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Arena Football:
CardSharks Get First Road Win
Atlantic City Deals Evansville the Loss 52-40

Satuday, May 15, 2004

By Matthew Gionta
Atlantic City Cardsharks Correspondent

The CardSharks recorded the first road victory in the short history of the franchise Saturday night in Evansville, Indiana. The Evansville Blue Cats (3-4) could not stop the efficient Atlantic City offense, as the CardSharks scored over 50 points for the fourth time this season. The CardSharks (3-4) also played well defensively, with a bend but don’t break attitude that helped them secure the win.

The CardSharks offense established the run, with nearly 50 yards rushing and five touchdowns. Quarterback Tony Racioppi completed 14 of 28 passes for 123 yards on the night. Racioppi accounted for six touchdowns by passing for three touchdowns and rushing for another three. Wide Receiver Eric Magrini led the way with 4 catches for 27 yards and two touchdowns. The CardSharks special teams also improved, as jack-of-all trades Rocco DeMaise took over the kicking duties this week. DeMaise handled the kickoffs well, and added 4 extra points on the night. Rocco also had 2 catches for 22 yards, scored twice on the ground and returned kicks for another 107 yards. Overall, DeMaise had 140 yards of total offense, and 16 points.

Atlantic City’s defensive unit applied a good deal of pressure on Blue Cats Quarterback Ramon Robinson. The CardSharks “D” had 3 sacks on the night, and the secondary came up with 2 interceptions. The leading tacklers on the night were Chonn Lacey and Omar Lucas, with each recording 6 tackles. Eddie Bynes had a breakout game, harassing Robinson all night and sacking him twice. Lance Smith and Jermain Johnson chipped in with an interception each.

“This was a big win for us and now we have the luxury of playing four straight games in Boardwalk Hall,” stated General Manager and Head Coach Mike Siani. “The team is excited to come home with a win, and we look to keep improving in the next few weeks.”

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