Austin Wranglers game notes

Published on March 23, 2004 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Austin Wranglers News Release


AUSTIN WRANGLERS (4-2) vs. PHILADELPHIA SOUL (3-4)

SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 2004, 2 P.M. CENTRAL, THE 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 play-by-play and Wranglers assistant general manager and NFL veteran Glyn Milburn handling the color announcing.

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

WRANGLERS DAY OUT

Every Tuesday you can find the Wranglers out in the Austin community. Players, coaches, Lady Wranglers and staff are all committed to improving the local community. So far this season, players have read to students at elementary schools in the Austin Independent School District and visited patients at the Children's Hospital of Austin.

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.

Michael Trigg
Philadelphia Soul
Head Coach/Vice President

What head coach Michael Trigg brings to the Philadelphia Soul is experience. Experience with Arena Football expansion franchises, experience as an Arena player, and experience as a champion.

In his 16th year of Arena football, Trigg will be faced with the challenge of building an Arena football team from the ground up, a task he has excelled at in the past. In his first season with the Grand Rapids Rampage, 1998, Trigg took a 3-11 expansion team to 7-5 in 1999 and directed the Rampage to their first ever playoff appearance, tying the second-best single season turnaround in AFL history.

Trigg enjoyed continued success with the Rampage, guiding the AFL's smallest market team to an Arena Bowl berth, and earned his third Arena Bowl ring in 2001 as the Rampage finished the season 11-3 and claimed a 64-42 victory over the Nashville Kats in Arena Bowl XV. Trigg guided the Rampage to five straight playoff appearances and became just the fifth Arena Football League Coach to reach the 70-win plateau, making him the fourth winningest coach in AFL history.

In 1996, Trigg's second year with the Milwaukee Mustang's, he set the AFL record for single-season turnaround as he guided the Mustang's from 4-8 in 1995 to 10-4 in 1996. Prior to joining the Mustang's, Trigg spent 1994 as the head coach and general manager for the expansion Fort Worth Calvary of the AFL. From 1991-93, Trigg was the offensive coordinator and director of pro scouting for the AFL's Dallas Texans, and served at his alma mater, East Texas State University, as their quarterbacks coach in 1990.

Trigg has also enjoyed success on the AFL field as a player. While with the Detroit Drive, Trigg led the team to their championship seasons in 1989 and 1990. In 1989, Trigg was the league's top rated passer.

A native of San Antonio, Texas, Trigg earned a degree in marketing and management and a teaching certificate in secondary education from East Texas State, while being a three-year starter at quarterback.

LAST WEEK

DETROIT— With the QB John Kaleo connecting with AFL's Baby Ruth Big Deal Offensive Player of the Week OS Tacoma Fontaine for five touchdowns and a strong goal-line rushing attack accounting for three touchdowns, the Wranglers wrapped up the Fury in Detroit last Thursday night, 70-58.

Fontaine averaged 29.2 yards per reception as accumulated seven receptions for 205 yards. Kaleo completed 16-30 passes for 282 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception. He hit seven different receivers in the contest that brought the Wranglers record to 4-2 on the season.

In addition to the strong offensive performance, the Wranglers defense dominated in the second half and finished the game on the positive side of the take-away battle, collecting on four Fury turnovers. The defense picked up three fumbles and WR/DB Charlie Davidson snagged an interception early in the game. The offense was able to capitalize, scoring touchdowns on three of the turnovers.

The Philadelphia Soul fell to the Colorado Crush last Sunday, 40-33.

WRANGLERS TO WATCH

OS-WR/DB TACOMA FONTAINE – This rookie stepped up again for the Wranglers and now holds all but one single game receiving record for the team. He was voted Baby Ruth Big Deal Offensive Player of the Week and the AFLWA Player of the Week after he caught seven passes for 205 yards and five touchdowns. This feat ranks highest in league for single game receiving yards. In his three games played this season, has averaged over 20 yards per reception and 120 receiving yards per game.

DS CEDRIC WALKER – In Week Seven he led the team in tackles for the second time this season, with 6.5 (six solo and one assist). His performance leaves him just two stops from his 500th career tackle and his 30th of the season. This nine-year veteran has 22 interceptions and eight forced fumbles for his career and started all six games in the defensive backfield for the Wranglers this season. He will play his 100th career AFL game on May 1 when the team is scheduled to travel to Michigan for the second time in the 2004 season to take on the Grand Rapids Rampage.

OL/DL TOM BRIGGS – Last week in Detroit Briggs posted 1.5 tackles, one forced fumble and one sack for a ten yard loss. His defensive dominance earned him ADT Defensive Player of the Game. Offensively he had one reception for eight yards and his first touchdown of the season. This is his ninth AFL season and he needs only 1.5 more tackles to reach the milestone of 150 career tackles. The Wranglers' game in Los Angeles on April 3 will be the 100th AFL contest of his career.

SOUL TO WATCH

FB/LB CHRIS RYAN – This 2002 All-Ironman Team member has continued his success on defense this 2004 season. He was named Ironman of the Game in Week Seven for leading his team in rushes with three for seven yards and two touchdowns. He is currently is the leading rusher for the Soul and ranks in the AFL's top five rushers with 26 attempts for 90 yards and eight touchdowns on the season. He is also one of the top 20 scorers for the league with 10 total touchdowns.

OS TYRONNE JONES – This seven-year AFL veteran continues to make an impact this 2004 season. In Week Seven he racked up eight catches for 78 yards and one touchdown, as well as two kickoff returns for 48 yards. He leads the Soul and is now ranks in the top 20 for leaders in receptions in the AFL with a season total of 35 catches for 333 yards and eight touchdowns. Last year's Co-Offensive Player of the Year for the Georgia Force, Jones is continuing his dominance in 2004 for the expansion Soul.

WR/DB JOSEPH TODD – With two AFL seasons under his belt, this two-way player has been pounding the competition in the defensive backfield this season. In Week Seven, he led his team defensively with nine total tackles, eight solo, and three pass breakups. In 2004, he has registered 39.5 total tackles, 34 solo, which brings him within two tackles of breaking his AFL season record of 35 tackles in 2002. He is also in the top ten leaders in interceptions in the AFL with two interceptions in the Soul's first seven games.

WRANGLERS ROSTER NOTES

CAREER BESTS—Wranglers' consistent all-around threat WR/DB Charlie Davidson is currently on track to have his most productive season on offense and special teams as the leading receiver and kickoff returner for the team. So far in 2004, Davidson is averaging career-bests in receptions per game (7), receiving yardage per game (73) and receiving touchdowns per game (1.3). On his way to 447 all-purpose yards for the season, Davidson is on pace to set several career-bests for his special teams performance as well, including his average of 20.1 yards per kickoff return this season on an average of three returns per game.

DIGGING DEEP—Davidson might be one of Kaleo's favorite targets, but as the season has progressed, depth at receiver has become apparent and the Wranglers QB has been spreading the ball among the offensive unit finding 12 different receivers so far this season, including two lineman and two full backs. Kaleo found seven different receivers in last Thursday's contest in Detroit, six against Orlando, five versus Carolina and at Colorado, and four in the Wranglers home-opener against Tampa Bay.

SKILLS—OS Tacoma Fontaine earned the AFL's Baby Ruth Big Deal Offensive Player of the Week honors in his Week Seven performance at Detroit. The rookie caught seven passes for 205 yards and five touchdowns, recording the most receiving yards in a single game by an AFL player this season. His contributions limited to the past three weeks, Fontaine has accumulated a total of 386 yards on 18 receptions, half were touchdown catches, as he leads the team with nine TD receptions.

QUICK SHOTS—The Wranglers made quick work of the Detroit Fury, scoring on short drives, the majority fewer than two plays. Of the 11 scoring drives orchestrated by the offensive unit, three were one and two plays long, one drive took three plays, three more took four, and the final scoring drive went for six plays. In 2004, Wranglers 50 scoring drives average 4.7 plays.

RUSHING IN THE ZONE—The Wranglers goal line rushing effectiveness was cranked up with three rushing touchdowns from the red zone in the five times the Wranglers were in inside the 10-yard line. The Wranglers rank second in the AFL in red zone scoring, with 26 touchdowns of the 29 times the team has made it inside the 10. Defensively, the Wranglers are second to the Philadelphia Soul in red-zone defense holding opponents to only 20 touchdowns and three field goals when they enter the 10-yard line.

HIGHWAY ROBBERY—The Wranglers were able to generate a +3 turnover ratio. The Wranglers offense gave up ball up only one time on a Kaleo interception in the endzone. On the opposite side of the ball, pressure from linemen Aaron Humphrey and Tom Briggs forced one fumble each, OL/DL Tony Bowick picked up a fumbled snap and WR/ DB Charlie Davidson picked up the Wranglers second interception of the season on the Fury's opening play of the game.

2004 AUSTIN WRANGLERS SCHEDULE

Week Date Opponent Time/Results
1 BYE
2 Friday, February 13 @ Orlando Predators W 49-48
3 Sunday, February 22 TAMPA BAY STORM W 56-48
4 Friday, February 27 @ Colorado Crush L 37-35
5 Sunday, March 7 CAROLINA COBRAS W 56-55
6 Sunday, March 14 INDIANA FIREBIRDS L 64-41
7 Thursday, March 18 @ Detroit Fury W 70-58
8 Sunday, March 28 PHILADELPHIA SOUL 2:00 p.m.
9 Saturday, April 3 @ Los Angeles Avengers 9:30 p.m.
10 Sunday, April 11 GEORGIA FORCE 2:00 p.m.
11 Sunday, April 18 @ Tampa Bay Storm 2:00 p.m.
12 Sunday, April 25 NEW ORLEANS VOODOO 2:00 p.m.
13 Saturday, May 1 @ Grand Rapids Rampage 6:30 p.m.
14 Sunday, May 9 DALLAS DESPERADOS 2:00 p.m.
15 Sunday, May 16 ORLANDO PREDATORS 2:00 p.m.
16 Sunday, May 23 @ Georgia Force 2:00 p.m.
17 Sunday, May 30 @ New Orleans Voodoo 3:00 p.m.

GAMES IN ALL CAPS ARE HOME GAMES PLAYED AT THE FRANK ERWIN CENTER

All game times and locations are subject to change

AUSTIN WRANGLERS SINGLE-GAME AND 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.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 23, 2004


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