E-Hawks feeling a sense of urgency

SNOHOMISH – Back on the road again.

The Everett Hawks arena football team visits the expansion Boise Burn tonight in an af2 West Division contest, Everett’s third consecutive road game to start the 2007 season.

Coming off a bye week, Everett (0-2) is desperate to turn things around after being routed at Tulsa (61-30 on March 31) and at Central Valley (74-31 on April 7).

“We have to have a victory,” said Everett coach Cedric Walker, whose team committed a total of 11 turnovers in its first two games. “We need to show that what we do in practice carries over into a game.”

Defensive back Charles Ealy, who leads Everett with nine tackles and ranks No. 9 in af2 in passes defended (five breakups, one interception), acknowledged the sense of urgency.

“We’re hungry and we’re going to win,” Ealy said. “We’ve got to win.”

Today’s game marks the home debut for Boise (1-1), which opened its season with a 57-52 road victory over Louisville and was hampered by five turnovers in a 65-38 loss at Quad City on April 13.

The Burn – coached by Lee Leslie, former defensive coordinator for the Utah Blaze of the Arena Football League – is led by fullback/linebacker Levi Madarieta, who helped lead Spokane to the 2006 ArenaCup championship.

“(Madarieta) really gets up the field, disrupts and makes plays,” Walker said.

Boise also features wide receiver/defensive back Emmett White, a multiple threat who returns kicks and occasionally lines up at quarterback.

“We have a game plan for (White) but we know they’re going to make adjustments,” Walker said. “Every time he steps on the field we have to know where he is and account for him.”

Quarterback Bart Hendricks is one of several former Boise State players on the roster. A favorite target for Hendricks (35-for-57, 373 yards, six touchdowns, two interceptions, 92.21 QB rating) has been Casey Allen (17 receptions, 200 yards, six TDs).

“Boise is a well-coached, blue-collar team that comes right at you,” Walker said. “It’s their home opener and it’s going to be hostile. We’ve just got to go make plays.”

Everett is led on offense by LaMonte Jones, who ranks 10th in the af2 with an average of 184 all-purpose yards per game. He has 19 receptions for 190 yards and three touchdowns.

Jones said he’s confident the Hawks’ offense can break through against the Burn.

“We know they play a lot of zone, they’re not really fast, but they have nice size,” Jones said. “We have more talent across the board. We just need to play our game.”

Ben Bowling (17-for-41, 204 yards, three TDs, one interception, 65.5 QB rating) will start for Everett ahead of rookie Jason Campbell (24-for-39, 205 yards, three TDs, one interception, 83.81 QB rating).

Bowling said he hopes to reduce the turnovers and other miscues that have plagued Everett in its first two games and thereby take some pressure off the Hawks’ defense.

“Everything was up-tempo, crisp and polished (at practice) this week,” Bowling said. “Putting the ball in the end zone is going to give our defense the chance to play with the whole field and make the other team earn it.”

Hawks on the web: Fans have two ways to catch today’s game on the Internet. To watch the contest at a cost of $6, go to www.af2.com and click on the B2 Networks icon. To listen to audio at no cost, visit www.everett-hawks.com and click on the “Listen Live” icon on the right side of the home page.

Florida tops poll: The Florida Firecats (3-0) remained No. 1 in the coaches poll this week after receiving 464 points and 23 of 30 first-place votes. Florida has a tough test today when it plays host to No. 4 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (2-0). Quad City (3-0) is No. 2, followed by No. 3 Tulsa (2-0).

Bossier-Shreveport (2-0) is No. 5 after posting the second shutout in league history, a 52-0 demolition of the Texas Copperheads. Bossier-Shreveport DE Elex Reed set an af2 single-game record with six sacks in the win.

Defending champion Spokane (1-2) fell out of the top-16 rankings for the first time since the 2006 preseason poll.