Bandits say goodbye to AIFL

The Bandits' reign as AIFL champions is over, because the league and some other teams' owners used a relatively minor circumstance to put the team in a literal no-win situation. You'll probably never get two people to agree on any of the facts, but as best I can tell, here's what happened. Teams are supposed to exchange game film of their respective previous games the week before they play each other, and furthermore are supposed to send the tape the day after the game. Earlier this year, the Bandits didn't even receive the tape from the Rebels before the two teams played. After the Bandits' last game against the Vipers, knowing that they would play the Rebels next, the Bandits held on to their tape for a couple days in retribution. They did send the tape in the middle of last week, but again didn't even receive the Rebels' tape until the morning of the game! With this not being the first time that happened -- and having received no support from the league when complaining about it before -- the Bandits focused on actually preparing for a football game rather than bitching about the tape. The Rebels had different priorities.

Sometime late Monday morning, the Rebels' front office contacted the league, which in turn called the Bandits to inform them that they would have to pay a fine of (pulling a number out of thin air...) $3000 -- before kickoff that evening. Momentarily looking past the exorbitant amount of the fine, the Bandits mentioned that the Rebels were even later with their tape and should be fined too. The league said, in almost as many words, "I don't believe you. I make the decisions; you owe the fine and they don't." The Bandits knew they were being set up and chose to make a stand, declined to pay the fine, and accepted having to forfeit the playoff game to the Rebels.

It's no secret that the league has had its problems and at any given moment is in some degree of financial trouble. Yet the Bandits have always been a model franchise, paying their players on time, paying their rent to the Coliseum, paying the referees as they were supposed to, and still running a tight ship on game days and treating everyone with respect. The financial troubles of other teams is well documented, and the on- and off-field behavior of other organizations, while varying widely, often paled in comparison to the treatment they got when they came to Richmond. Clearly the league thought they could bully the Bandits into paying this trumped up fine (and $3000 worth of their own unpaid bills).

But the true motivation came from even deeper seated motives. Whether or not the league was out to get the Bandits, and if so to what extent, doesn't matter when you consider the vested interest the league has in some of its teams at the expense of others. The league owned, among other teams, the Rebels themselves, until earlier this season when they were sold to the same people who own the Renegades -- the only team to beat the Bandits this year and the team that had the most to lose if the Bandits continued in the playoffs. So it was equally the Renegades ownership that complained about the game tapes, had the ear of the league, and pushed for draconian punishment.

I've written and talked at length about the crap the AIFL has pulled in the past, and it's clear enough that they are not about fairness in any sense of the word. They put out a press release about this situation that I'm not even going to link because it's so full of spin and BS and half-truths. I will link to a Times-Dispatch article that furthers my belief that the Bandits are not wholly in the right either. It is admirable to an extent that they did take a stand against the league and forfeit on principle, but you have to consider the fans and the players, who would have played for free just for the chance to go out there and compete for a championship. The regular season would have been a much better setting for the moral high ground. Yet even in the regular season, and the biggest problem I have with this decision, the league would not have gotten the message. They don't understand principles and equality. You can't teach a lesson to someone who won't learn. Unfortunately, the losers in this case are the fans, the players and staff who put in so much time for the love of the game, and those who thought that by doing the right thing, we would avoid the underhandedness of the AIFL.

Bandits close out regular season with offensive dominance, prepare for playoffs

Bandits 74, Vipers 62

The Bandits jumped out to an early 14-0 lead thanks to a Tim Jones interception return for a touchdown, and held serve the rest of the way to win the regular season finale. Richmond sat on the ball to end both halves, but otherwise scored on every possession, taking a lead of as many as 22 points in the fourth quarter. The Vipers defenders were basically helpless against the talented Bandits receivers all night, and the Bandits wideouts turned wide open catches into even bigger plays with broken tackles during runs after the catch. Chris Field made the play of the game, demolishing Vipers QB Joey Conrad with a hit that left an impression in the turf, and forcing a fumble that traveled 15 yards in the air. The Vipers got chippy after that, but Brandon Isaiah threw a huge block on one of them during a kickoff that gave the Bandits a TKO. Center Dan Rounds was out with an injured finger, and botched long snaps made extra points an adventure. Chris Segaar made a dazzling open field run after scooping up a bad snap and nearly got in for two, and eventually was called on to try a drop-kick extra point that sailed just wide. Bad news came for Richmond in the fourth quarter, when Bishlar Penson and Tim Jones went down on the same play. Bish tore a knee ligament and is out for the playoffs; Tim took a helmet to the back and is questionable. The Bandits finish their second season 12-2 and win a share of their second consecutive regular season title, and will begin defense of their AIFL championship next week!

Player of the Game: Robbie Jenkins, as it's hard to vote against a man who throws for 252 yards and eight touchdowns, including four on his five second half completions. Robbie also showed some nice touch throwing the ball over a defender to a place that only Bryan Still could catch it for the score.

Offensive Stars: Redd Thompson, with five catches for 101 yards and four scores; Bryan Still, who made six grabs for 86 yards and four touchdowns.

Defensive Stars: Nate Daniels, who made an impact in his return to the lineup with an interception, a few passes broken up, and pretty solid coverage on Vipers receivers.

Other Links:	Times-Dispatch writeup
	Bandits review
	Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

Next: Round 1 of the playoffs, vs. Raleigh, Monday 7pm

Bandits hold off Spartans, await home finale

Bandits 51, Spartans 34

The Bandits jumped out to an early two-touchdown lead and led by as many as 21 in the fourth quarter as solid line play guided an otherwise inconsistent offense to victory in Augusta. Richmond's defense made three first half stops and more than made sure that the Spartans would not be able to outscore the Bandits. New signee Aaron Alexander made his indoor debut and caught three passes for 44 yards and a touchdown. The 6' 6" wideout showed a quick adjustment to the small field and ran good routes all night, including a corner fade pattern on an attempted two-point conversion that proved how effective a tall, athletic receiver can be in the close quarters of AIFL end zones. Tim Jones had a third quarter interception that led to a touchdown which gave the Bandits an insurmountable lead.

Player of the Game: Redd Thompson, with six catches for 89 yards and four touchdowns. Redd also shook off a big hit from two Spartan defenders to score the game's final touchdown that capped a seven play, 5:38 game-icing drive.

Offensive Stars: Dan Rounds, Patrick Cheatham, and Patrick Herd, who gave Robbie Jenkins loads of time to look for his receivers and did not give up a sack all night.

Defensive Stars: Shannon Davis had two interceptions, Lawrence Lewis had 1.5 sacks.

Other Links:	Times-Dispatch summary
	Augusta Chronicle recap
	AIFL overview

Next: vs. Chattahoochee Valley Vipers, Saturday 7pm

Bandits encounter humiliation, clinch home playoff game

Bandits 113, Ghostchasers 0

The AIFL should be embarrassed at what they're doing to the Ghostchasers "franchise" and by extension to the teams they play. These kids get rounded up a few days before the game, don't get to have meetings or practice together, and have to line up against indoor football veterans who have been conditioning all year long. Here's how bad things were Sunday afternoon: with 5:05 left in the first quarter, the Bandits had run only three plays, gained 38 yards...and led 28-0. Before the 'Chasers fumbled away their fourth turnover of the first half with six seconds to go, Robbie Jenkins was 8 for 8 passing with 6 touchdowns! For their part, the Bandits had little choice but to do what they did: after head-to-head records, total point differential is the next AIFL tiebreaker. If the Bandits make the championship game (between the Northern and Southern champions who will never have played each other), they want to guarantee that it will be played in Richmond. Brandon Isaiah (53 yards, 4 touchdowns) scored with 4:10 left to put the Bandits over the century mark and get a standing ovation from the good-sized crowd at the Coliseum, who understood the circumstances but knew they were seeing AIFL history. The defense had seven takeaways and completed the shutout, allowing exactly 0 yards to the Ghosties' offense. Chris Segaar had three rouges and Mike Jenkins got his first snaps in the fourth quarter, including a rushing TD.

Player of the Game: Robbie Jenkins, who completed 11 of 14 passes for 177 yards and eight touchdowns. He also ran for a score and barely broke a sweat.

Offensive Stars: Redd Thompson, three of whose four receptions went for scores; Marcus Richardson, who had a pair of 32-yard touchdown catches, one of which was a dazzling short catch and open field run through the secondary. Special mention goes to Ghostchasers QB Brandon Elliott, who despite being sacked about a dozen times and having to literally point where on the field he wanted his receivers to line up, kept his chin up and played the entire game.

Defensive Stars: too many to name, but we'll go with Lawrence Lewis, who blocked a field goal and had four and a half sacks; Corey Ellis forced three fumbles and notched 3.5 sacks; Al Dubose had three sacks and two fumble recoveries, one for a touchdown.

Other Links:	Times-Dispatch recap
	Bandits website blurb

Next: at Augusta Spartans, Saturday 6/3 7pm

Bandits win OT thriller, clinch playoff berth

Bandits 63, Thunder 60 (ot)

The Bandits began their game with the Thunder as if they had their heads in the sand out on the beach. Robbie Jenkins made some poor passes, then got more accurate only to have his receivers drop some easy catches. All this, combined with the Thunder playing like warriors, led to a 21-0 Daytona Beach lead early in the second quarter. The Bandits got on the board thanks to a couple of excellent catches and runs by Marcus Richardson, and the defense got a couple of stops late in the first half with the score at the break 28-15. The teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter, but Richmond blocked two extra points and returned one of them for two to close the gap to eight points. But after another Thunder score and Nick Allison's third interception of the game, the Bandits trailed by 15 points early in the fourth quarter. The defense held, though, finally getting some pressure on Thunder quarterback Oscar Davenport, and registered two straight stops. Jenkins was in a groove, as he would go 9 for 14 with 6 touchdowns in the second half, and with 52 seconds remaining he found Redd Thompson in the end zone for the touchdown and again for the two-point conversion to tie the game. The Thunder responded with a quick scoring drive of their own, but left Jenkins and Thompson with 31 seconds to get back in the end zone. Redd's third TD of the game (and Chris Segaar's extra point) tied the contest with three seconds left, and Andy Eminger missed a field goal at the end of regulation. The Bandits won the overtime coin toss and took the first 4:06 of the five minute frame to set up a Segaar field goal from 19 yards. Pinned at their own 5 yard line after not returning the kickoff, the Thunder had a chance to tie or win in the last 54 seconds. But Davenport tried to throw across the middle, and Shannon Davis made a leaping interception, plucking the ball from in front of the Thunder receiver to ice the game.

Player of the Game: Robbie Jenkins, who engineered the biggest comeback in Bandits history by throwing for 309 yards and 8 touchdowns. His two-point pass to Redd to tie the game was reminiscent of the ending of the Canton game last year, when Robbie hit Redd with an absolute laser to win at the buzzer.

Offensive Stars: Redd Thompson, with 8 catches for 109 yards and three scores; Marcus Richardson, who made four catches for 104 yards and two TDs and sparked the comeback with a chance to show his athletic ability by making some Thunder defenders miss tackles in the open field.

Defensive Stars: Lawrence Lewis, who blocked an extra point, recovered it, then lateraled to Shernard Newby who ran it the rest of the way for two points. Shannon Davis made a highlight reel interception in overtime.

Other Links:	Times-Dispatch writeup
	Daytona Beach News-Journal
	Thunder website recap
	Bandits playoff announcement

Next: vs. AIFL Ghostchasers, Sunday 4pm

Bandits throttle Vipers, tie two records

Bandits 63, Vipers 24

The Bandits overcame a couple of bad bounces early, took advantage of one later, and steamrolled the Chattahoochee Valley Vipers in the second half to win convincingly Saturday night. Richmond played short ball and long ball early, scoring their first two touchdowns on a one play, one yard drive (after a blocked field goal by Lawrence Lewis) and a six play, 49-yarder to go up 13-0. After the Vipers got in the end zone, their kickoff line-drived off Shernard Newby and bounced right back to a Viper, giving them a chance to tie the game. Unable to do so, the Vipers got the ball back after a Robbie Jenkins pass bounced off Bryan Still's hands, off the wall, and into the arms of defensive lineman Darion Damron. That Valley drive was thwarted by a Shannon Davis interception which he returned 30 yards for a touchdown. The Vipers eventually put together their best drive of the night to pull within two points with five seconds left in the first half. After a touchback, Jenkins threw a bomb to Redd Thompson that was tipped by a Viper defender and plucked out of midair by Marcus Richardson, who was trailing the play, for a touchdown. The Bandits poured it on in the second half, holding the Vipers to just three points and stopping them on their last six possessions.

Player of the Game: Brandon Isaiah, who rushed for 43 yards and a record-tying five touchdowns. Despite running at a defense that was designed to stop the run, Isaiah dominated as the Vipers tired late in the game and became the first true running back in the AIFL to score five TDs in one game.

Offensive Stars: Redd Thompson followed up his Offensive Player of the Week performance with an eight reception, 144 yard effort. He caught one of Robbie Jenkins' three TD passes, amongst a 14 for 24, 248 yard game.

Defensive Stars: Shannon Davis had three interceptions and Alfred Dubose had a sack and numerous tackles for loss early. The rest of the secondary could also be mentioned, as the other four D-backs had an interception each to contribute to the Bandits' record-tying seven INTs.

Other Links:	Times-Dispatch bare bones
	AIFL blurb
	One and a half of the five W's

Next: at Daytona Beach Thunder, Saturday 7pm

Bandits down Rebels, retain Key to the City Trophy

Bandits 49, Rebels 40

The Bandits used a dominating 14-minute stretch spanning the final two quarters to pull away from the Raleigh Rebels and take sole possession of second place in the AIFL South. Trailing by six, Robbie Jenkins threw three straight touchdown passes sandwiching two defensive stops. Bryan Still and Redd Thompson made some incredibly athletic catches, and the Bandits’ defense, which allowed Raleigh to score 13 straight points to take the lead in the third quarter, got a fumble forced by Shannon Davis and an interception from Shernard Newby at their one yard line to crush the Rebels’ hopes of a comeback. The defense actually played well throughout the game as they made a goal-line stand in the first quarter and as the game wore on got consistent pressure on Rebel QB David Malino. Shannon Davis returned a missed field goal 54 yards for the Bandits’ first TD.

Player of the Game: Redd Thompson, with seven catches for 150 yards and three touchdowns. One of his scores came on a beautifully run hitch-and-go pattern and another was plucked out of midair as Redd outjumped everyone in the end zone.

Offensive Stars: Brandon Isaiah had 12 carries for 31 yards and a score and was able to get big chunks of yardage on the ground; Al Ford played his first game of the season on the offensive line and kept the Bandits’ final, clock-killing drive alive when he hustled down the field on a Bryan Still reception and recovered Still’s fumble.

Defensive Stars: Shannon Davis, with the forced fumble and a couple of good kick returns, including the TD; linebackers Tim Jones and Kevin Coles, who made their presence known in the offensive backfield and were each in on a sack.

Other Links:	Times-Dispatch "coverage"
	Dave's Football Blog (with pictures of legendary Dorton Arena)
	AIFL recap

Next: at Chattahoochee Valley Vipers, Saturday 7pm

Bandits lose a heartbreaker

Renegades 47, Bandits 44

In a battle for sole possession of first place in the AIFL Southern Conference, the Bandits fell behind the Rome Renegades by 16 points in the first half. But a Chris Segaar field goal and a Robbie Jenkins to Redd Thompson touchdown pass with 3 seconds left in the half brought the Bandits within five points. They continued riding the momentum for the first 90 seconds of the third quarter, recording an interception which was turned into a 46 yard scoring strike from Jenkins to Bryan Still. After the teams exchanged the lead a couple of times, the Bandits pulled ahead by nine with 3:37 to go when Jenkins found Thompson for the duo's third touchdown. But a Marcus Brady touchdown pass and a Brady two-point run brought Rome within a point, and Danny Marshall knocked the ensuing kickoff through the uprights to tie the game. The Renegade defense stiffened, sacking Jenkins once and forcing Segaar to kick a field goal from two yards deep in his own end zone, which he hit hard enough but pulled to the right. The Renegades took over at their own 10 yard line, and with three seconds left in the game, called on Marshall, who had gone 2-for-4 kicking extra points and 1-for-5 on field goals, for the game winner. From 47 yards, Marshall's kick was true, and the Renegades escaped with a 47-44 win.

Player of the Game: Redd Thompson, who caught nine passes for 123 yards and three touchdowns. He consistently got open against Jermaine Collins, and when Jenkins wasn't under pressure from Rome's front four, Redd was an easy target.

Offensive Stars: Robbie Jenkins, with 279 passing yards and five touchdowns; Bryan Still made a diving catch and alertly got up and ran into the end zone when no defender touched him.

Defensive Stars: Bishlar Penson grabbed his fifth interception of the season; Shannon Davis intercepted a two-point pass attempt and ran it back for two Bandits points.

Other Links:	Times-Dispatch blurb
	Rome News-Tribune writeup

Next: at Raleigh Rebels, Thursday 7:00 pm

Bandits win fifth straight, sweep Phantoms

Bandits 77, Phantoms 35

Richmond's defense pitched a first half shutout, and the offense scored on 11 of 12 possessions as the Bandits beat the Phantoms for the second time this season. Florence threw an interception on their first play, which Robbie Jenkins immediately converted into seven points. Neither Steven Chester, who left the game with an injury, nor Nick Lurty were effective at QB for the Phantoms, combining to go 3 for 9 passing with two interceptions and four sacks! In the second half, Brian Scott stepped in and performed admirably for the Florence offense, but the Bandits' offense never relented. Jenkins threw for 316 yards and seven touchdowns and scrambled for another. Brandon Isaiah, who had his coming out party against Florence March 4, had two backbreaking runs of 31 and 33 yards in the fourth quarter. He had three rushing TDs as the Bandits outgained the Phantoms by 215 yards (406-191).

Player of the Game: Redd Thompson, who caught eight passes for 161 yards and four scores. His 47 yard TD reception in the first quarter tied a league record for the longest play from scrimmage. In the two games against Florence, Redd registered 347 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns!

Offensive Stars: Robbie Jenkins, who again showed a determination to keep plays alive and check through his progressions; Bryan Still, who contributed 134 receiving yards and three scores.

Defensive Stars: Tim Jones, Bishlar Penson, Shannon Davis, and Nate Daniels had an interception each.

Other Links: Times-Dispatch writeup

Next: at Rome Renegades, Friday 7:00 pm

Bandits dominate Spartans, tie defensive record

Bandits 59, Spartans 6

Coming off an unexpected bye week, the Bandits showed no signs of rust as they pounced on the Augusta Spartans early, had a 38-0 halftime lead, and tied a league record by only allowing six points. The defense frustrated Spartans QB Anthony Young, who many in the Spartans camp compare to Michael Vick for his quickness and mobility, allowing him to scramble for just 36 yards and sacking him four times and intercepting him once before he left the game with an injury. Spartans coach Bubba Diggs remarked that Young sometimes tried to do too much running and that he'd prefer Young to stay in the pocket more. Diggs also said, upon learning that Will Burch was the Bandits' backup, that Burch could come start for him immediately. For his part, Burch did get into the game for the last two possessions and threw a touchdown pass.

Player of the Game: Robbie Jenkins, who completed 15 of 26 passes for 231 yards and 6 TDs. Jenkins also showed some elusiveness of his own, scrambling for a first down on one occasion and dodging pressure long enough to find Brandon Isaiah open for a short pass that Isaiah took 36 yards for the score.

Offensive Stars: Bryan Still, who caught 7 passes for 117 yards and three scores; Redd Thompson, who also caught 7 passes for 123 yards and three TDs.

Defensive Stars: Lawrence Lewis, who recorded three sacks to bring his total for the season to 9, and also harassed Marvin Stone into an intentional grounding penalty that resulted in a safety; Shannon Davis, who returned an interception 15 yards for a touchdown.

Other Links:	Times-Dispatch writeup
	Bandits website recap

Next: home vs. Florence Phantoms, Saturday 7:00 pm

Bandits highlights updated

I've finally processed the recording of last week's Bandits broadcast and added the highlights to the summary below. The next game is Sunday afternoon vs. the Augusta Spartans at 4:00 at the Hideout.

(For the uninitiated, the Hideout is the nickname for the Richmond Coliseum, because, of course, every group of Bandits needs one. The fans are known as the Accomplices, while the official fan club is called the Posse. I will not get into a Venn diagram here, simply suffice it to say that all Posse members are Accomplices, but not all Accomplices are in the Posse.)

Ghost of a chance

Sometimes, you see something coming yet still can't believe it when it happens. The Bandits were supposed to travel to Asheville, NC to play the Ghostriders this Saturday, but after the latest chapter in that franchise's comically haphazard and inept history, there will be no game.

Long-time Bandits fans will remember that the Carolina Sharks were one of the original franchises and the Bandits' scheduled opponent for Opening Day last year. But just two days before the game, the team was disbanded then re-created as a league-owned team called the Ghostriders. They played an all-road schedule and didn't win a single game, often losing by 50 or more points. Even in indoor football, that's a lot. After the season, we were promised that the AIFL would find a good owner, not to mention a home arena, for the 2006 campaign. And to their credit, the league did keep the team viable and hired personnel to keep it running. They had coaches, a GM, and players in place, and a lease with an arena in Asheville, before selling the team to one Rob Boyd. Then this season -- and the fun -- started. Still unable to win a game, the Ghosties at least played a home game, but a few minutes after it ended, Boyd fired the coach and hired Jim Terry, whose entire AIFL experience, the same die-hard Bandits fans will recall, consisted of missing four of 10 extra points in that inaugural game against the Ghostriders. Then two days later, the owner fired his GM, then filed a police report alleging that he'd embezzled money and defaulted on some bills.

As crazy as events to that point had been, it was not the first time we'd seen it in the AIFL. Coaches come and go everywhere in the minor leagues, and there were a couple of incidents last year in other cities with unpaid bills, unpaid players, and broken promises. However, with Boyd and Terry still in place and ostensibly dedicated to making the team work, it seemed that the Ghostriders would be able to survive. Except that for the last two weeks, Boyd had been trying quietly to get rid of the team because he didn't want to be responsible for the debts and ill will all over Asheville. According to an e-mail from Boyd, he tried to sell the team back to the league but "could not reach an agreement." Finally, today the AIFL suspended the Ghostriders' season and put all the blame on Boyd! Further distancing itself from Boyd and other Ghostriders staff, the league created a new traveling team called the Ghostchasers which will be distinct from the 0-4 and defunct Ghostriders.

There is plenty of blame to go around here. Whether or not former GM David Dix embezzled any money, he was working for the Ghostriders when he made the deals with local businesses. Boyd may have been right to fire him, but showed poor judgment in passing the buck -- literally -- for those debts to Dix himself. Boyd also clearly has little patience, business sense, or both in desiring to dump the team after four games. It's one thing to shut down a business, but do it like a man and don't make all your creditors take it up with the police. Surely he had to know that as the owner of any minor league team, let alone one with the history of the Ghostriders, there would be some difficult times and he'd have to pay some bills. The league should have been more diligent in screening Boyd as a potential owner in the first place and made it clear to him that they would not bail him out. It may be for legal reasons that they had to change the name to the even more ridiculous Ghostchasers (the same legalities that saw the name Ghostriders emerge in the first place), but when has any expansion team in any league joined play in the middle of a season?

The Sharks/Ghostriders/Ghostchasers did everything exactly wrong from day 1, and amazingly it's only now that anybody else will be affected. Teams that had a road game scheduled at Asheville will now play only 13 games this season. The AIFL has experienced a number of embarrassing situations, some of them completely preventable, and has always come up with "solutions" at or after the last minute. Up and canceling the last two games of last season and starting the season without a rulebook and adding or making up rules as needed are two good examples. I am positive that A-Haines is praying that there is enough separation between the 14-game teams and the 13-game teams that the one extra game doesn't make any difference in playoff qualifications (whatever those end up being -- we, of course, have not heard word one on this year's playoff structure). He brought 10 new teams on board this year and has been quoted as saying he wants to get upwards of 50 teams in the league. Five of the new teams, not to mention the Bandits themselves, could be affected by the Ghostchasers incident and might be totally turned off by however Haines ends up handling it. That is not the way to attract dozens of new cities and owners to your league.

So now the Bandits will be the only team not playing this weekend, which sucks because they finally looked like the champions of last year in Monday's beatdown of Raleigh, and I had hoped that they would sustain that fire through the short week and the next game. Instead, we're off until April 9. All the scheduled home games will still be played, and if the last contest was any indication, they will be a whole hell of a lot of fun!

Bandits humiliate Rebels, share first place

Bandits 56, Rebels 28

Playing a previously undefeated Raleigh Rebels team that lost its starting quarterback to a broken hand last week, the Bandits dominated the line on both sides of the ball and claimed a share of first place with a convincing win at the Hideout. Richmond scored on their first five possessions, showing a fast start and an intensity on the field that had been lacking the first three games. They held the league's top scoring offense to just 96 yards as the defensive line of Lawrence Lewis, Alfred Dubose, and newcomer Corey Ellis were in QB Barry Marrow's face on almost every play.

Player of the Game: Lawrence Lewis, with three sacks, a blocked PAT, and a hellacious hit on Marrow in the end zone that should have been a safety, but was taken away from the Law when the officials for some reason spotted the ball on the 1-yard line.

Offensive Stars: Robbie Jenkins, who went 16 for 30 with 221 yards and seven touchdowns; Bryan Still, who caught eight passes for 77 yards and four TDs.

Defensive Stars: the entire D-line, Dubose, Ellis, and Lewis, who combined for five sacks, two blocked kicks, a pass deflection, and uncountable QB hurries.

Audio Highlights:	Law Lew gets a sack
	Al Dubose does likewise
	Missed FG returned for a touchdown
	Bishlar Penson interception
	For fans of the offense, two Redd Thompson touchdowns here and here
	Coach Williams on the difference in the game
	Finally, a bit of foreshadowing

Other Links:	Times-Dispatch writeup
	Raleigh's summary

Next: at Carolina Ghostriders, Saturday 7:00 pm

Rounding 'em up

The defending AIFL champs are going to be STACKED! They've re-signed some of last year's biggest contributors, including Redd Thompson, Bryan Still, and Lawrence "The LAW" Lewis. They, along with previously announced returnees Robbie Jenkins, Will Burch, DeAndre Green, and Bobby Phillips, will comprise unquestionably the league's best skill position offense. Spots along the offensive and defensive lines and in the defensive backfield are still open, which isn't surprising since departed head coach Rik Richards was also the defensive coordinator and took some of his guys with him to Rockford. Of course, guys like DeAndre can play both ways, and the #1 Stunner himself, Nate Daniels, is back too. And the defense just has to be decent -- everyone is going to give up some points in the indoor game. As good as the defense was last year, Rik really didn't put a lot of pressure on himself. "With Brent's offense being so good, all I have to do is get one stop and we're set," he said on many occasions. With the Bandits' offense being so potent, and coach Williams building on last year's success, the defense can drop a notch or two with no ill effects on the team's record.

More details on season tickets and the home promotions are in the current version of the Bandit Beat.

Bandits top 10 (part 2)

#5 DeAndre starts with D

In the only regular season meeting between the Bandits and the Johnstown Riverhawks, the game was competitive for the first three minutes, as the teams traded touchdowns. The next four possessions for Johnstown didn’t go quite as well. All four ended in turnovers at the hands of DeAndre Green (3 interceptions and a fumble recovery), who immediately established himself as the best two-way player in the league. Green proved to be uncoverable as a wideout, and a top-flight blanket coverage corner. Later in the season, he would absolutely shut down Canton’s Randell Knapp, who was their best player and made QB Dan Larlham look as good as he did. DeAndre would finish the season with 12 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Oh, and he led the Bandits to a 94-point showing on this night in Johnstown.

#4 On to the Championship

As the second seed, the Bandits hosted Johnstown in the AIFL semifinals. It was one of those games that in retrospect the Bandits were never really in danger of losing, but during the game things sure seemed awfully tight. Bryan Still caught nine passes for four scores, and defensive captain Lawrence “the LAW” Lewis notched a safety.

Chris “don’t call me Mike” Brown hauled in an interception on the game’s last play to confirm Richmond’s reservation in the AIFL championship game.

#3 Coming from behind

In week 4, the Canton Legends came to town for what would be the most exciting home game of the season. The Bandits seemed to have the game in control, until Legends QB Dan Larlham caught fire in the fourth quarter. He completed 10 of 12 passes for 118 yards and three touchdowns to bring Canton back from 20 points down and take a 69-68 lead with just 16 seconds to go. The Coliseum crowd became the ninth man for the Bandits, as Will Burch, who finished with eight TDs, led the game winning drive culminating in a 30-yard touchdown pass to Redd Thompson with six seconds left. DeAndre Green (12 receptions, 143 yards, 3 TDs) outdueled Canton’s Randell Knapp (11 receptions, 140 yards, 3 TDs), and made the game-sealing interception on the last play. This game had everything that indoor football is all about – lots of offense, some phenomenal individual performances by quarterbacks and receivers for both teams, an exciting finish, and of course a Bandits win! Little did we know that this game would be mere prelude to the rematch…

#2 What a finish!

Just two weeks after losing in the final seconds at Richmond, the Legends tried to return the favor in Canton. And they came out of the gate ready to get revenge and then some. Canton intercepted Will Burch three straight times and took a 16-0 lead, with the Bandits defense the only thing that kept it that close. Rik Richards yanked Burch and Robbie Jenkins began a comeback for the ages. He threw touchdown passes to Redd Thompson four times and Marcel Willis and DeAndre Green once each, but appropriately the defense completed the comeback when DeAndre Green returned an interception 22 yards for a touchdown. But that only set up the final, frantic seven minutes. Since coach Richards was at this point in the season still quite pissed off at kickers (both his, and the concept in general), there was no true kicker on the active roster for this game. Richmond went for two after every touchdown, and Mike Davis served as the kickoff guy and had some pretty ugly efforts. But in what could be a microcosm of his season and his love/hate on-field relationship with Rik, Davis managed to score a rouge late in the game! Dan Larlham scored three touchdowns on the ground and with 23 seconds left in the fourth quarter, scored again and threw a two-point conversion pass to make it 58-57 Canton. But as Canton learned in the first matchup, any time is too much to leave Brent Williams’ offense. Robbie Jenkins moved the Bandits down the field, and on the game’s last play found Redd Thompson from 11 yards out to complete the improbable victory. Redd had actually injured himself against the boards earlier in the game and had to come out, but was able to go for the last couple of possessions. Unfortunately, medical tests would show that the injury was more severe than anyone thought, and Redd’s career was over after this game. Redd was such a gifted receiver, he would come off the field after the first series and tell the coaches, “I can beat this guy all night.” That’s what he said in Canton, and on the last play, Robbie was looking right at Redd all the way.

#1 Champions!!

It was a rematch for the ages…the game that everyone wanted to see. Richmond vs. Erie, at the scene of the Bandits’ only loss of the season, for the inaugural league championship! Both teams came out intense, and Erie harassed Robbie Jenkins into numerous incompletions early. He was able to keep the chains moving, though, and thanks in part to a big run by Mike Davis to keep the Erie defense honest, completed a touchdown drive to notch the game’s first touchdown. The teams counterpunched throughout the first half, and with the score tied, Erie was driving and had a goal-to-go situation with less than a minute to go. But in the blink of an eye, the Bandits seized momentum and the lead. Quesuan Wigfall intercepted a David Dinkins pass in the end zone, and returned it 52 yards down the sideline for a touchdown. Not only did the Bandits take the crowd out of the game, but they began to realize that coach Richards’ defensive scheme for this game would work. The defensive onslaught continued in the second half, and by game’s end, David Dinkins – who was named the league’s MVP at halftime – had thrown six INTs. Chris Brown had three of them, making fans wonder how much better the defense could have been had he been with the team during the regular season. The offense scored way more than enough, and Mike Davis ran in for the last touchdown of the game to cap the 56-30 victory. The Bandits had come back to Erie, and completely demolished the Freeze, leaving no doubt to which team deserved the championship. In their first season, the Bandits won the AIFL Governor’s Cup and brought a championship to Richmond!

Bandits top 10 (part 1)

In honor of the defending AIFL champion Richmond Bandits announcing their 2006 schedule, I have put together my top 10 moments of the inaugural season.

#10 Indoor Football returns to Richmond

On April 16, 2005, the Richmond Bandits played their inaugural game. After receiving the opening kickoff, it took them just two plays to score and the rout was on. It didn’t matter that the opponent was the hapless Ghostriders, or that the Bandits forced seven turnovers, or that the game ended in a 66-13 blowout – in fact, all that added up to make the fans even more excited about the game. And that was the point. Indoor football was back, Richmond had a good looking team, and the games were fun.

#9 Robbie Jenkins’ first start

After filling in as the backup quarterback for the first half of the season, Robbie Jenkins got his chance to start against the Raleigh Rebels. Having brought the team back to win the previous week (see #2), and played the second half against Erie, he was a known quantity and could have started for most if not every other team in the league. And all he did in this game was go 15 for 19 passing for 150 yards and five touchdowns. More importantly, after Will Burch got a couple of series in the second half that ended in disaster (two interceptions), Robbie got the team back on track after the game was tied at the end of the third quarter, and led them to a 47-39 win.

#8 Not going down to the wire

The third meeting between the Bandits and Legends, though close on the scoreboard (72-69), was a laugher compared to the teams’ first two meetings. Robbie Jenkins threw for eight touchdowns and ran for another, and the Bandits scored PATs on all 10 of their touchdowns compared to just seven for the Legends. Jenkins was actually able to kneel the ball to end the game!

Chris Segaar kicked two rouges, solidifying the kicking game that had been frustrating coach Rik Richards all year.

#7 Regular season champs

On a Monday night, the Bandits played their home regular season finale with no consequences – they would get the second playoff seed win or lose. But with a win they could still claim a share of the regular season championship, which was a huge goal for coach Richards. In a defensive struggle, the Bandits shut out the Rebels in the second half and finished the season 9-1.

#6 This one hurts

In week two, the Bandits traveled to Erie to face the consensus “other best team” in the league. The Freeze didn’t disappoint, matching the Bandits score for score behind the frustratingly dazzling play of David Dinkins. This game turned late in the first half, when Will Burch was hit hard by the Freeze defense and separated his left shoulder. Unable to return, Burch watched Robbie Jenkins play capably, but not well enough, and the Freeze were able to get a timely turnover and win the game by 10. After the game, the Bandits circled the regular season finale on their calendars, a home rematch with Erie. Unfortunately, Erie would never come to Richmond as the league office canceled the last two weeks of the season. That meant that this win locked up home field advantage in the playoffs for the Freeze, as the top two teams would not face off head to head again. A bright spot for Richmond was the play of Bobby Phillips, who ran for a TD and three 2-point conversions, sparking a run during the middle part of the season when Phillips was virtually unstoppable running it in for two.

Click here for the top five.

Back 2 Business

The defending AIFL Champion Richmond Bandits are back! The team announced its schedule for the 2006 season, which includes the home opener against the defending NIFL champion Rome Renegades, who have moved to the AIFL this season. In the new Southern Division, the Bandits will play home-and-home games with each of the other seven teams. Familiar foes in the Raleigh Rebels and the Ghostriders are back, along with expansion teams in Daytona Beach, Rome, Augusta, and Chattahoochee Valley, Georgia, and Florence SC. The season runs from late February through mid-June with playoffs to follow. Get your tickets now!

2006 Richmond Bandits schedule

STIDNAB!

Christmas came early for the AIFL Champion Richmond Bandits -- the rings are in! Aren't they beautiful:

The logo is set on a football shaped ruby that is a brighter red than appears in the picture. It's surrounded by 18 "diamonds" and the words 2005 AIFL CHAMPIONS.


The right flank has the score of the championship game, Bandits 56, Freeze 30, with the words "Inaugural Season" and the team's record (11-1) under a likeness of the Governor's Cup trophy. The left flank has the player's (or in my case, broadcaster's) name, a helmet, and position.


These things are freakin' huge! The top is almost two fingers wide (but keep in mind I have skinny fingers). It's heavy enough to really add some wallop when your right hand cracks someone upside the head, so much so that they'll likely have an impression of the word "STIDNAB" on their jaw. In fact, "stidnab" will probably become a new verb replacing "bitch slap," "pimp slap," "haymaker," "sucker punch," and "give 'em the Davie." First, the rappers will pick it up ("If a bitch disses you, don't be some disgrace/When a bitch disses you, stidnab her in the face"). Then the kids will start saying it, comedians will work it into their acts, it will have its own police code ("possible 10-67 in progress"), and it will eventually become the title of a Lifetime movie about domestic abuse, thus running its course in the realm of popular culture and being generally played out. But by then the Bandits will have a couple more of these honkers and the term will become retro, thus cool again.