SoCal Coyotes Face LA Falcons
September 21 2013
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The game was originally scheduled to be played in Los Angeles, and now finds itself as the opening act for the UFAL Champion California Raiders, who play the Las Vegas Lions in the second game.
The Coyotes are coming off a shocking road win against the heavily favored California Tide, where they rallied in Pasadena for a thrilling 40-29 comeback behind their third 500-yard-plus explosion of the young 2013 season, proving that their Mouse Davis-engineered Silver Stretch offense is not to be taken lightly.
Coyote All-American receiver Rashad “The Franchise” Roberts – who puts the ‘stretch’ in the team’s precision Run ‘n’ Shoot attack -- has a whopping seven touchdowns and – no, this is not a typo – 681 yards receiving in just three games.
KICKOFF: Kickoff is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. at San Bernardino High School Stadium, 1850 NE Street, San Bernardino, CA. Gates open at 2 p.m. The Coyotes will take the field for team stretch one hour prior to kickoff.
LAST WEEK: The Coyotes drove the ball at will against the vaunted Tide, but turned it over twice in two possessions and found themselves trailing 21-19 at half, despite a huge 68-yard touchdown reception from receiver Demario Brown and an electrifying 91-yard kick return from Shaine Boyle. The sluggish Coyotes then ripped open the skies in the second half and rained down hell, with quarterback Nate Lewis throwing the length of the field to Roberts for two scores and another pair to Arena Football sensation Kevin Page.
WEATHER: The forecast for San Bernardino at kickoff is sunny and 82 degrees, with winds from the southwest at 11 miles per hour.
GENERAL SEATING: Walk-up tickets are available at the gate for $10. Children under eight are free. No coolers, or outside food or drink, are permitted inside the stadium.
RADIO: Play-by-play will be called by “Voice of the Coyotes” Matt McKay and aired on KXPS Team 1010, the flagship station of the Coyote Radio Network. The game can also be heard via the Coyote GoMobile YAPP, available for free download in the iTunes Store and Android Market. The YAPP also has the Coyote roster, videos, and Coyote TV features.
ORGANIZATIONS: The Los Angeles Falcons are under the direction of owner and investment banker Michelle Crenshaw, who has been a AAA football general manager for eight years with the Hudson County (NJ) Stars and Long Beach (CA) Lions. She is in her third season as an owner in the LCFL Central Division.
The Coyotes are led by AAA Hall-of-Fame head coach J. David Miller, who brings a record of 76-16 (.841) into the game. Miller's team was a 2012 national runner-up and he was named National Coach of the Year.
WHEN THE COYOTES HAVE THE BALL: When fearless veteran SoCal Coyote quarterback Nate Lewis – arguably the most accurate AAA passer in history – steps under center, one thing is certain: The Coyotes are a threat to score at any time, from any place on the field, including from their own one-yard line. In only three games, the Coyote gunner has staggering numbers: 76 completions for 1,292 yards and 12 touchdowns, with only six interceptions in 109 attempts.
Lewis, 6-5, 230, is now in his third season with Miller and the pure Run ‘n’ Shoot, evidenced by his supreme confidence and generalship. The 2012 National Player of the Year – who made it to the final cut this spring with the Arena Football League’s San Jose Sabercats – is completing 70-percent of his passes for an NFL passer rating of 123.337. And long-ball threat Rashad Roberts is just one of his weapons: In three games, Lewis has completed passes to 11 different receivers, and is confident in his entire fleet of sub 4.4 speedsters.
For two weeks in a row, once-skeptical SCFA coaches who came to scout Lewis left shaking their heads.
The Falcons are hoping pressure from veteran star defensive end John Henry (55) will create mistakes that their opportunistic defense, led by linebacker JR White (8), can exploit.
Lewis, however, who completed 20-28 last week for 402 yards, doesn’t make many mistakes, and when a defense does, he is swift to make them pay with strikes to targets like Josh Asuncion, Demario Brown, AJ Allen, Jordan Brewer, Wayne Jacobs, Deshawn Smith and Erick Ross.
Running back Nigel Simmons overcame an early fumble against the Tide to have his best day as a Coyote, with eight carries for 68 yards and an 8.5-yard average.
WHEN THE FALCONS HAVE THE BALL: The Darkside Defense’ is led by devastating middle linebacker Devin Jones, a ‘collision expert’ who leads the team in tackles. Speed-rusher Devin Howard – who has a team-leading six sacks – harasses quarterbacks into mistakes that feed opportunistic Coyotes like Ryan Pervine, Bo “Night Train” Bovain, Dana Prieto, Shaine Boyle, Sebastian Hall, Chris Kelly and Rob Smith.
Expect the Falcons to test the Coyotes secondary with explosive quarterback Anthony Andre, while pounding the SoCal defensive line behind the running of Davonte Green. Cedric Cox, Jason Franek, Dan Lopez, Jordan Cornell and Tyler Malone lead the way for the Coyotes up front.
"If Devin Howard were a grizzly bear, he'd live in Yellowstone Park," said Miller. "He throws offensive linemen around like dumpsters, and he keeps turning them over until he finds something to eat. That attracts a lot of other bears behind him looking for an easy meal, and we are blessed in the bear department."
The rich SoCal linebacking corps is its deepest in history, with David Cathcart, Greg Marshall, Bryan Garcia, Paul Thomas, Cory Westmoreland, Alex Mendoza, Robert Kelly and JuJuan Martin flying to the football.
DAN THE ‘ICE’ MAN: Kicker Dan Kelly missed from 49 in his only attempt last week. He hit from 32 and 49 two weeks ago against the Thunder. Kelly is perfect in PATs and has scored 30 points on the year. The Coyotes, who seldom punt, did not against the Tide, but net 41.2 yards on the season when they do.
COYOTE QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “That was like having our wisdom teeth removed -- with a chainsaw." -- Coyotes head coach J. David Miller, after his team squandered opportunities and trailed at halftime before putting up one of the best second-half performances in the SoCal Coyotes three-year history.
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