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Central Valley Coyotes game notes

July 28, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Central Valley Coyotes News Release


(Fresno, CA) – The Central Valley Coyotes will finish the 2004 regular season on the road, traveling to sunny San Diego, CA. The Coyotes will look to ruin the post-season plans for the Riptide at the San Diego Sports Arena, on Friday, July 27. San Diego has been able to successfully defeat Central Valley three times this season, but the Coyotes are coming off a huge victory against the Hawaiian Islanders, 64-63. The Riptide currently lead the all-time series, 6-4 and are 2-2 when hosting the Coyotes.

Rookie quarterback Frank Borba shined again in his fourth start of the season. Borba completed 23-of-33 passes for 265 yards, 6 TDs and one interception. He was also critical in rushing for the two-point conversion during the final seconds of the game that lifted the Coyotes over the Islanders. Offensive specialist and current af2 all-purpose yards leader Kenyatte Morgan, had an explosive game, hauling in 7 receptions for 117 yards and 3 TDs. Morgan also returned 6 kickoffs for 172 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown. This weekend in San Diego Morgan will attempt to break two af2 records. He is 166 yards shy of the all-purpose yards record and 106 yards short of the record for most kickoff return yards in a season. If Morgan continues on his average pace for the season, he should have no problems etching his name in af2 history.

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 26 6:00 p.m. Open Practice at Selland Arena
8:00 p.m. Coach Biletnikoff available to media

Tuesday, July 27 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 28 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 29 --Travel Day--

Friday, July 30

Saturday, July 31 7:30 p.m. PST Coyotes at Riptide

Sunday, August 1 --Closed Meetings--

Monday, August 2 3:00 p.m. Coach Biletnikoff Press Conference

HEAD COACHES

Interim head coach Fred Biletnikoff 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 eleventh meeting between these two clubs dating back to 2002. San Diego currently leads the all-time series 6-4.

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, 63-49 (at CEN)
Riptide, 40-27 (at Bakersfield)**

Denotes
*Overtime
**Post-Season game


At A Glance:

- The Coyotes offense is ranked 18th in the league averaging 238.9 yards per game. Their run game is ranked 14th, while their pass offense is ranked 16th. The Riptide offense enters this Week 18 contest with the 5th best offense in the af2. San Diego is averaging just above 273 yards per game. Their ground game is ranked 19th and their air attack is ranked 5th.

- Frank Borba will be under center for the Coyotes this weekend in San Diego. Borba has completed 78-of-142 passes for 917 yards, 15 TDs and eight interceptions, while Riptide quarterback Kevin Feterik has thrown for 706 yards, 12 TDs and four interceptions on 57-of-94 passing.

- Dwight Carter leads San Diego in the top three receiving categories, receptions (98), receiving yards (1,279) and TDs (22). Central Valley offensive specialist Kenyatte Morgan leads the Coyotes in the same categories with 26 touchdowns, 1,383 receiving yards and 107 receptions.

- Kevin Nelson leads the ground game for the Coyotes in 12 games he has rushed for 60-yards and 2 TDs on 14 carries, while Riptide leading fullback Matt Guardia, has carried the ball 27 times this season for 107 yards and 8 TDs.

- The Central Valley defense checks in this week at 12th allowing their opponents 250.8 yards per game. The Coyotes are ranked 14th in pass defense and 16th run defense. San Diego is allowing their opponents 254.1 yards per game and are ranked 13th in total defense. They are ranked 18th against the pass and 9th against the run.

- Quincy LeJay leads all Riptide tacklers with 77.5 tackles (63-solo), while Coyotes defensive specialist VonKeith Spencer leads the Coyotes in tackles with 48 (37-solo).


COYOYES/RIPTIDE CONNECTIONS

This weekends contest will bring a few familiar faces together on both sides of the ball at the San Diego Sports 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 VS. SAN DIEGO

COYOTES 49, RIPTIDE 63 – JULY 10, 2004 – SELLAND ARENA

The Central Valley Coyotes had two turnovers in the game tonight, one late in the second quarter and another one to open up the third quarter that would be the deciding factor at Selland Arena, Saturday night, 63-49. The loss drops the Coyotes to 1-12 on the season, which sets up another divisional showdown against the division leading Bakersfield Blitz in Week 16.

Despite the two turnovers, quarterback Juston Wood set a season high record tossing 7 touchdown passes on 21-of-35 passing. Wood did an excellent job of spreading the ball around to his receivers. Marvin Brown hauled in 3 TDs and Kenyatte Morgan and LaMonte Jones each grabbed a pair of TDs in the game.

The Coyotes opened up the game on defense holding the Riptide and backup quarterback Kevin Feterik to only 3 points on a Rich Ehmke 29-yard field goal.

The night began to look good for Central Valley as Juston Wood connected with wide receiver Marvin Brown on their first offensive play scoring on a 30-yard TD pass.

San Diego answered right back as Jesus Reyes took the following kickoff return 55-yards back for the score.

On the ensuing kick, the Riptide tried to catch the Coyotes napping on an onside kick, but an offsides call on San Diego would give Central Valley the ball at the San Diego five yard line. Juston Wood only needed one play once again as he found Kenyatte Morgan in the back of the endzone for the 5-yard touchdown pass.

The Riptide would put together a 4-play, 54-yard drive that was capped off by a Dwight Carter 16-yard touchdown reception. A missed extra point attempt would leave the San Diego on top 16-14.

Central Valley began their next drive at their own fifteen with 3:45 remaining in the first quarter. Wood completed a 15-yard pass before the quarter ended to push the Coyotes into Riptide territory.

Three plays later wide receiver LaMonte Jones hauled in a six yard touchdown pass to help give the Coyotes the lead back.

The two teams would trade a pair of touchdowns as San Diego fullback, Ryan Cuthbert carried a two yard run into the endzone for the score and Central Valley's Marvin Brown grabbed his second touchdown of the game on a 3-yard out.

The Riptide tied the score at 28 points on an acrobatic 35-yard catch that was made by Jesus Reyes in the corner of the endzone.
With the score knotted up at twenty-eight apiece the game was shaping up to be a wild wild west shootout in Fresno, but a fumble by Wood on their following offensive series gave the ball back to San Diego at the Coyotes 10 yard line with 26 seconds left in the half.

The excellent clock management of the Riptide along with a nine yard pass completion allowed Kevin Feterik to take the ball into the endzone on his own as time expired in the half. A successful extra point gave the Riptide the lead 35-28 at the half way mark.

The Coyotes opened up the second half with the ball at their own 24 yard line. Wood completed two passes to bring Central Valley down to the San Diego eleven. A personal foul by Dewayne Johnson would back the Coyotes up to the Riptide twenty. On the next play Nakoa McElrath intercepted an under-thrown pass by Wood and gave San Diego the ball at their own eighteen yard line.

Each team would add a touchdown to end the quarter as Feterik hooked up with Reyes again for a 3-yard TD pass and Wood found Morgan open on an 18-yard TD pass. The score stood at 41-35 in favor of the Riptide at the end of three quarters of play.

The Riptide began milking the clock to open up the fourth quarter taking the play clock down to five seconds on almost every play. Feterik completed two passes for seventeen yards placing the ball at the Coyotes two yard line. Ryan Cuthbert did the rest rushing the ball into the endzone for the touchdown. A successful two point conversion pushed the Riptide lead out to fourteen points.

Once again the teams traded a pair of touchdowns as Wood tossed a seven yard touchdown pass for Marvin Brown's third TD of the game and San Diego fullback Takamasa Suzuki scored on a one yard run.

Wood and the Coyotes cut the lead to seven on a 16-yard slant route that was hauled in by LaMonte Jones for the score.

As Central Valley attempted an onside kick Nakoa McElrath caught the kick and returned it 14-yards for the score to seal the victory for the Riptide.

Central Valley would turn the ball over on downs on their following possession and a fumble by San Diego with no time on the clock would prove too little to late for the Coyotes.


LAST WEEK: SAN DIEGO VS. BAKERSFIELD

RIPTIDE 34, BLITZ 30 – JULY 24, 2004 – SAN DIEGO SPORTS ARENA

It was another nail-biting fourth quarter showdown as the Riptide were able to come away with a win, 34-30, after Matt Guardia pounded the ball into the end zone with 1:42 left in the game. The win over the division leader Blitz and a loss by the Hawaiian Islanders keeps the Riptide's playoff hopes alive.

Both quarterbacks had a hard time finding the end zone in this low scoring affair. Blitz quarterback Chad Elliot completed 21-of-37 passes but also threw three interceptions. San Diego's Kevin Feterik connected on 13-of-21 passes for only 143 yards. With both quarterbacks struggling, it was up to the both teams defenses to keep the game close. The Blitz defense sacked Feterik twice, recovered three of four forced fumbles, scored two safeties, and picked off one pass. Along with the three interceptions, the Riptide defense blocked three field goal
attempts by Bakersfield.

The first quarter started slow for both teams, featuring just two scoring drives. Bakersfield struck first when Elliot connected on a 16-yard pass to Nathan Munson, but the PAT was blocked and the Blitz was stuck with six. The Riptide closed out the first quarter when Feterik completed a 9-yard pass to Nakoa McElrath and the PAT was successful to give the ‘Tide the lead 7-6.

The second quarter was a defensive showcase. Bakersfield offense scored early on a one yard run into the end zone. Ahmed Bhatti intercepted a Feterik pass on the next drive, but San Diego's McElrath intercepted an Elliot pass to give San Diego the ball back. Bhatti would not let that go and sacked Feterik in the end zone to record a safety. On the Blitz' next drive, Elliot threw another interception, this time it was by Ryan Smith. However, Smith stepped out of the end zone and was tackled in the end zone to give the Blitz their second safety. San Diego's defense stepped up and blocked a field goal attempt by Brian Walker, which led to a 14-yard touchdown pass from Feterik to Reyes, closing out the half, 16-14, in favor of the Blitz.
San Diego's defense blocked another field goal attempt in the third quarter and Ryan Cuthbert ran it in for a touchdown to put the Riptide up. The Blitz came right back on the next drive when Wofford ran the ball in for a score and Elliot made the two-point conversion to end the quarter with the Blitz on top, 24-21.

The fourth quarter started shaky for the Riptide as they tried three times to pound the ball in for six, but were unsuccessful. Bakersfield scored one more time in the quarter when Carter fumbled the missed field goal attempt and Mahanke recovered it in the end zone. San Diego would make its last stand scoring twice at the end of the game on a 40-yard pass from Feterik to McElrath for six and Guardia running the ball in from three yards out, 34-30


LAST WEEK: CENTRAL VALLEY VS. HAWAII

COYOTES 64, ISLANDERS 63 – JULY 23, 2004 – SELLAND ARENA

In a game where the tied six different times at Selland Arena, the Central Valley Coyotes were able to pull off a last second victory, 64-63 in front of 5,259 fans. The win now puts that Coyotes at 2-13 on the season.

The Coyotes defense held strong on the final series of the game forcing the Islanders to attempt a 55-yard field goal to win the game. A wide-left kick would seal the win for Central Valley

After winning the toss and electing to receive, Hawaii wasted no time putting points on the board. A 40 yard pass from QB Withy-Allen to WR Gabe Amey put the Islanders up with 13:04 to play in the first.

Central Valley took possession at their 23 yard line after the kickoff. After a series of short passes from Frank Borba, the Coyotes held the ball at their own 19. On 4th-and-14 from their own 19, the Coyotes opted to go for it, resulting in a sack by Hawaii's Antoine Simpson. The sack was recovered by Hawaii's Nian Taylor from the Coyotes 15 and was run in for a touchdown, putting the Coyotes down 14-0.

They Coyotes were able to minimize their deficit, scoring with a 5 yard pass from Frank Borba to offensive player of the game, Kenyatte Morgan. This score would be the last from either team in the first quarter.

Hawaii remained in control of the ball at the start of the second quarter with 2nd-and-10 from Central Valley's 10 yard line, Withy-Alllen's pass was intercepted by Kendall Edwards at their own 5. The Coyotes would take possession, and score on their first drive with a 40 yard pass from Borba to Morgan. The PAT tied it up 14-14.

From then on the contest was a game of tag. Hawaii would score on their next drive with a 45-yard pass from Withy-Allen to Gabe Amey putting Hawaii up. The following kickoff was ran back by Kenyatte Morgan for 56 yards and the score, tying the game at 21.

Hawaii would be the next to score again, this time on an 8-yard pass from Withy-Allen to Anthony Arceneaux with 8:52 left to go in the half. The Coyotes accepted the score and began their drive from their own 13. After a series of complete passes from Borba, the Coyotes quarterback was finally able to put it in the end zone with a 1-yard rush.

Both teams added two more touchdowns before halftime, where the score tied 35 all.

The Coyotes started the 3rd quarter on offense. This time they went to the ground with a 6 yard rush from Kevin Nelson putting them up for the first time in the game, 42-35.

Hawaii was quick to respond, driving the ball downfield with a couple of passes to WR Nian Taylor for a total of 32 yards. A quick rush by FB/LB Chauncey Ako tied it once more 42-42.

On their next possession Central Valley would take the lead 49-42 thanks to another complete pass to Kenyatte Morgan, but Hawaii was just as quick to respond. They tied the game once more 49-49 with a Vai Notoa rush with 3:39 left to go in the third. The tie would follow into the fourth quarter.

The next two possessions proved crucial for the Coyotes, as their offense put another touchdown on the board. This one on a complete pass to LaMonte Jones on a 3 yard pass making it 56-49. Hawaii took possession and made the touchdown on their next drive, but failed on the PAT, putting them behind 56-55.

Both teams would put one more touchdown on the board, and the game came down to the final play. Hawaii had possession and was unable to convert for the score on their last drive. Their final hope was placed on a 55-yard field goal, which sailed wide-left, and sealed the 2nd victory for the Coyotes this season 64-63.


COYOTES WEEK 18 GAME NOTES

BORBA BREAKS OUT OF SHELL: Frank Borba put a magnificent finish to the end of the Coyotes game against the Islanders last weekend. Borba successfully found the endzone on a two-point conversion that pushed Central Valley ahead by one point for the victory. Borba dropped back on the play, but was unable to find a open receiver in the endzone, he then scrambled for the endzone and forced his way in for the conversion. He finished the night with 265-yards passing, 6 passing TDs and one rushing on 23-of-33 passing. Borba performance was good enough to secure offensive player of the game honors.

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 226.8 yards through the air. In the division Central Valley faces quarterbacks like San Diego's Kane Claunch (3,164-yards), Bakersfield's Chad Elliott (3,404-yards) and Hawaii's Darnell Arceneaux (2,784).

KENYATTE'S COUNTDOWN TO 3,472: Offensive specialist Kenyatte Morgan continues his run at the af2 all-purpose yards record. He racked up 298 all-purpose yards last weekend against Hawaii to push his total on the season to 3,307. Morgan has to gain 166 yards if he wishes to surpass current record holder, Ira Gooch. Morgan has already set a new franchise record in all-purpose yards and in receiving yards. The previous records were held by Steve Wofford who tallied 2,212 all-purpose yards and 1,248 receiving yards in 14 games during the 2002 season.

THE SPENCER FILE: Coyotes defensive specialist VonKeith Spencer has been an emotional leader for the defensive unit this season. Spencer has tallied 48 tackles (37-solo), leads the team in interceptions (6) and pass deflections (13). He is currently tied for 5th 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 12 18
Rushing 5 11
Passing 12 18
Total Defense 6 11
Against Rush 11 15
Against Pass 5 11

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 55-of-109 passes 652 yards, nine touchdowns and seven 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):
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 100 receptions for 1,266 yards and 23 touchdowns. Morgan is currently 4th 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 65 receptions for 774-yards and 15 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.

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arenafootball2 Stories from July 28, 2004


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