After their opener, lots of new twists for Shock

The Spokane Shock will open their second season of arenafootball2 the same way they opened their first – against division rival Stockton in the Spokane Arena.

The Shock debuted last season with a 41-40 victory over the Lightning, the launching point for Spokane’s af2-best 14-2 regular season and ultimately an ArenaCup championship. The teams will meet again in the 2007 opener March 31 – 366 days after last year’s lid-lifter – at 5 p.m.

Good omen?

“I think it’s awesome. They weren’t our first game on most of the (scheduling drafts), but they were for the last two,” said Shock majority owner Brady Nelson, who joked, “If we win that game 41-40, I’m booking my tickets for the ArenaCup!”

The opening game will have a familiar look, but much has changed since the Shock hoisted the ArenaCup trophy in Puerto Rico in late August. Af2 has grown from 23 to 30 teams, forcing significant realignment of divisions and conferences.

Spokane is moving from the National Conference to the American Conference. Spokane will be in the West Division, which features 2006 divisional rivals Everett, Central Valley, Stockton and Bakersfield, plus first-year franchises Tri-Cities and Boise. Twelve of the Shock’s 16 games will be against West Division foes.

The playoffs will expand from 12 to 16 teams, eight from each conference. The three American Conference division winners and the five best teams by record will qualify for the playoffs. Same goes for the National Conference.

Shock home games will kick off at 5 p.m. – two hours earlier than last season – in part to accommodate a new television package with KHQ. The NBC affiliate will televise the Shock’s eight home games live and possibly selected road games.

“A lot of (the time change) was for TV, but we also thought more families would be inclined to come at the earlier start time,” Nelson said.

Spokane’s schedule is front-loaded with six of its first nine games at the Arena.

“I think that bodes well for getting off to a good start,” Nelson said. “That’s so important because most of the guys are rookies, maybe half, and we’re trying to establish a reputation for winning.”

The Shock have sold nearly 6,000 season tickets with most of the Arena’s lower bowl gone.

“We’ve talked about stopping at 7,000 because we do want people to understand tickets will be available if they act,” Nelson said.