Training Camp Comes to a Close
February 21, 2011 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Amarillo Venom News Release
Amarillo, TX 2/21/11 - As Sunday Night's exhibition game against the Allen Wranglers came to a close, so did the 2011 training camp for the Amarillo Venom.
The Amarillo Venom lost to the Allen Wranglers 26-25 in what marked the end of training camp. Of course the Venom wish they could have got the win, but Sunday night's game was about evaluating talent and solidifying the 2011 roster.
"We had the opportunity to evaluate a lot of guys tonight (in the exhibition game)," said Rodney Blackshear, the Head Coach of the Amarillo Venom. "You always want to win, but tonight we were focused on evaluating certain players so we could make roster decisions."
Immediately following the game against Allen, the Venom coaching staff met to discuss the roster, which had to be trimmed down by midnight.
"Going into the game tonight there were a lot of positions up for grabs," said Coach Blackshear. "We were able to answer a lot of the questions that we had by seeing players in an actual game like setting."
One question that has yet to be answered is who will be the Venom's starting quarterback in 2011. X'Zavier Bloodsaw and Blake Joseph split reps in Sunday night's game, but neither player separated himself from the other. Bloodsaw finished the game 4 of 15, throwing for 18 yards and a touchdown while Joseph finished the game 5 of 12, throwing for 50 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Neither player has been named the starter according to Coach Blackshear.
"They're still very even," said Coach Blackshear. "Each of them did certain things better than the other, but neither player was able to separate himself tonight. We will use practice this week to continue to evaluate the quarterback position and then we will name a starter by Friday night."
The Venom open the 2011 regular season Friday night as they travel to Fort Collins, Colorado, to take on the Colorado Ice. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 CST and will be broadcast on 107.1 FM.
The Venom's first regular season home game is March 18th as they host the Wyoming Calvary. Tickets can be purchased through the Amarillo Venom offices, located at 901 S. Buchanan in downtown Amarillo, by calling 806-350-7277, stopping by any United Supermarket location, or by going to www.panhandletickets.com .
Indoor Football League Stories from February 21, 2011
- Storm Wrap-Up 2011 Training Camp - Sioux Falls Storm
- Game Day Preview: Roughnecks Vs. Bricktown Brawlers - West Texas Roughnecks
- Training Camp Comes to a Close - Amarillo Venom
- Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report - OSC Original by Dan Krieger
- CATC Plays a Vital Role in Reading Express' Success on the Field - Reading Express
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
