The Hawks Fall Prey to Shock
Shawn and Lori Mosqueda
Thursday July 27, 2006
If you came into tonight’s game thinking this was going to be all about the Shock, you were dead wrong. Unlike previous meetings between these two teams, the Everett Hawks came in with a new coach and a well-prepared team. Not only were they well prepared, they seemed to have a collective chip on their shoulders. Two of their players, WR/DB Tavarius Davis and OL/DL Chuck Jones, are former Shock players. Too bad for the Hawks that their turn-around came so late in the season.
The Shock’s offense in the first half looked lost. They had some miscommunications that resulted in either dropped passes or under/overthrows. Shock’s QB Kyle Rowley really felt the pressure and was sacked for the first time this season.
Even though the Shock had a tough time in the first half, they still managed to end the half with 35-34 lead over the Hawks. After the game, Shock head coach Chris Siegfried said, "I thought Kyle Rowley had an off game in the first half. At half time, he got rid of the funk, then we came out and scored another 34 points."
The Shock did come out strong in the second half and started making plays and looked sharp. The Shock's DS Isaiah Trufant was on fire! He made some phenomenal pass breakup plays at key moments and plenty of tackles. I am sure having his family there in the stands cheering him on was a morale booster.
Everett continued to play aggressive ball in the second half. Hawk’s WR/DB LeJaun Edwards made an interception in the end zone and ran it out for 6-8 yards before getting injured.
The Shock's OS Kevin Beard seemed to be everywhere tonight! He had 4 touchdowns on 5 possessions for 70 yards.
After the game we asked many Shock players if they expected the Everett Hawks to play as tough as they did. They all replied with a resounding, "Yes."
Shock's QB Kyle Rowley said, "No. I wasn't at all (surprised). I prepared more for this game than the last four because I know the coaches and players over there. They also just picked up JR Thomas. I figured it would be a game like that because they had nothing to loose but pride. I am glad we came out on top!"
When Chris Siegfried was asked about Everett's performance he said, "My hats off to Everett. They brought a great team in here. QB Brian Baker did a great job putting the ball up there, giving their receivers the opportunity to make plays. JR Thomas is a great, great player. I have been watching him for years and he is a game changing receiver."
We also asked Chris to comment on our "Ninth Man". "The crowd is great! That is a huge advantage we have. When the other teams can't hear, it forces them to use timeouts and causes delays of game. Their quarterbacks have to yell out the counts. When the others can't hear him, then they have to go to silent no count football. This allows our pass rushers to make some great plays. They are an absolutely huge asset and as long as we play at home, we will have that "Ninth Man", the extra player helping out."
I have even heard a rumor that playing in Spokane is dreaded by the other teams because of how loud the fans are! The Shock will definitely need the "Ninth Man" throughout the playoffs.
So Lori, the Shock now have a first-round bye in the playoffs and the home field advantage. What an awesome inaugural season!
Lori’s Take:
Yes, I am totally excited about the Shock going to the playoffs, let alone securing home field advantage. I am sure the "Ninth Man" will come out and "play" just as hard as their beloved team.
Tonight’s game was another on-the-edge-of-your-seat game. Quite often I watched in disbelief. I was so sure that tonight was going to be another blow out. However, the Everett Hawks that played tonight were definitely not the same team that played the Shock in the two previous match-ups. Hawk’s head coach Anthony Wells certainly had his team ready for battle, especially armed with QB Brian Baker, OS JR Thomas, and WR/DB Milton Myers.
The Hawks were the first to score with JR Thomas receiving a 24-yard pass from Brian Baker. Shock answered back soon after with Antwone Savage’s 22-yard pass reception from Shock QB Kyle Rowley. Amazingly, the Hawks had the lead at the end of the first quarter, despite all the penalties against them.
OS’s Kevin Beard and Antwone Savage and WR/DB Charles Frederick turned things around for the Shock with four touchdowns in the second quarter. However, the Hawks still managed to outwit the Shock defense enough to score three touchdowns and narrow the Shock’s lead to just 35–34 at the end of the first half.
The third quarter was much the same – each team took turns scoring. Kevin Beard had his third touchdown of the night, receiving a 25-yard pass from Kyle Rowley. DS Leo Fenceroy scored his first and only touchdown of the night with an 11-yard reception and subsequent roll and dive combination into the end zone.
DS Jesse Hendrix mixed things up a bit with a 0-yard fumble recovery early in the fourth quarter. Beard and Frederick also scored in the fourth. However, the Hawks answered back with three touchdowns of their own, the last of which was Deontrae Johnson’s 9-yard reception from Brian Baker that placed the Hawks within 1 point of the Shock with just 10 seconds left in the game.
Those 10 seconds were the longest, most agonizing 10 seconds I have ever experienced. Yes, I think it even beat labor pains. Thankfully, the Hawk’s attempted 2-point conversion to win the game was unsuccessful. There was a penalty on the play, which resulted in a loss of yardage, putting the Hawk’s within range for the extra point kick to tie the game. The kick was no good, but there was a penalty flag on the play so the Hawks still had possession. The Hawks tried a few more times to make a play but the Shock’s outstanding defensive line, mainly Leo Fenceroy’s pass breakup, wouldn’t allow it.
We asked Kevin Beard, selected for the Ironman of the Game Award, what was going through his mind during those last 10 seconds of the game. He sums up just how intense those moments were by answering, "Man, I was praying. And each time they had another chance, I said, ‘OK, Lord, we need You to do it again!’"
Keep praying, Mr. Beard, so you and your team can defeat the Rio Grande Valley Dorados next week and end the inaugural season with a record of 16–2!
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.