LAST WEEK: Both teams recorded impressive shutout
home victories last week. The
Thunder tamed the Las Vegas Lions 50-0, while the Coyotes speared the South Bay
Spartans, 44-0 before a record sell-out crowd of 2,231 fans. The Coyotes have
added a half-dozen traffic officers for quick parking and stadium
entrance.
WEATHER: Palm Desert forecast calls for partly
cloudy and 95 degrees at kickoff, with no chance of rain.
GENERAL SEATING: Walk-up
tickets are available at the gate. General seating means get there
early.
BRING THE FAMILY: The SoCal
Coyotes are a family friendly environment, with activities for children and a
secure perimeter for parents. The Coyotes strictly enforce zero tolerance for
alcohol or drug use, as well as any threats of violence. Coyote security is led by a detail of
active undercover law enforcement.
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 Mobile YAPP, available for free download in the n iTunes Store and
Android Market.
HEAD COACHES: San Diego head coach Derrick
Johnson is the winner of four league championships. SoCal is led by AAA
Hall-of-Fame head coach J. David Miller is 75-15 (.840) and was named the 2012
National Coach of the Year when the Coyotes won the Pac West title.
WHEN THE COYOTES ARE ON OFFENSE:
Fans flock to see the Coyotes Silver Stretch offense, a potent Run ‘n’
Shoot attack that floods defenses with a fleet of the nation’s fastest receivers
-- all sub-4.4. First-time fans immediately notice speed, speed and more speed,
with every Coyote receiver a threat to score once they touch the
ball.
Make no mistake: The Coyotes love the vertical deep ball.
All-American receiver Rashad “The Franchise” Roberts, (College of the Desert)
from Atlanta, Ga., holds virtually every Coyote career receiving record. He
turned in another stunning performance against the Spartans with 11 catches for
176 yards and two touchdowns. Former Arena Football standouts Kevin Page
(Glenville State) had five catches for 90 yards, and A.J. Allen (Central
Arkansas) had three catches for 45 yards and a score. Wayne Jacobs (New Mexico
Highlands), arguably the fastest Coyote, had 24 yards on four
receptions.
Rookie S-back Nigel Simmons (College of Sequoias) showed flashes of
brilliance in training camp with a punishing combination of size (6-1, 230) and
speed. Pushing Simmons is Deshawn Smith (Eastern Oregon), a situational back
with game-breaking speed.
PULLING THE TRIGGER: Former
Cathedral City star Nate Lewis (Dixie State) has blossomed into one of the most
dominant quarterbacks in AAA football history. Running the Coyotes no-huddle
attack from the line of scrimmage, the 6-5, 230-pound gunner was 28 of 38 for
376 yards and four touchdowns against the Spartans, with an NFL passer rating of
117.87. His long-ball accuracy leaves little margin for error, and why the San
Jose Sabercats kept him to the final cut this spring in the Arena Football
League.
The Coyotes have thrown the ball as many as 61 times in a single
game. Lewis’s single-game high is 574 yards and seven TDs (versus Las Vegas
Cobras, 2012). Lewis has thrown two touchdowns out of his own end zone; 97 yards
to Rashad Roberts (versus San Diego Thundercats, 2012); and 98 yards to former
Coyote Mondo Delgado (versus Las Vegas, 2013).
WHEN THE THUNDER HAS THE BALL:
The SoCal ‘Darkside Defense’ is loaded with talent. The middle is
anchored by veteran nose tackle and Coyote Defensive Player of the Year Cedric
Cox (6-1, 325, Florida State), who had three solo tackles against the Spartans.
The real fun for the Coyotes, however, starts on the outside with former NCAA
Preseason All-American Devin Howard (6-3, 285, New Mexico Highlands), a
speed-rusher with tremendous inside strength that has been compared to J.J.
Watts. Howard had three solo tackles, five assists and a half sack, and harassed
the entire South Bay offense from the opening snap. Big Dan Lopez (6-4, 285, College of the
Desert) pinched the other end with four solo tackles.
At linebacker, captain Devin Jones (Southeast Louisiana) had eight
solo tackles, three assists and a pass deflection in the impressive home opener,
as the former Bayou Bowl MVP dominated with thunderous hits and field
leadership. David “The Diesel” Cathcart (Mt. San Jacinto), switched back to his
natural position at inside linebacker, answered with a sack, two solo tackles
and a blocked field goal.
Former Coyote Man of the Year Jordan Cornell (Cathedral City, 6-3,
265) had two solo tackles, 2 assists, and a sack and a half. Dana Prieto (Palm
Springs High) had two solo tackles, two assists, and defensed two passes. Bryan Garcia (Palm Springs High) had two
assists.
The Coyotes secondary is the strongest in history. All-American strong safety Bo “Night
Train” Bovain had four solo tackles and two assists. NFL prospect Shaine Boyle
(Faulkner University) picked off one pass , nearly had another and had two solo
tackles. Shutdown corner Chris Kelly (Reedley College) had an interception and
two tackles, including a facemask-rattling open-field stop. Newcomer Ryan
Pervine (College of the Desert), who had a sack, two tackles and broke up a
pass, is a raw sleeper with the ability to take over a game.
FRANEK PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Ageless Jason Franek (Hemet High School, 6-3, 220) had one solo tackle,
two assists, a punt block, two fumble recoveries and scored the first defensive
touchdown in Coyote history, all in spite of being 34 years old. Franek earned
the SWAT Fuel Special Teams Player of the Week.
DAN THE ‘ICE’ MAN: The
Coyotes, who only have only punted nine times in 20 games, recorded their
11th game without a punt. but proved fearless with the new addition
of long-ball kicker Dan Kelly, the fourth all-time leading scorer at the
University of Hawaii. Kelly hit from 45, 39, and 48 yards, while barely missing
from 51 and 46.
COYOTE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“Going over the middle against Devin Jones is like swimming in the
ocean with an open wound. Sooner or later, the shark is going to find you.” –
Head coach J. David Miller.
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