Jonathan Williams is in. Kevin Ellison is out. And after that, anything can happen during the game between the Shock and Blaze at Spokane Arena on Saturday.
The game is full of story lines.
At the outset, there is the coaching angle. Saturday's game is being billed as a duel between current Shock head coach Andy Olson and former coach Rob Keefe. Keefe is now an assistant
at Utah, and the same Rob Keefe who led the Shock to an AFL championship before he was let go team ownership. The two know each other from their playing days, but Olson also served as Keefe's offensive coordinator last year in Spokane. It will be the first time the two coaches have coached against each other.
All that makes for an interesting story, but Shock quarterback Kyle Rowley said it probably wouldn't factor into the game very much.
"I look at it like every other defense," said Rowley, who knows both coaches very well. "We have to prepare, we have to see what they do on film. Coach Keefe will be on the field, but he won't be playing, so I'm looking at the DBs they have, see what their tendencies are, break it down and execute our game."
Of offense, Rowley will have a deep pool of receivers – from Adron Tennell, to Steven Black, Brandon Thompkins and newcomer Jeffrey Solomon. Tennell has caught a touchdown pass in every AFL game he has played in the past two years.
On defense, the Shock will have the services of defensive lineman Jonathan Williams, who returns this week from the Injured Reserve list. His presence will be welcomed due to the absence of linebacker Kevin Ellison, who was charged with arson on Thursday for allegedly setting his Liberty Lake apartment on fire. He was promptly placed on suspension by the league the same day.
Saturday's game will be broadcast live on SWX, SWXRightNow.com and on mobile devices through the Syncbak app.
Andy Olson, now the head coach in Spokane, will face former Shock coach Rob Keefe, who is now an assistant at Utah (Photo: FILE/SWX)
