Special Teams and Defense Give Soul the Edge
Jason Moyer
Monday February 20, 2006
The play of the game occurred on the opening kickoff for the second half. Reggie Doster recovered the kick off the net and ran for a 2-yard touchdown to give the Soul a 41-27 lead as they never looked back.
"Todd France is one of the best in the league no question about it," stated Head Coach Bret Munsey. "One thing on his kickoffs, everything hits right by the bar and that’s so effective. We got lucky today and that’s part of the arena football game."
France’s kickoffs were so effective that it wasn’t until the third quarter that the Dragons started a drive outside of their own 10 yard line. The Soul recovered one other kick off the net and bottled New York deep in their own territory all game long.
Philadelphia’s defensive line was the other dominant story of the game as they made the Dragons backfield look more like a "mosh pit". They were credited with three sacks and pressured Aaron Garcia into two interceptions. The Soul forced four total turnovers on the day and scored 27 points on the following possessions.
"We got pressure on their quarterback and I had all day to throw," observed Tony Graziani. "I give the O-line and D-line all the credit; they really got after them today."
The Soul now have nine sacks on the season and are yet to surrender one.
"We knew it was gonna be a track meet, a high scoring game," said Coach Munsey. "But I think in the end, you’ll find our big guys up front got the job done getting pressure on them."
In a game that saw 19 total touchdowns, the difference came down to the other aspects of the game.
"That’s the sign of a good team," declared Graziani. "We’re coming together and guys are stepping up."
Inside the numbers
Tony Graziani (PHI) completed 19 of 27 pass attempts for 282 yards with six touchdowns and one interception.
J.J. McKelvey (PHI) reeled in five passes for 71 yards and three touchdowns.
Sean Scott (PHI) caught three passes for 69 yards and two touchdowns, rushed four times for 13 yards and one touchdown, and recorded a first quarter interception.
Aaron Garcia (NY) finished 30 of 40 for 367 yards with eight touchdowns, and two interceptions. Garcia passed the 750 touchdown mark for his career, he now has 753.
Mike Horacek (NY) led all receivers with 10 catches for 167 yards and two scores.
Next Week
The Soul return home next week to take on the defending Arena Football League champion Colorado Crush.
"Anytime you play the world champions in any game, NBA, NFL, whatever, they’re a good football team," opinioned Coach Munsey. "I wish they were undefeated, now they’re hungry even more. They’ll come in here focused and it’s gonna be a tough battle."
Game time is set for next Sunday at 1:00 pm and marks the return of the AFL to NBC.
Jason Moyer is an elementary school teacher in the western New Jersey area. He is an avid follower of the Arena Football League and has been covering the Philadelphia Soul with ArenaFan.com since 2005. Jason resides in Whitehall, PA with his wife and daughter.
