Winning Streak Over, But Blitz Are The Best In The West

Published on July 26, 2004 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Bakersfield Blitz News Release


Upcoming games

The Bakersfield Blitz (10-5) return to Centennial Garden to host the Hawaiian Islanders (8-7) on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. The first 2,000 fans will receive a Blitz regulation-size football, courtesy of KGET-TV 17 and Stinson's. Local NFL stars David Carr and Joey Porter have signed a limited number of the giveaway balls.

It's also Pigskin Pride Night, giving any fan who wears a football jersey to the game two-for-one admission. The Blitz have locked up the West Division Title and a victory over Hawaii will guarantee a first-round bye in the af2 post-season.

Last week

SAN DIEGO 34 vs. Bakersfield 30

The San Diego Riptide (8-7) overcame a nine-point deficit with less than eight minutes to play to storm their way to a 34-30 victory over the Blitz on Saturday night. The Riptide intercepted Chad Elliott three times and blocked three kicks en route to the win. FB/LB Matt Guardia bolted in for a three yard touchdown run with just under two minutes remaining in the game to provide the final margin. OS Steve Wofford rushed for a pair of scores and Elliott hit WR/DB Nathan Munson for his only touchdown pass of the night. The Playoff Picture

The Blitz have secured the division's top spot, and as such, will finish no lower than the #3 seed in the National Conference. Six teams will make the playoffs in each conference, with the three division leaders taking the top three spots. A victory by the Blitz at home this weekend will give them the #2 seed – and a first round by along with Tulsa, who has already clinched the #1 seed in the National Conference. Should the Blitz lose this weekend, they would need a loss by Louisville (9-6) at Quad City (9-6) and a loss by Peoria (9-6), who hosts Green Bay (5-10). Due to tiebreakers, both Louisville and Peoria would finish higher than the Blitz, and if either of them wins the Midwest Division, they would take the #2 seed and the Blitz would drop to #3. In the huddle

· WR/LB Eric Mahanke had his streak of 14 consecutive games with a touchdown catch snapped this weekend. He did, however, score a touchdown as he recovered a fumble in the end zone on a fourth quarter missed field goal return by San Diego.

· OL/DL Ahmad Bhatti recorded a sack for a safety and an interception within the span of four plays during the second quarter against San Diego on Saturday.

· QB Chad Elliott is just four touchdown passes shy of 200 in his career. If he gets it, he will join a small list of af2 players who have both 10,000 yards passing and 200 touchdowns. He has 10,516 yards right now, good for fourth in league history, and 196 touchdowns – also fourth. He is 264 yards shy of moving into second in career yards.

· The Blitz dropped to 9-2 against their own division with Saturday's loss.

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, as well as 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.

This week's matchup: The Blitz finish their season series with the Islanders tonight, owning a 2-1 record this season head-to-head. The last meeting was a 43-41 win on July 10th in Honolulu, and the Blitz also won their only meeting this season at Centennial Garden, 52-44. The Islanders rank in the Top 10 in 14 categories, but rank in the bottom 10 in eight categories. They are the least penalized team in the league.

Playoff Tickets

Should the Blitz lock up the #2 seed this weekend, they will host their first playoff game on August 14th. Tickets for that game will go on sale to the general public on Monday, August 9th. If the Blitz finish as the #3 seed, they will host a game on August 7th and tickets will go on sale on Monday, August 2nd. Group outings for the Blitz are on sale now by contacting the Blitz office at 716-BLITZ (2548) or by coming in to the Bakersfield Sports Entertainment office located at Centennial Garden. The Garden box office is open Monday through Friday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and at Noon on 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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