Peoria Pirates Game Notes
Published on June 24, 2003 under United Indoor Football Association (UIF)
Peoria Rough Riders News Release
QUICK FACTS:
Peoria Pirates (4-7) vs. Bakersfield Blitz (5-7)
Date: Saturday, June 28, 2003
Kickoff: 9:05 p.m. cst.
Site: Centennial Arena (8,700)
National Anthem:
Officials: (Referee), (Umpire), (Head Linesman), (Line Judge), (Back Judge)
Radio: None
TV: None
Series Record: Peoria Pirates (2-0)
Last Meeting: June 15, 2002- Peo 56, Bak 49
Streaks: PEO, Won 1; BAK, Lost 1
Coaches: Bruce Cowdrey: PEO, James Fuller: BAK THE STAKES: The Pirates are looking for their fifth win of the season and the Blitz are looking to find their sixth win in their second season in the af2.
THE SERIES: The two teams meet for the first time this season. Peoria leads the series 2-0 from last year.
THE IFs:
If Peoria defeats Bakersfield, it would ...
· Give Peoria a 3-0 series record against Bakersfield
· Give Peoria a 5-7 overall record for 2003
· Give head coach Bruce Cowdrey his 21st win as Pirates' head coach
· Peoria would be one step closer to the playoffs
HEAD COACHES: Bruce Cowdrey led the Pirates to an 11-5 record last season, culminating with a 4-0 postseason run and an ArenaCup Championship. It was the second title for Cowdrey and the Pirates in the past three years as he won the IFL title in 2000. In two seasons with the IFL Pirates, Cowdrey went 29-2.
Head Coach James Fuller: James Fuller comes to the Blitz as the first head coach in team history. He has spent the past two seasons as the associate head coach and defensive coordinator for the Oklahoma Wranglers in the Arena Football League. He quickly established himself as one of the top coaching prospects in Arena Football during the 2000 season by leading the Wranglers to the No. 1 league rankings in total defense and pass defense.
LAST SERIES MEETING: Saturday, June 15, 2002-Peo, 56, Bak, 49
MILESTONES: A Peoria win would be Bruce Cowdrey's 21th as Pirates Head Coach.
DROPBACK: It wasn't their prettiest game, but it was enough for the Hawaiian Islanders to win Saturday night as they stole a non-divisional game from the defending af2 champions, the Peoria Pirates, in front of 3,089 at the Blaisdell Arena, 44-43. Nian Taylor, the game's MVP, caught eight passes for 149 yards and four touchdowns. Mike Tillis started his third consecutive game for the Islanders and completed 17 of his 27 pass attempts for 279 yards and four touchdowns with a pair of interceptions.
His counterpart, Charles Peterson, completed 18 of his 35 passes for 239 yards with three interceptions. Jack Walker led the Pirates with 96 yards on eight receptions.
The Islanders improve to 8-3, while the Pirates fall to 3-7. The win keeps Hawaii atop the National West Division with five games to play.
Hawaii won despite committing six turnovers â four fumbles and two interceptions, while the Pirates had four turnovers, including three interceptions and a fumble.
The opening quarter would end the way it started: deadlocked. Taylor pulled in a 15-yard pass from Tillis as the Islanders got on the board first. Peoria answered back, however, as with fourth-and-goal, Peterson's pass ricocheted numerous times off several players â including the net â before finding the hands of tight end, Mike Cunningham. Brett Major's point after would knot the score at seven. Tillis would be intercepted twice in the first half, the second of which, however, did no damage.
David Knott picked Tillis' strike, but collided with a teammate before fumbling. Taylor ended up with pigskin in the end zone for an Islander touchdown to end the first half with the Pirates leading 22-14. Peoria began to pull away in the third quarter as they scored on a pair of one-yard runs; the first came on a quarterback-fullback option play as Peterson kept and walked in. William Bumphus would later dive in from one yard out on a toss left to put the Pirates up, 36-21.
Hawaii would fumble again and Peoria took advantage. Peterson connected with Walker again, this time for a seven-yard scoring strike. Tillis and the Hawaii offense had an answer. He scrambled in from one-yard out to cut the Pirate lead to 14.
Taylor, as he has so many times this season, came through in the clutch for the Islanders. Taylor was on the receiving end of a 31-yard Tillis touchdown pass. After Kimo Naehu's extra point, Peoria led by just seven with just 4:40 left to play.
Peoria would be penalized on the ensuing kickoff for an illegal substitution that would give them first-and-ten from their own three-yard line. On the very next play, Peterson was sacked in his own end zone for a safety by Taulia Lave. Hawaii led by five at that point.
Eddie Klaneski, however, fumbled on the return and the Pirates' special teams recovered. On their first play on the ensuing drive, Peterson would be picked by Anthony Arceneaux. A 35-yard pass from Tillis to Darrick Branch would set up an 11-yard touchdown pass from Tillis to Taylor that would put the Islanders up by a single point.
It would be all Hawaii would need as they came from behind to claim their eighth win of the season, 44-43, over Peoria.
Arceneaux, who was named the game's ADT defensive player of the game, intercepted Peterson again to seal the win.
FORWARD MOTION:
The Pirates travel to Bakersfield next week before returning home for a 2 game home stand.
United Indoor Football Association Stories from June 24, 2003
- Home Season Finale This Friday - Tupelo FireAnts
- Peoria Pirates Game Notes - Peoria Rough Riders
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