Spokane sweeps Burn, hands Boise sixth straight loss
Sunday June 24, 2007
SPOKANE, Wash. - The defending af2 Champion Spokane Shock completed a season sweep over the Boise Burn on Saturday night, turning six Boise turnovers into a 60-28 win at Spokane Arena. The Shock won the first meeting of the season at Qwest Arena in Boise, 62-44 on May 19th.
Spokane jumped to an early lead as Nygel Rogers picked off Burn quarterback Casey Rehrer’s pass on the third play of the game and returned it 16-yards for a touchdown. On their next possession, Boise was forced to attempt a 58-yard field goal, and Chico Mackay returned the missed kick 35 yards, to the Burn 5 yard line. One play later Andrico Hines hit Raul Vijil for a five-yard TD and a 13-0 lead.
The Burn scored eight minutes into the opening quarter when quarterback Bart Hendricks connected with Ahmad Harris for a 27-yard score, cutting the Shock lead down to 13-7.
Leading by 13 (20-7) in the second quarter, Spokane’s Ben Brown took a handoff for a 43-yard TD run and the 26-7 lead. Boise showed some signs of life, answering the next 21 points. But Boise was unable to score the rest of the night. Ahmad Harris’s second 27-yard TD catch of the game made it a 26-14, Spokane. Following a Shock fumble, Rehrer found Casey Allen for a one-yard score on a fourth down play. The TD was Allen’s 22nd of the season. Then it was the defense’s turn to put points on the board, as Levi Madarieta stripped the ball from Andrico Hines, Corey Dodds picked up the loose ball and returned it 37-yards for the Burn’s first lead at 28-26. Spokane regained the lead on the last play of the first half. Hines found Vijil for the third time, this from 6-yards. The Shock took a 33-28 lead into the break.
The third and fourth quarters were all Spokane. Vijil’s fourth TD of the game and Rogers’ second interception return for a TD (44 yards) gave the Shock a 19-point lead heading into the final quarter.
Vijil (Schutt Offensive player of the Game) scored his fifth and sixth TD’s of the game in the fourth quarter. Boise was held scoreless in a half for the first time this season and Spokane scored 34 unanswered points en route to the 60-28 victory.
Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score
Spokane Shock 20 13 14 13 60 Record: (8-4)
Boise Burn 7 21 0 0 28 Record: (4-7)
LEADERS:
PASSING: HENDRICKS (BOI) 11-22-123-3; HINES (SPO) 24-34-255-0
RECEIVING: (BOI) HARRIS 8-117-2; , (SPO) VIJIL 13-122-6
Schutt Offensive Player of the Game: Raul Vijil
U.S. Army Ironman of the Game: Lee Marks
ADT Defensive Player of the Game: Nygel Rogers
The Burn return home next week and will host the Tri-Cities Fever at Qwest Arena. Kick off is at 7:00 pm.
All home games are televised live on Cable One Channel 17 and will also be available on the B2 Networks through www.af2.com. All 16 Boise Burn games will be broadcast exclusively on Journal Broadcast Group’s KGEM 1140 AM with Scott Conklin calling the action. The broadcasts will include a 10-minute pre-game show and feature player and coach interviews as well as news about the Burn and the AFL and af2.
If you are interested in season tickets for next season, The Boise Burn are now taking names for season tickets for the 2008 season. Individual game tickets for this season are available at the Qwest Arena Box Office, by phone (208) 331.TIXS (8497), toll free (888) 330.TIXS (8497), or online at www.boiseburn.com. Individual Burn tickets are priced at levels of $50 for front row, followed by seats in the $32, $28, $23, $20, $18 and $15 range, plus Arena fees.
