Rage Back On Road For Two Straight Games
June 3, 2009 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
RiverCity Rage News Release
ST. CHARLES, MISSOURI: The RiverCity Rage Professional Indoor Football Team is back on the practice field this week in preparation for their first of two consecutive road games, traveling this Saturday, June 6th to play the Muskegon Thunder. The Rage is 7-3 after coming off a hard-fought 43-41 defeat at the hands of the Omaha Beef last week. The Thunder is 1-10 on the season after losing 53-27 on the road to the Maryland Maniacs last Saturday.
This will mark the first ever meeting between the two franchises. The Rage have dropped two consecutive games for the first time all-season but still remain in playoff contention, currently sitting just one game behind Maryland in the Atlantic Division in the United Conference. The Rage holds the tie-breaker over the Maniacs as well, with a victory over them earlier in the season. The Thunder has lost four straight games by a combined score of 257 to 65. Their only victory of the season came back on May 1st, a 34-26 win over the Saginaw Sting.
The Rage is currently ranked among the team leaders in a number of IFL categories. The offense has averaged 46.7 points per game (sixth), 191.4 yards passing per game (third), and 229 yards of total offense per contest (ninth). Defensively, the Rage are one of the stingiest around - allowing just 34 points per game (sixth), 119.4 yards passing per game (second), and a lowly 173 yards of total offense allowed (third).
Quarterback Dixie Wooten is still racking up the touchdowns this season. His 41 are tied for the second most in the IFL and are almost double the total the Rage put up last season through the air. Wooten has also thrown for 1,819 yards, the third highest total in the league. Wide receiver Hurtis Chinn has 53 catches this year, ranking him fourth in the IFL, while Maurice Avery is second in yards receiving (719) and tied for fourth in receiving touchdowns (14). The team's touchdown machine continues to be Randy Bell, who in eight games has 15 total scores.
On the defensive side of the ball, Joe Bevis is sixth in the league and leading the team in total tackles (63.5) and has racked up two sacks, one interception, four pass break ups, nine quarterback hurries, and two forced fumbles. Missouri graduate Pig Brown has moved up to second on the team with 34 tackles and has raised his interception total to three on the season. Daryon Brutley leads the team in picks with five.
The Thunder's team stats are representative of their overall record, as they sit towards the bottom of the IFL in most key categories. The Thunder is ranked last in the league in points per game (18), passing yards per game (89), total offense (120 yards), and are ranked 16 out of 19 teams in points allowed on defense per game (53.1) and yards allowed per game (248).
The Thunder is led by running back Reggie Frazier, who has rushed for 259 yards and five touchdowns, and wide receiver Richard Gills, who has 385 yards receiving with three scores. Tersee Nande leads the team with 51 tackles and two interceptions.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
In two games, Lewis has made an immediate impact, creating havoc with constant pressure on opposing quarterbacks and disrupting the running game. He has number quarterback pressures and hurries and has already recorded 1.5 sacks in just two games.
QUICK HITS
Following the game with Muskegon, the Rage will spend two of their next three games on the road. The Rage continues their road trip on June 13th when they travel to regional rival Bloomington. The final regular season home game for the Rage will be against El Paso on Saturday, June 20th at 7:30 p.m. The Rage will wrap up their regular season schedule with their second trip to Wichita on Saturday, June 27th.
Also, for a unique look at your RiverCity Rage players in action on and off the field, log on to the Media Gallery feature of the home page. Log on to www.RageFootball.com and click on Media Gallery on the menu bar.
The RiverCity Rage is a member of the Indoor Football League. All Rage home games are played at The Family Arena in St. Charles, MO. For information contact the Rage at (636) 946-RAGE or log on to www.ragefootball.com.
Dominic Lewis, Defensive End: The Rage has lost several players to the Canadian Football League, including Xzavie Jackson, who was leading the team at the time of his departure with five sacks. Head Coach Rik Richards wasted no time in grabbing Lewis, the talented defensive end from Kentucky.
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