Week 12 AFL Match-Up - Shock at Barnstormers
May 22, 2012 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Spokane Shock News Release
SPOKANE, WA (May, 22nd, 2012) - This week, the Shock (5-4) will travel to Des Moines, IA to take on the Iowa Barnstormers (4-6) at Wells Fargo Arena with a 5:05pm PST kickoff on Friday, May 25th, 2012.
Iowa enters this week 12 match-up having come off a very disappointing loss last week to the Jacksonville Sharks, falling by a final score of 55-19. Behind Quarterback JJ Raterink, the Barnstormers are currently ranked 8th in passing in the AFL. Raterink has posted over 2,600 yards for 48 TDs, and he is the fourth ranked QB in the league for passing efficiency at 122.8. This season, Iowa's leading receiver Jesse Schmidt has brought in 97 receptions for 1,248 yards and 30 TDs in ten games.
Spokane travels to Iowa after an impressive win against the second ranked team in Week 11, the Philadelphia Soul, with a final score of 65-47. After putting up 21 unanswered points against the Soul and led by defensive back Terrance Sanders who racked up three interceptions in the contest, the Shock went on to win their fourth game out of the previous five. Kyle Rowley has begun to hit his mid-season hot streak and enters the game having thrown for 1,553 yards and 32 TDs in his six games of play so far. With a healthy wide receiver core to take the field against Iowa this week, the Shock plan to continue to improve as a team offensively and build the cohesiveness necessary to make a playoff run in the talented Western Division.
Looking back to the AFL Week 1 match-up between the Shock and Barnstormers, Raterink and Schmidt connected on 12 passes for a total of 157 yards (13.08 avg.) and 4 TDs. Shock QB Erik Meyer started the game for Spokane and threw for just shy of 300 yards and 6 TDs before being knocked out of the game on an illegal hit. Over the course of the game, the Barnstormers proved to be the better team on paper, for they went on to defeat the Shock in their home season opener 69-63.
This week's match-up does not only prove to be an opportunity for Spokane to tie the series against Iowa in the 2012 season but also to make up much needed ground in their division with the common opponent tie breaker scenario they could face at the end of the season. Having been defeated by each of their Western Division opponents this year, Spokane needs to run the table against Arizona, San Jose, and Utah later in their regular season schedule. Iowa defeated Arizona on April 14th by a final score of 56-54, offering the chance for Spokane to improve their record while gaining ground with plans to protect their home turf against the Rattlers on June 29th at Spokane Arena.
This week's game in Iowa will be broadcasted LIVE on SWX, as well as broadcasted online via the Shock's Ustream page (www.ustream.tv/spokaneshock). Radio coverage for the game will also be available on 700ESPN.
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