ADAM TADISCH (on the jets now) Voted Best O-LINEMAN In Arena Football

[idahojetsfan]

League announces First and Second All-Arena Teams

08/20/2010 12:15 PM

SPOKANE- The first and second All-Arena teams have been released, the league office announced today. The positions were voted on by coaches, media and fans, with several unanimous selections including Tulsa’s Gabe Nyenhuis and Arizona’s Rod Windsor.

FIRST TEAM ALL-ARENA

OFFENSE

QUARTERBACK:

CHRIS GREISEN, MIL

FULLBACK:

DAN ALEXANDER, ALA

WIDE RECEIVER:

ROD WINDSOR, ARZ

DONOVAN MORGAN, TUL

BEN NELSON, CLE

CENTER:

KYLE YOUNG, ARZ

OFFENSIVE LINE:

ADAM TADISCH, CLE

ED TA’AMU, SPK

KICKER:

CHRIS GOULD, CHI

DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE LINE:

GABE NYENHUIS, TUL

TIM MCGILL, TBY

KHREEM SMITH, MIL

MAC LINEBACKER:

STEVE WATSON, TUL

JACK LINEBACKER:

DEJUAN ALFONZO, CHI

DEFENSIVE BACKS:

RAYSHAWN KIZER, ORL

TANNER VARNER, IOW

KENNY MCENTYRE, ORL

IRONMAN:

DEJUAN ALFONZO, CHI

SECOND TEAM ALL-ARENA

OFFENSE

QUARTERBACK:

BRETT DIETZ, TBY

FULLBACK:

ODIE ARMSTRONG, TUL

WIDE RECEIVER:

ANTHONY JONES, MIL

AARON BOONE, UTA

HUEY WHITTAKER, SPK

CENTER:

BEAU ELLIOT, CHI

OFFENSIVE LINE:

THOMAS KALEITA, TBY

PHIL BOGLE, DAL

KICKER:

CARLOS MARTINEZ, ORL

DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE LINE:

ANTAJJ HAWTHORNE, ARZ

JERMAINE SMITH, TBY

ANTHONY HOKE, CLE

MAC LINEBACKER:

CLIFF DUKES, TBY

JACK LINEBACKER:

JAMAR RANSOM, TUL

DEFENSIVE BACKS:

VINCE HILL, ALA

JOSH FERGUSON, CHI

MICHEAUX ROBINSON, JAX

IRONMAN:

KENNY HENDERSON, DAL

[idahojetsfan]

i wonder what REX thinks about this and will this help him win a spot with the jets

[Vudu]

[visajets]

Why isnt he in camp?

[idahojetsfan]

Why isnt he in camp?

he is ... his arena team did not make the playoffs

[JerryK]

I don't watch arena, but I assume 50pt games mean it's pass heavy.

Do their OL guys come out under-trained on run-blocking?

[Mistalava]

Why isnt he in camp?

The team is finalizing details of trading Ghoulston and an undisclosed NFL Europe draft pick for him. The Ghoul may thrive in the arena, but IMHO we are raping the Cleats in this deal!

[Ghost]

Who?

[idahojetsfan]

i guess i will use this thread to say congrats to Huey Whittaker who was a jet for a little last year his team won the arenabowl tonight

SPOKANE SHOCK DEFEATS TAMPA BAY STORM IN ARENABOWL XXIII, 69-57

08/20/2010 9:25 PM

SPOKANE- The game of the season lived up to the hype as the Spokane Shock defeated the Tampa Bay Storm in ArenaBowl XXIII, 69-57. The Storm and Shock went into the ArenaBowl with similar regular seasons statistics, but the Shock proved to be the offensive powerhouse in the first matchup of the two franchises in league history.

The Storm were the first to draw blood as LB Eric Ortiz rushed in a 3 yard score with approximately 8:16 remaining in the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead. Spokane wasn’t far behind, however, scoring a touchdown of their own minutes later.

The Shock marched down the field, driven by the QB Kyle Rowley-to-WR Markee White connection. Rowley eventually found an open WR Huey Whittaker for a touchdown, sending the crowd into a frenzy. The excitement of the score was overshadowed in the waning minute of the quarter, however, when Shock DL Jeremy Geathers sacked and forced Tampa QB Brett Dietz to fumble. The fumble was recovered by DL Richard Clebert, who was taken down just shy of a score.

The second quarter was all about White, as Rowley found him open four times for scores. White’s second touchdown of the quarter was a wide open leaping catch as he crashed against the back boards to bring the score to 20-7 in favor of the Shock.

The Storm began to slowly chip away at the Shock’s lead and eventually managed to take a one-point lead with less than 30 seconds left in the half. But with 10 seconds left, Rowley once again found White for an easy score to take a 34-28 halftime lead.

The Shock utilized the third quarter to slowly build a lead, aided by multiple penalties on the Storm. Tampa Bay’s only score of the quarter came in the final minutes when Ortiz again rushed in another score to head into the 4th down 35-48.

The 4th was Tampa Bay’s final opportunity to narrow the point spread, but Rowley and his reliable receiving corps. was too hot to handle. Rowley found the open hands of Whittaker and white – the usual suspects—but also OL Ed Ta’amu, who rushed in a score to put the Shock up 62-41.

Tampa Bay had one last score in the final minute to put them within 12, but Spokane obtained possession and watched the final seconds click off the clock as the sold out crowd of 11,017 erupted.

With his team leading 48-28 and just five minutes to play in the third quarter, K Taylor Rowan stood in his own end zone and waived his arms in the air prior to a kickoff. He knew the ArenaBowl XXIII crown belonged to the Spokane Shock.

Prior to the ArenaBowl, Spokane head coach Rob Keefe said that he was tired of his team being disrespected all season long. On Friday night at Spokane Arena, any potential disrespect for his squad was removed, as the Shock took out the Tampa Bay Storm 69-57 to win ArenaBowl XXIII.

The atmosphere in Spokane was absolutely electric. 11,017 fans packed into the stadium for the city's first ever ArenaBowl and its second Arena Football championship game. Previously, the 2008 ArenaCup ended in a disaster, as the Tennessee Valley Vipers ripped the hearts out of the Shock with a 56-55 overtime defeat.

However, the game that was dubbed by both majority owner/CEO Brady Nelson and Keefe as the biggest event in the history of the city of Spokane had a picture perfect ending, as confetti dropped from the rafters and the Shock and their fans rejoiced.

The Storm opened up the game by taking a 7-0 lead on a frustrating opening possession for the hosts. Both DL Jerry Turner and DB Alex Teems were lost to injuries. Turner only played one more down the rest of the game, while Teems never returned. However, the Shock, even with just 18 bodies to play with, wouldn't be daunted or denied. They rolled off 20 straight points, highlighted by an interception by DB Mervin Brookings and fumble recovery on a sack by DL Jeremy Geathers.

After Tampa Bay answered with a touchdown, WR Markee White picked up his third touchdown grab of the game to push the lead to 27-14 with one minute to play in the first half. Spokane had its scariest moment of the game when the Storm recovered an onside kick following a touchdown with 0:49 to play in the first half.

Tampa Bay took a 28-27 lead that was short lived.

White came up with his fourth score of the half from 22 yards away, which gave him seven catches and 70 yards in the first half of play. A blocked field goal by WR Emery Sammons right at the gun preserved a 34-28 halftime lead that was never relented.

The second quarter was a great one for White, but it was a record-tying stanza for the Shock. The 28 points scored in the second quarter tied the Orlando Predators for the most points ever scored in a quarter.

Catches eight and nine for White highlighted a very systematic first drive of the half for Spokane, but QB Kyle Rowley wrapped it up with a one yard touchdown plunge to push the lead to two scores.

The Storm would never get closer than that again.

DB Travis Williams got in on the act for the short-handed Shock, as he picked off Tampa Bay QB Brett Dietz on the second defensive play of the first drive of the second half.

It was cashed in immediately with Rowley's sixth TD pass of the game to push the lead to 20.

In spite of the fact that the Storm continued to score and attempt onside kick after onside kick, none were ever successful. The game was effectively salted away, sealing up the championship.

First team All-Arena OL Ed Ta'amu caught a touchdown pass with 9:04 to play to give his quarterback the distinction of tying San Jose SaberCats QB Mark Grieb for the most TD tosses in ArenaBowl history.

The Storm pulled back to within 12 points, but never got the ball back again. With one final run by Rowley, and the celebration was on.

Rowley finished the day by completing 24-of-32 passes for 237 yards with nine scores and one on the ground. His top targets, Whittaker and White each had four TD receptions. The 69 points scored tied an ArenaBowl record, matching the scoring efforts of both the 2004 San Jose SaberCats and the 2006 Chicago Rush. Ten offensive touchdowns also tied an ArenaBowl record.

Spokane became the first expansion team in the history of the Arena Football League to capture an ArenaBowl in its first season.