Drillers ready for playoffs
July 6, 2005 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
Beaumont Drillers News Release
BEAUMONT, TX -- The Beaumont Drillers are in the NIFL playoffs for the first time in its 3-year franchise history. The Drillers, 5-9, are the No. 7 seed in the Pacific Division and will travel to No. 2 Odessa, 14-0, on Saturday, July 9 at 7:15 p.m., to tangle with the undefeated Roughnecks in the Ector County Coliseum.
The Drillers will practice tonight, Wed. July 6, at 6:45 p.m. at the LL Melton YMCA on Sarah Street in Beaumont and on Thursday, July 7 at the same time before departing for Odessa on Friday.
The Drillers are 0-2 vs. Odessa this year, losing 30-28 in the season opener at Ford Arena on March 7 and 65-30 on June 25 in Odessa after leading 30-28 at the half.
Beaumont is 3-4 on the road while Odessa is a perfect 7-0.
Two of the Drillers have been selected to play in the NIFL All-Star Classic Game on Aug. 6, which will be also held in Odessa this year.
Running back Roland Hayes and safety Randy Chappell will represent the "silver and black".
The players were selected by all 22 coaches in the NIFL, with 24 All-Stars being selected.
Hayes is 2nd in the NIFL in scoring and touchdowns with 224 points and 37 scores, both which are franchise bests. Hayes was not the starting running back at the beginning of the season however. Hayes was the backup to Anthony Johnson, who seperated his shoulder in the first game of the year.
Chappell is 8th in the NIFL in total tackles with 80.5 and has 3 INTs, one for a 17-yard touchdown.
The last time a Beaumont pro sports team qualified for the playoffs was back in 1984 when the Beaumont Golden Gators did so in the Double-A Texas League.
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