Battle Wings Demolish Xplorers 67-28
June 6, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Memphis Xplorers News Release
SOUTHAVEN, MS- The Memphis Xplorers of af2, looking to rebound from a tough road loss last week, instead found themselves buried underneath an avalanche of points, as the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings soundly thrashed the Xplorers 67-28 before 2,946 fans at the DeSoto Civic Center.
Battle Wings QB Sherard Poteete had his best game of the season, completing 20 of 26 passes for 279 yards and 7 touchdowns and earning Baby Ruth Real Deal Offensive Player of the Game honors. His main target was OS Bo Smith, who had a similarly outstanding effort. Smith finished with nine catches for 155 yards and five touchdowns.
The game started off very well for the Xplorers, who converted two early fumbles by Poteete into nine points. Poteete lost the ball during a scramble on the Battle Wings' first drive, and Memphis was able to recover the ball and drive for a touchdown. On the next possession, Poteete fumbled the ball in his own endzone, and though he was able to recover it, he was tackled for a safety by Xplorers defensive lineman Kenny Jackson.
A rushing touchdown by Xplorers QB Jake Knott gave the Xplorers their biggest lead of the game, at 16-0, just before the first quarter ended.
But the Xplorers offense stagnated in the second quarter. Memphis's offensive attack was missing two of its most dangerous weapons, as regular starting QB Brian Jones and OS Kevin Prentiss missed the game with injury. As Memphis struggled to move the ball, the Battle Wings offense came to life.
Bossier-Shreveport outscored the Xplorers 20-6 in the second quarter, and the momentum would only continue to build for the Battle Wings. When the dust settled, the Battle Wings scored 47 points in the second half, en route to the final margin of 39 points over the Xplorers.
Former Xplorer and current Battle Wing Reginald "Bunkie" Perkins won the Army Ironman award of the game. Perkins caught eight passes for 115 yards and one touchdown, and made numerous key defensive stops. Bossier-Shreveport's OL/DL Kendal Shello was voted the ADT Defensive Player of the Game.
The Xplorers joined the league in celebrating the 5 millionth fan to watch an af2 game tonight, as loyal Memphis fan Mark Duncan was selected as the ceremonial 5 millionth fan. Duncan, who attended the game with his son, Josh Duncan, was the coin-tosser for the contest. He also received a jersey signifying his status as the ceremonial 5 millionth fan, and will receive two free season tickets to the Xplorers for next season.
The Xplorers now stand at 4-5 on the season, and will be in action again next week at home as they host the Bakersfield Blitz.
Game time is scheduled for 7:05 PM CST, with pre-game scheduled for approximately 6:55 PM. All sixteen regular season Xplorers football games will be heard throughout the Mid-South on SportsPlus 790 WMC, and worldwide on SportsJuice.com. In addition, all home games will be broadcast on X-Cast, a special in-house radio broadcast designed specifically for the DeSoto Civic Center. X-Cast airs on 107.9 FM, and can be received while in the DeSoto Civic Center by using a walkman or other personal radio. Fans can also watch the Xplorers during selected games during the season on AF2TV.com, which offers live streaming video and audio on a pay-per-view basis.
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