Post by azadfan on Apr 21, 2008 1:05:51 GMT -5
Sunday, April 20, 2008
95 points is highest in AIFA this season
PRESCOTT VALLEY - Arizona Adrenaline head coach Andrew Moore had no problem admitting that his team was out to make a point Sunday evening at Tim's Toyota Center.
They ended up making 95 of them.
The Adrenaline shattered the league's 2008 mark for most points in a game as they drilled the overmatched Utah Saints 95-21 in front of an estimated 2,700 fans at TTC.
And Arizona didn't discriminate about how they scored.
Eight touchdowns came via the pass, three on the ground, two as a result of fumble recoveries, another on a kickoff return and ... oh by the way, Paitaka Miyahira, who was kicking for the first time in eight years, booted three different kickoffs through the uprights for 1-point rogues.
By the time it was finished the Adrenaline scored at least 16 in each quarter, including a 40-point fourth period, which would no doubt beg the question, did the Adrenaline run up the score?
It's a claim that Moore didn't completely deny, and one that could be viewed as payback to Utah for not forwarding game film of Wyoming to the Adrenaline following Week 1 play, which is mandated by the league.
"I wanted to get 100," Moore said. "Sure, the film situation was a little unsettling and it's something that shouldn't have happened. Did I run up the score? I'll let people out there make that conclusion. More than anything, I wanted to make a statement that the West is very strong."
The win puts the Adrenaline at 3-1, while Utah is 0-4.
Adrenaline quarterback Chad DeGrenier threw for 8 TDs and now has 20 touchdowns on the season and is yet to throw an interception. Wide receiver Quincy Jackson came off a four-touchdown game last week against New Mexico to haul in five more scores, while Maurice Bryant caught three for touchdowns.
But as important as anything, might have been the play of the offensive line. With Craig Brooks traded last week to New Mexico, and Dorsey Mitchell sitting out Sunday in preparation for his tryout with the Arizona Rattlers this week, the Adrenaline had three sub-300 pounders up front.
But center Matt Mason and guards Don Drew and Lucian Scott controlled Utah's mountainous linemen and seemed to wear the Saints down as the game progressed. Add to that the fact that Utah arrived in Prescott Valley Sunday at 3 a.m. after experiencing bus problems and you have a mismatch of major proportions.
"I think we used our speed to our advantage," said Drew when talking about play in the trenches. "And I don't mean to sound bad, but they weren't really as strong as they might have looked."
The DeGrenier-to-Jackson combination struck twice in the first period, coupled with a pair of two-point conversion runs from former Prescott High player Ryan Goodell to make it 16-0. The lead extended to 35-7 at the half before Utah punched a TD in early in the third quarter.
"They stopped us early in that second half," DeGrenier said. "We did have a good fourth quarter, but overall we still made too many mental mistakes. We have to clean that up. Against a good team that will cost you."
The defense also got into the scoring act as hard-hitting linebacker Nick Hannah simply took the ball out of the hands of receiver Sean Madry and turned it into a 44-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter. Then in the fourth, defensive lineman Josh Duran added a 16-yard fumble recovery for a score and Kentrell Williams took a Utah kickoff back 42 yards for another TD. Add Paris Moore's two fourth quarter touchdown runs and 66 yards rushing on the night and you have a quality entrée to this Saturday's game at New Mexico.
"We're going to take New Mexico very seriously," coach Moore said of the Wildcats, who are expecting upwards of 4,000 fans for their first home game of the year.
"They were already good and got better by acquiring Craig Brooks, who is a great offensive lineman, but we still have to keep the pressure on."
Notes: There were 23 penalties in the game, including a season high 12 by the Adrenaline ... The previous season high for most points was 82 by the Mississippi Mudcats ... Defensive lineman Fernandez Shaw suffered a hip pointer in the second period, but played through it ... Newly acquired kicker Carlos Ojeda was at the game, but because the paperwork from the trade has not been completed, he did not play. Ojeda will get a workout with the Los Angeles Avengers this week ... Goodell had a touchdown run in addition to a pair of 21-point conversion runs ... The 285 yards passing and 83 yards rushing are both team highs ...
95 points is highest in AIFA this season
PRESCOTT VALLEY - Arizona Adrenaline head coach Andrew Moore had no problem admitting that his team was out to make a point Sunday evening at Tim's Toyota Center.
They ended up making 95 of them.
The Adrenaline shattered the league's 2008 mark for most points in a game as they drilled the overmatched Utah Saints 95-21 in front of an estimated 2,700 fans at TTC.
And Arizona didn't discriminate about how they scored.
Eight touchdowns came via the pass, three on the ground, two as a result of fumble recoveries, another on a kickoff return and ... oh by the way, Paitaka Miyahira, who was kicking for the first time in eight years, booted three different kickoffs through the uprights for 1-point rogues.
By the time it was finished the Adrenaline scored at least 16 in each quarter, including a 40-point fourth period, which would no doubt beg the question, did the Adrenaline run up the score?
It's a claim that Moore didn't completely deny, and one that could be viewed as payback to Utah for not forwarding game film of Wyoming to the Adrenaline following Week 1 play, which is mandated by the league.
"I wanted to get 100," Moore said. "Sure, the film situation was a little unsettling and it's something that shouldn't have happened. Did I run up the score? I'll let people out there make that conclusion. More than anything, I wanted to make a statement that the West is very strong."
The win puts the Adrenaline at 3-1, while Utah is 0-4.
Adrenaline quarterback Chad DeGrenier threw for 8 TDs and now has 20 touchdowns on the season and is yet to throw an interception. Wide receiver Quincy Jackson came off a four-touchdown game last week against New Mexico to haul in five more scores, while Maurice Bryant caught three for touchdowns.
But as important as anything, might have been the play of the offensive line. With Craig Brooks traded last week to New Mexico, and Dorsey Mitchell sitting out Sunday in preparation for his tryout with the Arizona Rattlers this week, the Adrenaline had three sub-300 pounders up front.
But center Matt Mason and guards Don Drew and Lucian Scott controlled Utah's mountainous linemen and seemed to wear the Saints down as the game progressed. Add to that the fact that Utah arrived in Prescott Valley Sunday at 3 a.m. after experiencing bus problems and you have a mismatch of major proportions.
"I think we used our speed to our advantage," said Drew when talking about play in the trenches. "And I don't mean to sound bad, but they weren't really as strong as they might have looked."
The DeGrenier-to-Jackson combination struck twice in the first period, coupled with a pair of two-point conversion runs from former Prescott High player Ryan Goodell to make it 16-0. The lead extended to 35-7 at the half before Utah punched a TD in early in the third quarter.
"They stopped us early in that second half," DeGrenier said. "We did have a good fourth quarter, but overall we still made too many mental mistakes. We have to clean that up. Against a good team that will cost you."
The defense also got into the scoring act as hard-hitting linebacker Nick Hannah simply took the ball out of the hands of receiver Sean Madry and turned it into a 44-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter. Then in the fourth, defensive lineman Josh Duran added a 16-yard fumble recovery for a score and Kentrell Williams took a Utah kickoff back 42 yards for another TD. Add Paris Moore's two fourth quarter touchdown runs and 66 yards rushing on the night and you have a quality entrée to this Saturday's game at New Mexico.
"We're going to take New Mexico very seriously," coach Moore said of the Wildcats, who are expecting upwards of 4,000 fans for their first home game of the year.
"They were already good and got better by acquiring Craig Brooks, who is a great offensive lineman, but we still have to keep the pressure on."
Notes: There were 23 penalties in the game, including a season high 12 by the Adrenaline ... The previous season high for most points was 82 by the Mississippi Mudcats ... Defensive lineman Fernandez Shaw suffered a hip pointer in the second period, but played through it ... Newly acquired kicker Carlos Ojeda was at the game, but because the paperwork from the trade has not been completed, he did not play. Ojeda will get a workout with the Los Angeles Avengers this week ... Goodell had a touchdown run in addition to a pair of 21-point conversion runs ... The 285 yards passing and 83 yards rushing are both team highs ...
and have a a better game against WYO here in AZ .