New Orleans Voodoo

Sunday at 4 p.m. at New Orleans Arena TV/Radio: CSN; ESPN-AM 950 Coaches: Soul, Doug Plank; VooDoo, Chris O'Hanlon Last year: The Soul finished the season 6-12; the VooDoo were 3-15, the worst record in the league. Both teams were out of the AFL during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Outlook The Soul feature league record-setter Derrick Ross and wide receiver Jeff Hughley, who ranked No. 3 in the Arena Football League last year in all-purpose yards (2,680)

NEW ORLEANS - John Fitzgerald threw four touchdown passes and ran for another score to lead the New Orleans VooDoo past the Columbus Destroyers, 64-46, yesterday. New Orleans also got two defensive touchdowns, including a 22-yard interception return for a score by Denario Smalls. Monty Montgomery added a 42-yard fumble return for a touchdown. Dragons 52, Crush 49 UNIONDALE, N.Y. - Aaron Garcia threw six touchdown passes, including the 600th of his career, to help New York beat Colorado.

Quarterback Tony Graziani threw seven touchdown passes yesterday, but the Soul fell, 61-47, to the New Orleans VooDoo in the Arena Football League. Graziani completed 19 of 34 pass attempts for 283 yards and was intercepted twice. Steve Smith caught eight passes for 145 yards and four touchdowns for the Soul, who dropped to 2-2. Sean Scott added seven receptions for 105 yards and two scores. Andy Kelly completed 27 of 43 pass attempts for 315 yards and seven touchdowns to lead New Orleans (3-1)

The Soul announced their final 35-man team roster for the 2012 season. The Soul open their Arena Football League season Sunday at 4 p.m. at the New Orleans VooDoo.   No.   Player   Pos.   Ht.   Wt.    0 A. Hoggard   WR/KR   5-3   140    1 Larry Brackins   WR    6-4   221    2 Donovan Morgan   WR   6-3   225    3 Jeff Hughley   WR/KR   5-8   180    4 Derrick Ross   FB   6-0   240    5 Dan Raudabaugh   QB   6-3   230    6 Brandon Perkins   LB   6-0   240    7 Rayshaun Kizer   DB   5-10   190    8 Dustin Barno   DL   6-3   275    9 Kent Richardson   DB   6-0   197    11 Tiger Jones   WR   5-11   195    12 Bryan Robinson   DL   6-3   285    13 Adam DiMichele   QB   6-1   202    15 Phil Marfuggi   K   6-0   200    18 Joe Goosby   LB   6-1   235    20 Tanner Varner   DB   6-0   210    21 Dusty Bear   LB   6-2   250    23 M. Robinson   DB   5-9   185    52 Kevin Leary   OL   6-3   300    55 Brennen Carvalho   C   6-1   310    72 Zipp Duncan   OL   6-5   315    78 Christian Johnson   OL   6-4   330    92 Darrell Campbell   OL/DL   6-4   300   ...

The Soul and the Milwaukee Mustangs alternately had the upper hand Friday night when the teams met in an Arena Football League game at the Wells Fargo Center. In the end, the Soul had an opportunity to have the last say and they answered. A 4-yard touchdown pass with no time left from quarterback Ryan Vena to wide receiver Donovan Morgan provided the difference in the Soul's 39-37 victory. A crowd of 7,681 watched the Soul improve to 5-7. Milwaukee fell to 3-8. With division leaders Pittsburgh and Cleveland both at 6-4 going into their meeting Saturday night in Pittsburgh, the Soul remain alive in the playoff hunt with six games remaining on their schedule.

With the Soul struggling to successfully follow up on their 2008 Arena Football League championship season, after shutting down for two years, one consistent aspect of the team's play has been the performance of wide receiver Donovan Morgan. Going into the Soul's contest Friday night against the New Orleans Voodoo at the Wells Fargo Center, the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Morgan is only 10th in touchdown catches with 23, and eighth in receptions with 79. But he is atop the list in yards receiving with 1,270 despite the fact that the Soul spent the first half of the season juggling two quarterbacks.

The Cleveland Gladiators won the battle over the Soul, 59-41, on Saturday night at Quicken Loans Arena. The Gladiators struck first, but the Soul responded with a 10-yard catch by Syvelle Newton to make it 7-6 at the end of the first quarter. Cleveland went on a tear early in the second, taking a 23-6 lead, but the Soul fought back to go into the half down just 23-20. The key play came in the third quarter, when the Soul (3-7) made a goal-line stop on fourth down, but linebacker Brandon Perkins was called for being "out of the box. " The Gladiators (6-3)

Derrick Ross broke his own season rushing record and the Soul dismantled one of the Arena Football League's hottest teams Sunday. And this was just a tune-up. In the final game of the regular season, the Soul turned in what may have been the most dominating performance of their 18 games, downing the Utah Blaze, 69-34, in front of 12,765 fans at the Wells Fargo Center. Utah had won six consecutive games. At 15-3, the Soul will carry the best record into the playoffs next weekend when they host the fourth-seeded New Orleans VooDoo, whom they beat, 63-62, in Week 1. They had the top seed in the playoffs locked up a week ago. "We just need to play Soul football next weekend and we should come away with the victory," Ross said.

THE SOUL nearly got to the top of the arena-football mountain last season. But then Arizona handed the Soul the equivalent of an anvil, two refrigerators and a Buick to send it tumbling back down to earth with a dismal, 72-54 loss in the Arena-Bowl championship game. Naturally, there was some turnover in the offseason. But enough components return that the Soul should again be a contender. Training-camp practices begin Saturday and the season opens with a rematch at Arizona on March 23. Here are a few topics the team and the league is looking at heading into 2013:   The new coach The most surprising move came just a week after the Arizona loss when coach Doug Plank resigned.

THE SOUL nearly got to the top of the arena-football mountain last season. But then Arizona handed the Soul the equivalent of an anvil, two refrigerators and a Buick to send it tumbling back down to earth with a dismal, 72-54 loss in the Arena-Bowl championship game. Naturally, there was some turnover in the offseason. But enough components return that the Soul should again be a contender. Training-camp practices begin Saturday and the season opens with a rematch at Arizona on March 23. Here are a few topics the team and the league is looking at heading into 2013:   The new coach The most surprising move came just a week after the Arizona loss when coach Doug Plank resigned.

When the Arena Football League's training camps kicked off six months ago, Donovan Morgan talked with his Soul teammates about returning to his hometown of New Orleans. The Soul were preparing for the season opener in the Big Easy against the New Orleans VooDoo. But Morgan wasn't talking about going back for the season's first game. He was talking about going back for the season's last game - the championship game in New Orleans. Friday night, Morgan and his Soul teammates take on the Arizona Rattlers in ArenaBowl XXV at New Orleans Arena at 10:30 p.m. (NFL Network)

Reyshaun Kizer intercepted a pass in the end zone, team owner Ron Jaworski kissed a pair of nuns seated next to him, and the Philadelphia Soul advanced to the American Conference Championship game - one win from the ArenaBowl. Kizer's interception with 18 seconds left - one of two by him in the game - sealed the Soul's 66-53 win against the New Orleans VooDoo on Saturday night in the first round of the Arena Football League playoffs at the Wells Fargo Center. With the win, the Soul will host the conference championship game Friday against the Jacksonville Sharks.

Derrick Ross broke his own season rushing record and the Soul dismantled one of the Arena Football League's hottest teams Sunday. And this was just a tune-up. In the final game of the regular season, the Soul turned in what may have been the most dominating performance of their 18 games, downing the Utah Blaze, 69-34, in front of 12,765 fans at the Wells Fargo Center. Utah had won six consecutive games. At 15-3, the Soul will carry the best record into the playoffs next weekend when they host the fourth-seeded New Orleans VooDoo, whom they beat, 63-62, in Week 1. They had the top seed in the playoffs locked up a week ago. "We just need to play Soul football next weekend and we should come away with the victory," Ross said.

NEW ORLEANS - Donovan Morgan caught a 2-yard touchdown pass with 17 seconds remaining and Bryan Robinson blocked a field goal as time expired to give the Soul a 63-62 win over the New Orleans VooDoo on Sunday in their Arena Football League season opener at the New Orleans Arena. Morgan, who was born and raised in New Orleans, finished with eight receptions for 86 yards and two touchdowns, and also added a team-leading 24 yards rushing. He said the winning play was designed to trick the defensive backs, but the VooDoo players made it easy.

NEW ORLEANS - Donovan Morgan caught a 2-yard touchdown pass with 17 seconds remaining and Bryan Robinson blocked a field goal as time expired to give the Soul a 63-62 win over the New Orleans VooDoo yesterday at the New Orleans Arena. Morgan, who was born and raised in New Orleans, finished with eight receptions for 86 yards and two touchdowns, and also added a team-leading 24 yards rushing.  He said the game-winning play was designed to trick the defensive backs, but the VooDoo players made it easy.

Sunday at 4 p.m. at New Orleans Arena TV/Radio: CSN; ESPN-AM 950 Coaches: Soul, Doug Plank; VooDoo, Chris O'Hanlon Last year: The Soul finished the season 6-12; the VooDoo were 3-15, the worst record in the league. Both teams were out of the AFL during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Outlook The Soul feature league record-setter Derrick Ross and wide receiver Jeff Hughley, who ranked No. 3 in the Arena Football League last year in all-purpose yards (2,680)

The Soul announced their final 35-man team roster for the 2012 season. The Soul open their Arena Football League season Sunday at 4 p.m. at the New Orleans VooDoo.   No.   Player   Pos.   Ht.   Wt.    0 A. Hoggard   WR/KR   5-3   140    1 Larry Brackins   WR    6-4   221    2 Donovan Morgan   WR   6-3   225    3 Jeff Hughley   WR/KR   5-8   180    4 Derrick Ross   FB   6-0   240    5 Dan Raudabaugh   QB   6-3   230    6 Brandon Perkins   LB   6-0   240    7 Rayshaun Kizer   DB   5-10   190    8 Dustin Barno   DL   6-3   275    9 Kent Richardson   DB   6-0   197    11 Tiger Jones   WR   5-11   195    12 Bryan Robinson   DL   6-3   285    13 Adam DiMichele   QB   6-1   202    15 Phil Marfuggi   K   6-0   200    18 Joe Goosby   LB   6-1   235    20 Tanner Varner   DB   6-0   210    21 Dusty Bear   LB   6-2   250    23 M. Robinson   DB   5-9   185    52 Kevin Leary   OL   6-3   300    55 Brennen Carvalho   C   6-1   310    72 Zipp Duncan   OL   6-5   315    78 Christian Johnson   OL   6-4   330    92 Darrell Campbell   OL/DL   6-4   300   ...

It was time to win or lose for the Soul Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center, where they met the Milwaukee Mustangs in an Arena Football League contest that pitted teams who were trying to hold on to hopes of earning a playoff berth. And with the last seconds ticking away, Soul wide receiver Donovan Morgan came up with a spectacular, leaping touchdown catch with zeros showing on the clock to give the hosts a 39-37 victory before a crowd of 7,681. The decisive play covered all of 4 yards.