Wild Look to Rebound against Edge
April 9, 2013 - Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL)
Wichita Wild News Release
Wichita, Kan. - The Wichita Wild (4-1) will travel to Bloomington, Illinois on Friday, April 12th to square off against the Bloomington Edge (2-2) in U.S. Cellular Coliseum; kick-off scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Wichita enters the game after having their season opening win streak snapped at four games, falling 40-36 to the Kansas City Renegades on Saturday night in Kemper Arena. Bloomington earned their second win of the season last Friday night, defeating the Lincoln Haymakers 62-46 in U.S. Cellular Coliseum.
Wichita came out uncharacteristically sluggish against Kansas City, going down 13-0 early before defensive back Kiaree Daniels intercepted a two-point conversion attempt and returned it to the Renegades' endzone to provide the Wild with two points, cutting the lead to 13-2. The Wild started to gain momentum in the second quarter, as defensive back Chris Hemphill intercepted a Renegades pass, leading to quarterback Rocky Hinds throwing a fade pass to wide receiver Joe Kassanavoid for a touchdown in the back left corner of the endzone, pulling Wichita within four points of Kansas City, 13-9. After the Renegades scored quickly to pull ahead 19-9, Hinds again found Kassanavoid for a touchdown pass to bring the score to 19-16 as the first half drew to a close. After the Wild failed to score on their first possession to start the third quarter, both teams traded scores, putting the score at 33-30 in favor of the Renegades entering the final quarter. Kansas City extended their lead to 40-30 early in the fourth quarter with a 10 yard touchdown pass. With about six minutes left in the game, Hinds continued to push the Wild with a five yard run to set up a field goal, but kicker Alex Fambrough missed the extra point to leave the score at 40-36 in favor of the Renegades. Kansas City's next drive stalled, providing Wichita with a chance for a late victory, but the game ended when Hinds threw his second interception of the game, giving Kansas City a 40-36 win over the Wild. Hinds finished the game with 262 passing yards and four passing touchdowns along with 24 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.
In Bloomington's game against Lincoln on Friday night both teams struggled offensively from the start, as the Edge finished the first quarter with a 6-3 advantage. The offense opened up in the second quarter, but the score remained close until Bloomington quarterback David Knighton threw his third touchdown of the game, giving the Edge a 28-19 lead going into the half. Bloomington's momemtum continued immediately at the start of the third quarter with running back LaVaughn Macon returning the opening kickoff 54 yards for a touchdown. Lincoln struck back a couple minute later, converting a 22 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Blake Bolles to wide receiver Nick Rhodes. After a brief scoring drought from both teams, the Edge again scored two consecutive touchdowns to push their lead to 49-26 early in the fourth quarter. With both squads trading touchdowns the rest of the quarter, Bloomington earned a 62-46 victory over Lincoln. Knighton and wide receiver Jason Tillery were the primary playmakers for the Edge, with Knighton throwing for 204 yards, five touchdowns, and zero interceptions, while Tillery caught five passes for 84 yards and three touchdowns.
Wichita and Bloomington square off on Friday after facing each other two weeks ago, with the Wild clinching a 52-22 victory over the Edge. Rocky Hinds cashed in on six touchdowns, four through the air and two on the ground and defensive lineman Matt Moss added three sacks to power the defense. The stellar play by Hinds and Moss earned them CPIFL Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week respectively. The Wild began the scoring with a six yard touchdown pass from Hinds to wide receiver Tim Simmons to give Wichita a 7-0 lead. The Edge responded with a touchdown, but failed to convert the extra point, pulling within one of the Wild, 7-6. Wichita then scored three consecutive touchdowns, giving them a 26-6 advantage, before Macon provided Bloomington with a rushing touchdown to pull the score to 26-14 at halftime. Wichita's defense closed the door on Bloomington in the second half, ending several Edge drives in turnover on downs. The defensive performance, including a safety, allowed the Wild offense to score 26 unanswered points giving Wichita 52-14 advantage. As the game drew to a close, Bloomington would finally break through with a touchdown pass and two-point conversion, but it would not be enough as Wichita earned their fourth win of the season, 52-22.
Player to Watch: Wide Receiver Tim Simmons
Tim Simmons, currently ranked third in the CPIFL with 21 receptions and second on the team with 183 receiving yards, has been a reliable target for Hinds this season. In Wichita's game against Kansas City, Simmons led the team in receptions and receiving yards with nine catches for 76 yards and was a reliable playmaker for the Wild on third down throughout the game. Simmons has been a proven commodity in indoor football and he is continuing his reliability in his second season with Wichita. Look for Simmons' playmaking ability to continue for the Wild in Bloomington this Friday.
The Wild will be on the road to take on the Bloomington Edge in U.S. Cellular Coliseum on April 12th; kickoff scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CST. The game can be heard on 1410 AM KGSO in the Wichita area or streamed live on kgso.com. Tickets start at $5 and the Wild will be running a KFH Night ticket special of two tickets for $12.40. The ticket special is valid only on the $9 seats and can be purchased by calling (316) 927-3999. For more news and tickets visit www.wichitawildfootball.com and follow the team on Facebook and Twitter (@wichita_wild).
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Champions Professional Indoor Football League Stories from April 9, 2013
- Wild Look to Rebound against Edge - Wichita Wild
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