Rage Survive Shark Scare to Go 3-0 in 2006
April 10, 2006 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
RiverCity Rage News Release
As shark attacks go, it was a classic example of what's termed the âhit and run.' The predator sees an object in front of it, takes a stab or two, then realizes it's not dealing with it's usual prey. Momentarily, a struggle may ensue, with the shark leaving the victim to some slight injury and at the end of the ordeal, a welcomed feeling of relief. For the RiverCity Rage of the NIFL, Saturday night's game against the Tennessee Riversharks was a case study in pure survival.
"We hit a bad game but still came away with a victory on the road," said a weary Mike Wyatt later, "and those are hard to come by, so we'll take them any way we can. Tennessee played a tough game, especially in the second half when they outscored us (36-28) and they may have even won against another team, but we did what needed to be done to make sure that didn't happen. They may see it as a moral victory, but those still have only one place in the standings." Although the Rage took control of the game early, the final score of 43-34 was the closest margin of victory for the Atlantic North division leaders in the three games played thus far. The second half deficit represented the first time the team had been outscored in the final two quarters of play. The usual sharp timing between quarterback Clay Groefsema and his receivers was missing in the first quarter, and despite scoring on a quarterback sneak early in the contest, Wyatt elected to pull his starter in the second quarter, giving reserve Anthony Fisher a chance to get the offense moving. Fisher responded with several completions and a four yard scoring pass to wide receiver Hurtis Chinn in his first minutes on the field.
"We needed a change, and Clay will be the first to tell you that for whatever reason, he wasn't on target with his first seven or eight passes. The throws were behind the receivers, or overthrown, and one pass was a bad read and shouldn't have been thrown at all. I just wanted to get him out for a while, give Fish a chance to get us going offensively, and figured Clay for the second half after he settled down a bit."
Leading 15-0 at halftime, the Rage widened the margin to 22-0 on a Sha-Ron Edwards two yard TD run early in the third quarter. That's when Tennessee head coach Chris Carter was forced to pull his starting quarterback in favor of backup Anthony Winn, and the Riversharks fortunes changed in a hurry. "Terrell Washington put him (Joynes) out late in the second quarter with a huge hit. Turns out it was a separated shoulder, but that paved the way for Winn to get in there and that's when we ran into trouble. Tennessee had to change the game plan in the second half, and Winn used the three-step drop pass to hit his receivers. We couldn't get pressure on him, had a hard time blitzing, and couldn't get pass rush coverage. That change in philosophy proved to be valuable to them and it became a different game." Starting with a 23 yard scoring toss to wideout Derrick Moore, Winn had a hand in the next four Tennessee scores as the Rage took a 43-20 lead at 7:47 of the fourth quarter before Winn threw touchdown strikes of one and ten yards to round out the scoring. Winn finished 12 for 16 in the second half, good for 134 yards and 3 TD passes. He also scored on a two yard run late in the third quarter, and according to Wyatt "give them a real shot in the arm, got their offense moving and did put some points on the board. But again, while a nine point margin, victory wise, isn't the best, it's still a win and I'd rather be 3-0 with an ugly one than 2-1 any day."
Groefsema played the entire second half, finishing with 7 completions in 18 attempts, good for 86 yards, but for the first time in the season, did not throw a touchdown pass. Fisher fared somewhat better, going 4 for 6 with a TD strike in his brief time on the field. Wyatt was upset with his offensive line, which allowed two sacks on the night, one each for Fisher and Groefsema. "That hadn't happened before and we need to make sure our pass protection stays in place. Clay especially was under pressure much of the night and for us to succeed, the protection has to be stellar, as it was in the first two games. It'll be a focus this week in practice."
Sha-Ron Edwards led the team in rushing with 48 yards in 13 attempts and scored on touchdown runs of 2 and 7 yards. Defensivly, the Rage got stellar games linebackers from Joe Bevis and Terrell Washington, both products of the University of Illinois. Bevis finished the game with 7 solo tackles and 1 assist, Washington recorded 6 solo tackles and one assist on the night.
All in all, it was not a typical Rage day at the beach, but again, there were sharks in the water. Wyatt offered no excuses. "We had some hardships, travel wise, on this trip and we hadn't played in two weeks, but those are things you have to cope with as a team and still find a way to get the job done. If anything, I feel we overcame some adversity and came up 3-0. But Billings is next, and they lead the Pacific North division. Tennessee is done, forgotten, until they come here to play us later in the year. Our sights are only on the game coming up this Friday night." Then, with a smile, he added, "but hey, there's no place like home."
The RiverCity Rage is part of the 24 team National Indoor Football League, now in it's seventh season of play in 2006. Tickets for all Rage home games at Savvis Center can be purchased on line at www.ticketmaster.com or at Savvis Center box office. For all information on the RiverCity Rage of the NIFL, visit the team website at www.ragefootball.com
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"Rage For a Cure" Set for Friday, April 14th at Savvis Center
Rage Organization, Its Players and Fans Ready to Lend a Hand
"Rage for a Cure" is a wonderful opportunity to support a worthy cause in our community, and an honor for our football team to be able to contribute to the long-term goals of cancer research in our area," RiverCity Rage Majority Owner Tye Elliott says. He formally extends to fans and media, an invitation to participate in the âRage for a Cure' game on Friday, April 14th at Savvis Center.
In partnership with the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, the Rage will recognize cancer survivors at a special opening ceremony and offer proceeds from the night to benefit research and treatment at Siteman. Elliott says the night promises to be one of intense football action, fun and hope.
"We play Billings that night and it's no secret they're one of the better teams in the NIFL, so it's a game our fans won't want to miss, but along with that is the chance to offer hope and recognition to men and women who have survived this dreaded disease. So often we hear the word âcancer' and automatically think of the negative, but there is a positive side as well. Cancer that is diagnosed and treated in an early stage can allow people to have a high percentage of survival. Much of that is due to the work being performed right here in St. Louis, at the Siteman Cancer Center. It's our hope as an organization that our fans will come out and support this cause, see some exciting football, and leave feeling a bit differently about cancer and the chances of survival."
The team will sell scratch-off tickets that evening, giving fans the chance to win the lavender trimmed jerseys that will be worn by Rage players during the game. Lavender is the color that signifies general cancer awareness. Rage Majority Owner Scott Wilson says that's "a great chance for our fans to get a real piece of Rage memorabilia, maybe wear the jersey to work or school, be able to brag about the fact it was worn by one of our players during a Rage game, and certainly make a contribution to a cause that could easily affect any one of us, or a loved one, at any point in our lives. It's really something to consider."
RiverCity Rage 2006 team magnetic schedules, highlighting âRage for a Cure' night will be given away to the first 5,000 fans at the game. The gates open at 6 pm; with Kick-Off scheduled for 7pm. Tickets for the âRage for a Cure' game are available at ticketmaster.com or at Savvis Center Box Office.
The Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center provides the most up-to-date medical and technological advances in the field of cancer research. The physicians associated with the center are among the most recognized, trained and skilled in the field of cancer care, treatment and research. The Siteman Cancer Center is the only center in the state of Missouri to have received the coveted distinction as a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center.
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National Indoor Football League Stories from April 10, 2006
- ThunderBolts Improve Their Record to 4-0 - Lakeland ThunderBolts
- NIFL Gets a Taste of Football on Monday Night - Lincoln Capitols
- 'Bolts shock Maulers - Montgomery Bears
- Rage Survive Shark Scare to Go 3-0 in 2006 - RiverCity Rage
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
