Blaze Host Avengers with Both Fighting For Playoff Lives
Josh Fisher
Saturday April 15, 2006
The Blaze already defeated the Avengers this season. Utah won 68-66 at STAPLES on February 25 when Joe Germaine found Orshawonte Bryant in the end zone on the game’s final play. Tonight the Blaze will start newly signed Andy Kelly at quarterback. Kelly, the AFL’s all-time leading passer, was signed following Utah’s fourth straight loss without regular starter Germaine. He started the season with the Kansas City Brigade, but was released two weeks back.
After tonight’s game the Blaze will play three straight against teams currently in the playoff hunt, all on the road. Next week they visit the Colorado Crush, who has already clinched a playoff spot. That is followed by a game at Las Vegas then a huge game with Chicago. Utah needs to win at least three of its final five to have a shot at the playoffs, so tonight’s game in very important. Then conceivably they would just need to get one road win, and a solid outing against Kansas City in the finale to get into the playoffs. A win tonight would also go a long way towards possible tie-breakers with Las Vegas.
Utah has struggled the last few weeks in finishing out games; however a solid outing tonight could be just what they need to make that final push towards the playoffs. Kickoff at the Delta Center is set for 7:00 and it will be exciting to see how the two teams respond to fighting for their playoff lives.
Josh Fisher has been a fan of the AFL for as long as he can remember. He followed the Arizona Rattlers since they began playing. Josh works for the University of Utah
as their head statistician. He is also the media contact for Klub Boom
Volleyball Club and the head volleyball coach at Park City High School.
