BALTIMORE MARINERS--2010, 2014 AMERICAN INDOOR FOOTBALL ASSOC. CHAMPIONS
The Baltimore Mariners were an indoor football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The team was a member of American Indoor Football. The team was founded when the American Indoor Football Association expelled the Baltimore Blackbirds for negotiating with another league. The AIFA maintained the lease rights to 1st Mariner Arena, so the Mariners were the league's replacement. On September 3, 2010, team owner Dwayne Wells was arrested on charges of wire fraud from an engineering firm he partially owned, allegedly using embezzled money from the firm to buy stakes in the Mariners franchise. Wells forfeited his ownership of the team, causing the Mariners to fold after the 2010 season. The Southern Indoor Football League, as successor to the eastern half of the AIFA, held the lease on the arena, now called Baltimore Arena, until it folded in 2011. The Mariners, after three seasons out of play, returned for one final season in 2014, winning the league championship before folding again.
On March 21, 2010, the Mariners became the first team in AIFA history to earn a shutout win, as they won over the Fayetteville Guard 59-0.
On April 24, 2010, Baltimore continued its record-setting performances during a 91-19 home win over the Guard. They would set the team record for most points in one half (59) and the most points in one game (91).
On June 26, 2010, Baltimore became the first team in AIFA history to finish the regular season undefeated with a record of 14-0. Baltimore went on to win the AIFA Championship and complete their undefeated season with a 57-42 victory on July 25, 2010 over the Western Conference champions, the Wyoming Cavalry. In winning AIFA IV, the Mariners not only brought the city of Baltimore its first pro indoor football title, but also increased the city’s number of overall pro football championships to eight (Baltimore Colts [NFL] in 1958, 1959, 1968, and 1970, Baltimore Stars [USFL] in 1985, Baltimore Stallions [CFL] in 1995, Baltimore Ravens [NFL] in 2000 and 2012, and Baltimore Mariners [AIFA] in 2010).
In September 2013, the AIF announced that Baltimore would be re-joining the league in 2014. On October 9, 2013, the Mariners announced Ron Meehan would be returning as head coach. In 2014, they won the AIF Championship against the Cape Fear Heroes by a score of 45-44.
Baltimore Completes 16-0 Season with Win in AIFA Title Game
BALTIMORE, MD (July 25, 2010) – Perfection. Many have strived for it, but few have achieved it. The Baltimore Mariners (16-0) became one of a few teams in professional football history and the first team in American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) history to complete a season undefeated and win a national championship, by defeating the Wyoming Cavalry 57-42 in front of 6,075 fans at 1st Mariner Arena.
The Mariners, a relative newcomer to indoor football, entered AIFA Bowl IV riding a 15-game win streak and after winning the first conference championship in franchise history in just three years in existence. The Cavalry (14-2), in their 11th season, were appearing in their fifth league championship game and fourth straight title match. Despite the differing team histories, both squads were aiming for their first national championship.
Early in the game it looked like the Cavalry may finally bring a championship home to Casper, Wyoming. Just 58 seconds into the game Wyoming quarterback Matt Strand hit wide receiver Jasonus Tillery with a 30-yard score. Strand also connected with Tillery on the two-point conversion to give Wyoming an 8-0 lead.
On Baltimore’s first drive quarterback E.J. Nemeth threw a rare interception to defensive back Emery Beckles. The Cavalry then took possession at their own 23. Just one play later Strand hit Dante Dudley in stride and following a Strand to Josh Schleusner two-point pass the Baltimore fans stood stunned with their team trailing 16-0 with 8:02 left in the first period of play.
After the Wyoming kickoff was booted out at midfield the Mariners started their second drive of the day at the 25. After two straight incompletions Nemeth found Scorpio Brown on a 25-yards scoring pass to pull the Mariners within 16-6.
Working from their own 20, Wyoming had a quick two-yard gain on a rush from Schleusner, but Strand then had three straight incompletions, including a miss to Dudley on fourth down. Working on a short field Baltimore compiled an 8-play 22-yard drive capped off by a Nemeth one-yard rush. Mariners’ kicker J.R. Cipra then connected on the extra point and a uno on the kickoff to reduce the Wyoming lead to 16-14 with 12:30 left in the half.
On the next Wyoming drive, the Mariners defense, which ranked third in the AIFA with stops 67.3 percent of the time in the red zone, came up big with an Armar Watson interception on a third and goal from the Baltimore two. Baltimore’s hopes of a momentum shift were quickly squashed when their drive resulted in three incompletions and a missed 60-yard field goal attempt, which was returned by Beckles 54 yards to the Mariners’ four.
Wyoming again went to work from the red zone and again came up short as Watson deflected a Strand pass to Dudley on a fourth and goal from the two.
Baltimore’s offense also sputtered on their subsequent possession as Wyoming allowed only five yards and Cipra was forced to go for another long field goal; this one a 58-yarder. Following a miss Wyoming took possession at their own ten.
Strand absorbed the first Mariners’ sack of the day, by defensive end Melik Brown, pushing the Cavs back to their own four. On the next play Strand again found Tillery on a deep pass and the Virginia native raced in with a 44-yard score. Strand also found Tillery on the two-point conversion and Wyoming extended their lead again to 24-14.
Working with only seven seconds on the clock Nemeth found Aaron Yarbough on a quick out setting up a Cipra field goal attempt. Cipra, the league’s leading kicker, then cleared the uprights with a 34-yard kick and the two teams went to halftime with Wyoming leading 24-17; the first time Baltimore had trailed at the half all season.
The Mariners, who outscored opponents 372-174 in the second half this season started the third period with a five-play, 30 yard drive that ended with an Isaiah Grier eight-yard touchdown run. Cipra connected on the extra point and for the first time in the championship game the score was knotted, at 24-24.
Wyoming’s next drive also ended with a red zone interception by Watson. After Nemeth hit Yarbough on a 20-yard scoring strike and Cipra connected on the PAT/uno combo again, Baltimore had its first lead at 32-24 and it looked like the momentum may finally swing the Mariners way for good.
Strand, who threw a league leading 66 touchdown passes during the 2010 regular season quickly connected on three straight passes including a four-yard score to Tillery and Baltimore’s edge was reduced to 32-30 following a missed two-point conversion.
Baltimore responded with a Nemeth to Yarbough 35-yard score and following a Cipra extra point and uno, the Mariners once again boosted their lead to 40-30; the tally at theend of the third period.
In what was becoming a second half pattern Stand found Tillery on a 41-yard pass and then hit Tillery on a quick four-yard slant to pull the Cavs within 40-36.
After a five-play, 16-yard drive Baltimore continued the cat-and-mouse game and increased their lead to 43-36 with a Cipra 29-yard field goal. Wyoming took possession with 10:15 left to play and Strand compiled a four-play, 30-yard drive, which was capped off once again with a Strand to Tillery touchdown.
Baltimore then came up with an important stop on the two-point conversion to preserve their lead at 43-42.
Now with just 6:30 left in the contest Grier bolted six yards from the Baltimore 14, Nemeth hit Brown on a 28-yard reception, and then Grier finished off the drive with a two-yard TD run at the 4:35 mark and a 50-42 Baltimore advantage. Just three plays into Wyoming’s next drive, Richard Johnson, the Mariners’ all-time tackle leader in the regular season and playoffs, intercepted a Strand pass intended for Tillery at the Wyoming 17 and with 1:21 remaining the Baltimore faithful could start sensing Charm City’s first indoor football title, and eighth overall, was in reach.
To give Baltimore its final margin of victory, Nemeth found Brown open along the sideline and he dashed 16 yards for the score and a 57-42 lead. With one final attempt and 33 seconds on the clock Strand lofted a deep pass, which was snagged by Watson and the AIFA’s leading interception man in 2009 and 2010 sealed the win and national championship for the Mariners. Nemeth earned his second straight playoff win at quarterback with 21 of 30 passing for 228 yards and four touchdowns against just one early interception.
Nemeth commented on the Mariners’ national championship, “It feels amazing; an honor to play alongside all of my teammates.”
Brown and Yarbough both led the Mariners with eight receptions and two touchdowns with Brown racking up 108 yards receiving and Yarbough 85. Jamaal Stokes also added three receptions for 22 yards and Grier had two catches for 13 yards. Grier also led the Mariners with 26 rushing yards and two rushing scores. Strand piled up six touchdown passes and 257 yards on 16 for 31 passing, but was hindered by four interceptions. Tillery tormented the Mariners’ defense all day and piled up 170 yards receiving and five touchdowns on seven receptions. Dante Dudley added one touchdown reception. Defensive end Martini Hilliard with 7.5 and linebacker Charles Hunt with 4.5 led Wyoming in tackles.
The Cavalry defense was unable to sack Nemeth all day, however, and only snagged one interception. In all three Mariners’ playoff games Richard Johnson has led the team in tackles. Against Wyoming he notched five take-downs and also had one interception. Melik Brown had 4.5 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss and one sack.
The star of the day, defensively, was Armar Watson with his three interceptions. He now has five interceptions in three Mariners’ playoff games. Defensive end Fearon Wright, the Mariners’ all-time sack leader, also recorded a sack against Strand.
J.R. Cipra who booted 15 points through the uprights including two field goals (34, 29) and three 60-yard unos on kickoffs said, “I wish it wasn't over. I love my teammates and this truly was a season to remember. Out of my three championship wins, this one by far meant the most; undefeated! Thanks for coming to the game Baltimore you truly were the 9th man!"
In defeating the Cavalry 57-42 the Mariners earned the first national indoor football championship for Baltimore and added to Charm City’s title count. Baltimore now has won eight football league crowns including five National Football League (NFL) titles, one Canadian Football league (CFL) championship, and one United States Football League (USFL) trophy. In just their third year of play the Mariners became one of only a handful of teams in professional football to win a championship and go undefeated. They also became the first team in AIFA history to win a championship undefeated. --- John Wolfe