Sting to Host First Ultimate Bowl
June 9, 2011 - Ultimate Indoor Football League (UIFL)
Saginaw Sting News Release
This Friday, June 10, the Saginaw Sting will host the Eastern Kentucky Drillers in the very first Ultimate Bowl. The championship game will kick-off at 7:30 p.m. at The Dow Event Center.
Saginaw has played the Drillers twice this season at The Dow, beating them on both occa- sions. The Sting's first win came in their season opener and then again in Week 6. Saginaw has outscored the Drillers 125-87 and has put up 657 yards of total offense. In the two games, the Drillers have gained 438 yards of total offense. At the end of the regular season, Saginaw and Eastern Kentucky ranked second and third in scoring and total offense respec- tively.
Eastern Kentucky has a pair of receivers who were playmakers throughout the regular sea- son. Aric Evans led the league in scoring touchdowns with 32. Receiver Matthew Barbour ranked third in the UIFL averaging 88.6 receiving yards a game while Evans averaged 72.5. Evans caught eight touchdowns total in the regular season against the Sting.
Saginaw has a very talented group of receivers as well. Zac Nichols and LaVaughn Macon averaged 75.8 yards and 70.0 yards receiving per game respectively, during the regular sea- son. In their second meeting, Macon caught twelve passes for 149 yards and three touch- downs. He had two touchdowns in their first game.
The Drillers have one of the stronger pass defenses in the league, standing only behind the Huntington Hammer. Eastern Kentucky defensive backs Jason Conner and David Jones ranked first and second in passes defended during the regular season. They also had six interceptions each.
Saginaw's defense will look for a repeat performance as they had in the second half against the River Monsters. Against Northern Kentucky, the defense applied heavy pressure to quar- terback Jared Lorenzen.
Purchase your tickets to the 2011 Ultimate Bowl I at The Dow Event Center Box Office. Come out and support your Saginaw Sting as they face their final opponent in their quest for the UIFL championship. See you at The Dow.
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The Saginaw Sting is heading to the Ultimate Bowl. On Fri- day, The Dow Event Center was treated to an instant clas- sic in the UIFL's very first play- off game. Saginaw defeated Northern Kentucky in a thrill- ing one point game. The Sting topped the league's leading offense with a 48-47 win and will compete in the champion- ship game on Friday, June 10 at The Dow Event Center. Kick -off is at 7:30 p.m.
Northern Kentucky played a tough game. The River Mon- sters jumped out to a 19-0 lead and went on to score 33 points in the first half. Saginaw's first two drives stalled resulting in a turnover on downs and an interception in the end zone. The Sting closed out the half scoring on
their last three drives, putting up 21 points. After the game, head coach Vince Leveille said he addressed the players at halftime, telling them they had to be more physical against the River Monster receivers. They needed to make them work for their downs.
Saginaw knew they had a chal- lenge ahead of them but did not get discouraged. The Sting came out strong in the third quarter, scoring on their first drive and cutting the River Monster lead to five.
The teams would exchange touchdowns, and Saginaw remained within five points two drives later. Saginaw called a gutsy onside kick but was unsuccessful on the recov- ery. Northern Kentucky took advantage of the good field position and quickly scored on a Lorenzen 11 yard run.
Faced with a two possession deficit, 47-35, the Sting was looking to stay within striking distance. Kevin Brown had his pass intercepted on first down of the next drive. Throughout the game, Brown and Yvens Louis split time at the quarter- back position.
The story of the fourth quarter was Saginaw's defense. The defense took over by forcing the River Monsters to a three and out to start.
Saginaw's defense held the River Monsters scoreless in the fourth and limited Northern Kentucky to 14 second half points. You could see the momentum changing, in favor of the Sting. The Sting defense pressured quarterback Jared Lorenzen, disrupt- ing the rhythm he had in the first half. Saginaw forced him to throw several incomplete passes. On their final three possessions of the game, Northern Kentucky turned the ball over on downs.
With 3:24 remaining in the game, the Sting saw their first lead of the night. Quarterback Kevin Brown scored on a 10 yard run, sending the fans roaring to their feet. Northern Kentucky had one final chance to score. The River Monsters drove down into Sting territory. A false start moved them back to the Sting 24 yard line. Saginaw went on to force Lorenzen to throw a fourth down pass through the end zone with 48 seconds remaining.
Northern Kentucky was able to stop the clock on the Sting's next possession with their remaining timeouts. This forced the Sting to reach a first down. Faced with a third down, Brown found receiver LaVaughn Macon at the River Monsters' 15 yard line. Macon was sand- wiched between two defenders, but managed to hold onto the ball. Brown was able to run out the clock after Northern Kentucky used their last timeout with 16 sec- onds left. The final score read Sting 48, River Monsters 47.
After the game, assistant coach Fred Townsend said about the win, "[The players] have so much heart and desire. They never quit."
Tickets for next Friday's championship game are on sale now and are $25 for the front row & $15 for all other seats.
Because of their impressive performance in last Friday's first round match-up against Northern Kentucky, the Sting defense received the Saw Construction Player(s) of the Week honors. Saginaw's defense was a major factor in the Sting's come from behind victory.
Another New Team for 2012
The UIFL continues to expand for the 2012 season. The Northern Division teams will add another stop to their regular season schedule, and that will be Danville, Illinois. The team name and logo will be determined by a contest. Fans can submit their ideas for a team name, and one will be selected as the winner. Palmer Arena will house the new team. The arena can hold 2,500 fans.
Ultimate Indoor Football League Stories from June 9, 2011
- Sting to Host First Ultimate Bowl - Saginaw Sting
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