Hawaiian Islanders Game Notes
May 5, 2003 - arenafootball2 (af2) - Hawaiian Islanders News Release
QUICK FACTS:
HAWAIIAN ISLANDERS (3-2) vs. BAKERSFIELD BLITZ (1-4)
Date: Saturday, May 10, 2003
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. HST (10:30 p.m. PDT)
Site: Neal Blaisdell Arena (capacity: 6,443)
Parking: $3.00 (Open throughout the day)
Officials: Frank White (Referee), Mike Goshima (Umpire), George Gusman (Head Linesman), Matt Sumstine (Linesman), Doug Awana (Back Judge)
Radio: KUMU2 AM 1500 (John Miro, Scott Kaalele)
TV: (none)
Series Record: Bakersfield Leads 3-1 Streaks: Hawaii: Lost 1; Bakersfield; Lost 2
Coaches: Islanders Cal Lee (3-2, first season) Blitz James Fuller (10-11, second season)
TICKET INFORMATION:
Walk Up Sales: Neal Blaisdell Arena, Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On game day, the Box Office will open through halftime.
Ticketmaster Outlets including: UH Manoa Campus Center, MWR Naval Base Kunia, Brigham Young University Hawaii Campus, and selected Foodland/Sack N Save locations during their normal business hours.
Phone Sales: Ticketmaster (808) 526-4400.
Internet Sales: www.ticketmaster.com
Ticket Prices: (Lower level and Loge are sold out)
$10 Upper level adult
$7 Upper level Children (Age 4-17)
(convenience fees apply at all outlets)
Discounted Tickets: Receive a 15 percent discount on up to four general admission tickets when you show your Kupa'a Card at the Neal Blaisdell Center Box Office. (One Kupa`a Card per household) Ohana Hotels & Resorts offers a $2 discount per ticket for Ohana/Outrigger employees with company identification. (Valid at the Blaisdell Box Office only.)
Military Appreciation Day (May 10): Present a military I.D. at the Neal Blaisdell Center Box Office and receive $2 off each ticket.
THE STAKES: The Islanders and Blitz will meet for the second time in four weeks as the Western Division swing heats up for round two. Hawaii will be hosting their third game of the season while Bakersfield is making their first road trip after a three-game home stand.
THE SERIES: This will be the fifth all-time meeting between the two teams with the Blitz owning a commanding 3-1 advantage. In Honolulu, the two teams are tied 1-1.
THE IFs:
If the Islanders defeat the Blitz, it would
Give the ISLANDERS a 2-3 record with Bakersfield
Give the ISLANDERS an all time record of 7-4 at home.
Give the ISLANDERS a 1-5 record all time in the month of May.
Give Hawaii Head Coach Cal Lee a 4-2 record
Give Hawaii a three game home winning streak this year and four in a row dating back to last season.
HEAD COACHES: Cal Lee was named head coach of the Hawaiian Islanders on October 23, 2002 giving fans across Hawaii an added excitement for the upcoming season. Lee is the most prolific football coach in Hawaii high school history. In 21 years as a head coach at St. Louis High School (Honolulu), his teams have compiled a 241-32-5 record which include 18 league titles and 15 state championships.
Bakersfield Blitz Head Coach James Fuller begins his second season in the af2, bringing six years of coaching experience and an admirable track record of success. Named as the 1st head coach in Blitz franchise history on December 7, 2001, Fuller posted a 9-8 record last season capturing a West division title and a playoff berth in the franchises inaugural season. Prior to joining the Blitz, Fuller spent two seasons in Oklahoma with the Wranglers of the Arena Football League; during his tenure he led the Wranglers to the No. 1 league rankings in total defense and pass defense in 2000.
COACHES LUNCHEON AT BIG ISLAND STEAKHOUSE Each Monday, join host Alema Harrington for The Coaches Luncheon at Big Island Steak House. Islander coaches and players gather for a roundtable discussion as they review and preview the 2003 opponents. See highlights from last weeks game as well a chance to meet your favorite player.
The Lunch runs from noon to 1 p.m. at the Aloha Tower Marketplace.
THIS WEEKS QUOTES:
Head Coach Cal Lee on Bakersfield:
Bakersfield already has a win against us and now that were playing them a second time. Weve got to try and eliminate the mistakes we made the first time. That is the only way to improve yourself in this game.
ISLANDERS WEEKLY:
Join host Alema Harrington for Islanders Weekly, an informative 30-minute look behind the scenes at the Hawaiian Islanders, the only professional franchise in the state. See highlights from last weeks game as well as a preview of upcoming opponents. Youll also see interesting interviews with coaches, players and items that make the Islanders your only team in town.
The show airs Tuesday through Friday at 8:30 p.m. on Oceanic Cable 16.
ISLANDERS INJURY REPORT:
Pos. Name Injury Status WR/DB
Darrick Branch Hamstring Short IR DS
Feiamma Armstrong Knee Probable WR/DB
Nian Taylor Achilles Tendon Day-to-Day WR/DB
Eddie Klaneski Hip Day-to-Day FB/LB
Chris Paogofie Bicep Tendon Probable FB/LB
Vai Notoa Throat Questionable
KEY DATES IN TEAM HISTORY:
September 6, 2001 The league offices of arenafootball2 announces Honolulu will be awarded a franchise for the 2002 season. Charles Wang and his daughter Kimberly will be the operators of the team. Hawaii becomes the ninth (of 10) expansion team named for the 2002 season.
January 7, 2002 Former all-state quarterback Darnell Arceneaux is assigned to the Islanders making him the first player in team history.
January 19, 2002 - The Hawaiian Islanders hosts an open tryout at Central Oahu Regional Park. Over 30 players endured the soggy conditions and participated in the three-hour workout
February 4, 2002 Islanders host Pacific Rim Training Camp where over 180 participants from Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Samoa, and Fiji attended.
March 30, 2002 - Islanders defeat the Fresno Frenzy 50-47 before 4,376 fans at the Blaisdell Arena marking the first game, the first win and the first home win in team history.
June 14, 2002 After suffering through a nine game losing streak, the Islanders defeat San Diego 53-34 as Darnell Arceneaux threw for three touchdowns and rushed for three more.
June 22, 2002 Despite losing 56-48 at Bakersfield, quarterback Darnell Arceneaux rushes for an af2 record-tying five touchdowns.
July 20, 2002 Hawaii rallies from a 21-0 deficit to upset the two-time defending af2 champion Quad City Steamwheelers 56-55 before 5,185 fans. Two days later, Nian Taylor was named National Ironman for the second consecutive week. Combined with his National Built Ford Tough award three weeks earlier, he becomes the first player to win three national awards in a four-week period.
July 27, 2002 The Islanders defeat Fresno 46-36 for their first road win of the season. It was Hawaiis first two game winning streak and four wins in their final six games.
October 23, 2002 The Islanders announce that Cal Lee will become their new coach for the 2003 season.
March 12, 2003 Training camp opens with 16 veterans making the 35-man squad. Islanders announced they sold nearly 1,200 season tickets compared to only 16 from last year.
March 30, 2003 Exactly one year following the Islanders first season and first win against Fresno, Hawaii opens the 2003 with a 48-37 win over Green Bay and gives head coach Cal Lee is first win as an af2 coach.
FORWARD MOTION: The Islanders conclude their quick two-game home stand on Friday, May 16 when they face the Wichita Steath. Itll be the second meeting in three weeks for these teams. Following the home stand, the Islanders make their longest trip of the year when they face Cincinnati on May 24.
LAST SERIES MEETING: BAKERSFIELD 58, HAWAII 43
(Saturday, April 19, 2003, Bakersfield, Calif.) When the ball takes a funny bounce, look for opportunities to happen and Bakersfield took advantage of that chance as they defeated Hawaii 58-43.
With the Blitz leading 31-23, the kickoff to Hawaii hit the cross bar and bounced high in the air when Bakersfields Ryan Sloth scooped up the loose ball and scored on a 1-yard net recovery.
Hawaii did manage to rally and was going for the tying two-point conversion but the Darnell Arceneaux pass to Channon Harris was deflected at the line of scrimmage.
DROPBACK: WICHITA 36, HAWAII 29
(Saturday, May 3, 2003, Wichita, Kansas) The Hawaiian Islanders assignment was simple. Stop Wichitas Michael Dritlein from touching the ball. Despite being held to no receptions for the night, Dritleins 57-yard missed field goal return with 3.3 seconds left lifted Wichita to a 36-29 win over the Hawaiian Islanders before 6,549 fans at Kansas Coliseum.
Dritlein, who was ranked second in the arenafootball2 league with 34 catches, was completely shut down by the Islanders who dominated the game out gaining the Stealth 247 to 142 in total offense. Turnovers and special teams were the key as Hawaii threw two interceptions and lost a fumble while the Stealth only committed one turnover. In addition, two of Hawaiis four field goal attempts were blocked along with a missed extra point and field goal due to bad snaps.
HAWAIIS SECOND SEASON TRAVEL LOG: The Hawaiian Islanders will embark on eight road trips for the 2003 season
Heres a list of destinations and their approximate miles from Hawaii to the city and back:
Quad City (Moline, Illinois), 8,564 miles
Bakersfield, California, 5,286 miles
Wichita, Kansas, 8,714 miles
Cincinnati, Ohio, 8,868 miles
Little Rock, Arkansas, 8,607 miles
San Diego, California, 5,222 miles
Tulsa, Oklahoma, 7,843 miles
San Diego, California, 5,222 miles
Total Expected Air and Bus Travel in 2003:
** 58,326 miles **
RUN vs. PASS If Arena Football is all about passing, Hawaii shouldnt be 3-2. The Islanders balance running and passing attack has defensive coordinators scratching their heads. Here is a break down of rushing and passing touchdowns thus far this year.
TOUCHDOWNS
Date Opponent Rush Pass
3/30 Green Bay 2 4
4/04 at Quad City 3 4
4/19 at Bakersfield 3 3
4/26 San Diego 3 1
5/03 at Wichita 2 2
Total 5 Games 13 14
HOW LOW CAN YOU GO: Here is a list of the lowest points scored by the Islanders over the past two seasons and their results
Points Opponent Result Date
27 at Wichita Lost 04/27/02
29 at Wichita Lost 05/03/03
32 Bakersfield Lost 04/13/02
34 at San Diego Lost 06/01/02
Here a list of the lowest point total by the Islanders that resulted in a win.
Points Opponent Result Date
46 at Fresno Won 07/27/02
48 Green Bay Won 03/30/03
50 Fresno Won 03/30/02
51 San Diego Won 04/26/03
PLAYERS/MATCHUPS TO WATCH:
THE FOUR-MAN RUSHING ATTACK: Last week it was Chris Paogofie and Vai Notoa. This week two other Islanders put up great numbers in the rushing department.
Quarterback Darnell Arceneaux led the Hawaii attack with 33 yards on only five carries. His teammate Josh White carried eight times for 30 yards and two touchdowns.
Through the first five games, four Islander rushers have at least 60 or more yards this season. Last year alone, only three backs had 60 or more yards for the entire season.
Overall the Islanders have racked up 323 yards averaging 64.6 yards per game and an impressive 13 touchdowns.
AN IMPRESSIVE FIRST GAME BACK FOR SATOMI:
It appears that a five-game layoff for Kohei Satomi hasnt stopped his defensive abilities. The second year man from Japan led Hawaii in tackles last week with four solos and two assists. He was especially impressive with several special team tackles. Last year Satomi played in three games and recorded eight tackles. He is expected to pass that total by the next game.
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