Now that they know who will play, the Baltimore Blackbirds are ready to roll.
The Blackbirds will officially begin their inaugural season in the American Indoor Football Association today by traveling to play the Reading (Pa.) Express at 7 p.m. The Blackbirds, who announced their official 30-man roster on Thursday, will face a team that already has played three games this season.
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“We have a fairly inexperienced team in regards to arena football,” Blackbirds coach Chris Simpson said. “I believe this game will really tell us where we?re at as a team. The guys have been ready to play since the beginning of the week.”
Simpson said he expected Kenny Irby to quarterback the team, while Howard University alum David Johnson will get the start at running back. Receiver Aaron Yarbough, who has been on practice squads in the American Football League, will be one of the starting receivers, along with Jerome McGee.
“We expect a lot of blitzes and press coverages from the secondary,” Simpson said.
Reading is off to a 2-1 start, thanks to a passing attack led by Tom Stetzer, who has connected on 23 of 44 passes for 221 yards and three touchdowns. The Express was in the playoffs last season for the American Indoor Football League, the previous incarnation of the AIFA. Receiver Carmelo Ocasio, who has seven catches for 57 yards, was the 2006 Northern Conference?s offensive MVP.
“Offensively, they have a very solid line, and their passing game will present a lot of crossing routes in order to confuse our defensive backs,” Simpson said.
“Reading is a top-quality team,” Blackbirds general manager John Wolfe said. “It will be a challenge for the team and a good opportunity to see where we stand.”
The Blackbirds, whose home opener isn?t until March 31, admit that they do not know how they measure up against the rest of the league right now because they did not even have a preseason game, but rather a prolonged training camp.
“I believe that it will take the team a couple of games to really get acclimated to the arena game,” Simpson said. “It is quite a bit faster than the outdoor game.”
