Wolves on the hunt for .500
May 7, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Manchester Wolves News Release
MANCHESTER, N.H. (May 7, 2004) - The Manchester Wolves (arenafootball2) face their fourth road test in the first six weeks of the 2004 season when they travel to Fayetteville, NC this Saturday (May 8) to take on the Cape Fear Wildcats. The Wolves (2-3) are looking to win their second straight game and even their record at 3-3 at the expense of their division rivals. Saturday's game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. at the Crown Coliseum.
Fans who want to cheer on the Wolves from their homes in New Hampshire can listen to the action live on WFEA AM 1370. Local radio veteran Dick Lutsk will provide the play-by-play. The Wolves have a tough task ahead as Cape Fear (3-1) is an explosive offensive team with a lot of weapons. Last year they won the af2's Atlantic Division title with a 10-6 record
"Cape Fear is a real solid, well-coached football team," Wolves Head Coach Rik Richards said. "Their coach Chris Siegfried and I have had some great battles in the past, and I expect this one to be no different. Our guys know what's at stake, though, and I think they'll respond to the challenge."
This Saturday's matchup at a glance - Manchester Wolves (2-3) at Cape Fear Wildcats (3-1)
Saturday's game is the third all-time meeting between the Wolves and the Wildcats. The last time these two teams met was in the first round of the 2003 ArenaCup playoffs. The visiting Wolves won that contest in Fayetteville, 50-47. Cape Fear currently ranks second in the af2 in scoring, averaging an impressive 59.2 points per game. The Wildcats are led offensively by QB Chris Wallace. In four games this season, Wallace is 54-of-88 for 784 yards with 20 touchdowns. He is averaging 196 yards per game and is third in the af2 with a 115.72 passer rating. His favorite target is OS Matt Burnstein. On the season, Burnstein has 25 receptions for 415 yards and 12 touchdowns. He is also a threat as a return man, compiling 302 kick return yards with one score. He currently ranks among the league leaders in scoring (T-2nd - 78 points), receiving yards (7th - 415) and kick return average (T-4th - 25.2). Cape Fear also has an impressive rushing attack. In last week's 60-21 victory against Columbus, FB/LBs Keeon Johnson and Darvell Bivens combined to rush for 108 yards. Both rank among the league leaders in rushing. The Wolves will count on their surging offensive unit, led by QB Chris Sanders. Through five games this season, Sanders has thrown for 1,168 yards and 17 touchdowns. He ranks among the league leaders in total offense (4th - 1,225) and rushing (7th - 57 yards). Sanders also currently leads the Wolves with six rushing touchdowns. Fans should also expect more exploits from the receiving corps of George Williams and Reggie Robinson. Together the two have combined for 684 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns. Manchester's defense will also be looked upon to make stops and create havoc with the Cape Fear attack. DS Allistair Sebastien and WR/DB Marvin Owens are the Wolves' two best secondary defenders. Sebastien leads the squad in pass breakups with eight while Owens is tied for second in the af2 with three interceptions.
Wolves Game Five Recap - 4/30/04 - The name of the game was accuracy as Chris Sanders led the Manchester Wolves to their first home victory, 51-34, last Friday night against the Albany Conquest. The Wolves win came before an enthusiastic crowd of 8,140 at the Verizon Wireless Arena. Sanders earned Baby Ruth Real Deal Offensive Player of the Game honors after an impressive showing. He completed 17-of-22 passes for 271 yards and accounted for seven touchdowns (4 passing, 3 rushing). The ADT Defensive Player of the Game Award was split between Manchester's Reggie Robinson and Albany's Rob Green. Robinson earned the defensive achievement by swarming on the Conquest's key players. Robinson also played well on offense, catching a game-high eight passes for 105 yards. The ARMY Ironman of the Game went to Kelvin Fuller of the Wolves. Fuller was not only an offensive contributor (one reception for 30 yards), but he also registered two tackles for a loss of 12 yards and had one sack for a loss of 11 yards. Other standouts for the Wolves on offense were WR/DB Ryan Soule (three catches, 71 yards, two touchdowns), WR/DB George Williams (three catches, 31 yards, one touchdown) and WR/DB Henry Frazier (two catches, 40 yards, one touchdown). The Wolves also earned a spot in the af2 history books in the battle, which lasted over three hours. Manchester set a new record for most penalty yards for one team in a game as they were penalized 23 times for 194 yards.
In Wolves community news, this Saturday, May 8, team mascot "Blitz" is scheduled to appear at the local Manchester walk for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The event, which runs from noon - 4 p.m., will be held at Arms Park.
Next Wolves Home Game - Friday, May 21 vs. Birmingham Steeldogs - "Bangstix Night"
Fans are invited join the Wolves for their next home game on Friday, May 21, against the Birmingham Steeldogs at the Verizon Wireless Arena. Kick-off for this event is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and all fans through the doors will receive a FREE pair of Bangstix, courtesy of Talarico Dealerships and 95.7 WZID. To get in the game, purchase your tickets today at the Verizon Wireless Arena box office or through Ticketmaster at 603-868-7300, at Ticketmaster outlets or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Adult seats start as low as $14 in the upper bowl while youth (12-and-under) and senior (65-and-over) tickets start at just $9.50.
Six-game season ticket packages are also available in select locations, starting as low as $84. For more information on season tickets for the Wolves, fans can contact the team at 603.627.WOLF (9653) or visit them on the web at www.manchesterwolves.com.
arenafootball2 Stories from May 7, 2004
- Visalia Oaks vs. Bakersfield Blaze - Bakersfield Blitz
- Blitz Add Dover - Bakersfield Blitz
- Wolves GM Angelo Mazzella to be part of Bow High School Career Expo 2004 - Manchester Wolves
- Xplorers quarterback visits Horn Lake classrooms - Memphis Xplorers
- San Diego Riptide Update - San Diego Riptide
- Islanders update - Hawaiian Islanders
- Week six Saturday night matchups - af2
- Blizzard Report - Green Bay Blizzard
- Wolves on the hunt for .500 - Manchester Wolves
- Blizzard continue to battle af2's best - Green Bay Blizzard
- Blizzard set to take on Coyotes - Green Bay Blizzard
- Dorados Make Moves In Preperation for Unbeaten Stealth - Rio Grande Valley Dorados
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.
