Shock place six on af2 all-conference list
Four Spokane players make first team
If team accomplishments pave the way for personal recognition, the Spokane Shock’s league-best 15-1 regular-season record probably didn’t hurt when it came time for voting for this year’s all-arenafootball2 teams.
Four Shock players – wide receiver Raul Vijil, defensive back Sergio Gilliam, offensive lineman Ryan Belcher and defensive lineman Devon Parks – earned all-af2 National Conference first-team honors. A pair of Spokane players – center Rico Ochoa and offensive lineman Kyle Young – were named to the conference’s second team.
Vijil, a three-year veteran for the Shock, finished the regular season second in the league in scoring (18 points a game), fourth in all-purpose yards (181.8 a game) and receiving touchdowns (35, tied with Austin’s John Roberson) and eighth in kick return yards (21.2 per return).
An af2 rookie this season, Gilliam set a league single-season record in interceptions with 16. The previous record of 15 picks was set by Tennessee Valley’s Kelly Snell in 2002.
Parks, a two-year Shock veteran, finished fourth in the league in sacks (15.5 in 14 games) and sixth in tackles for loss (16 for 75 yards) and fumbles forced (five).
Defense may make difference
It appears defense may be the determining factor for the Shock in this week’s second-round playoff game against the Central Valley Coyotes on Saturday.
The team’s quarterbacks put up similar numbers.
In eight regular-season games for the Coyotes, Clay Groefsema completed 67.5 percent of his passes for 1,860 yards (232 yards a game), 42 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Spokane quarterback Nick Davila, who appeared in 13 games, connected 67 percent of his passes for 2,935 yards (226 per game), 66 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
The Coyotes and Shock met twice in the regular season. Spokane won both games by two points.
Extra points
The Shock’s game against Central Valley will not be televised because of coverage of the Beijing Olympics. Approximately 3,000 tickets for the game are still available. … Former Shock quarterback Kyle Rowley, who helped lead the Shock to an ArenaCup championship in 2006, was named to the National Conference first team. Rowley spent this season playing under former Spokane coach Chris Siegfried with the Arkansas Twisters. Siegfried was Spokane’s coach in 2006.