Roughnecks Seek 2-0 Start With Home Opener Against Venom
March 12, 2010 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
West Texas Roughnecks News Release
MIDLAND, TX. : The West Texas Roughnecks have their home-opener of the 2010 season on Saturday, March 13 when they face the Amarillo Venom from the Ector County Coliseum. The Roughnecks are coming off one of the biggest come-from-behind wins in recent years by defeating the Abilene Ruff Riders, 36-33, back on Saturday, March 6. The Roughnecks at one point trailed by as much as 27-6 in the first half, but the Roughnecks defense held Abilene to just three points in the second half, and Eric Henri's recovery for a touchdown following Johnny Anderson's block on an attempted field goal gave the Roughnecks their first lead and the win. The Roughnecks now face their second consecutive divisional opponent in as many weeks in Amarillo. Look for Roughnecks QB Tommy Jones to come back strong following a 187-yard and two touchdown performance against the Ruff Riders last Saturday. Head Coach Chris Williams will continue to pound the football with RB Jorvorskie Lane especially inside the red-zone with the team's specialty jumbo package. Look for the offensive line to build off of their sharp performance against Abilene which helped Lane post two touchdown runs.
From a receiving standpoint, the Roughnecks made some adjustments in the roster. WR Ryan Bugg will be the go-to player in the passing department following a eight-reception and 116-yard performance last Saturday. However, newly added receivers Walter Bryant (TCU) and Kareem Dennis (Lincoln) will be factors and both receivers give the Roughnecks a physical presence now in the passing game. Defensively, look for Eric Henri to continue his good start from the linebacker position and the defensive line will need to provide pressure in the pocket now with James Vess making his first start after missing the first game due to a hamstring injury. Jermaine Blakely and Johnny Anderson will play key leadership roles throughout the ball game and look for DB Austin Smith to be a factor in the secondary and on kick returns.
The Amarillo Venom enter their first year of play in the IFL following a 3-13 regular season as part of the AF2. The Roughnecks last played Amarillo back in 2004 (Intense Football League) when the club was named the Dusters. Amarillo has a roster that is built with speed on the offensive side with QB Julian Reese leading the way. Reese is a dual-threat player that can light up the scoreboard through the air and on the ground. Running back Sha'Ron Edwards will be the feature back for the Venom in Saturday's game and look for veteran receivers DuVaughn Flagler & Alex Watson to be key factors.
Defensively, the Venom hold a strong secondary that will test QB Tommy Jones. Former Wake Forest DB Kevin Patterson will lead the secondary core along with Cashmin Thomas. The Venom hold an experienced offensive line that will look to contain the Roughnecks pressure and give Julian Reese time to throw the football. Saturday's game could develop into a back-and-forth start but look for the turnover battle to play a key role especially in field positioning. The winner of Saturday's game will have an early edge in the Lone Star Western Division as the Abilene Ruff Riders are in a bye week. The first 1,000 fans will receive free Roughnecks Magnet Schedules and Roughnecks players will be wearing green helmets for "Go Green Night".
Coach Williams Transcript: "We have confidence going into Saturday's game against Amarillo following our win over Abilene. Amarillo has a solid roster that has play-makers at key positions. Our defense needs to come out strong like they did in the second half against Abilene and I'm expecting our defensive line to be a factor in the ball game. It's an important ball game for us in the division and I'm excited for it." stated West Texas Roughnecks Head Coach Chris Williams.
Game Time / Location: 7:11 p.m. kickoff - Ector County Coliseum, Odessa, TX
Broadcast: 95.1 BOB FM (6:45 p.m. start)
Online: BOB FM - www.boblivesintexas.com / B2 Networks - www.b2livetv.com
Next Game: West Texas Roughnecks at Corpus Christi Hammerheads (Sunday, March 21, 2010)
Following a bye week - West Texas Roughnecks at Amarillo Venom (Saturday, March 27, 2010)
Indoor Football League Stories from March 12, 2010
- Turfcats And Talk 1370 AM Team Up To Broadcast Turfcats' 2010 Games - Austin Turfcats
- Roughnecks Seek 2-0 Start With Home Opener Against Venom - West Texas Roughnecks
- Extreme Look To Rebound Against Green Bay - Bloomington Extreme
- Venom on ESPN Radio - Amarillo Venom
- Wild And Storm To Battle In Anticipated Match-Up - Wichita Wild
- Predators Seek First Win In Front Of Home Crowd - Seattle Timberwolves
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