Wolves Game Notes

Published on May 14, 2002 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Mohegan Wolves News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Rochester Brigade (3-3)
vs. Mohegan Wolves (2-4)
Date: 5/17/02
Kickoff: 7:30 pm
Site: Mohegan Sun Arena- (7,564)
National Anthem: TBA
Coin Toss: TBA
Officials: William P. Fealey (Referee), Lou Hammond (Umpire), Terry Haney (Head Linesman), Dave Holland (Line Judge), Mel Plummer Jr. (Back Judge)
Radio: WMOS-The Wolf
TV: none
Series Record: Wolves 1-0
Last Meeting: April 19, 2002
Streaks: Mohegan-Lost 3/Rochester-Won 1
Coaches: Gary Porter (9-13, 2nd Year)
Mark Saunders (7-14, 2nd Year)

THE STAKES: The Wolves are looking to end a three game losing streak that is putting all playoff hopes in serious jeopardy. Rochester evened their record at 3-3 with a key divisional win over WB-Scranton. They have played every game this season within the Northeast Division, while Mohegan has played two non-divisional games, both against Norfolk. A win over Rochester would give them a 2-0 advantage on the season series.

THE SERIES: Mohegan defeated Rochester 54-45 in the first road game in Wolves franchise history. The game went back and forth for the entire contest with the Brigade knotting the score at 45 all with 6:43 remaining in the 4th quarter. Cable Davis earned Game MVP honors for his efforts. Davis completed 22 of 38 passes for 357 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also rushed for another TD. His passes featured Brent Burnside. He caught 9 passes for 172 yards and 3 touchdowns. He passed for another touchdown in the victory. His twin brother Brandon caught 3 balls for 77 yards and 2 touchdowns despite only playing the first half. Mondez Haire who also caught 3 passes replaced him. He recorded 32 yards and a touchdown in his first significant action in the blue and silver. Defensive Specialist Carlos McLaurin was named ADT Defensive player of the game. He had 10 tackles, 3 for a loss, recovered a fumble and broke up 5 passes. Rochester's Aaron Fix was named Ironman of the Game after he had 4 tackles, 4 receptions for 43 yards and a TD, 1 rush for 14 yards and a touchdown, and returned a missed field goal 55 yards for a touchdown. The win put Mohegan over .500 for the first and only time in franchise history, it dropped Rochester to 1-2 overall. Since defeating Rochester, Mohegan has lost 3 straight games, to New Haven, Norfolk and Albany. Rochester has gone 2-1, defeating Albany, losing to New Haven, and beating Wilkes Barre/Scranton. It is the second of three meetings this season between the Wolves and the Brigade. They will play again July 19th at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

THE IFs:

If Mohegan defeats Rochester, it would ...
· Give Mohegan 2-0 series record with Rochester
· Give Mohegan 2-2 home record in 2002
· Give the Wolves a 3-3 divisional record
· Give Head Coach Gary Porter a 3-4 record as a coach of the Wolves and a 10-13 overall record as an af2 coach
· Give Wolves Head Coach Gary Porter a 2-0 lifetime record vs. Rochester
· Give Wolves Head Coach Gary Porter a 2-0 lifetime record vs. Brigade Head Coach Mark Saunders
· Give the Wolves a 3-4 conference record
· Give the Wolves their third win in franchise history

HEAD COACHES: In just his second season as head coach, Gary Porter leads his second expansion team into af2 play. Last season he led the expansion Peoria Pirates to a 7-9 record. The Pirates had the top-rated run defense in af2. Porter played in the Arena Football League in 1997 as a Quarterback for the Texas Terror. Mark Saunders has a 7-15 career af2 record. Saunders is currently 3-3 this season and on a one-game winning streak after a thrilling victory last weekend over Wilkes Barre/Scranton. This season, Saunders looks to improve upon that record, and make a mark in the newly formed northeast division. LAST SERIES MEETING: Mohegan defeated Rochester 54-45 at the Blue Cross Arena before a crowd of 5,789.

SERIES NOTABLES: Brent Burnside: 9 receptions 172 yards, 3 TD, 1-1 passing, 12 yards, TD...Cable Davis: Game MVP, 22-38, 357 yards, 5 TD's, 1 rushing TD...Brandon Burnside: 3 receptions 77 yards, 2 TD...Carlos McLaurin: ADT Defensive Player of the Game, 10tackles, 3 for loss, recovered a fumble, 5 passes broken up...Jeff Cogell: 1 sack...Aaron Fix: Ironman of the Game, 4 tackles, 1 rush 14 yards, TD, 4 receptions for 43 yards, TD, 55 yard missed field goal return TD...Martino Theus: 6 receptions for 36 yards...Matt D'Orazio: 17-28, 139 yards, 2 TD's, 2 rushing TD's...

FAMILIAR FACES: Wolves OL/DL Pete Govens played for the Brigade last season, recording 13 tackles and 2 sacks in 12 games. Govens has excelled on the line this season for the Wolves. K Charles Eger started the season with Mohegan before returning to Rochester, where he spent the 2001 season. Eger was designated for re-assignment by Mohegan on the 8th and returned to Rochester later that week. He played for Mohegan in the first 5 games of the season.

Mohegan INJURY REPORT:
Pos. Name Injury Status
FB/LB Kenyea Ware Knee Long Term IR
QB Kevin Carty Shoulder Short term IR
OL/DL Chris Smith Knee Questionable
OL/DL Paul Ficaro arm Questionable
DS Heron O'Neal head Questionable
WR/LB Brian Shubin knee Questionable
OL/DL Dan Porter knee Probable

THIS WEEK'S QUOTES:

Head Coach Gary Porter on last week's game vs. Norfolk: "I'm disappointed in our play, but we've got to get past it and focus on the next 6games, which are all divisional games. We are going to make some changes to strengthen up some key positions. We just aren't playing well right now, bottom line."

MILESTONES:

· OS Brandon Burnside became the first player in Mohegan Wolves history to return a kick for a touchdown (56 yards) vs. Norfolk on 4/12

· FB/LB Kenyea Ware recorded the first rushing touchdown in franchise history with a 1 yard plunge versus Norfolk on 4/12

· QB Cable Davis threw the first completion as well as touchdown in franchise history. That happened on the same play, which was the opening offensive play in team history. He hooked up with Brandon Burnside from 33 yards out for the first touchdown in franchise history versus the expansion Albany Conquest on 4/5

· OL/DL Pete Govens recorded the first sack in team history vs. the Conquest on 4/5

· WR/LB Melvin Phillips recorded the first interception in team history vs. Albany on 4/5

· QB Cable Davis became the first 300 yard passer in franchise history with his 357 yard effort versus Rochester on 4/19

· WR/DB Brent Burnside became the first 100 yard receiver in franchise history with 9 receptions for 172 yards against Rochester on April 19th

· Brent Burnside recorded the second 100 yard receiving game in team history vs. New Haven on 4/27, he caught 6 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown

· Offensive Specialist Brandon Burnside became the first player other than his twin brother to record a 100-yard receiving night. Brandon had 8 receptions for 142 yards and 3 touchdowns against Norfolk on 5/4

· May 4th's game at Norfolk marked the first time in team history that both Brandon and Brent Burnside didn't both catch a touchdown pass.

DROPBACK: For the second straight week the Wolves lost a heartbreaker in the final seconds of the game. Albany took their final possession and drove 34 yards in: 33 seconds to win 41-35. It was the second time that the Conquest have defeated the Wolves this season. Conquest QB Ryan Vena orchestrated the final drive to earn Game MVP honors. Wolves' newcomer Ben LaBelle was named Ironman of the Game after rushing for a touchdown and hauling in a two-point conversion in his debut. Andy Macaione earned Ironman of the Game honors for his stellar two-way play He caught 7 passes for 41 yards and four tackles. Conquest Offensive specialist Corey Hill caught 10 passes for 105 yards and all four of Vena's touchdown passes. Brandon Burnside caught 12 passes for 163 yards and all four of Cable Davis's touchdowns. Brent Burnside and Heron O'Neal each recorded an interception in the defeat.

FORWARD MOTION: The Wolves will travel to New Haven for the second time this season. The Wolves were defeated by the Ninjas on April 27th by the score 51-38. Anthony Comer was named MVP. He had a touchdown rushing and receiving on the night. New Haven's Kerry Taylor was named Ironman of the Game. He rushed for 42 yards and 2 touchdowns on 10 carries. Ryan Bland was named ADT Defensive Player of the Game. He had an interception and 2 passes broken up. The loss awarded New Haven with the Constitution Cup, a traveling trophy awarded to the winner of each intra-state game.

TEAM NOTES/TRENDS:

From Heron Out: Defensive Specialist Heron O'Neal looks to continue the success that he had the previous two seasons with the Milwaukee Mustangs. As a two year started in the AFL Heron recorded 3 interceptions to with 100 tackles and 2 touchdowns. Heron had 4 tackles in his Wolves debut. O'Neal recorded his first af2 interception against Norfolk while defending 2 passes as well. Heron added a key forced fumble late in the game against Rochester to help seal the victory. He also recorded 2 tackles and defended one pass. Against New Haven Heron had a tackle, a fumble recovery and two passes defended. In the second game versus Norfolk Heron had 3.5 tackles and one pass broken up. O'Neal recorded another interception against Albany. He was injured on the play and did not return to the game.

Two game home stand: Mohegan will have two home games, both divisional match ups before a home-at-home with the New Haven Ninjas. The Wolves were defeated last weekend by Albany and welcome Rochester (2-3) this weekend before the games vs. New Haven.

Pivotal Six Pack: The next six games for the Mohegan Wolves will go a long way in determining the fate of the 2002 Mohegan Wolves. They will play every team in their division including Albany, Rochester, New Haven twice, and Wilkes Barre-Scranton twice.

Burning up the Turf: Brent and Brandon Burnside look to have the same impact on the Mohegan Wolves that they did with Tulsa. In 2000 Brandon had 120 receptions for 1721 yards and 33 touchdowns for the Talons while Brent had 54 receptions for 623 yards and 11 touchdowns as well as 45 tackles and 6 interceptions. Brent and Brandon both recorded a receiving touchdown in their Wolves debut. The twins matched their opening night effort with each brother hauling in a touchdown catch. Brandon also added a kickoff return for a touchdown. The trend continued against Rochester when both brothers recorded more than one touchdown: Brent had 3 while Brandon recorded 2 in only one half of play. The twins did it again with both scoring touchdowns versus New Haven. Brent had 6 receptions for 101 yards while Brandon had 4 receptions for 48 yards against the Ninjas. Brandon had his best game in the blue and silver against Norfolk. He recorded 8 receptions for 142 and 3 touchdowns. Brent rushed for 26 yards and caught one pass for 6 yards. He also had a tackle in the defeat. Brandon exploded for a huge effort against Albany. He caught 12 passes for 163 yards and 4 touchdowns. Twin brother Brent caught 2 passes for 18 yards against the Conquest. His efforts were best felt on defense where he had 3.0 tackles, an interception and 2 passes broken up. Listed below are the Burnside's career af2 receiving statistics:

Player Rec. Yards TDs
Brandon Burnside 182 2,464 48
Brent Burnside 88 1,109 25

Top Tackler: Defensive Specialist Carlos McLaurin is a two time ADT Defensive Player of the Game. He led the team in tackles in each of the first four games. Carlos was named Built Ford Tough Player of the Game for his 7-tackle effort against New Haven. Carlos recorded 4 tackles, an interception and 2 passes broken up against Norfolk. McLaurin had his lowest tackle output of the year the second time around against Albany. He had 3.0 tackles in a pretty quite evening for McLaurin.

PLAYERS/MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

Wolves DS Heron O'Neal: Heron enters his first af2 game with two years of AFL experience under his belt. He stands to be one of the most dominant defensive specialists in the entire af2.

Brigade OS Martino Theus: Theus is currently ranked first in the league in receptions with 63 for 739 yards, ten touchdowns and an average of 11.7 yards per catch. He is also ranked second in the league in receiving yards per game, averaging 123.2. He is ranked ninth in the league with 879 All Purpose yards, averaging 146.5 yards a game.

Wolves OS Brandon Burnside: As one of the top receivers in the af2, Brandon beat the Brigade deep in the first game despite missing the second half with a knee injury.

Brigade WR/DB Derek Baker: Baker returned to the Brigade early last week after being released from the Buffalo Destroyers (AFL) practice squad. In his first game, he picked up right where he left off from last season as he caught four passes on the night, three for touchdowns tallying 64 yards. This season Baker is working on his defensive skills, and in his first game at the DB spot he registered 2.5 tackles and two passes defended.

KEY DATES IN TEAM HISTORY:

· July 19th, 2001: Mohegan Sun Arena and Dr. Eric Margenau announce agreement to bring af2 to southeastern Connecticut

· Nov. 1st, 2001: 1st Season Tickets sold, Margaret Lidden becomes first Wolves Season Ticket holder

· Dec. 12th, 2001: Team Name and logo unveiled

· Dec. 12th, 2001: Jeff Cogell, Randy Hart, Greg Gildea and Mike Thomas become first Mohegan Wolves assignees

· Jan. 5th, 2002: Team Holds Inaugural Player tryout

· Jan. 14th, 2002: Wolves sign Andy Macaione, Heron O'Neal, Daniel Porter

· Jan. 25th, 2002: Wolves sign Kevin Carty, and Mondez Haire

· Jan. 28th, 2002: Wolves Hold Inaugural Cheerleader Tryouts at Stashes Café on Super Bowl Sunday

· Feb. 5th, 2002: Wolves sign Mike Zawilinski, Edwin Moore, Gary Bolden, Anthony Giovingo, and Bryan Sparacino

· Feb. 17th, 2002: Wolves hold second cheer leader audition

· Feb. 20th, 2002: Wolves sign James Duckett, Carl Wisnieski, Pete Govens, Antron Peebles, Alex Sepulveda, Isaiah Holloway, and Brian Shubin

· Feb. 27th, 2002: Wolves sign Carlos McLaurin, Mike Summers, Troy Davidson, and Brian Hegnauer

· Mar. 1st, 2002: Single Game Tickets go on sale at Mohegan Sun Box Office as well as tickets.com

· Mar 7th, 2002: Opening night April 5th vs. the Albany Conquest dubbed "Pride of America Night"

· Mar 19th, 2002: First practice in Mohegan Wolves history, held at Workout World in Waterford

· April 5th, 2002: The Wolves drop the inaugural game in team history to the Albany Conquest by the score of 29-14

· April 12th, 2002: Wolves win their first game in team history by defeating the Norfolk Nighthawks 47-29 at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

· April 19th, 2002: Wolves win their first road game in franchise history by defeating the Rochester Brigade 54-45.

· April 27th, 2002: Wolves lose their first road game in team history to the New Haven Ninjas 51-38. They also lost possession of the "Constitution Cup" a traveling trophy that goes to the winner of each Ninja/Wolves game

· May 4th, 2002: Wolves lose first overtime game in team history to the Norfolk Nighthawks 58-51.

BUILT FORD TOUGH AWARD (selected by coaches)
Week Opp. Player
1 Albany OL/DL Jeff Cogell
2 Norfolk OL/DL Chris Smith
3 Rochester WR/DB Brent Burnside
4 New Haven DS Carlos McLaurin
5 Norfolk WR/DB Andy Macaione
6 Albany OL/DL Antron Peebles

GAME MVP AWARD (selected by media)
Week Opp. Player
1 Albany OS Corey Hill (ALB)
2 Norfolk OS Brandon Burnside (MHG)
3 Rochester QB Cable Davis (MHG)
4 New Haven WR/DB Anthony Comer (NH)
5 Norfolk WR/DB Gary Briggs (NOR)
6 Albany QB Ryan Vena

GAME IRONMAN AWARD (selected by media)
Week Opp. Player
1 Albany OL/DL Alex Houston (ALB)
2 Norfolk FB/LB Kenyea Ware (MHG)
3 Rochester WR/DB Aaron Fix (ROC)
4 New Haven FB/LB Kerry Taylor (NH)
5 Norfolk WR/DB Travis Burns (NOR)
6 Albany FB/LB Ben LaBelle (MHG)

ADT DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME (selected by media)
Week Opp. Player
1 Albany DS Henry Baker (ALB)
2 Norfolk DS Carlos McLaurin (MHG)
3 Rochester DS Carlos McLaurin (MHG)
4 New Haven WR/LB Ryan Bland (NH)
5 Norfolk OL/DL Abdul Shabazz-Wiggins (NOR)
6 Albany WR/DB Andy Macaione (MHG)

RECENT ROSTER MOVES:
Date Action Player
5/8 Re-assign K Charles Eger
5/8 Assigned QB Keith Toolan
Assigned FB/LB Ben LaBelle
Assigned K Shawn Maclean
Recalled DS David Bradford

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