Empire Game Preview -- Week 10 at Arizona Rattlers
April 21, 2017 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Spokane Empire News Release
SPOKANE, Washington - The Empire (5-2, 4-1) will take on the Arizona Rattlers (4-3, 3-0) in Week 10 of the 2017 IFL regular season this Saturday, April 22 at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, AZ with a 6:00 p.m. PT kickoff.
Saturday will mark the first time in a year and a half that Spokane and Arizona franchises have faced off against each other in football, and will be their first game in IFL competition. The last game between these two was a playoff game that saw Arizona emerge victorious, 72-41. Including playoff games, the Rattlers are 11-7 all time against Spokane.
The Empire came off of their final bye of the season, defeating Colorado in Week 9 by a score of 36-24. Spokane looks to play a cleaner game against their former rival Arizona, who are a week removed from a 73-60 win over the Salt Lake Screaming Eagles.
The Rattlers, expected to be an immediate threat in the IFL, stumbled out of the gate at the beginning of the season in February, dropping two games in a row to the Sioux Falls Storm and the Iowa Barnstormers. Since, they have gone 4-1, including a 3-0 start in Intense Conference play.
This will be the first time that head coaches Adam Shackleford and Kevin Guy meet, and already the prize will be great. Arizona now challenges Spokane for the top of the Intense Conference. The Nebraska Danger had the number one spot after besting the Empire in Week 8, but was lost after Arizona defeated them just one week later.
For Spokane, Charles Dowdell again leads the charge, averaging 148.6 yards per game passing, and 44.7 yards rushing, good for fifth and fourth place in the league respectively. His receiving corps looks to break out against the Rattler secondary and improve on their touchdown reception count for the season, 25 through seven games. Good for third in the IFL.
Spokane's rushing attack is third in the league with 628 yards gained on the ground thus far. Dowdell will be expected to be getting help from both Mulku Kalokoh and Trevor Kennedy to penetrate an Arizona defense allowing an average of 89 rushing yards per game.
The Rattlers will see Cody Sokol will be under center once more. Sokol has seen his passing percentage get better every week he has been active, and will attempt to ride the hot hand again as far as completions. The quarterback is looking to gain much more than just the 102 yards he completed last week against Salt Lake.
The Rattlers should be focusing just as much on their hot running game with Darrell Monroe. The IFL rookie is coming off an Offensive Player of the Week performance for Week 9 with five rushing touchdowns, a current league high.
Monroe will be challenging an Empire defense, the second best rushing defense in the IFL. Spokane is allowing only an average of 46.6 rushing yards per game. The linebackers are not to be taken lightly, as Pasquale Vacchio, Nick Haag and Andrew Jackson all lead the team in tackles. John Griggs will be heading up the defensive line as the leader in tackles for loss with 9.5, and sacks with 7.5.
The defensive backs seem to be the top guys for the Rattler defense when looking at the stat sheet. Adam Sauder, Arkeith Brown and Allen Chapman lead Arizona with total tackles, in addition to Nathan Lindsey who led the team last week in tackles versus Salt Lake. Interestingly enough, these backs focus more on the ground than the air, as the Rattlers only have four interceptions all year.
Saturday's game will be broadcast live on the IFL's YouTube Channel and also available on 700 ESPN and 105.3 FM radio in Spokane with Larry Weir on the call. The Swinging Doors will be hosting the official Spokane Empire Watch Party, located at 1018 W. Francis Ave.
Indoor Football League Stories from April 21, 2017
- Empire Game Preview -- Week 10 at Arizona Rattlers - Spokane Empire
- Week 10 Preview - Sioux Falls Storm
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