Seventh time no charm for Coyotes

Maybe the law of averages isn’t a law after all.

Maybe it’s only a recommendation.

And speaking of recommendations, here’s one for the Central Valley Coyotes: ask to be transferred out of the af2’s National Conference, or at least the West Division.

Somewhere, anywhere, that the Spokane Shock isn’t.

It’s now 7-0 for the Shock over the Coyotes in their common af2 history, and while the visitors from Fresno, Calif., surely had the notion after a couple of agonizing near-misses earlier this season that This Would Be the One, it only turned to be another one.

Another loss that is – actually worse than ever, the Shock prevailing 83-63 to advance to the af2 semifinals next week and scoring the most points in their history, a milestone significant enough that coach Adam Shackleford called for the record ball after Brian Jackson’s last PAT kick – lest it get thrown into the stands.

It wasn’t exactly the unbridled romp the score might suggest, although CV coach Fred Biletnikoff Jr. would respectfully disagree.

Not rationally, but respectfully.

“First play of the game we fumble the ball on offense and then they recover an onside kick,” Biletnikoff said. “Down 14-nothing to a 16-1 team, game over.”

Wish he would have said it over the P.A. system. Everyone could have bolted to watch the Olympics on TV at home, where at least the beer is cheaper.

Of course, that would have cut short one of the more bizarre and entertaining Shock amusements of late, and no one in the crowd of 8,923 seemed of a mind to do that.

What would they have missed?

Well, for starters, how about 304-pound fullback Katon Bethay rushing for more yards than franchise hero Raul Vijil had in receptions?

That would be 57 – most of it coming on two carries, including an 18-yard touchdown.

“We saw on film all week that they had very aggressive ends that like to rush hard outside,” Shackleford said. “We thought we might slip underneath them a few times. Katon is good once he gets the ball in his hands. We thought we’d lost him for the season a couple of weeks ago, but he rehabbed hard to get back and we needed him tonight.”

Really?

“Nah,” claimed Biletnikoff. “You can’t overcome a 14-0 deficit to a 16-1 football team. Look at the scoreboard. You get a gut feeling about things and that was my gut feeling at the beginning of the game.”

So, coming back twice to take the lead in the first half – that was what? Just for practice?

And three interceptions thrown by CV quarterback Clay Groefsema?

“Irrelevant,” insisted Biletnikoff. “Our defense wasn’t stopping them. We could have thrown an interception every drive. It was just a horrible game. We picked a bad time to play like…”

OK, let’s cut the tape right there.

Biletnikoff had good reason to be disgusted with CV’s season coming to such a humbling end, but the end of the first half was just as damaging to the Coyotes’ chances as the stumble out of the gate. That’s when Spokane tried an unsuccessful onside kick, surrendered a quick touchdown and then struck right back on a fine pass by Nick Davila and a better route by Andy Olson. Davila then topped it by running through Weston Borba and Donyell Booker for a 2-point conversion.

That gave the Shock a 35-28 lead – and the ball to start the third quarter. And yet it still wasn’t over, no matter what Biletnikoff’s gut was telling him. Momentum wouldn’t let it be over.

Although maybe there’s no such thing as momentum in indoor football, but only what goes around, comes around.

Surely it didn’t ever go just one way Saturday night. Spotted that 14-0 lead, the Shock then had to settle for field goals the next two possessions. Roshawn Marshall picked off a tense fourth-down pass with the Shock backed up against the end zone, only to have Vijil drop a pass behind the line of scrimmage that went as a fumble. Patrick Bugg made a remarkable touchdown catch on the first play of the second half, but CV’s Jomo Wilson answered with the first of his two kick-return touchdowns right away.

CV missed a PAT kick. Jackson missed two.

Eventually, the ping-pong game would have to reach game point – which it did, when Shock linebacker Kevin McCullough came through with an interception that produced a three-touchdown lead. Now Shackleford has a date with Amarillo and his first af2 boss, Chris MacKeown.

And for the Coyotes, well, it’s back to the drawing board. The 0-7 history against Spokane is obviously gnawing at Biletnikoff.

“See, without a kicker, you can’t do much,” he groused. “If we had a kicker the first time (this season) in Fresno, we would have beat them. If we had a kicker two years, ago, we would have beat them. If we had a kicker tonight who could hit the net instead of giving Spokane the ball at the 20-yard line every time, our chances would have gone up significantly.”

Spokane’s averaging starting point, taking away onside kicks: the 12-yard line. CV’s averaging starting point: the 12-yard line – not counting Wilson’s two touchdowns.

Maybe somebody needs his prescription changed.