Post by David on Mar 11, 2016 12:23:52 GMT -8
Spokane Empire at Billings Wolves
What: Spokane and Billings prepare to establish a new regional rivalry as the Empire visit Big Sky Country.
When: Saturday, March 12, 6 p.m. (PT).
Where: Rimrock Auto Arena, Billings, Montana
Empire Media: Radio - 700/1080 AM ESPN
National Media: Stream (paid subscription) - IFL Live TV
Series History: First Meeting.
Note: This is the only game Spokane will play in the month of March.
Forum: To comment, please login or register.
HELPFUL LINKS
Indoor Football League Rules
Indoor Football League Schedule and Results 2016
Spokane Empire Schedule 2016
IFL Franchises and Links
The Empire are 2-0 overall, 1-0 on the road and 1-0 in conference play. Spokane is coming off a 66-65 home win over the Wichita Falls Nighthawks on February 25. They are averaging 63.0 points per game (3rd in IFL) and are allowing 58.0 points per game (9th). The Empire are tied for first in the Intense Conference.
The Wolves are 1-2 overall, 0-1 at home and 1-1 in conference play. Billings is coming off a 41-47 road loss to the Tri-Cities Fever on March 5. They are averaging 38.7 points per game (9th) and are allowing 42.7 points per game (3rd). The Wolves are tied for third in the Intense Conference.
BREAKDOWN
Yards per Game - Empire 272.0; Wolves 242.7
3rd Down Conversion - Empire 53.8%; Wolves 42.9%
4th Down Conversion - Empire 66.7%; Wolves 57.1%
Total Tackles - Empire 93; Wolves 95
Tackles for Loss - Empire 8; Wolves 10
Total Sacks - Empire 4.0; Wolves 3.0
Fumbles - Empire 2; Wolves 1
Interceptions - Empire 1; Wolves 3
SPOKANE EMPIRE
Empire RB Trevor Kennedy (image credit: Tyler Tjomsland / The Spokesman-Review)
ROSTER
# - name (pos)
2 - Lorenzo White Jr. (DB)
3 - Josh Ferguson (DB)
4 - Carl Sims (WR)
5 - Tyree Robinson (DB)
6 - Darryl Thompson (WR)
7 - Demetruce McNeal (DB/KR)
8 - Aaron Aiken (QB)
11 - Charles Dowdell (QB)
12 - Toby Jackson (DL)
16 - Robert Brown (DB)
18 - Trevor Kennedy (OS)
19 - Alex Wheat Jr. (WR)
27 - Taylor Russolino (K)
44 - Brett Bowers (DL)
47 - Nick Haag (LB)
56 - Dave Lefotu (OL)
62 - Dominique Duster (DL)
72 - Kyle Fischer (OL)
76 - Michael Boyefio (OL)
78 - Brandon Haskin (OL)
79 - Mike Trice (OL)
80 - Jefferson "JJ" Hayes (WR)
88 - Justin Helwege (WR)
92 - Dillon Quinn (DL)
93 - Benjamin Perry (DL)
95 - Byron Bennett (DL)
Adam Shackleford - Head Coach
Cleveland Pratt - Assistant Head Coach
Ameer Ismail - Defensive Coordinator
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Yards - Charles Dowdell 352
Passing TDs - Charles Dowdell 11
Rushing Yards - Trevor Kennedy 132
Rushing TD's - Trevor Kennedy 5
Receptions - JJ Hayes 13
Receiving Yards - JJ Hayes 194
Receiving TDs - JJ Hayes 4
Tackles - *Pasqual Vacchio 14.0
Sacks - Byron Bennett 2.0
Interceptions - Robert Brown 1
KO Return Ave - JJ Hayes 12.5
* Not on Active Roster
BILLINGS WOLVES
Wolves QB Dak Britt (image credit: Billings Wolves)
ROSTER
# - name (pos)
1 - Darakatalib "Dak" Britt (QB)
2 - Austin Coleman (WR)
3 - Norris Wrenn III (DB)
4 - Marcus Barnett (WR)
5 - Julian Laing (RB)
6 - Tevin Bryant (DB)
8 - Mikell Mair (LB)
9 - Chris Frierson (DB)
10 - Wyatt Johnson (DL)
11 - Cameron Gaddis (OL)
13 - Christopher Turner (DL)
21 - Omar Cook (DB)
26 - Willie Downs (WR)
31 - Michael Green (DB)
42 - Montez Robinson (DL)
44 - Spencer Groner (K)
51 - Nathaniel Ryan (OL)
53 - Kelvin King (DL)
54 - Nick Chartain (OL)
55 - Kameron Neal (OL)
56 - DeShawn Byrd (OL)
?? - Julian Haynes (RB)
?? - Chip Reeves (WR)
?? - Paramore Tapa (DL)
?? - Jawad Yatim (QB)
Chris Dixon - Head Coach
Adam Sanchez - QB Coach
Justin Walker - OL Coach
Mike Bazemore- DL Coach
Daron Brooker - DB/LB Coach
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Yards - Dak Britt 443
Passing TDs - Dak Britt 9
Rushing Yards - *Julian Laing 166
Rushing TD's - Dak Britt/Julian Laing 3
Receptions - *Troy Evans 12
Receiving Yards - Austin Coleman 99
Receiving TDs - Marcus Barnett 4
Tackles - Mikell Mair 17.0
Sacks - Kelvin King 1.5
Interceptions - Chris Freirson 2
KO Return Ave - Norris Wrenn 13.8
* Not on Active Roster
DAVID'S TAKES
SPOKANE:
The last time the Empire took the football field, they escaped with a 66-65 last second victory over Wichita Falls. For nearly 2 1/2 quarters, Spokane had a sizable lead against the Nighthawks, leading by as much as 22 points. Unfortunately, Spokane struggled for a majority of the second half, allowing Wichita Falls to come all the way back and tie the game with less than 5 minutes remaining. After a 3-and-out drive by the Empire, Wichita Falls would march downfield and pull ahead 65-58.
With time ticking and the pressure from the home crowd, the Empire offense put together an impressive drive which resulted in QB Charles Dowdell finding veteran WR Carl Sims for a 24-yard pass to make the score 65-64 with 0:15 seconds left to go in the game. With his kicker struggling on extra point attempts all evening, Head Coach Adam Shackleford made a gutsy decision to go for a two-point conversion and the win. The gamble would pay off as Dowdell found Sims in the end zone and Spokane converted, leading 66-65.
An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Empire's touchdown drive would be enforced after the kick off, putting Wichita Falls into field goal position. Wichita Falls all but appeared to win the game on an 18-yard field goal by Rockne Belmonte. However, a holding penalty on Wichita Falls would negate the field goal. Spokane would also commit a personal foul penalty after the play, giving the Nighthawks one more opportunity to steal the victory. Unfortunately, Belmonte would miss the 12-yard field goal and the Empire would escape in a thrilling home victory debut.
This week, the Empire returns to the gridiron after spending the previous week on a bye. It was the first of three bye weeks that the Empire has scheduled this month. Spokane originally had two bye weeks in March, but the folding of the Minnesota Havok resulted in Spokane having three bye weeks, resulting in back-to-back byes for the next two weeks. One benefit of the two straight bye weeks is that it will help Spokane rest up and get back injured players, such as WR Samuel Charles, who suffered a thumb injury suffered in the game against Wichita Falls, and LB Pasqaule Vacchio (hamstring). Both players were placed on Short Term IR on Thursday.
There's plenty of good to come out of the extended by weeks, but it could also be a distraction; back-to-back bye weeks could make the team sloppy when they return against Iowa on April 1st. Spokane still has plenty of kinks to work out, and they must improve on the sloppy play that nearly cost them against Wichita Falls. The Empire committed 17 penalties for 134 yards, resulting in momentum shifting plays that were nullified. With only one game in March and back-to-back bye weeks coming up, Spokane must remained focused and not commit costly mistakes. They may have gotten away with a victory at home, but they may not be able to get away with the same mistakes in Billings.
It'll be an intriguing battle for the Empire on both sides of the football. Spokane enters the game ranked 3rd in the IFL in scoring offense, but 9th in scoring defense. As for the Wolves, they rank 9th in scoring offense, but rank 3rd in scoring defense. Spokane's wide receivers JJ Hayes, Justin Helwege and Carl Sims present a challenge to a very stingy Wolves defense that ranks 1st in the IFL. Defensively, LB Nick Haag is going to have his hands full in containing Billings QB Dak Britt, who is as lethal on the ground as he is in the air. The Empire rank 1st in rushing defense, but last in passing defense, meaning DBs Lorenzo White, Josh Ferguson and Robert Brown must step up against talented wide receivers Troy Evans, Austin Coleman, and Marcus Barnett.
Player to Watch: Trevor Kennedy (RB)
Kennedy is the first true running threat in the history of Spokane's arena/indoor football history.
Offense in the IFL is different from the AFL; like the outdoor game, an IFL offense succeeds with a great balance of running and throwing the football. The Empire's successful running game comes from a combination of QB Charles Dowdell and Kennedy, a rookie wide receiver who was converted to running back. Kennedy has been very impressive so far this season; in two games, he has rushed a total of 28 times for 132 yards and 5 touchdowns, including an electrifying 45 yard touchdown run in the Empire's home debut. He ranks in the Top 5 of several offensive rushing categories in the IFL, including 2nd in total yards per game (66.0), 2nd in average yards per rush (4.7), 3rd in rushing touchdowns and 4th in rushing yards.
Billings ranks 6th overall in rushing defense, giving up an average of 82.3 yards per game. Their strength lies in their 2nd ranked passing defense, which is giving up an average of 123.5 yards per game. Kennedy will likely be called upon to help open up Spokane's passing game to get the offense rolling. He'll also likely get a lot of attention in the red zone, as 3 of Kennedy's 5 touchdown runs have come from 2 yards out or less.
BILLINGS:
The Wolves have been looking to get off to a strong start in 2016 after finishing their expansion season at 5-9. The Wolves had momentum going into this season; last year, after beginning 1-8, the Wolves ended the season winning 4 of their last five. So far this year, Billings has gotten off to a disappointing 1-2 start. Their offense has struggled this year, ranking 7th in passing yardage and 4th rushing. It's been enough to keep them in games, but the Wolves have struggled to score points on a consistent basis, ranking next to last in scoring offense with 38.7 points per game.
Last week, the Wolves dug themselves a big hole against Tri-Cities, finding themselves down 20-41 after three quarters. The Wolves would mount a comeback in the 4th quarter, stepping up on defense to give the offense a chance to climb back into it. The Wolves would take a 41-40 lead with 0:10 left to go in the game, but two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties were placed in the bank, giving Tri-Cities a generous start to their drive on the Billings 12-yard line. The Fever would score on a rushing touchdown, jumping out to a 47-41 lead with 0:08 left to go. Billings would throw up a Hail Mary in the game's final seconds, but the Fever would clinch their first victory of 2016.
Part of the reason why Billings has struggled on offense has been due to injuries. RB Julian Laing and WR Troy Evans were both injured in last week's 41-47 loss to the Tri-Cities Fever. Laing is a key contributor to the success of the Wolves offense and making life easier for QB Dak Britt. Through two games, Laing leads all IFL running backs with 37 attempts for 166 yards. His status for Saturday night is questionable, evidenced by the signing of RB Julian Haynes.
Defensively, the Wolves should have all the confidence in the world. Billings ranks 1st in the IFL in total defense, 3rd in defensive points allowed, and 1st in passing defense. They benefit from great pass rushers Mikell Mair, Omarr Cooke, and Kelvin King. Mair leads the Wolves in total tackles while King leads with 1.5 total sacks. In the backfield, the Wolves have great defensive backs in Chris Freirson, Norris Wrenn III and Michael Green, the 2015 IFL Defensive Player of the Year. They struggled against the powerhouse offense of the Sioux Falls Storm in Week 1 and face a big test with Spokane's explosive weapons. Freirson, Green, and Wrenn III are going to have their hands full with Empire RB Trevor Kennedy and WRs JJ Hayes, Justin Helwege and Carl Sims.
The key to the Wolves' victory will be shutting down the Empire's high powered offense. If the Wolves can stop Spokane and get good field position, it could benefit their offense, which has struggled to score more than 40 points this season.
Player to Watch: Dak Britt (QB)
Britt struggled mightily against the Tri-Cities defense last weekend. Although he threw 5 touchdown passes, the Wolves' offense went a stretch of 7 straight drives without scoring points, including 4 drives that ended with Britt throwing an interception.
That's not to say the loss was completely Britt's fault; he was missing his leading running back and his leading wide receiver, both of whom missed the game due to injuries. The presence of Laing opens things up for Britt, who ranks second on the team in rushing yards (128) and tied for rushing touchdowns (3). If Laing's out for Billings this weekend, look for Britt can take over the ground game. The team has signed Julian Haynes to fill in Laing's spot, but it'll remain to be seen how he'll impact the team's rushing attack. Last week against Tri-Cities, Britt rushed 10 times for 89 yard and a rushing touchdown while Laing's backups went a combined 3 rushes for -3 yards.
Britt is more than capable winning the game for the Wolves, and you'd have to imagine his threat as both a runner and a passer will have the Empire's defense on its heels. If the Empire defense is unable to get pressure on Britt, he's going to potentially have a huge game in both the air and the ground game.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Adam Shackleford on the wild ending against Wichita Falls.
“We did win, right?”
Empire QB Charles Dowdell on the franchise's first IFL victory at home.
“Everybody I’ve talked to said that was one of the most exciting finishes they’d seen in five or six years here. That should bring people back."
Shackleford on the early 8-hour bus trip to Billings.
“Five a.m. Pick up at 4:15. They (the players) thought I was kidding at first. I'm the most popular coach there is.”
FEATURED TWEETS
EXTRA
Before the Wolves, Billings was once home to another IFL team: the Billings Outlaws.
The Outlaws began their existence in 2000 as members of the Indoor Football League (not associated with the current IFL) as the Billings Thunderbolts. In 2001, the team moved to the National Indoor Football League and became the Outlaws. Billings would play 6 seasons in the NIFL (with one year under the name Billing Mavericks) and taste success, making the playoffs 4 times, winning 2 division titles and 2 conference championships. They would appear in two Indoor Bowl Championship games, losing the first game in 2002 and winning the second in 2006.
In 2007, the Outlaws moved to the United Indoor Football league. They would continue to have success, making the playoffs both seasons but falling both times to the Sioux Falls Storm in the Western Championship game.
In 2009, Billings would make the leap to the newly formed Indoor Football League, a result of a merger between United Indoor Football and the Intense Football League. The Outlaw immediately had success; in two seasons, the Outlaws went a combined 31-4 during the regular season. They were the first ever IFL Champions, winning the 2009 United Bowl title over the RiverCity Rage 71-62. They would return to the United Bowl the following season, defeating Sioux Falls 43-34.
The 2010 season was the most difficult for the franchise. One day after clinching home field advantage in the IFL Playoffs, an F2 tornado hit the Billings area. The tornado significantly damaged Rimrock Auto Arena, ripping the roof off of the facility. The Outlaws, who were scheduled to play a playoff game the following week, were forced to play their first round playoff game at the SportsPlex, the Outlaws' practice facility. The Outlaws would also play the Intense Conference Championship and the United Bowl at the SportsPlex.
Months after coming off back-to-back United Bowl Championship titles, the Outlaws would meet an unfair end when the team folded on October 7, 2010. The Outlaws ownership chose to fold the team after clashing with the local county commissioners over funding non-insured losses suffered to the Rimrock Auto Arena due to the Tornado. This left the team with not enough money to operate in the 2011 season, as was stated by owner Mike Parnell in the team's announcement they were ceasing operations.
Four years after the Outlaws folded, indoor football returned to Billings in the form of the Wolves. Like the Outlaws, the Wolves practiced in the same sporting complex and played their home games at the newly remodeled Rimrock Auto Arena. Despite having no ties with the Outlaws, there's one link between the two franchises: head coach Chris Dixon.
Wolves head coach Chris Dixon was QB of the Billings Outlaws from 2005-2010.
Dixon, who coached the Wolves to a 5-9 record in 2015, is a familiar fixture in the Billings area. Dixon signed with the Outlaws in 2005 and became the team's starting quarterback. In 5 seasons with Billings, Dixon threw for 369 touchdowns and won 3 championships (2 United Bowls). After the Outlaws folded, Dixon would go on to play two seasons with Sioux Falls, winning United Bowl championships in both seasons. In 2013, Dixon elevated to the Arena Football League, splitting time with the Orlando Predators and the New Orleans VooDoo. In 2014, Dixon returned to the IFL and Sioux Falls, leading the Storm to yet another United Bowl title. He would retire shortly after the season, eventually becoming head coach of the Wolves.
Dixon has the distinguishing honor of being considered the most accomplished player in IFL history, owning 33 different regular season and postseason IFL records. His records include highest career completion percentage (68.6%), most career passing yards (12,963), and most career passing TDs (323). In addition to 5 United Bowl Championships, Dixon earned three IFL League MVP awards, four United Bowl MVPs, four Offensive Player of the Year awards and five All-IFL team selections.
Image Courtesy of Paul Ruhter / Gazette Staff.
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