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02-25-2006, 10:56 AM
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The Lizard King
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Dispatch
2/25/06
Quote:
DESTROYERS 42 | RATTLERS 26
Offense finally surfaces in victory
Kaleo throws 2 TD passes, rushes for two touchdowns
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Dave Devereux
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
<!--PHOTOS--><TABLE class=phototableright align=right border=0><!-- begin large ad code --><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle> </IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>NEAL C . LAURON | DISPATCH </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Destroyers defensive specialist Jerald Brown is hit by Bo Kelly of the Rattlers after making one of his two interceptions. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
With an offense in a season-long slump, the Destroyers turned to their defense to supply an early spark. But as is often the case in arena football, the initial defensive surge quickly succumbed to a game defined by the ability to outscore the opponent.
And the Destroyers did it however they could.
John Kaleo threw two touchdown passes and scored his 50 th and 51 st career rushing touchdowns, and the Destroyers defeated the Arizona Rattlers 42-26 last night in front of 12,097 fans in Nationwide Arena.
They also used powerful touchdown runs by fullbacks Leroy Thompson (3 yards) and Harold Wells (11 yards) to help snap a three-game losing streak.
"It’s a step," Kaleo said. "We were able to move the ball when we needed to move the ball and we were able to punch it in when we needed to punch it in."
It’s looking more like the offense of an arena football team instead of whatever it was the past three weeks.
Leading 21-20 at halftime, the Destroyers capped their first drive of the third quarter with a 1-yard scoring run by Kaleo. On the Rattlers’ next possession, it appeared the Destroyers held when an errant sideline pass by Sherdrick Bonner was picked off by Brandon Hefflin, but a roughing-the-passer penalty gave the Rattlers another chance.
When Bonner’s end-zone pass sailed into the arms of defensive specialist Jerald Brown, the Destroyers and the crowd finally celebrated a key stop.
Brown, who intercepted two passes last week against Kansas City, intercepted two against the Rattlers. He had one with less than a minute to play to preserve the win.
Brown drew a key assignment guarding Rattlers offensive specialist Damien Groce, who played for the Destroyers last season. Groce escaped for 84 yards and three touchdowns, but Destroyers coach Doug Kay believed Brown won their competition.
"Jerald did a great job on Damien," Kay said. "I understand Damien got three touchdowns but he did a great job on him, taking him out of a rhythm."
The Destroyers deferred the coin toss, handled by Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel, and the defense responded with a spirited goal-line stand that would have made any Buckeyes fan proud.
After the Rattlers advanced to the 2-yard line, the Destroyers stuffed two running attempts and on fourth down a pass from Bonner went off the fingertips of an open Wendall Gaines.
The Destroyers took the ball the length of the field on their first possession, keyed by a third-down pass from Kaleo to Davis for 24 yards. Thompson’s 3-yard run capped the drive.
The defense held the Rattlers on their next possession and Kaleo threw a 7-yard touchdown to Carl Bond to stretch the lead to 14-0 early in the second quarter.
"The way the defense has played, honestly, we shouldn’t have lost a game this year," Kaleo said. "Having said that, were still learning to play with one another."
Kaleo finished 21-of-34 passing for 202 yards and Bond caught six passes for 73 yards and two touchdowns.
The Destroyers outscored the Rattlers 21-6 in the second half.
"The entire attitude of the team rests on whether we can take the ball down the field and score," Kay said. "It rejuvenates everyone on the football team."
ddevereux@dispatch.com
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02-25-2006, 03:09 PM
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Another write up from the game.
Quote:
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus Destroyers quarterback John Kaleo had two second half touchdown runs to break open a one-point game at the half as the Destroyers defeated the Arizona Rattlers, 42-26 in front of 12,097 fans on Huntington Field at Nationwide Arena. Kaleo's touchdown runs were the 50th and 51st of his career, which ranks sixth all-time.
Arizona offensive specialist Damien Groce earned Offensive Player of the Game honors after he caught five passes for 84 yards and three touchdowns. Columbus fullback/linebacker Leroy Thompson and defensive specialist Jerald Brown earned Ironman of the Game and Defensive Player of the Game awards, respectively.
Thompson finished the game with 28 rushing yards and a touchdown on 10 carries as well as a tackle and pass breakup on defense. Brown recorded two interceptions, one pass breakup and a tackle.
The Destroyers defense flexed their muscles on the opening drive, stopping the Rattlers on four consecutive plays from within the 10-yard line, including two plays from the 1-yard line. The Destroyers took over on downs and proceeded to march the length of the field as Thompson ran the ball in from the three yards out to give the Destroyers a 7-0 lead.
After the Destroyers' defense posted their second consecutive defensive stop, the offense responded with their second consecutive touchdown. An 11-yard touchdown pass from Kaleo to offensive specialist Carl Bond, gave the Destroyers a 14-0 lead in the opening minutes of the second quarter, a lead the Destroyers would refuse to relinquish.
Arizona would respond with two touchdowns of their own. The first would come off of a 16-yard run from fullback/linebacker Bo Kelly. After an Arizona defensive hold, Arizona quarterback Sherdrick Bonner found Groce in the back of the endzone. A missed extra point would prevent the Rattlers from tying Columbus, leaving Arizona down 14-13.
Keeping the score close, Columbus and Arizona entered halftime with the Destroyers leading 21-20 after exchanging touchdowns. Columbus fullback/linebacker Harold Wells scored his first career rushing touchdown on an 11-yard plunge.
Bonner and Groce then hooked for a second touchdown pass, this time from 20 yards out.
Columbus opened the second half with a 1-yard touchdown run by Kaleo, which was his 50th all-time. After Brown intercepted Bonner in the endzone, Bond again found himself on the receiving end of a Kaleo touchdown pass, putting the Destroyers up 35-20 at the end of the third quarter. Columbus and Arizona would once again exchange touchdowns to finish the game with a 42-26 Columbus victory.
The Destroyers once again hit the road for the third time this season when the travel to New York to take on the Dragons Friday, Mar. 3. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. (ET).
The Destroyers return home to Huntington Field at Nationwide Arena Friday, Mar. 10 to host the Georgia Force. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. There will be a special appearance by Uncle Rico from Napolean Dynamite.
The Destroyers return to action next Friday when they travel to New York to face the Dragons. The game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. The Destroyers next home game is 7 p.m. on Friday, Mar. 10 against the Georgia Force.
Single game tickets starting as low as $10 are on sale now and pro-rated season tickets also available by calling (614) 246-HITS or by visiting www.ColumbusDestroyers.com. In addition, high school and college students (23 years and under) with a valid student ID may purchase a specially priced $7 ticket beginning two hours before each home game at the Nationwide Arena Ticket Office only. Individual tickets may also be purchased at the Nationwide Arena Ticket Office, at all Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, or by phone at (614) 431-3600. Tickets are also available at the Blue Jackets Zones located at Chiller Dublin, Chiller Easton and Chiller North. All tickets are subject to service charges and facility fees.
Entering its fourth season, NBC will continue its coverage of the AFL on Sunday’s throughout the season. Be sure to watch the AFL on NBC. Check local listings for complete details.
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03-03-2006, 08:27 AM
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The Lizard King
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Dispatch
3/3/06
Quote:
ARENA FOOTBALL
Destroyers’ Brown shines in big-play role
His interceptions bolstering defense
Friday, March 03, 2006
Dave Devereux
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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Destroyers quarterback John Kaleo and defensive specialist Jerald Brown are 10 years apart in age and Arena Football League experience. They hadn’t played on the same team before this season.
Yet Kaleo, a 13-year veteran, immediately had an idea of what to expect from Brown.
"He’s from Washington, D.C., my hometown," Kaleo said. "That means he’s tough."
Five games into the season, Kaleo is discovering what his D.C. counterpart brings to the defensive specialist position, responsible for alerting the defense of checks and keeping the secondary aligned.
"This is his first full season as a middle (defensive specialist)," Kaleo said, "but he’s proving throughout the league that he’s a force to be reckoned with."
Brown, who signed as a free agent in the off-season, is with his third team, after playing for New York as a rookie in 2004 and Arizona last season.
Since the opener, he has shown the ability to make big plays, cover the opposing team’s best receiver and direct one of the league’s top-ranked defenses.
In the Destroyers’ 53-30 win over Grand Rapids in Week 1, Brown returned a fumble 40 yards for a touchdown, sparking a 21-0 lead. He intercepted two passes in each of the past two games, including a 42-26 win over Arizona last Friday.
Brown, assigned to the Rattlers’ best offensive threat, Damien Groce, gave up three touchdowns, but his secondhalf interceptions of Rattlers quarterback Sherdrick Bonner came at critical times.
"I go into it knowing that it’s one of the hardest positions to play," Brown said. "The offense is going to score, but if you can get some interceptions it changes the complexion of the game."
Brown and Cecil Doggette are the Destroyers’ primary defensive specialists. The position allows the defense to substitute two of the best cover men on the team for the offensive specialist and quarterback.
Doggette has played the middle spot throughout most of his 12-year career.
"Cecil for a lot of years was probably the premier middle safety in the league," coach Doug Kay said. "He’s still capable of doing it, but right now Jerald is playing it and I think playing it as well as anybody in the league."
Heading into the game tonight against the New York Dragons, Brown is tied for second in the league with four interceptions, but he credits the defensive front for doing its part.
The Destroyers will look to take advantage of Dragons rookie quarterback Juston Wood. They were expecting to face Aaron Garcia, who was voted the 11 th-greatest player in league history before the season, but Garcia is out for the season after suffering a fractured right tibia in last week’s win over Orlando.
"We gave one of the all-time greats (Bonner) some problems, so with a rookie quarterback, I hope that we can do the same thing," Brown said.
"As coach says, ‘You can make him a star in 30 seconds if he makes that quick big play and gains confidence, but he can also lose it in 30 seconds.’ "
ddevereux@dispatch.com
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Friday, March 03, 2006
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03-04-2006, 12:20 PM
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The Lizard King
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Dispatch
3/4/06
Quote:
DESTROYERS 65 | DRAGONS 54
Destroyers bust out with big second half
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Joe McDonald
FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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NEW YORK — In past weeks, the Destroyers might have lost this game. But after every setback last night, they refused to be denied and responded with a season-best scoring output in a 65-54 win over the New York Dragons in Nassau Coliseum.
After a lackluster first half, the Destroyers clicked for 48 points in the second half.
"It’s more like arena football and I wish we could have done it at home," said quarterback John Kaleo, who had 186 of his 305 passing yards, four of his six touchdown passes and one rushing score in the second half.
"I got into a really nice groove with (offensive specialist) Carl Bond and it was a really good performance overall."
Trailing 31-17 at halftime, Columbus (3-3) came out smoking in the second half with two quick strikes to Bond — touchdowns of 31 and 17 yards — to tie the score.
"(The players) just understood what they were capable of doing," coach Doug Kay said.
"We needed to score and needed to stop, then needed to score and needed to stop. It became a possession game."
With a new ballgame, Columbus went to work trying to forge a precious lead. It happened with 8:85 left in the fourth quarter, when Kaleo ran in the go-ahead score from the 1-yard line to put the Destroyers ahead 51-45.
The Dragons (3-3) blocked the extra-point attempt and converted it into a defensive score to cut their deficit to 51-47. New York quarterback Justin Wood — who threw for 262 yards and three touchdowns with four interceptions in his first Arena Football League start — ran for a touchdown to put the Dragons ahead by three with 3:48 to go.
Not to be denied, on the next drive Kaleo connected again with Bond on a 30-yard touchdown pass to put the Destroyers ahead for good, 58-54.
"We knew how to pull together," said Bond, who had 142 of his 190 receiving yards in the second half with three touchdowns.
"We are a veteran team and we cleaned up the mistakes."
A bit of controversy ensued before all was said and done, though.
It appeared Destroyers defensive lineman Ken Jones knocked the ball out of Wood’s hand for a fumble into the end zone to ice the game. However, it was ruled an incomplete pass.
Destroyers defensive back B.J. Barre then made his second key interception of the game, taking the ball to the New York 4-yard line.
Three plays later, fullback Howard Wells ran it in from the 2 to clinch it.
sports@dispatch.com
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03-10-2006, 08:30 AM
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The Lizard King
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Dispatch
3/10/06
Quote:
Offense shows signs of coming together
Friday, March 10, 2006
Dave Devereux
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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Six games into the Arena Football League season, the Destroyers are just starting to produce the kind of offensive attack they anticipated when they signed veteran quarterback John Kaleo in the off-season.
The team averaged 30 points per game in consecutive losses to Nashville, Dallas and Kansas City, but Kaleo tossed two touchdown passes and ran for two scores in a 42-26 win over Arizona. He followed that with six TD passes as the Destroyers rallied from a 31-17 halftime deficit to win 65-54 last Friday in New York.
"I’ve taken on more responsibility with the game plan and decision-making," Kaleo said. "I’m working with (offensive coordinator) Ken Matous more to get a better understanding of what we want and need to accomplish on offense."
The emergence of Carl Bond at offensive specialist has been a big help.
Bond, a six-year veteran, was limited to the practice squad through the first three games. When offensive specialist Ira Gooch was injured and lost for the season, Bond seized the opportunity.
He has 21 receptions for 338 yards and six touchdowns in three games.
"He’s a good route runner with excellent hands and excellent knowledge of the game," Kaleo said. "He was in camp with us, but it was a numbers game. Since he’s taken the responsibility at the OS position, the offense has picked up from there."
Along with the passing game, the offensive scheme has featured a running game opposing teams must respect.
In the win over Arizona, fullbacks Leroy Thompson and Harold Wells each found the end zone. Last week against the Dragons, Wells scored on runs of 7 and 3 yards in the fourth quarter.
"I feel it’s a team that’s coming together," Wells said. "A lot of these guys came from different teams and different backgrounds. Over the weeks, we’ve had time to meet and jell."
The Destroyers enter the game tonight with the Georgia Force in Nationwide Arena tied for second place in the Eastern Division. They share a 3-3 record with three other teams in the conference, including the Force.
Although mathematically the Destroyers are in the fifth playoff spot (six teams make it), they’re entering a difficult stretch of games, including matchups against the Force, Philadelphia, defending Arena Bowl-champion Colorado and division-leading Dallas.
"We’re going into a hard stretch," Wells said. "But the guys have a lot of motivation."
Kaleo said, "We’re starting to find the right chemistry now. I’m curious to see where that takes us."
ddevereux@dispatch.com
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03-11-2006, 09:13 AM
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The Lizard King
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Dispatch
3/11/06
Quote:
FORCE 68 | DESTROYERS 50
Force offense dominates
Destroyers sputter early; defense can’t make a stand
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Dave Devereux
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
<!--PHOTOS--><TABLE class=phototableright align=right border=0><!-- begin large ad code --><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle> </IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>ADAM CAIRNS | DISPATCH </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>B.J. Barre of the Destroyers outraces Force defenders Derek Lee (8) and Robert Thomas on his way to a touchdown in the third quarter. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
The teams’ records were both .500, but Destroyers coach Doug Kay knew the challenge presented by the Georgia Force, the defending National Conference champion.
"They’re one of the best teams in the league," Kay said. "They have good receivers, and they move the ball well."
No doubt about that.
The Force, which has lost three games by a combined four points, scored touchdowns on its first nine possessions and defeated the Destroyers 68-50 last night in front of 10,801 fans in Nationwide Arena.
Quarterback Matt Nagy threw seven touchdown passes — four to Chris Jackson and three to Jamin Elliott — against a Destroyers defense that was ranked first in the Arena Football League in fewest touchdowns allowed (29) and third in points allowed (43.3 points per game).
"It was our best offensive performance of the year," Georgia coach Doug Plank said. "There’s not a question, this was Matt Nagy’s best game."
The Destroyers (3-4), who are making a habit of falling behind early, trailed 13-0 before their offense touched the ball.
Elliott caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Nagy on the opening drive and then recovered the ensuing kickoff, which was misplayed off the net by B.J. Barre.
"For some reason, we don’t understand the game starts at the opening kickoff," Kay said. "We have difficulty understanding that, and it’s on my shoulders."
Coming off a 305-yard passing performance against New York, Destroyers quarterback John Kaleo remained efficient, completing 28 of 35 passes for 342 yards and five touchdowns.
He got the Destroyers on the board at the 8:31 mark of the first quarter on a 12-yard fade pass to David Saunders, who had eight catches for 70 yards.
But Nagy remained equally sharp. He completed 16 of 18 passes with five touchdowns in the first half, and the Force (4-3) built a 40-24 lead.
"They kept it simple," Kay said. "(Nagy) was just rising up out of a three-step drop. We didn’t cover well."
Barre supplied a spark at the start of the third quarter when he caught a quick screen and raced 41 yards to the end zone to bring the Destroyers to 40-31.
Kaleo added touchdown passes to Saunders, Ken Jones and Eddie Galles, but the Force answered every time.
"We put ourselves in a bind early against a good Georgia team," Barre said. "We had to fight back, but sometimes you don’t make it."
ddevereux@dispatch.com
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