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Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings game notes

July 27, 2005 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Bossier/Shreveport Battle Wings (3-12)
@ Memphis Xplorers (12-3)
Date: Saturday, July 30, 2005
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. CST
Site: DeSoto Civic Center (8,444)
National Anthem: TBA
Coin Toss: Head Referee
Officials: Referee: Fred Wiedower
Umpire: Chad Walker
Head Linesman: Karl Lane
Line Judge: Mark Bailey
Back Judge: Dax Hill

Radio: KWKH 1130 AM (Charlie Chitwood)

TV: None
Series Record: Memphis leads all-time series, 5-3.
Last Meeting: The 'Wings and X-Men opened the season against one another on April 3 in Bossier City. Memphis rolled off a 63-24 victory.
Streaks: Battle Wings, L4; Xplorers, W2
Coaches: Battle Wings - Keith Barefield (8-21, 2nd season)
Xplorers - Dana Bartow (33-31, 4th season)

THE STAKES: The Battle Wings are playing for pride and an eye toward 2006 in the season finale. They're also hoping to continue their strong efforts against the better teams in the league. Memphis has already claimed the National Conference Midwest Division crown and accompanying bye week in the first round of the playoffs. The X-men will be looking to finish their season strong and guarantee home field advantage through the Conference playoffs.

THE SERIES: Memphis currently owns the edge (5 victories against 3 losses) in the all-time series between the two clubs and serves as the Battle Wings most-played rival in the af2. After taking two of the first three meetings between the two teams, the Battle Wings lost three straight (two in 2003 and the first game in 2004) before ripping off one of the most impressive victories in franchise history at Southaven last June. Bossier surprised the X-Men with a sound 67-28 thrashing, avenging an earlier 40-point loss (69-29) at the Century Tel Center just three days after the 'Wings returned from their long trip to Hawaii. Memphis kicked off the 2005 campaign with a route in Bossier, winning 63-24.

THE IFs:
If Bossier/Shreveport defeats Memphis...
- the Wings will have their fourth victory of the season;
- it will allow the Wings to avoid matching their worst record in the five-year existence of the franchise;
- it will be the Wings' second consecutive victory in Southaven, MS;
- and Tulsa defeats Oklahoma City, the Xplorers will not hold home-field throughout the playoffs should both Tulsa and Memphis advance to conference title game. Tulsa defeated Memphis 44-41 and, if tied at 12-4 at season's end, would hold tie-breaking advantage over Xplorers;
- the Wings will snap a four-game losing streak;
- the Wings will return to within one game of .500 (4-5) against Xplorers.

BOSSIER/SHREVEPORT (3-12) (Lost 4)
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 L 33-56
7/23 QUAD CITY* L 53-51
7/30 @ Memphis* 7:00

Memphis Xplorers (12-3)(W2)
Date Opponent Time Result Score
4/3 @ Bossier W 63-24
4/8 @ Amarillo W 66-41
4/15 ARKANSAS W 54-13
4/23 @Birmingham W 60-24
4/30 @ Quad City L 42-45
5/7 OKLAHOMA CITY W 43-38
5/14 AMARILLO W 46-40
5/21 @ Albany W 73-53
6/4 @ Arkansas W 35-33
6/11 QUAD CITY W 61-54 OT
6/18 BIRMINGHAM W 62-32
6/25 @ Oklahoma City L 47-50
7/9 TULSA L 41-44
7/16 MANCHESTER W 83-26
7/23 @ Central Valley W 69-57
7/30 BOSSIER 7:05
Date Opponent Result Score

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..... In his fourth season, Dana Bartow has followed last year's best-ever finish with an even better one, guiding the X-men to a conference-best 12-3 entering the season's final week and the top ranking in af2 for Week 17. Last year, Bartow had Memphis in place to upset eventual Arena Cup champion Florida in the first round of the post-season, but a missed field goal as time expired ended the X-Men's season.

LAST SERIES MEETING: The Battle Wings high hopes for the 2005 season got off to a rocky start against Memphis in a 63-24 loss to the Xplorers at the Century Tel Center April 3. Bossier scored a touchdown on the game's first offensive snap, then lost starting center Mike Homewood to a dislocated big toe on the 'Wings second offensive snap. The 'Wings had trouble up front the remainder of the game and never got back on track. Memphis QB Brian Jones completed 20 of 32 passes for 271yards and five TD's in the victory while kicker Steven Azar converted four FG's on the night. The Battle Wings managed just 115 yards total offense and only 78 yards offense after Caleb Slover hooked up with Adrian Burnette for a 37-yard TD on the game's first play.

SERIES NOTABLES: Thre have been wide point spreads in the last five games played between Bossier and Memphis, but the last three have seen the winning team claim a huge margin of victory. Bossier lost 69-29 in Louisiana last April 23, then returned the minus one with a 67-28 route of the Xplorers in Southaven, MS on June 5. Neither team has won this matchup at home since Memphis claimed a 62-35 victory over the 'Wings during the 2003 season.

KEY MATCH-UPS: Bossier's secondary is facing a tough pass-and-catch combo for the second straight week in Memphis QB Brian Jones and OS Kevin Prentiss. Jones has converted over 63 per cent of his passes this season, throwing for more than 3,200 yards and 66 touchdowns. Prentiss, one of the best in the league, is one catch shy of the century mark and has 39 receiving TD's to go along with more than 1,500 receiving yards. The Xplorers' defensive secondary is full of thieves - Dahnel Singfield leads the league with 11 picks while as a team, the X-Men have chalked up an eye-popping 30 interceptions - four of which they've run back for TD's.

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