Central Valley Coyotes game notes

June 10, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Central Valley Coyotes News Release


(Fresno, CA) – Week Eleven has Central Valley returning back to Honolulu, Hawaii for the second time in three weeks to take on the Hawaiian Islanders. This weekend's match-up will mark the third consecutive divisional game for the Coyotes as well as the third contest between Central Valley and Hawaii this season. The Islanders have owned the Coyotes this season defeating them twice season, (Week 1, 68-35 and Week 8, 54-48). Saturday's game will be the 9th contest between the two clubs dating back to 2002. The all-time series is tied at 4 games apiece with the Islanders on a two game winning streak

With quarterback Kyle Biggs sustaining an injury in the third quarter of last weekend's game, backup quarterback Frank Borba came in completing 5-of-12 passes for 44-yards two interceptions and one touchdown. Borba lead all Coyotes rushers with three carries for 20 yards and one touchdown. During one of the interceptions Borba threw, he immediately rushed down to the ball carrier and stripped the ball away giving possession back to the Coyotes. Depending on the health of Biggs, Borba may get his first career af2 start in Hawaii.

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.






THIS WEEK'S PRACTICE SCHEDULE

Monday, June 7 --Players off--

Tuesday, June 8 6:00 p.m. Open Practice at Selland Arena
8:00 p.m. Coach Biletnikoff available to media
Player's available coming off the field

Wednesday, June 9 6:00 p.m. Open Practice at Selland Arena
8:00 p.m. Coach Biletnikoff available to media
Player's available coming off the field

Thursday, June 10 6:00 p.m. Open Practice at Selland Arena
8:00 p.m. Coach Biletnikoff available to media
Player's available coming off the field

Friday, June 11 --travel day--

Saturday, June 12 6:30 p.m. Coyotes at Islanders

Sunday, June 13 --travel day--

Monday, June 14 3:00 p.m. Coach Biletnikoff Press Conference

HEAD COACHES

Interim head coach Fred Bilenikoff Jr. takes over the helm of the Central Valley Coyotes after previous head coach Cree Morris resigned Tuesday, June 8, 2004. Biletnikoff Jr. begins his second season in the af2, having joined the Coyotes in January as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. His first stint with an arenafootball2 team was in 2002 with the Fresno Frenzy, where he served as an offensive assistant. Along with his Coyotes responsibilities, Biletnikoff Jr. will also continue to serve as offensive coordinator and running backs coach for the Fresno City Rams, where he has been since 2000.

Before joining the Rams staff at Fresno City College, Biletnikoff spent two seasons (‘91-‘92) at Alameda High School coaching wide receivers and defensive backs. In 1993 he joined the football staff at Chabot College with current Coyotes defensive Coordinator Doug Murray, where he coached running backs, wide receivers and was also offensive coordinator.

An 1984 graduate of Foothill High School in Pleasanton, Biletnikoff received an associates from Chabot College. He earned a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Cal State University, Hayward and his master's in kinesiology from Fresno State.

Biletnikoff and his wife, Cynthia, reside in Fresno with their two dogs, Tiffy and Rascal.

The 2004 season marks Cal Lee's second go around as head coach of the Hawaiian Islanders and judging by his first season of an 11-7 record and a West Division Championship, more excitement is yet to come.

Lee is a prep football icon in Hawaii, building perhaps one of the most dominant football programs in the state's history. Lee brought St. Louis School to national prominence and has already made an early impression with Islanders fans.

Lee's name is most synonymous with the Run & Shoot offense, a system that has helped him to 18 Interscholastic League of Honolulu Championships, 14 Prep Bowl Championships, and the inaugural Hawaii High School Athletic Association State Championship.

Many of his athletes have gone on to Division I college football programs and at one point, three St. Louis graduates could be seen as starting quarterbacks for their schools-- Timmy Chang (Hawaii), Jason Guesser (Washington State) and Darnell Arceneaux (Utah).

The veteran coach admitted last season that he needed some time to adjust to the arena game, but credits his experienced coaching staff for making the transition easier. Nevertheless, a little change in the football game isn't going to stop the go-getting Lee.

"It's a challenge no matter what you do or whenever you are beginning something," Lee says. "But I think you need challenges and you need things to be different in order to grow. You make mistakes but that's how you grow as well."

Although the rules of the game have changed, Lee hasn't changed his coaching style. He is best known for his aggressive, but calm demeanor and philosophy.

"I don't think there's much difference in philosophies," Lee says. "You're still blocking and tackling but the rules are different."

Turning a satisfactory team into a champion is what Coach Cal knows best. If his Islanders are a mirror image of his legacy at St. Louis School, Hawaii should be prepared for another football powerhouse.


CENTRAL VALLEY VS. SAN DIEGO – SERIES HISTORY

Saturday's contest will mark the ninth meeting between theses two organizations dating back to 2002. The all-time series is tied with four wins apiece. Hawaii defeated the Coyotes in their last meeting 54-48 on May 22, 2004.

Series History to Date:
2002 - Blitz, 52-32 (at Hawaii) 2003 - Blitz, 58-43 (at Bakersfield) 2004 - Islanders, 68-35 (at CEN)
Blitz, 56-48 (at Bakersfield) Islanders, 48-50 (at Hawaii) Islanders, 54-48 (at haw)
Islanders, 49-35 (at Hawaii) Blitz, 75-61 (at Hawaii)






At A Glance:
Ø The Coyotes offense is ranked 18th in the af2 with the 18th best pass offense and the 14th best rushing offense. The Islanders enter the contest with the 8th best offense in the af2, they are ranked 11th in pass offense and 6th in rushing offense.

Ø Central Valley quarterback Kyle Biggs has completed 105-of-167 passes for 1,072 yards, 15 TD's and 7 interceptions to amass a 101.19 passer rating, while Hawaii quarterback has racked up 2,198 yards on 154-of-280 passing with 40 TD's and 6 interceptions to tally a 111.28 passer rating.

Ø Anthony Arceneaux leads all Islanders receivers in the top three categories receptions (35), yards (613) and touchdowns (13). Coyotes offensive specialist Kenyatte Morgan leads the same categories 15 TD's, 859 yards and 71 receptions.

Ø The Coyotes have the 16th best defense in the af2. Central Valley is ranked 13th against the pass and 20th against the run. The Islanders are ranked 25th in total defense, 24th against the pass and 12th against the run

Ø VonKeith Spencer leads the Coyotes defense in tackles with 36.5 tackles (28-solo), he has tallied 5 interceptions and 11 pass deflections this season. Joshua Robinson leads the Islanders in tackles with 45.5 (37-solo), he has also posted 5 interceptions and 11 pass deflections.

Ø Kenyatte Morgan handles all the return duties for the Coyotes. In eight games he has tallied 1,130 kick return yards and 94 missed field goal return yards. Morgan is currently ranked 1st in the league in all-purpose yards. Anthony Arceneaux also handles all returns for the Islanders, through nine games Arceneaux has tallied 509 kick return yards.


THE LAST TIME: CENTRAL VALLEY AT HAWAII

COYOTES 48, ISLANDERS 54 – MAY 22, 2004 – NEAL BLAISEDLL 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.


LAST WEEK: HAWAII AT BAKERSFIELD

ISLANDERS 52, BLITZ 44 – JUNE 6, 2004 – CENTENNIAL GARDEN ARENA

The Bakersfield Blitz's guarantee win night nearly collapsed but a 40-point second half rally and a last minute Hawaii rally gave the Blitz the win and first place in the af2 West Division with a 52-44 win over the Islanders before 5,103 fans Saturday night.
The Blitz (6-3) now hold a one game lead over Hawaii (5-4) with the two teams meeting two more times. Based on the first two meetings, expect the next two games to be as close as the first two.
"Both teams played really hard tonight," said Hawaiian Islanders head coach Cal Lee. "I had our opportunities but you've got to credit Bakersfield. They made the key plays especially in the second half."
Baby Ruth Real Deal Offensive Player Chad Elliott of Bakersfield threw for 399 yards and eight touchdowns to lead the Blitz in that decisive second half. At one point, Elliott threw 11 consecutive completions in the second half including a perfect 10-for-10 in the third quarter. He completed 26-of-37 passes in the game.
"He made some great throws throughout the game," Lee said.
Four of Elliott's receivers caught at least five passes. Eric Mahanke caught seven for 112 yards. Nathan Munson caught seven for 95 yards, Steve Wofford (5-116) and Renna Reynolds (5-64) each contributed to the win.
Darnell Arceneaux was extremely courageous in his effort. Arceneaux completed 14-of-29 passes for 204 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for two touchdowns. He was also sacked a season-high four times.
"Darnell had a lot of pressure on him tonight," Lee said. "We'll take a look at the tape and make some adjustments next week."
Darnell's younger brother Anthony was Hawaii's leading receiver with six catches for 106 yards and a touchdown. Anthony recorded a af2 record-tying 58 yard kickoff return for a touchdown in Hawaii's 20-point third quarter outburst. In two weeks, Anthony has four kickoff returns for a touchdown. He also caught a 19-yard pass in the four quarter.
Hawaii wide receiver Aaron Smith caught his first offensive touchdown of the season, a 17-yarder in the third quarter along with Robert Kemfort (30 yards) to complete the third quarter scoring.
Leading 37-31 going into the fourth quarter, Bakersfield mounted three straight drives for touchdowns. All three touchdown passes were at least 35 yards or longer. Elliott threw 43 yards TD pass to Steve Wofford then a 41 and 36 yard TD strike to Eric Mahanke to give Bakersfield a 52-37 lead. Hawaii cut the deficit to eight points on the Arceneaux to Arceneaux 19 yard touchdown pass but the ensuing on-side kick was recovered by Bakersfield.
Injuries hurt Hawaii throughout the game. Wide receiver/defensive back Nate Jackson re-injured his shoulder and did not play the fourth quarter. Tight end/defensive lineman Morrie re-aggravated his calf and saw limited time in the second half.


LAST WEEK: CENTRAL VALLEY VS. SAN DIEGO

COYOTES 25, RIPTIDE 45 – JUNE 5, 2004 – SELLAND ARENA

The San Diego Riptide were just too much to handle for the Central Valley Coyotes tonight. With the veteran play of Baby Ruth Real Deal Player of the Game, Kane Claunch (12-of-22 for 217, 1 Int and 3 TD's), the Riptide cruised to a 45-24 victory in front of 2,246 fans at Selland Arena. The loss drops the Coyotes to 1-8 on the season.

Quarterback Kyle Biggs (17-of-27 for 146 and 2 Int's) drove Central Valley all the way down to the San Diego 15 from their own four yard line on their opening drive. Three consecutive incompletions would force kicker Justin Levine to come out and kick a 30-yard field goal giving the Coyotes the early lead 3-0. This would be the only time Central Valley would see the lead.

The Central Valley defense held strong on San Diego's opening drive though. Two quarterback hurries by Coyotes defensive lineman Nathan Frowsing and a false start penalty on the Riptide would halt their drive. San Diego kicker Rich Ehmke attempted a 37-yard field goal but missed right allowing Kenyatte Morgan to bring the ball out to the Central Valley one yard line.

The Coyotes offense began their next drive with 7:04 remaining in the first quarter. Biggs, with the aid of two Riptide penalties guided Central Valley down to the San Diego 14 as time expired in the first quarter.

An incomplete pass on 3rd-and-6 would bring Levine out again, this time to attempt a 34-yard field goal that was returned by Jesus Reyes giving the Riptide a 1st down and 10.

One the first play of the next possession Claunch was picked off by linebacker JaJuan Huddleston (1st of career) and returned to the San Diego six.

The Riptide returned the favor as defensive lineman Matt Guardia sacked Biggs on the next play causing him to fumble the ball. The Riptide would recover and two plays later Guardia would carry the ball into the endzone for a 1 yard TD.

Another Coyotes turnover on a Kyle Biggs interception would allow the Riptide to add seven more points on a 3-play, nine-yard touchdown drive that was capped off by a Dwight Carter nine-yard TD catch.

Biggs would drive the Coyotes down to the San Diego two on their next possession, only to be picked off again by the Riptide in the endzone for a touchback.

Claunch found receiver Nakoa McElrath open up the middle of the field for a 28-yard touchdown pass as time expired in the half. A missed extra point by Ehmke would leave the score at 20-3 in favor of the Riptide.

The Riptide opened up the second half adding a pair of touchdowns on a 2-yard rush by Ryan Cuthbert and 38-yard touchdown reception by Jesus Reyes pushing the Riptide lead out to 30.

With 5:14 remaining in the third quarter backup quarterback Frank Borba came in to replace Kyle Biggs who was injured on the previous offensive series. Borba came in completing 3-of-4 passes and rushing once for 3 yards guiding the Coyotes to their first touchdown of the game on a 3-yard touchdown pass to LaMonte Jones. Levine would convert the point after touchdown and the score stood at 33-10 at the end of the third.

Each team added a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Central Valley scored on a five-yard JaJuan Huddleston pass to LaMonte Jones and a Frank Borba four-yard rushing TD. San Diego finished off their scoring on a pair of rushing touchdowns, one from Ryan Cuthbert (7-yards) and the other from Matt Guardia (5-yards). Each finished the game with two rushing touchdowns.

The tremendous play of the Riptide defensive line plus the veteran leadership of Kane Claunch was the deciding factor in the Coyotes 24-45 loss.


COYOTES WEEK 11 GAME NOTES


LET ME BE FRANK: Quarterback Frank Borba showed no fear entering the game last weekend when starter Kyle Biggs went down in the third quarter. Borba came in and finished the game completing 5-of-12 passes for 44 yards one touchdown and two interceptions. On one of the interceptions Borba stripped the ball back giving the Coyotes possession back. He also led all Coyotes rushers with 20 yards and one TD on 3 carries.

KENYATTE'S COUNTDOWN TO 3,472: Offensive specialist Kenyatte Morgan continues his run at the af2 all-purpose yards record. He recorded 206 all-purpose yards last weekend against San Diego to push his total on the season to 2,069. Morgan has to gain 1,404 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 seven games. Morgan is also on pace to set a new franchise record in all-purpose yards if he can continue his average of 229.9 yards per game. The current franchise record is held by Steve Wofford who tallied 2,212 in 14 games in 2002.

THE SPENCER FILE: Coyotes defensive specialist VonKeith Spencer has been an emotional leader for the defensive unit this season. Spencer has tallied 36.5 tackles (28-solo), leads the team in interceptions (5) and pass deflections (11). He is currently tied for 3rd in the af2 in interceptions. Spencer also spends once a week with centralvalleycoyotes.com to talk about the 2004 season.

COYOTES POINTS: Quarterback Frank Borba found the endzone twice last weekend for his first two touchdowns of his career. He rushed for one TD and threw for the other one ......LaMonte Jones recorded his seventh touchdown of his career...Darnell Lacy recorded a season high 4.5 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 18
Rushing 6 14
Passing 10 18
Total Defense 8 16
Against Rush 10 20
Against Pass 6 13


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 1,072 yards on 105-of-167 passing with 15 TD's and seven 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 73-yards on 16 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 29 yards and one touchdown on 7 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 71 receptions for 859 yards and 15 touchdowns. Morgan is currently 2nd n 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 nine games Huddleston has hauled in 28 receptions for 276 yards and four touchdowns. Defensively he has recorded 18.5 tackles with twelve 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 39 receptions for 471-yards and 9 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 36.5 tackles (28-solo) and a team leading 5 interceptions and 11 pass deflections. Spencer is currently tied for 3rd in the af2 in interceptions. 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 27.5 tackles (20-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. 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 4-of-18 field goals and has converted 22-of-26 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:
Ø 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.
Ø 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:
Ø 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.
Ø 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:
Ø 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.
Ø 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.
Ø 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 be on the road again in Week 12 as they travel down Highway 99 to take on the Bakersfield Blitz on June 19. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 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. Bakersfield, April 10, 2004


INDIVIDUALS

100 YARD RECEIVING GAME:
By Coyotes: Kenyatte Morgan (9-109) vs. San Diego Riptide, June 5, 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 at 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 Islanders, June 22, 2002
By Opponent: N/A

2-RUSHING TOUCHDOWN GAME:
By Blitz: Steve Wofford vs. Fresno Frenzy, June 1, 2002
By Opponent: Matt Guardia vs. San Diego Riptide, May 29, 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 Blizzard, 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 Fire, June 7, 2003
By Opponent: Rico Curtis at San Diego Riptide, April 23, 2004

AT LEAST TWO INTERCEPTIONS:
By Blitz: J'Sharlon Jones (3) at Quad City Steamwheelers, July 6, 2002
By Opponent: Nakoa McElrath (42 vs. San Diego Riptide June 5, 2004



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