SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: College/Professional

2007 San Diego Shockwave Report

Shockwave still have hopes for playoff game

Posted Jul.y 19, 2007
After the San Diego Shockwave posted a 10-1 showing in regular season play, general manager Jeff Sprowls felt that both his team and its fans were deserving of a home playoff game. Never mind, of course, that the rapidly disintegrating National Indoor Football League had all but officially cancelled its planned eight-team postseason tournament.

The Shockwave, claiming the top seed in the remnants of the Pacific Conference, had originally scheduled two dates at SDSU’s Cox Arena — July 14 and 21 — for potential home playoff games. However, the team’s participation in any kind of meaningful playoff competition was put into jeopardy when a bombshell dropped on July 2: the once-beaten Wyoming Cavalry (7-1) had accepted an offer from the unbeaten Fayetteville Force (11-0) to play in what the teams called an “Indoor Football Championship Bowl.”

That game was played July 14 in the North Carolina city, with the Guard topping the Cavalry, 48-34, in what may have been the most competitive game between teams to have participated in the NIFL this past season.

Independent sponsorship was secured and the game, officially billed as the Budweiser Professional Indoor Football Championship Game, was played outside sanction of the NIFL. It was also played between teams that apparently were no longer members of the NIFL.

Fayetteville owner Richard King announced prior to the July 14 contest that his team had joined the rival American Indoor Football Association for next season. Wyoming, which has indicated it will also withdraw from the NIFL, is mulling an offer to brace a western expansion drive in the AIFA.

Those developments have apparently has left the Shockwave with no opponent of meaningful stature to challenge in a championship game sanctioned by the NIFL.

Shockwave officials have expressed an interest in arranging a “championship bowl” game against Fayetteville, However, with the Guard no longer members of the NIFL, it would be unclear what the teams would be playing for other than pride.

At the moment, that would suit the Shockwave just fine.

San Diego team officials were understandably shocked by the July 2 announcement as the Shockwave had been in ongoing negotiations with both Wyoming and Fayetteville for playoff games.

The Shockwave had hoped to play Wyoming first for the Pacific Conference title, with the winner taking on undefeated Fayetteville.

Instead, it appeared that the first-year Shockwave had been shut out entirely from any type of post-season competition.

After the July 2 announcement, Sprowls made clear his extreme disappointment. Posts on Internet message boards called any claims of a “championship” resulting from the Wyoming-Fayetteville matchup to be “tainted” without either team getting a chance to tackle the Shockwave in a legitimate playoff format.

The Cavalry, in essence, had made its own deal with Fayetteville before the Shockwave could. With the teams having all but severed their ties with the NIFL season, free enterprise had taken over. Instead of formulating a structured postseason schedule, based on regular season and conference finish, teams were open to look after their own business interests.

Part of the hang-up that led to Wyoming and Fayetteville scheduling their bowl game resulted from the Shockwave and Cavalry failing to agree on a deal that would have been amicable to whichever team was traveling. With each team with one regular season loss (to one another), both teams had claimed home-field advantage.

Wyoming was particularly adamant about hosting a playoff game against the Shockwave.

After the July 2 announcement, Cavalry officials admitted that negotiations with the Shockwave were ongoing despite setting the July 14 game against Fayetteville. After the fallout, the Shockwave is still hoping to get a playoff game. But what the team will be playing for — and against whom — remains somewhat of a mystery.

The NIFL championship game is called the Indoor Bowl. However, without a structured playoff format — and blessing by league officials — that game appears as if it will not be played this season.

The Shockwave had originally hoped to host the Tri-Valley Ranchers (2-1) on July 14, according to information released after the team’s final home game on June 30. However, claiming uncertainly as to whether a second round championship game could be played, Shockwave officials cancelled the proposed July 14 playoff game against the Ranchers.

Is the season thus over? Does the Shockwave finish with the NIFL’s best record in the wake of the 12-0 Guard’s defection/ejection from the league? Will the Cavalry (13-2 with six forfeit wins) still press for a non-sanctioned “playoff” game against San Diego to truly determine the “best in the west?”

Will the Shockwave pay another NIFL team still in operational mode — Greensboro or Tri-Valley? — to come play in San Diego in the officially-sanctioned championship game?

Or will all concerned be content to just call it quits for the train wreck of a season and start planning anew for next season?

Fans are encouraged to call the team’s hotline at (877) 746-2928 for up-to-date information. The team’s Web site can be accessed at www.sandiegoshockwave.com.

The Shockwave ended regular season play with a 56-0 victory against the San Bernardino Bucking Bulls to hike its mark to 10-1. The shutout victory was the first in team history and its ninth straight win overall to close out regular season play. However, it came against a team that had not played since May 5.

The Shockwave defeated Wyoming, 52-45, May 26 at Cox Arena in easily the team’s most competitive game this season (the contest was decided on the final play of the game). The Cavalry had topped the Shockwave, 57-20, in Casper in San Diego’s second game of the season.

In computer rankings posted on www.OurSportsCentral, Fayetteville was ranked No. 1, followed by Wyoming at No. 2 and the Shockwave at No. 3. Tri-Valley was ranked No. 5.

While the July 14 matchup between Wyoming and Fayetteville may actually have carried some meaning, the Shockwave is still hoping it can test the victor on the field … at least to put a cap on what expects to be the team’s first and only season in the NIFL and erase any doubt as to which team is actually the best.

At 10-1, there can be few doubters that the Shockwave deserves some type of postseason recognition — and perhaps its own “championship” bowl game.

Aftershocks
The Shockwave drew its largest crowd of the season for its May 26 matchup against Wyoming — one estimated at 3,900. The Shockwave has averaged about 2,500 fans in its inaugural season. San Diego, as well as Wyoming, will likely not operate in the NIFL next season.

The Shockwave have outscored opponents 53-18 on average this season, going 7-0 at home and 3-1 on the road. The Shockwave finished regular season play with nine consecutive wins.

The Cavalry concluded “regular season” play with a 76-24 victory on July 4 against the Utah Sting, champions of the semi-pro Utah Indoor Football League. Wyoming played just five games against NIFL opponents this season after the league’s Central Division collapsed in April.

Fayetteville defeated the Greensboro Revolution by a 47-0 score on July 7 to hike its record to 11-0. Fayetteville and Greensboro were the only two teams to finish the season in the NIFL’s Atlantic Conference.

The NIFL season started with 24 teams, including 19 expansion teams. However, only nine teams played any games the second half of the season and only five teams — San Diego, Wyoming, Beaumont, Fayetteville and Greensboro — were able to host games in the final weeks of the 2007 season.

Guard rules
Fayetteville scored the first three touchdowns in its July 14 bowl game against Wyoming to lead 19-0 before the Cavalry charged back with three touchdowns of its own to take a 21-19 lead. Wyoming led 34-33 early in the fourth quarter before the Guard — playing in front of its largest crowd of the season — scored the game’s final 15 points.

Wilmont Perry (20 carries, 87 yards, two touchdowns) and Jammie Deese (six catches, 75 yards, two touchdowns) shared MVP honors for the Guard while quarterback Matt Strand (169 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdowns) earned MVP honors for Wyoming.

Got playoffs? Shockwave hikes mark to 10-1

Posted July 5, 2007
The San Diego Shockwave concluded its first and likely only season in the turbulent-laden National Indoor Football League with a 56-0 victory against the San Bernardino Bucking Bulls June 30 at SDSU's Cox Arena. The game, seen by a crowd estimated at 2,500 fans, was the regular season finale for both teams.

The Shockwave ended regular season play 10-1; the Bucking Bulls, playing in their first game since May 12 and only in their fourth game overall in this cancellation–fraught campaign, finished 1-3.

What's next? The Shockwave is hoping to match up against one or more of the NIFL's remaining active teams in some sort of meaningful playoff game or games. However, the NIFL appears to have cancelled its originally-conceived eight-team postseason tournament for lack of available competition, thus leaving team owners in the position of negotiating with other interested teams in holding their own playoff games.

Both the Shockwave and Wyoming Cavalry, each with one regular season loss, are claiming top-seeded status in the Pacific Conference and desire to host a playoff game. The Cavalry, which was slated to wrap up its regular season schedule with games against non-league opponents, would like to host the matchup of the NIFL's premier western teams. Shockwave general manager Jeff Sprowls is not against that idea if the Cavalry (which entered its July 4 finale against the Utah Sting with a 6-1record) can cover the San Diego club's transportation and lodging costs. However, the Cavalry's owners seem to be wavering on those financial arrangements.

A Wyoming-San Diego pairing (the teams split their two regular season games) was conceived as a playoff for the conference championship, with the Shockwave possibly hosting a divisional playoff game against another team prior to that. The Shockwave announced a July 14 home playoff game prior to its 33-24 victory against the Tri-Valley Ranchers on June 23.

However, the Beumont ( Texas ) Drillers, the most likely opponent for such a game, appear to have called its quits on the season, according to Internet reports. The Drillers (7-2) would likely not be willing to travel to participate in any post-season games, according to a published report.

That leaves the Ranchers and Bucking Bulls — or possibly Wyoming — as possible playoff foes for a July 14 home game, if one is played ( San Diego has since removed the proposed July 14 home playoff game from its Web site schedule).

Should negotiations with any Pacific Conference team fall through, the Shockwave might go ahead and play the Guard (10-0) in Fayetteville on July 14 in what would amount to the NIFL's “Indoor Bowl” championship game.

But the Cavalry could easily make the same claim of advancing to the title game, leaving any potential championship matchup in a cloud.

Or there could be no playoffs at all.

Welcome to the NIFL.

The Shockwave, however it chooses to conclude its inaugural NIFL season, looks to be back next season in a more stable league. Sprowls has already had discussions about joining an expansion effort in the American Indoor Football Association (the Cavalry is rumored to be interested as well). Membership in arenafootball2 — the highest-caliber of play in minor league arena football — would be significantly most costly, according to sources associated with the Shockwave.

Ty Evans scored four rushing touchdowns and Chris Pittman caught a 25-yard scoring pass from quarterback Matt Pound on the Shockwave's first offensive play to highlight the team's latest win — its' ninth straight. Reserve signal-caller Ben Bowling threw three touchdown passes in the game while John “Auto” Matich kicked all eight point-after touchdown attempts.

The Shockwave scored twice in each quarter.

Defensively, Rico Curtis blocked a field goal and recovered a fumble while Kevin Burton (another former af2 San Diego Riptide player) made two interceptions.

Tri-Valley, which had been dormant since playing its last game May 5, proved to be one of the Shockwave's most competitive opponents this season. The Ranchers (2-1) matched the hosts' opening two touchdowns, missing on a pair of two-point conversions to trail 14-12 with 12:14 left in the second quarter.

San Diego scored twice more in the first half but Tri-Valley once again responded in kind, with the Shockwave defense forced to make two goal-line stands to hold off two more potential scores by the Alameda visitors.

The Shockwave scored on the game's opening kickoff when newly signed wide receiver Brown broke through the Tri-Valley defense and returned the kick 49 yards for a touchdown – his first as a pro.

San Diego added a 17-yard field goal and a rare two-point interception return by defensive back Antoine Chambers on a failed two-point conversion attempt to account for its five second-half points. The Ranchers scored two touchdowns – the first on a one-yard run by running back Jamar Julien (19 rushes, 70 yards) and the second on a 12-yard pass from quarterback Frank Borba (af2 Central Valley Coyotes) to receiver Paki Gordon – in the second half but failed on both two-point conversion attempts.

Pound threw a pair of scoring passes – one each to Pittman and former af2 Riptide standout Nakoa McElrath – to finish the game with 115 yards on 11 completions in 15 attempts. Ty Evans also scored on a touchdown run to the delight of the announced crowd of 2,933.

The Cavalry improved its forfeit-laden record to 11-1 (6-1 in actual on-field action) with a 77-16 victory against the visiting Utah Crush on June 22 in a game pitting a non-NIFL opponent. Meanwhile, Fayetteville improved to 9-0 following a 108-0 drubbing of the Columbia Stingers on June 23. The Stingers had earlier decided to cancel the remainder of their season but elected to honor road contests against both the Guard and the Greensboro Revolution.

Fayetteville will play its final home game against cross-state rival Greensboro (7-3) on July 7. That game has been designated, according to Internet reports, as a “playoff” game to determine the Atlantic Conference representative in the Indoor Bowl. Fayetteville is 3-0 against the Revolution this season with an average margin of victory of 39 points. Fayetteville hiked its record to 10-0 with a 63-24 victory against the Greensboro on June 30 in an intra-state matchup.

According to Guard owner Richard King, the host team for the Indoor Bowl is responsible for paying the visitors' air fare, accommodations, meals and payroll. It would thus reason that the team with the ability to draw the most fans will host the title game. Fayetteville is averaging 2,500 fans. Both Wyoming (which attracted 2,678 fans against Utah) and San Diego are drawing larger crowds to their home games, meaning the Shockwave could still be in line to host the championship game should it advance that far.

But nothing is certain in the NIFL, as this season has clearly shown.

Aftershocks
•A.J. Streets caught two of Bowling's second-half scoring passes. Bowling's first pass as a Shockwave resulted in a touchdown to Sheets.

• San Diego limited San Bernardino to 55 total yards — 56 yards passing and –1 yard rushing.

•The shutout against the Bucking Bulls was the first in Shockwave history. San Diego previously defeated San Bernardino 56-15 in a road game.

According to Shockwave players and coaches, it doesn't matter which team decides to take up the challenge of playing them.

"We match-up well against anyone and don't care who we play in the playoffs. We're shooting for the championship," Shockwave defensive coordinator Montra Edwards said.

Shockwave zooms to 9-1, sets playoff game

Posted June 29, 2007
The San Diego Shockwave of the National Indoor Football League will host a playoff game July 14 at SDSU's Cox Arena. The opponent is unknown at this point but what is certain is that the Shockwave will host a post-season contest.

That much summarizes the unsettled state of affairs in the NIFL.

What was envisioned at the start of the season as a 24-team national league has since been reduced, with even the most optimistic eye, to 10 viable teams. The Shockwave, one of 19 expansion teams in the league this season, stands as the only team among those few left standing that will end the season without feeling the need to play a non-league opponent to fill out its schedule.

The NIFL has become a train wreck, to be certain. But the Shockwave looks to survive it.

The first-year club hiked its record to 9-1 with last Saturday's 33-24 win against the Alameda-based Tri-Valley Ranchers at SDSU's Cox Arena. The Shockwave is slated to close out regular season play with a Saturday, June 30, home game against the San Bernardino Bucking Bulls. Kick-off is 7:05 p.m.

The Shockwave's playoff foe could be the Ranchers, the Beaumont ( Texas ) Drillers, the Bucking Bulls or the Wyoming Cavalry, which has reportedly booked two playoff dates at its home arena in Casper . Wyoming improved to 6-1 (11-1, including forfeits) following last Friday's 77-16 victory against the Utah Crush of the Utah Indoor Football League in a contest pitting teams from different leagues.

The Cavalry, which wound up playing in a division that completely fell apart, had to scramble to fill its remaining two home games with contests against semi-pro teams.

The Fayetteville Guard, the leaders in the Atlantic Conference, improved its record to 9-0 with a 108-0 victory against the remnants of the Columbia Stingers last Saturday.

Tri-Valley, which had been dormant since playing its last game May 5, proved to be one of the Shockwave's most competitive opponents this season. The Ranchers matched the hosts' opening two touchdowns, missing on a pair of two-point conversions to trail 14-12 early in the second quarter.

South Bay native Chris Pittman caught one touchdown pass for the Shockwave, which led 28-12 at halftime. Pittman's TD catch was one of two scoring passes thrown by Escondido native Matt Pound on the night. The other TD pass went to former af2 San Diego Riptide standout Nakoa McElrath. Pound finished the night 11-of-19 for 115 yards.

The Shockwave, while idle since defeating the Drillers, 50-26, in Texas on June 9, shook off any rust it had very quickly as newly-signed wide receiver Shawn Brown ran the opening kickoff back 49 yards for a touchdown on his first play as a pro. Ty Evans later scored on a short running play.

The Shockwave defense was forced to make two goal-line stands to hold off two more potential scores by the Ranchers.

San Diego added a 17-yard field goal and a rare two-point interception return by defensive back Antoine Chambers on a failed two-point conversion attempt to account for its five second-half points.

Local talent gets Shock-wave treatment

What do you do when a football comes flying your way in the box seats at an arena football game?

Well, you catch it, of course. And keep it.

Members of the Eastlake Panthers Pee Wee youth football team had a chance to see the debut of the new San Diego Shockwave up close and quite personal as the National Indoor Football League team made its debut March 31 with a 56-9 victory against the Los Angeles Lynx at SDSU's Cox Arena.

The Eastlake players were seated in one of the VIP boxes that adjoin the playing field. Fans can literally reach out and grab a piece of the action — or rather, the action often comes to them. When an errant pass made its way into the Panthers' seating zone, the maze of arms went up — and came down with the ball.

In arena football, fans are allowed to keep stray footballs.

To the delight of the youngsters, the arms went back up as cameras zeroed in on their new possession.

The Shockwave proved it could entertain as well as score points in its inaugural game. Team officials placed the attendance at 4,133.

Besides numerous (well, an overabundance of) community time-outs to showcase on-field antics involving fans, the team also debuted its dance team, the Lady Shakers, and a squad of guest youth cheerleaders, the mini-shakers.

It all added up to a reincarnation of the old San Diego Riptide of arena football2 fame (or infamy, depending on one's viewpoint) — only better. Time will tell if the Shockwave can develop its own fan base.

The Riptide, which lasted four seasons before suspending operations following the 2005 season, attracted 9,700 fans to its first game at the San Diego Sports Arena in 2002.

The Shockwave, braced by a number of former players from the Riptide, scored early and often against the Lynx in what was billed as the first professional event at Cox Arena.

The move to the new venue was otherwise a smashing success with Cox Arena's superior lighting and sound system and cozy configuration for arena-style football. The NIFL's narrow mini-goal posts will take some time getting used to, however.

But this is clearly a new start.

And, apparently, a new philosophy.

The Shockwave showcased numerous players with local ties to the region, including former Southwestern College standout Desmond Benson, Grossmont College alum Lia Atuatasi, ex-San Diego Mesa College players Maurice Douglas and Sergio Ayon, and kicker John Matich, a former star at Mira Mesa High School.

Former Vista High standout Roman Ybarra, by way of Idaho State , started at quarterback.

The Riptide's record of showcasing — and, specifically, retaining — homegrown talent was poor, at best.

Benson, whose best time in the 200-meter dash was 22.7 to rank among the San Diego Section prep leaders in 2000, entered the game at a later stage at the wide receiver slot, making several receptions while Atuatasi started the game at nose guard and made the first tackle in team history. Matich, a graduate of Mira Mesa High School and Boston College who attended the NFL Minnesota Vikings' preseason training camp in 2001, racked up seven point-after-touchdown conversions in the high-scoring contest.

Matich, who also was a national-level soccer standout while in high school, is currently the kicking coach at San Diego Mesa College and is working on a graduate degree at the University of San Francisco . He operates the popular The Kicking System camps, one of which was recently held at Eastlake High School . He finished as the second all-time kick scoring leader at Boston College (1995-99).

The Shockwave also welcomed back seven SDSU alumni, most notably former Riptide fan favorite Rico Curtis. Other former Aztecs getting a homecoming included defensive back Kevin Burton, linebacker Scott Johnson, defensive lineman Eder Arosemena, running back Ty Evans, offensive lineman Aukiso Tuiolmotu and linebacker Randon Jorgensen.

Also on the season opening roster was USD's Adam Hannula, a wide receiver.

Ybarra, who threw for 1,644 yards and 14 touchdowns at Palomar College in 2002 before transferring to Idaho State , finished his Shockwave debut with two touchdowns while completing 10 of 20 passes for 71 yards.

But it was running back Ali Culpepper ( Morgan State University ) who earned the spotlight in the Shockwave's history-making debut. The 5-11, 230-pound running back scored three touchdowns, including the first score in team history, finishing the game with 44 yards on 12 rushes.

Culpepper danced in from eight yards out with 9:07 to play in the first quarter to record the Shockwave's first touchdown. He scored twice more in the first half as the Shockwave built a 28-0 lead.

Ybarra threw the first touchdown pass in team history by connecting with Deondre Alexander ( Oregon State University ) on a six-yard pass, also in the first quarter.

Ybarra later hit former Riptide standout Nakoa McElrath on a four-yard pass to open scoring in the second half. McElrath later caught a four-yard scoring pass from reserve signal-caller Matt Pound to close out scoring in the game.

Curtis, who came out of retirement to play for the new Shockwave, left his mark on defense by returning a fumble five yards for a score to put the hosts up 49-3 in the fourth quarter.

The Lynx scored their lone touchdown of the contest as Rashaun Reed (Inglewood Blackhawks) returned the ensuing kickoff 53 yards. Luis Frausto (Compton Jaguars) kicked a 42-yard field goal in the third quarter to dent what had become a 35-0 Shockwave lead.

“We had them stopped pretty much all night long. The only touchdown they scored was on a kick-off return,” Curtis said.

Shockwave head coach Bob Bees, the offensive coordinator for the 2006 NIFL champion Billings Outlaws, expressed optimism after what he saw his team is capable of.

“It was good win and we're happy with it but we have lots of work to do,” Bees said. “We were sloppy at times and while we're a good team. We're going to take this and build on it.”

The Shockwave will receive a test of just how it stacks up against some of the established teams in the NIFL when it tackles the Wyoming Cavalry April 7 in Casper , Wyo. The Cavalry topped the Denver Aviators, 68-29, in its season opener.

The Shockwave returns to Cox Arena for games April 14 against the Beaumont (Texas) Drillers and April 21 against the Pomona Cool Riders. Both games kick off at 7:05 p.m.