Weekly Horsemen update

04/16/03 Horsemen Press Release

THIS WEEK’S GAME:
SATURDAY, APRIL 19 VS. OKLAHOMA, 7:30 PM, RUPP ARENA

TOP STORY – GREEN, ALLEN NAMED NIFL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Lexington Horsemen DB Nate Green and WR Dougie Allen were named NIFL Atlantic Conference Players of the week for their performances against Myrtle Beach last Wednesday.  Green was named Atlantic Conference Defensive Player of the Week as he grabbed his second interception of the year and recorded 12 tackles (9 solo) against the Stingrays.  Allen was named Atlantic Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for his record-setting kick return performance.  Allen returned five kicks for 180 yards and two touchdowns, including a 50-yard score to start the game, and a 56-yard TD to put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter.  Green and Allen are the first Horsemen to ever win Player of the Week honors. Ohio Valley QB Shane Franzer was named Atlantic Conference Offensive Player of the Week as he passed for 201 yards and 4 touchdowns in a win over Fort Wayne.

The Horsemen returned from their first road trip with the first win in franchise history, as they knocked off division rival Myrtle Beach 44-34 on April 9.  Allen led the way with a spectacular special teams effort for the Horsemen, returning two kickoffs for touchdowns, and tacking on a third touchdown on a 32-yard reception from QB Dusty Bonner.  Bonner notched his second consecutive 200-yard passing game, hooking up on 17 of 28 passes for 208 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Bonner also added a rushing touchdown in the third quarter, scoring on a 4-yard run with 38 seconds left in the period.  Martez Johnson again led the Horsemen in rushing with 40 yards on 12 carries.

The Horsemen (1-1 overall) are now 1-0 in the Atlantic East division, trailing only the defending Indoor Bowl champion Ohio Valley Greyhounds (3-0) in the all-important division standings.  (Playoff participants are determined by division record first; overall record is used as a tiebreaker where necessary.)  Every other team in the Atlantic East has at least one loss on their division record.

THIS WEEK’S OPPONENT – OKLAHOMA CRUDE

The Horsemen will try to get their first home win against the Oklahoma Crude (0-3 overall), who come to town from Enid, OK, looking for their first win of the season.  The Crude suffered a tough Atlantic South division loss last week as Lake Charles defeated them 40-29.  The Oklahoma defense put up a stout effort in defeat, holding division-leading Lake Charles to only 155 total yards in the game.  However, the Crude offense, led by QB John Howdeshell, WR Arthur Booker, and RB Anthony Davis, has sputtered this season, scoring only 26.7 points per game – second-worst in the league.

HORSEMEN STATISTICAL LEADERS

After only two games, the Horsemen have a number of players among the league leaders in individual statistical categories.  WR Dougie Allen is currently leading the NIFL in all-purpose yards, averaging 167 yards per game.  Allen is also leading the league in kick returns at a whopping 34.5 yards per return, and is sixth in receiving yards per game, with 63.5.

QB Dusty Bonner has lived up to his billing thus far, ranking second in the league in both total offense (233 yards per game) and passing yards (218.5 yards per game).  RB Martez Johnson’s all-around effort has also shown up in the stats, as he is currently fifth in the NIFL in all-purpose yards (100.5 per game) and fifth in receiving yards per game – one slot ahead of teammate Allen – with 66.5.

On the defensive side of the ball, LB Chris Gayton continues to burnish his reputation as a tackling machine, as he is currently third in the league in tackles per game, with 8.8.  DB Nate Green is also among the leaders in interceptions, with 2 picks in his first 2 games.

OTHER NEWS

The Horsemen have announced that, due to ticket demand, they will be opening up the upper level of Rupp Arena for Saturday’s game. Upper-level tickets are available for $14 and $8.

Please contact Byers Watt at 859-494-4716 if you have any questions.  Thanks, and we hope to see you at the game.