Philly Soul coach still hot over player's ejection
Clint Dolezel disputes that wide receiver Marco Thomas threw punches during scuffle in last week's win over Portland.
ALMOST A WEEK later and Clint Dolezel is still fuming.
A scuffle during Saturday's win over Portland was made even worse, the Soul's coach contends, by two undeserved ejections.
One of the players tossed was Soul wide receiver Marco Thomas, who Dolezel said wasn't even part of the fight. The other player, Portland's Quincy Butler, was so irate over his ejection that he threw his helmet toward the padded sideline wall at Wells Fargo Center. Problem is, Butler missed the wall and hit a spectator sitting at field level.
The Soul won the game, but Dolezel was hot – specifically at losing Thomas, the team's top wide receiver.
"They said [Thomas] and the other guy were throwing punches at the bottom of the pile, which is as big of a lie as it gets," Dolezel said. "We saw another [replay] angle. Marco is sitting this way [against the boards] and the fight is behind him. I sent a stern email to the league about that. You can't just kick guys out because something is going on. You have to see something before you just kick guys out."
Butler was released by Portland on Monday and might never play again in the AFL.
"If you want to get right down to it, the other guy – the one who threw his helmet – he didn't throw a punch either," Dolezel continued. "They instigated that whole thing by throwing those two guys out. You wouldn't have this helmet being thrown into the stands and a fan being hit [without] the referees picking and choosing when they want to do stuff."
Game stuff
Dolezel figures tonight's game against visiting Orlando will be his team's toughest test yet. Philadelphia is 6-0.
The Predators (3-3) have lost their last two games by the identical score of 56-55 in overtime. Failed two-point conversions cost them in each.
One area of particular concern for Dolezel is special teams. Orlando's Mark Lewis, a 10-year AFL vet, is one of the best at onsides kicks. In the arena game, possessions are crucial and onsides kicks are a real weapon.
"We had a heart-to-heart this week," Dolezel said after yesterday's walk-through. "Our special teams were not up to par as far as returns and kickoff coverage. We made it a point of emphasis this week to make sure that that's something that doesn't get us beat."
The Soul beat Orlando in the season opener, 70-63, when Dan Raudabaugh hit Ryan McDaniel with 12 seconds left. Raudabaugh and Orlando quarterback Randy Hippeard each had eight TD passes in the game.
"They're the best football team we've played up to this point," Dolezel said.
Agenda
Orlando (3-3) at Soul (6-0)
When: Tonight, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Wells Fargo Center (19,500).
TV/Radio: None.
On the web: ESPN3, soul.ArenaFootball.com/allaccess
About the Soul: Are 6-0 for the first since 2008, when they started 9-0 About the Predators: Coached by Rob Keefe, who was a defensive back on the Soul's 2008 title team ... Orlando's top two receivers are Kendal Thompkins and Brandon Thompkins. They are not related. Fun facts: Orlando quarterback Randy Hippeard has completed a ridiculous 75.3 percent of his passes, which would break the AFL single-season record of 74.0 set by Georgia's Chris Griesen in 2007. The NFL record was set by Drew Brees in 2011 with 71.2. The Soul's Dan Raudabaugh, by the way, is at 64.7 percent this season. Up next: The Soul have a two-week road trip with games at Jacksonville on Saturday, May 16 and at Tampa Bay on Friday, May 22. Daily News AFL Top 5 1. San Jose, 6-0 2. Soul, 6-0 3. Arizona, 4-2 4. Cleveland, 4-2 5. Orlando, 3-3. .