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Victory over Hawaii secures first place for Bakersfield

June 7, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Bakersfield Blitz News Release


The Bakersfield Blitz (6-3) will travel to the Midwest for a showdown with the Memphis Xplorers (4-5) this weekend at 5:00pm (PST). They will attempt to avenge a loss to the Xplorers here at Centennial Garden back in May – the only blemish on the Blitz home record (4-1) this season. Since putting up 71 points in their victory over the Blitz on May 22nd, Memphis has been held to just 48 combined points in their last two contests, losing to Florida and Bossier. In fact, the Bossier Battle Wings snapped a four-game losing streak with their convincing 67-28 win in Memphis on Saturday.

The Blitz returns home for a match against the Central Valley Coyotes (1-8) on June 19th for Visor Giveaway Night. The first 2,000 fans will get a free Blitz visor, courtesy of KERN 1410, Bright House Networks and 24 Hour Fitness. Also, the Blitz pays tribute to both dads for Father's Day and the LA Lakers for reaching the NBA Finals. All dads get in for free with the purchase of a ticket for their child of any age, while anyone wearing Lakers attire can purchase 2-for-1 admission. Game time is 7:00pm.

Last week

BAKERSFIELD 52 vs. Hawaii 44

The Blitz rallied with three fourth quarter touchdowns, including two in the final minutes of the game, to defeat the Hawaiian Islanders 52-44 and claim sole possession of first place in the West Division. Chad Elliott threw for 399 yards and eight touchdowns while three different receivers had 90 yards in the game. The Blitz evened the season series with the Islanders at 1-1 and the teams will meet two more times this year, including the final week of the regular season.

In the huddle

· QB Chad Elliott's 399 yards passing on Saturday was the sixth highest total in af2 history, and the second longest in the league this season.

· Steve Wofford (116), Eric Mahanke (112) and Nathan Munson (95) all recorded at least 95 yards receiving on Saturday night, and five players recorded a touchdown catch.

· The Blitz added four sacks to their season total of 22, putting them in fourth place in the league. Two teams, Wichita and Rio Grande Valley, have 23 while Oklahoma City leads the league with 31. The Islanders entered Saturday's game with a league-low three sacks allowed.

· Bakersfield has three players with at least four sacks on the season: OL/DL Kevin Carroll (5.5), FB/LB Nick Onaindia (4.0) and OL/DL Ahmad Bhatti (4.0).

· It took WR/LB Eric Mahanke 58:55 seconds to extend his streak, but he has recorded a touchdown catch in each of the team's nine games this season. He ended the night with two, pushing his team-leading total to 17.

· The Blitz improved to 4-1 at home and 5-1 in their own division.

Radio and Television

Tune in each and every Thursday night from the Holiday Inn Select for the "Indoor War Report" with Head Coach Rick Van Horne. The IWR is a weekly live talk show that discusses news and notes from the Blitz and the af2, and airs exclusively on KGEO AM 1230 with the "Voice of the Blitz" Kevin Bartl. Each show features a visit from Blitz players, prizes, and specials from the Holiday Inn Select, which is located next door to Centennial Garden.

All games, home and away, can be heard on KGEO AM 1230 with "Countdown to Kickoff" 15 minutes prior to kickoff. Home games are televised live on Bright House Networks Ch. 21, with a replay of the game starting at 1:00pm the following Sunday afternoon.

af2 Individual leader board
Player Category Stat Rank
Kevin Carroll Forced Fumbles 3 t-3rd
Sacks 5.5 t-5th
Delvin Myles Forced Fumbles 3 t-3rd
Brian Walker Field Goals 6 t-4th
Chad Elliott Total Offensive Yards 2,378 4th
Passing Yards Avg. 263.3 5th
Pass Rating 113.2 7th
Eric Mahanke Receptions 65 t-5th
Ahmad Bhatti Tackles/Loss 6.0 t-6th
Rennard Reynolds Kickoff Return Avg. 22.5 10th

This week's matchup: The Blitz rank in the Top 10 in eight different categories, compared to seven Top 10s for the Xplorers. Bakersfield does rank in the Top 5 in two categories: Pass Rating and Sacks.

Pro-rated season tickets and group outings for the Blitz are on sale now by contacting the Blitz office at 716-BLITZ (2548) or by stopping by the Bakersfield Sports Entertainment office located at Centennial Garden. The Garden box office is open Monday through Friday 10:00am – 5:00pm and opens at noon this Saturday. For up-to-date information on the Blitz, log on to www.bakersfieldblitz.com.

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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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