EVERETT – The Everett Hawks have every reason to be relaxed and happy heading into the final game of the season.
“The guys are upbeat and starting to realize if they take care of business they can go into the offseason with a good taste in their mouths,” Everett coach Cedric Walker said. “It’s something to build on for next year.”
Indeed, after opening the arenafootball2 season with four straight losses the Hawks have an opportunity to close the arduous 16-game campaign with four straight victories when playoff-bound Spokane (11-4) visits the Events Center Saturday.
If Everett (6-9) can find a way to notch a first-ever victory over the Shock it will match the regular season mark of the AFL’s Columbus Destroyers who sneaked into the playoffs with a sub-500 record and are set to meet San Jose in Sunday’s Arena Bowl XXI.
There will be no playoffs for the Hawks, but they have enjoyed a monumental resurgence, most recently with last Saturday’s come-from-behind 45-43 victory over Tri-Cities.
“That was just a great team effort,” Walker said.
Walker said the defensive line play of Chuck Jones, Johnny Jackson and Tali Atoa was critical in the victory, along with a few key plays by the secondary and improved time-management skills.
Trailing by four points, Everett took possession with 3:55 remaining in the game. With one timeout, plus the one-minute warning to work with, Campbell executed a penalty-free, eight-play 30-yard drive, capped by his 3-yard touchdown pass to LaMonte Jones with 9.7 seconds to play.
“We practice for that situation,” Walker said. “J.C. and (offensive coordinator Steve) Papin did a great job of managing the clock.”
Bakersfield’s Troutman indicted in rape case: Bakersfield Blitz defensive lineman Maurice Troutman, accused of raping a woman in a Boise hotel room July 8, has been indicted by an Ada County grand jury.
Troutman, 25, is expected to enter a plea sometime in the next two weeks according to the Idaho-Statesman newspaper.
Troutman’s teammate Rennard Reynolds, 30, was indicted on two counts of felony burglary in connection with the same incident, alleged to have occurred several hours after the Blitz played the Boise Burn on July 7.
Ada County prosecutors said Troutman, Reynolds and the rest of the Bakersfield team were staying at the same hotel as the victim.
According to the indictment, Troutman somehow got a key card to the woman’s room, entered her room and sexually assaulted the woman, who later told police she did not know Troutman.
Prosecutors said sometime following the assault Troutman gave the key card to Reynolds, told him the victim “was out of it,” and there were items of value in the room.
If convicted of the rape charge Troutman could face life in prison. Reynolds could be sentenced to 20 years in prison if found guilty of the burglary charges.
South Georgia QB closes in on yardage mark: South Georgia Wildcats quarterback D. Bryant needs 246 passing yards in Saturday’s season finale at Tulsa to equal the single-season af2 record of 4,520 set by Albany’s Ryan Vena in 2006. With 94 TD passes Bryant also has a chance to join Scott Rislov (106, Central Valley, 2006) and Chris Wallace (100, Florida, 2006) as the only quarterbacks to reach the century mark in a single season.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton remains No. 1: The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (14-1) retained the No. 1 ranking in the af2 coaches poll for a record 14th consecutive week on the heels of a 50-28 home victory over Bossier-Shreveport last Saturday. Rio Grande Valley (14-1) is No. 2, followed by Tulsa (13-2), Florida (11-4) and defending ArenaCup champion Spokane (11-4).
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