Rio Grande Valley Dorados game notes
May 5, 2006 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Rio Grande Valley Dorados News Release
Rio Grande Valley Dorados (3-2) vs. Bossier Battle Wings (0-4)
Date: Saturday, May 6, 2006
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. CT
Site: Obra Homes Field at Dodge Arena
National Anthem: TBA
Coin Toss: Head Official
Dorados Radio: ESPN Radio 1240 (KSOX); free online audio and pay video stream at doradosfootball.com
TV: Televisa XERV-9 (Cable 19)
Series Record: BOS 2-1
Last Meeting: 66-52 RGV win, July 9, 2005 at BOS
Streaks: RGV won three of last four; BOS lost four
RGV Head Coach: Marty Hammond (3-2, 0-0 playoffs, 1st Season)
THE SCENARIO: The Dorados saw a three-game-winning streak snapped last Saturday night in a 57-38 loss at Tulsa...On paper, the Dorados are the clear favorite tonight. Bossier fell 72-3 to Tulsa two weeks ago, and dropped a 47-26 decision to Florida last week. The Battle Wings have mustered a league low 13 TD's while allowing nearly 60 points per game...Tonight is Week 6 for the Dorados and Week 5 for Bossier. The BattleWings are hoping for their first win under first-year head coach John Fourcade. At 0-4, roster positions are on the line every week.
THE SERIES: This is the fourth regular season meting between the clubs...Bossier holds a 2-1 series advantage.
6/18/04 at Bossier-Shreveport L (ot) 59-66
5/2/05 BOSSIER-SHREV L 77-69
7/9/05 @ Bossier-Shrev. W 66-52
OFF THE NET
§ Bossier's 72-3 loss to Tulsa in Week 3 was not an af2 record for largest margin of victory or fewest points scored. Peoria was shut out by Quad City 41-0 on March 29, 2001, in af2's only shutout in the league's seven-year history.
§ The Dorados held Laredo to six points in a 37-6 victory on April 3, 2004 in the Dorado's first ever game. Only three other teams have been held to just six points.
§ Quad City pummeled Greensboro 103-3 on May 26, 2000, setting the af2 record for largest margin of victory.
THIS WEEK'S QUICK PREVIEW
Hidalgo, Texas --- The Rio Grande Valley Dorados look to get back on the winning track this Saturday night vs. the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings after last week's loss at Tulsa. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Obra Homes Field inside Dodge Arena.
The Dorados, 3-2 on the season, saw their three-game winning streak snapped last week at Tulsa in a 57-38 final. They face a Bossier club that has been outscored 237-98 and is 0-4 this season. The Wings dropped a 72-3 loss to Tulsa in Week 4 and a 47-26 loss last week vs. Florida.
The Battle Wings are near the bottom in a host of league statistical categories. Bossier's 13 TD's are the fewest in af2 play this season while their offensive line has allowed a league-high 15 sacks. Quarterback J.J. Raterink has been picked off nine times.
The Dorados remain among league leaders despite last week's loss. Dwight Counter leads all receivers with 41 catches (9 TD's) and is third overall with 475 reception yards. Brent Withers in second in af2 with 32.5 tackles. As a team, Rio's 255 offensive plays leads the league and their 1462 offensive yards in third overall.
THIS WEEK'S QUOTES courtesy of themonitor.com
Chris Canty on Signing With the Dorados
"I'm excited to join the organization," Canty said. "They have a good coach and a good group of guys. I think I bring veteran leadership. I've played games on both arena levels. I can help some of the younger guys and let them know what to expect."
Spencer Conley on Chris Canty (both were teammates in Tulsa in 2005)
He's knows what he's doing, and Chris is a very easy person to coach," Conley said. "He wants to win. He wants to help the guys around him get better. That's a positive thing. When you have a player like that in the huddle, it makes a big difference."
Marty Hammond on Chris Canty
"He's got to learn the system on offense. Defense is not that big of a deal," Hammond said. "He's going to help us out a lot because he's got some speed. He's a veteran. He's been around awhile. He's a good veteran to pick up with some speed."
Josh Kellett on Last Week's Loss at Tulsa
"I just think last week was one of those things," Dorados quarterback Josh Kellett said. "It was one of those things where anything that could go wrong did go wrong. I'd just overthrow by a foot or something like that."
Dwight Counter on Playing a Winless Bossier Club
"These are the teams you really worry about. You don't want to come out lackadaisical and get slapped in the mouth."
Antoine Murphy on Playing a Winless Bossier Club
"They came in here last year without a win and beat us...who knows what they're capable of."
WEEK 6 COACHES POLL
RGV was a season-high No. 8 in last week's arenafootball2 Coaches Poll. The loss at Tulsa bounced them four spots to No. 12 in the 12-team poll. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton retained the top spot in the rankings, while former No. 1 Memphis is No. 2. Tulsa took over RGV's spot at No. 8. The Dorados have wins this year against Tulsa and No. 5 Arkansas.
QB REPORT
Josh Kellett had his toughest game so far at Tulsa last week. He completed a season-low 49% of his passes and was sacked a season-high four times. He did connect with Mel Long on a 40-yard TD, four yards shy of his longest TD toss (also to Long). After being picked off five times over the first three games, Kellett has no interceptions in his last two games (52-for-95, 12 TD).
DEFENSIVE LEADERS
Brent Withers leads the team with 32.5 tackles, 29 of which are solo. He pitched in with five solo tackles last week at Tulsa and was eclipsed only by Donte Wells (six solos). Withers had a team-season-high nine solo tackles vs. Birmingham in Week Three
WELLS RETURNS TO DORADOS LINEUP
WR/DB Donte Wells returned to the Dorados lineup in Week 4 vs. Arkansas and contributed with two carries for 15 yards and one TD. He also added five kick returns for 85 yards. Wells played nine games for RGV in 2004 and averaged 25.6 receiving yards per game with three TD's. He moved on to Albany last season, playing in nine games for the Conquest. There, he took on a defensive role, finishing seventh on the team with 22.5 tackles (19UA) while also making six catches for 54 yards.
COUNTER FALLS JUST SHORT OF TYING FRANCHISE MARK
Dwight Counter's three TD receptions vs. Arkansas in Week 4 was one short of tying his own franchise record. He hauled in four TD's on June 11, 2005 vs. Tulsa.
KELLET THROWS FOR 345 YARDS VS. ARKANSAS
Josh Kellett went 27-for-44 vs. Arkansas in Week, throwing for 345 yards and six TD's. He nearly tied two of his own franchise single-game record (390 yards, eight TD's).
DORADOS FAIL TO TIE FRANCHISE WINNING STREAK WITH LOSS AT TULSA
The Dorados could have tied a franchise record for wins in a row at Tulsa. The franchise has strung together four wins a total of two times in the past. Both four-game win streaks came during the 2005 season (Week 5-8, Week 10-13). It was a 58-49 loss at Tulsa in Week 14 of last year that ended the team's second four-game run.
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