Burn prove no match for top-ranked Shock

BOISE – The distance between first and second place in the West Division continues to grow.

Spokane quarterback Nick Davila completed 26 of 39 passes, threw for seven touchdowns and hauled in one as the top-ranked Shock remained unbeaten with a 68-51 over the Boise Burn in front of 4,530 Qwest Arena fans on Saturday.

The top-ranked Shock (10-0) remain the only unbeaten team in the arenafootball2 league while Boise dropped to 5-5 to fall five games back of the Shock in the division standings.

Second-place Central Valley (5-4) slipped past the Tri-Cities Fever 62-61 (4-6). The Shock play the Fever on Saturday in Kennewick.

“Next week we have the opportunity to distance ourselves from everybody (in the division),” said Shock coach Adam Shackleford.

“But we’re not going to change our approach to anything,” Shackleford added. “We’re still making mistakes here and there, but I’m really proud of this team and how they’ve handled themselves.”

After the Burn’s Demond Williams returned the opening kickoff 58 yards for a touchdown, Davila and wide receiver Raul Vijil connected on a 40-yard TD pass.

Less than a minute into the game, the Shock led 7-6 – which turned into a 33-13 lead by the end of the first quarter.

“I thought we reacted pretty well,” said Shackleford. “They returned the opening kick for a TD and it didn’t really faze us.

“We responded and took the crowd out of the game and really kept it on them. I didn’t feel like we let down with the lead.”

Vijil finished with three TD receptions before Shackleford rested him in the second half. Receiver Patrick Bugg took Vijil’s place and caught three TD passes. Bugg also ran for a score late in the first quarter.

Shock defensive back Sergio Gilliam added two interceptions to his franchise record. Gilliam has picked off 13 passes this season and is two shy of tying the af2 record – set in 2002 by Tennessee Valley’s Kelly Snell.