Amarillo Dusters game notes
May 26, 2005 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Amarillo Venom News Release
QUICK FACTS:
Amarillo Dusters (5-2) at Florida Firecats (6-1)
Date: Saturday, May 28th, 2005
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. EST
Site: Germain Arena
Officials:
Referee: Mike Pavese
Umpire: Brent Sowell
Head Linesman:Mike Mongoven
Line Judge: Mitch Geier
Back Judge: Ed Bonet
Radio: KPUR 1440 AM & internet broadcast at
www.dustersfootball.com
Donny Hooper Play by Play
Warren McCarty Color Commentary
Ray Boring Sideline Reporter
Tyler Hooper Field Mic
Series Record: 1st Meeting
Streaks: Dusters W1, Firecats W1
Coaches: Kevin Bouis, Florida Firecats
Steve Perdue, Amarillo Dusters
THE STAKES: Bragging Rights are definitely on the line. This game is as big for the fans of both teams as it is for the players and coaches. The Florida Firecats are one of the most storied franchises in af2 history, having appeared in 2 ArenaCup Championship games. They won the 2004 ArenaCup and currently possess the second best record in af2 at 6-1. The Dusters won the inaugural IFL Championship in 2004, and are off to a 5-2 start as an expansion team in af2. Firecats and Dusters fans frequently trash-talk to each other on internet message boards and radio call-in shows.
COACH PERDUE'S THOUGHTS ON FLORIDA:
"They won the ArenaCup last season. You can see on film why they are so successful. They aren't very flashy; they just simply play good sound football. They really don't give up the big play in the secondary. They have a nice pass rush, and on offense they take care of the football. You can go up and down their roster, and you can see the experience. Chris Wallace, Magic Benton, Roy Stabler, Kelly Snell, Steve Gorrie, Chris Morant, Mike Carraway and Burnside are all very experienced in af2 and the AFL, and they are all very talented. They've played together for a long time, and it shows. Coach Bouis puts them in positions to be successful. We must play mistake-free football in all phases. They have a rowdy crowd, and we have to stay composed and focused."
DUSTERS HEAD COACH STEVE PERDUE
MILES AND GORRIE SET TO RUMBLE:
Arguably the two best rushing fullbacks in af2 will go toe-to-toe on Saturday night, as Dusters fullback Dewayne Miles and Florida fullback Steve Gorrie hope to carry the ball and their respective teams to victory. Gorrie led af2 in rushing in 2004, with 500 yards and 17 touchdowns on 110 carries (4.5 p/carry) in 16 regular season games. Dewayne Miles shattered indoor rushing records for the Dusters last season, carrying the ball 125 times for 627 yards and 22 touchdowns (5.01 p/carry) in 14 regular season games.
DUSTERS INTERNET RADIO BROADCAST A HUGE SUCCESS
The Amarillo Dusters are developing a huge fan base nationwide, as the number of listeners for the game broadcast over the website has doubled since the season opener. "We have lots of players' families listening in across the country, and we've received dozens of e-mails from fans nationwide who are just interested in the Dusters and curious about us as an expansion team, " said Dusters play by play broadcaster Donny Hooper. "We have a unique broadcast for this level of football, in that we have a 15-year veteran football official as our sideline reporter (Ray Boring). He offers tremendous insight as to what is actually happening on the field. Tyler Hooper runs the parabolic field mic, so much like an NFL radio broadcast, our listeners can actually hear the quarterback bark the snap count, and try to draw the opponent offsides. Warren McCarty brings so much knowledge of the arena game to the broadcast, and helps the listener âsee' the routes and visualize the play itself. And mixed in with all of that, we have a great time and cut-up as much as we can. We have so much fun, and I think it makes our broadcast fun to listen to." The broadcast can be heard locally on 1440 AM The Score, Amarillo's ESPN Radio affiliate. Fans can also tune in via the Dusters website at www.dustersfootball.com.
KEY MATCHUP: DUSTERS RECEIVERS VS. FIRECATS SECONDARY
The Florida Firecats owned the #1 ranked Scoring Defense in af2 last season on their way to winning the ArenaCup championship. Thus far in 2005, the Firecats haven't missed a beat, as they own the #3 ranked Scoring Defense in af2 (35.1 ppg). The Amarillo Dusters led the IFL in scoring in 2004, averaging 59.1 ppg.The Amarillo Dusters also haven't missed a beat this season, as they have lit up the scoreboards in af2, leading the league in Scoring Offense with 57.7 ppg. Florida Firecats Defensive Specialist Kelly Snell leads af2 with 21 passes defenced (20 pass break-ups, 1 interception). Snell will face Amarillo Dusters Offensive Specialist Chavis McCollister, who ranks 3rd in af2 with 739 yards receiving and 14 TD's and averages 15.4 yards per catch.
DUSTERS INJURY REPORT
The Dusters suffered no significant injuries in Saturday night's victory against Central Valley.
OL/DL Sione Ohuafi Knee Long-Term IR (week to week)
FB/LB Gil Hernandez Knee Long-Term IR (out for season, ACL tear)
WR/LB Anton Paige Knee Long-Term IR (out for season, ACL tear)
FB/LB Ray Gates Knee Long-Term IR (out for season, PCL tear
FB/LB Jesse Hunnicutt Hand Long-Term IR (out for 4 weeks, broken hand)
RECENT DUSTERS ROSTER MOVES
Assigned FB/LB Devin Lemons 6'3 235 Texas Tech
Assigned FB/LB Dewayne Miles 6'0 260 West Texas A&M
Activated from Short-Term IR WR/LB Anthony Dingle 5'11 190 Stephen F. Austin
Activated from Practice Squad OL/DL Brett Jones 6'2 280 Missouri Western
Activated from Practice Squad FB/LB Tony Dancy 6'1 250 Ferrum
Activated from International Squad OL/DL Nala Saluni 6'2 290 West Texas A&M
Placed on Re-assignment OL/DL Mike Thomas 6'2 310 Utah
Remains on Long-Term IR OL/DL Sione Ohuafi 6'3 300 Indiana
Placed on Long-Term IR FB/LB Ray Gates 6'2 270 Tarleton State
Placed on Long-Term IR FB/LB Jesse Hunnicutt 6'3 250 Texas A&M
Placed on Re-assignment WR/DB Michael Johnson 6'1 185 Sacramento State
arenafootball2 Stories from May 26, 2005
- Coyotes add two, including former Bulldog - Central Valley Coyotes
- Wolves managing partner Steve Schubert featured in Forbes - Manchester Wolves
- Gant Returns to Dorados - Rio Grande Valley Dorados
- Blitz Getting Revved Up - Bakersfield Blitz
- Quad City Steamwheelers game notes - Quad City Steamwheelers
- Week nine af2 Friday night matchups - af2
- Blizzard Rises In Ranks To #2 - Green Bay Blizzard
- Amarillo Dusters game notes - Amarillo Venom
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.
