THUNDER NOTES: Pigskin Posts

By Patrick E. Litowitz
New Castle News

July 18, 2008 10:06 pm

— Commitment to the undefeated New Castle Thunder presents itself in different forms.
Quarterback Cecil Howard will be getting married this morning and then be in uniform for the Thunder’s 7 p.m. contest against the Pittsburgh Colts at George K. Cupples Stadium.
Then there’s defensive back Keith Ptomey.
The one-time Colts standout found himself on the outs with head coach Ed Brosky after the team lost its third-round North American Football League playoff game last season.
According to Ptomey, he no sooner set foot out of the shower after the loss when Brosky released him.
Now both are components of a 5-0 New Castle squad looking for its first-ever win against 3-1 Pittsburgh, which plays in the Grassroots Division of the Regional American Football League.
Team owner Anthony Razzano said he was surprised to learn that Howard would be playing in tonight’s skirmish.
“And I said, ‘You’re going to be playing football Saturday night?’ and he said, ‘Yes, I am. That’s what I do,’” Razzano recalled.
Howard is one of three quarterbacks on the Thunder roster. He is joined by J.J. Wilson and New Castle High product Pat Cain. Preston Jones remains on injured reserve. Brandon Dando (Laurel), who suffered a knee injury, is questionable.
Ptomey is one of four former Colts now playing for Razzano’s Thunder. He is joined by Shephard Howard, Trent Kimbrough and Michael Patterson.
Ptomey played against the Thunder in the team’s first two seasons of existence.
“We knew they were a new team and just took it as a regular game,” he said. “No animosity toward anyone. We just went out there and played.
“The coaches had a lot of discrepancies. They wanted us to hate each other. But I just took it as another game.”
Thunder head coach Sam Holmes noticed an immediate dislike between the two squads, however.
“After the first game with the Colts, we became rivals,” he said.
Ptomey said Brosky didn’t care for his style of play.
“He thought I was an individual player, which I was not,” he said. “(Brosky’s) a stickler. He’s kind of strict. If it’s not his way, it’s nobody’s way.”
Ptomey’s trademark Spiderman undergarments also caught Brosky’s ire.
“I guess he got upset that I had my on Spiderman undergarments and was trying to bring attention to myself, said Ptomey, who wears the outfit on game day. “I like to bring excitement to the game. I just like to have fun.”
While he’ll be glad to see his old teammates, Ptomey said he’ll be thinking of last season’s incident.
“I look at this game a lot different. It’s going to be a good game. I’m going to have that extra attitude.”
Razzano said that after last week’s win against the Red Bulls, the Thunder faces another hurdle to overcome.
“It’s going to be a hostile situation. We’re going to take this game and use it for a barometer.”

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