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Continued...
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| The Peninsula (VA) Poseidons (1991) |
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POSEIDON ADVENTURE: SEMI-PRO TEAM GETS FACE LIFT
By WARNER HESSLER Staff Writer
May 23, 1991
George and Ed Fiscella didn't intend to get involved in a
semi-professional football team when they dug into their wallets for $100 last
November. All they were trying to do was salvage an end-of-season party for the
Peninsula Pirates, a Newport News-based team that had gone bankrupt. Less than
one year later, the home builders from Newport News, who own Virginia
Enterprises Inc., are trying to salvage the franchise.
''Last year John Johnson, one of our employees who played
for the team, talked to us about the team,'' Ed Fiscella said. ''The more he
talked, the more he told us about the problems the team had, the more we got
interested. We loaned them about $100, enough to buy the guys some beer.''
''We decided that if we were going to loan them some money,
we might as well go ahead and own the team,'' George Fiscella said. ''This
franchise would have folded if we hadn't gotten involved,'' Ed Fiscella said.
''The Pirates averaged about 300 fans last year and the team had defaulted to
the league. We bought it from the league this past March for $800.'' Wednesday,
during a luncheon at the Omni Hotel, the Fiscellas announced the team will be
known as the Peninsula Poseidons and it will continue to play in the 10-team
Mason-Dixon League, a league that includes franchises in Norfolk, Richmond,
Baltimore and Washington.
The Poseidons will play 11 regular season games, including
five at Todd Stadium in Newport News and one at Fort Eustis. John Quillen,
former head coach at Denbigh High School, will head an eight-man coaching
staff.
The Poseidons will open the season on Aug. 17 at Todd
Stadium against the defending league champion Tidewater Sharks of Norfolk, and
they'll open it with a new nickname, new uniforms, a new cheerleading squad and
dance team and a new marketing strategy. ''We believe we can generate community
interest by involving civic organizations in selling season tickets,'' Ed
Fiscella said. ''Organizations can sell tickets and keep 33 percent of the
gross.''
Kenny King, the Poseidons' general manager, said
approximately 3,000 season tickets have been distributed to civic organizations
on consignment. ''It's a real grassroots strategy,'' King said. ''We want
community involvement. We want to send the message that this is their team and
we want them to feel a part of it.''
''George and I are Peninsula natives,'' Ed Fiscella said.
''We intend to stay here and keep this franchise running.''
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| John "Sammy" Johnson (#43) and myself in the Peninsula Pirate era (1990) (#12) Robert Barnes is in the background (right) .@ Coliseum Mall - Hampton, VA |
Newport News, VA (1991) - On a muggy August night 8,500 raucous fans packed into Todd Stadium to witness the Peninsula Poseidons take down the defending MDFL Champion Tidewater Sharks 17-13 in their inaugural contest. The Poseidons fit right in on the Virginia Peninsula. For local athletes willing to risk it all, the Poseidons provided them a means to scratch their gridiron itch; for local football fans, the new team offered a live Saturday option to the weekend football menu.
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Football fans typically have preferences; sometimes they're open to try new things but they won't give up the established favorites. On the Virginia Peninsula, Friday nights are for sacred high school football and Sundays are for games televised from faraway places. On Saturdays, the college game reigns supreme but, for the average fan, seeing one live isn't feasible, unless, their kid is on the field or, they happen to be alumni.
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The Poseidons weren't the first grown man football team to call the Virginia Peninsula home; that distinction belonged to the Peninsula Pirates. Unlike the large Poseidons crowds, hardly anyone came to watch the Pirates play; although, despite toiling in relative anonymity, the Pirates achieved success on the gridiron. The original 1988 Pirates squad had an 11-0 MDFL record winning the MDFL Championship. The following year (my first), the Pirates went 9-2 but we came up short in the 1989 MDFL final against the Washington D.C. Stonewalls. We had ugly yellow jerseys and white pants those days.
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POSEIDONS BRIEFS:
TEAM SETS LEAGUE ATTENDANCE MARK
By ERIC M. PUGH Staff
Writer
August 20, 1991
The Peninsula Poseidons' surprising attendance of 8,517 at
Newport News' Todd Field for Saturday's 17-13 victory against the Tidewater
Sharks is the highest ever for a Mason-Dixon League game, according to league
commissioner Victor A. Lent. The best-attended game prior to Saturday night was
6,500 at Union-Kempsville Stadium in Virginia Beach in 1985 during the
now-defunct Norfolk Neptunes' home opener. ''A lot of those were freebies,''
Lent said.
Poseidons co-owner George Fiscella said about 3,000 of the
tickets for the Sharks game were sold at the gate, and about 1,500 were
purchased by season ticketholders. He estimated that about 1,000 of the spectators
were children under 8, who were admitted free, and said the remaining 3,017
tickets were given away in promotional packages.
Lent said the team's success is largely due to the marketing
prowess of Fiscella and his brother, Ed, two local building contractors. ''Most
of the teams in the league are run by coaches who are not by nature
administrators,'' Lent said. ''George is a businessman who went about promoting
the event in a businesslike way.'' Lent said most league teams cannot afford
separate administrators and coaching staffs. ''There's a fellow in Richmond,
Coach Hal Lockhart, who runs a very successful program,'' Lent said. ''But he
has a difficult time promoting the sport.''
Lent said the average attendance for semipro games
throughout the nation is about 300 to 400. George Fiscella said he believes the
Poseidons will continue to draw well when local colleges and high schools
launch their seasons.
''I don't think that will be any concern of ours because our
players are Peninsula residents, so when we play out-of-town teams, fans are
going to come support us and be loyal to the local players,'' Fiscella said.
''On some of the college teams, the players are from different parts of the
country. Now, the high schools, we might have to worry about.''
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Poseidons 17, Sharks 13
FOES RANKED NATIONALLY
The Portsmouth-based Tidewater Sharks are the defending
league champions and were ranked fifth nationally by the American Football
Association prior to Saturday's loss. The Richmond Ravens, who won their season
opener, are ranked ninth. The Poseidons play at Richmond September 7th at 7
p.m.
INJURY UPDATE
Cornerback Goo Toliver broke his leg Saturday night and will
be out of action for eight weeks, Poseidons coach John Quillen said.
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| .The Poseidons got new silver britches |
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By ERIC M. PUGH Daily Press
November 2, 1991
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NEWPORT NEWS — The James River Bridge, with its early
morning and late day rush hour traffic jams, has become a source of stress and
tension for many area commuters. For Peninsula Poseidons head coach John
Quillen, the bridge is a place of change.
Every day at about 2:30 p.m., Quillen leaves Newport News'
Gildersleeve Middle School, where he teaches health and physical education, and
treks toward Smithfield High, where he is an assistant football coach. About
halfway across the bridge, he sheds his white Peninsula Poseidons hat, and his
aqua green and gold Poseidons jacket, and replaces both with Smithfield
paraphernalia. ''I go from the Poseidons green and gold to Smithfield's blue
and gold,'' said Quillen. ''By the time I get to the other side of the bridge,
I'm all Smithfield.'' When Smithfield practice ends at 5:30, Quillen bolts back
across the bridge, and changes again to make the Poseidons' 6 p.m. practices
three nights each week. ''It's like Superman doing his thing in a phone
booth,'' Quillen said.
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| Crossing the James River Bridge is no picnic |
Quillen said each day during lunch hour at Gildersleeve he
heads to the library and studies Smithfield and Poseidons game tapes. He
usually arrives home from Poseidons practices about 10 p.m., and ''I turn on
the VCR and watch more films,'' Quillen said. ''I believe that's the only way
to be successful - to prepare yourself, and put in the time.'' Quillen's
diligence has paid off. Smithfield is 5-4 overall and 5-3 in the Bay Rivers
District following a 14-12 loss to Southampton on Friday. And Quillen has helped
lead the Poseidons to a 10-1 overall record and to the Mason-Dixon League's
Southern Division championship. Tonight at 7, he hopes to lead his team to
victory against the Baltimore Bears in a Mason-Dixon League semifinal playoff
game at Todd Field.
Quillen said the multiple changes he goes through daily are
deeper than his clothing. ''I have to get in a different frame of mind working
with the older guys,'' Quillen said. ''These guys aren't getting paid, and they
have a lot of schedule conflicts with their jobs, so we have a little more
control over the high school players. ''In this league some teams don't even
videotape games, so you've got to be flexible during games,'' Quillen said. ''I
try to listen to the players' suggestions.'' Quillen gives credit for the
team's success to his nine assistant coaches - ''There's no way I could coach
70 guys by myself'' - and team owners George and Ed Fiscella for their
financial backing.
''Ninety-nine percent of the things I've asked for, I've
gotten,'' Quillen said. Last year the now-defunct Peninsula Pirates ''didn't
have these things - a seven-man blocking sled, a two-man sled, and lights,''
Quillen said, referring to the $22,000 lights the Fiscellas had installed at
the Poseidons practice field.
George Fiscella said he has been pleased with Quillen's
leadership. ''I think we gave coach Q the indication that we were going to be
behind him and the team,'' said George Fiscella. ''It made him comfortable and
let him know that his time and energy weren't going to be wasted.''
Quillen, a native of New Orleans, came to the Peninsula in
1971 after playing one year with the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. He graduated from Southern Illinois University, where he earned second-team All-American honors as an
offensive and defensive back. He has coached football more than 20 years,
including stints at Ferguson and Denbigh high schools and Hampton University.
Quillen said his wife, Linda, his son Jovonn, 12, and his 18-year-old
daughter, LaShauna, have all been understanding while ''I'm out playing
coach.'' Quillen said his schedule has always been hectic, and that he looks
forward to zipping back and forth across the bridge while coaching the
Poseidons next year.
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| John Quillen - DB/ RB Southern Illinois University (circa 1969) |
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| Poseidons vs Arbutus (MD) Big Red (1991) There are no cushy amenities in this league; just the basics. Coaches: (from left) Alonzo Bell, Head Coach John Quillen, Lewis Williams, Mike Swain, Keith Rouse, and Ben Johnson Players: Safety (#2) Daryle Wilson (left), RB (#3) Calvin "Scooter" Davis, WR (#82) Lamont Batten (right) sitting on helmet. @ Fort Eustis, VA |
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@ Foreman Field - Norfolk, VA
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| After pre-season game against the Metro (Washington D.C.) Bulls (1992) Standing from left: CB (#1) Aaron Billups, SS (#48) Ed Titus, CB (#27) Sean Jones, Kneeling: DL (#98) Michael Minor, Background: RB (#40) Rodney Anderson @ Smithfield, Virginia |
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POSEIDONS SACRIFICE FREE TIME TO PLAY
By ERIC M. PUGH Daily Press
September 27, 1991
NEWPORT NEWS — Aaron Billups is out of vacation days, but
not because he used his free time to visit a tropical island or to take a cross
country road trip.
''I used up all my sick days and vacation days because of
sports,'' said Billups, who spent his leisure time adjusting to an often hectic
schedule of working a fulltime job as a meter reader at Virginia Power in
Hampton, and holding a starting position as a cornerback with the semipro Peninsula
Poseidons football team. Billups and most of his teammates have had to juggle
their careers and family lives to meet their athletic commitment to the
Poseidons.
Four Poseidons are self-employed, three are students.
Linebacker Lee Everett is a Newport News deputy sheriff, defensive tackle Tom
Woodson is an Environmental Protection Agency-qualified environmental engineer,
and defensive tackle Michael Minor is a sergeant in the U.S. Air Force.
Billups said he used his last sick day Monday after the
Poseidons traveled to Maryland and suffered their first loss of the season,
20-7, to the Baltimore Bears. ''When we have a Saturday game it's not too bad,
because I'll rest up and relax on Sunday,'' Billups said. ''But having a Sunday
game is pretty tough, because I'll still be sore and I'll have to be up and
walking that next morning.''
Woodson has only played in two games with the team because
''I have not had a 40-hour week since I got here in August. Normally I work as much
as 60 hours a week.'' Poseidons coach John Quillen ''is a stickler for no practice,
no play,'' Woodson said.
Woodson said he spends several days per week on the road,
traveling throughout the state to prevent, control or clean up environmental
disasters. ''A tractor trailer overturned in Fredericksburg recently and diesel
fuel spilled all over the soil,'' Woodson said. ''We picked up about two tons
of soil and shipped it to a disposal facility in Orlando, Fla. They'll
incinerate it there.''
Woodson said he often gets to sit on his job, but his
teammate, punter Mike Ferreira, who works as a parts sales representative at
Hampton Chevrolet, is not so lucky. ''It's tough because I'm on my feet all day
at work,'' Ferreira said.
Billups played at Hampton University. He said managing a full course load and attending football practice in college was easier than working full-time and playing semipro football. ''In college, the coaches would schedule practice around study times,'' Billups said. ''And it was a lot easier getting up for practice because football was your meal ticket.''
POSEIDONS CRUISE PAST LANGLEY AFB IN EXHIBITION
By TONY ANTHONY Daily Press
September 1, 1991
NEWPORT NEWS — Strong safety James Chapman played like a man
possessed Saturday night as he led the semipro Peninsula Poseidons to an 36-0
exhibition football victory against the Langley Air Force Base Eagles before
8,289 at Todd Field. ''He killed us almost singlehandedly,'' said fourth-year
Langley coach J.W. Franklin. ''He was all over the place. He played like an
inside linebacker.''
''I was psyched up for the game,'' said Chapman, who played
at John F. Kennedy High School in Suffolk and at Hampton University. ''We
didn't know a thing about what kind of offense they had, so I just went out
there and played as hard as I could. ''When I blitzed and got their running
back'' Calvin Shoulders ''on the very first play, I knew I was going to have a
big night. My position coach,'' Michael Edwards,'' has really helped me this
season moving from linebacker to strong safety.''
Before the game was finished, Chapman had the Poseidons'
third consecutive large crowd going wild on a hot and muggy night. The
Poseidons (3-0) have attracted 24,158 fans in their three games, all at home,
this season. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder had four individual tackles, assisted on
several others, and recovered a fumble in the second quarter that led to the
last of John Perez's three field goals. Running back Robert Barnes went 1 yard
for the Poseidons' only first-half touchdown.
''I believed we sort of wore them down by using as many
players as we did,'' said Poseidons coach John Quillen, whose team plays the
Richmond Ravens, a Mason-Dixon Football League rival, next Saturday at the New
Kent Middle School field.
Chapman hasn't given up his quest to play in the NFL, World
League of American Football or Canadian Football League. ''After finishing HU
as the school's all-time leading tackler, I dreamed I was going to replace
Ronnie Lott, but I never got a call from anyone,'' he said.
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| The Mason-Dixon Football League |
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@ Todd Stadium - Newport News, VA - Part 2 of 2
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| Running Back (#3) Calvin "Scooter" Davis (1991) @ Fort Eustis, VA |
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| Todd Stadium (1991) Newport News, VA
1991 roster.
 POSEIDONS PREVAIL IN TUNEUP By ERIC M. PUGH Daily Press October 28, 1991 DURHAM, N.C. — In a game that had little bearing on
standings or playoff hopes, the Peninsula Poseidons wrapped up the regular
season with a 17-0 victory against the Durham Cardinals Sunday afternoon in a
Mason-Dixon League football game at County Stadium. The Poseidons, champions of the MDFL's Southern Division,
play host to the Baltimore Bears at Newport News' Todd Field in a league
semifinal Saturday night at 7. The Bears, who finished second in the Northern
Division behind the D.C. Stonewalls, are the only team to defeat the Poseidons
this season. Peninsula's local rivals, the Tidewater Sharks, runners-up
in the Southern Division, will travel to Washington to meet the undefeated
Stonewalls Saturday in the other semifinal game. The Poseidons (10-1 overall,
9-1 in the league) entered Sunday's game already having clinched the Southern
Division. They played without starting running back Robert Barnes, who sprained
a finger, and starting tight end Terrence Howell, who left his team jersey in
Virginia. In the first half, it seemed the Poseidons left their
enthusiasm home with Howell's uniform. They fumbled three times in the first
half, twice on punt returns, and quarterback Marco Stacy tossed two
interceptions. ''I think we were looking ahead to having Baltimore next week
and not really concentrating on the Cardinals,'' Peninsula defensive
coordinator Mike Edwards said. ''The intensity wasn't there. It was like we
were riding the fact that we had already beaten this team.'' After being held scoreless in the first period, the
Poseidons found their offense with 7:59 left in the second quarter. Former
Ferguson High School fullback Rowland Jordan broke loose for a 12-yard
touchdown run, and Johnny Perez's PAT gave the Poseidons a 7-0 lead. On the Cardinals' next possession, Peninsula linebacker
Gregg Cary recovered a fumble on the hosts' 27-yard line. Four plays later,
Perez booted a 40-yard field goal to boost Peninsula's lead to 10-0 with 4:49
left in the half. Peninsula's offense was quiet in the second half until Stacy
connected with Waddell Howell for a 13-yard touchdown pass with 10:19 remaining
in the final period to pump the lead to 17-0. Peninsula defeated Durham 28-7 when the teams met in
September, but Cardinals coach Alden Jackson said turnovers - two fumbles and
two interceptions - kept his team from mounting a serious offensive attack this
time. Peninsula ''is nowhere near the caliber of my team,'' Jackson said.
''They're 8-1 and they weren't pumped up at all. We just played weak
defensively. We lost on a couple of dumb plays. We're two errors a game from
being league champions.'' Although the game was played about 200 miles from the
Peninsula, it often seemed that the Poseidons were the hosts. About 30 of the
estimated 120 fans on hand were from the Peninsula, and the Poseidons Dancers
provided halftime entertainment. In the press box, Poseidons co-owner Ed
Fiscella was the public-address announcer for the entire game. ''Whenever you play away, you have to make adjustments,''
said Peninsula wingback John Johnson. ''Another factor was that this game
wasn't going to make or break our season.'' POSEIDONS 17, CARDINALS 0 .
.   . BEARS END POSEIDONS' SEASON By ERIC M. PUGH Daily Press November 3, 1991 NEWPORT NEWS — The Baltimore Bears ended the Peninsula
Poseidons' season Saturday night in a Mason-Dixon Football League semifinal
playoff game, handing them a 9-3 defeat before 5,717 at Todd Field. The Bears (10-3 overall, 8-3 in the league) were the only
team to defeat semipro Peninsula this season. Baltimore also beat the Poseidons
on Sept. 22. The Poseidons (10-2 overall) cherished the opportunity to
play the Bears again on their home field. ''We may have been a little too
hyped,'' said Peninsula coach John Quillen. ''That may have led to some of the late
hits and costly penalties. It's all right to be hyped, but you can't lose
control.'' Stingy defenses controlled the tempo in a scoreless first
period. Peninsula gained only 35 yards on 11 carries in the first half, but
held the Bears to 26 yards rushing on 15 carries. With 14 seconds left in the
first half, Baltimore's Bill Schmidt booted a 36-yard field goal to give the
Bears a 3-0 lead at intermission. On the opening kickoff of the second half, Peninsula
recovered a Baltimore fumble on the Bears' 30-yard line. Four plays later,
former James Madison University kicker Johnny Perez knotted the score at 3-3
with a 37-yard field goal. The winning touchdown came with 11:17 left in the game.
Bears quarterback Ron Meehan, who completed 20 of 33 passes of 218 yards, hit
wide receiver Thomas Minor for a 35-yard touchdown pass to put Baltimore ahead
9-3. Baltimore wide receiver Dave Jackson, who finished with
seven passes for 82 yards, had been Meehan's top target all night. Minor's
touchdown reception was only his second catch of the game. ''They were keying
on Jackson because he had hurt them in our first game,'' said Baltimore
assistant coach Jeff Pierson. ''Minor was open, so we called his number.'' Meehan also found running back Rick Green for seven passes.
It was an addition to the offense that Meehan said Peninsula may not have been
prepared to stop. ''We didn't use Rick coming out the backfield in our first
game against them,'' Meehan said. ''He was our safety valve tonight.'' ''They brought back a better team this time,'' Baltimore
linebacker Carl Sharette said about the Poseidons. ''They seemed to be more
prepared this time around.'' Peninsula intercepted two of Meehan's passes in
the first half, but did not capitalize on either one. Defensive back J.R. White
picked off a Meehan pass with 2:44 left in the first period, but Peninsula
running back Brian Harris fumbled on the Poseidons' next play and Baltimore
recovered. Peninsula strong safety James Chapman snared the second interception,
but the Poseidons punted after three plays. With 5:04 left in the fourth
period, Poseidons nose guard Chris Smith recovered a Baltimore fumble. Poseidons quarterback Marco Stacy tossed two consecutive
passes to Waddell Howell on Peninsula's final scoring opportunity, but both
were incomplete. ''When we had three receivers on one side, nobody has stopped
that all year,'' said Stacy. ''Maybe we should have gone to that earlier. When
you flood a zone on one side, it causes a defense to react. It doesn't matter
what they do because we would still have them outnumbered.'' On the first pass, Howell stretched out and dove, but the
ball bounced off his fingertips. On the next play, Howell's number was called
again on a similar pattern, but he dropped the ball. ''The last two passes were
on the money to a very reliable receiver,'' said Stacy. ''I hate to point
fingers, but it's hard not to when the ball hits a man in the hands,'' said
Harris. ''Everybody had their miscues. I had my fumble in the first half. It's
just that time wasn't on our side when he had his miscues.'' BEARS 9, POSEIDONS 3 
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 @ Todd Stadium - Newport News, VA
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| Poseidons vs Tidewater (VA) Sharks (1992) @ Foreman Field - Norfolk, VA |
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Alexandria, VA
Alexa
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POSEIDONS OVERCOME INVADERS
By Daily Press
October 4, 1992
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ALEXANDRIA — The Peninsula Poseidons improved their record
to 6-1 Saturday with a 31-3 semipro football victory against the Virginia
Invaders in a Mason-Dixon League game at George Washington Junior High School.
The Poseidons, 6-0 in the Southern Division, led 24-0 at
halftime and cruised past their Northern Virginia foes for the second time this
season.
The Invaders had two apparent touchdowns on interception
returns negated by penalties. One of those flags, a roughing-the-passer
penalty, canceled an interception. In the first half, Poseidons quarterback
Scott Woodlief threw two touchdown passes - a 19-yarder to fullback Rowland
Jordan and a 16-yarder to wideout Mike Davis - and Jordan ran 4 yards for
another touchdown. J.R. Lippus kicked a 27-yard field goal and three PATs.
Woodlief completed nine of 22 passes for 148 yards, but was
intercepted twice. Both teams had four turnovers. After the Invaders (4-3)
scored their only points on a 26-yard field goal in the third period, Poseidons
fullback Dwight Friday scored on a 1-yard plunge in the final quarter.
Davis made three receptions for 59 yards, and Poseidons
tight end Bill Eanes had three catches for 34 yards. Defensively for the
Poseidons, Melvin Dillard recovered a fumble and Josef Jones, Aaron Billups and
Daryle Wilson intercepted passes.
The Poseidons next face the Triangle Cardinals in Durham,
N.C. The Poseidons beat the Cardinals 35-0 Sept. 19 at Todd Field.
POSEIDONS 31, INVADERS 3
.ndria, VA
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Quarterback (#6) Marco Stacy (1991)
@ Halftime vs Arbutus (MD) "Big Red"
Fort Eustis, VA
Marco helped lead the Hampton University Pirates to the 1985 CIAA title. He also quarterbacked perennial powerhouse Hampton High School to the 1981 Virginia State Championship.
Dude could spin that ball.
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| Poseidons LB (#55) Pete Hardie tackles Cardinals RB (#36) Solomon Ricks @ Todd Stadium, Newport News |
POSEIDONS BLANK NORTH CAROLINA
By ERIC M. PUGH Staff Writer
August 25, 1991
NEWPORT NEWS — Two deflated bus tires forced the North
Carolina Cardinals to arrive late for their game with the Peninsula Poseidons
Saturday night. The Cardinals' equally flat offense allowed the Poseidons to
beat their guests 28-0 before a crowd of 7,352 in a Mason-Dixon League game at
Todd Field.
The Poseidons (2-0), gained 158 yards rushing while holding
North Carolina to 75 yards on the ground, and handed the Cardinals (1-1) their
first shutout in 14 games. ''We tried to run, and it didn't work. We tried the
pass, and it didn't work. When that happens, you know you're going to get your
butt beat,'' said North Carolina tight end Ron Savage.
Originally scheduled for 7 p.m., the game began an hour late
because of the Cardinals' tire troubles en route from Durham, N.C. The
Cardinals dressed quickly, stretched and warmed up for about 15 minutes, but
still seemed sluggish when the Poseidons struck early in the first quarter. Peninsula
went ahead 7-0 on former Ferguson fullback Rowland Jordan's 49-yard touchdown
run with 9:20 left in the first period.
In the third quarter, Peninsula linebacker Linwood Lumpkins,
a former Hampton High School standout, intercepted Leon Kislowski's pass and
returned it 64 yards for a touchdown. ''I didn't think the quarterback would
throw it because I was so close to their receiver,'' said Lumpkins, who
finished with six tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery.”''I played running
back in high school, so after I caught it, it all came back to me.''
Peninsula tacked on another score when quarterback Brad
Parker tossed a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Terrance Howell. Jordan, who
finished with 131 yards on 10 carries, capped the Poseidons' scoring with a
29-yard touchdown run with four seconds remaining in the game.
Poseidons coach John Quillen replaced starting quarterback
Wayne Johnson with Parker, a former Smithfield High quarterback, in the
beginning of the second half. ''Brad is kind of young, and I don't want to
throw him to the wolves right away,'' Quillen said. ''He's still feeling his
way.'' Parker completed 2 of 6 passes for 53 yards; Johnson was 1-for-6 for 12
yards. Neither threw an interception.
Quillen said Johnson is still the squad's starter and that
another quarterback, former Hampton High and Hampton University standout Marco
Stacy, has rejoined the team. Quillen said Stacy, a manager at a 7-Eleven,
practiced with the team early on in training camp, but had time conflicts with
his work schedule. ''It's a good situation we're in,'' Quillen said. ''We've
got three good quarterbacks, and some teams only have one.''
Lumpkins led Peninsula's defense, which had five sacks and
intercepted three passes. Poseidons defensive coordinator Mike Edwards said
Lumpkins may be even more dangerous in weeks to come. Despite the loss, Savage
said, ''It was fun to play here. It's the best attendance in the league. We
loved it. Even though we're the visiting team, we still got pumped up from the
crowd.''
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Poseidons SS (#42) Linwood Lumpkins (1992)
before Washington D.C. Bulls scrimmage
@ Smithfield, VA |
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"Lump"
Lump didn't talk much. He just hit folks. . POSEIDON THIRSTS FOR HARD HITS By ERIC M. PUGH Daily Press Staff Writer August 30, 1991 NEWPORT NEWS — Last June, Linwood Lumpkins went into the
7-Eleven to get a bottle of Hawaiian Punch. He came out with a semipro football
career. It was at the Aberdeen Road store where Lumpkins bumped into Peninsula
Poseidons head coach John Quillen. ''I was just going to get a soda,'' Lumpkins said. ''He told
me he was head coach and that they needed another guy to play. And he said,
`Come on out.' Lumpkins accepted Quillen's offer and is now a defensive leader
for the Mason-Dixon League-leading Peninsula Poseidons (2-0). In the Poseidons'
28-0 victory against the North Carolina Cardinals last Saturday, Lumpkins had
six tackles, a fumble recovery, a sack, and returned an interception 64 yards
for a touchdown. He will start at linebacker Saturday at 7 p.m. when the
Poseidons (2-0) take on Langley Air Force Base (0-0) in a non-league exhibition
game at Todd Field. In the past, the talented Lumpkins, 25, never had to stumble
upon football opportunities. As a senior free safety/tailback at Hampton High
School, he was named a Parade magazine all-American, and was listed among USA
Today's top 25 players in the country. He signed with the University of Virginia, but once there
had difficulty in the classroom. Lumpkins said he was overwhelmed and somewhat
intimidated by the large, weeding-out introduction courses during his freshman
year at Virginia. ''You go in there and sit in a class with 500 students. Even
in our biology lab, we had like 100 people crammed in a little room.'' Lumpkins
said. ''In high school, the most I ever had in a class was like 30 or 40
people. I needed a smaller class so I could learn.'' Lumpkins said he played in one game for the Cavaliers, on
the kickoff team against Virginia Military Institute. He said he was projected as
a starter for the 1986 squad, but after excessive academic problems, he
transferred to Hampton University. Lumpkins played three seasons at HU, where
Quillen served as defensive backfield coach. Lumpkins said he ''did all
right,'' in the classroom, but he left HU without a degree. ''I still want to get the degree,'' Lumpkins said. ''I've
just got to be dedicated to it.'' Lumpkins, said he plans to return to school
in the spring at Thomas Nelson Community College. He is dedicated to his two
jobs - as a shipper in the Army Air Force Exchange Service and as a grocery
bagger at Langley Air Force Base - and to playing well for the Poseidons. ''He's a tremendous talent who upgrades the entire team,''
said Poseidons defensive coordinator Mike Edwards. ''He came to camp about 20
pounds overweight, so he's about two or three weeks behind. We're trying to
work him into shape. He's really going to shine for us.'' One trait that helped
Lumpkins shine in high school, during his pit stop at Virginia and when at HU,
was his ability to punish ball carriers. He still has it. Poseidons receiver Ernest Howell, who teamed with Lumpkins
at Hampton High, recalls a Crabbers practice when he was victimized by one of
Lumpkins' locomotive-like jolts. ''I was running a slant pattern,'' said
Howell. ''He took a nice drop back and only thing I can remember was his helmet
up under my chin. No catch, no nothing. Just a little tingling in my head. It
was the first time I had ever been hit like that.'' Lumpkins said the intensity with which he plays is not
coincidental. ''I pride myself on doing that,'' he said. He said he developed
physical resiliency from playing football as a child with his father, George,
and brother, George Adrian. ''When I played with them, they always knocked me around,''
Lumpkins said. Lumpkins is looking forward to doing the knocking around
this fall. He says he has few regrets about his past, but ''the only thing I
missed about playing at U.Va. was maybe playing on TV and going to bowl
games.'' Even though his team lost 13-6 to Winston-Salem State in the 1986 CIAA
title game, Lumpkins said, ''At HU, our bowl game was playing in the CIAA
championship.'' And his ''bowl game'' in the Mason-Dixon League? ''Just
winning it all,'' Lumpkins said. ''Just winning it all.'' |
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Richmond (VA) Ravens vs Poseidons (1991) From left: DB (#5) Erskine Smith, SS (#42) Linwood Lumpkins, DT (#74) Thomas Osborne, S (#2) Daryle Wilson, CB (#1) Aaron Billups
@ Todd Stadium - Newport News, VA
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| SS (#42) Linwood "Lump" Lumpkins (1992) @ Smithfield, VA |
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Poseidons RB/WR (#12) Robert Barnes & CB/KR (#8) Melvin Dillard (1992)
Opponents found out the hard way not to kick the ball to Dillard. @ Carver-Hines Field - Newport News, VA |
POSEIDONS EDGE SHARKS
By MIKE BROWN Daily Press Correspondent
September 13, 1992
NORFOLK — Quarterback Scott Woodlief threw two touchdown
passes to lead the Peninsula Poseidons to a 16-14 victory over the Tidewater
Sharks in a Mason-Dixon Football League game Saturday night at Foreman Field in
Norfolk.
Woodlief had an efficient night passing, completing 9 of 20
for 90 yards. The real keys to the victory were the Poseidons special teams,
led by first-year player Melvin Dillard. Poseidons head coach John Quillen said
Dillard's heroics were crucial to his team's effort.
''Dillard got us pumped up, but we expect that kind of
performance from him,'' Quillen said. ''He led the nation in punt and kickoff
returns when he went to (Division III) Ferrum College. In fact, all of our
special teams did a great job. We got great field position from Melvin and from
Robert Barnes on kick returns.'' Dillard had 151 yards on four punt returns and
added an interception. Barnes added a 69-yard kickoff return to start the
second half and set up a touchdown.
''My senior year at Ferrum was my best, and since then I've
been anxious to get back there and help this team,'' Dillard said. ''We have a
lot of speed on this team, and we really believe we can return the ball against
anyone. I've been working hard to get my chance and I didn't want to let anyone
down. Robert and I are double trouble because we have confidence in each other
and we help each other out.''
Dillard put the Poseidons in business at the Sharks 29-yard
line with a dazzling 56-yard punt return at the end of the scoreless first
quarter. Two plays later, Woodlief threw the slant pass for the touchdown to
Bill Eanes. Curtis Smith kicked the point after for a 7-0 Poseidons lead.
Tidewater's James Stallings recovered a fumble at the Peninsula 33 with 1:29 left in the half. A John Ealey to William Samuel pass was good for 28 yards and a first-and-goal from the 5-yard line. The Poseidons wouldn't budge, staging a goal-line stand to keep a 7-0 edge at the half. ''That goal-line stand was crucial,'' Quillen said. ''We had some problems last week and we went into halftime flat. We didn't want that to happen again, so we had to shut them down. After that, Woodlief kept us under control and moved the ball for us.''
Barnes gave Peninsula a second-half lift with his 69-yard return.
Woodlief then engineered a five-play, 19-yard drive that ended with a pass to
Mike Davis. Smith's kick was wide, and the Poseidons led 13-0 with 11:49 left
in the third quarter.
The Sharks came right back with a 69-yard drive that lasted
six plays. They benefited from two Poseidons penalties totaling 23 yards.
Ealey passed 9 yards to James Church for the touchdown, and Dale Browder kicked
the extra point for a 13-7 score with 7:04 left in the third quarter.
.
Poseidons 16, Sharks 14
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POSEIDONS PLAYERS KEEP ON DREAMING
.
By JOHNNY PEREZ Daily Press Correspondent
August 21, 1992
..
For Peninsula Poseidons football players Robert Barnes and
Leon Taylor, dreams die hard - especially dreams of becoming a professional
football player.
Both Barnes and Taylor have spent much of their lives pursuing that dream, but now both find themselves playing with the Peninsula Poseidons for very different reasons. ''I'm hoping that what I did last year and what I do this year will combine to give me a shot at one of the big leagues,'' said Barnes, a 24-year-old receiver who has taken his share of shots at the professional leagues.
After being one of the Poseidons' leaders in receptions last year and becoming known to fans for his slashing touchdown runs, Barnes took his talents to various off-season pro minicamps and scouting combines. In December, Barnes and Poseidon Brian Darden attended the Orlando Thunder World League of American Football minicamp, where Barnes said he ran a 4.4 40 yard dash, and performed well in passing and receiving-route drills.
When he heard nothing more from the World League scouts,
Barnes worked out for the Toronto Argonauts in a Norfolk training camp, and
also attended the Professional Spring Football League tryout camp in Tampa,
Fla., where he was told he would be drafted by one of the franchises in the
PSFL's upcoming draft. While waiting to find out for which team he would play,
Barnes received word that the PSFL had folded.
Barnes admits that one of the reasons for his not getting
any further might have been that he did not earn name recognition throughout
his journeyman football career, which included two years of junior varsity
football at Bethel High School before moving with his family to Germany, where
he graduated as a star athlete; two more years of football at Virginia State;
and ultimately, last year's success with the Poseidons.
''I guess I did not make a name for myself for them to look at me,'' says Barnes, adding that his dream of making it to the pros has not ended, but now ''all I can do is perform and pray that I get a chance.'' That chance is something Poseidons quarterback Leon Taylor already knows very well.
Former James Madison University coach Joe Purzycki ''once
told us that our chances of becoming a professional brain surgeon are better
that our chances of becoming a professional athlete,'' says Taylor, ''and that
is true.''
So Denbigh High graduate Taylor, after finishing a
successful career as a halfback in Purzycki's JMU Wing-T system, patiently
waited to receive his BBA in Marketing in August of '91 before turning to any
professional opportunities.
In December, Taylor and friend Eddie Tomlin also attended
the WLAF tryout camp in Orlando, along with approximately 700 or 800 hundred
other hopefuls. ''There were so many people out there,'' Taylor says of filing
in and out of various passing drills, shuttle runs, and 40-yard dashes. ''You
had to know somebody to get your foot in the door.''
''You need to have someone marketing you and networking,
someone to pump your name up,'' said Taylor. But instead of turning to an
agent, Taylor turned to thoughts of home and decided to put away his dreams of
a professional football career. Taylor now finds himself back at his old
high-school as an assistant junior varsity football coach. Playing football now
has become secondary.
Taylor is listed as the Poseidons' No. 2 quarterback, a
position he played in high school. Though he may also see some time at flanker,
Taylor is happy to contribute. ''This is a good way to stay in shape, and a
chance to do something I grew up most of my life doing,'' he said. Taylor he is
more lucid about his dreams of being a good coach and educator.
''Everybody talks about being a role model,'' says Taylor.
''But too many people are just playing roles.''
When asked if he would try it all again, relive his career
for perhaps a better shot at the pros, Taylor hesitated before saying, ''I
would have to weigh my job now with the (sports) opportunity, and so I probably
would opt not to do it again.
''I want to make a difference. Maybe to help one kid decide
to go to college.''
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RB/WR (#12) Robert Barnes vs Arbutus (MD) Big Red (1991)
@ Fort Eustis, VA . . .
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| CB (#8) Melvin "Freeze" Dillard (1992) Dillard was a ball hawk and often the leading receiver for opposing quarterbacks @ Alexandria, VA |
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POSEIDONS ROLL PAST RICHMOND
By MIKE BROWN Correspondent
September 27, 1992
NEWPORT NEWS — The Peninsula Poseidons maintained their
stranglehold on first place in the Southern Division with a 20-6 victory over
the Richmond Ravens in a Mason-Dixon League football game Saturday night at
Todd Field.
The Poseidons are now 5-0 in the division and 5-1 overall.
Richmond dropped to 2-3. The win showcased Peninsula's defense, which hasn't
surrendered a touchdown in the first quarter all year. The defense was better
than usual, holding the Ravens scoreless in the first half and getting the
game's first score. Peninsula cornerback Melvin Dillard intercepted a pass from
quarterback Bob Yurachek and raced 31 yards for a touchdown in the second
quarter.
''The defense has been playing consistent throughout the
year, and they're getting better and stronger every week,'' Poseidons head coach
John Quillen said. ''We really needed a good defensive effort, because we've
really been hurt on the offensive line by injuries and military transfers. We
only had five offensive linemen tonight. ''We had a makeshift line, and they
caused us some problems in the first half with their blitzes,'' Quillen said.
''We needed a lift, and Melvin's interception got us pumped up. (Quarterback
Scott) Woodlief was shaken up in the first half, but I thought William Leppert
did a great job moving the offense.''
Richmond had two excellent chances to score in the first
half, but came up empty both times.
Yurachek moved the Ravens from the Poseidons 34 to a
first-and-goal at the 2-yard line. A penalty moved the ball back to the 7, and
Richmond lost 1 yard in four plays. Four plays later, Ravens linebacker Charles
Taylor intercepted Woodlief and returned the ball 20 yards to the Poseidons
2-yard line. The Poseidons defense forced a Yurachek fumble on second down, and
Linwood Bland recovered with 5:49 left in the first quarter.
Neither team threatened to score until the Ravens had
third-and-12 at their own 22. Dillard picked off Yurachek's pass and raced 31
yards for the score. Edwin Lippus kicked the extra point, and the Poseidons led
7-0 with 5:28 left in the half.
Woodlief was injured just before halftime and Leppert came
on in relief for Peninsula. He engineered a five-play, 31-yard drive. Kevin
Vines got the touchdown on a 2-yard run with 9:34 left in the third quarter.
Richmond scored on a 30-yard Yurachek pass to David Johnson with four seconds
left in the third quarter.
PENINSULA 20, RICHMOND 6
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Poseidons vs Northern (VA) Invaders (1991)
@ Alexandria, VA
|
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| RB/WR (#12) Robert Barnes carries against Arbutus (MD) Big red Can't touch him in a phone booth |
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| The magician - NG (#67) Chris Smith Always in the opponent's backfield. At 230 pounds, in high school, he'd been an All Tidewater Linebacker (88') and an "All everything" wrestler. |
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| FS (#2) Daryle Wilson vs Metro Washington D.C. Bulls (1992) @ Smithfield, VA |
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| SS (#48) Ed Titus and Co-owner Ed Fiscella - Arbutus (MD) Big Red vs Poseidons (1991) @ Fort Eustis, VA |
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| Richmond (VA) Ravens vs Poseidons (1991) @ Todd Stadium - Newport News, VA |
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,
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.Northern (VA) Invaders vs Poseidons (1992)
@ Todd Stadium - Newport News, VA
|
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RESERVE QB `SAVES' POSEIDONS
By ERIC M. PUGH Daily Press
September 15, 1991
NEWPORT NEWS — If football calculated saves for relief work
like baseball does, Peninsula Poseidons quarterback Brad Parker would have
gotten one Saturday afternoon.
Parker completed five of seven passes for 133 yards and two
touchdowns in one period of relief work to lead the Poseidons to a 28-12
victory against the Virginia Invaders in a Mason-Dixon League game before 4,451
at Todd Field.
In the first two periods with starting quarterback Wayne
Johnson at the helm, Peninsula (4-0 Mason-Dixon League, 5-0 overall) gained
only one yard on 17 carries. Johnson completed three of nine first-half passes
for 31 yards and had two interceptions. ''They were blitzing a lot,'' Johnson
said. ''By the time I'd step back, then step up, they'd be all over me, and
then there was nothing I could do.'' With 5:40 left in the first quarter,
Johnson ran for a 11-yard touchdown. But the lack of first-half offensive
progress caused several fans to cheer, ''We want 10,'' referring to the
19-year-old reserve Parker.
In the second half, the fans got what they demanded as
Parker, a 1990 Smithfield High School graduate, entered the game. But his first
pass was intercepted by Invaders defensive back Larry Bryant, who returned it
27 yards untouched for a touchdown, cutting Peninsula's lead to 7-6. ''I really
got down after that interception,'' said Parker, ''because the game and the
score was getting tight. I said after that, `I've really got to explode on the
next possession.' Parker did just that. He redeemed himself on his next pass,
connecting with tight end Terrence Howell for a 72-yard touchdown. The extra point
gave Peninsula a 14-6 lead.
''I didn't jump on Brad after the interception,'' said
Poseidons coach John Quillen. ''He's young, and I figured the best thing to do
is talk positive to him so he wouldn't make that mistake again. After that kind
of interception when the guy scores off it, your confidence just drops.'' The
Poseidons were fortunate to enter halftime with a lead. Peninsula's defense
erased many of the team's offensive first-half mistakes, holding the Invaders
to minus-19 yards rushing and allowing them to complete only four of 14
first-half passes.
In the fourth period, Quillen replaced Parker with former
Hampton University quarterback Marco Stacy, who connected on a 4-yard touchdown
pass to Howell. When asked if he will continue to use three quarterbacks
throughout the season, Quillen said ''I plead the fifth.'' Peninsula's defense
has not given up a touchdown since the third quarter of its season-opening game
against the Tidewater Sharks. When told that, Invaders quarterback Joe Berger
was not impressed. The Poseidons ''didn't prove nothing to me,'' Berger said.
''We know what we need to do when they come to our place. Our play selection
wasn't the best. We had a lot of receivers drop passes. Dropped passes will
kill a drive.''
The Poseidons face the Invaders (1-2-1) again Oct. 12 at George
Washington High School in Alexandria.
Poseidons 28, Invaders 12
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| RB (#37) Lucky Drummond & WR (#82) Lamont Batten (1991) Arbutus (MD) Big Red vs Poseidons @ Fort Eustis, VA |
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| Poseidons WR (#82) Lamont Batten was an ALL CIAA receiver at Saint Pauls |
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The Coin toss
Metro Washington D.C. Bulls vs Poseidons (1992)
FS (#2) Daryle Wilson, CB (#1) Aaron Billups, DT (#98) Michael Minor,
P/K (#7) Curtis Smith @ Smithfield, VA |
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CB (#24) J.R. White vs Northern Virginia Invaders (1991)
@ Alexandria, VA
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Metro Washington D.C. Bulls vs Poseidons (1992)
Far right: Bulls WR (#84) Ron Thomas
@ Smithfield, VA
|
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After Metro Washington D.C. Bulls scrimmage (1992)
Standing: CB (#17) Brian Christian, CB (#27) Sean Jones,
DB Coach Ben Johnson, SS (#48) Ed Titus
Kneeling: CB (#1) Aaron Billups, Defensive Coordinator Dr. Michael Edwards
@ Smithfield, VA |
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Poseidons coaches vs Arbutus (MD) Big Red (1991)
@ Fort Eustis, VA
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POSEIDONS BEGIN SEASON WITH VICTORY
By TONY ANTHONY Daily Press
August 23, 1992
NEWPORT NEWS — After working out early Saturday morning to
determine the extent of his injury, Peninsula Poseidons quarterback Scott
Woodlief was relieved. So was Poseidons' head football coach John Quillen.
''I didn't want to go into the game at a 70 percent
effectiveness level,'' said the 29-year-old Woodlief after leading the
Poseidons to a 17-7 victory Saturday night at Todd Field over the visiting
Virginia Invaders of Alexandria. ''I went out and threw the football this
morning and my right shoulder felt pretty good,'' Woodlief said. ''I took a
pretty good hit from the blind side earlier in the week.''
After visiting a chiropractor following the hit, it was determined he had some bone chips. ''I also went to the chiropractor for therapy on Wednesday, Thursday and after working out Saturday morning,'' said Woodlief, a 1982 Kecoughtan High School graduate. ''The shoulder never bothered me during the game, and I was a pleasantly surprised to see I had pretty good velocity on my passes.''
Woodlief, who played three quarters before a crowd of 4,500,
finished with 6 of 13 completions for 77 yards. One of Woodlief's passes found
wide receiver O.J. James for 2 yards and a touchdown in the second quarter. The
pass to James came after the Poseidons opened the first quarter with a 3-yard
rushing touchdown by Brian Harris.
Both touchdowns came as a result of Invaders' fumbles, the
first recovered by defensive tackle Thomas Osborne in the first quarter with
6:02 remaining. The second fumble was recovered by safety Linwood Lumpkins.
The Invaders finally got on the scoreboard with six seconds
remaining in the game, when quarterback Joe Berger scored on a 3-yard run. The
touchdown was set up when Melvin Dillard of the Poseidons tried to pick up his
own teammate's punt, giving the ball to the visitors on the Poseidons' 39.
''We had some mental breakdowns, and it was an ugly win,''
said Quillen, whose team finished 10-2 last year. ''I believe the fact that we
hadn't played in three weeks took its toll on us. I hope we can be sharper the
next time out.''
The Poseidons also scored on a 35-yard field goal in the
third quarter by Edwin Lippus, who also kicked two extra points. The top rusher
for the Poseidons was fullback Rowland Jordan with eight carries for 37 yards.
The top rusher for the Invaders was running back Anthony Pearson with 67 yards.
''Our offense didn't click that well because they blitzed us
quite a bit,'' said Quillen. ''The blitzes seemed to throw us off, but that
will be all ironed out with a little more practice. ''They put a lot of
pressure on Woodlief but he stuck right in there. He was under a lot of
pressure, and he came through for us in this game, injury and all.''
One of the Poseidons who played Saturday, offensive lineman
Glenn Baucom, played for the Invaders last year. Prior to the game, coach
Thomas Tate of the Invaders said: ''Baucom will help them an awful lot. He's a
tough man up front.'' Baucom did play well for the Poseidons up front against
his old teammates.
The Poseidons, the 1991 Mason Dixon Football League Southern
League champions, will return to action at Todd Field the next two Saturdays.
On Aug. 29, the Poseidons will play host to the Charlotte Hornets at 7 p.m.
Then on Sept. 5, the Poseidons will entertain the Baltimore Bears at 7 p.m.
Poseidons 17, Invaders 7
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| RB (#44) Paul McGlone (1991) One of three McGlone brothers on the team |
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The Coin toss
Peninsula Poseidons vs Tidewater (VA) Sharks (1992)
@ Foreman Field, Norfolk, VA
|
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| Quarterback (#10) Scott Woodlief (1992) Scott led the 1992 Poseidons and the 1988 Pirates to MDFL titles. His brother, Jerry, played offensive guard (#60) on those teams. @ Todd Stadium - Newport News, VA |
MUCH-TRAVELED QB SETTLES WITH POSEIDONS
By JOHNNY PEREZ Daily Press Correspondent
August 28, 1992
Don't tell Peninsula Poseidons quarterback Scott Woodlief
he's been around - he already knows he has. To the Poseidons, that experience
has been Woodlief's greatest asset.
Woodlief still smiles when he remembers a reference to his
wayfaring ways in a Daily Press article from 1984, just after he had arrived at
the Newport News Apprentice School via Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College,
Ferrum Junior College and Elon (N.C.) College. ''They called me a traveler,''
Woodlief said before a recent practice with the Poseidons, ''and I guess I
was.''
After his stint at the Apprentice School, Woodlief traveled
across the water to play with the Chesapeake Bay Neptunes in 1989, then came
back in 1990 to play with the Peninsula Pirates, the franchise which became the
Poseidons.
Even though his brother Jerry and longtime teammates Tracy
Ward and Terrence Howell were 1991 Peninsula Poseidons, Woodlief decided to sit
out last season. ''Last year I came to the first meeting they had, and I asked
Coach Quillen if they were going to have audibles,'' said Woodlief, 29. He said
no. I guess I didn't show up too much after that.''
This year, Woodlief has been given full authority to audible
as the Poseidons' starting quarterback, and head coach John Quillen is glad
that Woodlief has brought his winning attitude with him. ''He seems to always
make a bad play into a good play for you,'' Quillen said. Woodlief proved just
that in preseason, avoiding sacks and connecting with Poseidon receivers for
touchdown passes of 45, 30 and 28 yards in about seven minutes of total playing
time.
In last week's 17-7 victory over the Virginia Invaders,
though he completed only six of 13 passes for 77 yards, Woodlief managed to
thread one of those passes to receiver O.J. James in the corner of the end zone
for a touchdown.
At the end of last Thursday's practice, Woodlief kept the
ball on an option play and was crushed to the mud with a pop in his right
shoulder. ''I was scared more than anything,'' he said. ''I've never heard it
give way like that before.''
After a trip to Poseidons team chiropractor Kevin Westby on
Thursday night and Saturday morning, Woodlief said Westby ''saw some bone chips
in it, worked on it, and gave me a brace to wear for it.'' After giving
Woodlief the brace, Westby declared Woodlief eligible for Saturday night's
game. But the brace was absent from Woodlief's game equipment. When asked about
it, Woodlief said: ''I'd never wear it to play a game in. It's too stiff.''
Woodlief is convinced the Poseidons will win the Mason-Dixon
Football League title. ''I know with me in there leading them, we can win the
championship this year,'' he said. ''My teammates know when I'm in there I'm
giving everything I've got. I'm out to win.''
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Poseidons vs Northern (VA) Invaders (1991)
@ Alexandria, VA
|
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Poseidons scrimmage vs Metro Washington D.C. Bulls (1992)
From left: FS (#2) Daryle Wilson, CB (#27) Sean Jones, SS (#42) Linwood Lumpkins,
NG (#67) Chris Smith, CB (#1) Aaron Billups, LB (#56) Victor Hill, DT (#98) Michael Minor, LB (#55) Pete Hardy @ Smithfield, VA |
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RB (#35) Rowland Jordan fumbles after hit by Tidewater's Herman Ford (1991)
His younger brother Rico (#47) de-cleated opponents regularly from his linebacker position.
@ Todd Stadium - Newport News, VA
|
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Pre game Poseidons vs Northern (VA) Invaders (1991)
@ Alexandria, VA
|
....
CHEERS FOR THE DANCERS
By LISA DANIELS Daily Press
September 20, 1991
NEWPORT NEWS — On his first outing to a Peninsula Poseidons'
semi-pro football game, Ralph Mitton of Newport News made sure he brought his
camera. But the first thing he photographed wasn't a tackle or a touchdown.
It was the split jump by Traci Blizzard, one of the dozen
members of the Peninsula Poseidon Dancers, that caught his eye. ''I'm a
premiere fan of the girls, that I gotta say,'' said the 30-year-old mechanical
test engineer, grinning as he focused for another shot.
While the Poseidons' ballclub has been racking up fans since
they were reincarnated this year, the team's dance squad has amassed its own
following. Tiny girls giggle when the dancers talk to them. Little boys ask
them for their autographs. Big boys ask them for their autographs. Players take
the fifth when asked to comment about the leggy dancers. (''The dance team!''
shrieked one. ''Don't ask me about the dance team. Do you want to get me in
trouble?'')
Since the dancers received a standing ovation after their
first halftime performance, spectators say that football isn't the only thing
that draws them to the Poseidons' games. ''I think it's a nice touch,'' said
M.C. Wilder Jr., a 27-year-old electrical test engineer. ''Without it, it
wouldn't seem like football.''
''They're pretty,'' said 11-year-old Dante Rogers, a
Sedgefield Elementary fifth-grader who clamored for the dancers' autographs
with other members of the Doris Miller Community Center's Panthers football
team during a recent game.
Along with hot dogs, soda and King Poseidon, the
trident-carrying team mascot - the Poseidon Dancers help complete the Peninsula
football picture. The dancers strut to music by rockers Billy Idol and Def
Leppard and rapper M.C. Hammer. They hold up signs the spell out
P-O-S-E-I-D-O-N-S. They orchestrate a wave that ripples up and down Todd
stadium.
Though cheering is a large part of what they do on the
sidelines, the Poseidon Dancers - who insist they're not cheerleaders, but
dancers who happen to cheer - weren't ever expected to cheer at all. But during
the season opener against the Tidewater Sharks in August, the women realized
the crowd of 8,517 needed a little guidance.
''Some of the girls, who were cheerleaders in school, their
instincts came out and they started to cheer,'' said 23-year-old Teresa
Hollowell, who as the squad's choreographer and coach is the only paid team
member. ''We evolved into cheerleaders at the ball games.''
Cheers have since become a permanent part of the dancers'
repertoire. They wave their pompons when the team takes the field. They yell
''DE-FENSE!'' when it's time to guard the end zone. They cheer when the team
scores.
''When you come to the sidelines, it gives you an extra push
knowing you have someone cheer for you no matter what the case is,'' said
Robert Barnes, 23-year-old starting running back for the team.
Added reserve quarterback Brad Parker, who at 19 is the
youngest member of the football team and who is dating the youngest member of
the dance team, 17-year-old Traci Blizzard, ''it makes a lot of difference. It
gets you more into the game.''
Designed as ''a marketing tool'' for the Poseidons, the
purpose of the dance team to get the word out about the football team, which
barely claimed a few dozen fans in past years when it was known as the
Peninsula Pirates, said George Fiscella, who bought the franchise with his brother
Ed Fiscella in January.
The $6,000 investment the two made in the dance team - for
uniforms, tote bags and insurance on the 30-foot mobile home the group travels
in - has paid off ''20 times over,''
said Fiscella.
''Without it, it would be like playing football without the
football,'' said Fiscella. ''They have the charm, the enthusiasm, and the
excitement and the glamour and provide the ambience and a spectacular
entertainment package.''
Thirty women tried out for the squad this summer, preparing
a one-minute routine and learning a one-minute routine choreographed by
Hollowell. Those who made it range in age from 17 to 25, in profession from
teacher to counselor to dance instructor. Only one is married. All either
danced or cheered during college and high school.
''I like to dance,'' said member Martita Dancy-Williams, a
25-year-old Virginia Tech graduate and graduate student. Dancy-Williams said
she went to the auditions to watch a friend try out ''and I got so excited I
put on somebody else's clothes and tried out.''
''I think it's something that you enjoy doing, I think it
has to be in your heart,'' said member Kim Hubbard, a 19-year-old sophomore at
Christopher Newport College.
Once the team was assembled, they began practicing eight
hours a week at various locations in Hampton and Newport News. A month before
the first game, the dancers took their show on the road - the malls, to Party
at the Point, to the Fourth of July celebration at Newport News-Williamsburg
International Airport. By mid-September, the dancers had made some 30
appearances, for a fee or in some charitable cases, free.
These days, Fiscella said, the dancers are in such high
demand that he turns down three out of four requests for appearances.
''They're all great,'' said fan David Hummel, a 31-year-old
engineering designer, as he watched the dancers during their halftime routine
at a recent game. ''But they need skimpier outfits, like the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders.''
No chance for that, as long as Hollowell's mother, Jody Hollowell, is around.
The teams' two uniforms were designed to show no cleavage,
hips, nor any idea that these were less than ''classy'' girls, said Mrs.
Hollowell. ''We didn't want to make it sexy,'' whispered Mrs. Hollowell, who
designed the aqua-green and gold sequined uniforms with her daughter. ''We
wanted to protect their reputations.'' The women have maintained such a squeaky
clean reputation that some mothers take their children to see them dance.
Four-year-old Ryanne Fond is such a big fan that her mother, Cathy Fond, bought her a blue-green and yellow leotard and skirt, which looks like a cheerleader's uniform. Ryanne goes to the games and stands in front of the dancers, cheering along with them. ''It's fun,'' she said, as she waved her blue and white pompon and yelled, ''Go, Poseidons, go!''
 |
Charlotte (NC) Eagles vs Poseidons (1993)
@ Todd Stadium - Newport News, VA
|
POSEIDONS ROUT OUTLAWS
By ERIC M. PUGH Daily Press
August 30, 1992
NEWPORT NEWS — Charlotte's (NC) Outlaws are the newest team in
the semipro Mason-Dixon Football League, and they showed Saturday night they
are also the league's most inexperienced squad.
The Peninsula Poseidons took advantage of almost every
Charlotte fumble, miscue and poor decision to rout the Outlaws 53-0 before
about 3,100 spectators at Todd Field.
''We've had some rough days of practice,'' said Charlotte
quarterback Dave Ettman, who also owns the team. ''A lot of guys weren't showing
up for practice, and if you don't have timing down between the line and the
receivers, you can only expect to play like this.''
Charlotte brought only 23 players, and Ettman said five top
linemen missed the trip and four top running backs chose not to travel with the
team. ''The Poseidons have backing; they've got money,'' said Outlaws defensive
end Greg Sargent. ''We just come out here and play for ourselves. We don't have
any sponsors.''
Peninsula first struck in the opening quarter. Two plays after
defensive tackle Thomas Osborne recovered a Charlotte fumble on the 15-yard
line, Poseidons running back Robert Barnes broke free for a 15-yard touchdown
to give Peninsula a 7-0 lead. The Poseidons increased the lead when Scott
Woodlief hit Barnes for a 6-yard touchdown with 10:40 left in the first half.
Peninsula's defense got into the scoring frenzy when
defensive back Sean Jones intercepted Ettman's pass and returned it 58 yards
for a touchdown to give Peninsula a 21-0 lead with 10:12 left in the half. Rowland
Jordan tacked on another six points with his 15-yard touchdown run with 7:45
left in the half.
Charlotte never revved up and was out of the game by
halftime. The Outlaws dropped four passes in the first half, had three
first-half interceptions, and were held to minus-8 yards rushing on eight
carries. Nine first-half penalties also hurt the Outlaws for 60 yards.
''You could tell that they didn't have a good system on
their offensive line,'' said Peninsula lineman Glenn Baucom about the Outlaws.
''Their linemen didn't play with good technique.'' Behind that line, Ettman
completed only six of 21 passes and the Outlaws generated only 87 yards of
total offense while allowing Peninsula to amass 297 total offensive yards. ''We
showed them every defensive scheme we had,'' said Poseidons defensive
coordinator Mike Edwards. ''And their quarterback was really unable to get
himself together. When he stepped up to the line he was looking at one
defensive call, then by the time he got the snap we had switched it up to
another.''
Peninsula continued to roll in the second half. Ralph White
scored on a 4-yard run with 9:30 left the third quarter to put the game out of
reach. ''They just lacked manpower,'' said Poseidons coach John Quillen. ''We
just wore them down. After the third period, we just let the clock run. I
didn't want to embarrass them. They've already got a long trip home.''
''This game was sort of like a scrimmage, but it should help
us because we have a big game coming up next week,'' Poseidons linebacker Ed
Titus said. The Poseidons take on the Baltimore Bears Saturday at 7 p.m. in
their third consecutive home game at Todd Field. Baltimore is the only team to
defeat the Poseidons in the last two seasons.
POSEIDONS 53, OUTLAWS 0
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CB (#24) J.R. White returns a punt
Arbutus (MD) Big Red vs Poseidons (1991)
CB (#1) Aaron Billups, DT (#74) Thomas Osborne, LB (#53) Johnny Carter,
@ Fort Eustis, VA |
.
.
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Poseidons Defense vs Arbutus (MD) Big Red (1991)
DT (#98) Michael Minor, DT (#74) Thomas Osborne, NG (#67) Chris Smith,
SS (#42) James Chapman, SS/LB (#48) Ed Titus, and CB (#24) J.R. White
@ Fort Eustis, VA
|
 |
| SS (#42) James Chapman (1991) |
'HITMAN' TRIGGERS POSEIDONS
By ERIC M. PUGH Daily Press
September 6, 1991
NEWPORT NEWS — Peninsula Poseidons strong safety James
Chapman has never been to Chicago, but his play and appearance constantly
trigger images of that city's two favorite sports heroes.
''He looks like Michael Jordan and hits like Dick Butkus,''
said Poseidons co-owner Ed Fiscella. Chapman has been as important to the
Poseidons (3-0) success this season as Jordan is to the Bulls and as Butkus was
to the Bears. He leads the team in tackles with 19 and has emerged as a
defensive backfield leader.
Saturday at 7 p.m. he will spearhead the Poseidons' attack
when they take on the Richmond Ravens (1-0-1) in their first Mason Dixon League
road game of the season at New Kent Middle School.
Like Jordan, Chapman sports a bald head, a charming smile,
and ''He's a spirited guy who keeps the team motivated,'' said Poseidons
defensive coordinator Mike Edwards. In Saturday's 36-0 non-league victory
against Langley Air Force Base ''he disrupted their offensive scheme of things
and what they were trying to do.'' Like Butkus ''I just hate when the opposing running back gets more than 5 yards on a play,'' said Chapman, 22. ''I don't
want them getting any more than 3 yards on a play.''
On the Poseidons ''Strong Safety Dog'' defensive play,
Chapman is free to blitz and hunt down quarterbacks. ''I try to get into their
backfield and get to where they're going before they get there,'' Chapman said.
''If I hit the quarterback right, every time I blitz, he'll
think for a moment about me.''
While playing for Hampton University, Chapman gained
all-CIAA three of his four years and was constantly on the minds of opposing
quarterbacks. He became the school's all-time leading tackler and quickly
picked up the nickname ''Hitman.'' He didn't turn the heads of any NFL scouts
because ''They played him out of position,'' said Poseidons coach John Quillen.
''He was playing inside linebacker a lot and he was too small for that.''
Now at safety, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Chapman feels
comfortable playing in the defensive backfield. He's physical enough to pop
tight ends, and fleet-footed enough to go man-to-man with speedy receivers.
Chapman left HU without a degree. He said he has worked
temporary jobs with Abacus and Manpower Temporary services of Newport News. He
said the NFL dream has been playing repeatedly in his mind ever since he starred at now-defunct John F. Kennedy High School in Suffolk, where he gained
All-Peanut District and All-Region honors.
''That's my whole objective for being out here, to play
professionally,'' Chapman said. He said if he isn't contacted by a professional team
in the WFL (World League of American Football), NFL (National Football League), or CFL (Canadian Football League) after this season, he will enlist in the Army or
Marines.
''That's when I'll hang up the cleats,'' Chapman said. ''But
at least I'll know I was a hard hitter, and that I was good at what I liked to
do.''
 |
| WR (#8) Monty McGlone and Special Teams Coach Keith Rouse (1991) @ Fort Eustis, VA |
COMMUNITY TAKES THE POSEIDONS TO ITS HEART
By JOHNNY PEREZ
August 14, 1992
If it is possible for 70 men to carry on a love affair with
7,000 people, then the Peninsula Poseidons are certainly doing it here in
Hampton Roads. From last year's opening night at Todd Field to the offseason
barrage of activities, the Poseidons have taken on an appreciative, almost
amorous attitude towards their fans.
Everyone in the Poseidon organization enjoys reminiscing
about the raucous 6,000-plus fans who jammed the stadium to see the Poseidons
face the Tidewater Sharks that first hot Saturday night in August. Says Head
Trainer Dennis Letchworth, ''I thought we'd have 5,000 max. I had no idea the
community would rally around us the way they did. When I came out and saw all
those people I was elated. After the first game, all the guys could talk about
was the crowd and the fan support.''
Coach Mike Swain still likes to talk about it. ''I didn't
expect as large a crowd as we had. I have never played or coached in front of
such a large crowd. Looking up at kickoff and realizing there was almost 8,000
there was the greatest. I was definitely in awe.'' Running back John Johnson
recalls with a smile, ''they had the reggae music, the whole nine yards.''
Even in the off-season, Poseidons defensive tackle Michael
Minor, noticed an interesting new type of respect at various all-star games and
pro tryout camps he attended. ''People on other teams didn't know us by our
names, they knew us by the amount of fans we draw.''
Mason-Dixon League Commisioner Vic Lent says he is still
reaping the benefits of the Poseidons' 91' success. ''This moves us from being
semi-pro to being a minor league,'' says Lent. ''We have had offers [to join]
from Winchester, Raleigh, Maryland, and New York. A lot of that you can
attribute to the Fiscellas and the publicity they've drawn.''
If publicity were all the team wanted, then perhaps some
pre-season promotional ads would suffice. But Poseidons' special teams coach
and director of public relations Keith Rouse sees a different goal. ''We are
more than just a football team. We are involved with more than that,'' says
Rouse. So, he and many Poseidons players have spent the off-season trying to
give something back to the community by participating in various activities.
Beginning with the Norfolk Christmas Parade in December, for
which Rouse himself was named a Christmas Seals Ambassador, Poseidons coaches
and players have attended a list of functions across the region. This spring
and summer, they have taken part in Fort Eustis' Superday activities, the
Huntington Park Fort Fun Volleyball Challenge, and the Riverside Wellness and
Fitness Center Summer Youth Adventure Program, even lighting the torch in their
Olympic Day Festival at Todd Field.
A very special moment came after the Poseidons had done
Pre-teen Summer Adventure Programs at McIntosh and Gildersleeve Elementary
Schools, and were presented with handmade cards from each of the children. One
such card had a picture of a football going through a pair of uprights with the
words ''It's Good...'' on the front. Inside it read `…That You Came!''
Rouse, says that type of sentiment is a reward not found by
standing on the sidelines as a coach. ''You can't really see it until you see
it one on one, when their eyes light up.'' he says. ''We tell them about the
team, and about success. We say to stay in school, say no to drugs, and
emphasize teamwork, and involvement. We tell them to go to school and learn to
be good citizens, to be good kids, because good behavior has its rewards.''
Co-owner George Fiscella is determined to make this love
affair last. ''As long as this team is welcome on the Peninsula, there will be
one here.''
WR (#83) Brian Darden in action against Arbutus (MD) Big Red (1991)
@ Fort Eustis, VA |
 |
| Poseidons vs Triangle (N.C.) Cardinals (1993) SS (#42) Linwood Lumpkins, CB (#1) Aaron Billups, CB (#8) Melvin Dillard @ Raleigh, NC |
POSEIDONS SHUT DOWN TRIANGLE
By NATHAN TIDWELL JR. Daily Press Correspondent
August 29, 1993
NEWPORT NEWS — Big passes from quarterback Devonne Brown and
a another strong defensive performance gave the Peninsula Poseidons their first
Mason-Dixon League victory, a 26-2 victory over the Triangle (N.C.) Cardinals
Saturday night at Todd Field.
Brown completed just 7 of 21 passes, but they went for 189
yards and two touchdowns, and for the second consecutive game Brown was not
intercepted.
The defense gave up 99 yards in total offense to Triangle
(0-2) and intercepted six passes, including three by Leroy Mask. The Poseidons
(3-1, 1-1 in league play) have gone seven quarters without allowing a score,
and have given up just six second-half points in four games.
Brown's 189 yards were the most he's passed for this season.
''The line did a good job, and our receivers also do a good job of getting
open,'' Brown said. ''We had some breakdowns, but overall, the line did well. I
praise them.'' Brown had completions of 31, 62, 38, 30, 22 and 28 yards.
The defensive backfield, consisting of Mask, Melvin Dillard,
Aaron Billups, Daryl Wilson, Linwood Lumpkins and Sean Jones, held three
Cardinals quarterbacks to four completions in 23 attempts for 43 yards. ''We
have started to play better as a unit,'' said defensive backs coach Renaldo
Coward. ''We are beginning to help each other, which I try to teach. ''
The Poseidons scored on their first possession of the game.
Dillard returned a short Cardinals punt to the Triangle 27. Two plays later
Brown passed 31 yards to Robert Barnes for a 7-0 Poseidons lead.
Midway through the second period, Triangle
quarterback-punter Barry Marrow kicked a punt out of bounds at the Peninsula 2.
On the next play, T.J. Johnson tackled Cobie Robertson in the end zone for a
safety, cutting the Peninsula lead to 7-2.
Later in the period, Dillard intercepted a pass near
midfield. After a penalty on the interception return, Brown found Michael Davis
on a 62-yard touchdown play and a 14-2 Poseidons lead at halftime. A big play
occurred on the first play of the second half. Brown was sacked, fumbled the
ball, and Clarence Jones returned the fumble for an apparent touchdown, which
was called back by a penalty.
The Poseidons ended any hopes of a Triangle comeback with a
12-play, 67-yard drive at the end of the third period. Wide receiver Brian
Darden caught a lateral from Brown, then hit O.J. James with a 30-yard pass and
a first down. Two plays later, James caught a 22-yard pass from Brown, placing
the ball on the Cardinals 14.
The only excitement in the fourth quarter came in the form
of Mask's three interceptions, and a 62-yard touchdown run by Eric Cherry.
POSEIDONS 26, CARDINALS 2
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| The ol gunslinger (1993) (#17) Journeyman quarterback 6'5" 330 pound Will Brockenberry of the Maryland Invaders (above right) He was a giant of a man off of the gridiron as well. @ Alexandria, VA . Washington Post (1993) BIG MAN, BIG NAME, BIG GAME By Julian Rubinstein October 30, 1993 . William Brockenberry may be a lot of things but you'd never guess for what he's best known. Try it. He's 6 feet 5, 330 pounds and wears a large gold ring with the word "Brock" written in bold cursive. A manager of a night club? Right, but that's not his main gig. A stand-up comic? Well, he did win one contest, but it was really on a lark. How about an offensive lineman? Right sport. Wrong position. He's a quarterback, as in QB. Really. Brockenberry plays for the Montgomery Invaders, one of four Washington area teams in the semi-professional Mason-Dixon League. And he knows what you're saying. He's heard it before. "People say, 'Quarterback? You're no quarterback, man,' "Brockenberry says. "I just give them a ticket to the game. I don't even argue with them anymore." In Brockenberry's eight years in the 13-team league, he has made the all-star team six times and his name ("Brock") floats through the players' vernacular with the mystique of an uncatchable fish as described by a fisherman. But the league is not glamorous. Today before the Invaders play their final game of what has been a difficult and disappointing 3-6 season, they will gather in the morning at Emery Park in Northwest D.C., decide how many cars they will need for the five hour drive to Durham, N.C., pool their gas money and head out to play the Triangle Cardinals. They call it semi-professional but it's completely non-paid. "It's like they are gladiators and they're playing for the love of it," says Fred James, the trainer and an assistant coach. There are approximately 200 semi-professional football teams in 20 leagues across the country, but few of them can afford to pay their players. The Mason-Dixon League, formed in 1978, stretches from York, Pa. to Charlotte, N.C. The Invaders practice two nights a week under the lights on the splotchy field at Emery Park and play their home games at Tilden Middle School in Bethesda. Brockenberry, like several other Invaders players, had his shot at the National Football League. In 1986, after he graduated from Elizabeth City (N.C.) State College with all-conference passing honors, the Indianapolis Colts invited him to training camp -- as a tight end. "The thing that gets me is when I look at {Indianapolis Colts receiver} Reggie Langhorne," Brockenberry said. "I made him a pro: You know what I'm saying? I was the one getting the ball to him on the 70-yard bombs." But because of his size, no one has ever taken Brockenberry seriously as a quarterback. His senior year at Dunbar High School in 1982, Brockenberry says, Street and Smith magazine rated him the No. 2 quarterback in the country behind Bernie Kosar. A 6-5, 280-pound senior, Brockenberry was an All-Met player who led the city in scoring and was actually best known for running the ball. Though he was recruited by the likes of Texas, UCLA, Miami and Maryland, no Division I school wanted him as a quarterback. So he found Coach Johnnie Walton, the former Philadelphia Eagles backup, at Elizabeth City State, who promised him the opportunity. Although he was hampered by ankle injuries throughout his college career -- and still has five bone chips in his left ankle -- Brockenberry gained fame in Elizabeth City as the quarterback who would eat six t-bone steaks at the all-you-can-eat buffet before the game, then throw for six touchdowns during it. "He's got an arm on him you wouldn't believe," says Hal Lockhart, coach of the league's Richmond Ravens. "He's bigger than they are. He's smarter than they are and he has a charisma about him that you better watch out for." It seems everyone has a Brockenberry story. Jobin Wilson, a 6-1, 400 pound defensive lineman who is now a teammate of Brockenberry's remembers the first time he encountered Brockenberry on the field as an opposing player. On a pass play, Wilson shook his blocker and came charging at Brockenberry from his blind side. "I turned on the after-burners and hit him as hard as I could in the back," Wilson said. "He didn't move. He just looked down at me on the ground grabbing at his ankles and threw a touchdown." In his other life, Brockenberry manages PJ's night club in Camp Springs, and also manages musical groups. He has five children and his wife is pregnant with a sixth. Brockenberry used to work as a manager at a Kmart, which provided him with enough comedy material to win a local contest last year. But the Invaders have not had a lot to laugh about this year. The problems began in the offseason when the team's long-time coach, Thomas Tate, died. Then the coach hired to replace him, former Redskins quarterback George Izo, moved to Arizona a week before the season started, and the next replacement never showed up. "We had 33 or 34 guys the first practice," says Phil Sardelis, an offensive lineman who has taken over the team for the time being. "Then with the losses and not having a coach, people have dwindled away." The 20-odd players who remained are serious about the team and a few still cling to their NFL dreams. As for Brockenberry, 29, the largest known quarterback ever, he plans to return for a few more seasons."As long as I can still throw the ball, I don't have to move," he said. .  |
 |
| .Safety (#2) Daryle Wilson . . |
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| Safety (#2) Daryle Wilson intercepts a pass against the Northern (VA) Invaders (1991) |
 |
Poseidons vs Baltimore Bears (1992)
Bears receiver (#82) Mark Eberhardinger
@ Todd Stadium - Newport News, VA
|
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Arbutus (MD) Big Red vs Poseidons (1991)
Coaches congratulate 19-year-old QB (#10) Brad Parker after throwing a touchdown.
Left to right: DB Coach Ben Johnson, Coach Lewis Williams, LB Coach Dalma "Big Joe" Thomas, Special Teams Coach Keith Rouse, OL Coach Alonzo Bell, RB (#3) Calvin Davis @ Fort Eustis, VA |
.
..
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| Carver- Hines Field - Newport News, VA - the Poseidon's practice facility |
Kicker (#18) Johnny Perez - Field goal practice (1991)
@ Carver-Hines Field - Newport News, VA
|
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| TE (#81) Terrence "Hubba" Howell |
POSEIDONS TIGHT END A BRUISER
By ERIC M. PUGH Daily Press
October 11, 1991
NEWPORT NEWS — The soft flab Terrence Howell sees oozing
over his belt buckle when he steps on a scale has never caused the 6-foot-2
Peninsula Poseidon tight end any shame.
Howell sees his 260-pound frame as an asset. He said it is
particularly useful when moving full-speed down field at a stunned 175-pound
cornerback or free safety. Howell is a truck and his beefy frame is the load of
bricks he hauls.
After steamrolling someone, ''It makes a defender say `Damn.
I just ripped right through this guy with my best hit. What will it take for me
to get him out of the game?' '' Howell said. Howell, Peninsula's leading
receiver, hopes to lead the 7-1 Poseidons to their third consecutive victory
Saturday in a 3 p.m. Mason Dixon League game against the Virginia Invaders at
George Washington Junior High School in Alexandria.
Howell said flattening would-be tacklers is as essential to
his style of play as catching passes. ''They'll make the hit, but they'll pay
for it,'' said Terrence. ''If I can get that fear in him, then his game is
through.''
''If there was a Madden in this league,'' said Poseidons
coach Mike Swain, referring to CBS football commentator John Madden, who has a
fondness for throwback, smash-mouth football, ''Terrence would definitely make
the all-Madden team.''
Like Madden, Howell knows winning football. He played at Hampton High School and helped the Crabbers win the 1980 Group AAA state championship, before he went to play at Virginia Tech. During his career at Tech, the Hokies were 30-15. Howell caught 55 passes for 717 yards and scored six touchdowns, including a 70-yard touchdown against Duke in 1983.
As a senior at Hampton he was listed by the Roanoke Times
& World News as one of the top five high school prospects in Virginia. ''I
don't compare, but he was an excellent player,'' said Hampton coach Mike Smith.
''We want youngsters to play with class, I thought he and his brother always
handled themselves very well. They handled the winning very well.'' He was
always a positive part of our program. He earned his way to Virginia Tech.''
As a high school senior Howell weighed about 238 pounds. He
got to about 245 at Tech, and said before the Poseidons began their season his
weight ballooned to about 275 pounds. ''I kind of went on a spurt there of not
working out,'' Howell said. ''It was a little too many Natural Lights, and too
much relaxing.
Howell said some of the Mason-Dixon League cornerbacks
probably wished he weighed much less. ''I still don't believe two or three guys
can bring me down instantaneously,'' said Howell, who was clocked at 4.7 in the
40-yard dash in August.
Howell broke several tackles and caught two touchdown-passes
Saturday as he helped the Poseidons win perhaps their biggest game of the
season, 23-22, against the Tidewater Sharks.
Howell's younger brother, Waddell, is a starting wide
receiver for the Poseidons. He is about the size of the cornerbacks Howell
tries so often to terrorize - 5-foot-10, 175 pounds. ''I know why I'm so much
bigger than him,'' Howell said. ''I used to steal all of his food when we were
little.''
.
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| WR (#18) Tony Cotton in action against the Maryland Invaders |
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| CB (#27) Sean Jones comes up with the ball . POSEIDONS PICK RICHMOND OFF By TONY ANTHONY Daily Press October 20, 1991 . NEWPORT NEWS — The Peninsula Poseidons failed to set a new
single-game semipro football attendance record Saturday night at Todd Field.
But they didn't go away empty-handed, defeating the Richmond Ravens 24-0 before
7,538 fans. The Poseidons, using defense as their best offense, picked
off 10 Richmond passes to set a new Mason-Dixon Football League single-game
interception record, according to Mike Edwards, the defensive coordinator and
defensive backfield coach for the Poseidons. On hand was Vic Lent, the league
commissioner. He presented the Poseidons with a trophy for winning the Southern
Division title. Edwards watched one of his defensive backs, J.R. White, pick
off three passes and Sean Jones intercept another two. Jones returned both of
his pickoffs for touchdowns. ''No doubt about it, our defense was our offense
tonight,'' said Coach John Quillen, whose Poseidons are 9-1. ''We didn't have a real good practice earlier in the week,
and it had me concerned." ''I was hoping that maybe having 10,000 fans in the stadium
might be just the thing to ignite the team before the game. But that didn't
happen. We were a little sluggish the first two quarters.'' White picked off a pass on the Poseidons' 30-yard line with
less than 10 minutes remaining in the first quarter and ran into the end zone
for an apparent touchdown. However, the officials threw a flag for a clipping
violation, negating White's TD. ''That really got me mad,'' said White, who
played at Hampton High School and for the semipro Peninsula Pirates. ''I was
hyped the rest of the night.'' The Poseidons made four interceptions in the first half.
Outside linebacker John Britt made a key pickoff to give the Poseidons the ball
on the Richmond 17-yard line with 46 seconds remaining in the second quarter. That
interception set the stage for Rowland Jordan's 3-yard touchdown run with 38
seconds to go. ''I keyed up on the tight end a little better,'' said Britt.
''I almost got my hands on one of his passes earlier, but I didn't get there on
time. This time, I read it all the way.'' ''Our defensive backs and linebackers
made some great catches on some of those passes,'' said Edwards. ''They
displayed some great hands.'' Jones, who zeroed in on both rival quarterbacks, starter
Michael Haussler and James Williams, said: ''Our defensive linemen and
linebackers put a lot of pressure on their quarterbacks, and that made our job
a little easier.'' Jones ran back interceptions 42 and 27 yards for touchdowns
in the fourth quarter. Johnny Perez, who had three PATs, added a 25-yard field
goal in the third quarter. As for the attendance, Coach Quillen said: ''Our fans have
been great all season. I believe we'll better the semipro single-game record of
8,937 fans when we meet the Baltimore Bears on Nov. 2 here.'' The game against the Bears, who are second in the Northern
Division, is a league semifinal. Baltimore is the only team to beat the
Poseidons. POSEIDONS 24, RAVENS 0 |
Virginia Power Newsletter
August 1991
The quarterback sets up to pass and Aaron Billups drops back into zone coverage, picking up a wide receiver running an out pattern.
The throw comes, and Billups steps deftly in front of the receiver. “Bingo,” he screams. Interception. By the time most athletes graduate from college and put in a couple of years on the job, they are content to be Monday-morning quarterbacks.
Not Aaron Billups, meter reader-Peninsula District. After work, three days a week, Billups exchanges his meter reading equipment for helmet and shoulder pads and heads for practice with the Peninsula Poseidons, a semi-pro football team.
Saturdays are game days. Billups, who played football at Hampton University, said he got interested in semi-pro football because he was looking for a way to stay in shape. This is the third year he has participated in semi-pro ball.
While you won’t find any Wilbur Marshalls, Bruce Smiths or Barry Sanders in the Mason Dixon League, Billups said the quality of the players is really pretty good.
“We have a lot of people who played college ball or high school ball. And a few players from the league have gone on and had try outs with the NFL or gone on to play in the Canadian Football League.”
Last year, as a starting cornerback for a different team, the Peninsula Pirates, he was named an all-star in the Mason-Dixon semi-pro league. The league has teams in Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia. Each team plays ten games.
In addition to being a starting cornerback for the Poseidons, Billups also is the team president. He is involved in recruiting players and coaches and obtaining equipment for the team. Semi-pro ball has the same rules as pro football. All it really lacks is the glamour. While the Redskins fly first class to get to a game the Poseidons take a bus.
Players are not paid, and they supply most of their own equipment, Billups said. “You are not in it for the money. You play because you love the game, the competition and the challenge,” he said.
Still, the Poseidons have developed quite a following in the Hampton area. For the team’s first game against the Tidewater Sharks--last year’s league champions--more than 8,500 fans turned out for the game. The Poseidons won the game, and Billups said “I really think we have a good shot at the championship this year.”
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| Poseidons coaches (From left) John Quillen, Ted Bacote, Dr. Michael Edwards, and Poseidons Co-owner Ed Fiscella (1992) @ Foreman Field - Norfolk, VA . A FOOTBALL BARGAIN Reference Warner Hessler's May 25 column concerning the Peninsula Poseidons football team: Hessler writes that the owners are cheapening their product
by discounting season tickets. Hessler is mistaken. A $15 season ticket that includes six home games is ideal
pricing and simply a bargain compared to the $5 charge at the gate. Typically a
season ticket has only five games for $15, but this season, a special event at
which the Poseidons will host the Langley Air Force Base team has been added at
no additional charge. The goal of this football organization is not to gouge
the community, but to improve the quality of entertainment on four Saturday
nights and two Saturday afternoons this fall. As many football standouts as this area has produced, this
community deserves its own team. With a per capita income at roughly $13,000
per year for Hampton and Newport News, no one needs to pay more for a season
ticket. Edward Fiscella . |
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| Poseidons vs Triangle (N.C.) Cardinals (1993) From left: LB (#55) Pete Hardie, CB (#27) Sean Jones, DT (#99) Terrance "Butter" Holland, CB (#1) Aaron Billups @Raleigh, NC |
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PK Edwin Lippus, Trainer Dennis Letchworth, and Safety Daryle Wilson (1992) Before Tidewater Sharks game
@ Foreman Field - Norfolk VA
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| OT (#77) Bonnie Tombs (1992) Poseidons vs Tidewater Sharks @ Foreman Field - Norfolk, VA |
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Tidewater Sharks Quarterback (#14) Devonne Brown
in action against the Poseidons.
He joined the Poseidons in 1993. @ Foreman Field - Norfolk, VA |
BACKYARD RIVALRY HEATS UP
By JOHNNY PEREZ Correspondent
September 11, 1992
The Peninsula Poseidons' cross-water rivalry with the
Tidewater Sharks renews this weekend with a familiar neighborhood mentality.
Said Poseidons cornerback Aaron Billups, ''Of all the games,
when we play Tidewater, that's the game that sticks out on the schedule. A lot
of their guys we know personally. We went to school together or played against each
other from year to year.'' Safety Daryl Wilson tried to put it in his personal
perspective. ''It's just like Huntington-Carver, Warwick-Ferguson or
Hampton-Bethel.''
According to Poseidons co-owner Ed Fiscella, the rivalry
with the Sharks grew out of the now defunct Chesapeake Bay Neptunes football
team, which included players from the Peninsula and Southside. So far Fiscella
and co-owner, brother George have tried to make the most of the hype.
''George and I have brought attention to this traditional
rivalry between the Peninsula and the southside. The rivalry is for the best of
both our interests. Both teams play at their best when they play each other.'' Sharks
general manager Tom Overstreet agreed and cited the success of both the old
Peninsula Pirates and the Sharks as one reason for the rivalry.
''The Pirates won the Championship in '88, and in 1990 we
were the Mason-Dixon League Champions,'' said Overstreet. ''It's either been
the Sharks or the Poseidons that have won the Southern Conference the past four
years.''
Overstreet also pointed out a more colloquial rivalry among
the players. ''They know each other from the high school rivalry, the
Peninsula-southside rivalry, and the Hampton-Norfolk State rivalry. Wilson, 31,
and a veteran of that '88 championship Pirate team is attempting to overcome a
lower abdominal muscle pull sustained in last week's Baltimore game in order to
compete against his old rivals. ''You can throw the record books out. It will
be a war, a battle for 60 minutes plus,'' said Wilson.
Poseidons defensive coordinator Mike Edwards described a
more personal rivalry with friend and Sharks assistant coach Renaldo Coward,
who formerly coached defensive backs with the Peninsula Pirates. ''We have an
unwritten challenge as to which defense will break down first. We have a policy
of not talking football before the game, but I saw him Saturday night; and I
could read his mind, and I know he could read mine,'' Edwards said. ''There is
a lot of professionalism and respect, but there is only room for one semi-pro
team around here. Norfolk thinks they have the best, and we know we have the
best.''
SATURDAY'S GAME
WHO: Peninsula Poseidons vs. Tidewater Sharks.
WHERE: ODU's Foreman Field, Norfolk.
WHEN: Saturday, 8 p.m.
TICKETS: $5 adults. $3 students, senior citizens and
military. Children under 12 admitted free, limit 2.
ANALYSIS: Last year, the Poseidons won both games in the
final minutes by a combined margin of five points. This year the Sharks are
3-0, and the Poseidons (2-1) are still reeling from a disappointing loss to
Baltimore.
Keys to the Sharks offense will be the ''James Boys:''
running back James Rogers and receiver James Church. A tremendous open-field
runner, Rogers is one of the best backs in the league. Church has excellent
speed and good hands. The Sharks return offensive guards Donald Lee and Mike
Porter, two American Football Association All-Americans last year. The probable
starting QB is Johnny Ealey, who led the Sharks to the 1990 Mason-Dixon League
Championship.
Defensive tackle Ken Sizemore and ends Rodney Bailey and
Darryl ''Red'' Fields will anchor a solid defense. Other key veterans include
defensive back Tony Holloman and middle linebackers Daryl Jackson, Dan Church
and Tim Hinson. The Poseidons' leading rusher, fullback Rowland Jordan is
questionable for Saturday night. Jordan suffered a severely sprained ankle
versus Baltimore.
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| Arbutus (MD) Big Red vs Poseidons (1991) @Fort Eustis, VA |
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| Defense versus Arbutus (MD) Big Red (1991) @ Fort Eustis, VA |
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Linebackers at halftime vs Arbutus (MD) Big Red (1991)
From left: (#14) James "Ducy" Johnson, (#49) Everett "Sputt" Lee (rear), (#40) Greg "Bull" Cary, (#61) Rodney Vaughn (right)
@ Fort Eustis, VA
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| RB (#35) Rowland Jordan (1991) Breaks off a 75-yard touchdown run against the Tidewater Sharks on his wedding night! . .  Portsmouth, VA |
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| PK (#18) Johnny Perez (1991) |
LATE FIELD GOAL LIFTS POSEIDONS 23-22
By ERIC M. PUGH Daily Press
October 6, 1991
PORTSMOUTH — Johnny Perez kicked a 40-yard field goal with
five seconds remaining to give the Peninsula Poseidons a 23-22 victory against
the Tidewater Sharks in a Mason-Dixon League game Saturday night at Churchland
High School.
The victory leaves the Poseidons, 7-1 overall, 6-1 in the
league, and in sole possession of first place in the MDL's Southern Division,
ahead of second-place Tidewater (4-3). ''This is the biggest kick of my life,''
said Perez. ''Before the kick, we were talking about it on the sidelines. I
knew it was going to go. But if our defense didn't play like they did, the kick
would have never happened.''
Tidewater reserve quarterback James Stanford hit James
Church for a 12-yard touchdown pass with 1:03 left in the third period to pull
the Sharks within 20-16, but Peninsula's defense used big plays to stymie the
Sharks' first four drives of the final period. In the final period the
Poseidons had three sacks, recovered a fumble, and blocked a 35-yard Tidewater
field goal attempt with 7:51 left. But with 50 seconds left, Stanford tossed a
22-yard pass to John Ealey that put the Sharks ahead for the first time 22-20.
Perez's heroics came after a pass interference call gave
Peninsula a first-and-10 on Tidewater's 23-yard line. With nine seconds left on
the clock, Peninsula coach John Quillen opted to kick on first down. Johnny
''told me on the sidelines, that if we got inside of 40 yards, that he could
make it. I took his word because he's usually pretty honest about those
things,'' said Quillen. Perez seemed confident before the kick, but the man who
snapped the ball, Poseidons tackle Amphoe Jones, was not so calm.
''Their guy who was right above on the other side was
yelling `You're going to crack, you're going to crack,' '' said Jones. ''It
seems like it's an easy thing to do - just throw the ball back there, but it
was a lot of pressure.'' ''I mishit the ball, but it still went in,'' said
Perez, who added that Saturday's kick meant more to him than the 32-yard field
goal he kicked for James Madison University that helped the Dukes beat Navy.
The game was tight throughout. With 2:08 left in the first
period, Peninsula quarterback Marco Stacy, who started his first game of the
season, capped 74-yard drive by hitting wide receiver Terrance Howell for a
3-yard touchdown pass. On its next possession, Tidewater answered with a
55-yard touchdown pass from Devonne Brown to James Church to take a 7-6 lead.
With one second left in the first period, Peninsula's
Rowland Jordan broke loose for a 75-yard touchdown to give the Poseidons a 13-7
lead. ''The coach just called my favorite play, and I took it from there,'' said
Jordan, who was married in Newport News Saturday at 1 p.m. ''I had to get one
on my wedding day, and I couldn't come out here and take a loss.''
With 5:43 left in the first half, Poseidons punter Curtis
Smith allowed a snap to sail through his hands. Smith was unable to prevent the
ball from bouncing out of the Peninsula end zone, which gave Tidewater a safety
and cut the score to 13-9 at halftime.
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Poseidons vs Northern (VA) Invaders (1991)
Invader quarterback Joe Berger goes down
Left to right: SS (#42) James Chapman, CB (#1) Aaron Billups, LB (#53) Johnny Carter, LB (#49) Everett Lee, LB (#57) John Britt.
@ Alexandria, VA |
POSEIDONS FEAST ON RIVAL
By ERIC M. PUGH Daily Press
October 13, 1991
ALEXANDRIA — To an outsider, it may have seemed strange to
hear the Peninsula Poseidons buzzing about ''eating up a burger'' all week in
practice. But insiders knew the team meant ''Berger,'' as in Virginia Invaders
quarterback Joe Berger.
The Poseidons accomplished their mission Saturday afternoon.
They gobbled up Berger in the second half and came from behind to defeat the
feisty Invaders 24-9 in a semipro Mason-Dixon Football League game before 150
people at George Washington Field.
The Poseidons (8-1 overall, 7-1 in the league) sacked Berger
eight times for 55 yards in losses and held the Invaders scoreless in the
second half. ''We put some cheese on their Berger,'' Poseidons defensive
coordinator Mike Edwards said with a grin. He said the Poseidons wanted to stop
Berger badly because Berger claimed he wasn't impressed with Peninsula's
defense after the Poseidons defeated the Invaders 28-13 at Todd Stadium in
September.
But in the first half Saturday, Berger was impressive. He
hurt the Poseidons with his mobility and precision passing. He connected with
receiver Victor Horne for a 25-yard touchdown pass that gave Virginia a 6-0
lead with 7:58 left in the first period. ''We were too relaxed in the first
half,'' Edwards said. ''Berger managed to get outside on us and break down our
containment.''
The Poseidons answered on their next possession when Marco
Stacy hit Robert Barnes for a 74-yard touchdown pass with 5:45 left in the
first quarter. The Invaders' Robbie James kicked a 37-yard field goal to put Virginia
ahead 9-7 at halftime.
About 35 Peninsula fans traveled to support the Poseidons,
and the spectators had a royal rumble with foul weather. Late in the second
quarter, the temperature fell to 49 degrees, the sky darkened, and chilling
rain soaked the field, players and spectators. The rain and high winds
persisted through intermission, and by the start of the second half, only about
40 fans remained. Even the public-address announcer, who spoke from a portable
sound system in the bleachers during the first half, had bolted by the start of
the third quarter.
Like many of their fans, the Invaders disappeared in the
second half. The Poseidons intercepted two Berger passes in the second half,
and the Peninsula offense surged for 17 points in the final period.
Former James Madison University kicker Johnny Perez booted a
26-yard field goal with about 10:50 left in the final period to give the
Poseidons a 10-9 lead. J.R. White then gave the Poseidons their first
punt-return touchdown of the season with a 33-yard score.
With 39 seconds remaining in the game, Stacy capped
Peninsula's scoring with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Waddell Howell. Stacy, who
completed eight of 22 passes for 225 yards, was the first Peninsula quarterback
to play an entire game this season.
''He's healthy and he's taking control of the team,'' said
Peninsula coach John Quillen, adding that former Smithfield High quarterback
Brad Parker missed the team bus. ''The team is feeling a lot of confidence in
him.''
The Invaders (1-6-1) were penalized 17 times for 126 yards.
''The officials didn't make any bad calls; I don't have any
complaints about the officials,'' Invaders coach Thomas Tate said. ''But the
calls they made were at bad times for us, and our players stated thinking about
what the refs were doing instead of concentrating on the game.''
Berger, who completed 10 of 21 passes for 171 yards, said of
the Poseidons: ''They beat us, but we played a good game. They respect us now.
If they don't respect our team, I know they respect me.''
The Poseidons return to Todd Field in Newport News for their
final regular-season home game next Saturday at 7 p.m. against the Richmond
Ravens.
POSEIDONS 24, INVADERS 9
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| Baltimore (MD) Bears vs Poseidons (1992) Left to right: OL (#71) Willie Thomas, QB (#10) Scott Woodlief, OL (#66) Jeff Gatling On the ground: Baltimore's Scott McGovern. @ Todd Stadium - Newport News, VA |
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| Defensive Coordinator Ted Bacote a longtime fixture in local football |
POSEIDON `D' CRAVES ATTENTION
By JOHNNY PEREZ Correspondent
September 4, 1992
Despite the gritty, unheroic chores usually given to
defensive linemen, several members of the Peninsula Poseidons' defense have
made it their goal to get noticed this year as a unit. ''This year we play
together as a team,'' defensive tackle Tom Osborne said. ''There are no more
individuals, we're all a team.''
In two games this season, the Poseidons have limited
opponents to 119 yards rushing, 269 yards total offense and just seven points.
In last week's 53-0 pasting of Charlotte, the defense did not allow the Outlaws
past the Poseidons' 40-yard line. While preaching the importance of team
football, Osborne has made some outstanding individual contributions.
Osborne, a 1991 American Football Association All-America
honorable mention, has three of the team's four quarterback sacks. ''Our goal
this year is to make the big play instead of letting the big play break us,''
Osborne said. ''That's one reason we're glad to be causing a lot of
turnovers.'' Osborne has recovered two fumbles already, and likes to see such
plays as a major role for the defense. ''The defensive players are the leaders
of the team. The offense looks for us to get turnovers, and as long as we keep
getting them, the less we're on the field.''
Defensive lineman Chris Smith is happy to be on the field
whenever possible. Small for a lineman in any league, Smith is listed as
5-foot-10 and 230 pounds on the roster. But he's probably smaller than that
thanks to an off-season weight-loss program. ''I lost weight and picked up some
speed,'' says Smith, who claims to have lost at least twenty pounds since last
season. Still, Smith has a sack and a fumble recovery.
Smith also likes to voice the team's goals for each time
they line up against an opposing team. ''We want to meet at the football,'' he
said. ''We want as many jerseys on the person carrying the ball every time, so
he doesn't want to run that ball again.''
If there is a voice of reason among all of this talk of grit
and goals, it is supplied by 57-year-old defensive line coach Ted Bacote. ''So
far the teams we've played have been outmanned by better people, and that's
made it easier for our guys to do their job,'' Bacote said. ''So far the competition
hasn't been top-level.
''We can't be too enthused. But a win is a win.''
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After practice (1992) @ Hines Field - Newport News, VA
RB/WR (#12) Robert Barnes, DL (#98) Michael "Money" Minor, LB (#56) Victor "Sick Vic" Hill
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POSEIDONS HOPE TO IMPROVE ON 1991
By ERIC M. PUGH Daily Press
August 15, 1992
NEWPORT NEWS — The Peninsula Poseidons had one of the most
successful semipro football seasons in the nation last year. But head coach
John Quillen insists that this year's squad will be better than last year's
because of one key. ''Attitude. Our overall team attitude is much better than
last year's,'' Quillen said Thursday during the team's final preseason
practice.
Peninsula opens its 1992 Mason Dixon League season on the
road today at 4 against the Richmomd Ravens at Elkhart Middle School. Richmond
was one of Peninsula's victims last year as the Poseidons built a 10-2 record
and advanced to the Mason Dixon League playoffs.
''Last year even though we won a lot of games, things would
still go wrong,'' Quillen said. ''And when they did, guys would point the
finger at each other. This year we don't have that. This is a much tighter knit
group.'' Gone from last year's squad are the Howell brothers - tight end
Terrence and wide receiver Waddell - who combined for nine touchdowns, 41
catches and 618 yards.
Other notable losses are two-time all-Mason Dixon League
center Tracy Ward. Ward's loss will hurt, but Quillen said the offensive line
is much better than last year's. ''This year, the line shows up for practice,''
Quillen said. ''But last year they didn't come on a regular basis.'' And when
they do come the complaints are far less than last year, said team co-owner Ed
Fiscella. ''I don't hear as many people saying `well this is the way we did it
when we did it last year,' '' Fiscella said. ''Without that negative influence
among the players, it's going to allow players to focus on what's most
important, and that's winning games.''
Quillen said he thinks the victories will flow with Scott
Woodlief starting at quarterback this season. ''He seems to have a pretty good
knowledge of the game,'' Quillen said about Woodlief, adding that he has also
been impressed by former Denbigh and James Madison University standout Leon
Taylor. ''At quarterback Leon does some of the same things, so it's a good
battle at that position. You need that kind of competition at all positions.
That's one thing that we didn't have last year. You need somebody to push the
other guy.''
The preseason pushing helped Peninsula win both of its
exhibition games. The first came against the Washington (D.C.) Metro Bulls
12-8, and Prince George (Md.) Stallions 54-6. To run up scores like they did
against the Stallions, Peninsula will rely on fullback Rowland Jordan, who led
the team in rushing a year ago with 615 yards. ''He's better now. He knows the
system better, and he's helping the young guys along,'' Quillen said. ''One of
his greatest assets is that he has great balance. If a guy hits him it's tough
to bring him down.''
Running back Robert Barnes had 44 carries and gained 153
yards last year. He also caught 17 passes for a total of 470 yards and five
touchdowns.
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Special Teams Coach Keith Rouse vs Arbutus (MD) Big red (1991)
@ Fort Eustis, VA
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POWERFUL POSEIDON LINEUP READY FOR ACTION
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By JOHNNY PEREZ
August 14, 1992
The Peninsula Poseidons come off their inaugural 10-2 season
expecting another banner year. The Poseidons already show some improvements
over last year's squad. Here's a position by position rundown of what fans can
expect.
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks
Scott Woodlief (5-9 185) is a cagey veteran of the Newport News Apprentice School and the old Peninsula Pirates. Woodlief has average
speed, an above average arm and an uncanny scramble-and-pass ability. Woodlief
is at his best with a hand in his face, and defenders on his heels, as he
showed with three touchdown passes in only a few minutes of preseason work.
Watch for big plays.
Leon Taylor (5-11 195) is a former Denbigh High and James Madison Universty standout. Taylor played halfback at JMU and may see some time
at that position for the Poseidons, but in the meantime Taylor will be honing
his quarterbacking skills. Taylor has a strong arm and excellent agility. An
exceptional athlete, Taylor will be an exciting element of the Poseidons'
option running game.
Brad Parker: 5-11 190. A crowd-favorite, ''Smithfield''
Parker is 19 years old and very talented. He has an above-average arm and good
leadership abilities.
Fullbacks
Rowland Jordan: 6-0 225. the best fullback in the league
last year returns to anchor a solid running game. Jordan is a power runner with
excellent speed. Look for him to carry the load for touchdown production on the
goal-line.
Ralph White (5-7 190) and first year players Dwight Friday
(5-8 240) and Jeff Dawson (5-11 260) should also help carry the workload.
Halfbacks
Paul McGlone (5-8 185) and John Johnson (5-9 190) are steady
runners who should contribute. The Poseidons also carry Rodney Anderson (5-11
180), Brian Harris (5-10 190), Lucky Drummond (5-9 184), and Tim Harris (5-11
195).
Receivers
Robert Barnes (5-11 182) returns for what may be another
banner year. Last year's most exciting player, Barnes is a slashing open-field
runner, who ''can turn a five-yard play into an 80-yard play,'' according to
head coach Quillen.
Brian Darden (6-2 190) has amazing speed and excellent
hands. Darden needs only to learn more of the game, since he is in just his
third year of organized football.
Ronald Mavin (5-7 160) is a first year player from
Smithfield High School. In two preseason games, Mavin has proven elusive and
speedy.
Tight Ends
Bill Eanes: 6-2 215. Bridgewater. A big target, who will do
well as a replacement for retired tight end Terrence Howell. Eanes is a
possession receiver with sure hands. ''I've seen him drop maybe two balls in
the last three months,'' says Quillen. Ray Monger (6-5 195), Juanito Edwards
(5-10 200), and Donavan Kemp (6-2 215) could also see some action.
Offensive Line
The entire offensive line has seen drastic improvements in size since last year. Center, Richard Lewis (6-5, 250) is in his first year with the Poseidons. A lieutenant in the Air Force, Lewis was on the football and track teams at the Air Force Academy. ''Lewis has good quickness, strength, and is very coachable,'' says Quillen.
Another huge addition to the line is Glenn Baucom (6-4, 260)
who played two years at Wake Forest and played last season with the Northen
Virginia Invaders. Baucom should be one of the finer technicians in the
Poseidons' blocking schemes. Jeff Gatling (6-0, 280), and Lavone Toombs (6-2,
270) are two returning veterans who will also prove valuable. Newcomers Robert
Williamson (5-11, 247) and Willie Thomas (6-3, 235) provide much-needed depth.
DEFENSE
Defensive Backs
Veteran Daryle Wilson, (5-7, 175),
a leader in interceptions last year, returns to anchor a solid defensive
backfield. The Poseidons will miss the talents of versatile J.R. White who will
sit out the year due to injury, but another veteran Sean Jones (5-10, 195), an
excellent all-around athlete, has the experience to fill in nicely.
Aaron Billups (5-7, 175) should start at cornerback.
Billups, a Hampton U. alumnus and former Peninsula Pirate, likes to hit.
Reserve Leroy Mask (5-10, 170) is already a co-leader in interceptions, with
two in preseason.
Safety Rick Nicely (6-0, 185) ''is going to be a big plus to
the secondary,'' says Quillen. Another solid addition to the defensive back
corps is Melvin Dillard, a Tabb High product who played at Ferrum College.
Having only recently joined the team Dillard should find a starting role very
soon. Veteran Doug Vette (5-7, 160) also returns to add depth.
Linwood Lumpkins and Ed Titus will make the strong safety
position one of the Poseidons strengths. Lumpkins (6-1, 190), a hometown
favorite out of Hampton High and Hampton U. is a tenacious competitor with
size, speed, and a desire for hitting. Titus (6-3, 220), played most of last
year as a backup, but has stepped into a possible starting role at safety or at
the weak-side linebacker position by delivering some hard-nosed hits.
Inside Linebackers
Johnny Carter (5-9, 225), a starter last year, returns as
the mainstay of a feirce linebacking corps. Carter and Pete Hardie, (6-1, 230),
will be solid inside leaders throughout the season with help from some
aggressive hitters on the outside.
Other expected contributors will be Greg ''Bull'' Cary (5-9,
210) and Joe Koszloski (5-7, 203). Both have a nose for the football. Kevin
Garrett (5-9, 185), a veteran of the old Peninsula Pirates, was impressive with
some ferocious tackling in preseason, and will likely see some playing time.
Outside Linebackers
Rico Jordan (5-11, 232) is a hitter. Fans will remember
Jordan's pops versus Tidewater and Baltimore last year. Jordan will contribute
on defense as well as special teams. Did I say he is a hitter?
Victor Hill: 6-0, 190. Hampton U. Another hitter with
excellent speed. May also see some time at strong safety. Known as ''Sick Vic''
for his hit-anything-that-moves, aggressive style.
Todd Williams, (6-2, 230) is an excellent athlete with great
potential, who should contribute along with veteran Craig Bailly (6-2, 245).
Defensive Line
Team leader Michael Minor (6-3, 260) returns to the
defensive front. Minor should get help from another returnee, Thomas Osborne
(6-2, 280). Osborne Led the Poseidons in tackles last year, and earned AFA
All-American honors. Veteran Terrance Holland, at 6-4, 295, adds size and
depth. Chris Smith (5-10, 230) may be small for the line, but he has an
undeniable nose for the football, as he proved with a fumble recovery for a
touchdown versus the Stallions in preseason. Kevin Brooks (5-11 320), Ricardo
Rivera (6-1 240), Richard Fox (6-4 260) and Kevin Vines (5-3 180) could also
contribute.
Special teams
Kicker: Curtis Smith will handle punting chores, and
possibly placekicking as well. A conventional placekicker, Smith kicked a
47-yard field goal in preseason, but was injured versus the Stallions and has
been challenged in workouts by newcomer J.R. Lippus.
Coverage Teams: Shawn Jones' punt coverage will be an overwhelming advantage for the Poseidons this year. The speedy Jones allowed zero yards on four returns in a preseason game versus the Bulls. Watch for Rico Jordan to be making the big hit on the kickoff "Hit Squad" team.
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Arbutus (MD) Big Red vs Poseidons (1991)
SS,OLB (#42) James Chapman, LB (#53) Johnny Carter, SS (#48) Ed Titus,
CB (#24) J.R. White, CB (#1) Aaron Billups @ Fort Eustis, VA |
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| Defensive Coordinator Ted Bacote and RB (#40) Rodney Anderson @ Todd Stadium - Newport News, VA |
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| Quarterback (#10) Scott Woodlief |
By JOHNNY PEREZ Correspondent
October 30, 1992
Still stinging from a 20-7 loss to divisional rival
Tidewater, the 8-1 Peninsula Poseidons are looking forward to their second
straight trip to the Mason-Dixon League playoffs. The Poseidons again will face
the Baltimore Bears, the '91 league champion. But instead of drudging up bad
memories of last year's season-ending 9-3 loss to the Bears in the semifinals
at Todd Field, many in the Poseidons organization are looking past this
weekend's game to the culminating league championship.
''When we came out here in April that was the goal,'' said
special teams coach Keith Rouse of the league title. ''Anything less than that
ain't gonna make it.'' The winner of the Bears-Poseidons matchup will play
either the Northern Division champion Metro Bulls or the Southern Division
runner-up Tidewater Sharks. The latter two play each other Saturday. Poseidons
owner Ed Fiscella was so optimistic about the results he convinced League
Commissioner Vic Lent to flip a coin to see where the eventual league
championship would be played.
''We set up a `what if' scenario, because we wanted to tell
people if the game was at Todd Field,'' said Fiscella. Fiscella said the
schedule had been unresolved since the Poseidons and the Bulls, both favored,
have one league loss apiece. But Metro won the coin flip, and so a
Poseidons-Bulls championship game would be played in Northern Virginia.
Fiscella said a Poseidons-Sharks contest would be played at Todd Field.
The Mason-Dixon winner receives an automatic bid to the
American Football Association's national playoffs in a matchup against the
Carolinas League Champion. However, Fiscella declined to commit to a trip
should his team win. ''I would leave that up to the team,'' said Fiscella. ''If
they really want to go they'd have to talk me into it. They've been playing
football since April.''
Rouse seemed more concerned about whether all of his charges
would make it through this season healthy. Receiver O.J. Jones is out with torn
cartilage in his knee, and fellow receiver Robert Barnes, who was carried off
the field in last week's loss, is questionable for Saturday with bruised ribs.
Quarterback Scott Woodlief will play with a dislocated
middle finger on his non-throwing hand, and tight end Bill Eanes is back after
sitting out a game with a shoulder injury and a strained rib cage.
''We've had more injuries this year than we had in the past,
but we've done pretty good to keep it going,'' said Rouse. ''But this is
Custer's last stand. There ain't no tomorrow.''
Baltimore Magazine
Sports - Fall 1992
Semi-Tough
Until our town gets another professional football team,
we’ve got the semi-pro Baltimore Bears, a bunch of working guys who play the
game for the glory, the dreams, and the hits.
By Mark Baechtel
.
Under a misty Saturday-evening sky, more than 50 men are
spread out along the Kenwood High School track in East Baltimore, undergoing a
transformation. They are pulling on pads and plastic armor, yanking at tabs and
webbing straps, lowering helmets over their heads. They are construction
workers, barbers, mechanics, painters, bouncers, and salesmen. But within half
an hour, they will become something else entirely. They will become the city’s
pre-eminent semi—professional football team. They will become the Baltimore Bears.
A loose circle has formed, and a graying, heavy-set man in a
black shirt and zebra-striped pants enters it and bends on one knee. He looks
up into the ring of tense faces, and begins to speak, low and earnestly. The
circle pulls in close to hear.
“You guys are gentlemen,” Bears Head Coach Bill Roselle
begins. “You know what to do now. You can go out and have a hell of a night
against these guys.” A few beats of silence go by, filled with the trilling of
cicadas. “You’ve come a long way . . .” he says, and leaves the sentence
open-ended.
From one side, another coach clears his throat to break the
reverent silence: “Just knock their dick-strings loose.” And the Bears kneel to
pray.
In a city starved for gridiron action, the Bears are the
closest we’ve come to the Colts since the NFL team hightailed it for points
west. Reigning champions of the seven-team Mason-Dixon League—which includes
the Prince George’s County Stallions, the York Lions, and the Peninsula
Poseidons—the Bears have won more than 70 percent of their games in the last
six years. Yet the club toils away in relative obscurity, playing each autumn
weekend before 250 or so fans at their home field—Patterson High School off
Route 40 in East Baltimore. And most Bears followers are players’ families,
friends, girlfriends, former or future team members, or any of dozens of
semi-official hangers-on. The only dependable coverage they receive is in the
weekly newspaper The Avenue which, not coincidentally, is operated by Bears’
general manager Ken Coldwell.
The Bears take the field in their silver, black, and white
livery, their shadows cross-hatching the fresh-cut grass. Bill Roselle stalks
the sidelines, already swearing steadily. The players start their calisthenics,
screaming and clapping rhythmically, big and ungainly and scary and graceful in
the anonymity of their outlandish outfits. The pregame tension comes pouring
out now, and the players are catching passes and diving on their faces at the
coaches’ whistles. They are high-fiving and knocking helmets. They are slapping
butts, cruising on adrenaline. They are preparing to risk grievous injury, and
they are happy to do it.
Tonight the team plays an exhibition game against the
Baltimore Rams, another semi-pro team, this one from the Continental Interstate
Football League. The Rams are all black, the Bears about equally mixed black
and white. The Rams have won the toss, and on the Bears’ sideline, the war
cries start: “Ay deFENSE! Get ready to THUMP SOME HEADS!”
The kickoff received, the Rams come to the line of
scrimmage, and their quarterback shouts the night’s first cadence, a rapid
Choctaw of jock-speak: “Blue Ninety-NINE! Blue! Ninety-NINE! HUT—HUT-HUT!” The
linemen in the trenches slam together and a machine-gun chorus of grunting
rises. A runner escapes into open ground but the freedom lasts only an instant
as the Bears’ Keith Mundy administers a vicious hit, the crack of pads tearing
a hole in the night. “Ay buddy, ay BUDDY! Yessss, KEITH!”
The quality of play has none of the slow fumbling which fans
of high-school ball might expect; these are, after all, semi-pro players, and
many of them veterans of other semi-pro gigs. There’s an intensity here: rage
loosed at the workweeks end in tooth-rattling hits, in slashing runs, in passes
spiraling sweet and true as arrows into taped and outstretched fingers.
The Bears take the Rams apart, 56 to 6.
It is a Tuesday night after practice, and five Bears sit
reduced to human proportions in their civvies at Cheers Pub on Route 40.
Officially it is Meet-the-Team Night, but the gathered Bears don’t appear to
have met anyone but friends of the team who are always hanging around anyway.
The Bears don’t seem to mind: all of their events end this way, with players
and fans invited to the bar-of-the-night afterwards.
They are Mike “Smitty” Smith, 25, a linebacker; Mark
Eberhardinger, 27, a wide receiver; and Fabio “Fab” Ferrara, 24, a running
back. Smitty paints cars for a living. Fab calls himself a “hair technician.”
Mark, who’s been with the team for six seasons, sells Michelin tires.
Like most Bears, Eberhardinger nurses a simmering,
flame-in-the-belly dream: one day his time on the team will pay off, and he’ll
make it to the big time, The Show. Indeed, one index of a player’s talent
appears to be the number of scouting contacts or tryouts he has had with pro
teams, whether the NFL, Canadian Football League, World League, or the arena
football teams (which play an indoor, scaled-down version of the game).
Players love to recount their tryout histories, and the
conversations can be as labyrinthine as discussions of lineage with an English
baronet. Whoever the speaker, somehow, the impression emerges that before you
sits the rightful king. Mark, for instance, has tried out for the Ottawa
Bootleggers, the Washington Commandos (an arena team), and an experimental
Baltimore arena team, the Claws, which rose and fell without playing a game.
“My family is behind my playing, because they know it’s just
a matter of time until I make it,” he says.
His ball cap is perched on the back of his close-cropped
head, and he’s talking the talk, the confidence in his voice so real that for a
moment you forget how far the distance is from Cheers Pub to a spot on an NFL
roster—a goal that most of the guys rarely have the guts to admit out loud.
Smitty, who played for Harford Community College, has a
theory about why the Bears are Bears and not rubbing pads with Rypien and
Kelly.
“I’d say about 50 percent of our starters have a legitimate
shot at being pro,” he says. “But they haven’t had the breaks. In Mobile,
Alabama, they play high school football games before crowds of 15,000 because
the only thing they have going there is the football team. Guys who play
football in places like that get known. We get nothing.”
Smitty also bemoans the thought that players are judged by
standards other than athletic. “A guy might have a 3.0 [grade point average] at
Maryland and the Bear had a 1.0 at Harford Community College, and that’s the
only difference. A lot of our guys had athletic talent equal to players on any
Division One team, but they didn’t have the grades or intelligence.”
Other grievances now bubble to the surface around the table:
the $200 or more each player coughs up to fit himself out with new equipment
(neither players nor coaches are paid and the Bears provide only uniforms), the
other expenses that nickel-and-dime them during a season—like the $20 each
player had to pay to get to the championship game last year. And then there’s
the omnipresent threat of The Injury.
Anyone who is hurt playing has to depend on his own health
plan, or on his family’s support. The team has been known to throw fundraisers
for the wounded, but the several hundred dollars collected is a drop in the
bucket next to the cost of knee surgery. Some players are not insured through
work, so they risk physical and financial ruin every time they strap on the
pads.
“I’ll do this until I can’t do it anymore,” says Smitty,
explaining what keeps him going against these odds. “People go through life,
they say, ‘I could’ve, I should’ve, but I didn’t. . . .’ We do it, man.”
Ken Coldwell, a bespectacled, heavyset, bearded man with a
tiny gold football helmet hanging on a gold rope around his neck, got involved
with local semi-pro ball back in 1976.
That’s when his stepdaughter started bugging him to bring
her to see the Wilson Point Big Blue games—”‘Dad, there’s all these cute guys
on the team. . . .'” He soon became a supporter himself, traveling with the
squad and walking the sidelines. In ’86, after a stint as president of one
local franchise, he assembled the remains of three programs and created the
Bears. The result was a regional powerhouse: 56 wins, 22 losses, and one tie,
with two league championships represented by the drainpipe-sized rings on his
fingers.
At five bucks a seat, you might look at the crowds and think
the Bears are generating a decent chunk of revenue. That would be true were it
not for the fact that each home-team player gets a pass that admits his
personal entourage of four. The average gate is around $500, and a concession
wagon brings in $700 a night. Add in some revenue from Bears Sportswear, a
catalogue operation that supplies schools and rec councils, and there is barely
enough to cover the $20,000 or so it costs to run the team each season.
Coldwell will be the first to tell you nobody goes into
something like the Bears for the money. Why they allow themselves to get
wrapped up in this curious game is a little harder to explain.
“There was one [newspaper] story on the final game of the
season, the championship game,” Ken reminisces. “The lead was, ‘There was Ken
Coldwell, running down the sidelines screaming “I love you, I love you, I love
you. . . .” ‘ That’s what it’s all about.” It is a bright, brassy Sunday
afternoon at Patterson High, and the Bears are facing crosstown rival Arbutus.
A grudge match.
Seven Arbutus players jumped ship to join the Bears this
year, including their best talent: quarterback Joe Baker and Gary Oaks, a wide
receiver as tall as his last name suggests. (He and the also-lofty Mark
Eberhardinger are known as “The Twin Towers.”) Bill Roselle and the other
coaches have been milling among the dressing players, admonishing them over and
over again: “Keep it clean.”
The national anthem begins, and a coach screams “Hats off!”
There’s no flag, so everyone just faces the blaring loudspeakers. Last
instructions from Coach Roselle: “The refs are gonna be very, very strict. Any
of you guys get kicked out, William B”s gonna be pissed. You know who William B
is?” He glares and taps his chest significantly.
The Bears win the toss and Smitty is smelling blood. He
tells defensive lineman Gary Sollers: “I wanna see some paralyzed mothers out
there today, babe.” The offense marches down the field but can’t convert: a field
goal attempt fails when the holder can’t find the handle.
Now the defense takes over and in short order there’s an
interception. The players are crowding the whistle, keeping the hitting going
as long as they can. The ref admonishes as a heap of tacklers and tackled sorts
itself out: “You gotta play it better than that” Ken Coldwell turns away
from the play, scans the stands, and says proudly, “This is triple the amount
of people we had last year.”
Back on the field, tight end Bill Grauer pulls in a high
pass and an Arbutus defender chops him at the knees, sending him head over
heels. The crowd surges up and bellows. The score is 9-0 Bears just before the
half, and Bears defensive back Martell Betters is stalking an Arbutus defensive
back who’s lined up near the Bears sideline: “You lookin’, weak, baby, you
lookin’ weak!”
“No, man, I’m lookin’ strong,” insists number 23, the
defender. “You see me here now; you’ll be seein’ me on the tube, though”
Martell, exasperated, calls out: “Would somebody please beat him?!” The Arbutus
player shoots back, “I got some speed, man,” but the timing of the boast
couldn’t be worse. Bear Steve Williams shoots past him and breaks free for a
score.
“Ayyy baby, speed that!” Martell jeers. The Bears put 13
more points on the board during the third quarter and breeze to a 22-6 victory.
But as the clock ticks off the last seconds, the day’s drama
isn’t over: An oval of players and coaches is still on the field, stooped over
a prone Arbutus player who has gone down on the final play. There’s blood
soaking through a white towel held to his left shin, where the shattered tibia
projects through the skin. Droplets of blood speckle his arms, his throat, his
jersey. Two teammates are holding his hands. Bear lineman Wayne Defrancesco,
who is a Baltimore firefighter, has stripped off helmet and shoulder pads and
is already cutting a splint to fit, working smoothly with the ambulance
attendants.
To the side, someone mutters the dreaded words
“career-ending injury.”
Back at Cheers, the parking lot is packed. The Bears and
their fans have converged for the postgame celebration, and more are arriving
as time passes. The win has rendered quarterback coach Wayne Paul
philosophical: “[Football] is glamorized by the media, but it’s just a
magnification of life. See, these guys play the game for the violence. There’s
no other reward. They don’t get paid, they don’t get to do commercials. All
they have, all they take with them, the rest of their life, is what those hits
feel like, and the glory they get while they’re doing it.”
He rucks up a zebra-striped pantleg. “See this?” He has the
familiar athlete’s scar snaking around his knee. “I took a hit, and they
couldn’t even find my kneecap. That young man who got his leg broken today was
in the wrong place at the wrong time. And he’s living his worst nightmare now.
He’ll never play again.”
Smitty, too, is brooding about the injury at the game’s end.
“That poor guy layin’ on the field,” he says, shaking his head and puckering a
bruised brow. “You have to ask yourself ‘Hey, is it worth it?”lt can happen to
anybody, anytime.”
At last the buffet is laid out: meatballs, macaroni salad,
barbecued chicken, and potato salad to go with the pitchers. The chafing dishes
are decimated within minutes. At the linemen’s table the volume is deafening.
They’re shouting each other down, ranking on each other, banging the table,
shoving each other, bragging, and feeling good.
Someone cranks up the big-screen TV: Channel 2’s evening sports program is on, and a storm of shushes quiets the bar, riveting attention on the broadcast. Finally, after an eternity of golf and tennis coverage, the Bears get their 50 seconds of glory. The Footage shows linebacker Kevin Rowley pulling in an interception and he’s back in the spotlight again, soaking up the moment. He’s on his feet now, shouting, fist pumping, exultant. “Who’s that?! Who’s that?! Who’s that?!”
 |
| Baltimore Bears vs Poseidons - playoffs (1992) Bears receiver (#5) Gary Oakes @Todd Stadium - Newport News, VA |
 |
Coaches meeting (1991)
From left: Head Coach John Quillen, Lewis Williams, Mike Swain,
Keith Rouse, and Ben Johnson @ Fort Eustis, VA |
 |
Baltimore (MD) Bears vs Poseidons - Playoffs (1992)
SS (#42) Linwood Lumpkins, FS (#2) Daryle Wilson, CB (#1) Aaron Billups
@ Todd Stadium - Newport News, VA
|
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| 1992 MDFL Southern Division Champs Final: Peninsula 42 Baltimore 26 |
POSEIDONS GEAR UP FOR TITLE GAME
By JOHNNY PEREZ Daily Press Correspondent
November 6, 1992
Despite being idle this weekend before the Mason-Dixon
League championship game and thinking about the team's possible sale, the
Peninsula Poseidons had more than 30 players practicing in Wednesday night's
rain.
Two of those players were members of the Williamsburg Crew,
a group of three Poseidons living in the Williamsburg area who make the
half-hour drive three nights per week after work for practices. Linebacker Greg
''Bull'' Cary, a brick mason in King William, and offensive lineman Kevin
Brooks, an assistant football coach at Lafayette High School, made this
Wednesday night drive without 300-pound lineman Terrence ''Butter'' Holland.
''We haven't seen Butter since Bull's truck blew out,'' said
Brooks with a smile. The three had packed the cab of Cary's pickup every
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday since August, until the engine of the old truck
gave out last week.
Cary and Brooks had to resort to finding rides from friends
or players with large cars. ''We do it for the love of the game - it's fun,''
they said. Both players also admitted they probably would make the trip next
year if the Poseidons continue under new ownership. The Mason-Dixon franchise
was recently put on the market by owners George and Ed Fiscella.
''I can still play,'' said Cary, a five-year veteran, ''if
things go in the right direction, if we get treated fairly, if we still have
insurance coverage and paid refs.''
Cornerback Aaron Billups said Ed Fiscella announced the sale
in the locker room after the team's emotional 42-26 playoff victory against the
Baltimore Bears at Todd Field. Billups, 28 and a veteran of the former
Peninsula Pirates, team president and captain.
''As a player I feel slighted, but at the same time I know
what it was like before, when we didn't have anything,'' Billups said. ''The
Fiscellas brought the whole thing up to a different level. I wouldn't want to
see it go back to when officials' fees were coming out of the players'
pockets.'' The Poseidons (9-1) play the winner of the Metro Bulls-Tidewater
Sharks game Saturday night in Northern Virginia. If the Bulls win, the
championship game would also be in Northern Virginia. If the Sharks win, the
game would be played at Todd Field.
''It makes me want to win the championship that much more,''
said Billups.''I can't see losing and having the team dissolve.''
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| Defensive Backs - (1991*, 1992) Standing from left: (#8) Melvin Dillard, DB Coach Ben Johnson, (#39) Joe Jones, (#27) Sean "Lightbulb" Jones Kneeling: (#1) Aaron Billups, (#17) Brian "Sparkplug" Christian, (#41) Leroy Mask Not pictured: (#42) Linwood Lumpkins, (#2) Daryl Wilson, (#24) J.R. White*, (#48) Ed Titus, (#42) James Chapman*, (#4) Rick Nicely, (#5) Erskine Smith, (#68) Patrick "Van Halen" Dorsey, (#22) Doug Vette, (#8) Goo Toliver* |
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POSEIDONS TAKE TITLE
Kick returner leads victory over Bulls
From Daily Press staff reports
November 15, 1992
WASHINGTON — The Peninsula Poseidons won the Mason-Dixon
League championship Saturday night with a 13-10 victory over the D.C. Metro
Bulls in a game called with 16 seconds to go because of a massive fight on the
field.
Melvin Dillard was the star of the game for the Poseidons,
who won the Clarence McClure Trophy in the game on the muddy field at the
Bannaker Recreation Center. A Poseidons spokesman said puddles of water 6 to 8
inches deep marred the field.
Dillard returned a kickoff 96 yards in the first quarter
following a field goal by the Bulls (10-3).Then in the third quarter, he
returned a punt 58 yards to the 5. That set up a 6-yard touchdown pass from
Scott Woodlief to Roland Jordan halfway through the period. In all, Dillard had
188 yards on kick returns.
A bad snap on an attempted punt lost 34 yards and led to the
Bulls' field goal.
On the kickoff, however, Dillard took the ball up the
middle, cut to the outside at the 40 and raced untouched for a touchdown. The kick
for the extra point failed.
The Bulls took a 10-6 halftime lead on a 6-play, 80-yard
drive that resulted in a 17-yard touchdown pass. The Poseidons missed another
chance to score in the second quarter when they drove to the Bulls' 1, but had
a pass intercepted in the end zone.
According to Poseidons' officials, the game ended
prematurely when an incident on a tackle near the sidelines led to both teams
leaving their benches to participate. The victory ended the Poseidons' second year
in the league. In the two seasons, they've compiled a 20-4 record.
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| Head Coach - John Quillen (1992) @ Todd Stadium - Newport News, VA , .
. 
Mason-Dixon Football League
Past Champions 1978 - 2015
. .1978 - Franklin County (PA) Minutemen
1979 - Fredericksburg (VA) Rebels 1980 - Virginia (Manassas, VA) Chargers 1981 - Richmond (VA) Bruins 1982 - Richmond (VA) Bruins 1983 - Arbutus (MD) Big Red 1984 - Arbutus (MD) Big Red 1985 - Chesapeake Bay (Norfolk, VA) Neptunes 1986 - Triangle (Durham, NC) Cardinals 1987 - Baltimore (MD) Bears 1988 - Peninsula Pirates (Hampton/Newport News VA) 1989 - Washington (DC) Stonewalls* 1990 - Tidewater (Norfolk, VA) Sharks 1991 - Baltimore (MD) Bears** 1992 - Peninsula Poseidons (Hampton/Newport News, VA) 1993 - Metro (Washington, DC) Bulls** 1994 - Charlotte (NC) Blast
1995 - Fredericksburg (VA) Generals 1996 - Fredericksburg (VA) Generals 1997 - Richmond (VA) Ravens 1998 - Arbutus (MD) Big Red 1999 - West Deptford (NJ) Broncos 2000 - West Deptford (NJ) Broncos 2001 - Prince William (VA) Monarchs 2002 - Virginia Mutiny 2003 - New Jersey Broncos 2004 - Richmond (VA) Ravens 2005 - Richmond (VA) Ravens 2006 - Prince William (VA) Monarchs 2007 - Richmond (VA) Ravens 2008 - Virginia (Hampton, VA) Crusaders
2009 - Arbutus (MD) Big Red
2010 - Virginia (Hampton, VA) Crusaders
2011 - Northern Neck (VA) Rivermen
2012 - Virginia (Hampton, VA) Crusaders
2013 - Virginia (Hampton, VA) Crusaders
2014 - Virginia (Hampton, VA) Crusaders
2015 - D.M.V Elite
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*Peninsula Pirates lost in Championship final
**Peninsula Poseidons lost in playoffs
**Lost in playoff round.. . |
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. . . Catawba (NC) Hornets vs Poseidons - Thanksgiving day (1992) @ Hines Field - Newport News, VA - Part 1 of 2 Catawba (NC) Hornets vs Poseidons Thanksgiving day (1992) @ Hines Field - Newport News, VA - Part 2 of 2 POSEIDONS SHOOT FOR NATIONAL TITLE December 5, 1992 If things work out for Coach John Quillen and his Peninsula
Poseidons football team, they could be declared American Football Association
champions before the month is out. Having already won the Mason-Dixon championship in addition
to the Northeast Regional title, the Poseidons (11-2) are scheduled to be one
of eight playoff teams involved in the quest for an AFA national championship
title. Providing the Poseidons get enough funding, the team will
leave for Orlando, Fla., next Thursday, to play the Syracuse (N.Y.) Express
(10-2) in an AFA national playoff contest. In all, three playoff games will be
played in Orlando along with another on the West Coast. ''The team, and the coaching staff, is really looking
forward to going. I hope we can get enough financial support from everyone to
make the trip,'' said Quillen. After defeating the Catawba County North Carolina Hornets
25-6 on a wet and muddy Hines Middle School field in Newport News, the
Poseidons' players voted to forgo an end-of-season banquet, and instead have
the team owners, George and Ed Fiscella, use the money to help defray the costs
of the trip. It is estimated that the team will need at least $10,000 for the
trip to Orlando. Since the national championship was not part of the
Fiscella's budget for the Poseidons this year, the team is seeking assistance
from the public. ''We should do pretty good against Syracuse, although the
Express appear to have some real big linemen on offense and defense,'' Quillen
said. ''We've been pretty well balanced on offense and defense this season.'' According
to Quillen, the AFA will form a committee which will determine the national
champion, using film from the four playoff games, as well as the playoff games
after the regular season. ''We've also sent then film of some of our regular season
games,'' said Quillen, who added that commissioner Ron Real will also be in
Orlando to see the three playoff games. Quillen is still debating whom he will
start at the quarterback slot, trying to pick between Scott Woodlief, Bill
Leppert and Tim Washington. ''All three have looked good at various times
during the season,'' Quillen said. The Poseidons have picked up most of their rushing yardage
from a bevy of backs, Roland Jordan, Robert Barnes, John Johnson, Paul McGlone
and Keven Vines. Against the Hornets, Leppert was 4-for-9 passing, with 73
yards, and one touchdown pass to Brian Darden. Barnes rushed for 57 yards on
three carries and one touchdown while Jordan scored once on four carries for 40
yards. Melvin Dillard, the Poseidons' Most Valuable Player, scored one
touchdown on a pass interception. For the season, Dillard led the team in
interceptions with 10. The Poseidons are ranked No. 2 in the country going into the
game in Orlando, with Fresno (Calif.) No. 1 and DuPage Eagles (Chicago, Ill.)
No. 3. Fresno (11-1) and the Eagles (10-2) are in the playoffs, with Fresno
facing Portland (10-2) and the Eagles going against 10-1 Mecklenburg County
(N.C.). The remaining two teams in the playoffs are Ft. Myers (Fla.) and the
Montgomery (Ala.) Maulers. .
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 Right 1993 schedule  . . Peninsula (VA) Poseidons |
.................Defeated Metro (Washington D.C.) Bulls in championship game
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| Alexandria, Virginia (1991) (standing from left) J.R. White, Michael Minor, Aaron Billups (kneeling) Robert Barnes, Victor "Sick Vic" Hill . . .
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 predecessors of the Tidewater Sharks . . .  . . . . .  @ Foreman Field - Norfolk, VA . . . .
If you're interested in reading about my experience coaching high school football in Japan click the link below
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. ... .> For more football click here < . . . . .  |
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