Diesel Motors to First Playoff Berth in Team History

June 17, 2004 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL) News Release


LAFAYETTE, LA--With the NIFL playoffs around the corner, the race is extremely tight in the Atlantic Conference. But over in the Pacific, five of six playoff teams have already been decided as Billings, Tri-City, Sioux Falls, Omaha, and Sioux City will enter post season play, though there are still plenty of opportunities for seeding to be determined as the last three weeks of the NIFL's regular season plays out.

One team of note that has performed at a high level this season is the Tri-City Diesel. Under the direction of General Manager Mike Skeen and Head Coach Robert Fuller, the Tri-City Diesel is in the midst of one of the greatest one-year turnarounds in NIFL Pacific Conference history. With a record of 10-3 so far on the season, Tri-City is already six wins ahead of last season's 4-10 mark. In fact, the Diesel is the first NIFL team with 10 wins for the season in 2004.

"It is great for the organization to have 10 wins but of course we are the only team to have played 13 games at this point in the season," Diesel Head Coach Robert Fuller said. "We won't be satisfied however, until we finish the regular season with 11 wins."

Led on offense by running back Wes Cates, the Diesel have accounted for the fourth highest scoring offense in the league, with an average of 51.4 points per game and also boast the best red zone offense, scoring 83.6 % of the time. Cates has aided the Diesel's efforts by punching in the ball into the end zone 33 times and scoring a total 198 points, ranking only second behind Rocky Harvey from Fort Wayne on the NIFL leader board. On the defensive side of the ball, Leif Murphy leads the team in tackles, with 56, and sacks, with 15 so far on the season.

The Diesel's success on the field is certainly indicative of hard work on the part of the entire organization, from the fans down to the athletes.

"I would have to say that our success on the field comes from the hard work and long hours that the players and coaches have put in day in and day out," Diesel General Manager Mike Skeen said. "I would also say that a good part of the success comes from veterans we have on our team. These guys not only know how to win but they also interact very well with the community and with all the fans."

Fan support is also up in the Tri-City community. This season, the Diesel has averaged 2,134 fans per game. And with playoff momentum building, teams visiting the Tri-City Arena will have a lot more than a good team on the field to contend with in the post-season, they will have to deal with die-hard Diesel fans, as Tri-City looks forward to their first ever playoff berth in team history.

"Our fan support off the field is doing really well," Skeen continued. "We have about 1,000 die hard Diesel fans that would not miss a game. This year we have picked up quite a few new fans that have never gone to a game and that is in large part to the out going players that we have that are getting into the community and getting in front of people. Overall we are tremendously pleased with the support that we are getting from Kearney and the surrounding communities."

Don't miss the Tri-City Diesel in action this Saturday, June 19th as they play their regular season finale on home turf. Saturday's game kicks off at 7:35pm against the Lincoln Capitols at the Tri-City Arena. For more information about the Diesel or to inquire about playoff tickets, please contact the Tri-City Diesel Office at 308-338-8180.

For the full NIFL Playoff rundown, be sure to visit www.nationalindoorfootballleague.net and click on standings.



National Indoor Football League Stories from June 17, 2004


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