Amarillo Bites the Dust
Shawn and Lori Mosqueda
Thursday July 13, 2006
Unlike other games, tonight I decided to focus on the offensive/defensive linemen. Although it was hard to stay focused on them due to the excitement upon hand-off, I wanted to know how these unsung heroes affect the outcome of the games.
Those who are unable to attend the game and watch the game on TV are not able to see anything other than what the cameraman shows - the action. Those who are able to attend games have the advantage of viewing other happenings on the field.
The first thing I noticed about the Shock's defensive linemen (dubbed the Fantastic Four) is their ability to add pressure to the quarterback. These Fantastic Four are powerhouses and have a lot to do with the success of the Shock's defensive game.
The Shock's defensive lineman Jerome Stevens, who is 6’3" and 295 lbs., is fast on his feet and often requires two-three offensive linemen to keep him from getting to their quarterback. This causes trouble for the opposing team since the remaining Shock OL/DL have free reign to terrorize their quarterback! In many instances, Jerome is quite capable of moving the offensive line to one side, completely collapsing the running hole that many offensive players try to create.
Levi Madarieta, FB/LB, is another player that seems to be everywhere. At 6’3" and 250 lbs., Levi is able move fast and add pressure from the sides and behind the quarterback. He was nipping at Amarillo's QB Brian Zbyniewski’s heels all night. He managed to get a few hits that certainly rattled Brian's cage.
Another key player to the powerful defensive line is Shock's OL/DL Neil Purvis. At 6'3" and 280 lbs., Neil is as powerful as Levi and Jerome. Neil is a good blend between Jerome and Levi. He has more weight than Levi, giving him more knockdown power, but he is lighter than Jerome, giving him a little more speed.
Last, but not least, is FB/LB Moa Peaua. At 6'0" and 310 lbs., Moa is one big guy. We have not seen a lot of Moa because he has been on injured reserve, but he certainly made his presence known tonight. Moa made some fantastic stops and was key to wearing down the offense.
We spoke to Jerome Stevens after the game. He had this to say about Moa: "Moa? He is a hard hitter. He is a bowling ball. When the other team's offensive line is tired, we send in Moa to hit them harder and deflate them!"
We also asked Jerome Stevens about how he feels the defensive line and team are doing. Jerome stated, "The team? We are a family. Once everybody steps up and gets on the same page, you get that mindset and look in the other guys’ eyes and say 'We are ready to go!' When one guy is down, we pick him up. We are a family!"
Let’s not forget to mention the guys that get all the action and attention as they also had a phenomenal night. Keefe, Trufant, Frederick and Hendrix, who are all notorious for awesome interceptions, pass breakups and all around awesome performances, all had fantastic plays. They are certainly at the top of their game.
While Shock's QB Kyle Rowley has been playing exceptionally well, we will miss Alex Neist. However, we have enjoyed watching Kyle show his ability to make things happen.
I would like to quickly mention that while tonight's game was a much-needed blowout for the Shock, I can't help but feel some empathy for the Amarillo Dusters. These guys had to travel from Amarillo, Texas, in mini-vans for tonight’s game. They arrived in Spokane Friday night at 10:30 p.m. Not too much time to rest and prepare for tonight’s game. Hats off to them for their effort.
Lori's Take:
Tonight's win keeps the Shock on top with the best record in the af2. It also helps in their battle for home field advantage throughout the playoffs – something their fans in Spokane will go nuts over.
I did pay closer attention to the Shock linemen at Shawn's suggestion. It was not too hard to do because those bad boys were making some great plays tonight. OL/DL Jerome Stevens was pretty amazing to watch. It took at least two or three of the Dusters to slow him down. Notice I said slow him down. I don't think he was ever brought down by anyone tonight.
OL/DL Ed Ta'amu was fun to watch tonight as well. He had two receptions tonight, both resulting in him running and gaining some more yardage for the Shock. Whoever said big boys can't run have never seen Ta'amu. Of course, size helps in these situations. A simple push of Ta'amu's hand had any Duster trying to tackle him drop like a fly.
While Shock's OL/DL Stevens, Ta'amu, Sigler, Peaua, and Purvis were controlling the line tonight, the offense was on fire. QB Kyle Rowley seemed to be in sync with every teammate he handed off or threw to. Six of tonight's touchdowns were passing touchdowns, the longest of which was a 31-yard pass caught by Kevin Beard. It was great to see Beard back in the game after his injury suffered in the June 24th game against Albany.
Defensively, Keefe was there for tackle after tackle. Isaiah Trufant, in just his third game with the Shock, also had his share of tackles and pass breakups. Charles Frederick, already scoring three touchdowns for the night, also had the crowd on their feet cheering him on as he scored on a 39-yard interception return.
The Shock have an amazing record of 11-2. I am sure this electrifying team will soon be at 12-2 with a win next week over the Stockton Lightning.
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.