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Vena Getting Conquest Offense on Track

May 13, 2003 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Albany Firebirds News Release


(ALBANY, NY) – After the Albany Conquest's first game of the season in Richmond, quarterback Ryan Vena said that he might have just played the worst game of his life.

"I just wasn't hitting the receivers at all", Vena commented following the game back in early April. "I'll get better. I have to get better".

Vena completed 15-of-24 passes for 120 yards with just one touchdown pass, a 9-yarder to OS Corey Hill. Vena did manage to run for three scores and threw just one interception, but in the pass-happy league of arena football the second-year signal caller knew that he would have to raise his air attack up a little higher if his team was going to defend their Northeast Division championship.

Even with Vena not performing the way he is capable of, the Conquest managed to sweep Richmond to start the season, mostly due to a stingy defense, great line play and the ability for just about any player, at any given moment, to make a play when needed.

In game two versus Richmond it was WR/DB Phil Taylor, who hauled in five passes for 90 yards and the first three touchdowns of his career as a member of the Conquest. In the same game, WR/LB Adriel Linyear scooped up a fumble and ran 20 yards for a score to begin the second half and give his team a 33-10 advantage, basically taking the sails out of the visiting Speed, as the Conquest cruised to a 45-13 victory. It was the lowest scoring output in Richmond Speed team history.

Game three saw the Mohegan Wolves, at home, squeak out a 52-45 decision over the Conquest. In a game that saw Albany commit a season-high fourteen penalties for 99 yards and repeatedly shoot themselves in the foot on long 3rd down plays, Vena began to find the rhythm of his offense. He completed 23-of-39 pass attempts for 247 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. Linyear would catch two scores and Hill got back on track with a game-high 12 receptions for 131 yards and two touchdowns of his own.

Then, Vena read an article on the way to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA that was posted on an arena football website. The article talked about the Conquest and how their pass offense is ranked last in af2. The author of the article mentioned that while Vena is a running threat, Wilkes-Barre was a favorite to win the game because the Conquest offense had not been performing as expected through the air.

"I read the article and just thought, if every game was decided by who had the better stats, then we wouldn't even need to suit up", commented the Three-time Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, "It got a little fire in my gut going into the Wilkes-Barre game. As much as you try not to pay attention to those things, you can't help but get a little upset when you see your name in a negative context".

The fire that was present in Vena's gut turned into an inferno that the home team was unable to extinguish by night's end. Vena completed an astounding 28-for-32 pass attempts (88%) for 285 yards and a career-high eight touchdown passes. He also ran for one touchdown in leading the Conquest offense to scores on ten of eleven possessions in the contest. The Conquest went on to set a new team record for points scored, routing the Pioneers, 68-49.

Vena was named Game MVP, but not selected by the league as the Player of the Week. That award went to Richmond's Damon Thompson who tied Hill's record from a year ago as he caught 18 passes for 225 yards and five touchdowns. Vena, who could have easily won the weekly honor, replied as his humble self usually does.

"Oh well, I just want to win anyway".

Then came this past Saturday in Cincinnati, OH. The Conquest went on the road to take on the Cincinnati Swarm, an expansion team playing in the Midwest Division. Cincinnati was coming off a three-game win streak and looking like a serious contender from the National Conference. The Conquest were coming off their most impressive offensive performance ever and trying to begin with their second consecutive (4-1) start.

Vena would perform his usual feats. A pair of rushing touchdowns, one to end the first half and the other to begin the second, for all intensive purposes ended the hopes of the Swarm, who now trailed 41-16. Throwing six touchdown passes on the night, completing 66% of his passes (20-for-30) for 240 yards, and overcoming a career-high three interceptions to lead his team to a 69-35 win, Vena once again would be named Game MVP. The 69 points eclipsed the mark set a week earlier in Pennsylvania for the highest scoring total ever.

So as the Conquest offense climbs up the ranks of arenafootball2 (now currently #2 in scoring offense at 54.4 points per game) and the defense keeps holding opponents best players in check, Vena will just keep doing what he has done his entire football career...win.

The Conquest travel to Rochester (1-5) this week to take on the Rochester Brigade in a Northeast Division battle. It will be the first of three meetings between the two teams and the first of two at home. Last season the Conquest defeated the Brigade in three out of four match-ups, including the first-round of the 2002 af2 playoffs. Fans can listen to the game live at www.albanyconquest.com on a FREE webcast provided by TRZ Teamline Services.

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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.

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