Rage Back To Work In St. Charles
April 14, 2009 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
RiverCity Rage News Release
ST. CHARLES, MISSOURI: The RiverCity Rage Professional Indoor Football Team is back on the practice field this week at the Family Arena in preparation for their week 5 game against the Wichita Wild. The Rage look to avenge their first loss of the season, suffered on April 11th against the very same Wichita team 56-40.
The Rage will practice on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at the Family Arena and there will be several new faces on the Rage roster due to injuries and past performance. Wide receiver Tyrone Timmons will miss the game against the Wild due to a tryout with Winnipeg of the Canadian Football League this weekend. Timmons has been a monster red-zone threat for the Rage, catching four passes all for touchdowns.
Even with the week 4 loss, the Rage is still among the IFL leaders in a number of team categories. On offense, the Rage has the third most efficient scoring offense in the league, averaging 49-points per game in 2009. The Rage are also third in the league in passing yards per game (186.5 yards) and are in the top-half of the IFL in total yards per game, averaging 212.8 yards each contest.
Quarterback Dixie Wooten is lighting it up through the air this season for the Rage. Wooten has passed for 649 yards and has thrown the second most touchdown passes in the league (18) to just one interception. One benefit for Wooten and the Rage offense is the talent they have at the wide receiver position with three players looking to go over 20 catches on the season this week. Luke McArdle and Hurtis Chinn are tied for the team-lead with 19 catches on the year and Maurice Avery is right behind with 18 grabs. McCardle and Avery have recorded six touchdowns in 2009 and Chinn has pulled down three scores.
On defense, the Rage have the seventh best unit in the IFL in two main categories, yards allowed (185.8 yards per game) and points allowed (35.2 points per game). Joe Bevis again leads the way for the Rage, recording 27.5 tackles this season from his linebacker position. Cornelius "Pig" Brown and Daryon Brutley are tied for the team-lead in interceptions with two and Xzavie Jackson has recorded a team-high 3.5 sacks from his defensive end spot.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
Luke McArdle, #7, Wide Receiver - McArdle is in his first year with the Rage and has made a definite impact in the passing game. In his week 4 game against Wichita, McArdle caught a game-high eight balls for 86-yards and a touchdown. On the season, McArdle either leads or is tied for the lead in every major offensive category. The Massachusetts born wideout has 19 receptions for 283 yards and six touchdowns in 2009.
While he is new to the Rage, McArdle is no stranger to the indoor game and has played at a number of different stops since ending his college playing career at Georgetown. McArdle played at the highest level of indoor football, playing for the New Orleans franchise in the Arena League at one point.
In 2005 he was named the Offensive Rookie-of-the-Year in the United Indoor Football League. He topped the league with 70 catches ranking third in several categories, including an average of 50.7 receiving yards per game, 135.9 all-purpose yards per contest, and 21.1 yards per kick return. He also ranked forth in the league with an average of 4.38 catches per game.
QUICK HITS
-- The Saturday, April 18th game against the Wild will be the first of a four-game home stand for the Rage at the Family Arena in St. Charles. The Rage will get a chance at redemption against the Wild on Saturday, with kickoff set for 7:30pm. The first 1,000 fans, ten-years of age or younger through the doors at the Family Arena will receive a 2009 RiverCity Rage Youth Replica Jersey.
Following the contest against the Wild, the Rage will play the Saginaw Sting for the third time this season on April 25th, the Sioux City Bandits on May 2nd, and the Bloomington Extreme on May 9th. Every home game this season has a Saturday night start time of 7:30pm with doors open to the public at 6:30pm.
-- Safety Cornelius "Pig" Brown and the rest of the RiverCity Rage are currently featured in the April issue of St. Louis Sports Magazine, available at www.stlsportsmag.com. The team will also be featured on NBC Affiliate KSDK-TV on Wednesday, April 15th, in a piece by sportscaster Rene Knott. Log on to www.ksdk.com for more information.
-- The RiverCity Rage is a member of the Indoor Football League. All Rage home games are played at The Family Arena in St. Charles, MO. For information contact the Rage at (636) 946-RAGE or log on to www.ragefootball.com.
Indoor Football League Stories from April 14, 2009
- Two Professionals Added to League Staff - IFL
- Rage Back To Work In St. Charles - RiverCity Rage
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
