As usual, there is no shortage of UCF alumni heading off to NFL training camps this week. Last fall the Knights had 15 alumni on active NFL rosters, two of which played in the Pro Bowl in Asante Samuel of the Philadelphia Eagles and new Miami Dolphin Brandon Marshall, who signed the richest free agent contract in NFL history for a wide receiver this offseason.

In addition to Marshall, a few other former Knights have changed teams since the conclusion of the 2009 season.

Defensive tackle Leger Douzable has moved from the St. Louis Rams to Detroit Lions. Travis Fisher has gone from the Seattle Seahawks to the Baltimore Ravens. Michael Gaines signed as a free agent with the Houston Texans after playing for the Cleveland Browns in 2009 but has since been released by the club. Michael Greco signed as an undrafted free agent with the New York Giants and earned a spot on the team’s training camp roster. Veteran offensive lineman Cornell Green was given a three-year free agent contract by the Buffalo Bills, where he will share a locker room with Torell Troup, a second round pick of the Bills in April’s draft. Also, Darcy Johnson has moved from the New York Giants to the St. Louis Rams.

Below is a listing of the 17 former Knights who will begin NFL training camps this week:

• Atari Bigby, S, #20, Green Bay Packers
• Patrick Brown, OL, #78. Minnesota Vikings
• Joe Burnett, CB, #27, Pittsburgh Steelers
• Leger Douzable, DT, Detroit Lions
• Travis Fisher, CB, #41, Baltimore Ravens
• Michael Greco, S, #41, New York Giants
• Cornell Green, OT, #74, Buffalo Bills
• Rashad Jeanty, LB, #53, Cincinnati Bengals
• Darcy Johnson, TE, #87, St. Louis Rams
• Brandon Marshall, WR, #19, Miami Dolphins
• Matt Prater, PK, #5, Denver Broncos
• Sha’reff Rashad, S, #30, New York Giants
• Asante Samuel, CB, #22, Philadelphia Eagles
• Mike Sims-Walker, WR, #11, Jacksonville Jaguars
• Josh Sitton, OG, #71, Green Bay Packers
• Kevin Smith, RB, #34, Detroit Lions
• Torell Troup, DT, #96, Buffalo Bills

In just its third year of existence Team Florida Orlando placed second in the 16-17 age division and third overall June 27-29 at the USA Weightlifting School Age National Championships in Foster City, Cal.

Team Florida Orlando

Program director and head coach Tyrone Harvey took eight Timber Creek High School girls weightlifters to the meet and watched as Stefania Maresca took the national title at 75-plus kilograms and Alexis Sanchez (53 kg) finished as a runner-up.

Although the two girls left the competition with a similar level of success, how they each got to the podium was quite different.

Harvey says Maresca is a relentless trainer entering her senior year with a real chance at a high school state title after coming close over the past two seasons. Sanchez began lifting competitively just seven months ago.

“Looking at the rankings before the trip, I was able to see that they were in a good position to finish near the top of the meet,” said Harvey.

By the end of the competition, both girls helped Team Florida Orlando come within a mere eight points of winning its age group. California’s Hassle Free Barbell and Team Georgia took the top-two spots overall.

Each lifter who made the trip to California – which was made possible through the group’s fundraising efforts and hard work during four-day-a-week training sessions – placed at the event.

Tina Lanni (75-plus kg) had been lifting just six months before entering the meet while Vicmariel Colon (75 kg) is said to have “huge potential” based on her dedication. Both finished fourth in the nation. Former cheerleader Danielle Mattessich (63 kg) and youngster Megan Murphy (69 kg) took fifth; while Jocelyn Mattos (63 kg), who began lifting this past April, and Britney Padilla (75 kg) each wrapped up sixth-place finishes.

Stefania Maresca won the national title at the USA Weightlifting School Age National Championships in Foster City.

“You can always go into a meet projecting a certain outcome,” said Harvey. “But it’s still always a huge accomplishment (when it happens) and I can’t be more proud of them.”

Team Florida Orlando, the only Olympic-style weightlifting club in Orlando, previously competed nationally in 2008 at Disney and a year ago in Georgia.

Harvey created the club as a way for his lifters to continue competing over the offseason once the short high school season is complete. He says there are currently close to 50 members – ranging in age from elementary school students to recent graduates from area high schools – taking part in the club at the facilities at Timber Creek High School, where he has coached boys and girls weightlifting since 2006.

If there was anyone qualified to lead such an effort, it’s Harvey. He won a weightlifting state championship in 2000 as a senior at University High School under the direction of then-coaches Jeff Boettner and Tony Bolyard.

Little did he know that 10 years later he would still be as heavily involved in the sport as he is.

“I really didn’t see it coming at all,” said Harvey of his life in the weight room. “I had coaches tell me back then (in high school) that weightlifting was my No. 1 sport, but I was just doing it to get ready for football.”

Alexis Sanchez lifted her way to a runner-up finish at the national competition.

It was Boettner that eventually planted the coaching seed as Harvey was invited to judge competitions after he had graduated. Harvey also serves as a youth service officer with the Orange County Sherriff’s Department.

And with the change in priorities that life presents to most anyone entering the twilight of their teen years, he’s always looking to drum up interest in weightlifting, whether at the youth level or for those looking to make a return to the sport. Harvey and Team Florida Orlando can be reached at 407-536-USAW (8729).

“After many of the lifters graduate from high school it’s hard to keep them coming back and lifting,” said Harvey. “Life kind of starts happening before they eventually move on. But I’m very grateful for those that stick around.”

If moments like last month are of any indication, there’s plenty of payoff in store for those interested in staying committed.

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

When she returns to town, the Waterford Lakes resident will get right back to making life a little bit better for the children and families of the special needs community.

After years of hosting the summer Shriver Camp locally through Special Olympics, Haas realized there was a greater need for the autism community, among them her 15-year old son, Matthew.

A grand vision has since materialized in her mind. Now if only the entire scene could unfold as planned. She has high hopes that one day her nonprofit organization, Orange County Athletics, will be fully operational to the point where it can better serve children with autism and other related disabilities.

What started out as servicing 19 families in March 2009 has since prospered into 65 families taking part in the organization’s summer camps, weekend events and Special Olympics training.

Yet there is still so much that can be offered.

“It is our goal to build a facility like the YMCA, but for the special needs community and their families,” said Haas.

Beyond that, she would like to see a residential facility come to life where people persevering through their disabilities can live, work and play in some capacity or another.

In the immediate future though, the goal is to find a temporary facility, within the next year or so, in order to operate before the bigger picture can better come into focus.

“I think about the families I work with and wonder ‘this can be their college’,“ she said of finding a permanent home.

But the reality is that locking down investors in this current economy, and finding ways to offset the startup cost, will hold up any big plans at this point.

“It takes a lot of money, a lot of manpower to make this work,” said Haas. “Right now the focus is on the three things we can offer the community.”

That means providing each kid “the opportunity to improve on the quality of life though a multi-disciplinary approach.”

– Summer Camps (through Aug. 13) – Orange County Athletics currently hosts its summer camps at YMCA-Eastbrooke in Winter Park. Children with autism and other related disabilities are paired with volunteer “counselors in training,” otherwise known as typical peers, as they participate in activities ranging from team sports, recreational games, swimming, music, dance, and arts and crafts.

– Saturday Events – Also referred to as C.L.I.M.B. (Community Leaders Initiating Meaningful Bonds), the program allows the counselors in training the opportunity to facilitate age-appropriate activities in a structured setting with school-aged children affected with disibilities. This program is offered once a month.

– Special Olympics Training – This registered training program is in place with Special Olympics Orange County, which prepared more than 60 athletes this year for the summer season. Orange County Athletics participates in year-round Special Olympics activities with sessions available throughout fall, winter and summer.

Jacob Johnston (left) and Colin Grossman enjoy a game of flag football.

Whether it’s seeing the improvements take place in her own son, or hearing the touching stories from the families that have benefited in some form or another, it’s clear that over time these activities have made an all-around impact.

“The parents get so excited when they see what we’re doing,” she said. “You see it in the looks on their faces when they pick their kids up. It’s a sense of security for them.”

Haas says that when in play, these children are given the chance to build the social skills they severely lack.

“We have seen a tremendous growth in social skills, communication, gross motor improvement and a sense of belonging in the community,” she said.

And evidently the kids are not the only ones benefiting.

“The volunteers learn respect, compassion and a sense of giving back to their community at a very young age.”

Haas can’t say enough about the group of people surrounding her efforts. From the adults on staff to those typical peers who act as counselors in training, she says they’ve proven to be “compassionate individuals” who put in long hours over the summer to help impact the lives of those they work with.

“I’ve been real fortunate to work with such a great set of colleagues,” said Haas. “They just love what we’re doing.”

Should their efforts eventually expand in the long run, there will be plenty of love to go around.

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

Oklahoma City (6-7) and Alabama (6-7) are the odd teams out so far while Tampa Bay (10-3), Tulsa (8-5) and Jacksonville (9-4) look pretty secure following 15 weeks of play.

But as tough as it was to pull out the win over the Vipers at home on Friday, in front of an announced crowd of 10,504 rowdy fans, hitting the highway to take on the Iron (8-5) presents a completely different challenge altogether.

“We can’t make mistakes if we’re going to take this thing any further,” said Preds Coach Pat O’Hara following Friday’s win. “It’s a critical three-game stretch here and it starts in Milwaukee.”

While the Orlando defense dominated and were clearly the stars in the win over Alabama, the Preds offense went nearly two full quarters without reaching the end zone.

Frisner Nelson recorded two sacks on the night while Mark Robinson, Arrion Dixon and Johnnie Balous each got to the quarterback once for a sack. What didn’t show up in the box score though were the countless times the Preds pressured quarterback Tim Hicks, who fumbled twice and was picked off three times.

“They say defense wins games, so that’s what we came out to do,” said Rayshaun Kizer. “We just try to come out here and get as many stops as we can.”

In the second quarter Kizer made a huge tackle at the 1-yard line on fourth down to force a turnover-on-downs after Alabama ran nearly nine minutes off the clock. With Orlando leading 31-14 in the final seconds of the first half, Kizer then intercepted a deep pass downfield before intermission.

The importance of this particular win was not lost on the second-year arena football player.

“This was huge,” said Kizer. “This still keeps us in the playoff hunt.”

Kenny McEntyre, who suffered a minor concussion with less than nine minutes to play following a big hit on a receiver over the middle, intercepted two passes in the second half before being lost for the night.

Yet Alabama would not go away. Orlando missed a field goal in the third quarter and fumbled at the goal line in the final minutes of the fourth quarter to set the Vipers up for a chance at a miracle finish.

But a sack by Nelson, a pass defense in the end zone by C.L. Grogan, and a tackle on fourth down by Josh Bush (who returned a missed field goal for a touchdown in the game) held off the threat.

“We’re going to have to play like this throughout (the rest of the season) if we’re going to win,” said McEntyre afterwards. “If we don’t play good on defense we’re likely going to lose. It has come to that. We had too many stops to only score 45 points and that’s not good.”

The Preds will need to put up some points in order to keep up with Milwaukee, the leagues most potent offense at 65.9 points per game. And to do so, it’ll have to start with quarterback Nick Hill.

Hill had his moments on Friday – both good and bad – as he finished 19-of-28 for 206 yards, five touchdowns, an interception (that went back for a score to make it a 38-27 game with 12:26 to go) and was stripped of the ball in the fourth just before crossing into the end zone.

Still, he’s confident that the chemistry on that side of the ball is coming around with enough time left to spare Orlando’s season.

“We’ve been up and down all year,” said Hill. “We know what it’s like to get beat close, we know what it’s like to win. We’ve got three games left, three weeks where we all just got to sellout for each other and get some wins.”

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

– Photos by Chris Schubert –

Florida Tuskers safety Jerome Carter never had a football camp to attend when growing up in Lake City, Fla. And that has been a motivating factor for him as each July he hosts a free clinic for underprivileged kids in the small community.

“First, it’s about getting the kids out there and having fun. It’s a way for me to get involved and give back to the community,” Carter said. “Second, I never had the chance to interact with football players growing up, so that’s another reason why I do this.”

“Overall, I think It’s important for professional athletes to get involved,” Tuskers Head Coach Jay Gruden said. “You’re creating relationships with the kids, which is a good thing.  Jerome has done a great job in getting involved in his community.”

Carter’s football credentials were established early in his career. The Gainesville Sun named Carter its State Player of the Year for 2001, and the Florida Athletic Coaches Association named him the Class 5A Player of the Year his senior year.

“He’s a talented guy,” Gruden said. “He’s been coached by great coaches and for this reason Jerome can offer a lot to these young kids both from his experiences off the field and on the field. Anytime you can better the place where you grew up, man, it’s an important thing to do.”

Carter would go on to Florida State and in 2002, his first year of football there, scored on a blocked punt against Wake Forest. Carter was an honorable mention All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection as a junior, and was the defensive team captain his senior year.

Carter finished his career at FSU with 257 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 3 interceptions.

After being drafted into the NFL in the fourth round by the St. Louis Rams in 2005, Carter finished his rookie season with 38 tackles, including 12 in one game against the Houston Texans. He added 18 more tackles to his career numbers the following year plus two interceptions for 39 yards, including a big pick against the Detroit Lions.

After missing the next year with an injury, Carter was signed by the Dallas Cowboys in 2009, but was waived in August that same year, just in time to sign with the Florida Tuskers.

He played in all six regular-season games for the Tuskers last season with five starts. His 24 tackles and 2 interceptions for 98 yards were enough to get protected status from the Tuskers for this upcoming season.

“It’s very important to get him back,” Gruden said of Carter’s return to the Tuskers. “Jerome’s a smart guy. He’s always in the right place at the right time. He has a year of experience under his belt at the safety position in our defense which is huge, because we ask a lot of our safeties. It’s going to be good to have a guy back there experienced with the terminology and the system that we run. He’s a great leader and he’s shown that he’s a great player.”

The Tuskers, who went undefeated in the 2009 season with a 6-0 record, open training camp in mid-August.  The team will play four regular season home games at the Citrus Bowl.  Season tickets start as low as $60 and can be obtained at 407-545-8123.

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

The all-star game will be broadcasted on Bright House Sports Network. The five-team league runs through Aug. 5 when the championship game is played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.

– League Leader: Batting Average

SS Samuel Kimmel – Winter Park – The Jupiter native and last season’s most valuable player at Indian River State College leads the FCSL with a .374 batting average. In 99 appearances at the plate (through 23 games), Kimmel has accounted for 37 hits, 15 RBI, 13 runs, 7 walks and 4 doubles while striking out just 12 times for the Diamond Dawgs. On July 2 against DeLand he went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base in a 6-5 win and on July 9 he finished 4-for-6 with two RBI in an 11-10 win at Leesburg.

Next in Line: Sanford has three players atop the standings at the all-star break, including Jabari Blash at .353, Tyler Benzel at .350, and Kelvin Clark at .343 for the River Rats. Winter Park’s Brad Dantzler is batting .339 to round out the Top-5.

– League Leader: Runs Batted In

IF Tyler Benzel – Sanford – The Florida Southern transfer not only carries a .350 batting average but has drove in a league-high 21 runs thus far on the season. In 117 plate appearances (through 29 games), Benzel has 41 hits, 25 runs, 11 walks, 6 doubles and 2 home runs against 17 strikeouts this summer. On June 28 he went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two stolen bases in a 17-5 win at Winter Park then on July 8 against Orlando he went 2-for-4 with two RBI in a 3-1 win.

Next in Line: Winter Park’s Alex Friedrich (20), Sanford’s Kelvin Clark (18), Leesburg’s Mark Darlington (17) and Winter Park’s Mitchel Brennan (17) lead the league in runs driven in.

– League Leader: Earned Run Average

RHP Zachary Haile – Sanford – The Lake Mary alum carries a 1.57 ERA into the all-star break after making five starts and appearing in six games in all. In 34.1 innings of work he’s allowed 28 hits, struck out 18, walked just 2 batters and stands at 4-0 on the summer. The best outing for Haile this season came on June 25 against DeLand when he pitched eight scoreless innings, giving up five hits and striking out four in an 8-0 win.

Next in Line: Leesburg’s Nic Kovacs (1.59), Sanford’s Josh Strawn (1.64), Winter Park’s Bobby Bolling (1.73) and Leesburg’s Kyle Wahl (1.93) are the only pitchers in the league with a sub-2.00 ERA.

– League Leader: Strikeouts

LHP Steven Starbird – Orlando – The Tennessee native out of Lincoln Memorial has struck out 39 batters over 42 innings this summer while making seven appearances for the Mavericks. Starbird has given up 37 hits, walked 10 and owns a 3-1 record with a 2.57 ERA. On June 8 he struck out seven in five innings and allowed just two hits at Winter Park then struck out eight more Diamond Dawgs on July 10 while giving up three hits and an earned run over 8.1 innings in a 6-1 win.

Next in Line: Leesburg’s Kyle Wahl (34), DeLand’s Joseph Munoz (27), Winter Park’s Trey Dahl (26) and Jake Boyd (26) are among the top strikeout pitchers this summer.

– More League Leaders:

Infielder Drew Morgan (Sanford) leads the league in runs scored with 26 and walks with 24… Infielder Tyler Benzel (Sanford) leads the league in hits with 41… Outfielder Mark Nelson (Orlando) leads the league in doubles with 10… Outfielder Alex Friedrich (Winter Park) leads the league in triples with 4… Outfielder Stephen Bellantoni (DeLand) leads the league in stolen bases with 19… Catcher Brad Hutton (Winter Park) leads the league in home runs with 3… Right-hander Zachary Haile (Sanford) leads the league in wins with 4… Winter Park’s Chandler Jagodzinski leads the league in saves with 8… Leesburg’s Nic Kovacs is the only pitcher this summer to record a complete game as he shut out DeLand 2-0 on June 16 by striking out four and allowing five on base.

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

Among those scheduled to appear include 2009 United Football League MVP quarterback Brooks Bollinger, former UCF star and current Tuskers wide receiver Rocky Ross, first year quarterback and former USF star Matt Groethe, and running back Kevin Harris, a former standout at Wake Forest University and Seminole and Winter Springs high schools.

Head coach Jay Gruden will be on hand to give fans an outlook on the season ahead while members of the 2010 Florida Tuskers Dance Team will also be in attendance.

In conjunction with the Tuskers, Ember will offer drink specials throughout the event along with complimentary appetizers.

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

“Chris (Duhon) provides depth, leadership and stability to our backcourt,” said Magic General Manager Otis Smith.  “He takes care of the basketball, defends well and can hit the open shot.  We’re very happy to add Chris to our team.”

Duhon (6’1, 190) played in 67 games - making 59 starts - last season with the New York Knicks. He averaged 7.4 points, 5.6 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 30.9 minutes per game. Duhon led the Knicks in assists and was tied for fifth in the NBA in assists-to-turnover ratio at 378-110 while leading the team in scoring twice and in assists in 38 different games. He scored in double figures 23 times, including a season-high 25 points on Dec. 4 on the road against Atlanta, and also recorded 10-plus assists four times.

Duhon was originally selected in the second round (No. 38 overall) by the Chicago Bulls in the 2004 NBA Draft. He has appeared in 446 career NBA regular season games, averaging 7.7 points, 5.1 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 8.5 minutes per game while shooting .362 (553-1,526) from three-point range and .797 (554-695) from the free throw line.

- Pro Summer League -

Led by Patrick Ewing on the bench, the Orlando Magic finished with just a 1-4 mark last week at the 2010 AirTran Airways Pro Summer League. Oklahoma City led the way with a 4-1 record while Charlotte, Indiana, Utah and New Jersey each ended the week with 3-2 marks.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Jrue Holiday paced all scorers with 19.3 points per game and was named to the All-Summer League First Team at the conclusion of the five-day event. The New Jersey Nets had two recipients on the First Team in guard/forward Terrence Williams (18.8 ppg, 5.0 apg) and forward Damion James (18.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg), while Boston forward Luke Harangody (16.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and Oklahoma City center BJ Mullens (16.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg) were also honored.

The All-Summer League Second Team consisted of Indiana Pacers center Magnum Rolle, Charlotte Bobcats guard Gerald Henderson, Philadelphia 76ers guard Jodie Meeks, Oklahoma City guard James Harden and Bobcats forward Derrick Brown.

Honorable Mention honors went to Indiana’s Lance Stephenson, Josh McRoberts and Paul George, Utah’s Kosta Koufos and Gordon Hayward, Boston’s Jaycee Carroll, Oklahoma City’s Eric Maynor and Kyle Weaver and Orlando’s Joe Crawford, Paul Davis and Patrick Ewing, Jr.

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

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) –

Due to space limitations, the event is not open to the public. But fans can follow along from home, where they can get the action, box scores, game recaps and cumulative statistics at the official Orlando Magic website. Games will begin at 1 p.m. from Monday-Thursday and at 8 a.m. on Friday.

– Orlando Magic’s Pro Summer League Roster –

#5 – Jeff Adrien (PF) – 6-7, 243 – Leche Rio Breogan Lugo (Spain)

#10 – Joe Crawford (G) – 6-5, 210 – Los Angeles D-Fenders (NBADL)

#40 – Paul Davis (C) – 6-11, 270 – Maine Red Claws (NBADL)

#24 – Patrick Ewing Jr. (F) – 6-8, 240 – Reno Big Horns (NBADL)

#23 – Trey Gilder (F) – 6-9, 185 – Albuquerque Thunderbirds (NBADL)

#35 – Yaroslav Korolev (F) – 6-9, 225 – Reno Bighorns (NBADL)

#34 – Ben McCauley (F/C) – 6-9, 237 – Strasbourg IG (France)

#43 – Daniel Orton (C) – 6-10, 255 – Kentucky

#1 – Jerome Randle (G) – 5-10, 172 – California

#25 – Stanley Robinson (F) – 6-9, 210 – Connecticut

#4 – Sean Singletary (G) – 6-0, 185 – Caja Laboral Vitoria (Spain)

#45 – Vladimir Stimac (C) – 6-10, 255 – KK Crvena Zvezda Beograd (Serbia)

#3 – Curtis Stinson (G) – 6-3, 215 – Iowa Energy (NBADL)

#11 – Donell Taylor (G) – 6-5, 215 – Erie Bayhawks (NBADL)

– 2010 AirTran Airways Pro Summer League Schedule –

Monday, July 5, 2010

Game 1            1 p.m.            Charlotte @ Utah

Game 2            3 p.m.            Indiana @ Orlando

Game 3            5 p.m.            Boston @ OKC

Game 4            7 p.m.            NJ @ Philadelphia

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Game 1            1 p.m.            Utah @ Orlando

Game 2            3 p.m.            Charlotte @ OKC

Game 3            5 p.m.            Philadelphia @ Boston

Game 4            7 p.m.            Indiana @ NJ

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Game 1            1 p.m.            Charlotte @ Boston

Game 2            3 p.m.            OKC @ Philadelphia

Game 3            5 p.m.            NJ @ Orlando

Game 4            7 p.m.            Indiana @ Utah

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Game 1            1 p.m.            OKC @ Orlando

Game 2            3 p.m.            Indiana @ Boston

Game 3            5 p.m.            Utah @ NJ

Game 4            7 p.m.            Philadelphia @ Charlotte

Friday, July 9, 2010

Game 1            8 a.m.            OKC @ Indiana

Game 2            10 a.m.          Philadelphia @ Utah

Game 3            12 p.m.          NJ @ Boston

Game 4            2 p.m.            Charlotte @ Orlando

(10-minute intermission between games)

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