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AFL Arizona Rattlers

Arizona Rattlers Game Notes

May 26, 2010 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Arizona Rattlers News Release


Utah Blaze vs Arizona Rattlers

Week 9 - Friday, May 28, 2010

7 p.m. (MT), E Center (9,888)

THE QUICK FACTS:

Game: Utah Blaze (1-5) vs Arizona Rattlers (3-3)

Date: Friday, May 28, 2010

Kickoff: 7 p.m. (MT)

Site: E Center (9,888)

Officials: Referee: Steve Strimling; Umpire: Scott Campbell; Head Linesman: John Jenkins; Line Judge: Bart Longson; Back Judge: Clay Reynard

Internet TV: This week's game can be viewed live on Nifty TV. (www.niftytv.com/afl).

Radio: Utah's flagship station 1280 THE ZONE will broadcast the game live with Kyle Gunther (play-by-play) and Hans Olsen (commentary).

Coaches: Utah, Ernesto Purnsley (16th AFL season; 1st as Head Coach 1-5 regular season, 1-5 overall). Arizona, Kevin Guy (10th AFL, 2nd as Head Coach; 3-3 regular season, 12-15 overall (AFL).

OVERVIEW: The Blaze return home this week after a two game road swing where most recently, the team fell 28-77 versus the Western Division rival Spokane Shock. The Blaze are looking to pick up their second victory at home this week versus their division foe Arizona Rattlers. Last week, the Rattlers knocked off the Iowa Barnstormers 52-48 in Des Moines, increasing their record to 3-3.

THE SERIES: This regular-season match up marks the first meeting of two meetings this season between the teams. This marks the 7th all-time regular-season meeting and the 8th overall. Arizona leads the all-time series 6-2. This marks the first meeting between Blaze head coach ERNESTO PURNSLEY and Rattlers head coach KEVIN GUY and the first face-off of the Blaze's versus their former head coach Danny White.

WHAT'S AHEAD: The Blaze hit the road again next week to battle the Cleveland Gladiators at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland and face two-time ArenaBowl Champion Quarterback John Dutton on Friday, June 4 at 5:30 p.m. (MT). The following week, the team returns home to face the Chicago Rush on Saturday, June 12 with kickoff at 7:00 p.m. (MT).

LAST WEEK:

SHOCK WIN CONVINCINGLY OVER BLAZE, 77-28

Spokane, WA- The Spokane Shock defeated the Utah Blaze, 77-28 in front of 10,481 fans at Spokane Tribe Field

Spokane set the tone early and scored on the opening kickoff. As Blaze KR Brandon Hampton attempted to gain control of the opening kick, DB Alex Teems exploded into him, sending the ball to the turf where it was recovered by LB Aaron Robbins for the first score of the game. The Blaze quickly recovered, scoring on their next three possessions, and finished the first quarter with a 16-14 lead. Spokane's offense took over in the second quarter, scoring on all five of their possessions to account for 35 points. Meanwhile, Spokane's defense limited Utah's offense to 23 yards and didn't allow a single point in the second quarter.

Utah's starting QB Brett Elliott was removed in the second quarter after suffering a hand injury. Elliott finished the night completing six of his eleven pass attempts for 75 yards and two touchdowns. Elliott was relieved by QB Michael Affleck, who continued to struggle against Spokane's strong defense. Affleck finished the night with two touchdowns and one interception.

Earlier this week, Utah acquired NFL veteran OL Edwin Mulitalo who stepped in as the starting center for tonight's game.  Mulitalo and Affleck struggled to get on the same page, fumbling four exchanges with Spokane recovering two of them. These two turnovers accounted for 14 Shock points, including a 31-yard touchdown pass to WR Raul Vijil.

Vijil had his best game of the season, accounting for 160 yards on eight receptions with four touchdowns leading the team in each of those categories. In only his second start of the season, WR Shaun Kauleinamoku accounted for two touchdowns, including the Cutter's Catch of the game on an 11-yard touchdown shoestring reception. WRs Huey Whittaker and Quorey Payne combined for eight receptions and each scored a touchdown. Shock QB Kyle Rowley finished the night with five touchdowns and 132 passing yards in only two quarters of play. Rowley was relieved in the second half by rookie QB Erik Meyer who added another 197 yards of passing offense with four touchdowns.

THE COACHES:

Utah - Ernesto Purnsley, 1st season

1-5 (.200) reg. season; 1-5 (.200) overall

0-0 career vs. Arizona

Purnsley enters his first season as a head coach and 16th season as a veteran AFL assistant coach. He previously coached with the Chicago Rush in preparation for the 2009 season and spent five years as the defensive coordinator for the Colorado Crush, who eliminated the Blaze's playoff hopes in 2008. Prior to his time in Colorado, he had two stints with the Albany/Indiana Firebirds. Purnsley spent five seasons (2004-2008) as the defensive coordinator with the Colorado Crush, who won ArenaBowl XIX in 2005. During his tenure, his defense established team records for sacks, interceptions and scoring defense.

Purnsley began his career in the AFL in 1997 when he was hired as the special teams and fullback/linebackers coach for the Albany Firebirds. After two seasons (1997-98) with Albany, he spent two years at Murray State before returning to the Firebirds

Arizona - Kevin Guy, 10th season, 2nd in the AFL

3-3 (.500) reg. season; 12-15 (.444) overall

1-1 career vs. Utah

Kevin Guy begins his tenth season in the Arena Football League, and his second as Head Coach/Director of Football Operations of the Arizona Rattlers. This will be Guy's sixth season coaching in the league after joining the team on August 10, 2007 following a successful two year stint with the San Jose SaberCats. During Guy's two seasons as Defensive Coordinator with San Jose, the SaberCats were known as one of the league's best defensive squads, advancing to the American Conference Finals in 2006 and winning Arena Bowl XXI in 2007. When Guy joined the San Jose SaberCats in 2005, he left the af2 with the most wins in the history of the league. Guy amassed 52 career wins in his four seasons, averaging 13 victories a season. He also grabbed a Coach of the Year honor and finished with a .732 winning percentage while leading the Tennessee Valley Vipers (2002-04) and Rio Grande Valley Dorados (2005).

THE IFS...

If the Blaze defeat the Rattlers it would...

*Give Utah a 3-6 record all-time versus the Rattlers.

*Give Utah a 2-2 home game record for the 2010 season.

*Give Utah a 2-5 overall record for 2010.

*Give Utah a 1-2 record against Western Division opponents.

LAST MEETING:

BLAZE CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTH WITH WIN OVER ARIZONA, 62-45

Utah Will Play First-Round Game at EnergySolutions Arena

SALT LAKE CITY - The Utah Blaze (6-10) captured their third consecutive playoff berth with a 62-45 victory over the Arizona Rattlers (8-8). Utah will play their first-round AFL playoff game at the EnergySolutions Arena. The Blaze victory was witnessed by 13,542 fans at US Airways Center.

"I felt that once we won one game we could really go on a run and that's exactly what has happened," said Blaze head coach/general manager DANNY WHITE. "We're just going to keep doing what we've been doing as we enter the playoffs."

For the first time since May 18, 2007 (Utah vs. Las Vegas) the Blaze held their opponent scoreless in the first quarter. Utah entered the second quarter on top 14-0 with their two touchdowns strikes coming from Blaze QB JOE GERMAINE (6-2, 238, Ohio State) to WR JJ MCKELVEY (6-3, 227, Clemson) and WR HUEY WHITTAKER (6-5, 228, South Florida).

The Blaze tallied the first score of the second quarter with another McKelvey touchdown. Arizona turned the ball over on downs on their next possession, setting Blaze K STEVE VIDETICH (6-2, 228, North Carolina State) up for a successful 19-yard field goal, bringing the score to 24-0. Arizona recorded their first score of the evening on their next possession with a 37-yard touchdown reception by former Blaze WR SIAHA BURLEY (5-10, 185, Central Florida). A Utah fumble gave the Rattlers another opportunity to score when Ironman of the Game, another former Blaze player, FB/LB CHRIS ROBINSON (6-3, 272, New Hampshire) found the endzone on a one-yard touchdown run. A missed Arizona extra point coupled with two Blaze touchdown receptions by WR AARON BOONE (6-3, 208, Kentucky) kept Utah on top, 38-13, at the half.

Arizona outscored the Blaze 19-0 in the third quarter, but Utah still held onto a 38-32 lead entering the final quarter of play.

With twenty-two seconds remaining in the final quarter of play, the Blaze sealed their 62-45 victory after Videtich nailed a 22-yard field and Defensive Player of the Game LB KELVIN MORRIS (6-3, 236, Clemson) returned an interception for 39 yards and a touchdown. Morris ended the game with 5.5 total tackles, one pass breakup and one interception.

Germaine finished the night 23-of-34 passing for 324 yards and six touchdowns, earning Offensive Player of the Game honors. McKelvey led all receivers with 11 receptions for 146 yards and two touchowns.

MAKING THEIR MARK - Despite having a rough start this season, several Blaze players are still ranked within the Top 10 of the AFL statistical leaders.

WR/DB BRANDON HAMPTON ranks third in the AFL in Kickoff Return yards per attempt with 23.5. He also ranks third in the AFL with Total Kickoff Returns with 706.

WR AARON BOONE ranks third in scoring per game (20.0) and fifth in total scoring (120).

K BEN SCOTT ranks fifth in the AFL in Field Goals (50%).

LB PATRICK BODY ranks eighth in the AFL for Fumbles Forced per Game (.3)

DB ANTONIO MALONE ranks tenth in the AFL in Tackles (all positions) per game (7.0).

MILESTONES:

*WR AARON BOONE needs 18 catches to reach 300 in career receptions. He also needs six touchdowns to reach a 75 career.

*WR WENDALL WILLIAMS needs 24 catches to reach 150 career receptions. He also needs 134 yards to reach 1,500 in career yards.

*DB TOURE CARTER needs 4.0 total tackles to reach 100 career.

*OL/DL VAKA MANUPUNA needs 7.0 total tackles to reach 50 career.

*DB ANTONIO MALONE needs 5.0 tackles to reach a 100 career in total tackles.

STORYLINES & FUN FACTS:

WELCOME BACK DANNY WHITE: In addition to hosting Military Appreciation Night this Friday, May 28 versus the Arizona Rattlers, the Blaze will be host to former head coach, Danny White. White officially became the head coach of the Blaze on April 21, 2008. White guided the Blaze to a 21-30 overall record during the team's first three seasons. The Blaze also made the postseason all three of those years. This will be the first time the former head coach and team will competing against each other on the field in franchise history.

PLAYER TIES:

BLAZE WR AARON BOONE played 2007 and 2008 for Rattlers Offensive Coordinator Danny White. White was the head coach of the Blaze from 2006-2008. While playing under White, Boone had 179 catches for 2,121 yards and 34 touchdowns. In 2008, Boone was a huge part of the receiving core with J.J. McKelvey and Huey Whitaker where the trio created a new AFL record. It was the first time a team in the history of the AFL to had three receivers attain 1,500-plus receiving yards, 100-plus receptions and 20-plus touchdown receptions in the regular season.

RATTLERS WR J.J, McKELVEY had a career-best season with the Blaze in 2008. McKelvey recorded 121 receptions for 1,534 receiving yards with 38 touchdowns. McKelvey was a part of a trio of Blaze receivers who created an AFL league record by attaining 1,500-plus receiving yards, 100-plus receptions and 20-plus touchdown receptions in the regular season.

RATTLERS PLAYERS TO WATCH:

WR J.J. McKELVEY - McKelvey enters his first season with Arizona after spending 2008 season with the Blaze as a part of the record-making trio of receivers. He recorded 121 receptions for 1,534 receiving yards with 38 touchdowns. In 2007, McKelvey played in 13 games with the Philadelphia Soul where he recorded 50 receptions for 544 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also recorded 19.5 tackles and two pass breakups on defense. McKelvey also spent the 2006 season with the Soul where he recorded 36 receptions for 589 yards and 12 touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball he recorded 21.0 tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one pass break-up. In 2005 McKelvey was named to the American Conference All-AF2 team while playing for the Manchester Wolves. He started his Arena career in 2004 with Wolves. In 2003 McKelvey spent time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was a three-year letter winner for the Clemson Tigers where he recorded 84 receptions for 1,277 yards and eight touchdowns while with the Tigers.

QB NICK DAVILA - Davila was never a star in college, in fact he didn't even start frequently for the Bearcats of Cincinnati. However, when Davila got a chance he capitalized. He started in two games for the Bearcats and went undefeated, including leading the Bearcats to a 38-11 victory over then undefeated Rutgers. As a starter in the indoor game Davila lead the Spokane Shock (then of the AF2) to a 38-3 record including two ArenaCup appearances and one championship. In 2009, Davila completed 349 passes for 3,863 yards and 86 touchdowns and was named first-team all-af2.

In his first season in the AFL, Davila has earned the Rattlers starting job and is handling it extremely capably.

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