Coyotes add four free agents

Published on December 3, 2004 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Central Valley Coyotes News Release


FRESNO – Two returning players and two new players have been assigned by the arenafootball2 league to the Central Valley Coyotes.

Offensive/defensive lineman Ricky Leung-Wai and offensive/defensive lineman Clint Merz will return for a second season with Central Valley while offensive/defensive lineman Antawn Harris and wide receiver/defensive back Quincy Roe will become new additions to the Coyotes.

"We are excited to bring in the type of experience these guys have," said Fred Biletnikoff Jr., who was the Coyote offensive coordinator before taking over as head coach last mid-season. "It's important to build a foundation around guys that have been in the game for a while."

Harris (6-3, 270 pounds), who played with the Fresno Frenzy in 2002, will play in his second season in af2 after taking a year away from the league. During his stretch with the Frenzy, he tallied 14 and a half tackles and three and a half sacks in 12 games. Harris also caught four passes for 41 yards and one touchdown on offense. Prior to his arena football start, Harris was a defensive lineman at Shasta Junior College (Redding, Calif.) in 2000 and later transferred to Virginia State for a year where he also played on the defensive line.

Leung-Wai (6-2, 290 pounds) is the only remaining original member of the Coyote franchise. Entering his fourth season in the af2, the lineman played two seasons with the Bakersfield Blitz before the team moved to Fresno last season. Leung-Wai was an important fixture on the Coyote defense as he played in 11 games and recorded 11.5 tackles while leading the team with six sacks before his season was cut short by a broken leg. Leung-Wai is currently the franchise leader in sacks with 22.5.

Merz (6-3, 250 pounds) will be entering his second season in the af2. He joined the team late last year participating in just three games with two and a half tackles and two sacks. Merz was first-team all-state, all-regional and all-conference at Santa Rosa (Calif.) Junior College in 2000. He had 111 tackles, 42 for losses, and recorded 18 sacks. The lineman also played a year at Northern State University (Aberdeen, S. Dak.) where he had 19 tackles, 10 for losses and a sack before transferring to Texas A&M Kingsville in 2003. In his lone season with the Javalina's, Merz was the team's sack leader with seven. He also recorded 52 tackles, 13 and a half for losses, five pass breakups and one fumble recovery in 13 games.

Roe (5-9, 195 pounds), who is in his third year in af2, was acquired from the Green Bay Blizzard. Last season, Roe was instrumental to the Blizzard defense ranking third on the team in tackles with 33. He played a limited roll on offense with two catches for 14 yards. While at the University of Kansas, Roe was a three-year starter at defensive back leading the Jayhawks with three interceptions and 14 pass breakups as a junior in 2000. Roe appeared in 43 games, making 30 starts and finishing with 82 tackles, 59 solo tackles, five interceptions, and 21 pass breakups in his college career. The defensive back started his af2 career with the Birmingham Steeldogs in 2003, where he accounted for 23 tackles and an interception.

The Coyote's will kick off their 2005 af2 season on the road in Bakersfield on April 2. Their first home game will be on April 23 at 7:30 p.m. against the Arkansas Twisters. Fifty dollar deposits for 2005 Coyote season tickets, which include eight games played at Selland Arena, are now being accepted at 559-498-1182.



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