 "Photo:")
If offense is what will get the El Paso Generals to the top of the division standings, then the last two weeks have shown the potential prosperity that is in the horizon.
The Generals look to continue their offensive onslaught against another divisional rival. Over their last two games, El Paso has put up a combined 145 points, more than double the 67 points that the team scored in their first two games. It appears, the Generals are poised to become one of the most dangerous offenses in the Indoor Football League.
But that offense will be tested when El Paso faces a tough task on the road May 2. The team travels east to San Angelo to take on the Stampede Express at the San Angelo Coliseum.
Coming into the weekend, El Paso (3-1) is tied for first place along with the Abilene Ruff Riders in the Lone Star division. The Generals have won two in a row and can stay at the top with a win as a showdown with the Ruff Riders looms May 9. San Angelo (2-1) sits just a half game behind the Generals in third place and can reclaim a share of the top spot with a win.
In their 68-16 victory against Corpus Christi, the Generals used a combination of an aggressive defense and an opportunistic offense to score the game's final 39 points to turn a close contest into a laugher.
El Paso is led by quarterback Tommy Jones, who is averaging 220.8 yards per contest and has accumulated 21 touchdowns on the season. Jones leads the league's most prolific passing offense as well as the second highest scoring offense. Wide receiver DeAngelo Woodie continues to lead the league in multiple categories. Woodie is tops in receptions (six) and receiving yards (83.8) per game and is also the league leader in all-purpose yards per game (214.2) by a wide margin.
As prominent as the offense has been of late for El Paso, the defensive unit is beginning to grab some attention. The Generals defense held Corpus Christi to 141 total yards and recorded 10 sacks, including two of the game's three safeties. El Paso ranks second in the league in pass defense and in opponent first downs while ranking third in sacks.
Anchoring the defense for El Paso is linebacker Ron Ellington who is coming off an impressive performance. Ellington had six tackles, including five sacks, two forced fumbles and two safeties against Corpus Christi. He leads the league with eight sacks and is second in forced fumbles.
San Angelo has become one of the more battle tested teams in the division to start out the season. The Stampede Express have won their two home games this season by a combined total of two points, a 48-47 win over Colorado and a 56-55 win over Odessa.
The team looks to tap into some of that home field magic to regain their winning ways after suffering their first defeat of the year last week. San Angelo was thoroughly defeated by Abilene 59-20 thanks to a defense that allowed unanswered scoring runs of 25 and 34 points.
San Angelo is led on offense by quarterback Damion Carter, who has taken over for Trevor Scharer since the second week. Carter is a dual threat, having thrown for three touchdowns and ran for two more in three games.
The team takes after Carter's versatility as they run the ball just as much as they throw it. Running back Brannon Hatley leads the team with 108 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. In the air, receiver Tarvar Williams is the primary target, averaging 61.7 yards and has five touchdowns on the year.
Herman Rojas may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.
Be the first to comment on this article!