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Austin Wranglers game notes

March 3, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Austin Wranglers News Release


AUSTIN WRANGLERS (2-1) vs. CAROLINA COBRAS (3-1)

SUNDAY, MARCH 7, 2004, 2 P.M., FRANK ERWIN CENTER

WRANGLERS RADIO

All Austin Wranglers football games can be heard on Z102, 102.3 FM, with veteran sports radio announcer Bill Schoening calling the playby- play and Wranglers assistant general manager and NFL veteran Glyn Milburn handling the color commentary.

Head Coach Skip Foster will analyze Sunday's game and take phone calls on The Zone 1300 AM with Bucky Godbolt Wednesday, March 10 from 7-8 p.m.

WRANGLERS DAY OUT

Every Tuesday you can find the Wranglers out in the Austin community. This past Tuesday the players were out at Ortega Elementary School reading to the students. Both the players and the children enjoyed the experience and the Wranglers are excited to get back out into the community next week.

Next Tuesday, March 9, they will be at Children's Hospital in Austin at 2:00 p.m. to sign autographs and take pictures with the children. For information on covering Wranglers Day Out, contact the Wranglers Media Relations department.

HEAD COACHES

Skip Foster
Austin Wranglers
Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator

Skip Foster is making his AFL head coaching debut with the Austin Wranglers this season. Foster, deemed the second most winning coach in arenafootball2 history, will also act as the Wranglers offensive coordinator.

Prior to joining the Wranglers, Foster served as the head coach for the 2003 af2 Champion Tulsa Talons. Foster lead the team to a 13-3 regular season record while accumulating 3,995 yards in total offense, 3,679 yards passing and 316 yards rushing. This offensive effort also concluded with Tulsa outscoring their opponents 823-690 in regular season play. The Talons totaled 745 yards in offense and outscored their postseason opponents 179-130 on their way to winning the 2003 ArenaCup. During his three years with Tulsa, Foster made history when he led his team to the National Conference Central Division Championship for two straight seasons and won the ArenaCup in 2003. Foster was the only af2 coach to go undefeated at home over three consecutive regular seasons.

Foster compiled a record of 82-39-2 at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas before moving to the Talons. Foster played for six Conference Championships during his 12 seasons as the head coach of the Red Ravens. In 1990, Foster led Coffeyville to a National Championship and an undefeated season. He was selected as Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Coach of the Year in both 1990 and 1991.

After serving as an assistant to his father, Dick Foster, for four seasons at Coffeyville, Skip took over the head coaching duties where Dick won a National Championship in 1983. They are the only father/son pair in the National Junior College Athletic Association to win a national championship at the same school. Skip played football for his father from 1979-1980 at Coffeyville. A graduate of Missouri Western State College, Foster earned a Bachelor of Science in Education.

Eddie Khayat
Carolina Cobras
Head Coach/Director of Football Operations

One of football's most distinguished gentlemen, Eddie Khayat brings 42 years of professional football experience to the Cobras sidelines. He has spent 35 years as a player and coach in the National Football League and seven years as a coach and general manager in the Arena Football League. Khayat originally joined the Cobras organization on February 13, 2003 as the senior advisor of football operations before being named the team's interim head coach for the final three games of the 2003 season.

A graduate of Tulane University, Khayat played for nine seasons in the NFL with the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles before ending his playing career with the AFL's Boston Patriots in 1966. His tough defensive line play helped the Eagles capture the 1960 World Championship with a 17-13 win over Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers in the title game. He played in 117 games overall in 10 professional seasons.

Khayat began his coaching days as a defensive line coach with the New Orleans Saints, where he served for four seasons before becoming head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1971. After two years in Philadelphia, Khayat made the rounds as a top defensive coach with Detroit, Atlanta, Baltimore, New England and Tampa Bay. During his stint with the Patriots, Khayat helped New England reach Super Bowl XX in 1985, where they faced the Chicago Bears. That season, the Patriots became the first team to win a conference championship by winning three playoff games on the road.

Khayat turned to the indoor game in 1991 when he was named head coach of the Arena Football League's New Orleans Night. He took over as head coach of the expansion Nashville Kats in 1997 and was named AFL Coach of the Year after leading the team to a 10-6 mark and an Eastern Division title. After another playoff appearance with the Kats in 1998, he handed over the coaching reigns a year later when he took over as general manager. In three years as general manager, Nashville made the playoffs each year and advanced to the ArenaBowl in both 2000 and 2001.

LAST WEEK

DENVER— The Austin Wranglers fell for the first time in their inaugural season campaign to the Colorado Crush in Denver 37- 35. Despite a slow start to the game and just 10 minutes with the ball in the first half, the Wranglers kept it close, but missed out on the win. Wranglers QB John Kaleo finished the game completing 22 of 35 passes for 216 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. On nine of those completions, Kaleo found the team's leading receiver of the game, OS Skinny Culver who accumulated 86 yards and two touchdowns. Wranglers WR/LB Darryl Hammond scored two touchdowns on his way to a sixreception performance for 52 yards. The Wranglers scoring was rounded out with a touchdown by WR/DB Charlie Davidson who made five receptions for 40 yards. The Wranglers defensive team was lead by DS DeRon Jenkins who registered 6.5 total tackles, six solo, on the night.

After a quick score on the opening drive by Colorado, the Wranglers could not convert and turned the ball back over on downs which the Crush then scored on and led 14-0.

The Wranglers defense tormented the Crush for almost 20 minutes in the first half. A notable 10-play drive that knocked almost eight minutes off the clock showed the Wranglers defensive pressure. After converting a fourth-and-five on a fake field goal, the Wranglers defense was able to prevent the Crush from scoring when OL/DL Tom Briggs recovered one of Crush QB John Dutton's four fumbles on the game.

In the third quarter the Wranglers offense came alive, triggered by an explosive 38-yard kickoff return by WR/DB Charlie Davidson. The Wranglers were able to take over on offense and show some dimension scoring when Kaleo completed an eight-yard pass to Davidson who took the ball into the endzone. The Wranglers scored on their next two possessions, the third resulted in a Kaleo interception. The defensive unit came up with a Dutton fumble and Kaleo turned it into six points, and a chance to win the game. An unsuccessful onside kick led to a slow finish and Colorado's fifth victory in the team's history.

The Carolina Cobras fell to the Orlando Predators, 59-43.

TRIPLE THREAT

The three-receiver group of WR/LB Darryl Hammond, WR/DB Charlie Davidson, and OS Shannon "Skinny" Culver has dominated opponents' defensive units. Combined, the three receivers account for 88 percent of all Wranglers receptions, 83 percent of the Wranglers' net offensive yards, and 15 of 20 Wranglers touchdowns this season.

Receptions Yards Touchdowns Rank in AFL
WR/LB Darryl Hammond 21 164 7 16 (T)
WR/DB Charlie Davidson 20 228 3 19 (T)
OS Shannon "Skinny" Culver 19 259 5 26 (T)
TOTAL 60 651 15 1*
Wranglers Total Offense 68 785 20 2
*Net Yards Passing per Game

COBRAS TO WATCH

WR/DB TODD DOXZON

Now in his fourth AFL season, Doxzon is leading the league in receptions with a 2004 total of 34 for 405 yards and nine touchdowns, bringing his career total of 137 catches for 1,887 yards and 50 touchdowns. For the second week running, he has led the Cobras in receptions, which earned him the offensive player of the game in Week Three, and tied a career high with 10 receptions for 91 yards in Week Four.

DS DAMON MASON

This six year veteran has begun another outstanding season to compliment the last three in which he was named to the All-Arena Second Team. Mason's past three seasons have also earned him a spot in the AFL records by posting three of the top four single-season tackle totals in AFL history (2000, 2001, 2002). He is contributing to the Cobras defensive threat by leading the team in tackles for two consecutive weeks; 9.5 tackles in Week Three and eight total tackles in Week Four.

QB MATT NAGY

With only one season of experience under his belt this relatively new quarterback has started the season off well, earning the award for AFL Offensive Player of the Week after his Week One performance against the Dallas Desperados. In Week Four he completed 26 of 35 passes for 248 yards and five touchdowns. This leaves Nagy ranked at number seven in the league's leading passers, having completed 92 of 136 passes for 979 yards and 20 touchdowns. He has thrown only three interceptions this 2004 season.

WRANGLERS TO WATCH

OS SHANNON "SKINNY" CULVER

This six year veteran is dedicating his seventh season to his son, which is what drives him to do well this 2004 season. This motivation has proven to work for him, as he led the Wranglers in Week Four in receptions with nine catches for 86 yards and two touchdowns. His season total is now 19 catches for 259 yards and five touchdowns. In 2004, in only three games, he is already more than halfway to beating his records for the 2003 season. In Week Four, he also registered a 21-yard missed field goal return and a 22-yard kickoff return, bringing his all purpose yard total to 392 for the season.

WR/LB DARRYL HAMMOND

This two-way player may not be leading in rushes or receptions, but he is the team's go-to threat for touchdowns. He leads the Wranglers in scoring with seven touchdowns for 42 points on season. In Week Four he accumulated six catches for 52 yards and two touchdowns, which put him second on the team for leading receivers in the game. This brought his season total to 21 catches for 164 yards and seven touchdowns. Keep your eyes on the end zone for a glimpse of this man.

DS DeRON JENKINS

A rookie to the AFL, Jenkins is starting his career off right. This hard-hitting defensive player is making his presence known on the field with his steadily increasing presence on defense. He led the team in Week Four with 6.5 total tackles, 6 solo, which brings his season total to 13 tackles. Jenkins is currently ranked third on the team for total tackles on season. He has also gotten in the way of the ball for three pass breakups this season so far.

WRANGLERS ROSTER NOTES

FIELD POSITION—The Wranglers continue to control their opponents by giving them a long field to work with after a kickoff. Of 23 kickoffs, Tony Dodson has hit nine touchbacks, which brings the ball back to the opponent's fiveyard line. The coverage team has held the opponent within their own 10-yard line 14 times, limiting them to an average start on their own nine-yard line.

BRINGING IT BACK—The Wranglers kickoff return team of WR/DB Charlie Davidson and OS Skinny Culver has combined to for 341 return yards in just 16 total kickoff returns. The average per return is 21.3 yards and the average starting field position places the Wranglers on their own 14-yard line.

OFFENSIVE AUTHORITY—Averaging 270 total yards in their first three games, the Wranglers are second in the AFL in total offense. QB John Kaleo's passing effort has posted the highest average in the league with 257.0 yards per game. Kaleo is still only one of three AFL quarterbacks to throw for more than 300 yards in a game during the 2004 season.

GRACE UNDER PRESSURE—The Wranglers offense also gets the job done on third and fourth down. Kaleo is the second-best third-down passer in the AFL, completing 12 of 19 attempts, with five touchdowns. The Wranglers offense has also converted on seven of nine fourth-down attempts on the season. Austin has the most effective offense in the red-zone, scoring a touchdown 14 of the 15 times they have been inside the 10-yard line.

APPLYING PRESSURE—The Wranglers defense is ranked second in the AFL in the red zone. The unit has held their opponents to two field goals and only eight touchdowns in 16 times in the red zone.

SEASON TICKETS

The Austin Wranglers have released single-game tickets for the team's 2004 inaugural season. Tickets are available for as little as $8 through Texas Box Office by calling 477.6060, logging on to www.texasboxoffice.com, visiting the Frank Erwin Center's Red River box office Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., or visiting any HEB grocery store.

Season tickets and group tickets are still available through the Wranglers ticket office by calling 233.7800. All fans that purchased a season ticket package after that date can pick their tickets up at the Erwin Center Red River box office with photo identification after February 10.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 3, 2004


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