Post by 50yardfan on Apr 28, 2011 18:02:11 GMT -5
www.marionstar.com/article/20110428/SPORTS/104280324/Blue-Racers-return-home
MARION - Two straight weeks of playing road games and then a bye week have kept the Marion Blue Racers from the home turf of the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
That will change Saturday as they host the Chicago Knights, looking for their sixth win in seven games in the Continental Indoor Football League.
While wanting to keep the momentum of a four-game winning streak going, Blue Racers head coach Ryan Terry felt the team needed a little bit of a break, the first one since the team started training camp in late January.
The team did not have any practices last week.
"The guys have worked hard and deserved the week off," Terry said. "We came in Tuesday to knock the rust off and get the timing back. I am not worried about coming back off the bye."
Wide receiver Antonio Wells did a little individual workouts but for the most part took things pretty easy.
"The bye week gave us a chance to heal our bodies," Wells said. "I worked out a little bit. We needed the time off, and now it is like the first week again."
"We've gone through a lot this year," Blue Racers CEO/ general manager LaMonte Coleman said. "We wanted the players to take a week to focus on family and personal things."
But the Blue Racers have to hone in on a team they have not played yet this season in the Chicago Knights.
The Knights are 3-2 and are coming off a 24-21 loss to the Dayton Silverbacks.
A win over Chicago, coupled with a loss this week by either Port Huron or Dayton, will clinch a playoff spot for Marion.
The top four teams qualify for the post season and Chicago would like nothing better than to pull off the upset.
"We know they are wanting to come in and try to steal a victory," Terry said. "We have an opportunity to get better against Chicago. It is still about what the Marion Blue Racers can do and that is all we worry about."
Marion have outscored their opponents 278-129 through the first six games, which includes an 82-25 advantage in the fourth quarter.
"We have been able to make adjustments at the half and see where we can accomplish things that will work against our opponents," Terry said. "We believe we have a championship-caliber defense."
The week off was appreciated but Wells knows it is important to pick it up where the team left off before the bye week as the Blue Racers compete for a CIFL title.
"It is all part of the job, but break is over, and we are going back to work," Wells said.
CONTINENTAL INDOOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Team W L
Cincinnati 5 0
Marion 5 1
Chicago 3 2
Port Huron 2 4
Dayton 2 4
Indianapolis 0 6
BLUE RACERS INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing Att Yds TD
Josh Harris 29 135 5
Christen Haywood 39 117 5
Jerard Bennett 14 66 2
Passing Att Comp Int Yds TD
Harris 96 51 4 551 15
Receiving Rec Yds TD
Mike Tatum 14 170 7
Brandon Williams 23 200 6
Antonio Wells 8 116 1
Kick Returns No. Yds TD
Tatum 12 303 2
Wells 5 97 0
MARION - Two straight weeks of playing road games and then a bye week have kept the Marion Blue Racers from the home turf of the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
That will change Saturday as they host the Chicago Knights, looking for their sixth win in seven games in the Continental Indoor Football League.
While wanting to keep the momentum of a four-game winning streak going, Blue Racers head coach Ryan Terry felt the team needed a little bit of a break, the first one since the team started training camp in late January.
The team did not have any practices last week.
"The guys have worked hard and deserved the week off," Terry said. "We came in Tuesday to knock the rust off and get the timing back. I am not worried about coming back off the bye."
Wide receiver Antonio Wells did a little individual workouts but for the most part took things pretty easy.
"The bye week gave us a chance to heal our bodies," Wells said. "I worked out a little bit. We needed the time off, and now it is like the first week again."
"We've gone through a lot this year," Blue Racers CEO/ general manager LaMonte Coleman said. "We wanted the players to take a week to focus on family and personal things."
But the Blue Racers have to hone in on a team they have not played yet this season in the Chicago Knights.
The Knights are 3-2 and are coming off a 24-21 loss to the Dayton Silverbacks.
A win over Chicago, coupled with a loss this week by either Port Huron or Dayton, will clinch a playoff spot for Marion.
The top four teams qualify for the post season and Chicago would like nothing better than to pull off the upset.
"We know they are wanting to come in and try to steal a victory," Terry said. "We have an opportunity to get better against Chicago. It is still about what the Marion Blue Racers can do and that is all we worry about."
Marion have outscored their opponents 278-129 through the first six games, which includes an 82-25 advantage in the fourth quarter.
"We have been able to make adjustments at the half and see where we can accomplish things that will work against our opponents," Terry said. "We believe we have a championship-caliber defense."
The week off was appreciated but Wells knows it is important to pick it up where the team left off before the bye week as the Blue Racers compete for a CIFL title.
"It is all part of the job, but break is over, and we are going back to work," Wells said.
CONTINENTAL INDOOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Team W L
Cincinnati 5 0
Marion 5 1
Chicago 3 2
Port Huron 2 4
Dayton 2 4
Indianapolis 0 6
BLUE RACERS INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing Att Yds TD
Josh Harris 29 135 5
Christen Haywood 39 117 5
Jerard Bennett 14 66 2
Passing Att Comp Int Yds TD
Harris 96 51 4 551 15
Receiving Rec Yds TD
Mike Tatum 14 170 7
Brandon Williams 23 200 6
Antonio Wells 8 116 1
Kick Returns No. Yds TD
Tatum 12 303 2
Wells 5 97 0