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Central Valley Coyotes game notes

May 25, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Central Valley Coyotes News Release


(Fresno, CA) – The Central Valley Coyotes welcome the Bakersfield Blitz to Selland Arena in Week 9 for a National Conference, West Division battle. Each team suffered a loss last weekend, the Blitz were defeated by the Memphis Xplorers, 72-51 and the Coyotes were edged out in Hawaii, 54-48. This will mark the second of five consecutive divisional games for Central Valley, after the Blitz the Coyotes will host San Diego, travel back to Hawaii and then finish up in Bakersfield. These next four games are crucial for Central Valley if they wish to get back in the hunt for the West Division crown. Bakersfield currently leads the series 1-0 after defeating the Coyotes, 65-48 in Week 2.

Quarterback Kyle Biggs has been on fire in the past two games. He has completed 48-of-77 passes for 526 yards and 11 touchdowns with one interception. The Coyotes will rely on Biggs to guide the team to a winning streak beginning with Bakersfield this week. Offensive specialist Kenyatte Morgan moved into the number one slot in the af2 in all-purpose yards. Morgan has been the major weapon for Central Valley leading all Coyotes in touchdowns with 13. On the defensive side of the ball, the return of VonKeith Spencer should spark some excitement in the secondary. Spencer will look to grab his sixth interception in six games this weekend at Selland Arena.

The Coyotes are surrounded by a lot of new faces on the field as well as in the front office. After current Operator and CEO the Tachi-Yokut Tribe, moved the Bakersfield franchise to Fresno, CA, their first move was to hire former San Diego Riptide Head Coach Cree Morris. Morris will lead the 2004 Coyotes into the season on the quest for the 2004 ArenaCup.

HEAD COACHES

Cree Morris takes over at the helm of the Central Valley Coyotes franchise, after spending the past two seasons with the San Diego Riptide. Morris will have the tasks of leading the Coyotes back to the West Division title, and getting the franchise past the first round of the playoffs. Morris has surrounded himself with an incredible coaching staff in assistant head coach, Fred Biletnikoff Jr., defensive coordinator Doug Murray and line coach Sean Kelly.

As the Riptide's first head coach and former Orange Glen High School quarterback, Cree Morris has playing
experience with the NFL, Arena Football League and the World League. Morris also played collegiate football with San Diego State and St. Mary's College.

Morris, 32, led Orange Glen to a 12-1 record his senior year in 1988, finishing second in the state in passing with over 3,000 yards and 30 TDs. He was named Palomar League Offensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-CIF and Honorable Mention All-State.

He spent three years at San Diego State, where he had the rare distinction of throwing Darnay Scott his first collegiate touchdown and handing Marshall Faulk his first collegiate carry in the same game — a 49-13 win over Cal State Long Beach on 9/8/1991.

In 1992, Morris transferred to Division II St. Mary's College in Moraga, California, where he earned a B.A. in Health, Fitness and Recreation with an emphasis on teaching. In two seasons with the Gaels, he threw for 3,451 yards and 24 TDs, as well as six rushing scores. He is listed 16 times in the school's all-time record books after leading them to consecutive winning seasons in just 15 starts.

He participated in the training camp of the Los Angeles Raiders in 1994. In April of 1995, Morris signed with the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League, however, the St. Louis Rams invited him to their training camp. In 1996, Morris spent a season in the World League of American Football with the London Monarchs.

The following year, Morris began his two-year Arena career spending a year and half with the Arena League's San Jose SaberCats (1997-98) and finishing his career with the Iowa
Barnstormers (1998).

Following his playing career, Morris focused on bringing Arena football to the San Diego area.

He has served as an assistant coach at John Swett High in the Bay Area (1994), his alma mater Orange Glen (1997-98) and Castle Park High (2000-01).

He's married to Stephanie, who he has been dating since they were 12. On December 8, they had their first child, Noah Trey.

Rick Van Horne, 43 spent the last two seasons as a Blitz assistant coach under James Fuller. He will run the offense as the head coach, and over the last two seasons his main focus was on quarterbacks and receivers.

A Bakersfield native, Van Horne graduated from Bakersfield High School in 1979 and went on to play college football at Bakersfield College for two seasons, where he was a First-Team Junior College All-American at free safety. He was also named Player of the Year and Team 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.

From the playing field, Van Horne moved to the sidelines wit his first coaching job in youth football locally in 1984. Two years later he took over as an assistant coach at the varsity level at Bakersfield High, where he stayed for eight years, winning three consecutive Central California State Championships.

In 1994 he was named head coach at East High. Despite taking over a program that had failed to reach the playoffs in its 60-year history, he led them to two playoff appearances in four years. After that, he moved to brand new Liberty High School in 1999 to begin their football program, where it took him just three seasons for him to lead the team to a Central California Division 3 State Championship in 2001.

He joined the pro ranks with the Blitz in 2002. While in charge of the offense on 2003, the Blitz ranked ninth in the af2 in quarterback pass rating (105.0), tenth in kicking points (105), and tied with Tulsa and Quad City with the fewest turnovers (18) in a 27-team league. Chad Elliott finished the year as the fifth highest rated quarterback in the league (114.4).

CENTRAL VALLEY VS. BAKERSFIELD – SERIES HISTORY

This weekends contest will be the second match-up between the two organizations since Bakersfield joined the af2 as an expansion team this season. The Blitz lead the all-time series 1-0, defeating the Coyotes in Week 2, 65-48.

Series History to Date:
2004 - Blitz, 65-48 (at Central Valley)

At A Glance:
- The Coyotes are ranked 19th in the af2 in total offense averaging 237.7 yards per game. Central Valley is ranked 17th in pass offense and 16th in rushing offense. Bakersfield enters this weekends contest with the 11th best offense in the af2 averaging 259.3 yards per game. Their passing game is ranked 8th and their ground attack is ranked 24th.

- Bakersfield quarterback Chad Elliott has completed 67.2% percent of his passes for 1,811 yards on 164-of-244 passing with 10 interceptions and 36 TD's. Central Valley quarterback Kyle Biggs has completed 60-of-96 passes for 643 yards with 3 interceptions and 13 TD's. He has completed 62.5% of his passes.

- Kenyatte Morgan leads all Coyotes receivers in receptions (53), yards (651) and touchdowns (14), while Blitz wide receiver Eric Mahanke leads in all the same categories 53 receptions, 640 yards and 14 touchdowns.

- The Blitz are ranked 20th in total defense allowing opponents 272.9 yards per game. They are ranked 18th in pass defense and 21st in rushing defense. The Coyotes are ranked 18th in total defense in the af2 allowing 267.3 yards per game. They are ranked 18th against the pass and 11th against the rush.

- Halakilangi Muagututia leads all Coyotes tacklers with 26.5 tackles (19-solo), while Delvin Myles leads the Blitz in tackles with 25.5 (19-solo).

COYOYES/BLITZ CONNECTIONS

When the Coyotes welcome the Bakersfield Blitz to the Selland Arena, there will be numerous familiar faces on both sides of the ball. Prior to relocating to Fresno, the Central Valley Coyotes franchise spent two seasons in Bakersfield tallying two post-season appearances and a West Division Title. As a result of the Coyotes franchise moving to Fresno, the city of Bakersfield was awarded an expansion team for the 2004 season.

Coyotes director of operations and public relations Anthony Martinez spent last season with the Bakersfield Blitz. Blitz media relations assistant Mike Ritorto spent last season with the Coyotes franchise. Bakersfield head coach Rick Van Horne, and director of player personal Steven Folmar each spent the first two seasons with the original Coyotes franchise. Current Blitz secondary coach Paul Press spent last seasons with the Coyotes franchise.

Bakersfield quarterback Chad Elliott, defensive specialist Delvin Myles, offensive/defensive lineman Phil Blackmon, offensive/defensive lineman Kenney Williamson and wide receiver/defensive back Nathan Munson all spent the first two seasons with the Coyotes organization. Offensive specialist Steve Wofford, offensive/defensive lineman Kevin Carroll, wide receiver/linebacker Eric Mahanke, offensive/defensive lineman James Heimuli, offensive/defensive lineman Ahmad Bhatti, fullback/linebacker Nick Onaindia and wide receiver/linebacker LaCorey Collins all spent one season under the Coyotes franchise. Bhatti and Mahanke both played collegiate football at Fresno State.

Central Valley offensive/defensive lineman Ricky Leung-Wai spent two years in Bakersfield with the Coyotes franchise.

THE LAST TIME: CENTRAL VALLEY VS. BAKERSFIELD

COYOTES 48, BLITZ 65 – APRIL 10, 2004 – SELLAND ARENA

The Bakersfield Blitz scored on their first three drives of the game and never trailed, taking a 65-48 win over the Central Valley Coyotes at the Selland Arena on Saturday night.
The Blitz was off to the races, scoring on their first three drives. Eric Mahanke pulled in his second touchdown of the season at 8:55 to make it 7-0 Bakersfield. Central valley answered with a strong drive of their own, getting downfield in under four minutes for their first score of the game, as Kenyatte Morgan pulled in a 14-yard grab. The extra point missed, however. Chad Elliott hit Nathan Munson for his second touchdown toss of the evening. Munson pulled in a screen pass on the right side and bolted down the field for his first score of the night.
Steve Wofford opened the second quarter with a 17-yard touchdown grab just 45 seconds in. He also caught the 2-point conversion to make it 21-6 Bakersfield. After a short touchdown run by Marshall Blount, the Blitz added two more scores of their own. Kevin Carroll pulled in a three-yard grab, and Delvin Myles ran back an interception 47 yards to make it 35-12 at the half.
Morgan ran back the opening kick of the second half to start a strong half for himself and the Central Valley offense. They scored 36 points in the third and fourth quarters, though never threatened Bakersfield's lead. The Blitz added second half scores by Mahanke (two touchdown catches), Wofford and Nate Munson with a touchdown run. A pair of touchdown runs by Blount pulled Central Valley within shouting distance at 62-48, but it's as close as they got, as Brian Walker booted the Blitz first field goal of the year to make the final margin 65-48.


LAST WEEK: BAKERSFIELD VS. MEMPHIS

BLITZ 51, XPLORERS 72 – MAY 22, 2004 – CENTENNIAL GARDEN ARENA
Memphis QB Brian Jones threw for 298 yards and six touchdowns, and rushed for three more as the Xplorers rolled up a 72-51 victory over the Bakersfield Blitz in front of 4,240 fans at Centennial Garden on Saturday night.
The two teams exchanged first quarter scores to make it 7-7 after 15 minutes. Bakersfield took over on downs after holding the Xplorers on downs on their first possession. It was the last time Memphis was held scoreless in the game. They blew the score wide open with a 30-point second quarter in which Jones was perfect, with no in completions, one rushing touchdown and air pair threw the air. Bakersfield put up a pair of scores and a 52-yard field goal by Brian Walker, and trailed 37-23 at the half.
The Blitz and Xplorers traded touchdowns in the second half, with Memphis putting up 35 points to the Blitz 28. Bakersfield got close twice, with third quarter touchdowns by Nick Onaindia (3-yd rush) and Rennard Reynolds (11-yd pass) both drawing Bakersfield to within seven points.
The breaking point came late in the third quarter, when Blitz QB Chad Elliott was picked off while attempting to again pull Bakersfield within a touchdown. Instead, two plays and 36 yards later, Memphis was up by 21 points on Kevin Prentiss' third touchdown grab of the game. Jones finished 22-for-27 in the game, with only three incompletions after the first quarter.
Bakersfield slipped to 4-3 on the season, and await the outcome of the Hawai'ian Islanders game tonight, as they host the Central Valley Coyotes, to decided whether they hold on to a first-place tie atop the West Division. It was the first loss in four Blitz home games of the season.
The Blitz head to Central Valley on Saturday, May 29th for a 7:30 kickoff from Selland Arena in Fresno next weekend. All Blitz games can be heard live on KGEO AM 1230. They return home for Saturday, June 5th, against the Hawai'ian Islanders for Beach Towel Giveaway Night. The first 2,000 fans will receive a towel, courtesy of KUZZ 107.9 and Bright House Networks. In addition, it's also Guaranteed Win Night, and everyone in attendance will receive a free ticket to the Blitz next home game, should they fail to win on the 5th.


LAST WEEK: CENTRAL VALLEY AT HAWAII

COYOTES 48, ISLANDERS, 54 – MAY 22, 2004 – NEAL BLAISDELL ARENA

Rookie quarterback Kyle Biggs couldn't find enough magic to pull out a victory against the Hawaiian Islanders in front of 4,211 fans at the Blaisdell Arena Saturday night. Early penalties in the first half forced Central Valley to fight an uphill battle in the second. The Coyotes made a run in the fourth quarter outscoring the Islanders 21-14, but 15 minutes was not enough time for Central Valley to pull off the upset. The loss drops the Coyotes to 1-6 on the season.

On Central Valley's opening drive, Islanders defensive back Joshua Robinson intercepted a Kyle Biggs pass on the second play of the game giving Hawaii the ball at their own two yard line.

"I tried to force the ball into the receiver instead of throwing it away," said Biggs. "I was trying to set the tone early, but instead I put us in a hole."

Biggs would rebound after an Islanders missed field goal, beginning the Coyotes drive at their own 5. Three completions later, Biggs handed the ball off to fullback Marshall Blount who rumbled 12 yards for the Coyotes TD.

The Islanders finally got on the scoreboard when Hawaii quarterback Darnell Arceneaux found receiver Nate Jackson in the corner of the endzone for a 24-yard touchdown. After a delay of game penalty on the PAT attempt, Islanders kicker Kimo Naehu missed the kick wide right leaving the score at 7-6 in favor of the Coyotes.

A fumble by rookie fullback Ryan Marriott would give the Islanders the ball back at their own three yard line.

The Islanders scored on a 4-play, 44-yard drive that was capped off by an Arceneaux 8-yard touchdown pass to Nian Taylor. A Hawaii extra point put the score at 7-13 as time expired in the first quarter.

Central Valley quickly responded when Kenyatte Morgan returned the kickoff 49-yards down to the Hawaii one yard line. After a rush by Marshall Blount was tackled in the backfield for a loss of four yards, Biggs hooked up with Morgan on a 5-yard TD pass, his first of four. Following the completion of the PAT, the Coyotes regained the lead 14-13.

The Islanders answered back when Darnell Arceneaux hooked up with brother Anthony Arceneaux on a 22-yard touchdown pass with 10:05 remaining in the half.

The Coyotes following drive was stopped short on third down-and-goal from the Hawaii 10 yard line, when Biggs was sacked for a seven yard loss at the Islanders 17. The sack forced the Coyotes to bring out Justin Levine to kick a 34-yard field goal cutting Hawaii's lead down to three, 17-20.

The Islanders next possession was aided by three Coyotes penalties which help keep their drive going. Islanders' fullback Vai Notoa finished the drive on a two yard touchdown run, which put the score at 17-27 with 39 seconds remaining.

After Biggs guided the Coyotes down to the Islanders six yard line with one second remaining, Levine came onto the field again connecting on a 23-yard field goal. At the end of the first half Central Valley trailed Hawaii, 20-27. The Coyotes tallied 10 penalties for 48 yards in the first half.

The Islanders and Coyotes each traded a pair of touchdowns to open the third quarter, with Arceneaux hooking up with brother Anthony again, this time on a 30-yard TD pass. Biggs found JaJuan Huddleston in the back of the endzone for a seven yard TD.

On the third play of Hawaii's next drive, receiver Nate Jackson was stripped by Central Valley defensive back Darnell Lacy, allowing Halakilangi Muagututia to recover the ball for the Coyotes at their own 15.

A sack and a false start penalty would send Central Valley facing a third-and-twenty-eight situation. A short completion would bring out Levine to attempt a 48 yard field goal which was returned back to the Central Valley 14.

The Islanders we're helped out again on a offsides penalty by central Valley, moving the ball to the nine yard line. Two plays later Darnell Arceneaux scored on a five yard keeper.

Central Valley found themselves deep in their own territory again after another sack and penalty. Kicker Justin Levine just missed short on a 56-yard field goal as time ran out in the third quarter.

The Coyotes forced another fumble in early in the fourth quarter on first-and-goal for the Islanders at the Coyotes six yard line. Vai Notoa was hit hard by Robert Theus Jr. forcing the ball to pop out and fall into the hands of JaJuan Huddleston.

Biggs completed a 6-play, 42-yard drive that was capped off by a 10 yard touchdown pass to Kenyatte Morgan with 10:37 remaining in the game, 34-41.

Biggs would hook up with Morgan twice more in the quarter on touchdown passes of six and seven yards. Arceneaux would toss a 16 yard touchdown pass to Nian Taylor and rush for a three yard TD of his own to counter Central Valley.

The Islanders didn't flinch at all trading touchdown for touchdown in the fourth. With three seconds remaining and trailing by six points, 48-54, Central Valley recovered the onside kick, but time had already expired.


COYOTES WEEK 9 GAME NOTES

JAJUAN'T SOME MORE: Wide receiver/linebacker JaJuan Huddleston had a breakout game last weekend in Honolulu, Hawaii. Huddleston led all Coyotes receivers with 9 receptions for 82 yards and one touchdown offensively. Defensively he tallied two tackles and recovered a fumble for the Coyotes. Huddleston, a rookie has developed into a resourceful two-way player for Central Valley.

ON THE MARK: Rookie quarterback Kyle Biggs has continued to show his maturity inside the pocket on offense. Biggs has also been on the money when it comes to getting the ball to his receivers. He currently has a 62.5 pass completion percentage and has tossed 11 touchdowns in the past two games. His ability to scramble and buy more time for his receivers has allowed his stats to rise.

JUSTIN CASE YOU WANTED TO KNOW: Kicker Justin Levine came ready to play in Week 8 at Hawaii. Levine's two field goal's of 23 and 34 kept Central Valley in the game all night. Levine was also very consistent with his kickoffs hitting the net and not allowing a big return.

KENYATTE'S COUNTDOWN TO 3,472: Offensive specialist Kenyatte Morgan continues his run at the af2 all-purpose yards record. He recorded 263 all-purpose yards last weekend in Hawaii to push his total on the season to 1,669. Morgan has to gain 1,804 yards if he wishes to surpass current record holder Ira Gooch. In order to accomplish this task Morgan must gain at least 201 yards in the Coyotes next nine games.

THE SPENCER FILE: Coyotes defensive specialist VonKeith Spencer has been an emotional leader for the defensive unit this season. Spencer has tallied 25 tackles (18-solo), leads the team in interceptions (5) and pass deflections (9). He is currently ranked 2nd in the af2 in interceptions. Spencer also spends once a week with centralvalleycoyotes.com to talk about the 2004 season.

COYOTES POINTS: Frank Borba recorded his first career tackle...Marshall Blount recorded his fourth career rushing touchdown...Jermaine Smith recorded a season high three tackles...Justin Levine converted all of his extra point opportunities..

COYOTES IN THE RANKINGS: The following is a breakdown of the Coyotes af2 Week 3 rankings.

Category NC Ranking af2 Ranking

Total Offense 10 19
Rushing 5 16
Passing 10 17
Total Defense 9 18
Against Rush 8 11
Against Pass 11 20


CENTRAL VALLEY COYOTES POSITION OVERVIEW

QUARTERBACKS (2), RETURNING STARTERS (0):
After leading the Coyotes to their first victory of the season Kyle Biggs has secured the starting quarterback position for the remainder of the season. Biggs has tallied 643 yards on 60-of-96 passing with 13 TD's and three interceptions. Biggs has also carried the ball into the endzone once for a touchdown. With Biggs at quarterback, the Coyotes bring a very intelligent quarterback who can read defenses quickly and throw the deep ball. If the Coyotes are to have success with Biggs this weekend he will have to be smart with the ball and read what the defense is doing. Frank Borba recently joined the Coyotes on 5/20/04, Borba is a rookie out of Menlo college and will look to backup Biggs. In his first week of practice Borba was adjusting to the short field perfectly, he only had three balls hit the turf in one-on-one drills and three-on-three drills in his first practice. Borba is a smart qb who just needs to learn the game to mold himself into a true af2 quarterback.

FULLBACKS/LINEBACKERS (2), RETURNING STARTERS (0):
The ground game for the Central Valley Coyotes has stepped up big during the 2004 season. Leading rusher Marshall Blount has gained 70-yards on 15 carries and four touchdowns. Blount, a rookie tallied three touchdowns in one game against the Bakersfield Blitz, April 10, 2003. The three touchdowns set a new franchise record. Blount is a strong, physical fullback who has the breakaway speed to get by the secondary. Defensively he brings footwork, which allows himself to shed blocks and make tackles. Rookie, Kevin Nelson joins Blount in the backfield having recorded 12 yards on 5 carries this season. Nelson is a bruiser type fullback that can also make you miss in the open field. He is very good out of the backfield which takes pressure off the receiving corps. Defensively Nelson has adapted to the arena game quickly, he seems to always be around the pile for a tackle and has the height to knock down passes.

OFFENSIVE SPECIALIST (1), RETURNING STARTERS (0):
Kenyatte Morgan brings a lot of arena football experience to the Coyotes franchise. Having played in the Arena Football League with the Grand Rapids Rampage and the Los Angeles Avengers, Morgan has defined himself as a go-to receiver in crunch time. He currently leads all Coyotes receivers with 45 receptions for 579 yards and 10 touchdowns. Morgan is currently ranked 8th in receptions in the af2.

WIDE RECEIVER/LINEBACKERS (3), RETURNING STARTERS (0):
Howard Maxwell joined the Coyotes this off-season after sitting a year out. He spent beginning of the 2002 season with the now defunct Fresno Frenzy and was later picked up by the Tennessee Valley Vipers. Maxwell has grabbed 13 receptions for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns. Defensively Maxwell brings leadership to a defense that only has four players with arena experience. He has tallied 8.5 tackles (6-solo) through six games. Rookie Marvin Brown joins Maxwell at wide receiver/linebacker, prior to injuring his arm in Week 3, Brown had hauled in 9 receptions for 85 yards and one touchdown. He also was leading the defense in tackles prior to the injury with 12 tackles (6-solo). He is a raw athlete who has had the ability to study under the tutelage of Maxwell bringing his game to the next level. With Maxwell and Brown out with injuries the Coyotes will now rely on JaJuan Huddleston to fill in at this position. In seven games Huddleston has hauled in 20 receptions for 206 yards and four touchdowns. Defensively he has recorded 15 tackles with nine of them coming solo. Huddleston is a very strong wide receiver/linebacker, what he lacks in speed he makes up for with his ability to get position on a defensive back for the reception.

WIDE RECEIVER/DEFENSIVE BACK, (2), RETURNING STARTERS (0):
Former Fresno High School standout LaMonte Jones is the 2nd leading receiver on the Coyotes hauling in 29 receptions for 385-yards and 6 touchdowns. Jones is by far the fastest offensive threat Central Valley posses', he has incredible upper body strength which helps him to get out of his breaks quick and get by his defender. The Coyotes will utilize his speed to throw the deep ball and to run screens. Defensively Jones will fill in at defensive back, his speed and footwork allow him the ability to break on balls and recover a step or two on a receiver. Fontez Jefferson is another newcomer to the Coyotes and the arenafootball2 league. He spent last season in the NIFL showcasing himself as a premier defensive back. Jefferson has appeared sparingly in games this season but has provided extra depth to the offense and defense.

DEFENSIVE SPECIALISTS, (3), RETURNING STARTERS (0):
Veteran VonKeith Spencer leads the way for the Coyotes on defense, he has racked up a team leading 25 tackles (18-solo) and a team leading 5 interceptions and 9 pass deflections. Spencer is currently 2nd in the af2 in interceptions and 15th in the league in tackles. He is a fearless defensive specialist who seems to play with a lot of emotion. Halakilangi Muagututia is another experienced defensive specialist, who brings an all around solid defensively style to the Coyotes. He has amassed 25.5 tackles (17-solo), one interception and 10 pass deflections so far. Muagututia can also play receiver if need be. Rookie Jermaine Smith rounds out the secondary for the Coyotes. Prior to joining Central Valley, Smith was a standout corner at the University of Washington. He injured his knee in training camp and is now just getting back to 100%.

OFFENSIVE/DEFENSIVE LINEMAN, (6), RETURNING STARTERS (1):
Ricky Leung-Wai is the only player to have spent all three years with the Coyotes franchise. He is the all-time leading sack leader for the franchise and posted 9.5 in 2003. This season Leung-Wai looks to build on the 2003 season and help the young rookies develop into premier stars. Leung-Wai is joined by Zach LaMonda who spent the past two seasons in San Diego with Coyotes Head Coach Cree Morris. At center and nose guard LaMonda will look to plug up the middle on defense and protect the quarterback on offense. Having worked with quarterback Wesley Phillips in San Diego, the two have developed a synergy on offense. Nathan Frowsing is a rookie out of St. Mary's College and will look to bolster the offensive and defensive line. What Frowsing lacks in size, he surely makes up for in strength. He has appeared in a relief role in all of the Coyotes games. He has posted 6.5 tackles thus far. Rookie Ailao Issako has turned his play up in recent weeks, his had great footwork and has the ability to drop back and protect the pocket. Rookies Robert Theus Jr., Kamaloni Manu and Sandy Pua round out the remainder of the line. Each has been used sparingly this season.

KICKER, (1), RETURNING STARTERS (0):
Justin Levine will handle the kicking duties for the Coyotes this season. He joined the team in Week 5 and has since connected on 3-of-14 field goals and has converted 16-of-20 extra point opportunities.


2004 COYOTES TEAM NOTES

FRESNO BOUND: The original Bakersfield Blitz franchise was purchased by current Coyotes Operator and CEO George Chung along with the Tachi Yokut Tribe earlier this December. Chung and the tribe then decided to relocate the franchise to Fresno, naming the team the Central Valley Coyotes. The Coyotes retain all stats from Bakersfield and continue their third season in the af2.

MAKING THE JUMP: The Central Valley Coyotes have been fortunate enough to progress three players to the Arena Football League. Former wide receiver/defensive back Ryan Sloth is now with the Columbus Destroyers, current franchise leading tackler J'Sharlon Jones is with the Philadelphia Soul and current quarterback Johnny Turman is with the Indiana Firebirds.

WILD, WILD WEST: In 2004 the West Division was realigned back to its original format in 2002, which featured the San Diego Riptide, the Bakersfield Blitz, the Hawaiian Islanders and the Central Valley Coyotes. Each franchise in the West will play all divisional opponents four times (twice at home, and twice on the road). This will make for an interesting season in the West with each divisional game being important.

HOME AND AWAY: The Central Valley Coyotes have posted a 10-7 record at their home venue. In post-season the Coyotes have a record of 0-1. On the road though, the franchise has not done so well in the win column tallying a 7-8-1 record in the regular season and 0-1 in the post-season.

OFFENSE:

THE DYNAMIC DUO: With the acquisition of lineman Zach LaMonda to compliment Ricky Leung-Wai as the lineman duo for the 2004 season it will not mark the first time the two paths have crossed. The two have battled over the past tow years as divisional rivals as LaMonda played for the San Diego Riptide the past two seasons. With the veteran leadership on the line the offense should look to put up numbers in 2004.

STACKING UP THE ROOKIES: Come opening day the Coyotes will have a total of 16 rookies on the squad. Some of the new face rookies include fullback/linebacker and former Fresno State Bulldog JaJuan Huddleston, quarterback Jose Fuentes, wide receiver/linebacker Marvin Brown and wide receiver/defensive back LaMonte Jones.

CREE ‘A' TING OFFENSE: Coyotes head coach Cree Morris looks to lead the Coyotes franchise to the top of the offensive charts. Last season while in San Diego, Morris had the third ranked offense in the National Conference. Morris averaged 248.2 yards per game.

DEFENSE:

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE: Central Valley's 2003 defense finished the season third in the af2, its second straight season finishing in the top-10 in the league in total defense. The Coyotes led the league in pass defense and were third in the league in run defense.


COYOTES 2004 OPPONENTS AND SCHEDULE NOTES

The af2's realignment of the West Division in 2004 ensures that each team in the division will face their opponent four times, twice at home and twice on the road. The following breaks down the Coyotes 2004 schedule.

HOME GAMES:
- The Coyotes will host Peoria after defeating the Pirates in Week 14 of the 2003 season, 45-35 in Bakersfield. Peoria currently leads the all-time series 2-1.
- The Rio Grande Valley Dorado's make their first trip to Fresno, CA as an expansion team for the 2004 season. The Dorado's are led by head coach Gary Gussman.
AWAY GAMES:
- The Central Valley Coyotes will travel to the town that Farve built as they take on the Green Bay Blizzard. The two teams last met in Week 8 of the 2003 regular season with the Coyotes grabbing the victory 38-31 in Green Bay.
- The Coyotes head south to Oklahoma City to take on the Yard Dawgz in Week 12. Oklahoma City also joined the af2 as an expansion team in 2004.
DIVISION GAMES:
- Bakersfield Blitz – They will make their first trip to the Selland Arena since joining the league as an expansion team in 2004. This will be the first meeting of the original Bakersfield Blitz (now the Central Valley Coyotes) and the new Bakersfield Blitz.
- San Diego Riptide – The team heads into the 2004 with their former head coach on the opposite side of the box. Central Valley Head Coach Cree Morris will square off against his former team in Week 3. San Diego leads the series 3-4.
- Hawaiian Islanders – The 2003 West Division champions look to build on their breakout season last year. Though the Coyotes were able to win the series between the two teams last season, Hawaii held strong towards the end of the season. Central Valley leads the series 4-3.


A LOOK AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK

Central Valley will return back home on May 29 to take on the Bakersfield Blitz. Kickoff is salted for 7:30 p.m.

THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED


TEAM

OVERTIME GAME
Bakersfield 54, Peoria 60 at Centennial Garden, May 18, 2002

AT LEAST 400 TOTAL YARDS
By Blitz: 433 vs. Tulsa, July 27, 2002
By Opponent: N/A

60 POINTS
By Blitz: 75, at Hawaii, July 27, 2003
By Opponent: 65, vs. Blitz, April 10, 2004


INDIVIDUALS

100 YARD RECEIVING GAME:
By Coyotes: Kenyatte Morgan (8-132) vs. Rio Grande Valley Dorados, May 15, 2004
By Opponent: Anthony Arceneaux (5-143) at Hawaiian Islanders, May 22, 2004

300 YARD PASSING GAME:
By Blitz: Chad Elliott (25-37-356) vs. Tulsa Talons, June 21, 2003
By Opponent: Darnell Arceneaux (18-26-301) vs. Hawaiian Islanders, March 27, 2004

5-TOUCHDOWN PASSING GAME:
By Coyotes: Kyle Biggs at Hawaiian Islanders, May 22, 2004
By Opponent: Darnel Arceneaux vs. Hawaiian Islanders, May 22, 2004

6-TOUCHDOWN PASSING GAME:
By Coyotes: Kyle Biggs vs. Rio Grande Valley Dorados, May 15, 2004
By Opponent: Chris Greisen at Green Bay Blizzard, May 8, 2004

8-TOUCHDOWN PASSING GAME:
By Blitz: Chad Elliot vs. Hawaii, June 22, 2002
By Opponent: N/A

2-RUSHING TOUCHDOWN GAME:
By Blitz: Steve Wofford vs. Fresno, June 1, 2002
By Opponent: Darnell Arceneaux at Hawaiian Islanders, May 22, 2004

3-RUSHING TOUCHDOWN GAME:
By Coyotes: Marshall Blount vs. Bakersfield Blitz, April 10, 2004
By Opponent: N/A

3 FIELD-GOALS MADE GAME:
By Blitz: Jon Baker vs. Green Bay, May 24, 2003
By Opponent: N/A


DEFENSE

INTERCEPTION RETURN FOR A TOUCHDOWN
By Blitz: Eric Mahanke at Louisville Fire, June 7, 2003
By Opponent: Delvin Myles vs. Bakersfield Blitz, April 10, 2004

FUMBLE RETURN FOR TOUCHDOWN
By Blitz: Oscar Grajeda vs. Louisville, June 7, 2003
By Opponent: Rico Curtis at San Diego, April 23, 2004

AT LEAST TWO INTERCEPTIONS:
By Blitz: J'Sharlon Jones (3) at Quad City, July 6, 2002
By Opponent: Brent Browner (4) at Quad City Steamwheelers, July 6, 2002



arenafootball2 Stories from May 25, 2004


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