Spokane Fans Shocked at Loss to Bakersfield Blitz
Shawn and Lori Mosqueda
Tuesday May 9, 2006
Shawn's Take:
Coming in to this game, the Shock had a 4-0 record and a powerful defense, which is uncharacteristic for arena football.
The first match up between the Shock and the Blitz took place in Bakersfield. The Shock trailed the Blitz throughout game, but stunned the crowd with a winning come back in the last minute of the game.
Tonight's game was anything but shocking. Coming off of a bye week, the Shock looked terrible and simply couldn't get anything going.
The game started out phenomenal. The Shock came out of the gates with a strong defense holding the Blitz to just one touchdown in the first quarter. A nearly scoreless first quarter is a record in itself for arena football. The Blitz's defense was equally as powerful with lots of blitzes on Shock's QB Alex Neist.
With four minutes left in the 1st quarter, QB Alex Neist began to scramble and threw an interception and Blitz's WR\LB Darnell Crowder came away with the ball. This turnover led to the first score of the game.
To mix things up, we saw QB Brian Zbydniewski for the first time this season. He had a tough time against the Blitz as well.
For the remainder of the game we saw a few great defensive and offensive plays and three touchdowns, but ultimately the Shock had an off night.
Being new to arena football, I found myself annoyed in the many instances where the Shock had a 4th down and head coach Chris Siegfried did not attempt a field goal when the Shock was on their 15 yard line or less. I would have thought that even if you did not make the field goal, you still would be forcing the opposing team to start deep in their territory.
Instead, the Shock attempted to get the first down and ended up giving the Blitz awesome field position, leading to several touchdowns. This definitely didn't help.
However, when interviewing head coach Chris Sigfried, I asked him about the 4th down situations and why he didn't attempt the field goals. He explained, "Why kick a 40yd field goal through a 9 ft wide up rising, when the probability of making it is very slim. This is not a field position game. It is a possession game. It is just like basketball. Just throwing the basketball down the court doesn't mean you are going to make it, you are just going to give the ball back to the opposing team. If you can't stop their offense than the chances of getting the 1st down is better than a field goal".
Coach, forgive me for my lack of coaching knowledge, and thank you for teaching me something new about arena football.
This loss was no big deal, unless, of course, the Shock continue to play like a new expansion team. I don't think this will happen. They simply had an off day and the Blitz were given a game.
Next week the Shock will be back and sure to win against the Everett Hawks.
Lori's Take:
Yes, Shawn, this game was a disappointment to watch. Especially if you compare it to the last 4 games the Shock has played. I don't think it was the bye week, but it was apparent that many of the players were just not in sync, with themselves or each other. There were several times during the third quarter where I thought maybe we had a chance for a come back, but too many drives ended up with the ball back in the hands of the Blitz.
It didn't help at all that the Blitz were all over the Shock QB's Alex Neist and Brian Zbydniewski. Not to mention Blitz's QB Mike Wall multiple pass completions for touchdowns to Rennard Reynolds, Eric Mahanke and Nathan Munson.
Credit is due to the Shock's Raul Vijil, who scored two touchdowns in the game. One a 7 yard pass from QB Brian Zbydniewski, the other an 11 yard run late in the fourth quarter. Vijil is at 10 touchdowns for the season.
Kevin Beard also came back after being gone for the birth of his first child, a boy, to score a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. He also was quite active bantering with Blitz's Joshua Robinson. I guess if you can't give the fans some more touchdowns, picking a fight can liven things up a bit..
Despite tonight's loss, comfort was found for this fan while interviewing several of the players. The feeling among the players is that the Blitz played pretty much the same as they did in their first match up with the Shock. If the Shock had been in sync, they would have pulled off a win tonight. All they need to do now is to come out strong in practice and the remainder of the season. I am sure they will be ready for a successful match up against the Blitz in the playoffs.
One other thing I'd like to mention is the disappointment I felt when watching too many of the Spokane fans leaving the arena when there was still over 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter. I agree that there was no way for a fourth quarter comeback for the Shock, but the team needs the support of their fans, win or lose.
These guys are playing because they love the game of football. I guarantee it is not a huge contract getting them out on the field. Their compensation for playing is just $200.00 per game, a $50.00 bonus if they win, and their housing is paid for during the season.
Sure, playing in AFL2 does put them in the spotlight and may give them the chance to move on to the NFL, but their desire to play football is the driving force. So Spokane, won't you add to their meager earnings and give them your support? Spokane's 9th man has been a great encouragement to the Shock so far so let's keep it up, win or lose.
Shawn and Lori with their children Kaiden and Moriah live in beautiful Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. Suffering from football withdrawals, the two diehard Seahawk fans found out that a new team was coming to town, the "Spokane Shock". Shawn and Lori are excited to cover the team as new sportswriters and new fans of Arena Football (you just can't beat year round football). GO SHOCK!!!
Shawn is in the process of completing and publishing an ebook entitled "The Complete HTPC Guide: Everyone's Guide To Building A Home Theater PC". Shawn has a structured wiring company where he helps homeowners create automated homes through the use of home electronics and computers.
Lori is an aspiring children's writer. After years of being an accomplished QA Analyst for a cutting edge software manufacturer, she now enjoys spending her time with her family and writing.
Shawn is in the process of completing and publishing an ebook entitled "The Complete HTPC Guide: Everyone's Guide To Building A Home Theater PC". Shawn has a structured wiring company where he helps homeowners create automated homes through the use of home electronics and computers.
Lori is an aspiring children's writer. After years of being an accomplished QA Analyst for a cutting edge software manufacturer, she now enjoys spending her time with her family and writing.