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Blitz Bowl IV Lined Up

March 10, 2005 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Bakersfield Blitz News Release


Bakersfield, Calif. - For the fourth season in a row, the reigning West Division Champion Bakersfield Blitz will host the only high school arena football all- star game in the nation, Blitz Bowl IV, on Thursday, March 31st at 7:00 p.m. at the Rabobank Arena. The game will once again pit West vs. East, with the West holding a 2-1 advantage.

The West will be headed up by Rich Cornford, who has served as the head coach at West High since 2001. Cornford played four years at Baylor University, where he graduated in 1993, and prior to that was a 1st Team All-League and 1st Team All- Santa Barbara County as a senior at Lompoc High School. He served as an assistant coach at Wasco High from 1993 - 1997 and was an assistant at West High for three seasons before being named the head coach. At the helm of West, Cornford has led the Vikings to a 27-17 record.

East High Head Coach Jim Maples will lead the East Team. Maples has compiled a 25-20 record in four years as the head coach at East, including the school's first Central Section Championship in 66 years this past season. He has 14 years of high school coaching experience in Bakersfield. Coincidentally the former starting quarterback for West High, Maples graduated in 1980 and went on to lead Bakersfield College to a 1981 Potato Bowl victory with an MVP performance and also played two seasons at Long Beach State.

Two coaches of the annual Blitz Bowl have eventually graduated to the coaching ranks with the Blitz. Head Coach Rick Van Horne was victorious as Team West head coach in the inaugural Blitz Bowl when he then served as Liberty High's head coach. Current Blitz defensive backs coach Jason Oliver led the East squad to victory in Blitz Bowl II when he was the top man at Bakersfield High. Last season the West again claimed victory behind North High Head Coach Mike Snow.

Fifty players will compete in the game with 25 on each side. The West is represented by 12 schools, with Stockdale fielding four players to lead the way. West High, Liberty and Centennial each feature three players on the West roster. The East is represented by nine different schools, with East High fielding five players. Bakersfield High, Highland and Foothill all have three players.

Tickets for Blitz Bowl IV go on sale at the Rabobank Arena box office on Saturday, March 19th at 10:00 a.m. Blitz full season ticket holders receive tickets to this game complimentary in their packages. For non-season ticket holders, the tickets are $10 for lower level seats, $5 for the upper level and just $5 anywhere in the building for high school students with a valid student ID.

The Blitz 2005 schedule includes eight games at home and eight on the road, starting with Opening Night on Saturday, April 2nd against Central Valley. Friday Night Football will hit the Rabobank Arena this season, as the remainder of the home schedule will consist of Friday night match-ups. The Blitz will compete in the National Conference West Division along with the Central Valley Coyotes, Rio Grande Valley Dorados, San Diego Riptide and the Tulsa Talons.



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