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Posts Tagged ‘Spokane Shock’

August 18th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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All of the marbles will be on the line at ArenaBowl XXIII on Friday night, as the Spokane Shock and Tampa Bay Storm duke it out for the right to be called the 2010 champions of the Arena Football League.

Tampa Bay Storm (+3.5) @ Spokane Shock
Friday, August 20th
8:00 ET, Spokane Arena, Spokane, WA

Tampa Bay Notes: The Storm might have been the third seed in the American Conference playoffs, but no one ever doubted the fact that they were the best team on that side of the draw during the entire postseason. Tampa Bay is stacked with a ton of talent on both sides of the ball, and many think that it is the better team in this game in spite of the records of each. The Storm have already won five ArenaBowl championships and will be playing in their eighth ArenaBowl in franchise history on Friday. The slogan "1=6" has been adapted from the Tampa Bay Rays' "9=8" season in which they went to the World Series. One more good game equals the sixth championship for the franchise. Quarterback Brett Dietz has thrown for 14 TDs during this postseason, though his two picks have to be cause for concern. He played some shaky ball down the stretch against the Orlando Predators in the American Conference Championship Game, as the Storm blew a three score lead and gave Orlando a chance to kick what would've been the game winning field goal had it been good. Keep a close eye on the defensive front for the Storm. They are a talented unit that is overlooked due to their lack of accumulated stats. Still, no one gets off the ball and into the face of opposing quarterbacks faster than DT Tim McGill. On offense, WR Tyrone Timmons leads the way, as he leads the squad with six TD grabs in the playoffs. However, both DeAndrew Rubin and Hank Edwards have had 200+ yard receiving games on the season, and all three can go off for huge games if need be.

Spokane Notes: The Shock might not have ArenaBowl experience, but they certainly do have ArenaCup experience! The rookies of the AFL were powerhouses in the af2 over the last four years, playing in three of the four championship games for the league. They won two of the three that they played in, including last season when they posted a tremendous 74-27 victory on the neutral field of Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The only ArenaCup that the city of Spokane has hosted was in 2008, when the Shock were beaten by a single point by the Tennessee Valley Vipers for the af2 title. Spokane is favored to become the first team to ever win both the ArenaCup and the ArenaBowl thanks to its potent offense. The unit, which came up just 12 points short of 1,000 for the season, is led by QB Kyle Rowley and WR Huey Whittaker. Whittaker had 144 catches, 1,653 yards, and 37 TDs in the regular season and has added six more scores in the playoffs. Rowley had historically struggled in postseasons of past in his af2 days with the Arkansas Twisters, but he has proven himself to be incredibly efficient in the playoffs, throwing 14 TD passes without throwing a pick in Spokane's run to the ArenaBowl.

The Final Word: We'd love to back the hosts in this game, but there is something about history that is just ringing in our ears in this one. Tampa Bay HC Tim Marcum doesn't like losing, and he absolutely despises it in the playoffs and in the ArenaBowl. QB Brett Dietz has the ability to be an absolute superstar in this league for a number of years to come, and we think that he is going to claim his first title on Friday. Expect the Tampa Bay defense to do just enough in what should be a shootout to bring the Storm their AFL best sixth championship.

Prediction: Tampa Bay 69 – Spokane 63

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July 15th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The NFL Network will once again be broadcasting a Friday night AFL betting battle, and this week, the featured game will come between the Iowa Barnstormers and the Spokane Shock from "The Well."

Spokane Shock @ Iowa Barnstormers (+6.5)
Friday, July 16th
8:00 ET, Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, IA

Spokane Notes: With a win and losses by both Tampa Bay and Chicago this week, the Shock can actually lock down the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs. If that were to happened, they would know that they will get to play at home for the entire postseason, including the ArenaBowl. Spokane is also on a nine-game winning streak that has already seen it clinch the Western Division title. QB Kyle Rowley was one of the best signal callers at the af2 level while the Shock were playing in that league, and now he is proving to be one of the best in the biz in the AFL as well. Rowley already has 84 TD passes and over 3,500 yards through the air, making him one of the few QBs that is nearly assured to throw for 4,000 yards and 100 TDs on this season. His top two wide receivers are also two of the best in the league as well. We already knew that WR Huey Whittaker was an amazing AFL wide out, and he has 116 receptions, 1,305 yards, and 29 TDs this year. WR Raul Vijil leads the team in scores with 33. However, Vijil has been out of the lineup since Week 13 against Milwaukee. If he comes back into the lineup, the Barnstormers will have to keep a close eye on him. Vijil has had at least two TD receptions in all of his games since his first of the year.

Iowa Notes: Iowa knows that these final three games of the regular season are all probably must-wins. A loss this week to the Shock will effectively end its season, and could mathematically end it depending on the combination of wins and losses for other teams in Week 16. The Barnstormers had a decent defensive effort last week in a 52-42 defeat at Oklahoma City, as that marked the third straight effort in which the team allowed 52 points or less. QB Ryan Vena had his first 300+ yard passing game of the season, but he also had his seventh game with at least two picks as well. Vena has thrown an AFL worst 20 interceptions on the season. He also is second in the league in rushing touchdowns with 20. He has already reached career highs in virtually every category, though he hasn't played in the AFL since 2005 with the defunct Columbus Destroyers. With just seven catches, WR Jesse Schmidt will reach 100 for the season. He also leads the team in receiving yards with 1,258, though WR Todd Blythe leads the team with 22 TDs.

The Final Word: There is a huge question about motivation in this game. The Shock really already have everything wrapped up, and they have to be looking forward to the visit from the Chicago Rush next week in what could be a preview of the National Conference final. Iowa is playing for its life and knows that a home win is the only way to stay in the playoffs. We think there is an outright upset in the making, but taking the points is going to be nothing but a great buffer.

Prediction: Iowa 58 – Spokane 54

Week 16 AFL Betting Card
Iowa (+6.5) vs. Spokane
Iowa/Spokane over 107 Arizona (-23) vs. Utah

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June 11th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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After a three-pack of Arena Football betting action on Friday night, eight more teams will duke it out over four matchups on Saturday. Here at Cappers Info, we've got your inside scoop on all of the AFL odds for Week 11.

Spokane Shock @ Orlando Predators (+3.5)
Friday, June 11th
7:30 ET, Amway Arena, Orlando, FL

Spokane Notes: The Shock were off in Week 10 getting prepared for this game in Orlando. However, per Arena Football League rules, coaches, players, and staff members are not allowed to work in any way, shape, or form for the franchise during the off weeks, so the Shock may be a tad rusty for this one. QB Kyle Rowley was one of the best players in the af2 during its existence, and he has brought that expertise with him up to the AFL level with a huge degree of success. Spokane's signal caller is completing 64.6 percent of his passes on the year for 2,264 yards and 57 touchdowns against just five interceptions. WR Raul Vijil already has 22 scores on the season, while WR Huey Whittaker is leading the team with 74 catches and is second with 771 yards and 19 TDs. Vijil has already amassed 1,143 all purpose yards on the season, and is a candidate for the league's Offensive Player of the Year award. Recording 15 sacks and picking off nine passes in just eight games is very important for the Spokane defense as well, but save holding Utah to a total of 62 points in two games, the team is allowing 65.3 points per game.

Orlando Notes: All of a sudden, after starting 0-3, the Predators have taken four of their L/5 games overall, and are a win away from getting above the .500 mark for the first time all season. The team's offense has scored at least 50 points in four of those five games as well, which is a marked improvement from the 71 total points that it had scored in the previous two games in losses to Jacksonville and Iowa. There aren't many defensive backfields that can keep up with the Orlando wide receivers when they are playing at their full potential. Both WR TT Toliver and WR Derrick Lewis are on a pace to catch at least 130 passes this year, and the two have combined to catch 24 of the 36 TD passes thrown by QB Nick Hill this year. WR Bobby Sippio might be the third man in the bunch, but his health is up in the air and he is questionable for the game. Hill, who only has experience at the af2 level prior to this year, has already thrown 11 interceptions, while his completion percentage is down to just 68.2 percent. However, the Predators are opening up the playbook for him quite a bit, and all the unit is starting to look a lot more fluid in recent weeks in spite of his declining stats.

The Final Word: This is a game that is Orlando's for the taking. The team has played poorly at home this year in losses to Iowa and Tampa Bay, and historically, "The Jungle" is one of the toughest venues in the league to play in. For Spokane, travelling across the country is incredibly difficult, and just as the Shock were the beneficiaries of Jacksonville making the cross country trip to them two weeks ago, the Predators will be the ones who take advantage of Spokane's travels to the Sunshine State this week. If Orlando's offense keeps its head on straight and Hill can take care of the football, the Predators should claw their way back into the playoff race in the American Conference.

Prediction: Orlando 60 – Spokane 51

Week 11 AFL Betting Card
Milwaukee (-6.5) vs. Cleveland
Iowa (-1.5) @ Bossier City

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