Blitz Clinch Playoff Spot with Fourth Straight Win Last Weekend

July 19, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Bakersfield Blitz News Release


The Blitz (10-4) go back on the road this Saturday to take on the San Diego Riptide (7-7) at 7:00 p.m. A victory by Bakersfield will lock up the West Division title and clinch a first-round bye in the af2 playoffs as the Number 2 seed. The Blitz returns home to Centennial Garden for the final week of the regular season to host Hawaii on July 31st at 7:00 p.m. The first 2,000 fans will receive a full-size Blitz Football courtesy of KGET-TV 17 and Stinson's. It's also Pigskin Pride Night, giving any fan 2-for-1 admission by wearing any football jersey to the game.

Last week

BAKERSFIELD 45 vs. Central Valley 19

The Blitz defense took the ball away four times and held the Coyotes to a season low point total with a 45-19 thrashing at Centennial Garden on Saturday night. Steve Wofford had a pair of touchdowns for Bakersfield and Chad Elliott threw for 197 yards and three scores in the win. Mel Miller had five tackles and an interception and Kevin Carroll had a pair of sacks on defense for Bakersfield.

In the huddle

· WR/LB Eric Mahanke established a new Bakersfield record for receiving yards in a season with his 95-yard performance this weekend. He now has 1,280 yards on the season, breaking Steve Wofford's mark of 1,247 in 2002.

· Mahanke also caught his 26th touchdown of the season Saturday. He is five TDs shy of breaking the old Bakersfield record of 30 set by Wofford in 2002 and tied by himself in 2003. He has a touchdown catch in every game this season.

· OS Steve Wofford is 83 yards shy of breaking his own Bakersfield record for kick return yards (776) set in 2002.

· No arena football team in Bakersfield has won 10 games in a season before this year.

· Nathan Munson had his second Missed Field Goal (MFG) return of 50 or more yards for a touchdown this season on Saturday. Before this season, only J'Sharlon Jones in 2003 had returned an MFG for a touchdown in Bakersfield history.

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, 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: The Blitz has met with the Riptide three times this season, winning all three matches by a combined 11 points. They won the last meeting 57-53 in San Diego on June 26th. It's the final road game of the season for Bakersfield. San Diego is 2-4 on home turf, with two game remaining including this week. The Riptide is 0-2 against the Blitz on the road this season, but 5-1 against the rest of the league. San Diego is ranked in the Top 10 in 11 categories.

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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