Post by fwp on May 8, 2010 6:01:43 GMT -5
www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/may/06/new-look-venom-head-north-to-take-on-predators/?venom
WENATCHEE — Change is in the air for the Wenatchee Valley Venom.
Losers of four straight, the Venom are going in a different direction for their Saturday meeting with the Wasilla Arctic Predators, and the direction doesn’t include Ronnie Simpson.
The Venom released Simpson Tuesday, cutting ties with the only starting quarterback in the team’s brief history.
Mid-season addition Neal Sharma will get the nod to start at Wasilla, and he will share time with Devin Hollins, the team’s original backup who returns this week after leaving last month for personal reasons.
Wenatchee Valley coach Keith Evans actually named Sharma the starter for last week’s game against the San Jose Wolves, but instead went with Simpson for the entire game, who continued to struggle in the 70-38 loss.
“Ronnie was the quarterback that was ready to go,” Evans said Sunday. “Neal demonstrated prior to the game that he wasn’t comfortable in starting. ... We felt Neal wasn’t ready to go.”
Evans is confident Sharma will be ready with another week of practice under his belt.
Hollins, meanwhile, has already proven to be a capable quarterback in the AIFA. After taking over for an ill Simpson in the second quarter of the Venom’s season-opening win against Yakima Valley, he finished with 85 yards and four touchdowns on 8-for-18 passing.
But the Venom aren’t just shaking up the offense.
They’ll enter Saturday’s game without a kicker for the first time this season. Offensive lineman Ryan Pahua will handle kickoffs, but the team will likely not attempt any field goals or extra points.
And on the defensive line, they’ve added Cory Clark, a 6-foot-3, 320-pound Jackson State product.
The changes come at a time when the Venom (2-4) desperately need a win, but Wasilla (1-3) will not be a pushover.
The Arctic Predators appear to just be heating up, as they earned their first win of the season last weekend by squeaking by Yakima Valley 66-63.
Wasilla ranks last or second-to-last in the league in scoring offense, rushing offense, passing offense, total offense, scoring defense, and rushing defense, but the Arctic Predators make up for it by ranking first in the league in passing defense (114.2 yards per game) and fifth in total defense (185 yards per game).
Brent Stecker: 661-5222
WENATCHEE — Change is in the air for the Wenatchee Valley Venom.
Losers of four straight, the Venom are going in a different direction for their Saturday meeting with the Wasilla Arctic Predators, and the direction doesn’t include Ronnie Simpson.
The Venom released Simpson Tuesday, cutting ties with the only starting quarterback in the team’s brief history.
Mid-season addition Neal Sharma will get the nod to start at Wasilla, and he will share time with Devin Hollins, the team’s original backup who returns this week after leaving last month for personal reasons.
Wenatchee Valley coach Keith Evans actually named Sharma the starter for last week’s game against the San Jose Wolves, but instead went with Simpson for the entire game, who continued to struggle in the 70-38 loss.
“Ronnie was the quarterback that was ready to go,” Evans said Sunday. “Neal demonstrated prior to the game that he wasn’t comfortable in starting. ... We felt Neal wasn’t ready to go.”
Evans is confident Sharma will be ready with another week of practice under his belt.
Hollins, meanwhile, has already proven to be a capable quarterback in the AIFA. After taking over for an ill Simpson in the second quarter of the Venom’s season-opening win against Yakima Valley, he finished with 85 yards and four touchdowns on 8-for-18 passing.
But the Venom aren’t just shaking up the offense.
They’ll enter Saturday’s game without a kicker for the first time this season. Offensive lineman Ryan Pahua will handle kickoffs, but the team will likely not attempt any field goals or extra points.
And on the defensive line, they’ve added Cory Clark, a 6-foot-3, 320-pound Jackson State product.
The changes come at a time when the Venom (2-4) desperately need a win, but Wasilla (1-3) will not be a pushover.
The Arctic Predators appear to just be heating up, as they earned their first win of the season last weekend by squeaking by Yakima Valley 66-63.
Wasilla ranks last or second-to-last in the league in scoring offense, rushing offense, passing offense, total offense, scoring defense, and rushing defense, but the Arctic Predators make up for it by ranking first in the league in passing defense (114.2 yards per game) and fifth in total defense (185 yards per game).
Brent Stecker: 661-5222