Writer: Matt Rappa

Soul Open 3-Game Homestand, Look to Snap 3-Game Skid Against Winless Destroyers

Matt Rappa Sports Editor

Published01 Jun 2019

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By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor

Having lost three straight games — falling by an average margin of 10.3 points — the Philadelphia Soul (2-3) will look to return to the .500 mark against the winless Columbus Destroyers (0-5) Saturday evening at the Wells Fargo Center.

As the Soul kick off their three-game homestand and a stretch of four of five home games on Saturday, they will look to avoid their first four-game skid since 2011 — two seasons before Clint Dolezel assumed his current role as head coach. The Soul have only five four-game skids in their history.

Against the Destroyers — who returned to the league this season — the Soul have won three straight and are 6-4 all-time. The Soul's most recent win against the Destroyers came in 2008.

Game Notes:

The Soul are 1-1 at home this season, having scored a combined 96 points and allowed a combined 98 points (-2). The winless Destroyers, meanwhile, have allowed 125 points and scored just 84 in their three road games this season (-41).
The Destroyers are averaging a league-worst 30.2 points per game, 9.8 points below the Atlantic City Blackjacks' second-worst 40.0 PPG. The Destroyers' -7 turnover margin is also a league-worst mark.
The Destoyers led the entire game in Week 5 against the Washington Valor, but surrendered a last-second touchdown, causing them to fall to 0-5.
With their 45-30 loss to the Baltimore Brigade in Week 5, the Soul fell below the .500 mark for the first time since the 2014 season. Also, the Soul's 30 points were their third-fewest points scored in any game under Dolezel. The Soul were largely impacted by injuries to WR Aaron Wascha (missed the entire second half) and WR Lonnie Outlaw (left in fourth quarter).
The Soul's James Romain (2) and the Destroyers' Varmah Sonie (2) are among just seven defensive players with at least two interceptions this season. The Brigade's Joe Powell leads the league as the only player with three interceptions. Both of Romain's interceptions were pick-sixes in the 48-41 season opener win over the Atlantic City Blackjacks on April 27.
Dolezel seeks his 80th career win as Soul head coach (79-35); he will oppose Destroyers head coach Matt Sauk, who played for the Soul in 2006 as quarterback. Dolezel is tied for eighth
place on the AFL’s all-time coaching wins; he needs just four more wins to pass Redskins head coach Jay Gruden for seventh.
Longtime Soul WR Darius “Money” Reynolds will play at both wide receiver and linebacker. Reynolds came off injured reserve last week against the Baltimore Brigade and got his first in-game look at the position.
Against the Destroyers — who returned to the league this season — the Soul have won three straight and are 6-4 all-time. The Soul's most recent win against the Destroyers came in 2008.
The Soul have trailed at halftime in eight straight games, dating back to last season; the team is 2-6 in those contests. It has been nearly one year (June 10, 2018) since the Soul led going into the half, an 11-game stretch.

Soul QB Dan Raudabaugh has the second-most touchdowns in the league this season (23). The Destroyers' Grant Russell, meanwhile, has the second-fewest (15) among quarterbacks with at least 15 passing attempts. Last week, Russell threw 12-for-12 with three touchdowns in the first half against the Washington Valor, but went just 8-for-15 in the second half with no touchdowns.
Raudabaugh will look to rebound from completing just 44.1 percent of his passes (15-34) during the team's 45-30 Week 5 loss to the Baltimore Brigade. The completion percentage was Raudbaugh's lowest since 2014, and the fifth-lowest of his now 10-season career.

Russell represents the Destroyers' only rusher with at least five rushing attempts and at least one touchdown this season. Soul FB Adrian Ferns, meanwhile, has 4 touchdowns this season on 20 attempts (35 total yards). Three of the 4 touchdowns came during the season opener against the Blackjacks.

Soul WR Darius Prince and Destroyers WR Fabian Guerra are tied with the second-most touchdowns in the league this season (9). Guerra logged 290 all-purpose yards and six scores in Week 4 against the Albany Empire, but was held to only 84 yards in Week 5 home against the Washington Valor, albeit while still scoring twice in the first quarter.
This season, Guerra is averaging an AFL-best 150.2 all-purpose yards per game. He also has logged two kick return touchdowns, which combined are as many as the rest of the league.

Soul Transactions:

Thursday, May 30:
- Assigned OL Marvis Brown (6’2, 320, 4.14.1997, Arkansas State, R)
- Assigned WR Damond Powell (5’11, 175, 10.31.1992, Iowa, R)
Wednesday, May 29:
- Placed on league suspension: WR Aaron Wascha (6’3, 205, 5.2.1992, N/A, 1)
Tuesday, May 28:
- Placed on league suspension: OL Fred Lauina (6’4, 330, 5.17.1995, Oregon State, R)