Norfolk Nighthawks Game Notes

Published on June 18, 2003 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Norfolk Nighthawks News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Albany Conquest (9-1) at Norfolk Nighthawks (5-5)
Date: Saturday, June 21, 2003
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. EST
Site: Scope Arena (8,965)
National Anthem: TBA
Coin Toss: TBA
Officials: TBA
Series Record: Albany leads 1-0
Streaks: NOR – LOST 3, ALB – WON 7

THE STAKES: The Norfolk Nighthawks have lost three games in a row. The simple fact is that they need to win this game in order to stay alive for the af2 playoffs. THE SERIES: This matchup will be the second all-time meetingb between these two franchises. For their fisrt meaning, Albany QB Ryan Vena found WR/DB Phil Taylor from three yards out, with 1.9 seconds remaining in the game, to give the Conquest a 49-42 victory over the Norfolk Nighthawks Saturday night at the Pepsi Arena. The victory, Albany's seventh in a row, kept them in first place in the Northeast Division and alive in the 2003 af2 playoffs. Norfolk (5-5) kept the game close the entire night. Vena was effective, but not his usual spectacular self. The league's top rated passer completed 27-of-46 pass attempts for 285 yards and six touchdowns. The forty-six attempts is a career high for Vena and a new all-time high for the Conquest. Nighthawks' OS Travis Burns shared Game MVP honors with Vena. Burns, who ranks tops in af2 in all-purpose yards coming into tonight, caught five passes for 81 yards and a touchdown, while adding another 105 yards on returns.

THE IFs:

If NORFOLK defeats the CONQUEST, it would ...
- Snap NORFOLK's 3-game losing streak
- Get the NIGHTHAWKS back into a competitive stance as they head into the playoffs... the NIGHTHAWKS slipped to behind the American Atlantic leading CAPE FEAR WILDCATS

HEAD COACHES: Rick Fraizer brings more than a quarter century worth of coaching experience to the Norfolk Nighthawks in his new capacity as the team's Head Coach. Frazier comes to Norfolk after spending the 2002 season with the Toronto Phantoms of the AFL. Frazier served the Phantoms as their Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator.

Pete Costanza enters his first season as head coach of the Conquest. In 2002, Pete turned around a 0-16 Columbus (GA) Wardogs team and finished 4-12, including having the league's #5 ranked defense. Costanza, a New Jersey native, brings over seven years of arena football coaching experience to the Capital region, which includes stops with the New Jersey Red Dogs, Roanoke Steam, Norfolk Nighthawks, Iowa Barnstormers and the Wardogs. Costanza has coached every position in arena football and will be responsible for calling both the offense and defense for the Conquest in 2003.

LAST SERIES MEETING: Albany QB Ryan Vena found WR/DB Phil Taylor from three yards out, with 1.9 seconds remaining in the game, to give the Conquest a 49-42 victory over the Norfolk Nighthawks Saturday night at the Pepsi Arena. The victory, Albany's seventh in a row, kept them in first place in the Northeast Division and alive in the 2003 af2 playoffs. Norfolk (5-5) kept the game close the entire night. Vena was effective, but not his usual spectacular self. The league's top rated passer completed 27-of-46 pass attempts for 285 yards and six touchdowns. The forty-six attempts is a career high for Vena and a new all-time high for the Conquest. Nighthawks' OS Travis Burns shared Game MVP honors with Vena. Burns, who ranks tops in af2 in all-purpose yards coming into tonight, caught five passes for 81 yards and a touchdown, while adding another 105 yards on returns.

FORWARD MOTION: Next week, the Nighthawks will head to Greensboro, N.C. to face the Greensboro Prowlers. PLAYERS TO WATCH:

NIGHTHAWKS: A shining star of the entire arenafootball2 league is truly Travis Burns. Last week against the Albany Conquest, Mr. Burns shared Game MVP honors with Conquest quarterback Ryan Vena. Burns caught five passes for 81 yards and a touchdown, while adding another 105 yards on returns. He is currently sixth in the league in receptions per game with 68 catches for 991 yards. Travis has also scored a whopping 19 touchdowns so far this season and he is averaging almost 100 yards each time he takes to the turf. He is the current arenafootball2 overall leader in total yardage, with 2,067 all-purpose yards. Look for Burns to again make the most of this evening against a team that he knows all too well, especially since the Nighthawks faced them a week ago.

CONQUEST: Ware, playing in his second season with Albany, is enjoying a very fine season on both sides of the ball. Ware, who is one of the most prolific receivers ever to come out of Shippensburg (PA), has more than doubled his offensive output form a year ago, while playing solid defense at his WR/DB spot. Ware is currently the 3rd leading receiver on the team, catching 24 passes for 388 yards and 11 touchdowns. He is also tied for the team lead with three interceptions, to go along with 9.5 tackles, four pass breakups and a forced fumble. In last week's game against the Nighthawks (in Albany, New York) , Ware had another solid evening with 3 catches for 35 yards. Look for Ware to be an important component in the Albany offense.

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