Rematch in North Carolina

May 18, 2005 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
RiverCity Rage News Release


The River City Rage, league leaders in the Atlantic East Division of the NIFL, will be looking to guard against complacency when the team takes to the road for a re-match with the Fayetteville Guard on Saturday Night. Kick-off is slated for 6:20 pm St. Louis time at the Crown Coliseum in downtown Fayetteville, North Carolina. The game can be heard on 1380 ESPN, with audio-stream on both the ESPN and Ragefootball.com websites.

The Rage won the first game between the two teams on Opening Night at Family Arena back on March 26th. It was a close game with the lead changing hands numerous times before The Rage scored with just a few minutes to play, then held off The Guard with a sack and fumble recovery with just under a minute left in the game, preserving a 46-43 victory.

The biggest challenge the team may face on Saturday could be internal. "It's tough to get up emotionally two weeks in a row, especially trying to reach the emotional high we achieved last week against Dayton," said Rage Head Football Coach Mike Wyatt, "I've said all year that you have to keep your guard up against being either too high or two low for any one game and we'll have to focus on not letting Fayetteville's record (2-6) fool us into complacency."

It's doubtful the new Guard Head Coach will have any neutral feelings toward The Rage, however. Former Oakland Raider standout Mike Saini took over the Fayetteville team earlier this year and all too well remembers his coaching match-up with Wyatt last season when the Saini-coached Atlantic City Cardsharks came calling at The Family Arena. Wyatt's high powered offense exploded for a 71-29 victory. Saini's new team will be hoping to return that favour when The Guard honor the Military at their home base on Saturday.

"It's a big night for them, and like our Home Opener in March, it's Military Appreciation Night at their place and I'm sure they are expecting a large contingent from Ft. Bragg. That place should really be rocking," stated Wyatt, "all the more reason for us to take this game seriously, and we will."

The Rage come into the contest leading the Atlantic East Division by 2 games after an impressive 48-37 home victory over the Dayton Warbirds last weekend. The Fayetteville Guard are 1-3 in the Atlantic Central but are coming off a 47-34 road victory last Friday Night against the Kissimmee Kreatures.

The Guard had best be up when facing the potent, explosive River City Rage offense!

The Rage is currently:

First in Total Offense: 66 Touchdowns and a average of 291.8 YPG
First in Pass Offense: 60.7% completion rate, good for 215.5 YPG
First in First Downs: 166 on the season so far
Second in Scoring Offense: 58.2 PPG
Second in Non-Kick Scoring: 428 Points
Red Zone Scoring: 73%

At or near the top of the NIFL in all the important offensive categories, the Rage is also a football team not hurting itself with turnovers or penalties. According to Wyatt, "that's a facet of the game I stress at practice over and over, my assistants pound it into the guys time and again, don't hurt yourself by coughing up the football, don't give games away with penalties. I'm positive our hanging on to the ball and cutting down on mental errors in the biggest factor making us 7-1 at this point."

You could look it up!!

In 8 games thus far, The Rage have given up only 5 fumbles and thrown just 10 interceptions for a total of 15 turnovers. Defensively, the team has recovered 6 opposing fumbles and picked off opposing QB's 15 times for a total of 21, giving the team a plus 6 in the all important turnover margin.

Rage Wide Receiver Scott Pingel continues to impress, leading the NIFL in receptions with 58, receiving yards with an average of 75 yards per game, and is first in overall scoring with 18 touchdowns and 12 XTP's for a total of 120 points on the year. Quarterback Clay Groefsema is 2nd in the league overall in passing offense, completing 127 passes in 207 attempts, throwing for 38 TD's with only 5 interceptions, good for 1489 yards. He leads the league in total offense with 1655 yards, 236.4 yards per game average.

Offense wins football games-defense wins championships!

The re-vamped and re-aligned Rage "D" has had opposing teams and coaches struggling to find ways to penetrate the vastly improved invisible wall now put up by Wyatt's troops.

And how the leaders have emerged!

Defensive Back Andy Peterson is now in the Top Ten in interceptions and fumble recoveries. He has picked off 5 passes and corralled 2 opposing fumbles.

The team overall is second in Sacks Recorded with 22 this season. Bruce Blue and James Green lead the way with 6 apiece, followed by Lenny Williams with 4. All three are in the Top Ten of the NIFL. Other players with sack include Jay Carmack, Andy Peterson and Terrell Washington, all with 2 sacks apiece in 2005.

Equally impressive on defense is Safety Clarence Jones. 'CJ', a former Missouri Tiger standout, is fourth overall in the league with 33 unassisted and 46 assisted tackles. Right behind him is Terrell Washington with 28 and 53 respectivly. Andy Peterson is 8th in the NIFL with 23 and 46, and in the Top 20 is Bruce Blue with 23 unassisted and 27 assisted pull-downs so far.

Finally, the protection given Quarterbacks Clay Groefsema and Anthony Fisher has been second to none. The Rage offensive line has given up on 5 sacks thus far and has been an explosive hole- opener for Running Backs Sha-Ron Edwards and JerMarsh Robinson.

Looking ahead, The Rage will again take on the New Jersey X-treme in a home game on Sunday, May 29th at Family Arena. The Memorial Day weekend game will be a tribute to the Police and Firefighters and the EMT's of the St. Louis Metro area. It's being billed as Public Safety Night, and a portion of the ticket proceeds from the game will be given in check form to The Backstoppers Organization.

RAGE SIGN FORMER MIZZOU KICKER MIKE MATHENY

In an effort to improve the erratic kicking game, Head Football Coach Mike Wyatt went shopping again last week, trying to zero in on the kicker he will need to give the team the field goal accuracy and kick-off distance it will need to insure success as The Rage inch closer to the playoffs. He's hopeful, if not confident, he's found the guy in Mike Matheny, a former Missouri Tiger who was an honourable mention All-Big 12 kicker during his 3 year tenure as the Mizzou first-string booter. Over 3 seasons, Matheny was successful on 29 of 43 field goal attempts from 2002 to 2004 and was almost automatic with his P-A- T's. Matheny will make the trip to Fayetteville, flying out with the team on Friday morning.

Quotes from Rage Head Football Coach Mike Wyatt

(On The Rage organization as a whole and the team's success this season)

"The success so far, both on and off the field, has not been the result of any one person or entity, so to speak. I really believe it starts with the office interns and permeates throughout the entire organization all the way to the top, to the new ownership. It's the result of a lot of hard work in the front office, on the field, in the coaching circles, everyone taking on additional responsibility this year. A team doctor, a trainer, a team pastor all lending to the cause, The Game Day staff, everyone making a contribution to a championship effort."

(On what he is most proud of as regards the team)

"Well, certainly winning makes me proud, but even more important is the fact that I believe that we make a conscious effort on the field to win with class and dignity, showing respect for the other team, the officials and the fans. And, keep in mind, I've reminded the guys, that if we do lose a game, we lose it that way as well, with class. They've shown me something this season."

(Are you focused yet on the playoff possibilities?)

"My main concern is making sure the team continues to work on it's strength's and improve on it's weaknesses. I still feel we made too many mistakes in the Dayton game. So, no thought of the playoffs yet, but I do think we need to work hard to preserve our number one seed. You can only focus on any one game that's coming up, primarily because each one can be a determining factor in that respect."

CLARENCE "CJ" JONES LEADS DEFENSE IN TACKLES

Due to his 9 tackle performance in the Rage's win over Dayton, Clarence "CJ" Jones moved in to the team lead for the Rage in tackles, ranking fourth in the NIFL overall. Jones, the former Mizzou star, edged Rage teammate Terrell Washington, by only 2 tackles. Washington from the University of Illinois ranks 5th in the NIFL in tackles with 54.5 stops, while Jones has 56 to his credit.



National Indoor Football League Stories from May 18, 2005


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