June 12, 2010 (Erie, PA) – The Erie Storm of the American Indoor Football Association return to the Tullio Arena on Sunday afternoon for their last home game of the regular-season when they host the undefeated Baltimore Mariners with kickoff scheduled for 2:00 PM. The two teams are matching up for the second straight week to complete a home-and-home series, with the Mariners having taken the opener at home by the score of 51-34.

The last two games of the season are critical if Erie is participate in the postseason. The Storm enter this weekend’s contest with a record of 7-5 and tied for third place in the AIFA’s East division with the Reading Express, one-and-a-half games behind second-place Harrisburg. Only the first three teams in the division are eligible for the playoffs, so Erie might need to win both of its last two games to ensure itself of a postseason bid, although the Storm own the tiebreaker advantage over the Express should the teams end up tied at the end of the regular season.

In last week’s game in Baltimore, the Erie offense outgained Baltimore 246-109 in yards of offense, made 18 first downs to the Mariners’ 10, and the Storm defense allowed just 7 Baltimore pass completions. However, those advantages were negated by an opportunistic Mariners defense which recorded six interceptions from five different players, two of which were returned for defensive touchdowns, and as a result, Baltimore improved its season record to 11-0 and clinched its first AIFA division title and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Baltimore leads the AIFA in both scoring offense and scoring margin, mostly on the strength of an opportunistic defense that has forced a whopping 46 turnovers while their offense has committed just eleven. They will be tested by an Erie offense that leads the AIFA in passing yardage and first downs, and is second in the league in total offense. However, the Storm struggled with turnovers in each of their five losses, including last week, and it is the most critical statistic it must improve on if it hopes to pin the Mariners with their first loss on the season.

Erie quarterback Rod Rutherford will not play this week due to a work commitment and will be replaced in the starting lineup by A.J. Roque. Roque has appeared in five games this season and saw his most extensive action on the road at Reading where he completed 11 of 21 passes for 160 yards and three touchdowns with just one interception. He has started games for three AIFA teams during his pro career.

Eugene Baker enters the game as the Storm’s leading receiver with 60 receptions and 16 touchdowns. Denayne Dixon is expected to return to action and is among the league leaders in receptions per game and receiving yardage per game. Erie’s offense will also get a boost from the return of WR/QB Darmel Whitfield from the injury list and WR David Dinkins, who did not play in Baltimore last week due to a work commitment. Defensive back Trent Jones leads the AIFA in total tackles, by a wide margin, with 60, and is tied with Sam Reynolds for the team lead in interceptions with six. Defensive lineman Ellery Moore is tied for the team lead with seven sacks in his seven games with Erie.

Baltimore features running back Isaiah Greer, who leads the AIFA in rushing yardage with 386 yards. Quarterback E.J. Nemeth has completed 57% of his pass attempts and has thrown for 42 touchdowns with just eight interceptions. Defensive back Armar Watson leads the league in interceptions with eleven, and placeicker J.R. Cipra makes his return to Erie, leading the league in PAT’s, field goals made, and total points scored.

“We have a lot of respect for what Baltimore has done this season. They earned their division title and you don’t get to 11-0 by accident. They win by doing a great job turning you over, and unfortunately we got caught up in that last week. Unfortunately in all of our losses, turnovers have been the culprit. We can beat anybody in this league when we take care of the football and I believe the only team that can beat Erie is Erie. This week, A.J. Roque needs to concentrate on helping us move the chains and not make silly mistakes, especially in the red zone. We’ve got enough playmakers, and we’re getting some important guys back from injuries, so we’re feeling confident and for us, getting this win is a must. We are looking forward to getting back in front of our own fans at the Tullio and finishing up strong.” commented Erie head coach Shawn Liotta.

Following this weekend’s game, Erie will travel to North Carolina for its last game of the regular-season when they visit the Fayetteville Guard in a rematch of a game played in Erie back on May 22 won by the Storm by the score of 55-52.