Game Preview: Shock, SaberCats Clash for Pacific Division Lead
May 21, 2014 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Spokane Shock News Release
SPOKANE, WA (May 21, 2014) - The Spokane Shock (5-4, 2-0) open up a two-game home stand this Friday, May 23 against the San Jose SaberCats (6-3, 3-1) at 7 p.m. PDT in Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena.
The matchup against Pacific Division rival San Jose is the second of the season, and the eighth overall, with the Shock leading the all-time series 5-2. Most recently, the Shock visited the SaberCats in week four and came away with the 73-62 victory behind a strong performance from then-starting quarterback Erik Meyer. With a win on Friday the Shock would retake the lead in the Pacific Division.
Spokane is coming off a conference loss 70-38 to Arizona on the road in which they were missing Meyer and wide receiver Adron Tennell. In the loss, Shock quarterback Donovan Porterie completed 17 of 29 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns while adding three rushes for 14 yards and one touchdown.
The SaberCats head into the pivotal matchup after beating the Portland Thunder 67-24 in week 10, taking a one-game lead in the division in the process. San Jose quarterback Russ Michna was 13-18 for 150 yards and 7 touchdowns through the air with three rushes for one touchdown on the ground.
The Shock and SaberCats both feature offenses and defenses in the top five in the AFL, with both teams scoring over 54 points per game and allowing fewer than 47 points per game.
Wide receivers Mike Washington and Brandon Thompkins lead the Spokane offense, reeling in a combined 91 receptions for 1082 yards and 24 touchdowns. Rashaad Carter has made his mark as well, bringing in 26 catches for an average of 10 yards per catch and three touchdowns.
Splitting time for the Shock at quarterback against the Rattlers last week was Porterie and Carter. This week the Shock brought in veteran quarterback Brian Zbydniewski, who had been with the team previously in their 2006 af2 season and their 2010 championship squad.
The Shock defense is anchored by the versatile Terence Moore, who from the linebacker position has racked up 44.5 tackles, five interceptions, and three fumble recoveries. Up front the defensive line is held strong by James Ruffin and Terrance Taylor, who have recorded 7.5 and 4.0 sacks respectively.
San Jose's offense is led by Russ Michna, who has 65.6 percent of his passes for 1600 yards and 39 touchdowns. Rod Harper and Reggie Gray have brought in the majority of the teams receptions this year, with a combined 108 receptions for 1190 yards and 30 touchdowns.
Defensive back Ken Fontenette leads the SaberCats on the defensive side of the ball, tallying 50.0 tackles and one interception with 15 pass break ups. Defensive lineman Jason Stewart has contributed 6.5 sacks to the San Jose defensive effort.
The game can be found on TV in the Inland Northwest on SWX, on the radio at 700 ESPN, and online through ESPN3.com and the WatchESPN app.
Tickets for the game can be purchased for as low as $14 by visiting SpokaneShock.com.
• Discuss this story on the Arena Football League message board...
Arena Football League Stories from May 21, 2014
- Game Preview: Iowa Barnstormers at New Orleans VooDoo - Iowa Barnstormers
- Game Preview: Shock, SaberCats Clash for Pacific Division Lead - Spokane Shock
- Storm to host Military Appreciation Night on Saturday, May 24 - Tampa Bay Storm
- Game Preview: East Division Showdown in Cleveland - Philadelphia Soul
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
