Empire Drops First Game of Season, Set Sights on Iowa
Published on March 15, 2016 under Indoor Football League (IFL)
Spokane Empire News Release
Spokane Empire vs. the Billings Wolves
(Spokane Empire, Credit: Billings Wolves)
SPOKANE, Wash. - The Spokane Empire (2-1, 1-1) suffered their first defeat of the 2016 IFL season at the hands of the Billings Wolves (2-2, 2-1) by a final of 22-30.
The Empire offense struggled in their Week 4 Intense Conference match-up against the Billings Wolves as they fumbled the ball six times and threw two interceptions on the night. Beyond the turnovers, Spokane was also only able to convert on 1-of-7 third down attempts and were 1-of-5 on fourth down.
While the offense struggled the Spokane defense stepped up, giving the team a chance to make a comeback in the final quarter of play. Despite a fourth quarter rally, the Empire would fall short after a miscue on the snap would lead to another Billings fumble recovery in the final seconds of the game.
The two teams would produce only 21 total points in the first half. After both teams threw interceptions on their opening drives, they would go on to find the end zone on short rushing scores. In the second quarter, Billings would find the end zone early on a continued possession from the end of the first quarter and take a 14-7 lead. The remainder of the half would produce multiple turnovers by each team as Spokane was held twice on fourth-down and lost a fumble on another drive. Billings threw two interceptions in the quarter but offensive miscues by Spokane would allow the Wolves to maintain the lead going into halftime.
Ball security issues continued into the third quarter for Spokane and would result in eleven unanswered points for Billings to start the half. After the Wolves drove the length of the field and scored on their opening possession, a collision between two Spokane players on the ensuing kickoff would result in a fumble and Billings recovery on the Spokane 11-yard line. Despite the short field the Empire defense was able to dig in and limit the Wolves to a 25-yard field goal, extending the lead to 23-7. Spokane had an opportunity to bring the game back within reach, but another lost fumble and failed fourth down attempt would set up another Wolves score to give them the 30-7 advantage.
The Empire showed signs of life offensively in the final quarter of play as they had an opportunity to tie the game with the clock winding down after an onside kick recovery.
Spokane held Billings on a fourth-and-one before finding the end zone on a 31-yard pass from Dowdell to Sims and then added a two-point conversion to bring the game to 30-15. The Empire defense continued to step up on the next series by forcing a fourth-and-long (37-yards) thanks to three sacks and two tackles for loss on the drive. After returning a long field goal (punt), Spokane would go onto quickly find the end zone and convert the point-after-attempt to bring the contest within one score. Kicker Taylor Russolino, in his first game with Spokane, went on to produce a middle-dribble onside kick that would be recovered by Spokane and provided the opportunity for the Empire to tie the game. The Empire would get into a fourth-and-four situation on the Billings 18-yard line, but yet another miscue on the snap would enable a Wolves recovery as they'd go on to win 30-22.
"Don't panic. We work, we fight, we move one-game one-day at a time," said defensive lineman Benjamin Perry. "We're going to look at the film, learn from our mistakes, and we're going to move on. We're going to show them on April 1st, when we come home, how we're going to get the next win."
The Spokane defense recorded a total of five sacks on the night, led by rookie defensive lineman Benjamin Perry with 2.5. Bryon Bennett recorded 1.5, while Toby Jackson and Brett Bowers each added half a sack. In defensive back Demetruce McNeal's first game back after coming off the short-term injured reserve list he recorded five total tackles, two interceptions, and two pass break-ups. Josh Ferguson added another interception for the Empire.
The Empire will now enter their final bye weeks of the regular season, coming in back-to-back fashion, in Week 5 and 6. The team plans to use the upcoming bye weeks to get players healthy and also give them the opportunity to return home for the first time since late January to visit family and friends.
On Friday, April 1st, Spokane will welcome a familiar opponent in the Iowa Barnstormers as they make their first appearance at Spokane Arena since the 2014 Arena Football League season.
"We lost some keys guys in that tough loss but expect to have everyone back and healthy for our next game against a very talented Iowa team," said Head Coach Adam Shackleford. "We have plenty of film to look over. We'll correct the mistakes, continue to develop as a team, and will be ready on April 1st for a game in front of the ninth man at Spokane Arena."
Iowa is in their second season as a member of the Indoor Football League after making the jump to the IFL in the 2015 season. During the Barnstormers time as a member of the Arena Football League, they faced the former AFL Spokane franchise a total of six times between 2010-2014. Spokane currently holds the all-time series advantage at 4-2.
Through the first four weeks of the 2016 IFL season, Iowa has won two of their first three contests. Their two victories, however, have come against the only two winless teams in the league in the Colorado Crush and Green Bay Blizzard. Last weekend, the Barnstormers clashed with the Wichita Falls Nighthawks and suffered their first loss of the season by a final score of 47-74.
Iowa will have a bye in Week 5 and then will go on the road to face the Billings Wolves on Saturday, March 26th. That game will be available online via IFLLive.TV for Empire fans to watch and get a preview before the Barnstormers visit Spokane on Friday, April 1st.
GAME NIGHT INFORMATION
The Friday April 1 match-up between the Spokane Empire and Iowa Barnstormers is a "Blackout Night" at Spokane Arena. Game night is presented by U.S. Linen & Uniform and Rock 94.5 FM. Fans can enjoy Happy Hour ($1.50 off beer) at arena concessions from doors to kickoff (6:00-7:00 p.m.). The first 5,000 fans through doors will receive jersey rally towels courtesy of U.S. Linen & Uniform. Following the game fans are invited to join the team at The Black Diamond in Spokane Valley.
Pro-rated season tickets are now on sale starting at only $77 for the Empire's remaining seven home games. Group Tickets are also available starting as low $12, plus fundraising program options are being offered throughout the remainder of the season. Call the Empire Ticket Office at 50-242-7462 for more information.
Images from this story
 Spokane Empire vs. the Billings Wolves (Billings Wolves) |
Indoor Football League Stories from March 15, 2016
- Empire Drops First Game of Season, Set Sights on Iowa - Spokane Empire
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