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Mohegan Hoping To Score In Rematch With Nighthawks

May 30, 2003 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Mohegan Wolves News Release


NEW LONDON, Conn. (May 30, 2003) – The Mohegan Wolves (arenafootball2) face their fourth road test of the 2003 season when they travel to Norfolk, VA this Saturday (May 31) to take on the Norfolk Nighthawks. The Wolves (4-3) are looking to take down the same Nighthawks squad that handed them their first home loss of the season just one week ago. Mohegan is also out to snap the Norfolk’s three-game winning streak. Saturday’s game will kick off at 7:00 p.m. at Norfolk Scope Arena.

Wolves Game Seven Recap – 5/23/03 – The Norfolk Nighthawks defense withstood a late Mohegan rally attempt to earn a hard-fought 39-30 road win on Friday, May 23, at Mohegan Sun Arena. Norfolk improved to 5-2 overall with the win. QB Aaron Sparrow clinched the Nighthawk victory in the final minute when he found WR/DB Melvin Coleman for a 15-yard touchdown pass. Sparrow earned Game MVP honors for his 192-yard, four-touchdown performance (three passing, one rushing). Norfolk’s defensive efforts were keyed by their defensive front, namely linemen Duane Williams and Ron Waife. Williams earned ADT Defensive Player of the Game honors for registering one sack and one forced fumble. Waife was also strong, contributing 3.5 tackles and 2.5 sacks on the night. Mohegan OS Cy Butler stood out for the Wolves individually, catching five passes for 63 yards and one touchdown. Butler also returned five kickoffs for a game-high 95 yards on his way to earn Ironman of the Game accolades.

This Friday’s matchup at a glance – Mohegan Wolves (4-3) at Norfolk Nighthawks (5-2)

Saturday’s game between the Wolves and Nighthawks will be the fourth all-time meeting between the two teams. Norfolk currently leads the series, 2-1. Their most recent meeting came just one week ago at Mohegan (May 23, see recap above). The two other head-to-head battles between the Wolves and Nighthawks came last season. In the first matchup on April 13, 2002, the Wolves defeated the Nighthawks, 47-29, at Mohegan Sun Arena. In the rematch on May 4, 2002, Norfolk won at home in overtime, 58-51. Norfolk is led on offense by the one-two punch of QB Aaron Sparrow and OS Travis Burns. In the Nighthawks last three games (all wins), Sparrow has thrown 15 touchdowns and just one interception. Burns has been Sparrow’s main target and the Nighthawks’ most explosive offensive weapon. Through seven games, he ranks among the league leaders in scoring (T-5th, 108 pts), all-purpose yards (2nd, 1,496 yds) and receiving yards (8th, 763 yds). Norfolk’s defense is also super strong, ranking number one in scoring defense, limiting its opponents to just 34.3 points per game. The Wolves are paced by their defense as well. A year after recording just 18 sacks in 16 games, Mohegan currently leads the af2 in sacks with 16 in 2003. Offensively, the Wolves will look for an improved effort from QB Greg Smith. Smith struggled a bit in last week’s loss to Norfolk, completing just 11-of-20 passes. His sub par performance, however, was partly due to Norfolk’s defense, which knocked him around for four sacks. If the Mohegan offensive line gives him time, Smith could be the difference.

Catch Head Coach Mark Stoute on the all-new “Wolves Locker Room Show” Sundays at 10 AM on your local PAX TV station. Don’t miss the next show, which airs on June 8. This exciting program will take you into world of New England’s hottest Arena Football team! The Wolves Locker Room Show will be shown on WHPX-TV 26 in Hartford & New Haven and on WPXQ-TV 69 in Providence & New Bedford.

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