On August 20, 2010, the Spokane Shock hosted the Tampa Bay Storm in Arena Bowl XXIII. The game featured two teams with a high powered offense and an experienced defense. While the Storm franchise had been in the ArenaBowl spotlight before, the Shock organization was experiencing the limelight for the first time. Shock quarterback Kyle Rowley and Head Coach Rob Keefe were both in their rookie year of their respective positions. On the other hand, the Storm had quarterback Brett Dietz and Head Coach Tim Marcum, who were both veterans in the League and proven leaders in the AFL world.
The Storm finished the 2010 regular season at 11-5, while the Shock showed no signs of inexperience, as they finished the regular season at 13-3. Both Dietz and Rowley also led their respective squads with strong offensive seasons in 2010. Both notched over 100 touchdowns passes a piece. Heading into the 2010 playoffs, the Shock and Storm were battle tested and serious contenders to bring home the ArenaBowl title. Both teams had a winning formula and focused on playing smart football.
“I think that every coach will tell you this, but being successful in this League has a lot to do with the turnovers and the quarterback play. The Arena League is a possession game. It’s very similar to basketball, in that the team with the most turnovers will probably lose the game. Last year, we were top in the League in not giving the ball away and top in the League in taking the ball away. Tampa was great in these categories, as well. Kyle didn’t throw an interception in the final nine games of the season. Having smart quarterbacks like Rowley and Dietz definitely helped the turnover issues,” Keefe said.
Going into ArenaBowl XXIII, many believed the Storm would triumph over the Shock due to their veteran leadership. However, experience did not prevail and Spokane defeated Tampa Bay 69-57. The Shock offense was nearly perfect, as Rowley threw a new ArenaBowl record nine touchdown passes and earned ArenaBowl MVP honors. The game was tight throughout, but a few late mistakes cost the Storm the victory. The championship was still one to remember because of the exciting, talented offensive and defensive weapons across the field.
After a nine month hiatus, the two franchises will meet again in Week 11, but this time, with very different scripts. During the offseason, the Storm lost their Hall of Fame Head Coach and starting quarterback due to personal reasons and has not looked like the same offensive powerhouse in the 2010 season. Due to trades, retirement, injuries and players signing with another team or league, the Storm only have 10 players from the ArenaBowl squad playing this week. The offseason was tough on the Storm franchise, with changes coming everywhere from Ownership to a new Head Coach. The Storm looked within to find their new Head Coach, Storm long time Assistant Coach Dave Ewart. Ewart understood that the offseason would be difficult, due to all of the moving parts.
“Anytime you have a change like that, it makes it tough, especially on the coaching staff. Marcum and I had about 40-years of experience in the AFL and now I have three other guys who have about 20-years of experience combined. I think there are a lot of components that prevent guys from coming back every year. Coaches only know how to do one thing, and that is coach. It has definitely been a big difference from last year, but we have to keep moving forward and keep teaching these guys,” Ewart said.
The Storm also had to find a replacement at the most important position in the AFL game, the quarterback. Brett Dietz had played three seasons with the Storm franchise and had already proven himself as a smart and precise quarterback in the AFL. However, due to personal reasons, Dietz left the game and is currently working with the DePaul University football team. Because of the AFL style and its pass happy tendencies, Tampa knew that finding a quarterback would be extremely important to their success, but a difficult task to execute.
“The QB situation this season has been tough,” Ewart said. “First of all, it’s hard to find a kid who has played Arena Football. They don’t play it in college, so the only chance they have to play is, unfortunately, game time. It’s definitely a challenge for the coaches, as well as the players, because it forces you to go out and find older, proven guys, which is not easy to find.”
The Shock, on the other hand, did not lose their Head Coach and starting quarterback coming into the 2011 season. Rowley and Keefe both returned to Spokane, but lost 15-players from the ArenaBowl team. Coach Keefe looked at the transition as a time to rebuild and create a new Spokane Shock identity.
“Right now I am excited with the team we have. I’m excited for the new guys to get a taste of what Arena Football is, and it’s kind of a new era in the Spokane Shock franchise,” Keefe said.
Through nine games this season, the Storm and Shock have still yet to find consistency due to the constant change in personnel. The Storm are on their third quarterback this season because of inconsistent play and has yet to find a smooth rhythm on either side of the ball. Tampa is currently 3-6 and last in the League in the very important turnover margin statistic. Due to the constant change at many positions across the field, Ewart and the Storm have yet to build strong chemistry.
“I think the main concern is taking care of the football. We have to get down to the basic fundamentals by taking care of the football and not making stupid mistakes. When we do that, we win football games. We have had some changes; obviously we don’t have Brett Dietz anymore which was tough. We have a young kid (Zbydniewski) learning his way, and we also have three new receivers basically who are all new together. We only had two weeks of training camp before having to get ready to play games. It takes time for players to gel with one another,” Ewart said.
The Shock are also having difficulty finding consistency on the field in the 2011 season. Spokane will also be on their third starting quarterback in the 2011 season. Both Kyle Rowley and Bill Stull were placed on Injured Reserve this week, after acquiring injuries in last week’s win against Dallas. The team brought in quarterbacks Casey Hansen and Steven Sheffield to step in and learn quickly. With the AFL tight roster space, injuries issues can be very difficult to battle through.
“In Arena Football, there really isn’t very much depth. There isn’t really a deep practice squad, so it’s tough. We know injuries are part of the game. Of course, I am upset for the quarterbacks because they were getting into a good rhythm and were beginning to get into a competitive quarterback controversy. It was pushing them both in practice and to have them both get hurt like that, was very tough to see. On the other hand, the two guys we brought in are more than capable of doing it,” Coach Keefe said.
If the Spokane Shock wants to contend for another ArenaBowl, they must find consistency quickly at the quarterback position. With a 4-5 record and a tough West Division, the Shock squad is getting to a point where it is make or break. The team has little room for error if they plan on catching the Rattlers at the top of the division. Because of the constant change within both teams, finding consistency continues to be the main concern.
One of the few consistent players on the Tampa Bay Storm roster this season has been wide receiver, Huey Whittaker. Whittaker leads the Storm with 80 receptions, 881 yards and 16 touchdowns and has been one of the few bright spots throughout the 2011 Storm season. Whittaker played a vital role in the 2010 Spokane Shock championship run. During the 2010 season, Whittaker led the Shock in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns and developed a strong rapport with quarterback Kyle Rowley. Whittaker caught four touchdown passes against Tampa Bay in ArenaBowl XXIII. Keefe and the Shock not only miss his physical 6’5 frame, but also his leadership and attitude.
“Besides his powerful attributes and physicality at the receiver position, Huey also has great leadership characteristics. He’s an extremely positive person and a total pro. He really helps younger guys understand how to be ready athletic wise and spiritually as well,” Coach Keefe said.
Because of constant change from trades, retirement, injuries and players signing with other teams, the 2011 season has been a very different script from the one from last year for both Spokane and Tampa Bay. Both teams in 2010 played smart football and had found a steady rhythm early in the season. This season, consistency and smart play has been lacking for both squads. With the season halfway gone, finding constant and reliable play will be a difficult task. Because both squads play in tough divisions, Spokane and Tampa Bay are at the point where each game is a must win.
The Storm finished the 2010 regular season at 11-5, while the Shock showed no signs of inexperience, as they finished the regular season at 13-3. Both Dietz and Rowley also led their respective squads with strong offensive seasons in 2010. Both notched over 100 touchdowns passes a piece. Heading into the 2010 playoffs, the Shock and Storm were battle tested and serious contenders to bring home the ArenaBowl title. Both teams had a winning formula and focused on playing smart football.
“I think that every coach will tell you this, but being successful in this League has a lot to do with the turnovers and the quarterback play. The Arena League is a possession game. It’s very similar to basketball, in that the team with the most turnovers will probably lose the game. Last year, we were top in the League in not giving the ball away and top in the League in taking the ball away. Tampa was great in these categories, as well. Kyle didn’t throw an interception in the final nine games of the season. Having smart quarterbacks like Rowley and Dietz definitely helped the turnover issues,” Keefe said.
Going into ArenaBowl XXIII, many believed the Storm would triumph over the Shock due to their veteran leadership. However, experience did not prevail and Spokane defeated Tampa Bay 69-57. The Shock offense was nearly perfect, as Rowley threw a new ArenaBowl record nine touchdown passes and earned ArenaBowl MVP honors. The game was tight throughout, but a few late mistakes cost the Storm the victory. The championship was still one to remember because of the exciting, talented offensive and defensive weapons across the field.
After a nine month hiatus, the two franchises will meet again in Week 11, but this time, with very different scripts. During the offseason, the Storm lost their Hall of Fame Head Coach and starting quarterback due to personal reasons and has not looked like the same offensive powerhouse in the 2010 season. Due to trades, retirement, injuries and players signing with another team or league, the Storm only have 10 players from the ArenaBowl squad playing this week. The offseason was tough on the Storm franchise, with changes coming everywhere from Ownership to a new Head Coach. The Storm looked within to find their new Head Coach, Storm long time Assistant Coach Dave Ewart. Ewart understood that the offseason would be difficult, due to all of the moving parts.
“Anytime you have a change like that, it makes it tough, especially on the coaching staff. Marcum and I had about 40-years of experience in the AFL and now I have three other guys who have about 20-years of experience combined. I think there are a lot of components that prevent guys from coming back every year. Coaches only know how to do one thing, and that is coach. It has definitely been a big difference from last year, but we have to keep moving forward and keep teaching these guys,” Ewart said.
The Storm also had to find a replacement at the most important position in the AFL game, the quarterback. Brett Dietz had played three seasons with the Storm franchise and had already proven himself as a smart and precise quarterback in the AFL. However, due to personal reasons, Dietz left the game and is currently working with the DePaul University football team. Because of the AFL style and its pass happy tendencies, Tampa knew that finding a quarterback would be extremely important to their success, but a difficult task to execute.
“The QB situation this season has been tough,” Ewart said. “First of all, it’s hard to find a kid who has played Arena Football. They don’t play it in college, so the only chance they have to play is, unfortunately, game time. It’s definitely a challenge for the coaches, as well as the players, because it forces you to go out and find older, proven guys, which is not easy to find.”
The Shock, on the other hand, did not lose their Head Coach and starting quarterback coming into the 2011 season. Rowley and Keefe both returned to Spokane, but lost 15-players from the ArenaBowl team. Coach Keefe looked at the transition as a time to rebuild and create a new Spokane Shock identity.
“Right now I am excited with the team we have. I’m excited for the new guys to get a taste of what Arena Football is, and it’s kind of a new era in the Spokane Shock franchise,” Keefe said.
Through nine games this season, the Storm and Shock have still yet to find consistency due to the constant change in personnel. The Storm are on their third quarterback this season because of inconsistent play and has yet to find a smooth rhythm on either side of the ball. Tampa is currently 3-6 and last in the League in the very important turnover margin statistic. Due to the constant change at many positions across the field, Ewart and the Storm have yet to build strong chemistry.
“I think the main concern is taking care of the football. We have to get down to the basic fundamentals by taking care of the football and not making stupid mistakes. When we do that, we win football games. We have had some changes; obviously we don’t have Brett Dietz anymore which was tough. We have a young kid (Zbydniewski) learning his way, and we also have three new receivers basically who are all new together. We only had two weeks of training camp before having to get ready to play games. It takes time for players to gel with one another,” Ewart said.
The Shock are also having difficulty finding consistency on the field in the 2011 season. Spokane will also be on their third starting quarterback in the 2011 season. Both Kyle Rowley and Bill Stull were placed on Injured Reserve this week, after acquiring injuries in last week’s win against Dallas. The team brought in quarterbacks Casey Hansen and Steven Sheffield to step in and learn quickly. With the AFL tight roster space, injuries issues can be very difficult to battle through.
“In Arena Football, there really isn’t very much depth. There isn’t really a deep practice squad, so it’s tough. We know injuries are part of the game. Of course, I am upset for the quarterbacks because they were getting into a good rhythm and were beginning to get into a competitive quarterback controversy. It was pushing them both in practice and to have them both get hurt like that, was very tough to see. On the other hand, the two guys we brought in are more than capable of doing it,” Coach Keefe said.
If the Spokane Shock wants to contend for another ArenaBowl, they must find consistency quickly at the quarterback position. With a 4-5 record and a tough West Division, the Shock squad is getting to a point where it is make or break. The team has little room for error if they plan on catching the Rattlers at the top of the division. Because of the constant change within both teams, finding consistency continues to be the main concern.
One of the few consistent players on the Tampa Bay Storm roster this season has been wide receiver, Huey Whittaker. Whittaker leads the Storm with 80 receptions, 881 yards and 16 touchdowns and has been one of the few bright spots throughout the 2011 Storm season. Whittaker played a vital role in the 2010 Spokane Shock championship run. During the 2010 season, Whittaker led the Shock in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns and developed a strong rapport with quarterback Kyle Rowley. Whittaker caught four touchdown passes against Tampa Bay in ArenaBowl XXIII. Keefe and the Shock not only miss his physical 6’5 frame, but also his leadership and attitude.
“Besides his powerful attributes and physicality at the receiver position, Huey also has great leadership characteristics. He’s an extremely positive person and a total pro. He really helps younger guys understand how to be ready athletic wise and spiritually as well,” Coach Keefe said.
Because of constant change from trades, retirement, injuries and players signing with other teams, the 2011 season has been a very different script from the one from last year for both Spokane and Tampa Bay. Both teams in 2010 played smart football and had found a steady rhythm early in the season. This season, consistency and smart play has been lacking for both squads. With the season halfway gone, finding constant and reliable play will be a difficult task. Because both squads play in tough divisions, Spokane and Tampa Bay are at the point where each game is a must win.
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