Shock knock off Command for first win of the season

Brian Beaudry
Saturday April 2, 2011

On April 1, the day where most people pretend that lies are true, the Spokane Shock finally showed what they believe their true potential to be, crushing the Kansas City Command, 61-34 in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicates.

New offensive coordinator Andy Olson and the offense got the party started with a 30-yard touchdown from Kyle Rowley to Shaun Kauleinamoku on the very first play from scrimmage, and the fireworks never stopped, as the starting offense scored on every possession for the first time this season.

“It was awesome. This is what we were hoping for last week. Kyle played an awesome game, the offensive line … no turnovers, that’s the most important thing,” Olson said.

The defense, one of the most talented in the league, lived up to its promise, forcing three turnovers on downs in the first half alone as the Shock rolled to a 38-12 halftime lead. Unlike the previous week at Iowa, however, there was no letup in the second half.

Ruschard Dodd-Masters stole the ball from the hands of Kansas City wide receiver Bret Smith as Smith struggled to break through two defenders for more yardage. Defensive lineman Jon Williams picked off a J.J. Raterink pass that was tipped at the line of scrimmage, the defense’s second interception of the year. Kicker Taylor Rowan continued to make extra points and field goals, never giving the Command even a glimmer of hope.

“Getting this win at home is so big,” said Kauleinamoku. “We’ve worked so hard – we just needed to put that product on the field. Today we had a full game, special teams, defense, and offense. Everybody played their tails off.”

“I think the guys got fed up,” said Head Coach Rob Keefe. “It was totally about the players tonight. They stepped up. That was the first full game we’ve put together, and I think people can see what we’re capable of,” Keefe said.

Heading into the game 0-3, the only winless team in an incredibly tough West division, the Shock knew they couldn’t afford another loss heading into their first bye week of the season. Fans, haters, and even the coaching staff spent the last week looking for answers.

“Every morning, we’re in the meeting room, saying, ‘How is it possible that we’re 0-3? Look at the talent that is on this team – fourth-round draft picks, guys that dominated Arena 2 and the AFL before – and what are we missing?’” said Keefe. “You have to respect your opponent. We finally came into a situation where we respected our opponent, and you saw what we did because of that.”

A well-rounded attack kept Kansas City guessing all night. Emery Sammons led the team with 79 receiving yards, followed closely by Shaun Kauleinamoku’s 77. Greg Orton, who picked up a Shock-franchise-high 203 yards last week in the loss at Iowa, had just 27 yards, but scored the touchdown that gave the Shock their first three-touchdown lead. Raul Vijil tied Sammons and Kauleinamoku for the game high in receiving touchdowns with two, tacking on 36 yards.

In another proof that yardage doesn’t matter in Arena Football, J.J. Raterink picked up another 300-yard game, his third of the season, for the 0-3 Command. Rowley’s 219 yards marked the first time the Shock QB has posted under 300 yards in a game this season. The big stat for Rowley was his zero interceptions, the first time he’s posted a clean sheet on the season.

“It’s about playing mistake-free ball. As a quarterback, I have to do that, or we’re not going to win,” Rowley said.

The Shock will look to heal up during the bye week, as several players have been playing with nagging injuries not severe enough to keep them sidelined. Next, they’ll take on the 2-1 Utah Blaze and former offensive coordinator Matt Sauk in Salt Lake City in a critical division game.

Keefe feels that the Shock’s record can help the team remain focused for a tough upcoming stretch that includes two division rivals and two current division leaders.

“I want to be counted out. I want to have some dirt on my shoulder to brush off. I want to be kicked when I’m down. It just fuels the fire,” said Keefe. “I think everybody thought we were the injured animal, that they could take advantage of us. I definitely wanted to make a statement. This is just one statement we’ve made, though.”

With any more games like Friday’s, though, it’s doubtful that the Shock will be fooling anyone into looking past them.