Shock travel to Cleveland to begin three game road stint
March 21, 2013 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Spokane Shock News Release
SPOKANE, WA (March 21, 2013) - The Spokane Shock will have their first challenge of the 2013 season as the team heads to Cleveland to face the Gladiators Sunday, March 24th with a 10:00 AM PST kickoff.
This marks the third meeting between the Shock and the Gladiators since the Shock's debut in the Arena Football League in 2010 with the series being tied 1-1. After their first meeting early in the 2010 season which resulted in a Shock victory, Spokane would go on to win ArenaBowl XXIII. In the last encounter with the Gladiators the Shock that took place in the 2011 season, the Shock were unable to undo Cleveland's early lead despite a late surge of scoring drives, falling 61-55.
In 2012, the Shock had a closing record of 10-8. This was a record for the Shock as the first year the team has missed the playoffs in franchise history. The Gladiators also missed the playoffs in the 2012 season with a losing record of 8-10.
The Shock will begin the fourth season in the AFL with some familiar faces. Andy Olson is coming into his second season as head coach with the Shock. On defense the Shock have three returning members of the secondary with Paul Stephens, Terrance Sanders and Patrick Stoudamire. Some new additions to the defensive side are rookie Chase Vaughn and veteran Terrance Taylor. Defensive backs coach Will Mulder will make his coaching debut in Cleveland after a career as a player.
For the offensive side star receiver Adron Tennell, who set single-season franchise records for receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and points, is returning and looking to repeat the feats of last season. Quarterback Erik Meyer is also returning to the Shock after a concussion suffered in week 1 of the 2012 season had Meyer out for the season.
The Gladiators had a very active offseason rebuilding the roster as only eight players are returning to the team. The Gladiators feature a team with 18 rookies but still look to maintain their second best passing and overall defense in the league. Defensive star Brian Brikowski will be expected to lead the Gladiator defense with his experience.
Three of the returners for the Gladiators were the team's top receivers from the previous season. All-Arena wide receiver Dominick Goodman will lead the receiving core for the Gladiators. There is a heated battle for the starting quarterback role in Cleveland as Chris Dieker and former 2010 Shock backup Brian Zbydniewski go head-to-head after both served as backups last season.
The Shock will make the 2013 debut in style with a fresh new look as the team will be sporting new jerseys and helmets. The new jerseys feature the Shock "S" which was utilized by the team as a secondary logo on jersey sublimation. The home jerseys have been upgraded to orange uniforms and a navy blue helmet with an orange facemask. The Shock will stick to the classic white on white combination for away games with the jerseys featuring similar sublimation patters.
No love will be lost Sunday morning as the matchup pits Shock head coach Andy Olson against his former coach during his player days, Gladiator head coach Steve Thonn. Coach Olson was a player when Thonn was an offensive coordinator for the Georgia Force. Brian Zbydniewski was a former backup quarterback for the Shock in the Shock's championship winning season in 2010, taking limited snaps during the campaign. Lance Caldwell, a defensive back for the Gladiators, participated in the Shock's 2012 training camp. The only confrontation between these two teams this year is sure to be an offensively explosive game as the total combined points in both meetings between the Shock and Gladiators is tied at 117-117.
The Shock will prepare to travel to Cleveland this weekend for a 10:00 AM PST Kickoff on Sunday, March 24th at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH. This will be the start of the Shock's three game road trip to begin the 2013 Net 10 Wireless Arena Football League regular season. The game will be available to view online at www.arenafootball.com/allaccess and on 700 ESPN Radio brought to you by Dennis Patchin and Keith Osso.
The Shock will host their home season opener on April 12th as they take on the defending 2012 AFL ArenaBowl champion and West Division Rival Arizona Rattlers, set for a 7:00 PM PST kickoff at Spokane Arena.
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Arena Football League Stories from March 21, 2013
- SaberCats Add AFL Veteran Defensive Lineman Mike Landry - San Jose SaberCats
- Shock travel to Cleveland to begin three game road stint - Spokane Shock
- ArenaBowl XXV Rematch: Philadelphia at Arizona - Philadelphia Soul
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