Bakersfield Rolls Up Another Divisional Win

June 29, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Bakersfield Blitz News Release


The Blitz enter their final bye week with an 8-4 record in the West Division, alone in first place for the second week in a row. Hawaii (6-5) will play this weekend in San Diego (5-6), while the Blitz plans on traveling to Honolulu for their next match on July 10th. Game time is 9:30 p.m. PST. They return to Bakersfield to host the Central Valley Coyotes at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 17th. The first 2,000 fans 12 and under will receive a bobblehead doll of QB Chad Elliott, sponsored by KGET-TV 17 and Del Taco.

Last week

Bakersfield 57 @ SAN DIEGO 53

The Blitz could do no wrong in the first half, with QB Chad Elliott tossing four touchdown passes and rushing for another. Meanwhile, the defense forced three turnovers, including an interception return for another score by WR/LB Eric Mahanke, and the Blitz led 44-23 at the half. But the second half belonged to San Diego, as they kept Bakersfield off the board until the fourth quarter and crept to within three points, but it's as close as they would get. FB/LB Nick Onaindia and OS Steve Wofford scored fourth quarter touchdowns to hold the lead and take the win. In the huddle

· OS Steve Wofford did in the Riptide for the second time this season. On April 17th, he returned a kickoff for a touchdown in the final minute of play to earn a comeback victory for Bakersfield. Last Saturday, he turned a simple screen pass into a 41-yard touchdown with less than a minute remaining for eventual deciding score.

· The Blitz improved to 7-1 against the West Division, including a perfect 3-0 against both San Diego and Central Valley. They are 1-1 against Hawaii, with two games remaining against the Islanders.

· Bakersfield's victory on Saturday snapped a four-game winning streak for San Diego that was the longest in their franchise's history.

· The 34 points Bakersfield scored in the second quarter on Saturday was a season high, as was the 51 combined points scored between both teams. On the other end of the spectrum, the Blitz was held scoreless in the third quarter – the fourth time they've been held without a point in a quarter this season.

· Nathan Munson picked up his team-leading fourth interception of the season on Saturday night. Eric Mahanke had his second of the year and ran it in for a touchdown.

· Rennard Reynolds caught his first touchdown pass in the last three games.

Radio and Television

Tune in each and every Thursday night from the Holiday Inn Select for the "Indoor War Report" with Head Coach Rick Van Horne. The IWR is a weekly live talk show that discusses news and notes from the Blitz and the af2, and airs exclusively on KGEO AM 1230 with the "Voice of the Blitz" Kevin Bartl. Each show features a visit from Blitz players, this week including OL/DL James Heimuli, as well as prizes, and specials from the Holiday Inn Select, which is located next door to Centennial Garden.

All games, home and away, can be heard on KGEO AM 1230 with "Countdown to Kickoff" 15 minutes prior to kickoff. Home games are televised live on Bright House Networks Ch. 21, with a replay of the game starting at 1:00pm the following Sunday afternoon.

This week's matchup: Bakersfield has their second and final bye week of the 2004 af2 season this week.

Pro-rated season tickets and group outings for the Blitz are on sale now by contacting the Blitz office at 716-BLITZ (2548) or by coming in to the Bakersfield Sports Entertainment office located at Centennial Garden. The Garden box office is open Monday through Friday 10:00am - 5:00pm. For up-to-date information on the Blitz, log on to www.bakersfieldblitz.com.



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