Shock don’t have stats, just the victories

Call the Spokane Shock statistically challenged. Call them fortunate. Call them unimpressive.

Just make sure you call them 2-0.

“That’s arena football for you,” said head coach Chris Siegfried, whose team failed to crack the 200-yard barrier on offense for the second straight game, but managed to pull out a 49-45 road win over Bakersfield last Sunday. “We definitely need to clean up how we’re getting the ‘Ws,’ but we don’t need to clean up the results of the game.”

One statistic that does concern Siegfried is turnovers. Spokane is minus-3 in turnover ratio.

The Shock entertain their closest geographic rival, Everett, at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Arena. Through two games, the Hawks are Spokane’s alter ego. Everett is 0-2, but ranks first in arenafootball2 in first downs, fifth in total offense and eighth in yards per play. The Hawks’ downfall has been defense. Everett ranks 15th in total defense (Spokane is fourth) and 14th in scoring defense (Spokane is eighth).

Of five 2-0 af2 teams, Spokane has outscored opponents by a combined five points, while Central Valley has won by 60, Memphis by 54, Arkansas by 48 and Albany by 27.

“I’m only looking at the win column,” Siegfried said, “and we’ve beaten two very good teams.”

Others are starting to take notice. Spokane moved up from No. 12 to No. 6 in the coaches’ poll.

Schedule twists

The Shock will face fellow expansion franchise Everett three times this season, including twice in Spokane (Saturday and July 22). Spokane will play National Conference West Division foes Central Valley, Bakersfield and Stockton twice each. The other four West Division teams will play each other three times.

“We thought if we’re getting on a plane it’s basically the same going to Tulsa as it is going to Fresno,” Shock majority owner Brady Nelson said. “We wanted to see how good we are.”

Cougar contributions

Former Washington State players Nian Taylor and Billy Newman made significant contributions Sunday. Taylor was scheduled to be on the taxi squad, but a spot opened up when Kevin Beard flew to Miami when his wife went into labor last weekend, several weeks before her due date.

Taylor scooped up a bouncing ball on an onside kick and raced 30 yards for the winning touchdown late in the game.

Meanwhile in Miami, Beard celebrated the arrival of a son, Kevin Jr.

Newman, who sat out the opener, scored the Shock’s first touchdown on a 1-yard plunge.

Newman still isn’t 100 percent healthy, but he played quite a bit, primarily at defensive back.