Frederick’s play inspires Savage
Antwone Savage knows he is Arena Football League material, even if the Dallas Desperados missed their opportunity when they cut the Spokane Shock’s veteran receiver earlier this year.
While Savage continues to put in his time in the af2 and lead Shock receivers, former teammate Charles “ET” Frederick is lighting it up in the AFL with the playoff-bound Kansas City Brigade.
“Charles is a great player,” Savage said. “If you give (him) the opportunity, he’s able to do anything with the ball. We saw that last year.”
Frederick, who left Spokane for Kansas City last October along with former Shock coach Chris Siegfried, is up for two coveted AFL awards – U.S. Army Ironman of the Year and Rookie of the Year.
The former Washington Husky leads the Brigade with 97 receptions, 1,417 total offensive yards and 38 touchdowns, good for seventh in the AFL in total TDs.
The Rookie of the Year winner will be announced July 5 and the U.S. Ironman of the Year will be announced the following week.
Savage said he and Frederick have kept in touch since their days as the Shock’s 1-2 receiving punch in the lineup during the 2006 season. The two do their best to talk every couple of weeks.
Savage, meanwhile, is still hopeful for his opportunity to move up at the end of the season.
“I really do think I will get my chance,” Savage said. “(This year) was a learning process for me. If I would have sat out and not come back to Spokane, I probably could have gotten picked up by an AFL team, but I signed a contract so it put me on a deadline.”
Keefe weighs in
Spokane defensive back Rob Keefe is never short of opinions, and when it comes to this week’s game with the Tri-Cities he knows what is at stake for the Shock down the stretch.
“It’s a huge game, for sure,” Keefe said. “If we can take care of Tri-Cities, it’s going to propel us to that next level in our playoff run, so it’s definitely a big focus for us this week.”
The Shock (7-3) have an opportunity, with a win this weekend, to increase their lead in the Western Division standings over the second-place Fever (5-4) and Central Valley Coyotes (5-4).
Stockton, Bakersfield and Boise are locked in a third-place tie at 4-5.
The most important thing, of course, is avoiding what has plagued the Shock since the start of the season: injuries.
“I want to make sure everyone stays healthy,” Keefe said. “At this point in the season, now that guys are feeling better and getting to the point where they’re getting back, I think we need to keep building on what we’ve done so far. I just hope we stay healthy, that’s the main thing.”
Vijil questionable
During Monday’s practice at the Shock facility, Raul Vijil heard a pop and felt a familiar pain in his injured right ankle.
Now the Shock receiver, who has been dealing with the high ankle sprain for a good chunk of the season, is listed as a game-time decision Saturday when he returns to his hometown to take on the Tri-Cities Fever.
“It bums me out, definitely,” Vijil said. “I’m going back home and I’ve got a lot of family and friends going that are excited to see me play and see our team play. But we’ve got to do whatever is best for the team, so if I’m not feeling up to par, then coach will make the best decision for the team.”
If Shock coach Adam Shackleford decides not to play Vijil, receiver Chico Mackey, who has been on the injured reserve since the second game of the season, will play after being activated this week.
“My chances (of playing) are 50-50 right now,” Vijil said. “It’s in coaches’ hands. … It’s kind of a big game and we definitely need this win, but Chico is healthy and he is a great player, so whatever happens I’m sure we’ll be fine and come back with a win.”
Also listed as a game-time decision is defensive back Nygel Rogers, who has compiled 35.5 total tackles and 10 pass breakups this season.