Trailing 20-3, Coyotes Score 35 Unanswered Points to Rock Blackhawks – Again

(THE OAKS AT SOBOBA) – The three-time champion SoCal Coyotes scored 35 unanswered points and shut out the Inglewood Blackhawks in the second half, rocketing to a 38-20 victory that improved them to 9-1 and put them in commanding sole possession of first place with two regular-season games to play.

It was the second victory over Inglewood (8-2) this season for the Coyotes, who have won nine-straight games and are ranked third nationally in respected amateur polls.

The Coyotes ‘Darkside Defense’ pummeled Inglewood and former CFL quarterback Kyle Parrish, who was sacked seven times, picked off six times, and forced to run for his life most of the afternoon.  LB Ryan Pervine intercepted two passes and had two sacks; DE Gary Young had four tackles and two sacks; DE Jake Sheffield had four tackles and two sacks; and LB Devin Jones had a sack.

LB Cade Cowdin, safety LeRon Wilson, corner Anthony Hughes each had interceptions. Pervine had another interception on a foiled two-point conversion.

Coyotes rookie quarterback sensation Zach Adkins completed 16 of 25 for 309 yards and five touchdowns, and one interception. Three of those scores went to game-breaker James ‘The Human Highlight Film’ Calhoun, who led all Coyotes receivers with a  workman-like afternoon with “only” seven catches for “only” 120 yards.  Stevie Will Jr. had three catches for 65 yards, including one brilliant diving touchdown.

WARREN MATTHEWS JR. rushed nine times for 61 yards, which made him the SoCal Coyotes all-time single-season rushing leader with 645 yards on the season. He broke the record of 617 set in 2012.

THE FIRST HALF STARTED like a typical Blackhawk rout. Inglewood returned a diving SoCal Coyote interception for a touchdown, then capitalized on a short field for another quick score. When quarterback Kyle Parrish threw a bomb to make it 20-3, the Blackhawks went into raucous celebration mode. The Coyotes were too busy to notice -making sideline adjustments to the Darkside Defense, and recalibrating the Silver Stretch.

The results were swift, and severe. Dan Kelly added his second field goal, then moments later, Adkins back-shouldered Rashad “The Franchise” Roberts on a perfect touchdown. With a minute left in the half, Adkins found Calhoun for a 10-yard touchdown, and a stunned Inglewood could not believe the game was tied 20-20 at the half.  The Blackhawks would never come close to scoring again.

WITH TWO GAMES TO play, Northwestern (La.) State rookie quarterback Zach Adkins has thrown for 2,874 yards, just 591 yards short of the club single-season passing record (3,465). Adkins holds the team record for most touchdowns passing (43), and has just two interceptions on the year.

ARIZONA STATE SACK SPECIALIST SHEFFIELD entered the 2015 fall campaign as the Coyotes all-time sack leader with 16, and has almost doubled that number with 15 sacks on the year.

THE WIN WAS THE SECOND BIGGEST Coyotes come-from-behind victory in franchise history.  On October 5, 2013, the Coyotes rallied from a 27-3 deficit to beat the California Raiders, 36-33.

OFF THE FIELD, the SoCal Coyotes will be busy in the next week – the team has leadership clinics in front of 9,000 students at three different schools, where they will share the ‘Coyote Leadership Curriculum’ that delivers measured results to teachers and educators.  First stops will be Mountain Vista Elementary and Desert Ridge Middle School.

THE COYOTES TRAVEL TO San Diego this Saturday afternoon on Halloween to face the NightHawks at 1 p.m. Their regular season will conclude November 7 in Chino against the SoCal Eagles.

THE FIRST ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS begin November 21, and the league championship is set for December 6.

THE COYOTES ARE IN THE HUNT to become one of the first football organization’s to win a professional championship and amateur championship in the same year.  The Coyotes won the APFL professional title on May 16, 2015, after an undefeated spring season.