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Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings game notes

July 12, 2005 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Bossier/Shreveport Battle Wings (3-10)
@ Bakersfield Blitz (4-9)
Date: Friday, July 15, 2005
Kickoff: 9:00 p.m. CST
Site: Rabobank Arena (9,000)
National Anthem: TBA
Coin Toss: Head Referee
Officials: Referee: Steve Strimling
Umpire: Torrance Crable
Head Linesman: Patrick Turner
Line Judge: Mike Cuttone
Back Judge: Greg Toler

Radio: KWKH 1130 AM (Charlie Chitwood)

TV: None
Series Record: Bakersfield leads all-time series, 1-0.
Last Meeting: The Battle Wings lost their first-ever match against the Blitz 75-40 at the Century Tel Center on May 7.
Streaks: Battle Wings, L2; Blitz, L3
Coaches: Battle Wings - Keith Barefield (8-21, 2nd season)
Blitz - Rick Van Horne (15-15, 2nd season at Bakersfield)

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Battle Wings: Charlie Chitwood - (903) 665-2645 (office); (903) 240-1599 (cell)
Dorados: Chris Due - (956) 843-5656 (office); (956) 227-4940

THE STAKES: This first of the final three regular season games is all about pride and a look toward 2006 for the Battle Wings, who were mathematically eliminated from the post-season chase after Saturday's 66-52 loss to the Rio Grande Valley Dorados. Bossier can still finish with a better record than it had in 2004 (5-11), but must win these last three games - on the road at Bakersfield, at home against Quad Cities
and on the road at Memphis.... Bakersfield is playing with an eye toward 2006 as well. The Blitz saw slim post-season hopes fade over the weekend after losing to Central Valley, 50-43. The loss to the Coyotes was the fourth in four games this season for Bakersfield and a complete reversal from 2004 when the Blitz swept Central Valley in four games.

THE SERIES: The Battle Wings had a short week in which to prepare for their first-ever meeting with the Blitz on May 7. Bossier picked up its first win of the year on Monday, May 2 at Rio Grande Valley, then faced Bakersfield at home five days later. After a low-scoring first quarter, the Blitz went ahead 35-17 at the half and cruised to a 75-40 victory, their first win on the road and still the highest point-total ever put up by the team in its second season...

THE IFs:
If Bossier/Shreveport defeats Bakersfield...
- the Wings will have won their first-ever game played in California;
- it will tie the two teams at a game apiece ni the all-time series;
- it will give the Wings a chance to match their 2004 victory total at home against Quad City next week;
- it will be Wings second victory on the road, matching their win production away from Bossier in 2004;
- the Wings will avoid any possibility of matching their worst-ever record (3-13 in 2003) in the team's five-year history;
- the Wings will have a chance at three road wins for the year, matching highest total since 2002;
- the Wings can forge a tie with one of the two teams head of them in the National Conference standings.

BOSSIER/SHREVEPORT (3-10) (Lost 2)
Date Opponent Result Score
4/03 MEMPHIS* L 24-63
4/09 TULSA L 51-61
4/16 @ Quad City* L 29-36
4/23 AMARILLO* L 66-86
5/02 @ Rio Grande Val. W 77-69
5/07 BAKERSFIELD L 40-75
5/14 FLORIDA W 28-22
5/21 @ Oklahoma City* L 17-52
6/04 @ Albany L 53-68
6/11 @ Macon L 36-57
6/18 OKLAHOMA CITY* W 54-46
6/25 @ Amarillo* L 38-51
7/09 RIO GRANDE VAL. L 52-66
7/15 @ Bakersfield 9:00
7/23 QUAD CITY* 7:00
7/30 @ Memphis* 7:00

Bakersfield Blitz (4-9)(Lost 3)
Date Opponent Result Score
4/2 CENTRAL VALLEY L 20-33
4/15 SAN DIEGO W 57-30
4/22 R. GRANDE VALLEY L 32-40
4/30 @ Central Valley L 21-40
5/7 @ Bossier/Shreve W 75-40
5/13 TULSA L 31-41
5/20 SAN DIEGO W 25-14
5/28 @ Tulsa L 43-56
6/4 @ San Diego L 54-59
6/10 ARKANSAS W 36-33
6/18 @ Amarillo L 55-66
6/24 CENTRAL VALLEY L 28-56
7/9 @ Central Valley L 43-50
7/15 BOSSIER/SHREVE 9:00
7/23 @ San Diego 9:30
7/30 @ Rio Grande Valley 9:30


HEAD COACHES: The Battle Wings' Keith Barefield is in his second season at the helm of the ballclub and owns an 8-21 record (5-11 in 2004). His impressive resume includes 19 seasons, ten as head coach, at Evangel (Mo.) University where he build a perennial NAIA powerhouse. The Crusaders were nationally ranked each year of his head coaching tenure and qualified for the playoffs four times from 1993-97. Barefield was named the Heart of America Conference Coach-of-the-Year in 1996 and 1997 and during his time at the Springfield, MO, school, he earned himself the title of winningest coach in the state at any level in the 1990's. His record at Evangel was 66-33-2, the best in school history. From Evangel, Barefield moved to the prep ranks at Cornerstone Christian School in San Antonio, TX as the school's varsity coach. In three seasons, the Warriors compiled a 29-7 record and advanced to the state playoffs, including wining the TAPPS 3A Texas state title in 2001 and 2003.... Rick Van Horne returns for his fourth season with a Bakersfield team and his second as head coach of the "new" Blitz. He served as the quarterbacks and receivers coach for two seasons under James Fuller and will be offensive coordinator for the second straight season. Van Horne guided the replacement franchise (original Blitz moved to Fresno as Central Valley Coyotes) to an 11-5 regular season finish in 2004, then narrowly lost to eventual ArenaCup finalist Peoria 38-36 in the first round of the af2 playoffs....The Bakersfield native graduated from Bakersfield High in 1979 and played two seasons with Bakersfield College where he was a First Team Junior College All-American at free safety. He was also named Player of the Year and MVP for BC in 1981, and the Kern County College Athlete of the Year. After BC, he played two seasons with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.


LAST SERIES MEETING:

SERIES NOTABLES:

KEY MATCH-UPS:

TOP PERFORMERS:
BATTLE WINGS
Player Rank Category Stat


BLITZ
Player Rank Category Stat



TALE OF THE TAPE: Here's how BOSSIER and BAKERSFIELD stack up so far in 2005:
Statistical 'WINGS BLITZ
Category Rank Stat Rank Stat
Scoring Offense 19 42.6 ppg
Scoring Defense 19 57.2 ppg
Total Offense 19 231.8 ypg
Total Defense 20 295.8 ypg
Pass Offense 17 214.9 ypg
Pass Defense 20 278.1 ypg
Rushing Offense 13 16.9 ypg
Rushing Defense 7 17.8 ypg
Scoring (TD's) 19 69 TD's
Scoring (Kicking) 7 86 pts.
Pass Rating 17 85.1
Pass Def. Rating 18 117.7
Kickoff Returns 10 19.5 ypr
MFG Returns 18 4/43 yds.
Turnover Margin 17 -10
Field Goals 2 10 FG's
PAT Kicking 4 .824
Sacks By T16 11
Sacks Against 17 20
First Downs 19 185
Opp. First Downs 19 240
Penalties 13 63.9 ypg
Opp. Penalties T18 45.4 ypg

BATTLE WINGS INJURY REPORT:
Pos. Name Injury Status
DS Robinson Right Knee LT-IR
FB/LB Clark ACL Sprain ST-IR
DS Johnson Broken hand

BAREFIELD BITES:

Battle Wings head coach Keith Barefield on the loss to Rio Grande Valley: "We had some problems defensively early on and just couldn't overcome them. I thought Brent (new QB Rawls) settled down quikcly enough and gave us a good performance in his first start. For him to have not started a game since his high school days and to have played that well says a lot about how quickly he got into the game. There were a few times when we could have taken advantage of some situations and didn't - that was disappointing - but there are some new guys out there that we expect some big things from and they learn from those experiences."

Barefield on final three games of the season: "Clearly we were hoping to have had this season be one in which we were playing in July to get ready for the playoffs, but we still have had some good things happen this year. I like the fact that our guys are playing as hard as they are, and it's giving us a real good way to evaluate who can and will be with us next year. The guys want to have fun playing these final games and there's nothing more fun than winning."

Barefield on the quick trip to Bakersfield: "We do lose a day of preparation for the next game, but that's the way the schedule is set and that's what we have to work through. Our guys have been through this quick turnaround before and they ought to know now how to handle it and be ready for the next opponent."

Barefield on the Blitz: "We were awfully flat the last time we went against these guys and hopefully, we'll play with that in mind. None of these guys wants to lose and none of them want to quit playing. Having been against Bakersfield already, we have an idea of what to expect when we take the field against them."

FORWARD MOTION: The Battle Wings play their final game at the Century Tel Center on Saturday, July 23 against the Quad City Steamwheelers, a team they lost to on the road 36-29 back in April. The re-match will be the first at the CTC since 2002, when Bossier won 54-52 in the only win ever recorded against the franchise.

NOW A FANTASTIC FOUR: Four Battle Wings have played all 13 games to date - OL/DL Quincy Myles and Darrick Sanders, K Brian Hazelwood and WR/LB Adrian Burnette.

DROP THIS! Battle Wing place-kicker Brian Hazelwood is second all-time in af2 history for converting drop-kick two-point conversions, having made eight-of-eleven entering Saturday's game against Rio Grande Valley. At Amarillo, Hazelwood has his roughest night of the year, missing three FG's (two blocked) and having two of this three drop-kick PAT's blocked. Hazelwood's teammates will have to go on a scoring explosion for the remainder of the season for him to have a chance at the league record - Tallahassee's Phil Setterquist set the mark in 2001, converting 60 of the two-point drop-kicks in 86 attempts.

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