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Central Valley Coyotes game notes

July 6, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Central Valley Coyotes News Release


(Fresno, CA) – Central Valley returns back home to Fresno, CA, to welcome the San Diego Riptide to Selland Arena for the second time this year. The Coyotes are riding a six-game losing streak, while the Riptide are riding a three game losing streak of their own. Even though mathematically Central Valley has been eliminated from post-season play, the rest of the West Division is in a tight race for what looks to be only one playoff berth. The Coyotes will face four divisional opponents including the Riptide to end the Season. Central Valley will have the opportunity to play spoiler for the other three team's playoff dreams. Saturday nights match-up will mark the tenth meeting all-time between theses two franchises. San Diego currently leads the series 5-4 and have won the last two meetings.

Rookie quarterback Juston Wood became the fifth rookie to start under center for the Coyotes last weekend in Oklahoma City. He was able to complete 22-of-39 passes for 233-yards, 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions on the night. Wood seemed to bring a little more confidence to the team during the game then the four previous quarterbacks. He was able to get rid of the ball when he was pressured and he was only sacked once. Wood should get the nod to start Saturday night's game against the Riptide. Offensive specialist Kenyatte Morgan also had an exceptional performance hauling in 8 reception for 85-yards and three touchdowns in a losing effort. He also returned 6 kickoffs for 105-yards to add to a solid game. These two along with wide receiver/defensive back LaMonte Jones will all have to be on the same page if the Coyotes plan on knocking off the Riptide.

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, July 5 6:00 p.m. Open Practice at Selland Arena
8:00 p.m. Coach Biletnikoff available to media

Tuesday, July 6 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, July 7 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, July 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

Friday, July 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

Saturday, July 10 7:30 p.m. PST Coyotes vs. Riptide

Sunday, July 11 --Closed Meetings--

Monday, July 12 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.

Mouse Davis brings over 40 years of football coaching experience to the Riptide, having coached in four other professional leagues (NFL, CFL, USFL, WLAF) as well as the NCAA. Known best for his innovative offensive tactics, the "Father of the Run 'N' Shoot" will look to add some punch to the Riptide offense in 2004.

Prior to joining the Riptide, Davis most recently served as the head coach of the AFL's Detroit Fury for two seasons (2001-02), leading the team to the playoffs in his first year. Prior to his stint in Detroit, he served as quarterbacks coach for the Atlanta Falcons (1994-95), where he helped Jeff George realize career highs in touchdown passes, passing yards, completions, attempts and QB rating. The Falcons ranked seventh in the league in overall offense and had the fifth best passing attack that season.

Before signing on with Atlanta, Davis had a two-year stint as the head coach for the N.Y./N.J. Knights of the WLAF from 1991-92, capturing a division title.

From 1988-1990, Davis used his tutelage as an offensive coordinator for the NFL's Detroit Lions. He was the architect of the "Silver Stretch" offense, which ranked fifth in points scored during the 1990 campaign and oversaw Barry Sanders' rookie of the year campaign in 1989.

As a head coach in 1985, he led the USFL's Denver Gold to an impressive 11-7 record. The year previous he directed the Houston Gamblers offense, averaging 34.3 points and 427 total yards per game.

Davis' first professional coaching position was as the offensive coordinator for the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL. In just two short years, he lifted the Argonauts from the basement of the CFL to consecutive Grey Cup Championship appearances, culminating with a title in 1983.

At the NCAA level, Davis guided Portland State to a 42-24 record as head coach from 1975-80. During his regime, PSU led the nation in total offense six times and scoring three times, setting 20 NCAA offensive records.

Davis is also no stranger to Arena Football and is considered by many to be among the true innovators of the game. He is credited with opening up the league's offense and helping to create the exciting offensive style for which the league is now known while serving as the AFL's director of football operations from 1986-88.

A graduate of Western Oregon State, Davis lettered in three sports – football, basketball and baseball, earning All-America recognition at quarterback and running back. Davis graduated with a degree in nuclear physics.


CENTRAL VALLEY VS. SAN DIEGO – SERIES HISTORY

Saturday's contest will mark the tenth meeting between theses two organizations dating back to 2002. The Riptide lead the all-time series 5-4. San Diego defeated the Coyotes in their last meeting 45-24 on June 5, 2004.

Series History to Date:
2002 - Blitz, 49-43 (at San Diego)* 2003 - Riptide, 54-36 (at San Diego) 2004 – Riptide, 59-34 (at SDG)
Blitz, 43-33 (at San Diego) Riptide, 49-35 (at Bakersfield) Riptide, 45-24 (at CEN)
Riptide, 46-43 (at Bakersfield) Blitz, 43-24 (at Bakersfield)
Riptide, 40-27 (at Bakersfield)**

Denotes
*Overtime
**Post-Season game

At A Glance:
----waiting for af2 stats to be updated, will be sent out with second edition of notes------


COYOYES/RIPTIDE CONNECTIONS

This weekends contest will bring a few familiar faces together on both sides of the ball at Selland Arena. Wide receiver/defensive back Darnell Lacy spent the beginning of the 2004 season with the Riptide before joining the Coyotes. San Diego offensive/defensive lineman Oscar Grajeda spent two season with the Coyotes organization in Bakersfield.

THE LAST TIME: CENTRAL VALLEY AT SAN DIEGO

COYOTES 24, 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.

LAST WEEK: SAN DIEGO VS. HAWAII

RIPTIDE 37, ISLANDERS 40 – JULY 3, 2004 – SAN DIEGO SPORTS ARENA

The end of the Islanders-Riptide series had the Islanders coming away with a 40-37 win at the San Diego Sports Arena. The two teams split the series with Hawaii winning two games of the series at the Sports Arena and the Riptide winning two games of the series at Neal Blaisdell Arena.
The Islander's starting line up, which featured a combined three years af2 experience, was led by Quarterback Shawn Withy-Allen, who had only thrown two passes this season. Although Withy-Allen had a shaky start, throwing four touchdowns and two interceptions, he was able to overcome the ‘Tide. He completed 20-of-33 passes for 223 yards. Kane Claunch had a tough game completing just 17-of-36 passes and scoring only three touchdowns. This was the first the Claunch did not throw more than five touchdowns since May 15th. The low scoring affair featured no players receiving a hundred yards.

Ryan Cuthbert intercepted a pass and scored the first six after rushing the ball in on the Riptide's first drive of the game, putting the ‘Tide on the board first, but Rich Ehmke missed the PAT. Hawaii answered with seven after Chauncey Ako rushed the ball in for a touchdown and Kimo Naehu successfully kicked the PAT to put Hawaii on top with seven. Claunch connected with Reyes to put the Riptide back on top finishing the first quarter, 13-7. The Riptide scored on every possession in the first quarter.

After a shaky first quarter, Withy-Allen threw his first touchdown of the game to Anthony Arceneaux to start the second quarter. Naehu made the PAT and put the Islanders up by one. Claunch came back to score on a 31-yard pass to Reyes on a fourth down and five, but Withy-Allen answered the ‘Tide's surge, throwing a 30–yard touchdown pass to Gabe Amey on Hawaii's next possession. But Naehu missed the PAT, leaving the teams tied at 20. Hawaii's defense pinned the Riptide deep in their own territory, forcing them to kick on fourth down, but Ryan Smith stopped Hawaii's drive, intercepting a pass in Hawaii's end zone. The Riptide capitalized on the turnover with Ehmke kicking a 46 yard field goal closing out the first half 23-20.

Hawaii's defense continued to play hard, forcing San Diego to kick on fourth down to start the second half. Hawaii scored first in the second half after Withey-Allen running in for a touchdown. After struggling throughout the quarter, the Riptide finally found the end zone after Claunch's fumble was recovered by Reyes in the end zone. Following the score, Takamasa Suzuki and Quincy Lejay stormed down field on the kick off and pinned the Islanders down, forcing them to start their drive from the two yard line and ending the third quarter, 30-27.

The fourth quarter began with Trevor Misipeka forcing and recovering a fumble on the Hawaii 16 yard-line, but the ‘Tide could not capitalize with Ehmke missing the field goal attempt. Hawaii took the lead after Withey-Allen completed a pass for a touchdown finding Arceneax all alone in the corner of the end zone. With less than a minute, Claunch connected with McElrath to put the ‘Tide up 37-34. But Hawaii would not go down, putting the game away when they scored on a 16 yard pass from Withey-Allen to Amey with 20 seconds left in the game. The Riptide had a chance to tie, but Ehmke was unable to make the field goal, leaving the score at 40-37 in favor of the Islanders.

Baby Ruth Real Deal Offensive Player of the Game: Jesus Reyes (SDG) U.S. Army Ironman of the Game: Ryan Cuthbert (SDG) ADT Defensive Player of the Game: Ryan Smith (SDG)

LAST WEEK: CENTRAL VALLEY AT OKLAHOMA CITY

COYOTES 35, YARD DAWGZ 69 – JULY 3, 2004 – FORD CENTER

The Central Valley Coyotes opened up the first quarter with great field position thanks to a 38-yard return by Kenyatte Morgan which gave the Coyotes 1st-and 10 from the Oklahoma City 17 yard line. Newly acquired quarterback Juston Wood wasted no time at all completing his first three passes on the night. He hooked up with wide receiver JaJuan Huddleston on a one yard touchdown pass to give the Coyotes the lead 7-0.

The Yard Dawgz answered back with a score of their own with a 33-yard touchdown pass from Oklahoma City quarterback Craig Strickland to receiver Kris Peters. Following the PAT the scored was tied up at 7.

Central Valley's offense sputtered on their second drive from their own 10. Wood completed his first pass to Darnell Lacy for a 5-yard gain, but three consecutive incompletions including one on 4th-and-5 gave possession back to the Yard Dawgz.

Oklahoma City was aided by three Coyotes penalties to give themselves first-and-goal form the Coyotes 3. Quarterback Craig Strickland did the rest rushing the ball 3-yards for the touchdown and giving the Yard Dawgz the lead 14-7.

The Coyotes only needed one play to find the endzone as Wood hooked up with Kenyatte Morgan for a 40-yard touchdown. That left the score tied at 14 to end the first quarter.

The Yard Dawgz added three more scores to build up a 21-point lead. Daryl Richardson scored on a 2-yard run, Kris Peters caught his second touchdown pass of the game on a 6-yard reception and Damon Hodge intercepted a Juston Wood pass returning it 17-yards for the score.

Central Valley started their final possession of the half with :28 seconds remaining and the ball at their own 22. Wood found wide receiver Marvin Brown open up the left sideline of the field completing a 24-yard pass at the Oklahoma City 4. Three plays later and with only 3.6 seconds remaining on the clock Wood found Morgan open for the 4-yard TD pass as time expired in the half. A converted PAT by kicker Justin Levin put the score at 35-21 in favor of the Yard Dawgz.

Oklahoma City came out in the second half on fire needing only three plays to find the endzone. This time Strickland hooked up with Timon Marshall for a 36-yard touchdown pass to give Yard Dawgz a 42-21 lead.
The Coyotes drove the field on their following possession scoring on a 6-play, 39-yard drive that was capped off by a one-yard touchdown run by Juston Wood.

The Yard Dawgz found the endzone once again after being pushed back to 3rd-and-17 on the Coyotes 18. Strickland's next pass was tipped by defensive specialist Kendall Edwards, but found its way into the hands of Kris Peters for his third touchdown of the game.

The two teams traded a pair of touchdowns to begin the 4th quarter. The Coyotes scored on a 10-yard touchdown reception by Kenyatte Morgan from Wood and the Yard Dawgz scored on 45-yard touchdown pass from Strickland to Kris Peters.

The Yard Dawgz sealed their victory when defensive specialist Gana Joseph picked off a Juston Wood pass returning it back for a 21-yard touchdown.

Central Valley would fail to find the endzone again after Oklahoma City shut the Coyotes out twice on 4th down plays.

The Yard Dawgz added two more touchdowns to add to their lead. Strickland connected with Kris Peters for a 36 yard TD and Timon Marshall on a 6-yard touchdown.

Kendall Edwards intercepted a pass late in the game from Oklahoma City backup quarterback Joe Phears, but it was to little to late as the Coyotes were turned away from the endzone as time expired in the game.








COYOTES WEEK 15 GAME NOTES

JUST ‘ON' TIME: Recently acquired rookie quarterback Juston Wood was thrown into the fire last Saturday night against the Yard Dawgz. Oklahoma City entered the contest leading the league in sacks with 38 and probably one of the best front three in the league. During the entire game Wood seemed confident and poised, throwing the ball away when he had too and only being sacked once on the night. He also completed 22-of-39 passes for 233 yards and 3 TD's. Wood, who recently came down from the Los Angeles Avengers practice squad has the potential to lead this team to victory in the last four games.

THE RETURN OF THE RETURN: Kick return specialist Kenyatte Morgan made some things happen on kick return in Oklahoma City. He was able to rack up 106 yards on 6 returns and nearly broke two of them for touchdowns. Central Valley had recently been struggling in the return area not being able to sustain blocks long enough to spring Morgan. LaMonte Jones and Darnell Jones also chipped in on the returns combing for 31 yards on two returns.

BROWN BACK FOR MORE: Wide receiver/linebacker Marvin Brown was excited when the doctor had told him his arm had healed and that he would be able to play against the Yard Dawgz. Brown had missed 8 games due to an elbow injury back on 4/23. In his first game back he hauled in 5 receptions for 66-yards and tallied 1.5 tackles including a sack for a loss of six yards.

BEST IN THE WEST: Despite the record of the Central Valley Coyotes, the defense has turned up their play a few notches in recent weeks. They currently have the best pass defense in the West division allowing their opponents only 230 yards through the air. In the division Central Valley faces quarterbacks like San Diego's Kane Claunch (2,918-yards), Bakersfield's Chad Elliott (2,989-yards) and Hawaii's Darnell Arceneaux (2,764).

KENYATTE'S COUNTDOWN TO 3,472: Offensive specialist Kenyatte Morgan continues his run at the af2 all-purpose yards record. He tallied 155 all-purpose yards last weekend against Bakersfield to push his total on the season to 2,439. Morgan has to gain 1,034 yards if he wishes to surpass current record holder Ira Gooch. In order to accomplish this task, Morgan must gain at least 206 yards in the Coyotes next five games. Morgan has already set a new franchise record in all-purpose yards. The previous record was 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 42.5 tackles (33-solo), leads the team in interceptions (6) and pass deflections (13). He is currently tied for 2nd in the af2 in interceptions. Spencer also spends once a week with centralvalleycoyotes.com to talk about the 2004 season.

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

Category NC Ranking af2 Ranking

Total Offense 11 20
Rushing 4 10
Passing 11 19
Total Defense 6 11
Against Rush 9 16
Against Pass 4 10


CENTRAL VALLEY COYOTES POSITION OVERVIEW

QUARTERBACKS (2), RETURNING STARTERS (0), ROOKIES (1):
Frank Borba who joined the Coyotes on 5/20/04, is a rookie out of Menlo College and will now serve as the backup for Juston Wood. In his five appearances this season he has completed 42-of-80 passes 494 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions. Borba is a smart qb who just needs to learn the game to mold himself into a true af2 quarterback. The Coyotes also recently acquired Juston Wood who spent the 2004 AFL regular season with the Los Angeles Avengers on the practice squad. Wood brings a lot of maturity having studied under Tony Graziani. Wood debuted in his first game 7/3/04 against the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz. He completed 22-of-39 passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns.

FULLBACKS/LINEBACKERS (3), RETURNING STARTERS (0), ROOKIES (3):
The ground game for the Central Valley Coyotes has stepped up big during the 2004 season. Leading rusher Marshall Blount has gained 74-yards on 17 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 43 yards and one touchdown on 12 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. Jabari Jackson joins the Coyotes club having experience in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders. Jackson will help add depth to Central Valley with Marshall Blount going down with injury.

OFFENSIVE SPECIALIST (1), RETURNING STARTERS (0), ROOKIES (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 90 receptions for 1,127 yards and 21 touchdowns. Morgan is currently tied for 5th in receptions in the af2.

WIDE RECEIVER/LINEBACKERS (4), RETURNING STARTERS (0), ROOKIES (3):
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 34 receptions for 301 yards and five touchdowns. Defensively he has recorded 25 tackles with seventeen 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. Weston Borba is another rookie fresh out of St. Mary's College. He is a tall and very smart receiver who can play the linebacker position. With his long arms the linebacker position should be perfect for Borba.

WIDE RECEIVER/DEFENSIVE BACK, (2), RETURNING STARTERS (0), ROOKIES (1):
Former Fresno High School standout LaMonte Jones is the 2nd leading receiver on the Coyotes hauling in 51 receptions for 611-yards and 10 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. The Coyotes picked up Darnell Lacy who was released by the San Diego Riptide earlier this season. Lacy brings two years of af2 experience to the team. His knowledge of the game will help add depth to the secondary.

DEFENSIVE SPECIALISTS, (3), RETURNING STARTERS (0), ROOKIES (2):
Veteran VonKeith Spencer leads the way for the Coyotes on defense, he has racked up a team leading 42.5 tackles (32-solo) and a team leading 6 interceptions and 13 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. 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%. Local product Kendall Edwards will look to make some exciting plays on the defensive side of the ball as he did at Fresno State. Though he is a rookie he has adapted to the shorter field well. Look for him to be flying around the football on gameday.

OFFENSIVE/DEFENSIVE LINEMAN, (6), RETURNING STARTERS (1), ROOKIES (7):
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, Dwayne Johnson, Aaron Leverenz, Al Noga 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 6-of-21 field goals and has converted 31-of-35 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.

AND THE AWARD GOES TO?: The arenafootball2 league selected three members from the Central Valley Coyotes franchise last season to be honored on the all-af2 team. Offensive/defensive lineman Ricky Leung-Wai and Ahmad Bhatti made first team all-af2 and defensive specialist Delvin Myles made second team.

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

The Coyotes make their second and final trip down Highway 99 as they take on the Bakersfield Blitz, Saturday, July 17. 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

AT LEAST 500 TOTAL YARDS
By Coyotes: N/A
BY Opponent: N/A

AT LEAST 60 YARDS RUSHING
By Coyotes: 72 at Hawaiian Islanders, June 12, 2004
By Opponent: 61 vs. Hawaiian Islanders, April 19, 2003

60 POINTS
By Blitz: 64, vs. Fresno Frenzy May 4, 2002
By Opponent: 69, at Oklahoma City, July 3, 2004

70 POINTS
By Blitz: 75, at Hawaiian Islanders, July 27, 2003
By Opponent: 70, at Hawaiian Islanders, June 12, 2004

INDIVIDUALS

100 YARD RECEIVING GAME:
By Coyotes: Kenyatte Morgan (5-124) at Bakersfield Blitz, June 12, 2004
By Opponent: Kris Peters (5-115) at Oklahoma City, July 3, 2004

150 YARDS OR MORE RECEIVING GAME
By Blitz: Ryan Sloth (11-186) at Tulsa Talons, June 21, 2003
By Opponent: N/A

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: Darnell 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: Craig Strickland at Oklahoma City, July 3, 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: Damon Hodge at Oklahoma City, July 3, 2004

FUMBLE RETURN FOR TOUCHDOWN
By Coyotes: Robert Theus Jr. at Bakersfield Blitz, June 12, 2004
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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