Post by David on Jun 24, 2016 15:54:15 GMT -8
Spokane Empire at Billings Wolves
What: The Empire wrap up 13 consecutive weeks of play before the playoffs with a trip to Billings.
When: Saturday, June 25, 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
This Season: April 9 - Wolves 30, Empire 22; May 7 - Empire 75, Wolves 28; June 4 - Empire 51, Wolves 41
Series History: Spokane leads 2-1 (0-1 in Billings)
Note: Billings has clinched the 2nd Seed in the Intense Conference and will host the Nebraska Danger in the Wild Card round.
HELPFUL LINKS
Indoor Football League Rules
Indoor Football League Schedule and Results 2016
Spokane Empire Schedule 2016
IFL Franchises and Links
The Empire are 12-3 overall, 5-2 on the road and 9-1 in conference play. Spokane is coming off a 59-35 home loss to the Sioux Falls Storm on June 18. They are averaging 52.9 points per game (4th in IFL) and are allowing 44.9 points per game (3rd). The Empire are first in the Intense Conference.
The Wolves are 7-8 overall, 4-3 at home and 6-4 in conference play. Billings is coming off a 67-23 home win against the Tri-Cities Fever on June 18. They are averaging 40.5 points per game (8th) and are allowing 41.7 points per game (2nd). The Wolves are second in the Intense Conference.
BREAKDOWN
Total Yards per Game - Empire 256.7; Wolves 227.5
Pass Yards per Game - Empire 171.9; Wolves 156.9
Rush Yards per Game - Empire 84.9; Wolves 70.7
3rd Down Conversion - Empire 47.5%; Wolves 46.5%
4th Down Conversion - Empire 55.3%; Wolves 48.5%
Total Tackles - Empire 585; Wolves 512
Tackles for Loss - Empire 67; Wolves 65
Total Sacks - Empire 25.0; Wolves 18.0
Fumble Recoveries - Empire 10; Wolves 11
Interceptions - Empire 27; Wolves 23
SPOKANE EMPIRE
Empire WR Justin Helwege (image credit: Tyler Tjomsland / The Spokesman-Review)
ROSTER
# - name (pos)
1 - Samuel Charles (WR)
2 - Lorenzo White Jr. (DB)
3 - Josh Ferguson (DB)
5 - Tyree Robinson (DB)
8 - Aaron Aiken (QB)
11 - Charles Dowdell (QB)
12 - Toby Jackson (DL)
16 - Robert Brown (DB)
17 - Pasquale Vacchio (LB)
19 - Diondre Borel (WR/QB)
21 - Cassius Sendish (DB)
22 - Adrian James (DB)
27 - Pat Clarke (K)
30 - Andrew Pierce (RB)
44 - Brett Bowers (DL)
47 - Nick Haag (LB)
52 - D.J. Yendrey (LB)
56 - Dave Lefotu (OL)
62 - Dominique Duster (DL)
70 - Mike Trice (OL)
72 - Kyle Fischer (OL)
76 - Michael Boyefio (OL)
78 - Brandon Haskin (OL)
80 - Jefferson "JJ" Hayes (WR)
88 - Justin Helwege (WR)
93 - Benjamin Perry (DL)
Adam Shackleford - Head Coach
Cleveland Pratt - Assistant Head Coach
Ameer Ismail - Defensive Coordinator
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Yards - Charles Dowdell 2,601
Passing TDs - Charles Dowdell 63
Passing INTs - Charles Dowdell 18
Rushing Yards - *Trevor Kennedy 720
Rushing TDs - *Trevor Kennedy 28
Receptions - *Carl Sims 71
Receiving Yards - *Carl Sims 822
Receiving TDs - *Carl Sims 20
Tackles - Robert Brown 93.0
Sacks - Benjamin Perry 8.5
Interceptions - Robert Brown 6
KO Return Ave - *Trevor Kennedy 18.8
KO Return TDs - JJ Hayes/*Trevor Kennedy 1
*Not on Active Roster
BILLINGS WOLVES
Wolves DB Michael Green (image courtesy of Billings Wolves / Facebook)
ROSTER
# - name (pos)
1 - Alexander McCray (WR)
2 - Travonti Johnson (DB)
3 - Norris Wrenn III (DB)
5 - Demetruce McNeal (DB)
6 - Jeff Scott (RB)
8 - Cartel Brooks (RB)
7 - Chip Reeves (WR)
9 - Mark Henderson (WR)
10 - Cory Murphy (QB)
13 - Christopher Turner (DL)
17 - B.J. Butler (DL)
19 - Joe Morrow (WR)
24 - Vincent Taylor (DB)
22 - Max Davis (LB)
26 - Willie Downs (WR)
31 - Michael Green (DB)
42 - Chris Martin (DL)
51 - Nathaniel Ryan (OL)
53 - Brandon Harold (DL)
54 - Nick Chartain (OL)
55 - Kameron Neal (OL)
56 - Charles Stevens (OL)
99 - Jesse Dickson (DL)
?? - Kyle Cool (QB)
?? - Cody Barber (K)
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 - *Mason Espinosa 1,231
Passing TDs - *Mason Espinosa 21
Passing INTs - Cory Murphy 9
Rushing Yards - Cory Murphy 329
Rushing TDs - Cory Murphy 18
Receptions - Willie Downs 60
Receiving Yards - Willie Downs 691
Receiving TDs - Willie Downs 13
Tackles - Michael Green 69.5
Sacks - *Mikell Mair 3.5
Interceptions - Michael Green 10
KO Return Ave - Norris Wrenn III 19.5
KO Return TDs - Chip Reeves/Norris Wrenn III 1
*Not on Active Roster
DAVID'S TAKES
SPOKANE:
The end of the regular season is finally upon the first regular season for the Spokane Empire, and it couldn't come soon enough. After a disappointing loss last weekend to the Sioux Falls Storm, which consisted of bad interceptions, bad penalties, and a season ending injury to their leading receiver, the Empire have one more hurdle before they can take two weeks off to rest and recuperate before preparing for a United Bowl title run.
Spokane enters the regular season finale against Intense Conference rival Billings, who have wrapped up the #2 Seed in the Intense Conference and will host a playoff game in two weeks. The talk from the team is that the Empire want to finish the season with a win over the Wolves, who could likely be their opponent in the Intense Conference Championship game on July 17. However, the team has to be careful not so suffer another season ending injury; they've already lost RB Trevor Kennedy (broken leg) and WR Carl Sims (broken wrist) for the season and will be without DL D.J. Yendrey this weekend. The team may go all-in to finish the season at 13-3, but it would not be surprising if the Empire were to plug in backups if there's a score discrepancy in the latter half of the game.
QB Charles Dowdell will look to rebound off a game in which he forced throws that resulted in 4 easy interceptions for the Storm. Head Coach Adam Shackleford stated last week that Dowdell is putting the pressure on himself to do more in the past few weeks, and that he needs to relax and trust the system. Dowdell's struggles appear to coincide with when Kennedy went down. The hope is that when RB Andrew Pierce is eligible to play in the Intense Conference Championship, it should take some of the pressure off Dowdell. Despite the Empire's desire to play its starters and get the win, do not be surprised if backup QB Aaron Aiken makes an appearance. Aiken has not seen much action in the Empire's passing game (4 of 8, 25 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) and could get some reps should the Empire decide to rest Dowdell to avoid an injury.
DB Josh Ferguson will once again get the start this week at running back. Ferguson hardly touched the ball last week against the Storm, only rushing 3 times for 13 yards and 1 TD. Despite an emphasis to give Ferguson the football, the Empire have not been able to establish the running game early on and have all but abandoned it in the last two games. WR Diondre Borel got some touches rushing the ball last week, rushing 5 times for 12 yards. DB Adrian James was mentioned by Shackleford on the Empire Coach's Show that he could see some time at running back as well. Billings has the 3rd ranked rush defense in the IFL, which could impact the effectiveness of Spokane's offense that's struggling to re-establish its running game.
Spokane will see more of its reserve wide receivers this week with the loss of Carl Sims (71 receptions, 822 yards, 20 TDs). JJ Hayes (60 receptions, 664 yards, 14 TDs) did not play last week and could see some time this week against the Wolves. If the Empire decide to rest Hayes or limit him this week, expect to see a lot more formations featuring WRs Justin Helwege, Diondre Borel (15 receptions, 131 yards, 3 TDs) and Samuel Charles (41 receptions, 456 yards, 13 TDs).
Defensively, Spokane will face a Billings offense that has appeared to find its quarterback of the future in Cory Murphy. The Wolves made it official that he's "the guy" as they released the last "the guy" (Mason Espinosa) earlier this week. Spokane's defensive line will be without D.J. Yendrey this week, who left last week's game with a foot injury. Toby Jackson (15.5 total tackles, 2.0 sacks), Benjamin Perry (34.5 total tackles, 8.5 sacks), and Brett Bowers (28.0 total tackles, 5.5 sacks) will get more time on the defensive line this week to try and shut down Murphy and former Nebraska Danger RB Jeff Scott. LB Nick Haag (84.5 total tackles, 3.0 sacks) could also line up more at defensive line to provide depth. DB Robert Brown (93.0 total tackles, 6 INT) may line up at linebacker next to Pasquale Vacchio (80.0 total tackles, 3 INT), meaning more time in the defensive backfield for Tyree Robinson (64.0 total tackles, 6 INT), Lorenzo White Jr (24.5 total tackles, 2 INT), Adrian James (8.0 tackles, 3 INT) and newcomer Cassius Sendish. If they can contain Wolves WRs Willie Downs, Alexander McCray, and Chip Reeves, it could benefit the Empire defense into containing Murphy from running wild.
Player to Watch: Justin Helwege (WR)
With the loss of veteran WR Carl Sims, Justin Helwege could see an increased role in Spokane's offense for the rest of the season and into the playoffs.
Helwege, who was out for 5 consecutive games, he played in limited action against Nebraska but stepped in an increased role with JJ Hayes out last week against Sioux Falls. He performed well, catching 5 passes for 48 yards and 1 TD. On the season, he has 23 catches for 249 yards and 6 TDs.
The emergence of Charles and the versatility of Diondre Borel as an emergency QB as well as receiver has limited his opportunities to contribute for the Empire's offense, but that will likely change for the rest of the season. Helwege has been in the league for successful teams in the Colorado Ice (now Crush), Nebraska Danger, and Cedar Rapids Titans, making his value that much more important with Sims out for the rest of the season. Expect Helwege to see more playing time in the regular season finale as the Empire prep for the playoffs in the next two weeks.
BILLINGS:
The Billings Wolves have to be feeling good about themselves. They've won 3 of their last 5 games, and in their two losses, they've lost by 10 points or less. They look to be vastly improved from where they were at the beginning of the season, when the Wolves started 2-3. Throughout the course of the season, the Wolves have found a new franchise QB that can finally build their offense up to be as good as their defense, which has kept them in the majority of games this season.
With a 67-23 beat down of the Tri-Cities Fever last week, the Wolves clinched the #2 seed in the Intense Conference Playoffs, including the rights to host a home playoff game. Their confidence has never been higher, and now they get the Intense Conference Champions coming to their arena. Billings has beaten Spokane at the Rimrock Auto Arena, which they won 30-22 back in March, but both teams have come a long way since that game.
QB Cory Murphy, the Wolves latest QB to be given the starting nod, has been the source of success for the Wolves on offense. When he was signed by the Wolves, Murphy filled in at the running back position. He eventually took over at QB when Mason Espinosa went down with an injury, and has taken the job by storm. This season, Murphy has 62% of his passes (51-of-82) for 619 yards, 7 TD and 9 INTs, but has made his impact with his running ability, rushing 73 times for 329 yards and 18 touchdowns. Ex-Danger RB Jeff Scott lines up behind him, bringing a second rushing threat (2 rushes, 46 yards, TD). If the Wolves can establish an effect running game, much like what Sioux Falls did the previous week, it could give ample opportunities for leading WR Willie Downs (60 receptions, 691 yards, 13 TDs) as well as Alexander McCray (32 receptions, 237 yards, 4 TDs) and Chip Reeves (14 receptions, 268 yards, 2 TD).
Defensively, Billings catches a break in defending Spokane's running game, which could help benefit their already stingy pass defense against Spokane's wide receivers. Turnovers have doomed Spokane in their 3 losses this season, something that DBs Michael Green, Taylor Vincent, and Demetruce McNeal could take advantage of, especially with the Empire's struggles in the red zone as of late.
Player to Watch: Michael Green (DB)
With the Empire struggling with interceptions against the Sioux Falls Storm, it presents an ample opportunity for DB Michael Green to have a big game in the regular season finale and send a message to the Empire to beware when the INtense Conference Championship comes around
This season, Green is having another exceptional season. The 2015 IFL Defensive Rookie of the Year has 10 interceptions on the season, leads the team with 69.5 total tackles and has10 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He's already got 1 interception on Dowdell this season and looks to add more to his totals on Saturday night.
His tough play could also set the stage for Taylor Vincent and Demetruce McNeal to contain Spokane's reserve wide receivers. He's the key contributor for why Billings has been so good this season, and they'll look to him to try and lead the charge in beating Spokane this week.
QUOTABLE
Empire QB Charles Dowdell on Spokane's 59-35 loss to Sioux Falls.
"When you play a team like that you can't turn it over and we have to capitalize on the (stops) our defense had."
Empire HC Adam Shackleford on Dowdell's 4 interceptions against Sioux Falls.
"We talked all week about the flats being open. Charles is just putting too much pressure on himself to make big plays. We're trying to get him to stay in the system and do what he's done so well all season."
Shackleford on his team's disappointing loss to the Storm
"You hope when your team gets punched in the mouth that they respond. We didn't, and that's disappointing."
Shackleford on the separation between the Empire and Storm.
"There is a gap. They (Sioux Falls) come out and expect to win. They play championship football and when you don't, they smell blood in the water. We don't have that right now."
LB Nick Haag offers a different opinion on the separation between the Empire and Storm.
"It's not a big (gap) at all. I still believe and have no problem saying we have the best team in the IFL. With that said, when you make mistakes you're not going to win a football game, especially at the professional level. ... That's a team you can't make mistakes against. Some other teams you can get away with making some mistakes."
WR JJ Hayes on Spokane's struggles in the redzone over the past 8 games.
"Just mental mistakes. We're calling the right plays and schemes, it's the players executing those plays. It comes down to us."
FEATURED TWEETS
IFL SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
June 25 - Wichita Falls Nighthawks (10-5) at Green Bay Blizzard (5-10), 5 p.m.
June 25 - Cedar Rapids Titans (11-4) at Iowa Barnstormers (4-11), 5 p.m.
June 25 - Spokane Empire (12-3) at Billings Wolves (7-8), 6 p.m.
June 25 - Nebraska Danger (5-10) at Tri-Cities Fever (3-12), 7 p.m.
Byes - Colorado Crush (4-12), Sioux Falls Storm (15-1)
EXTRA
With a late overtime loss by the Nebraska Danger, the Billings Wolves have clinched a playoff berth for the first time in their 2-year history. Nebraska's loss to the Colorado Crush sealed the #2 seed for the Wolves, giving them the rights to host the Wild Card weekend game against the Danger.
(image courtesy of Paul Ruhter / Billings Gazette)
The Wolves hosting a playoff game is significant; the last time a Billings IFL team played a home playoff game was back in 2010, back when the Billings Outlaws were still in existence. That season, a F2 tornado hit the Billings area, significantly damaging Rimrock Auto Arena. The Outlaws were forced to play all 4 playoff games at the Billings Sports Plex, the Outlaws' (and currently the Wolves') practice facility. The last playoff game, a 43-34 victory over the Sioux Falls Storm in the United Bowl, was the Outlaws' final game as a franchise before they folded 4 months later.