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Blitz Stumble in Memphis but Remain in First Place

June 14, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Bakersfield Blitz News Release


The Blitz returns home for a match against the Central Valley Coyotes (1-9) this Saturday, June 19th for Visor Giveaway Night. The first 2,000 fans will get a free Blitz visor, courtesy of KERN 1410, Bright House Networks and 24 Hour Fitness. Also, the Blitz pays tribute to both dads for Father's Day and the LA Lakers for reaching the NBA Finals. All dads get in for free with the purchase of a ticket for their child of any age, while anyone wearing Lakers attire can purchase 2-for-1 admission. Game time is 7:00pm.

Last week

MEMPHIS 59, Bakersfield 31

Newly acquired QB Michael Wall entered the game in the final minute of the first half, and tossed five touchdown passes en route to a 59-31 victory for the Memphis Xplorers (5-5) over the Blitz (6-4). Kevin Prentiss had over 100 yards receiving and was the target for four of Wall's touchdown throws. Bakersfield fell to 0-2 against Memphis this season, who defeated Bakersfield 71-52 at Centennial Garden on May 22nd. The Blitz remains in first place despite the loss, but are now tied with Hawaii, who defeated Central Valley this weekend, 70-42 in Honolulu.

In the huddle

· The Blitz was held to just one touchdown (and no extra point) in three of the four quarters of Saturday's game.

· OS Steve Wofford surpassed 1,000 all-purpose yards on the season on Saturday. He had 31 yards receiving and 110 yards in kick returns in the game. He has more kick return yards (542) than receiving yards (540) on the season.

· After putting up 10 sacks in their previous three games, the Blitz did not record a sack on Saturday night. In fact, DS Kenny Haslip recorded the only tackle for a loss in the entire game (for one yard).

· DB Mel Miller had a Blitz season-high six defended passes on Saturday.

· Bakersfield has been held to less than 200 yards of total offense three times this season – all in the last four weeks. Two of those games were against Memphis and one was against Central Valley. In the middle of that was a 407-yard total against Hawaii on June 5th.

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, 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 rank in the top 10 in six different categories, their best being sacks, which they remain 4th in the af2 with 22 on the year. They also moved from 10th to 6th in the league in sacks allowed, with just eight on the season. They dropped out of the top 10 in total offense. The Coyotes rank in the top 10 in just four categories, the best of which is 3rd in missed field goal returns (MFG).

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 stopping by the Bakersfield Sports Entertainment office located at Centennial Garden. The Garden box office is open Monday through Friday 10:00am – 5:00pm and opens at noon this Saturday. For up-to-date information on the Blitz, log on to www.bakersfieldblitz.com.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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