Shock win their 12th straight
June 27, 2009 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Spokane Shock News Release
Spokane, WA: The Spokane Shock won their 12th straight game tonight with a 61-28 victory over the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (7-6). With a 12-0 record, the Shock are off to their best start in franchise history.
Much of the credit for tonight's victory goes to the defense that created three turnovers and held Oklahoma City's offense to their second lowest point total of the season (28).
Coming into tonight's game, the Yard Dawgz offense was averaging 51 points per contest but against Spokane's defense Oklahoma City struggled. For the first time this season, QB Robert Kent did not throw a passing touchdown and he threw a season-high three interceptions.
In the first half, Oklahoma City relied on their rushing attack, which lead the league coming into tonight's game, and accounted for four touchdowns. The Yard Dawgz All-time leading receiver Al Hunt drew first blood on a one -yard touchdown early in the first quarter.
Spokane quickly fired back with a four-yard touchdown to WR Raul Vijil. The Shock and the Yard Dawgz continued to exchange points and ended the first half deadlocked at 28 apiece.
But in the second half, Spokane's defense put a stop to the Yard Dawgz offense not allowing a single point. This was the first time in 13 games Oklahoma City did not score a point in the second half.
"They (Oklahoma City) came out hard in the first half and we had to match their intensity but we knew our defense was going to get some stops eventually," Spokane's QB Nick Davila explained. "We knew our defense was going to come around; they have been playing hard all year."
Davila, who played three-and-a-half quarters tonight, completed 80 percent of his passes for 172 yards with three touchdown passes.
For the second week in a row, WR Markee White had a break-out night and tied Vijil for the team-lead in touchdowns (2). White also added 43 yards to his season total of 341 reception yardage in seven games.
"We played as a team. We came out and we were focused," Vijil said after the game. "We're going on the road next week and we are excited about that."
Next week, on July 4th, the Shock travel to Iowa to take on the Barnstormers, who were ranked eighth in the latest edition of the Coaches Poll, 105.7 THE PEAK will carry the action with Larry Weir and Paul Sorensen starting at 4:30 PM.
NOTES: Head Coach Adam Shackleford left immediately after the game to join his wife for the birth of their second child.
JLS Ironman of the Game: SPOKANE - Harrison Nikoloa
Aaron's Defensive Player of the Game: SPOKANE - Sergio Gilliam
Russell Athletic Offensive Player of the Game: SPOKANE - Nick Davila
The big Game Catch of the Game: SPOKANE - McCullough's 3rd QTR INT
Attendance: 10,026
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