfan on Mar 17, 2011 13:11:48 GMT -5
HARRISBURG, PA (March 17th, 2010) - The Harrisburg Stampede begin a new journey in the Southern Indoor Football League this Sunday against a familiar foe, the Erie Explosion. Last season, these two teams played each other in four exciting match-ups.
The Stampede proved to be the superior team with four straight wins against the Explosion, including their first playoff win in franchise history. The Stampede began their dominance of the Explosion with an impressive 41-34 victory at the Tullio Arena.
A few weeks later, the Explosion rolled into Harrisburg, and they were met with a dominating defensive performance from the Stampede. In this game, the Stampede defense held a high-powered Erie offense to just 19 points.
The performances of Will Hines and Marcus Sargeant will go down in two of the best individual performances in franchise history. Hines managed to pick off two passes and return them for touchdowns, and Sargeant intercepted two passes as well.
If that defensive onslaught wasn't enough, the next game against these two saw an outstanding offensive connection with quarterback Kelvin Robinson and wide receiver Keith Stokes. Stokes managed to haul in eight Kelvin Robinson passes for 102 yards and one touchdown.
The Erie Explosion was no match for this combination, and they fell for the third time to the Stampede 54-35. The Explosion could not even capitalize on a 20-7 halftime lead to put away the Stampede. Like true warriors, they charged ahead and rallied to win their first playoff game in franchise history 52-48.
To say that the Stampede owned the Explosion last season is an understatement, but now we begin the 2011 season. The Explosion were very busy in the offseason, not just trying to come up with a new team name, but adding key weapons to combat against some of the top indoor football teams in the nation.
The Stampede was also busy, acquiring high-priced talent and re-signing crafty and talented veterans. In order for the Stampede to win their 5th straight game against the Explosion, here are my keys to victory.
Stop Erie's Explosive Wide Receivers: The Erie Explosion is infamous for signing great wide receivers. Last season, the Explosion boasted the 2nd ranked offense in the AIFA.
Erie had the best passing offense as well, and it was thanks to wide receivers like Eugene Baker and Dewayne Dixon, who both averaged 91 yards per game and totaled 28 touchdowns for the 2010. Many defensive coordinators stayed up late at night, wondering how they would stop the Explosion offense.
This year will be no different, as Erie has signed two top-notch wide receivers for the 2011 season. Jasonus Tillery and Kevin Conception are two of those high powered wide receivers.
Tillery, a member of last year's AIFA Western Conference Champion Wyoming Cavalry, is a very talented wide receiver that showed his talents in the AIFA Championship Bowl last season. Against a very stingy Baltimore Mariners secondary,
Tillery shined with seven receptions, 170 yards and five touchdowns. Sunday, they will have to contend with another stingy secondary in the Harrisburg Stampede. Lead by four-time all pro defensive back Archie Smith, who missed 10 games last season with a hamstring injury, he will be joined by the likes of Richard Johnson and rookie all-conference defensive back Markee Hamlin.
Smith, despite missing 10 games, tallied two interceptions and 18 total tackles. Richard Johnson led the AIFA in interception return yards, and had an amazing game-clinching interception for the Baltimore Mariners in the AIFA Championship Bowl IV.
A Good Man to Carry the Ball: To the delight of many Stampede fans, running back Eugene Goodman re-signed with the Harrisburg Stampede. Goodman holds every single rushing record for the Harrisburg Stampede, and had a tremendous 2010 season in the AIFA.
He finished the 2010 season with 335 rushing yards and 23 rushing touchdowns. He will go up against an Erie defense that ranked 8th in the AIFA last season in rushing defense.
UUUNNOOO!: There is no doubt, the ultimate X-factor in this game will be kicker J.R. Cipra. His ability to put points on the board and push opposing offensive back into terrible starting field position is legendary.
A four-time all-pro and two time National Champion, Cipra scored 191 total points last season for the Baltimore Mariners, and kicked the game winning field goal with no-time left to win against Erie 39-37. The word "clutch" doesn't do this man justice.
A great offense can be countered with an outstanding defense and great special teams, and the Stampede has exactly that to work with this season. Defensive backs, linebackers, and defensive lineman, there are a lot of all-pro players on that side of the ball. Throw in a heavy dose of run offense; you can put this one in the win column on Sunday.
The Stampede proved to be the superior team with four straight wins against the Explosion, including their first playoff win in franchise history. The Stampede began their dominance of the Explosion with an impressive 41-34 victory at the Tullio Arena.
A few weeks later, the Explosion rolled into Harrisburg, and they were met with a dominating defensive performance from the Stampede. In this game, the Stampede defense held a high-powered Erie offense to just 19 points.
The performances of Will Hines and Marcus Sargeant will go down in two of the best individual performances in franchise history. Hines managed to pick off two passes and return them for touchdowns, and Sargeant intercepted two passes as well.
If that defensive onslaught wasn't enough, the next game against these two saw an outstanding offensive connection with quarterback Kelvin Robinson and wide receiver Keith Stokes. Stokes managed to haul in eight Kelvin Robinson passes for 102 yards and one touchdown.
The Erie Explosion was no match for this combination, and they fell for the third time to the Stampede 54-35. The Explosion could not even capitalize on a 20-7 halftime lead to put away the Stampede. Like true warriors, they charged ahead and rallied to win their first playoff game in franchise history 52-48.
To say that the Stampede owned the Explosion last season is an understatement, but now we begin the 2011 season. The Explosion were very busy in the offseason, not just trying to come up with a new team name, but adding key weapons to combat against some of the top indoor football teams in the nation.
The Stampede was also busy, acquiring high-priced talent and re-signing crafty and talented veterans. In order for the Stampede to win their 5th straight game against the Explosion, here are my keys to victory.
Stop Erie's Explosive Wide Receivers: The Erie Explosion is infamous for signing great wide receivers. Last season, the Explosion boasted the 2nd ranked offense in the AIFA.
Erie had the best passing offense as well, and it was thanks to wide receivers like Eugene Baker and Dewayne Dixon, who both averaged 91 yards per game and totaled 28 touchdowns for the 2010. Many defensive coordinators stayed up late at night, wondering how they would stop the Explosion offense.
This year will be no different, as Erie has signed two top-notch wide receivers for the 2011 season. Jasonus Tillery and Kevin Conception are two of those high powered wide receivers.
Tillery, a member of last year's AIFA Western Conference Champion Wyoming Cavalry, is a very talented wide receiver that showed his talents in the AIFA Championship Bowl last season. Against a very stingy Baltimore Mariners secondary,
Tillery shined with seven receptions, 170 yards and five touchdowns. Sunday, they will have to contend with another stingy secondary in the Harrisburg Stampede. Lead by four-time all pro defensive back Archie Smith, who missed 10 games last season with a hamstring injury, he will be joined by the likes of Richard Johnson and rookie all-conference defensive back Markee Hamlin.
Smith, despite missing 10 games, tallied two interceptions and 18 total tackles. Richard Johnson led the AIFA in interception return yards, and had an amazing game-clinching interception for the Baltimore Mariners in the AIFA Championship Bowl IV.
A Good Man to Carry the Ball: To the delight of many Stampede fans, running back Eugene Goodman re-signed with the Harrisburg Stampede. Goodman holds every single rushing record for the Harrisburg Stampede, and had a tremendous 2010 season in the AIFA.
He finished the 2010 season with 335 rushing yards and 23 rushing touchdowns. He will go up against an Erie defense that ranked 8th in the AIFA last season in rushing defense.
UUUNNOOO!: There is no doubt, the ultimate X-factor in this game will be kicker J.R. Cipra. His ability to put points on the board and push opposing offensive back into terrible starting field position is legendary.
A four-time all-pro and two time National Champion, Cipra scored 191 total points last season for the Baltimore Mariners, and kicked the game winning field goal with no-time left to win against Erie 39-37. The word "clutch" doesn't do this man justice.
A great offense can be countered with an outstanding defense and great special teams, and the Stampede has exactly that to work with this season. Defensive backs, linebackers, and defensive lineman, there are a lot of all-pro players on that side of the ball. Throw in a heavy dose of run offense; you can put this one in the win column on Sunday.