Hawaiian Islanders Game Notes
May 26, 2003 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Hawaiian Islanders News Release
QUICK FACTS:
HAWAIIAN ISLANDERS (6-2) vs. LOUISVILLE FIRE (3-5)
Date: Saturday, May 31, 2003
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. HST (1:30 a.m. EDT)
Site: Neal Blaisdell Arena (capacity: 6,443)
Officials: Frank White (Referee), Phil Akana (Umpire), George Gusman (Head Linesman), Matt Sumstine (Linesman), Mike Goshima (Back Judge)
National Anthem: Omni
Radio: Live on KUMU2 AM 1500 (John Miro, Scott Ka'alele)
Series Record: First meeting Streaks: Hawaii: Won 3; Louisville: Lost 2
Coaches: Islanders â Cal Lee (5-2, first season) Fire â Tommy Johnson (2-4, first 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.)
PUT OUT THE FIRE DAY (May 31): The Hawaiian Islanders welcome all fire fighters and we celebrate their accomplishments. Star Markets is donating 1,000 tickets to the Fire Fighters Association. All fans connected with the Fire Department should contact the Fire Fighters Association to obtain your tickets.
THE STAKES: The Islanders open the second half of the season at home hosting their fifth game while the Fire make their fourth road trip in five weeks. Hawaii is 4-0 at home in 2003 while the Fire is 1-3 on the road.
THE SERIES: This will be the first meeting between the two teams. Both team have two common opponents with each defeating Cincinnati while Hawaii defeated Quad City in week two and Louisville lost to the Steamwheelers last weekend.
THE IFs:
If the Islanders defeat the Fire, it would ...
⢠Give the ISLANDERS a 1-0 record with Louisville
⢠Give the ISLANDERS an all time record of 9-4 at home.
⢠Give the ISLANDERS a 3-5 record all time in the month of May.
⢠Give Hawaii Head Coach Cal Lee a 7-2 record
⢠Give Hawaii a five game home winning streak this year and eight 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.
Tommy Johnson was born in Rome, Ga., and raised in Niceville, Fla. He began his football career as a player at DeFuniak Springs (Fla.) High School. He later transferred to Niceville High School. Johnson then attended the University of Alabama, where he played defensive back. He started his Arena football career with the Albany Firebirds, and moved on to the Carolina Cobras. Johnson presently holds the record for the longest interception return for a touchdown in AFL history. In 2001, Johnson began his coaching career with Fire as defensive coordinator.
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 week's game as well a chance to meet your favorite player.
The luncheon runs from noon to 1 p.m. at the Aloha Tower Marketplace.
THIS WEEK'S QUOTES:
Head Coach Cal Lee on Louisville:
"Each week, it's going to be tougher and tougher because we know that Louisville will be studying what we do and I know they'll be ready. We just have to do the same and prepare ourselves."
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 week's game as well as a preview of upcoming opponents. You'll 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.
KEY DATES IN TEAM HISTORY:
September 6, 2001 â 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 â 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 â 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 â 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 â Despite losing 56-48 at Bakersfield, quarterback Darnell Arceneaux rushes for an af2 record-tying five touchdowns.
July 20, 2002 â 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 â The Islanders defeat Fresno 46-36 for their first road win of the season. It was Hawaii's first two game winning streak and four wins in their final six games.
October 23, 2002 â The Islanders announce that Cal Lee will become their new coach for the 2003 season.
March 12, 2003 â 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 â 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: It's back on the airplane again as the Hawaiian Islanders take their second longest trip of the year when they head for Little Rock, Arkansas to face the Arkansas Twisters in a key inter-conference game. Following the road trip, the Islanders return to the Blaisdell Arena to face the defending af2 champion Peoria Pirates on June 14.
LAST SERIES MEETING: (first meeting) DROPBACK: HAWAII 35, CINCINNATI 28
(Saturday, May 24, 2003, Honolulu) â Nian Taylor caught a career-high four touchdowns as Hawaii rallied for their third straight victory Saturday with a 35-28 win over the Cincinnati Stealth before 3,852 fans.
Taylor, who was named the game's Most Valuable Player as well as the Ironman of the game, caught seven passes for 98 yards on offense while recording three solos, two assists a fumble recovery and a pass breakup on defense.
Hawaii's Eddie Klaneski was named the ADT Defensive Player of the Game as he again posted impressive numbers. He had four solos and two assists along with a pass breakup.
Quarterback Darnell Arceneaux led the Hawaii attack in the second half. Trailing 14-13, he opened the third quarter with two completions to Taylor, the first a 40-yarder and the second, a five yard scoring strike.
Cincinnati took the lead with 5:02 left in the third when Christian Batcheller tossed a 4-yard TD pass to James Scott for a 21-20 lead.
Hawaii took the kickoff and drove 48-yards on seven plays capped off with an Arceneaux 1-yard run as the third quarter ended. On the ensuing kickoff Cincinnati's James Scott fumbled the ball and Taylor recovered it on the Cincinnati 18. Two plays later, Arceneaux connected with Taylor for the four time, a 8-yard pass to take a commanding 35-21 lead.
HAWAII'S SECOND SEASON TRAVEL LOG: The Hawaiian Islanders will embark on eight road trips for the 2003 season Here's 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 **
ISLANDERS SET SCORING DEFENSE RECORD The Hawaiian Islanders set a team record for fewest points allowed in a game (28) against Cincinnati. Here are the lowest scoring outputs by Islander opponents.
Pts. Opponent Date W/L
28 at Cincinnati 5/24/03 Won
31 at Wichita 4/27/02 Lost
34 San Diego 6/14/02 Won
35 Bakersfield 6/29/02 Won
36 at Wichita 5/03/03 Lost
36 at Fresno 7/27/02 Won
37 Green Bay 3/30/03 Won
CAREER HIGH DAY FOR TAYLOR: Nian Taylor's four receiving touchdowns was a career high for the second year player out of Washington State.
Rec. TD Opponent Date
4 at Cincinnati 05/24/03
3 Wichita 05/16/03
3 Green Bay 03/30/03
3 Quad City 07/20/02
3 at Arkansas 07/12/02
3 Bakersfield 06/29/02
PLAYERS/MATCHUPS TO WATCH:
SUPERMAN IS WEARING NO. 7: Last week he won the National Ironman of the Week for his 3-touchdown, 10 tackle, performance. This week, he topped that performance with seven catches for 98 yards and a career-high four touchdowns. On defense, Taylor recorded three solos, two assists and a key fumble recovery and a pass deflection.
For the season, Taylor has 14 touchdown receptions which already breaks the mark he set last year of 11 touchdown receptions in the five games he played last season. On the year he has 39 catches for 580 yards. He needs only 34 yards receiving to set a new Islander record for most yards in a season.
ARCENEAUX TAKES THE OFFENSE ON HIS SHOULDERS:
What else can you expect from a record setting quarterback Last year he was known for running the ball and making defenses miss. This year he is becoming a dangerous passing quarterback.
Last week, Darnell Arceneaux was responsible for all five touchdowns as he passed for four touchdowns while running for the fifth. He also scored the final two-point conversion to seal the game.
Through the first eight games, he has 25 passing touchdowns which is ahead of his pace last year when he threw 48 touchdowns in 16 games.
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