Another critical game
They are ranked eighth and ninth in the coaches’ poll and are first and second in the American Conference’s Western Division.
All that separates the Spokane Shock from the Central Valley Coyotes is half a game, and a win would all but clinch the division for Spokane.
The Shock, the division leaders ranked eighth in this week’s poll, face their biggest threat of the season in the Coyotes when the teams meet tonight at Selland Arena in Fresno, Calif., to battle it out with first place on the line.
Spokane has won five of its last six games, and has beaten Central Valley in three of four meetings in franchise history, while the Coyotes are riding a three-game winning streak, taking over sole possession of second with a win over the Tri-Cities Fever last week.
“I think it’s going to be a tough game, last time we played them it was real close,” said Shock veteran receiver Raul Vijil, who didn’t play in the May 26 game against the Coyotes, which the Shock won 66-63 on a last-second touchdown by receiver Kelvin Dickens.
Vijil, who was injured the first time the teams met, had a franchise-record six touchdown receptions last week in the Shock’s win over Boise.
“I think a lot of guys are finally starting to buy in on what we’re doing, and it’s getting late in the season and everyone is starting to feel it and get into playoff mode,” Vijil said.
The Coyotes are ranked third in the af2 in scoring offense, averaging 58.6 points a game, behind quarterback Clay Groefsema – sixth in the league in passing yards (270.5 a game) and fifth in total offense (280.3 a game).
He’ll be up against a surging Shock secondary defense – led by Rob Keefe and his nine interceptions, good for second in the league.
“It’s going to be an offensive battle and it’s going to be a matter of who contains who on defense,” said Keefe, who had two of the Shock’s six interceptions last week against Boise. Alex Teems and Nygel Rogers also collected two picks each, with Rogers returning both of his for touchdowns.
“They have a great offense – like we saw last time we played them – so it’s a matter of getting the stops when we need them,” Keefe added.
Jason Barnes leads a steady Coyotes’ receiving core, averaging 90.4 yards a game on 12.4 receptions, with 24 touchdowns.
Receiver Tonae Martin averages the same number of catches for 65.2 yards a game and has 15 TDs.
A huge lift for the Shock would be having a second veteran receiver in the lineup – Antwone Savage – who is a game-time decision with an injured hamstring.
Savage is sixth in the league with an average of 170.7 all-purpose yards per game, seventh in the league with 105.4 receiving yards a game, ninth in receptions per game (eight) and in a three-way tie for scoring with 14.7 points a game.