Greensboro Prowlers Game Notes
May 19, 2003 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Greensboro Prowlers News Release
QUICK FACTS:
Greensboro Prowlers (3-4) at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers (1-6)
Date: Friday, May 23, 2003
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. EST
Site: First Union Arena @ Casey Plaza (7,955)
National Anthem: List singer and/or group presenting colors
Coin Toss: Head Referee
Officials: Greg Glascow (Referee), Lindley Ivey (Umpire), Jerry Austin (Head Linesman), Owen Grogan (Line Judge), Chris Bynum (Back Judge)
TV: None
Series Record: Greensboro leads series 3-0
Last Meeting: GBO 46, WBS 25; at Greensboro, 4/27/02
Streaks: Prowlers won all three meetings with the Pioneers
Coaches: Dean Cokinos (0-0; 0-0 playoffs, First season) Steven Jerry (14-16, 0-0 playoffs, First season)
THE STAKES: Greensboro has an opportunity make some major moves in the Northeast Division. .
THE SERIES: Greensboro won both meetings against Wilkes-Barre last season, including the only franchise road victory in Prowlers history.
THE IFs:
If Greensboro defeats Wilkes-Barre, it would ...
· Give Greensboro a 4-0 series record with Wilkes-Barre
· Give Greensboro its second win in Wilkes-Barre in the team's history, and mark the only place to repeat a road victory.
· Move the Prowlers to .500 for the first time since May 26th at the midway point of the season. HEAD COACHES: Each Head Coach enters their first season with the respective franchise. Steven Jerry joins the Prowlers from the Roanoke Steam where he finished (8-8) in 2002. Coach Jerry begins his first season in Greensboro after playing appearing at North Carolina as well as playing in the Arena Football League.
Wilkes-Barre's Dean Cokinos takes the helm after being originally named as Defensive Coordinator. With Head Coach Terry Karg departing to a local high school, Cokinos assumed control...He was a coach in 2002 in the German Football League.
LAST SERIES MEETING: GREENSBORO 46, Wilkes-Barre 25 (4/5/03) â The Greensboro Prowlers began the 2003 season on a very productive note, when they captured a 46-25 victory over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers. In front of 3,094 in attendance, the Prowlers defense constantly swarmed and applied pressure helping to ice the game by the half.
The Prowlers Caleb Slover scored at the 8:20 mark of the first quarter, giving Greensboro an early 7-0 lead. From there the Prowlers offensive weapons, led by backup quarterback Kenton Evans flexed their muscles. The Prowlers began an offensive showcase when Clifton Shavers hooked up with Evans for a 23-yard strike, pushing Greensboro up 13-0. Coach Steven Jerry, in his first game at the helm, then used the running game to open the way for a 4-yard scamper by Antoine Calloway. The Pioneers quarterback Chris Boden then went on a five-play drive to cut the deficit to 20-6. However the last touchdown prior to ending the half, saw Mal Lawyer haul in a 15-yard over-the-shoulder grab, sending the teams to the locker room with Greensboro leading 27-6.
The only score of the third quarter came when Clifton Shavers took advantage of the Pioneers defensive miscue. Shavers hit the board and got up after not being touched while down, to run 37-yards for the touchdown, and gave Greensboro a 33-6 advantage. The Prowlers offense would add two fourth quarter touchdowns on rushing plays. The first came on a three-yard run by Kenton Evans at the 13:42 mark, and the second by Antoine Calloway with 2:48 remaining. Wilkes-Barre's offense, unable to overcome the Prowlers defensive front throughout the night, managed to outscore Greensboro 19-13 in the fourth.
Leading the way for the Prowlers defensive output was Michael Posey with 6.5 tackles, Thaddeus Bullard making one sack and 5.5 tackles, and Cranston Johnson who made one interception. Greensboro would allow only 261 yards of total offense on 52 Pioneers plays from scrimmage.
SERIES NOTABLES: OL/DL Thaddeus Bullard set the tone early on for the Prowlers, and finished the game with 5.5 tackles, one sack, and two tackles for losses totaling 12 yards. QB Kenton Evans made his first appearance as Prowler against the Pioneers. He appeared in the second quarter, and the Prowlers began an offensive showcase when Clifton Shavers hooked up with Evans for a 23-yard strike, pushing Greensboro up 13-0. Coach Steven Jerry, in his first game at the helm, then used the running game to open the way for a 4-yard scamper by Antoine Calloway.
FAMILIAR FACES: The Pioneers Russel Bendict, FB/LB, played with the Roanoke Steam while under the direction of Steven Jerry and Prowlers defensive coordinator Joe Campbell.
THIS WEEK'S QUOTES:
KELRON SYKES, on the Pioneers: "I am looking forward to getting back on the winning page. We have to get the snowball effect of winning taking place, and getting things turned in the right direction. It will start this Friday with a win over the Pioneers."
LOOKING BACK: The defending ArenaCup Champion Peoria Pirates continued their momentum from a victory over Green Bay last week, earning a 63-37 victory over the Prowlers in front of 5,472 on-hand at the Peoria Civic Center. With the loss, combined with a loss by the Charleston SwampFoxes, keeps Greensboro in fourth place and three games behind the Cape Fear Wildcats for first place.
The biggest Prowler nemesis proved to be Jack Walker, who entered the game sixth in scoring, as he made five touchdowns on the night. Greensboro (3-4) jumped out with a 26-yard touchdown catch by Corey Sullivan from Caleb Slover. After the initial 7-0 lead, Walker would score three of the Pirates (3-4) next five touchdowns. The first was a 2-yard pass from Charles Peterson to knot the game at 7-7. Peoria's Charles Sheffield would close out first quarter scoring with a 10-yard interception return.
The second quarter belonged to Walker who scored a 20-yard pass to jumpstart the Pirates offense, giving the Pirates a 19-7 lead. Charvin Clark would answer for Greensboro with a 56-yard kickoff return, the team's third straight game with a kickoff return for touchdown, cutting into the Pirates special teams. Walker was not to be outdone, as he responded with a 22-yard pass from Peterson, capping off a six-play drive. Teammate Jurron Kelly would score on a nine-yard pass from Peterson, and put the Pirates up 32-13 with 4:01 remaining in the second. A Josh Jones field goal would make the halftime deficit 32-16 in favor of Peoria.
In the third quarter, the Peoria defense managed to keep the Prowlers offense at bay. For only the third time all season, the others occurring in the second and fourth quarters against Macon as well as in last week's third quarter against Cape Fear, Greensboro was unable to muster any score. It was here that Walker showcased his talent with scores from 24 and 38 yards on back-to-back scores giving Peoria a commanding 46-16 advantage. The Pirates Brett Majors added a 33-yard field goal to make the score 49-16 ending the third quarter.
In the fourth, following Jurron Kelly's second touchdown of the game, Greensboro ended a scoring drought. Bobby Sippio, a former Peoria Pirate, scored on a 28-yard pass from Kenton Evans, making the score 56-23 at the 12:05 mark. Just over one minute later Chris Martin scored Peoria's final points of the game, returning a 57-yard kickoff for a touchdown. It was at that point that the Prowlers Antoine Calloway made his only reception of the game, pulling in a 40-yard touchdown pass at the 9:03 mark. Sippio would follow with his second touchdown of the quarter, as he hauled in a 38-yard pass with 5:00 remaining to make the final score 63-37 in favor of Peoria. Along with the kickoff return streak, the Prowlers offensive line has not allowed a sack on a Prowlers quarterback for the fifth consecutive game.
FORWARD MOTION: Greensboro returns home following a three-game road trip that included Cape Fear, Peoria, and Wilkes-Barre. The Prowlers last played in front of the home crowd on Friday, May 2nd, when they faced the Richmond Speed.
TEAM NOTES/TRENDS:
NO TOUCHING THE QB: The Prowlers have not yielded a sack to the in the last five consecutive weeks without allowing one. The last game, and only game this season, that a Prowlers quarterback hit the turf with the ball was on April 11 at the Macon Knights. As a note, the two teams with the fewest sacks allowed are the Lincoln Lightning (2001) and the Birmingham Steeldogs (2002).
HALFWAY THERE: Greensboro has returned a kickoff return in the last three consecutive games. In 2002 the Prowlers tied the AF2 record that was set by the Birmingham Steeldogs (2001) with six consecutive games with a kickoff return for a touchdown. Over that span the players with kickoff returns for Greensboro were: Walter Ford (at Norfolk); Walter Ford (vs. Cape Fear); Tom Starck (vs. Rochester); Walter Ford (at Cape Fear); Demeco Archangel (at Charleston); Walter Ford (vs. Norfolk).
WEEK 5 MAKES THE DIFFERENCE: After not scoring or allowing 50 or more points in a game in their first four contests, Greensboro both scored and gave up over 50 points against Richmond. The following week against Cape Fear, Greensboro allowed only 36 points, and then last week against the ArenaCup champion Peoria, the Prowlers allowed 63 points. It marks the second time that the Prowlers have allowed and accomplished such a feat, thus far into the season. In 2002, the Prowlers allowed nine games of less than 50-points, two of which came against the Pioneers.
MEET ME IN WILKES-BARRE: Former Greensboro Prowler WR/DB Jason Gibson is now with the Pioneers. The two-way star holds ranks first in Prowlers history for receiving yardage...had a string of six consecutive games for touchdowns in 2002 (May 4-18)...tied for second on Prowlers all-time list with seven interceptions season.
PLAYERS/MATCHUPS TO WATCH:
Prowlers DS Michael Posey: Posey has returned to the Prowlers lineup following a turf toe injury that kept him out for three weeks. When he left the lineup, he was the af2's leading tackler, and now returns to a defensive secondary searching for identity without him and teammate Cranston Johnson. Against Peoria last week, Posey led the team with 7.5 tackles.
Prowlers WR/DB Charvin Clark: Amassed 83 yards and a touchdown in three kickoff returns against Peoria last week. Clark now has five returns for 128 and a touchdown, ranking third on the team.
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