With six seconds remaining in regulation of Saturday night’s thriller at Amway Arena, Predators Coach Pat O’Hara opted for some extra time on the clock instead of attempting a field goal from Orlando’s own 12-yard line.

Nick Hill (Photo by Chris Schubert)

But after the Cleveland Gladiators marched downfield for the go-ahead touchdown on the opening drive of overtime, T.T. Toliver, Jerrian James and Bobby Sippio each dropped passes over the middle from quarterback Nick Hill, ending the night for the Preds with a 77-70 loss.

It proved to be a shocking conclusion to an otherwise spectacular Arena Football League game. Throughout the year it’s been Hill getting the brunt of the blame (whether that’s fair or not) for the current state of an underwhelming season by franchise standards.

“I have all the confidence in the world in them to make those catches,” said Hill of his teammates afterwards. “If the situation ever comes up again, I’ll be right back in there throwing it to them.”

Sippio led the team with nine catches for 147 yards and five touchdowns, while James caught eight balls for 96 yards and a touchdown and Toliver had four receptions for 48 yards and a score.

“We probably shouldn’t have even been in overtime anyway,” said Hill. “In football you can go back and count five or six plays that you could have done better to help your team not even be in the situation you were in. It’s not because of them dropping the ball there at the end.”

Defensively, it was a long night for the Predators. The Gladiators converted 4-of-5 attempts on third down and when they weren’t striking quickly for scores they were moving efficiently downfield to the tune of 29 first downs and 421 total yards.

Why the Preds opted to extend the game into overtime against the hot hand of Cleveland quarterback John Dutton, as opposed to attempting a field goal in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter, was the big unknown to fans once time finally expired.

Jerrian James (Photo by Chris Schubert)

“It was too far, just too much of a risk,” said O’Hara of the decision. “If we miss that (field goal) then they can return it for a touchdown while we’re having all our big guys run down to try to make a tackle.”

Had a similar scenario not played out between Cleveland and Spokane during the fourth week of the season, then maybe O’Hara would have had no reservations about sending out Carlos Martinez, who has made 10 of 17 this season including a long of 55 yards.

The Gladiators won their first game of the season when Brent Holmes took a kickoff 56 yards the other way with 1.6 seconds to go in that contest. On Saturday, Holmes caught 12 passes for 199 yards and five touchdowns.

“It’s a team loss,” said O’Hara before leaving the field. “We shouldn’t have been in this situation with the turnovers we had early. We really hurt ourselves.”

The Preds trailed 21-0 after the first quarter as the Gladiators turned both a fumble and an interception by Hill into touchdowns. Boos showered down on the former arenafootball2 quarterback from a largely lethargic and scarce crowd as he trotted to the sideline with 3:30 to play in the opening frame.

“Those are two bad breaks that can make you get down,” said Hill of the turnovers. “But really, it’s a long game. This is arena football and you’re going to get a lot of possessions.”

To his credit, and those of the three receivers he targeted throughout the night, the jeering seemed to do him some good.

Bobby Sippio (Photo by Chris Schubert)

“You’ve just got to stay focused and stay positive out there as much as you can,” he said. “Don’t worry about the crowd or anything like that. They have the right to boo. I’m all right with that. They want to win just like the rest of us.”

– Turning The Thing Around –

Although Cleveland had taken the home crowd out of the game, the Predators awoke from a flat-line effort to turn the tables on the Gladiators.

Hill shook off the miscues and threw three of his seven touchdown passes of the game in the second quarter to help spark the rally for Orlando.

“He’s really mentally tough. He always has been,” said O’Hara. “Confidence isn’t one of his problems. He’s a gamer, so he was really able to come back from that and that’s what he’s supposed to do.”

Trailing 28-7 with 11:33 to go in the first half, Sippio scored twice and the Preds defense forced a turnover-on-downs – when Marlon Moye-Moore batted down a pass on fourth down – then made arguably the play of the night to knot the game at 28-all as they approached the break.

In the final minute of the second quarter James put a jarring hit on Ben Nelson, which dislodged the ball from the receiver. C.L. Grogan was there to scoop it up and take it back for a touchdown.

Nick Hill (Photo by Chris Schubert)

But Dutton, who passed for 411 yards and 10 touchdowns on 36-of-53 attempts, threw a long ball for a score with 12 seconds to spare in the half. Hill was then sacked on the final play of the second quarter and offensive lineman Julius Wilson was ejected for the night for taking a swing on an opposing player.

Much like the earlier part of the season, it seemed for every little thing that went right for the Preds there were a few things that went the opposite way for the men in the black.

Yet somehow the game was all tied up at 49-49 entering the fourth quarter. This even after James made a catch over the middle and fumbled the ball away on the first possession of the third quarter, helping Cleveland extend its advantage to 42-28.

Two more Sippio touchdowns followed and an interception by Johnnie Balous, who grabbed the ball out of the air from a bobbling Victor Williams, set up the tying 8-yard touchdown run by Hill.

– Finale Full Of Fireworks –

Kenny McEntyre (Photo by Chris Schubert)

The fourth quarter proved to be just as festive for arena football fans as the postgame fireworks outside the arena were.

The Preds took the lead for the first time on the night when Kenny McEntyre jumped a Dutton pass towards the sideline and took it back 23 yards, putting the home team ahead 63-56 with 7:22 to go in regulation. Dutton quickly answered though with yet another touchdown toss to again tie the game.

With nothing but time to lose the rest of the way, the Preds went to draining the clock, so much so that they barely got the snap off on 4th-and-1. When they did, Hill launched a 28-yard touchdown strike to James down the middle of the field with just 36 seconds to play.

Five plays later Cleveland was in the end zone again, leaving Orlando just six seconds to spare. An incomplete pass from Hill followed. He was then sacked on the final play of the fourth quarter, sending the game into overtime.

At 5-7 on the season, the Predators are seemingly in a three-team battle for the fourth and final playoff spot in the American Conference. This week’s game against Alabama (6-6) will go a long way in deciding the postseason picture. The rest of the schedule has the Preds on the road against a non-conference opponent in Milwaukee (8-5), at home against American Conference playoff contender Oklahoma City (5-7) and back on the road against division rival Tampa Bay (9-3).

Along with the Storm, Jacksonville (8-4) and Southwest Division leader Tulsa (7-5) are the teams currently leading the American Conference.

“We can still salvage this season,” said Hill. “We’ve got four games left. If we win all four then we’re in the playoffs and once you’re in, anyone can go on a run. We’ve just got to start closing out games.”

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –

“Nick played like a top-notch AFL quarterback,” said Predators Head Coach Pat O’Hara. “The kid is a competitor. We challenged him this week. He’s capable of doing this week in and week out.”

Hill went 20-for-31 for 231 yards and six touchdowns through the air while running for two more just one week after facing criticism from teammate Kenny McEntyre.

“He played a great game,” said McEntyre afterwards. Following last week’s loss the league’s all-time leader in interceptions was quoted as saying that Hill had to get a lot better.

“What I said was wrong,” explained McEntyre. “It’s never one person in a sport. Nick and I solved that problem and we played a great game.”

T.T. Toliver caught eight passes for 88 yards and three touchdowns despite facing one of the toughest scoring defenses in the Arena Football League. In fact, it was the Preds defense that shined though by forcing three turnovers that led to scores.

The Preds jump out to a 22-0 lead in the first quarter thanks in part to two turnovers by the Sharks in their first two possessions, including one that resulted in a safety. Orlando never looked back from there as they avenged an earlier 57-31 loss in Jacksonville on April 16.

The win tightens the South Division race as the Sharks drop to 7-3 and the Predators improve to 5-5 on the season. The Tampa Bay Storm move into a tie atop the standings with a 7-3 mark while the Alabama Vipers follow close behind at 5-5. Up next for the Predators is a road game at Chicago on June 26 before returning home July 3 to face Cleveland.

– More AFL News –

At halftime of Friday’s game, AFL Commissioner Jerry Kurz announced the return of three former franchises for the 2011 season. The two previous AFL champions, the Philadelphia Soul and San Jose SaberCats, are back on board along with the Kansas City Brigade. The moves bring the number of teams in the AFL to 18 in all.

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –

– Photos by Chris Schubert –

That puts the Preds in the basement, at 4-5 overall, of the four-team American Conference South Division heading into Friday’s rematch with the Sharks (7-2) at Amway Arena. The Storm sit a game back in the division at 6-3 with the Alabama Vipers positioned at an even 5-5.

In the first matchup between the two teams former Preds assistant Les Moss led Jacksonville to a convincing 57-31 outcome. That came sandwiched between a 73-67 loss to the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings and a 50-40 home-opening loss to the revived Iowa Barnstormers.

Yet right when it seemed nothing would go right, Orlando evened its win-loss record by reeling off three-straight wins.

In victories over Alabama (48-31) and the Dallas Vigilantes (70-59), newcomer Rayshaun Kizer accounted for five interceptions and one crucial fumble recovery. Kizer currently leads the league with nine picks in seven games. Following up that act was newly-signed Bobby Sippio, who made a splash in his debut by hauling in a 40-yard touchdown pass with three seconds to go in a 58-54 win over the Milwaukee Iron.

Since then though, the Preds have lost two of their last three. And both losses happened to take place in what has historically been considered one of the tougher venues around the league.

But with seven games to go the Predators are just 1-3 at home and 3-2 on the road. They’ll travel to Chicago (7-3) on June 26 before returning to host Cleveland (4-6) on July 3 and Alabama on July 9. After visiting Milwaukee (7-3) on July 17 and hosting Oklahoma (3-7) on July 24, the regular season ends with a clash in Tampa on July 31.

In the first meeting with the Storm, quarterback Nick Hill broke his own single-game passing record by going for 393 yards through the air. He had already passed for 381 yards in his first game with Orlando while completing a record 36 pass attempts, surpassing Jay Gruden and Joe Hamilton on those lists.

The Preds would rebound with a 57-54 win against the Tulsa Talons thanks to two timely kickoff returns for touchdowns by Josh Bush. Last week they handed the game over to Spokane in the final minute as they lost 53-52 after having the Shock down and out for much of the second half.

So, what now?

With a streak of 17-straight playoff appearances on the line, the low output on offensive (52.6 points per game is third-worst in AFL) and mounting number of injuries are clearly of concern. Being without injured wide receivers such as Sippio and Derrick Lewis could put the brakes on any postseason plans if solutions are not found sooner rather than later.

Orlando’s leading receiver T.T. Toliver will continue to lead the way as he’s already amassed 77 receptions for 949 yards and 14 touchdowns from the arm of Hill, who has completed 67-percent of his passes for a modest 2,544 yards and 38 touchdowns.

Defensively the Preds are allowing 54.8 points per game, with a league-worst three sacks to their credit.

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –

– More Orlando Predators –

ArenaFan

Hickok Sports

Around Osceola

Nick Hill

– Photos by Chris Schubert –

Spectators at Amway Arena were treated to a double-dose of heartache as the NBA game was shown on the jumbotron while the AFL action on the field was taking place.

The Magic were eliminated from the playoffs with a 96-84 loss in Game 6 on the road against the Boston Celtics. The Predators dropped to last place in the division with a 62-50 loss to the Tampa Bay Storm in the season’s first installment of the War on I-4.

– Orlando Magic –

The Magic trailed 30-19 after the first quarter of play Friday night and never found footing the rest of the way. After trailing by 13 points at the break, the Magic went on to get outscored 27-19 in the third quarter, setting the stage for the end of the season with a 4-2 loss in the best-of-seven series.

Dwight Howard shot 11-for-17 from the field to score 28 points in the setback. He also finished with 12 rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot. Vince Carter scored 17 points (6-for-15) and had seven rebounds and three assists.

On the flipside, Jameer Nelson scored 11 points on 5-for-14 shooting and finished with a team-high five turnovers, four assists and one rebound. Matt Barnes made only one free throw on the night and Rashard Lewis shot just 3-for-11 from the floor for seven points and grabbed eight rebounds.

Orlando shot 27-percent from long-range (6-for-22) as only Mickael Pietrus made more than one 3-point basket. The Magic also struggled at the line, making just 59-percent of those shots. They were outrebounded 45-35.

– Orlando Predators –

The Predators trailed 35-17 at halftime and 55-29 early in the fourth quarter Friday night before clawing their way back, but eventually falling short in the end.

The rally started when quarterback Nick Hill connected with Kissimmee native Bobby Sippio in the end zone for a 19-yard score. Following an onside kick, Hill and Sippio hooked up again, this time for a 28-yard score with 4:45 left to play. Yet another onside kick followed, as did another Sippio touchdown to help chip into the Tampa lead, this time on a short run on a play set up by a long reception to T.T. Toliver.

With just 2:16 remaining, the Preds trailed 55-50 and could get no closer once Tampa drove the length of the field and punched the ball in one more time for a touchdown. The Storm then intercepted Hill in the end zone with under a minute to play to close things out. (Watch Highlights)

The Predators (3-4) are on the road Saturday, June 5 at 8 p.m. against the Tulsa Talons before returning home on Saturday, June 12 at 7:30 p.m. against the Spokane Shock. The Preds then host the Jacksonville Sharks in a division game on Friday, June 18 at 8 p.m.

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –

Welcome to this week’s version of Orlando Sports Central Highlights…

– Local Product Leads AFL Predators –

Just two days after signing with the Arena Football League’s Orlando Predators, former Kissimmee Osceola football and basketball standout Bobby Sippio made an immediate impact.

In the final seconds of Friday’s game, Sippio hauled in a 40-yard touchdown pass from Nick Hill to help secure a 58-54 win over the visiting Milwaukee Iron. He finished the game with 88 yards and two touchdowns on six catches.

After starting the season 0-3, the Predators have won three-straight to move to 3-3 overall. They host rival Tampa Bay Storm (3-3) on Friday at 8 p.m. at Amway Arena. Orlando and Tampa currently trail Jacksonville (6-1) and Alabama (4-3) in the division.

After playing his college ball at Western Kentucky, Sippio (6’3″, 215 lbs) played arena football with the Storm, Chicago Rush, Dallas Desperados and Peoria Pirates of arenafootball2. He also got opportunities in the National Football League with the Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions as well as the United Football League’s California Redwoods and Florida Tuskers. In 2007 he led the AFL with 53 touchdown receptions while playing with the Rush.

– Former FCSL Player Gets Call To Majors –

Word out of the Florida Collegiate Summer League is that one of its own was recently called up to Major League Baseball last week.

Lucroy

Catcher Jonathan Lucroy became the first FCSL alum to crack the big leagues since the wood-bat league was founded in 2003. The Milwaukee Brewers brought up Lucroy from Triple-A Nashville on May 21 when Gregg Zaun was forced to the disabled list.

The rookie then got his first big-league hit that night in his first at-bat while on the road against the Minnesota Twins. He singled to left field in the eighth inning.

Lucroy, out of Eustis, was a standout for the Sanford River Rats and Winter Park Diamond Dawgs. He ranks second all-time in FCSL batting average (.325) and slugging percentage (.500).

Considered Milwaukee’s top catching prospect, and fifth-best prospect overall, Lucroy started the season at Double-A Huntsville before moving on to Nashville after hitting .452 in 10 games. He has since registered a .238 batting average with two home runs in 31 total games on the year.

The 2010 FCSL season gets underway on Thursday, June 3 at Sanford Memorial Stadium when the River Rats host Leesburg at 7 p.m. The five-team league runs through Aug. 5 when the championship game is played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.

– Bishop Moore Lax Alum In D-III Title Game –

Von Kamecke

Salisbury University senior Mike Von Kamecke has one more lacrosse game to play before his college career closes out this weekend.

On Sunday at 12 p.m. in Baltimore, Md., the former Bishop Moore standout takes the field with the Salisbury Sea Gulls (21-1) for the final time as they meet up with Tufts (19-1) for the NCAA Division III title. In a 14-13 semifinal win in overtime against Stevenson, Von Kamecke finished with three goals on five shots and was credited with two assists. It’s the fourth trip to the championship game over the past five years for Salisbury.

Von Kamecke is capping off his best season to date as he’s second on the team in assists (30), third in points (70), fourth in goals (40) and leads the team in man-up goals with nine on the year.

He closed out his high school career with the second-most points ever for a Hornet (288) between 2003-2006 while leading Bishop Moore to a state runner-up finish his senior year.

– Student-Athletes Sign With Colleges –

– University High School girls basketball player Rachel Turner signed on with Southeastern University in Lakeland last week. Turner earned four letters as a Cougar, playing a big role in the programs first two district titles following the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons and its first conference title this past year. The two-year captain finished her career with over 500 points, 250 rebounds and 100 assists. She plans to study special education and would like to work as a teacher and coach.

– The number of Colonial High School football players moving on to play in college increased to five last week when defensive back Renard Allen signed with Concordia University in Chicago and quarterback Jose Castro signed with Baker University in Kansas. They join running back Jermaine Broomfield, bound for Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, defensive lineman Ryan Moore (Baker University) and offensive lineman Sammy Mendoza (Defiance University in Ohio) as signees from the 2009 team.

– Last week Timber Creek High School had two student-athletes sign on with college football programs as Cameron Smith is heading to St. Olaf College in Minnesota and Matt Jones will be off to Mount Union College in Ohio.

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –

What was initially being tabbed as Arena Football One (AF1), the resurgent indoor football game is back to being called what it always has been – the Arena Football League.

Same league name, same league logo, and some familiar franchises on board to take part in the resuscitation process more than a year after being forced to “retool the economic model of the league.”

AFL commissioner Jerry Kurz cited “severe recession and rising league and team operational costs” for the lost season of 2009.

The big news this time around though is that the weekly live broadcasts, which were previously seen on NBC and ESPN over the course of the past decade are back as well, as the AFL secured a new broadcasting agreement with NFL Network.

Although limited in terms of its exposure – notably in Central Florida for cable subscribers – the NFL Network will televise weekly games every Friday night starting with the season opener on April 2.

Locally, the Orlando Predators start the season on the road April 9.

The Predators will be featured four times on NFL Network, including two games against in-state rivals. The Preds are currently working towards their goal of a sell-out for their home opener at Amway Arena on April 30 against the Iowa Barnstormers, one of the markets that folded well before the AFL eventually did so following the 2008 season.

Returning indoors with the Predators are such AFL holdovers as the Tampa Bay Storm, Chicago Rush, Utah Blaze, Cleveland Gladiators and Arizona Rattlers.

The 15-team league will also include former independent and arenafootball2 franchises such as the Jacksonville Sharks, Bossier-Shreveport BattleWings, Alabama Vipers, Dallas Vigilantes, Tulsa Talons, Milwaukee Iron, Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz and Spokane Shock.

Alongside the announcement of the return to the Arena Football League title and new television deal, comes word that plans are already in place for expansion come the 2011 season.

Among the four markets with considerable interest to the league is Philadelphia, who’s Soul won the last ArenaBowl title under former Predators assistant coach and Winter Park High School alum Brett Munsey.

Also being considered for expansion is Southern California, Denver, and Pittsburgh.

– Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com –

– Orlando Predators Football Tryouts –

With the inaugural Arena Football One (AF1) season just two months away, the Orlando Predators are hosting open tryouts outside the Citrus Bowl at Thunder Field this Saturday, Feb. 13 and again Saturday, March 6.

As in year’s past, the organization will sign at least one player to its roster from the pool of players who tried out.

Registration for both days begins at 8 a.m. with tryouts starting promptly at 9 a.m. at 1610 West Church Street. Cost for each participant is $65 in advance and $75 (cash only) the morning of workouts.

Tryouts will consist of a series of agility drills and the 40-yard dash, to be timed on natural grass. Proper footwear is required along with a kicking tee for placekickers who plan to attend.

For more information contact Jen Menzel by email at jmenzel@orlandopredators.com with “Player Tryout Registration Information” in subject line or by phone at 407-648-4444.

– Orlando Titans Lacrosse Clinic –

The first professional lacrosse team in the state of Florida is taking time off from its regular season schedule to host a one-hour youth lacrosse clinic at Amway Arena on Saturday, Feb. 20.

The clinic, as part of the Titans Academy of Lacrosse, is for kids between third and eighth grade. The clinic will be held from 9-10 a.m. and will focus on shooting, passing, and defensive drills taught by Titans players Casey Powell and Pat Maddalena.

Participants are asked to bring their own helmet, stick and gloves with them to the arena.

Cost of the clinic is $30 and includes a free ticket to the game between the Titans and the Boston Blazers later that night. Additional family tickets for the game will be made available for $15 if purchased during registration.

Registration can be completed by phone at 407-601-6516 or by mail with a check or money order made out to Orlando Titans and sent to 7901 Kingspointe Parkway, Suite 9, Orlando, FL 32819.

– Orlando Magic Basketball Programs –

Beginning this weekend, in conjunction with the National Basketball Academy, the Orlando Magic’s youth basketball programs will be held throughout the spring with camps and clinics scheduled across Central Florida.

STUFF’s Mini Dragon Dribblers instructional sessions are for kids between kindergarten and third grade, beginning this Sunday, Feb. 14 at RDV Sportsplex from 5-6 p.m. Kids will learn the fundamentals of the game over the course of seven weeks and receive motivational and educational practice time. Kids will also receive Magic prizes, a certificate of achievement, and a ticket to a Magic home game.

The Orlando Magic Parent/Child Game-Day Clinic will be held on Sunday, March 28 from 1-3 p.m. at RDV Sportsplex. It’s a unique opportunity for a parent and child to take part in a basketball clinic before going on to attend that night’s game at Amway Arena against the Denver Nuggets. The group will be recognized on the jumbotron that night and be able to take a group photo after the game at center court.

The Orlando Magic Spring Break Camps will be held in three different locations – RDV Sportsplex (March 29-April 2 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.), Pro-Health & Fitness Center in Viera (April 5-9 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.) and Lake Mary Preparatory School (April 5-9 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.) – for kids of all skill levels between the ages of 7-16. The camps are designed to improve each participant’s game through a variety of drills and contests. Kids will receive a camp T-shirt, giveaways, prizes, awards and a ticket to a Magic home game.

More information on these sessions is available at www.OrlandoMagicCamps.com or by calling 407-916-HOOP.

He was hardly alone. Players were sent scattering to find a means to provide for their families last December while faced with the reality that their careers may have abruptly ended.

There was no ceremonial sendoff. Little, if any, advanced warning. And as far as McEntyre was concerned, no real trust in the talks that followed suggesting the league would indeed return.

“I’ve got two kids that depend on me,” McEntyre said. “When they canceled the season, I started thinking about what I was going to do with my life after that.”

Kenny McEntyre (Photo by Reinhold Matay)

The all-time leader in interceptions and three-time defensive player of the year spent the past year working as a personal trainer when he was not on the golf course or joining teammate Marlon Moye-Moore in hosting youth football camps throughout the area.

“I was just getting acclimated to the real world, “ said Moye-Moore, who also launched his own fitness company and coached Pop Warner Football this past year. “Coaching and training those kids was probably the best thing for me.”

It proved an amicable distraction from the reality he and his peers faced.

“We were shocked [upon learning of the AFL’s demise]. I’ve been playing football now for 17 years and it was hard to sit and watch the NFL during a time when I’m usually preparing for my own season.”

On Thursday, the Predators made their return to town official as part of the newly formed Arena Football One (AF1), where salaries are expected to be significantly lower than they ever were in the AFL when they reportedly ranged between $30,000 to $189,000 a year. Despite that, McEntyre and Moye-Moore brushed off any reservations they had of returning for one primary reason.

“My passion to play football outweighs the pay,” said Moye-Moore.

Now if only local fans are as open to reunions as the players are.

– Back In Black –

Predators’ managing partner Brett Bouchy vowed all along to bring arena football back to town in some form or another and he backed it up by banding with several other AFL owners to help form the new league.

He’s now confident that The Jungle at Amway Arena will again be packed with fans just as it once was.

“April 30th will be a sellout,” Bouchy declared on Thursday, after opening the team’s press conference at the Citrus Bowl Varsity Club with a public apology to fans, coaches and players for the cancelation of the 2009 season.

“It’s going to be a crowd like none other. It’s going to be rocking in The Jungle, I fully expect that,” he said.

Because of conflicts with the schedule of the Orlando Magic, the Predators will start the new season with a bye during opening weekend (April 2-3) then will be on the road the next two weeks before another off week sets the table for the home opener against the Iowa Barnstormers.

The 18-week regular season will run through July 31 with 15 teams participating. Franchises have been meshed between the big-market holdovers of the original AFL and the outposts that made up arenafootball2.

“Our fans love Orlando and as long as we keep playing hard and give them a reason to come, then I think they’ll be there,” said Moye-Moore.

The organization is banking that familiarity will help bring many of them back. Local fans throughout the years have helped give the Predators a unique home-field advantage ever since coming onto the scene in 1991.

With the recent signings of AFL star-power league wide, and the deals reached locally with former players such as McEntyre, Moye-Moore, T.T. Tolliver, Justin Cleveland, Damon Mason along with the hiring of former Orlando quarterback Pat O’Hara as the organizations fourth head coach, there’s a bit of nostalgia already brewing in the air.

Though maybe with one particular face noticeably missing.

Before introducing O’Hara to the public, Bouchy extended an open invitation to former head coach Jay Gruden, who spent his time away from arena football as the offensive coordinator with the United football League’s Florida Tuskers, “to contribute in any way on the football side of things that he can.”

So, maybe the return won’t exactly be like old times, but with a little more than three months remaining before Orlando’s beloved Preds take the field it looks as if Bouchy’s vision is truly taking shape.

“We’re back,” said McEntyre. “We’ve got to let ’09 go. It’s 2010; it’s a new year. Arena football, for whatever reason is back here in Orlando, and it’s time to put the past behind us.”

– More Orlando Predators Coverage –

Recap at Orlando Sentinel

Team page at ArenaFan

Story and video at WFTV

Schedule announced at MyFox

David Baumann at BHSN

Greg Dawson at Orlando Sentinel

Hugo Lindgren at Slate

Stephen Ruiz at Orlando Sentinel

Woody Wommack at Southwest Orlando Bulletin

Noelle Haner-Dorr at Orlando Business Journal