Post by 50yardfan on May 8, 2011 21:37:33 GMT -5
Unbeaten Wranglers, Krush meet today
www.news-journal.com/sports/article_e3f3a0fb-8c58-5986-acf5-7bd4879e4fd2.html
The East Texas Wranglers will play their third game of the season today, but it could be the first game against an opponent which can hold their own. Especially on defense.
Defense is a major reason why the Wranglers game against the Texas Krush, which starts at 5 p.m. at the Longview Rodeo Arena, is a battle of unbeatens. The Wranglers lead the Independent Indoor Football Alliance with a 2-0 record while the Krush is 1-0.
The Wranglers have overwhelmed their opposition by a combined score of 118-12. The defensive success has been spearheaded by a secondary which has picked off 10 passes, six by Tramaine Wright.
While the secondary has been superb, Wrangler head coach Corey Mayfield, a former defensive lineman who played two seasons in the NFL, said he wants more from his linemen such as Marquis Price, Julian Parks and David “Superman” Stout. Stout had two sacks in the Wranglers 74-12 win over the Dallas Americans on April 10.
“Our pass rush is our biggest concern right now,” Mayfield said. “We need to pick it up.”
The Krush, a Frisco-based franchise, opened its IIFA season last week with a low-scoring contest, a 24-20 victory over the Texas Pirates. Mayfield said from what his scouts told him, it was a sloppy game with turnovers, but the Krush deserves credit for forcing mistakes by the Pirates.
“They have some good defensive backs and a really good nose tackle,” Mayfield said. “I’d have to say they’re the best team we’ve faced this year.”
The Wranglers are coming a good offensive performance, albeit against an Americans team which has since withdrawn from the IIFA. The Wranglers had 391 total yards of offense, with quarterback Terrance Parks going 16-for-19 on pass attempts with five touchdown and one interception. Three touchdown passes went to Blake Warren, who had six receptions for 92 yards.
Despite the success of his passing game against the Americans, Mayfield said he is looking for more consistency from Parks.
“He looks for the deep pass a little too much. That’s not always conducive for what we want with our offense,” Mayfield said. “Of course when we have the chance to score we have to take advantage of it.”
The Wranglers were scheduled to play a non-league the Corpus Christi Hammerheads on April 15, but Mayfield said a misunderstanding between the teams forced the game to be canceled. The Wranglers return to the Longview Rodeo Arena after playing their game against the Americans across town at Mary Womack Field.
Before the game, the Wranglers will host its inaugural Easter Egg Round Up, starting at 3 p.m. at the nearby Longview Fairgrounds. The hunt is free and will feature The Easter Bunny.
Children eight years old and younger will receive free admission to the football game. Adults which bring two cans of food will receive $5 off a general-admission ticket. The food will be donated to area charities such as the East Texas Food Bank, the Highway 80 Rescue Mission, the Kilgore Crisis Center, Texas Special Children’s Projects and the Assist Autism Foundation.
The Wranglers will play their first road game of this season at 8 p.m. Friday against the Southlake Pirates (not to be confused with the Texas Pirates) at the Stampede Sports Arena. The Wranglers host the Waco Twisters on May 8.
www.news-journal.com/sports/article_e3f3a0fb-8c58-5986-acf5-7bd4879e4fd2.html
The East Texas Wranglers will play their third game of the season today, but it could be the first game against an opponent which can hold their own. Especially on defense.
Defense is a major reason why the Wranglers game against the Texas Krush, which starts at 5 p.m. at the Longview Rodeo Arena, is a battle of unbeatens. The Wranglers lead the Independent Indoor Football Alliance with a 2-0 record while the Krush is 1-0.
The Wranglers have overwhelmed their opposition by a combined score of 118-12. The defensive success has been spearheaded by a secondary which has picked off 10 passes, six by Tramaine Wright.
While the secondary has been superb, Wrangler head coach Corey Mayfield, a former defensive lineman who played two seasons in the NFL, said he wants more from his linemen such as Marquis Price, Julian Parks and David “Superman” Stout. Stout had two sacks in the Wranglers 74-12 win over the Dallas Americans on April 10.
“Our pass rush is our biggest concern right now,” Mayfield said. “We need to pick it up.”
The Krush, a Frisco-based franchise, opened its IIFA season last week with a low-scoring contest, a 24-20 victory over the Texas Pirates. Mayfield said from what his scouts told him, it was a sloppy game with turnovers, but the Krush deserves credit for forcing mistakes by the Pirates.
“They have some good defensive backs and a really good nose tackle,” Mayfield said. “I’d have to say they’re the best team we’ve faced this year.”
The Wranglers are coming a good offensive performance, albeit against an Americans team which has since withdrawn from the IIFA. The Wranglers had 391 total yards of offense, with quarterback Terrance Parks going 16-for-19 on pass attempts with five touchdown and one interception. Three touchdown passes went to Blake Warren, who had six receptions for 92 yards.
Despite the success of his passing game against the Americans, Mayfield said he is looking for more consistency from Parks.
“He looks for the deep pass a little too much. That’s not always conducive for what we want with our offense,” Mayfield said. “Of course when we have the chance to score we have to take advantage of it.”
The Wranglers were scheduled to play a non-league the Corpus Christi Hammerheads on April 15, but Mayfield said a misunderstanding between the teams forced the game to be canceled. The Wranglers return to the Longview Rodeo Arena after playing their game against the Americans across town at Mary Womack Field.
Before the game, the Wranglers will host its inaugural Easter Egg Round Up, starting at 3 p.m. at the nearby Longview Fairgrounds. The hunt is free and will feature The Easter Bunny.
Children eight years old and younger will receive free admission to the football game. Adults which bring two cans of food will receive $5 off a general-admission ticket. The food will be donated to area charities such as the East Texas Food Bank, the Highway 80 Rescue Mission, the Kilgore Crisis Center, Texas Special Children’s Projects and the Assist Autism Foundation.
The Wranglers will play their first road game of this season at 8 p.m. Friday against the Southlake Pirates (not to be confused with the Texas Pirates) at the Stampede Sports Arena. The Wranglers host the Waco Twisters on May 8.