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August 23, 2010

SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, STRATFORD HIGH SCHOOL- AMERICA’S #1 RANKED TEAM, THE NASHVILLE STORM (8-0) TAKE ON THE ST. LOUIS BULLDOGS (10-1)

WHILE THIS IS A PHOTO OF LAST YEAR’S ST LOUIS BULLDOG TEAM, THIS YEAR’S BULLDOGS HAVE COMPILED A 10-1 RECORD AND NATIONAL TOP 30 RANKING.

THE PLACE- Buster Boguskie Stadium at Stratford High School (1800 Stratford Avenue, Nashville, TN 37216).

THE TIME- Saturday night, August 28, 2010. Admission gate opens at 6 PM; Kickoff at 7 PM.

THE TEAMS- The Nashville Storm (8-0- http://www.nashvillestormonline.com/ ), ranked by American Football News today as the #1 Minor League football team in America, take on the St Louis Bulldogs (10-1- http://www.saintlouisbulldogs.com/ ), a member of the World Football League from St. Louis, Missouri..
SIMPLY PUT, THERE ARE VERY FEW MINOR LEAGUE FOOTBALL TEAMS IN AMERICA THAT HAVE BEEN AS GOOD FOR AS LONG AS THE ST LOUIS BULLDOGS. The Bulldogs, coached and owned throughout their history by Greg Moore, have been the winners of 191 games (against 64 losses) in a team history dating back to 1993. The Bulldogs joined the World Football League in 2010 after spending the previous decade in the NAFL and have posted a 10-1 record in 2010, earning a Top30 ranking in the national polling services.
The Nashville Storm and St Louis Bulldogs .have played 3 times in the past, with the Storm winning all 3 games, but the most recent of these games was in 2005. The Bulldogs, with a superb squad, will be highly motivated to enter the victory column for the first time against the Nashville Storm.
And the Bulldogs won’t be the only out-of-town visitors to Nashville for this game; both NAFL CEO Chris White and NAFL National Commissioner Robin Williams have announced that they will be in Nashville, TN Saturday night to see the Storm-Bulldog game.

THE ENTERTAINMENT- The lovely ladies of the Nashville Storm Dance team will perform and lead the cheers, while musical entertainment will be provided by DJ Lil Les and the good folks from Nashville Storm sponsor radio station 102.5 The Party.

PROMOTIONS- THE BELLS ARE BACK! By popular demand, the first 100 fans thru the admission gate will receive PURPLE COWBELLS to make noise and create havoc during the ballgame. In addition, Nashville Storm Sponsor James Moore of GEICO Insurance will be providing free water bottles for the first Storm fans to arrive at the game (until they run out).

THE COST- Adult admission is $8.00; kids aged 0-14 GET IN FREE. There is abundant parking available on the Stratford High School premises, also FREE OF CHARGE.

THE NASHVILLE STORM FOOTBALL CONCESSION STAND MENU- THERE IS NO NEED TO GO GET DINNER BEFORE THE GAME. Christie Claybrooks is waiting for you in the Nashville Storm Concession stand with the best charcoal-grilled food at the lowest prices in Tennessee sports. Here is the menu (with prices):
½ POUND CHARCOAL GRILLED ANGUS CHEESEBURGER ($3.25)
½ POUND CHARCOAL GRILLED ANGUS HAMBURGER ($3.00)
CHARCOAL-GRILLED ALL-BEEF HOT DOG ($2.00)
CHARCOAL-GRILLED POLISH SAUSAGE ($2.00)
20-OUNCE GATORADE ($1.50)
HOT BUTTERED POPCORN ($1.00)
BAG-FAMOUS AMOS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES ($1.00)
2 OUNCE BAG OF CHIPS (FRITOS, DORITOS, LAYS, ETC.) ($1.00)
PLANTER’S PEANUTS (OR CASHEWS) ($1.00)
CRACKER JACKS ($1.00)
PEANUT AND PLAIN M&M’S ($1.00)
SNICKERS CANDY BAR ($1.00)
3 MUSKETEERS CANDY BAR ($1.00)
NASHVILLE’S OWN FAMOUS GOO GOO CLUSTER ($1.00)
ICE COLD BOTTLED WATER ($1.00)
SOFT DRINKS (PEPSI, DIET PEPSI, ORANGE AND GRAPE CRUSH, MOUNTAIN DEW, DR PEPPER, HAWAIIAN PUNCH, LIPTON BRISK) ($1.00)
1 OUNCE BAG OF CHIPS (FRITOS, DORITOS, LAYS, ETC) (75 CENTS)
KOOL-AID “JAMMERS” (CHERRY, GRAPE, KIWI-STRAWBERRY, TROPICAL PUNCH) (50 CENTS)

AND BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND-------

IZZIE’S ICES- On a hot summer night, there’s nothing like something ICE-COLD. And noone does ICE-COLD better than IZZIE’S ICES, who sell Italian Ices in 20 delicious flavors right at the corner of Riverside Drive and Rosebank Avenue in Inglewood. Izzie’s frozen treats (all made form all-natural ingredients) have been the hit of the summer of 2010 in East Nashville. And if you go by their Inglewood location, buy one of their superb frozen treats, and talk nice, they just might
have a free ticket to the game there for you.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL NEWS TODAY RANKS THE NASHVILLE STORM AS AMERICA’S #1 MINOR LEAGUE FOOTBALL TEAM

Following the weekend of August 14, the American Football News Today released their 2nd national poll of the 2010 season; and the Nashville Storm, which had been ranked 4th in the nation in the first AFN poll, moved up to the #1 spot in the AFN’s Summer/Fall National Rankings.

The poll marks the first time that a national polling service has given the #1 national ranking to the Nashville Storm during a regular season. In 2009, the Nashville Storm held the #1 national ranking from SemiProBCS.com during the first 2 weeks of November, following the Storm’s upset 37-31 OT victory over the Central Penn Piranha in the NAFL National Semifinals, but before the Storm’s 23-21 defeat in the NAFL National Championship Game at the hands of the St Paul Pioneers.

Nashville Storm Head Coach Charles Hunter remarked “We’re pleased, of course, that a national polling service of the eminence of AFN has ranked us as the best team in the nation out of over 600 teams. But I hope we’ll take this for what it is---- an opinion at a point in a season that is not yet complete. Our goal is to win the NAFL National Championship. If we do not accomplish that goal, noone’s going to remember where we were ranked in mid-August. We’ve got some games left to win to be where we want to be.”

NASHVILLE STORM SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDS #1 NATIONAL RANKING WITH 35-0 VICTORY OVER WEST TENNESSEE WAR EAGLES
STORM MOVES TO 8-0 IN 2010; COACH HUNTER WINS 40TH GAME (AGAINST 4 LOSSES) AS STORM HEAD COACH

THIS IS AS CLOSE AS YOU’LL EVER GET (OR WANT TO) TO A QUARTERBACK’S-EYE VIEW OF LEGENDARY 6’6”, 340 LB NASHVILLE STORM DT DANNY ROBERSON (TSU)- PHOTO BY DONNIE BEAUCHAMP

STORM RB JOHNATHAN “BAMA” CARTER SCORES ON A 9-YARD RUN- PHOTO BY DONNIE BEAUCHAMP

THE STORM’S DESHAWN GRAHAM PULLS IN A PHELLEPE HALL PASS FOR A STORM TOUCHDOWN- PHOTO BY DONNIE BEAUCHAMP

247-LB STORM RB “HANG EM HIGH” JOE CASEY STRETCHES TOWARD THE END ZONE- PHOTO BY DONNIE BEAUCHAMP

The West Tennessee War Eagles from Jackson, TN have had one of the more impressive first seasons of any recent team, and came to Nashville on Saturday night, August 21 with high hopes of an upset. They had not been the Nashville Storm’s original opponent for that date, but War Eagle owner Ken Williams had been in frequent contact with Nashville Storm President Bill Caldwell since April expressing an interest in playing the Storm, and when the Georgia Mustangs suspended operations (leaving the Nashville Storm with an open date on August 21), a date that coincided with an “open week” for the GDFL (the War Eagles’ league), a Storm-War Eagle game was booked.

The War Eagles’ season gave them reason for optimism--- the War Eagles had won 10 of 14 games behind a stout defensive unit that had given up just 7.4 points per game against GDFL opponents----- and in May, in just their 3rd-ever game, the War Eagles had taken on the WFL’s Oklahoma Thunder (the nation’s #1 ranked team in the NFE Coaches Poll) and given the Thunder their most difficult game in 2 years, a 35-14 loss that the Thunder didn’t put out of reach until the War Eagles, trailing 28-14 with 2 minutes left, “went for it” on a 4th down play deep in their territory unsuccessfully, allowing the Thunder to add a final insurance TD with just a few seconds left. And the week before coming to Nashville, the War Eagles had clinched their GDFL division title.

At the end of the night at Stratford High School’s Buster Boguskie Stadium, however, the War Eagles would find their 2nd 2010 encounter with a nationally #1 ranked team a less competitive experience than their first, as the Nashville Storm dismantled the War Eagle offense and then the War Eagle punting unit en route to a 28-0 halftime lead and an eventual 35-0 victory to bring the Storm record to 8-0 for the 2010 season.

The opening kickoff, while negated by a blocking infraction, provided a glimpse of what was to come--- Mario Merriwether of the Storm returned the kick 60 yards, although the blocking infraction made the Storm start their first series from their own 10-yard line. After gaining 2 first downs, Phellepe Hall threw an interception for the Storm’s only turnover of the game, but the War Eagle offense went 3-and-out in their attempt to capitalize. Then--- they punted on 4th down, again to Mario Merriwether--- who returned the punt 34 yards to the War Eagle 35-yard line. 7 plays later, the Storm took a 7-0 lead on Jonathan “Bama” Carter’s 9-yard TD run.

The next War Eagle possession produced another 3-and-out and an even bigger punting disaster when the deep snap on the War Eagles punt attempt sailed over the head of the War Eagle punter, giving the Storm the ball at the War Eagle 19-yard line. It took Storm QB Phellepe Hall just 1 play to put the Storm up 14-0 with a pretty 19-yard TD strike to Storm WR Jeremie “Bird” Whittaker.

The next War Eagle possession was another 3-and-out, and once again, the War Eagles attempted a punt----- this time blocked by Storm RB Charles Rucker, putting the Storm in business at the War Eagle 15-yard line. This time, the Storm stayed on the ground as 247-pound Storm RB “Hang Em High” Joe Casey ran 13 yards down to the War Eagle 2 on the first play, and then ran the ball into the end zone on the next play to give the Storm a 21-0 lead with 13:53 to play in the 2nd quarter.

The War Eagles and Storm swapped 3-and-out possessions, and then the Storm got another break when Storm DT Desmond Scantling (TSU) stripped the ball loose from War Eagle FB Gary Reeves, giving the Storm the ball at the war Eagle 19. 2 plays later, Storm RB Marcellus Tibbs ran the ball into the end zone from the 17, raising the Storm lead to 28-0, which would be the halftime score.

There would be few offensive fireworks in the second half of the game, but there would be one more score---- set up, once again, by a 32-yard Mario Merriwether punt return that allowed the Storm to start an offensive possession at the War Eagle 28-yard line late in the 3rd quarter. On the last play of the 3rd quarter, Phellepe Hall hit Deshawn Graham with a 22-yard TD pass to produce the last points in a 35-0 Storm victory.

NOTES ON THE GAME:

• The Nashville Storm defense was simply dominating in this game---- the War Eagles offense got only 3 first downs on the night, and for the 2nd straight time in a home game, the Storm defense actually held an opposing offense to NEGATIVE yardage in total offense--- in the case of the War Eagles, (-33) yards. Storm defenders had 15 tackles for losses in the game, led by DT Desmond Scantling (TSU), who had 5 TFLs.
• Offensively, the Storm had 216 total yards in just 33 offensive snaps (84 rushing, 132 passing). Marcellus Tibbs had 45 yards on 8 carries, while Joe Casey had 26 yards on 4 carries. Storm QB Phellepe Hall completed 8 of 15 pass attempts for 132 yards and 2 TDs. Storm WR Kevin Carter (Austin Peay) led the Storm receivers with 2 catches for 59 yards. And despite the presence of DEs Tray Hardiman (Ole Miss) and Steven Turner (U of Memphis), the War Eagles did not record a QB sack in the game.
• Despite slippery field conditions from substantial Saturday rainfall, each team had only 1 turnover apiece.
• Storm K/P Garrett Morgan (Central Arkansas) suited up for the game, but did not play due to learning of an accident by a family member, necessitating his departure. His backups were highly effective, though; John Gorecki kicked off effectively and was 5 for 5 on extra points, while Jerry Wilkinson averaged 36 yards punting.
• Various parts of Nashville were hit with very heavy rainfall for much of the afternoon of this game, including East Nashville, and there was some periods of substantial rainfall during the game, and as a result, the Storm home crowd was the smallest of the 2010 season. With a nationally ranked opponent coming in this weekend in the St Louis Bulldogs, here’s hoping the weather is better and the Storm’s full complement of supporters are back this weekend.

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