Los Angeles Wildcats Week Four Game Notes
February 26, 2020 - XFL (XFL)
Los Angeles Wildcats News Release
WILDCATS STUN PREVIOUSLY UNDEFEATED D.C. DEFENDERS
The Los Angeles Wildcats blew out the previously undefeated D.C. Defenders in a 39-9 rout on Sun- day, February 23. Despite a slow-starting offense in past games, the Wildcats came out firing in the first series. QB Josh Johnson led them on a five-play, 71-yard drive that ended with a 40-yard touchdown reception by WR Tre McBride. Johnson posted a near-perfect passer rating of 148 and finished the night 18-of-25 for 278 yards and three touchdowns. McBride had 109 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Despite the outstanding performance by McBride and Johnson, the night be- longed to RB Martez Carter. Carter had three receptions for 41 yards and 11 carries for 34 yards. Off those 34 yards, he scored two rushing touchdowns, including a one-yard rushing touchdown that he scored by doing a flip over an incoming defender in the second quarter -' showcasing his athletic abilities. Defensively, the Wildcats racked up four interceptions -' one by CB Mike Stevens and CB Arrion Springs. Jack Tocho had two interceptions and a fumble recovery off of an erroneous D.C. punt. With the win, the Wildcats improve to 1-2 and move to third in the West power rankings.
NOTES FROM WEEK THREE
- The Wildcats defense created five takeaways and won the turnover battle at +5. On the season, they have intercepted seven passes from opposing team, while only giving up two in Week One at HOU.
- LA defense held the previously third ranked DC third down offense to 15% (2/13)
- The LA offensive line allowed 0 sacks, while allowing QB Johnson to pass for a season high 278 yards and a near perfect passing of 148. Johnson has 463 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions
- CB Mike Stevens made his case for defensive player of the week with six combined tackles, one sack and and two interceptions
- WR Tre McBride averaged 21.8 per catch and scored twice to go with his season high 109 yards
- The Wildcats previously fourth ranked rushing defense (102.0) in yards per game allowed 200
SERIES NOTES: This is the first meeting between the Los Angeles Wildcats (1-2) and the New York Guardians (1-2). The Los Angeles Wildcats head to the East Coast for their only cross-country road trip of the season. While the records are the same, the momentum for the teams is in stark contrast. The Guardians started out hot with a 23-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Vipers, but have lost two games since. The Wildcats after two weeks with two different quarterbacks, found their rhythm and their first win (39-3) under QB Josh Johnson in Week Three.
GAME FOUR: VS NEW YORK GUARDIANS
THE GAME BELONGED TO THE BACKUPS
Next man up was on full display in the Wildcats Week Three victory over the D.C. Defenders on Feb. 23. With starting RB Elijah Hood down for the game, RBs Larry Rose (New Mexico State) and Martez Carter (Grambling State), who were third and fourth on the depth chart respectively, took the lion- share of the carries. In the second quarter, Rose scored a one-yard rushing touchdown, the first touchdown by a RB this season. Carter followed with a successful two-point conversion reception. Carter went on to have three scores in the contest -- two rushing touchdown and one receiving. This is the most touchdowns by any Wildcat in a single-game. WR Tre McBride, who is second behind WR Jordan Smallwood, had the best outing of any Wildcat receiver this season. Despite battling an injury during practice, McBride brought in two touchdowns for 109 yards.
FANS FLIP FOR MARTEZ CARTER
RB Martez Carter didn't get the nickname "Mr. Entertainment" at Richwood High School in Monroe, La. for nothing. He took that moniker to a new level on Sunday, Feb. 23 when he scored not one, not two, but three touchdowns in the team's blowout win against the D.C. Defenders 39-9. Carter's journey to football is not a traditional one. After getting hit by a car at age nine, he had to relearn how to walk. His brothers pulled him around his hometown of Monroe in a red wagon until his mother helped him get back on his feet. His natural athletic ability led him to basketball in middle school. Carter did not play football until his sophomore year of high school because he was focused on playing basketball, his first love. Carter, the first in his immediate family to graduate high school, went on to play basketball for the NAIA HBCU Wiley College in Marshall, Tex. He realized that "basketball wasn't going to pay the bills" and he walked onto the football team at Grambling State University his junior year. Carter made his mark as a standout running back, despite having never played running back before. He entered the 2018 NFL draft and went undrafted to the Redskins. Carter was cut after training camp due to injury. When he got the call from Wildcats Special Teams Coach Martin Bayless in September 2019, he knew he wanted to be a Wildcat. Why wouldn't Mr. En- tertainment want to be in the entertainment capital of the world? Based on his stellar performance last week, including his back forward flip and backflip in the end zone, he is right where he belongs.
WEEK TWO: LOS ANGELES WILDCATS FALL TO 0-2
The Los Angeles Wildcats lost 25-18 to the Dallas Renegades on Feb. 16 at Dig- nity Health Sports Park despite a fourth quarter rally by QB Josh Johnson and receivers Adonis Jennings and Nelson Spruce. Late in the fourth quarter with 4:45 remaining, Johnson connected with Spruce for a 44-yard touchdown re- ception that split the Renegades' cover two defense. This touchdown recep- tion stands as the longest pass and reception in Wildcats' history. Jennings followed with a successful three-point conversion that was moved from the 10 to the 5 yard line by a defensive penalty. All of this happened within 18 seconds. The defensive effort stood as a high point for the Wildcats. CB Harlan Miller recorded the second interception in team history when he picked off a pass from QB Landry Jones intended for TE Donald Parham in the first quarter. Miller ran it back for 10 yards. LB Will Smith also intercepted a pass in the third quarter deep middle intended for D. Parham and returned it for 18 yards. Johnson finished the game 18-for-34 with 196 yards and two touchdowns. Spruce led the team with 89 yards and two touchdowns off of six receptions. Smallwood was second on the team with four completions for 32 yards. On defense, S Ahmad Dixon led with eight total tackles. DE/LB Willie Mays and DE Cedric Reed both record a sack for a loss of eight and seven yards respectively.
NOTES FROM WEEK TWO
- WR Adonis Jennings achieved the first successful three-point attempt from the five yard line instead of the ten yard line after a Dallas penalty
- The Wildcats won the turnover battle at +1, but struggled with pass defense giving up 290 yards
- Aided by an average return of 29.8 yards on kickoff verage, starting field position was the LA 36
- The Wildcats converted 54% (7/13) of third downs on offense, which is a vast improvement from 30% (3/10) in Week One
- Backup RB Martez Carter averaged 33.8 yards per kickoff return on four attempts
LOS ANGELES EMBRACES THE WILDCATS
While the outcome of Week Two was not what Wildcats fans or players had hoped, the crowd of nearly 15,000 strong created a party-like atmo- sphere that was felt from kickoff until the game ended. What started as a small staff sitting around a table several months ago, became in a culture of family, fun and football that resulted in a great gameday experience. This included widespread tailgating in the parking lot, and solid attendance for the pre-game fanfest outside of the ticketed perimeter near in the North End of the stadium. The momentum continued as fans heard from players, fellow fans and heroes of the game along the way. The excitement reso- nated with the players themselves as they could be found pumping up the crowd from the sidelines. The Wildcat family looks to continue to provide a great atmosphere at each of the remaining four home games. Claws Up!
QB JOHNSON GIVES THE OPPOSITION A HEA8CKE
After sitting out Week One with a thigh injury suffered during training camp in Houston, QB Josh Johnson got his second start of the season in a 39-9 rout of the previosuly undefeated D.C. Defenders. In the Wildcat's first victory of the season, Johnson threw for a season-high 278 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions and near-perfect 148 passer rating. On Feb. 16, Johnson started his first game against the Dallas Renegades. His last start came 413 days prior when the Washington Redskins played the Phil- adelphia Eagles on Dec. 30, 2018. In his first professional outing since then, Johnson did not throw an interception and recorded a 91.2 second half QB rating. Johnson's presence was most notably felt in third down conversion. In Week One, the offense under QB Charles Kanoff went 3-of-15 (20%) on third downs. Week Two against Dallas, that total was raised to 43% (3-of-7). In Week Three, expect to see that number and other offensive totals rise as it will be the second home game and the second game for Johnson under center.
THE SPRUCE IS LOOSE
If you give WR Nelson Spruce an inch, he'll take a mile and that's exactly what he did in Week One against the Houston Roughnecks and Week Two against the Dallas Renegades. In the home opener against the Renegades on Feb. 16, Spruce finished the afternoon with two touchdowns -' the first Wildcat player to record multiple touchdowns in a game. He average 14.8 yards off of six receptions. His 44-yard touchdown reception from QB Josh Johnson that split the Renegade's cover two defense, elicited raucous "SPRUUUUCE" chants from the home crowd. The week prior in Houston, Spruce went 11-of-15 for 103 yards and cemented himself in the record books as the first XFL receiver to surpass the 100 yard plateau. Spruce is no stranger to setting records. At his most recent stint in spring football -' with the AAF's San Diego Fleet, Spruce set a single-game record with 12 recep- tions and 146 yards at the Arizona Hotshots on March 24, 2019. Addition- ally, Spruce is the The Pac-12 career receptions leader (294) and five years after his graduation, is still the career leader with 3,347 receiving yards. That is almost 1,000 more than WR Shay Fields, the closest player to him.
NOTES FROM WEEK ONE
- DE Shawn Oakman was the lone Wildcat to record a sack in the season open- er. He also recorded the only two quarterback hurries of the game.
- WR Nelson Spruce became the first receiver to record a 100+ yard receiving game with 103 yards off of 11 receptions and 15 targets.
- TE Brandon Barnes had the longest catch of the game with a 27-yard reception.
- QB Charles Kanoff was second on the team in rushing with 21 yards off four attempts and one rushing touchdown. RB Elijah Hood leads with 43 yards.
A TALE OF TWO HALVES
Week One's game against the Houston Roughnecks at TDECU Stadium on Feb. 8 started out hot in the first half for the Wildcats and then came to a screech- ing halt in the second half. The Wildcats ran 42 plays for 179 passing yards and 57 rushing yards in the first two quarters. In that time, they averaged 5.6 yards per play and obtained 16 first downs. WR Jordan Smallwood (Oklahoma) and QB Charles Kanoff (Princeton) scored two touchdowns in the first half and the pair connected for a two-point conversion. The Wildcats came out of the locker room with the game within reach as they only trailed the Roughnecks 17-18. The Roughnecks scored on their first possession out of the locker room with a pass from P.J. Walker short right to Kahlil Lewis for four yards and a touchdown. The Wildcats looked promising in their first possession with 20 all-purpose yards in the first three plays called. However, the drive sputtered at the Houston 36. Three passes intended for Saeed Blacknall and Smallwood fell incomplete and the Wildcats turned the ball over on downs. Despite an even time of possession in the second half, the Wildcats were unable to score and only added 35 passing yards and an average of 1.8 yards per play. Despite the loss, Smallwood had a banner day in Houston. He tallied the first success- ful two-point conversion attempt in Wildcats history after Kanoff's quarter- back keeper touchdown in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Smallwood connected again with Kanoff and recorded the first and only receiving touch- down in team history with 9:26 remaining.
CALIFORNIA CONNECTION
The Los Angeles Wildcats have California roots that extend much deeper than just playing in the SoCal sunshine at Dignity Health Sports Park. Exactly 25% of the active roster calls California home. QB Charles Kanoff, S LaDarius Wiley and DT Boogie Roberts all hail from Los Angeles. Additionally, TE De'Quan Hampton, a University of Southern California football alum, is a native of Carson, Calif. Hampton's family still lives in Carson and their home is walking distance from Dignity Health. Other California natives include LB Willie Mays (Escondido), LS Ryan Navarro (Murrieta), OG Nico Siragusa (Chula Vista), LB Will Smith (Riverside). In addition to home grown talent, six players attended college in California -' P Colton Schmidt (California-Davis), QB Josh Johnson (San Diego), Siragusa (San Diego State), OT Tyler Roemer (San Diego State), Hampton (USC), Roberts (San Jose State). The California ties don't end there. Two of the three players on injured reserve grew up in California -' DE Austin Flynn (Wilmington) and USC alum Toa Lobendahn (Cerritos).
RETURN TO HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
Wide receiver Jalen Greene, perhaps more than any other Wildcat, has a his- tory of winning in Carson, Calif. As a prep athlete at Junipero Serra High School in Gardena, Calif., he trained only 13 miles from Dignity Health Sports Park. In 2012, as a dual-threat quarterback, Greene led Serra High School to a 42-15 victory over Oakdale in the Division II CIF State Football Championship Bowl Game at the stadium. WR Marques Rodgers, utility player Adoree' Jackson and Greene combined for 286 of Serra's 389 yards to capture Serra's second and most recent state championship. This championship was one of three that Serra captured in 2012, and as a result they tied a California record for most state championships in a single school year. The championships don't just re- side with a high school record. Jalen Green and current Los Angeles Wildcats teammate LaDarius Wiley won a Snoop Youth Football League Championship, also at Dignity Health in 2008, when they were 12 years old. Greene, Wiley and the rest of the roster are looking to continue their winning ways in Carson at today's home opener versus the Dallas Renegades.
THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND
Norm Chow can't walk through a football tailgate without drawing a crowd, especially in Los Angeles. As a first-year head coach at the University of South- ern California, Pete Caroll hired Chow as an Offensive Coordinator in 2001. The connection between head coach, offensive coordinator and players was electric. In 2002, the second year the pair coached together, Carson Palmer won the Heisman Trophy. Palmer was the first Trojan to win a Heisman since Marcus Allen in 1981. The next year, USC finished 12-1 in the regular season and won their first national title since 1978. In 2004, the magic continued as Chow mentored his second Southern California Heisman in Matt Leinart and the duo won the sixth Heisman trophy in USC history. To sweeten the deal, USC thrashed Oklahoma in the BCS National Championship 55-19. While Chow's pedigree at USC and stint at UCLA from 2008 to 2010 is well known in Los Angeles, many recognize him for his tutelage of quarterbacks across the country. Chow has helped coach eight of the top 14 career passing-ef- ficiency leaders and 13 quarterbacks who rank among the top 30 in NCAA history for single-season passing yardage. His coaching lineage includes Steve Young, Philip Rivers, Jim McMahon and Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer. In 1983 under Chow as offensive play-caller, Steve Young finished second in the Heisman vote after racking up 584.2 total yards per game and an NCAA single-season pass completion record (71.3%) at Brigham Young University. In 2000, Chow spent a single but impactful season at North Carolina State as Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach. During that season, Rivers broke seven passing records at NC state and was named ACC Freshman of the Year. That year, NC State won their first bowl game in five years.
THOSE WHO TRAIN TOGETHER STAY TOGETHER
The Los Angeles Wildcats most veteran group is that of kicker Nick Novak, punter Colton Schmidt and long snapper Ryan Navarro. Between Novak and Schmidt alone, they have 185 games played on six teams. Despite the broad spread in teams, these three specialists are far from strangers. Novak and Schmidt played together for the Birmingham Iron in the now-defunct Alli- ance of American Football, while Navarro played a short distance away for the Memphis Express. The bond of the WIldcat specialists goes further, as all three train with legendary kicker John Carney at the Carney Training Facility in San Diego. Carney, who is regarded as one of the best specialists in NFL history is third on the NFL career scoring list with a career total of 2,044 points. Along with Wildcats specialists, Carney also trains a large number of pros including Lachalan Edwards (NYJ), Younghoe Koo (ATL) and Zach Triner (TAM).
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