Bakersfield Blitz Game Notes

Published on May 7, 2003 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Bakersfield Blitz News Release


(Bakersfield, CA) – Bakersfield travels to Honolulu, Hawaii in Week 7 for their first road game in three weeks, taking on the Hawaiian Islanders at the Neal Blaisdell Center. The Blitz look to get back in the win column, having dropped two of the last three contests at home. Rookie quarterback Jeff Dover played a gutsy performance last week in place of starting quarterback Chad Elliot who was out due to illness. Dover completed 11 of 28 passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns in his first career start. In addition, Dover rushed for his first career touchdown on the opening drive of the game.

The Blitz now focus on Hawaii, looking to get back in the race for the division crown, and defeat the Islanders for the second time this season. The two clubs last met at the Neal Blaisdell Center Week 12 of the 2002 season, with Hawaii coming away with a 49-35 victory. Over all. The regular season series between the Blitz and the Islanders stands at 3-1, with Bakersfield on a one game winning streak. A steak the Blitz hope to keep alive.

Date: Saturday, May 10, 2003
Kickoff: 10:30 p.m. PT
Site: Neal Blaisdell Center (Turf)
Capacity: 6,443

Radio: KERN (1410 AM) anchors the Blitz Radio network. Chris Boehm handles play-by-play with color commentary from a Blitz correspondent.

HEAD COACHES

Bakersfield Blitz Head Coach James Fuller begins his second season in the af2, bringing 6 years of coaching experience, and an admirable track record of success. Named as the 1st head coach in franchise history on December 7, 2001, Coach Fuller has spent the off-season infusing the Blitz organization and the Bakersfield area with eager anticipation for the start of the 2003 season. Fuller posted a 9-8 record last season capturing a West division title and a playoff berth in the inaugural season of the franchise.

Prior to joining the Blitz, Fuller spent two seasons in Oklahoma with the Wranglers of the Arena Football League, during which he led the Wranglers to the No.1 league rankings in total defense and pass defense in 2000.

Fuller began his coaching career in Portland with the Forest Dragons (1998-2000) of the Arena Football League after serving one year as a defensive specialist. During the 1998 season he tallied 14 tackles with 10.5 of them coming unassisted.

Fuller played cornerback at Portland State University, under head coach Pokey Allen from 1990-1992 earning All-American honors each year. As a two-time All Western Conference selection, Fuller led the Vikings in solo tackles, interceptions, and fumbles caused and recovered.

The following year the San Diego Chargers selected Fuller in the 8th round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played cornerback with the Chargers until his release in 1994, after which he would attend training camp with the New Orleans Saints. While at camp, Fuller injured his knee causing his release. He was then allocated to the Scottish Claymores of the World League (NFL Europe). While with the Claymores, Fuller earned a World Bowl championship in 1996. Fuller ended his career with time spent in Philadelphia with the Eagles.

The Hawaiian Islanders finished the first af2 season with a bang, leaving players and fans with plenty of optimism for season two. Then, their hopes skyrocketed. Perhaps the biggest news in the franchise's young history came October 23, 2002, when Cal Lee officially announced his decision to join the team as its head coach. He is, hands down, the most prolific football coach in Hawaii high school history. Under his guidance and tutelage—and he has always been the first to praise his dedicated, veteran coaching staff—Lee brought the previously middling football program at Saint Louis High School into national prominence. In his 21 years as a head coach at St. Louis, his teams compiled a 241-32-5 record, which includes 18 Interscholastic League of Honolulu championships (1983-84, 1986-2001), 14 Oahu Prep Bowl titles (1983, 1986-1998) and the inaugural HHSAA State Championship (1999). Several of Lee's Crusader teams were ranked among the elite nationally during his era. He was named National Coach of the Year by The Sporting News in 1995 and the National Federation of State High School Associations in 2000. His success on the field didn't come quickly. Saint Louis needed a few seasons to accelerate the pace of improvement, and along the way, Lee also became the school's athletic director. His background, however, was a major plus. Lee graduated from Kalani High School and went on to become a national small-college All-American linebacker at Linfield (Ore.). Upon returning to Hawaii, he eventually teamed up with brother Ron, the architect of the Run & Shoot offense at Kaiser High School in the '70s. A defensive coordinator at heart, Cal brought the same offense to Saint Louis, realizing the potential and the explosiveness of the attack. He brings the same aggressive, but calm demeanor and philosophy of the game to the Islanders. He already knows at least one familiar face: quarterback Darnell Arceneaux, who helped lead Saint Louis to a Prep Bowl championship in the mid-'90s. Turning a competitive team into a champion is what Cal knows best, and staying on top is what he has excelled at for decades. Optimism has a home with the Islanders and their fans.

SNAPSHOT: BAKERSFIELD BLITZ

The Bakersfield Blitz open the 2003 season with a number of new faces, both on the coaching staff and on the roster. Head Coach James fuller retained Fullback/Linebacker Coach Steven Folmar, and Offensive/Defensive Assistant Rick Van Horne from last season, and he filled out his staff with a proven AFL veteran in Richard Britt as well as young talent in Paul Press.

After finishing 9-8 and capturing the West Division Title last year, the Blitz look for far greater success under the leadership of James Fuller and defensive coordinator Richard Britt. The team builds the 2003 squad around a solid core of developing stars, including: QB Chad Elliot, OL/DL Oscar Grajeda, DS J'Sharlon Jones and WR/DB Ryan Sloth.

After playing each of his quarterbacks throughout training camp with significant success, Coach Fuller named 2nd year quarterback Chad Elliot as the starter to open the regular season. Former Bakersfield College quarterback Jeff Dover will back up Elliot. Ryan Sloth, fellow Iowa State alum Gerrick Bivins, and Teddy Wilson lead the receiving corps, each looking for a breakout season. They also hope to help the Blitz post the yards and points that Coach Fuller is designing for them. Another breakout season may come from third-year af2 veteran Eric Mahanke, who has given the Blitz a stellar performance throughout training camp. Veteran Nate Munson and feisty prospect Glenn Gates round out the receivers.

Fullback/linebacker Julian Yearwood returns to lead the offense in the running game after setting the standard for future Blitz backs last season. He posted a team high 145 yards on 48 carries last season. Veteran running back Nathan Buergey and former Riptide fullback Melvin Blue look to back up Yearwood in the running game.

Guards Ricky Leung-Wai, Phil Blackmon and center Kenney Williamson anchor the offensive line, and are easily considered among the most dominating line in the league. Injuries kept out Blackmon and Williamson last season, which allowed rookie Oscar Grajeda to shine. Free agents Chris Smith and Ahmad Bhatti come to the Blitz hoping to solidify the interior of the line that helped Julian Yearwood with his 2002 season.

Veterans J'Sharlon Jones, Julian Yearwood and York Frierson lead the Blitz defense. The Blitz look to veteran leadership to shut down opposing offenses.

SNAPSHOT: HAWAIIN ISLANDERS

The Hawaiian Islanders, led by Head Coach Cal Lee, are currently 3-2 coming off a tough loss last week to the Wichita Stealth 29-36. The Islanders are currently tied for second place with the San Diego Riptide in the West Division. Darnell Arceneaux leads the Islanders offense onto the field for his second season. Arceneaux had his best game of the season completing 20-of-34 passes for 184 yards but was intercepted twice last week against the Wichita Stealth.

The ground attack is led quarterback Darnell Arceneaux, he has currently posted

.

BAKERSFIELD VS. HAWAII: SERIES HISTORY

Saturday's matchup between the Blitz and the Islanders will mark the 5th time these two franchises have met. This will mark the second time these two teams have met this season. Bakersfield leads the all-time series 3-1. 2002 – Blitz, 52-32 (HAW) Blitz, 56-48 (BAK) Islanders, 49-35 (HAW) Blitz, 58-43 (BAK)

AT A GLANCE:

· Bakersfield's offense ranks 15th in the af2 in total offense and 14th in the league in passing offense. Hawaii ranks 11th in total offense in the league and 26th on passing.

· Blitz offensive specialist Gerrick Bivins leads the team in receptions (34), receiving yards (387) and receiving touchdowns (5), while wide receiver Nian Taylor leads the Islanders also in all three categories with 25 receptions for 364 yards and 7 receiving touchdowns.

· Hawaii's backfield rushed thirteen times for 63 yards and two touchdowns, while the Blitz backfield rushed nine times for 25 yards and two touchdowns last week.

· Bakersfield's defense is ranked 17th in the af2 in total defense and 4th in the league against the pass. The Islanders defense ranks 14th in total defense and 18th against the pass.

· The Blitz defense has posted seven sacks for a loss of 42 yards in five games. The Islanders have posted six sacks for a loss of 28 yards in the same amount of contests.

· Bakersfield defensive specialist J'Sharlon Jones has amassed 26 tackles (22-unassisted, 8-assisted) and one sack in five contests. He is ranked 7th in the af2 in tackles. Hawaii defensive back Eddie Klaneski has recorded 21.5 tackles (16-unassisted, 11-assisted) in five contests thus far. He is currently ranked 16th in tackles.

· Blitz kicker Jon Baker is currently ranked 4th in the af2 on PAT's, he has converted on 22 of 26 extra point opportunities thus far. Islanders kicker Kimo Naehu is ranked 10th in the league on PAT's, he has converted on 18 of 24 opportunities this season.

THE LAST TIME: HAWAII AT BAKERSFIELD

BLITZ 58, ISLANDERS 43 – APRIL 19, 2003 – CENTENNIAL GARDEN

The Blitz got off to a successful start in their 2003 home campaign Saturday night, beating the Islanders 58-43 at the Centennial Garden in front of 4,755 fans. The win bumped Bakersfield's record up to 1-2.

"I thought we played pretty well," head coach James Fuller said after the game. "When everything is clicking we're a pretty tough team to beat and especially at home."

Bakersfield came out firing, putting up 286 yards of total offense. The team also found ways to get the ball in the hands of wide receiver Gerrick Bivins. The third year veteran had a season high 10 catches for 112 yards and a touchdown.

Bakersfield's offensive line cleared the way for an effective passing game. Quarterback Chad Elliot played a solid game, completing 23-of-33 passes for 294 yards, with five touchdowns and no interceptions.

"He had a very nice performance," Fuller said of Elliot. "He hung in there and made some good throws."

The Blitz played their most effective football midway through the fourth quarter, posting three touchdowns and seizing control of the game. After wide receiver Ryan Sloth scored on a two-yard run, the Blitz defense forced Hawaii to a turnover on downs, which allowed Chad Elliot to hook up with wide receiver Gerrick Bivins on an 8-yard touchdown pass to push the score up 58-43.

"It sure feels good," Bivins said of the win. "It gave us the opportunity to know we can go out and play against anybody. It was a tough game. It wasn't an easy game at all. Hawaii came out and played hard. But we made better plays and had the chance to win the game. We know what we're capable of when we are all on the same page, and tonight was a perfect example of that."

Said Fuller: "When you have solid receivers like Gerrick and Corey McCoy, you have to take some shots down the field," Fuller said. "We did that in the fourth quarter and had some success with it."

McCoy chipped in with four catches for 88 yards and three touchdowns.

The Blitz defense played solidly as well. The unit held Hawaii to 20 points in the entire second half, and managed to hold the Islanders to 251 yards total offense. Islander's wide receiver Channon Harris was able to get free for five catches for 79 yards and one touchdown.

LAST WEEK: BAKERSFIELD VS. SAN DIEGO

BLITZ 37, RIPTIDE 34 – MAY 3, 2003 – CENTENNIAL GARDEN

BAKERSFIELD – The San Diego Riptide (3-2) used a missed field goal and an interception return for scores to beat the Bakersfield Blitz (1-4) for a fourth straight time 49-35 in front of 4,525 at Centennial Garden Arena in Bakersfield.

Riptide quarterback and Game MVP Kane Claunch tossed three touchdowns to three different receivers on 15-of-24 passing for 160 yards. He also added 25 yards on the ground. His first score, a 29-yarder to Eddie Miller, tied the game at seven. After a failed Blitz drive, Marty Graham returned a missed field goal 52 yards to put the Riptide up 14-7. That lead didn't last long as J'Sharlon Jones returned the ensuing kickoff 53 yards to tie up the game.

The teams swapped scores before the Riptide faced a fourth and goal from the one. Claunch pitched out to Jerry Garrett who then lobbed a pass to Altie Parker to put San Diego up 28-21 at the end of the first half.

The Riptide went up by 14 at the start of the second half when Claunch and Graham connected on a 3-yard pass. San Diego shutout the Blitz in the third quarter, but just 34 seconds into the final stanza, Jeff Dover connected with Ryan Sloth for a wide-open 33-yard score closing the gap to seven.

However, a short rushing score by game Ironman Rico Curtis and a 48-yard interception return for a touchdown by Brian Berg closed the door on a Bakersfield come back.

The Riptide travel to Tulsa next Saturday night to take on the Talons before returning home to the Sports Arena on Saturday, May 17 to take on the expansion Cincinnati Swarm.

Score By Quarter 1 2 3 4 F San Diego Riptide 14 14 07 14 49 Bakersfield Blitz 14 07 00 14 35 MVP: Kane Claunch, San Diego IRONMAN: Rico Curtis, San Diego ADT Def. Player: Kenny Haslip, San Diego

LAST WEEK: HAWAII VS. WICHITA

ISLANDERS 29, STEALTH 36 – MAY 3, 2003 – KANSAS COLISEUM

The Hawaiian Islanders' assignment was simple. Stop Wichita's Michael Dritlein from touching the ball. Despite being held to no receptions for the night, Dritlein's 57-yard missed field goal return with 3.3 seconds left lifted Wichita to a 36-29 win over the Hawaiian Islanders before 6,549 fans at Kansas Coliseum. Dritlein, who was ranked second in the arenafootball2 league with 34 catches, was completely shut down by the Islanders who dominated the game out gaining the Stealth 247 to 142 in total offense. Turnovers and special teams were the key as Hawaii threw two interceptions and lost a fumble while the Stealth only committed one turnover. In addition, two of Hawaii's four field goal attempts were blocked along with a missed extra point and field goal due to bad snaps. "You have to play all facets of the game," said Islander coach Cal Lee. "When it was time to make a big play, they found a way to find it." Both teams struggled on offense as Hawaii only managed to score on two of six first half possessions while Wichita only managed two scores in five tries. When the second half began, both team made key adjustments. Trailing 15-10 at the half, Hawaii scored on their first second half possession when Isaac White scored on a 22-yard pass from Darnell Arceneaux. The missed extra point, gave Hawaii a slim 16-15 lead. Wichita responded with a Brian Goolsby 2-yard run for a 22-16 lead. Hawaii countered with two touchdowns of their own. Nian Taylor, who caught 10 passes for 116 yards, caught a 18 yard pass from Arceneaux while Josh White scored from one yard giving the Islanders a 29-22 lead early in the fourth quarter. Hawaii had a chance to seal it with 8:27 left as they stopped Wichita on a key fourth down play. Three plays later however, Arceneaux threw his second interception of the game, which gave the Stealth the ball at their own 15-yard line. Six plays later, Stealth quarterback Anthony Buich hit Ty Ardoin for a 19-yard touchdown tying the score at 29. The Islanders then drove to its own 24 and tried a 43-yard field goal with 17.2 seconds remaining. The snap was high and Kimo Naehu's kick wobbled short of the net as Dritlein picked it up seven yards deep and ran down the left sideline for the touchdown. Stealth fullback Brian Goolsby was named the MVP of the game while Islanders Josh White and Eddie Klaneski was named Ironman and ADT Defensive player of the game respectively. Quarterback Darnell Arceneaux had his best game of the season completing 20-of-34 passes for 184 yards but was intercepted twice. Hawaii's three turnovers accounted for 21 of the Stealth's 39 points. Hawaii (3-2) drops into a second place tie with San Diego (3-2) who defeated Bakersfield 49-35. Wichita (4-1) stands alone in first place in the Western Division. The Islanders will face Bakersfield next Saturday, May 10 at the Blaisdell Arena. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.

NOTES FROM WEEK 6

THE REAL McCOY: Wide receiver Corey McCoy has displayed his special teams talents for head coach James Fuller and the rest of the Blitz staff in recent weeks. Last week McCoy returned three kickoffs for 109 and he nearly broke free for a touchdown in the third quarter. He is currently ranked 6th in the af2 in kickoff returns with eight for 228 yards with a 28.5 average.

DELVIN CAN DO: Defensive specialist Delvin "Quick" Myles is showing no signs of game fatigue. In his second game back from his forearm injury suffered last season, Myles has managed to finish right near the top in tackles each game he has played in. Last week against the Islanders, he posted 5.5 tackles (5-unassisted, 1-assisted) to tie fellow teammate J'Sharlon Jones as the leading tackler. In his two games back this season, Myles has recorded 10 tackles and is the third leading tackler on the team with only two contests under his belt.

JONES JUST MAKES PLAYS: Last week against the San Diego Riptide defensive specialist J'Sharlon Jones was flying around the field making things happen. He tallied 5.5 tackles to tie him with Delvin Myles as the leader. In addition, Jones returned two kickoffs for 59 yards. Jones has risen up the rankings in numerous categories in the league stats...he is currently ranked 7th in tackles, 4th in fumbles recovered, 8th in passes defended, and tied for 6th with numerous players in sacks. Jones is also the current leader in all of these departments except sacks on the Blitz squad. BLITZ POINTS: Rookie quarterback Jeff Dover started his first career game and recorded his first career touchdown pass and run ...Linebacker Julian Yearwood recorded his first interception of the season as well as the first interception for the Blitz this season last week versus the Riptide ...defensive lineman Joshua Morrow recorded his first career tackle last week at the Garden ...defensive specialist Kusanti Abdul Salaam saw his first action of the 2003 season since being on injured reserved. He tallied one tackle in a reserve role last week.

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