Game Preview - Green Bay Heads to La Crosse for a Great Lakes Division Rematch
May 25, 2011 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Green Bay Blizzard News Release
Who: Green Bay Blizzard (8-3) @ La Crosse Spartans (4-7)
When: Friday, May 27 7:00 p.m.
Where: La Crosse Center - La Crosse, Wis.
Blizzard Update: Green Bay defeated the Reading Express, 72-40, at the Resch Center last Saturday. With the win, the Blizzard moved back into first place atop the Great Lakes Division, clinched a playoff berth and remained undefeated at home on the season. The Blizzard offense put forth an outstanding effort in the contest scoring 72 points, amassing 265 yards of total offense and averaging 6.9 yards per play. Blizzard wide receiver Agim Shabaj and running back Andrew Verboncouer helped pace the offense. Shabaj caught eight passes for 138 yards and scored three touchdowns, all of which came in the fourth quarter. Verboncouer scored two touchdowns, which included a 44-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter and a 1-yard touchdown run. Quarterback Willie Copeland completed 14-of-31 passes for 268 yards and six touchdowns. The Blizzard defense put together a solid performance, providing Green Bay with several key plays. Defensive back Josh Jones returned an Express interception 12 yards for a touchdown, while B.J. Hill scored a 34-yard touchdown off an Express pass he intercepted in the third quarter. Defensive linemen James McClinton and Jeremiah Price each collected 1.5 sacks.
Spartan Update: La Crosse fell to 4-7 on the season, as they were defeated 40-37 by the Revolution last Saturday in Richmond, Virginia. The Spartans and Revolution battled for much of the game, exchanging leads throughout the second half, but it was Richmond who came out on top. The Spartans were led by running back LaRon Council who rushed for 55 yards on 16 carries and scored two touchdowns. Former Blizzard wide receiver Aaron Rhea caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ryan Maiuri in the fourth quarter and he returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Kicker Mike Polaski missed four field goals, including a 52 yard attempt as time expired.
Series: Green Bay leads the series 3-0. The Blizzard defeated the Spartans 44-21 on May 7 at the Resch Center.
Notes: The Blizzard are 3-3 away from home this season. Improving on that record will likely require the Blizzard to stop the La Crosse run. The Spartans rank second in the Indoor Football league in rushing attempts at 289 and second in rushing yards with 1,153 yards. Running back LaRon Council is a big part of the rushing success as he ranks second in rushing yards with 529 and second in attempts with 137 carries on the season. The Blizzard defense, which allows 35.4 points per game, are led by playmakers Arkeith Brown and Greg Jackson. Brown is second in the Indoor Football League with eight interceptions, while Jackson is third in tackles with 89. Offensively, the Blizzard rank third in points per game with 52, while La Crosse ranks fifteenth with 37.1.
Playoffs: The United Conference playoff participants are set: Sioux Falls, Green Bay, Reading, Bloomington, Chicago and Omaha. The seeding willbe determinedafter the final three weeks of the regular season.
Watch: All IFL contests broadcast during the 2011 season are available live online and can be accessed through the Blizzard website, www.greenbayblizzard.com, and at www.b2livetv.com. Fans will need a high-speed Internet connection to watch live IFL action. Archies Pub in De Pere is the official home to watch all 2011 Blizzard away games on the America One Network. Archies will use the America One Network online video feed to play the games live on multiple, large flat screen televisions. Archies Pub is located at 600 George St. in De Pere.
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