Everett Hawks game notes
March 29, 2007 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Everett Hawks News Release
QUICK FACTS:
Everett Hawks (0-0)
at Tulsa Talons (0-0)
Date: 3/31/2007
Kickoff: 5:00 p.m.
Site: Tulsa Convention Center (7,111) - Tulsa, OK
National Anthem:
Coin Toss:
Officials: Referee: Joe Pester; Umpire: Chad Bowers; Head Linesman: Gary Calip; Line Judge: Eugene Hall; Back Judge: Scott Gasaway
Radio: Tulsa - KRMG (740 AM)
TV: - None
Series Record: Tulsa leads the all-time series, 1-0.
Streaks: First game of 2007 for both teams.
Coaches:
EVE - Cedric Walker (0-0, First season with EVE)
TUL - Mitch Allner (0-0, First season with TUL)
THE STAKES: The Hawks are looking to start the 2007 season off on the right foot, as they expect marked improvement over last season's 4-12 record. The Talons are looking to win their first season opener since 2003. Last season, they fell to Rio Grande, 75-40, but were able to turn their season around and qualify for the playoffs.
THE SERIES: Tulsa leads the all-time series over the Hawks, 1-0. Last season they defeated Everett, 53-49, in week 7 in Tulsa.
THE IFS:
If Everett defeats Tulsa, it would ...
- Give Everett its first-ever season opener win and move the Hawks over .500 for the first time in af2 play
- Give Hawks' Head Coach Cedric Walker his 1st career af2 win.
- Give Everett its first ever win over Tulsa.
Everett Hawks (0-0)
Date Opponent Time Streak Series
3/31 @Tulsa 5:00 L1 TUL, 0-1
4/7 @Central Valley 7:00 L3 CV, 0-3
4/21 @Boise 6:00 N/A 1st meeting
4/30 @Tri-Cities 7:00 N/A 1st meeting
5/6 Central Valley 3:00 L3 CV, 0-3
5/13 Stockton 7:30 W2 EVE, 2-1
5/18 @Quad City 5:30 N/A 1st meeting
5/27 Bakersfield 3:00 L1 BAK, 2-1
6/2 @Spokane 5:30 L3 SPO, 0-3
6/9 Boise 7:30 N/A 1st meeting
6/23 Arkansas 7:30 N/A 1st meeting
6/30 @Stockton 7:00 W2 EVE 2-1
7/7 Tennessee Valley 7:30 N/A 1st meeting
7/14 @Bakersfield 7:00 L1 BAK, 1-2
7/22 Tri-Cities 7:30 N/A 1st meeting
7/28 Spokane 7:30 L3 SPO, 0-3
Tulsa Talons (0-0)
Date Opponent Time Streak Series
3/31 Everett 7:00 W1 TUL, 1-0
4/14 Amarillo 7:00 W3 TUL, 3-1
4/21 @Laredo 7:05 N/A 1st meeting
4/28 Alabama 7:00 W1 TUL, 2-0
5/5 @ Oklahoma City 7:00 W2 Tied, 4-4
5/12 Lubbock 7:00 N/A 1st meeting
5/18 @Amarillo 7:30 W3 TUL, 3-1
5/26 Arkansas 7:00 L3 Tied, 6-6
6/1 @ Manchester 6:05 L1 Tied, 1-1
6/9 @Corpus Christi 7:00 N/A 1st meeting
6/16 Green Bay 7:00 N/A 1st meeting
6/30 @Arkansas 7:00 L3 Tied, 6-6
7/7 @Lubbock 7:05 N/A 1st meeting
7/16 Oklahoma City 7:00 W2 Tied, 4-4
7/21 @Texas 7:30 N/A 1st meeting
7/28 South Georgia 7:00 W1 TUL, 1-0
HEAD COACHES: Everett's Cedric Walker guides the Hawks in his first season as head coach. This season, Walker is looking to turn around the Everett Hawks after they went 4-12 last season in their af2 debut. Walker served as defensive coordinator for the Bakersfield Blitz last season.
Tulsa's Mitch Allner is in his first season as Tulsa's head coach after serving as offensive coordinator the last two seasons. .
LAST MEETING: May 20th, 2006 - In the first ever meeting between the two franchises, the Talons dropped the Hawks by a 53-49 count. The Talons led 46-30 heading into the fourth quarter and held off a furious Everett comeback to secure the victory.
FAMILIAR FACES: Hawks QB Ben Bowling returns to Tulsa where he spent the last three seasons as the backup QB. WR Robert Reed spent 2004 and 2005 in Tulsa, leading the Talons in 2004 with 1,336 receiving yards. Current Tulsa Head Coach Mitch Allner was second in receiving on that team behind Reed. Oklahoma native WR Josh Richey will also be returning home.
TALE OF THE TAPE: Here's how Everett and Tulsa stacked up in 2006:
Statistical Everett Tulsa
Category Rank Stat Rank Stat
Scoring Offense 15th 46.0 8th 54.2
Touchdowns 15th 106 9th 124
Total Offense 13th 266.6 9th 275.0
Scoring Defense T-15th 49.9 2nd 44.2
Total Defense 12th 269.9 3rd 235.7
Rushing Offense 18th 17.4 10th 25.2
Passer Rating 11th 101.0 10th 105.9
Rushing Defense 16th 24.4 6th 19.4
Pass Rating Defense 17th 108.9 4th 88.4
Pass Offense 9th 249.2 8th 249.8
Pass Defense 13th 245.6 3rd 216.2
Field Goals 11th .357 16th .300
PAT Kicking 10th .786 9th .790
MFG Returns 8th 22.2 14th 15.7
Kickoff Returns 16th 17.3 22nd 13.8
Turnover Margin T-19th -12 T-3rd +11
First Downs T-15th 281 9th 289
Opp. First Downs 6th 270 5th 267
Sacks T-15th 18 3rd 41
Penalties 23rd 75.3 12th 56.8
Sacks Against 19th 35 T-8th 8
Opponent Penalties 1st 81.2 23rd 45.1
Everett INJURY REPORT:
Pos. Name Injury Status
None
DROPBACK: The Hawks should be much improved over last season's 4-12 mark, but they have a tough draw opening up at Tulsa. The Talons return two of their star players from the 2005 season, WR Donovan Morgan and QB Josh Blankenship. That dynamic duo should prove difficult for the Hawks to stop.
FORWARD MOTION: The Hawks travel to Central Valley next week to take on the Coyotes in a divisional match-up on Saturday, April 7, at 7 p.m.
.MILESTONES:
- The Hawks return only a few players from a year ago and all of them played on the offensive and defensive lines. Chuck Jones is the leading returning tackler and he is just 2 tackles away from moving into the top 15 in the Hawks' all-time list.
- With the Hawks' next win, Head Coach Cedric Walker will win his first career game in af2.
- With a win, new Hawks QB Ben Bowling would move to 3-0 in his af2 career as a starter. In his previous two starts, he has thrown 14 touchdowns.
TEAM NOTES/TRENDS:
The Hawks enter the season unranked in the af2 weekly power poll. Tulsa is ranked third overall, behind Florida and Spokane.
PLAYERS/MATCHUPS TO WATCH:
Talons QB Josh Blankenship and WR Donovan Morgan: The last time these two were with Tulsa in 2005 they put up huge numbers together. Blankenship, who spent last season in Stockton, was among the league leaders with 89 touchdown passes. In 2005, Morgan caught a league leading 54 touchdowns, 47 of which were thrown by Blankenship.
Hawks wide receivers vs. Talons defensive backs: While Morgan is arguably one of the best WR in af2, the Hawks also feature a dynamic group of receivers. Phil Goodman, Lamonte Jones, Marvin Brown and Robert Reed give QB Ben Bowling several talented options and put a lot of pressure on standout DB Delenell Reid and the rest of the Tulsa defensive backfield.
Hawks offensive Line vs. Talons defense: The Hawks offensive line will need to have a big effort to keep the Tulsa defensive front away from Bowling long enough for him to find his big play receivers. The Talons had one of the top defenses in af2 last season ranking 3rd in total defense and 2nd in points allowed. The Talons tried to make that group stronger, brining in C.J. McLain from Arkansas, where he led af2 in tackles for loss with 22 and was third in sacks with 14.5.
Cedric Walker
Hawks Head Coach Cedric Walker comes to the Hawks for his first season with experience and success as both an Arena Football player and coach.
In 2006, Coach Walker served as Defensive Coordinator for the Bakersfield Blitz, who advanced to the second round of the American Conference playoffs on the strength of Walker's top-ranked defense.
Walker's Blitz "D" was the finest in the af2 last year, finishing the season #1 in pass defense, holding opposing offenses to the fewest total yards (3,116), the fewest yards per game (194.8), the fewest completions (263), lowest completion percentage (50.8%), and fewest yards per completion (6.0). Additionally, they finished in the top 5 in numerous other categories, including most interceptions (26, T-2nd), fewest opponent TD passes (65, T-3rd), and fewest opponent pass attempts (518, T-4th).
But more impressive than their statistics was their performance down the stretch last season. The Blitz won their final two regular season games, at home against the Stockton Lightning and Everett Hawks, and then hit the road for the playoffs. As the #6 seed in the National Conference, they were looking at a long haul to ArenaCup7 in Puerto Rico. Their first opponent was the #3-seeded Central Valley Coyotes, who had beaten the Blitz in two of their three regular season meetings. The Blitz shut down the high-powered Coyotes offense and won 45-37. They then went on to Spokane, where only a last-second TD by the Shock kept them from winning. The Blitz fell 50-47 to the Shock, who would go on to win ArenaCup7.
Coach Walker comes to the Hawks after his first season as a coach, but he has plenty of Arena Football experience. During a 10-year AFL career as a DS, Walker played for the Charlotte Rage, Orlando Predators, Arizona Rattlers, Indiana Firebirds, Chicago Rush, Austin Wranglers and Las Vegas Gladiators. The highlight of his career came in 1997, when he won an ArenaBowl title as a member of the Rattlers.
In addition to being a great Arena Football player and coach, Walker is also a family man. He and his wife, Shameka, are the proud parents of two children, Semaj and Mariah.
Steve Papin
Hawks Offensive Coordinator Steve Papin joins the team for his first season in 2007.
During his 10 years in the AFL, Papin, was a stellar WR/DB who played for the San Jose SaberCats (1997-2001) and the New York Dragons (2002-2003). During his playing career, Papin torched opposing defenses for an amazing 15,413 all-purpose yards and 152 touchdowns.
In addition to all his on-the-field accomplishments, Papin was most notably the inspiration for the AFL's "Don't Blink" Player of the Year Award, given annually to the player who displays the most skill, speed and agility while handling the ball.
After retiring from the AFL as a player, Papin joined the San Diego Riptide in 2005, and spent the 2006 season on the coaching staff with the Central Valley Coyotes. In Everett, he will install the "San Jose" offense, an aggressive scheme destined to put a lot of points on the board. Coach Papin brings the high-octane offense to the high-flying Hawks.
Madison Johnson
Long-time AFL veteran Madison "Mad Dog" Johnson joins the Hawks coaching staff as OL/DL Coach in 2007, his first in Everett.
Johnson's resume is as impressive as they come. Johnson played for the Florida Bobcats (1999-2001) and the Grand Rapids Rampage (2002-2003), anchoring an offensive line that led the Rampage to the playoffs in both his seasons in Grand Rapids.
After retiring, Johnson turned his attention to coaching, spending the 2005 and 2006 seasons as the OL/DL Coach for the Rampage.
Johnson, whose nickname is "Mad Dog," will install an aggressive blocking scheme that will complement new Offensive Coordinator Steve Papin's high-scoring passing game.
LEAGUE TOP 10s: Players from Everett and Tulsa who ranked among af2's statistical leaders in 2006
Player Rank Category Stat
Hawks
B. Baker 8th Passing YPG 250.0
B. Baker 8th Total offense 253.4
B. Baker 9th Passer Rating 112..2
B. Baker 5th Yards per Completion 13.1
B. Baker 8th Yards per Attempt 7.8
Player Rank Category Stat
TALONS
J. Sadler T-3rd Interceptions 8
J. Sadler 1st INT return TDs 3
J. Sadler 1st INT return yards 118
L. Phillips 10th PAT Kicking 79.0
C. Murphy 5th Sacks 10
C. Ruffin T-6th Sacks 8.0
C. Murphy 4th Tackles for Loss 13.5
J Sadler 7th Passes Defended 28
M. Radlinski T-7th Total Offense TDs 87
D. McGee 10th All-Purpose YPG 118.6
M. Radlinski 7th Rushing TDs 13
M. Radlinski 9th Passing TDs 74
S. Battle 1st Yards per Catch 17.9
C. Murphy T-6th Forced Fumbles 3
C. Murphy T-6th Forced Fumbles 3
L. Phillips 5th Scoring 112
HAWKS BY THE NUMBERS IN 2006
At Home 3-5
On Road 1-7
Hawks Score First 3-5
Leading After 1st Quarter 2-5
Trailing After 1st Quarter 1-6
Tied After 1st Quarter 1-1
Leading at Half 3-1
Trailing at Half 1-9
Tied at Half 1-1
Leading Into 4th Quarter 3-1
Trailing Into 4th Quarter 1-9
Tied Into 4th Quarter 0-2
Overtime 0-0
Scoring 40 or less points 1-3
Scoring 41-50 points 2-6
Scoring 51-60 points 0-2
Scoring 60+ points 1-1
SCHUTT OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF GAME
(selected by media)
Week Opp. Player
1 TUL
* denotes af2 Schutt Offensive Player of the Week
US ARMY IRONMAN AWARD
(selected by media)
Week Opp. Player
1 TUL
ADT DEFENSIVE MVP AWARD
(selected by media)
Week Opp. Player
1 TUL
* denotes af2 ADT Defensive MVP of the Week
CUTTERS CATCH OF THE GAME
(selected by media)
Week Opp. Player
1 TUL
* denotes af2 Cutters Catch of the Week
RECENT ROSTER MOVES
Date Action Player
3/24 Re-assigned FB/LB Marcus Mitchell
3/24 Re-assigned DB Demaro Wheeler
3/29 Assigned DL Vann Brown
3/29 Assigned K Kirk Yliniemi
PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
Vai Notoa Veye Na-TOE-a
Asora Tuia'ana a-SORE TOO-E-anna
Tali Atoe TAH-lee a-TOE
Kai Zeigler Ky ZIG-ler
Kirk Yliniemi Kirk ya-LIN-mee
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