Shock out to end two-game skid

The Spokane Shock will try to put an end to their losing streak today against the Lubbock (Texas) Renegades.

To do so, they will have to limit the rookie mistakes that they have worked on fixing since the beginning of the season and take advantage of the Renegades struggling quarterback.

The Shock (1-2) host the expansion Renegades (0-2) tonight in a matchup of teams looking to snap two-game losing streaks.

“We’re just trying to get better every week,” Shock coach Adam Shackleford said. “The wins are going to come.”

In last week’s 63-56 loss to the Fort Wayne Fusion, the Shock missed 32 tackles, a defensive mistake Shackleford said they can’t afford to keep making.

“We turned the ball over late and we missed 32 tackles,” Shackleford said. “We can’t do that and expect to come out on top. Our offense looked much better, but we are still dealing with some of our rookie mistakes overall.”

Shock quarterback Andrico Hines’ performance significantly improved from Spokane’s first loss of the season – 60-45 to Quad City – in which Hines threw four interceptions. Against the Fusion, Hines finished 31 for 39 with 320 passing yards and no interceptions. He connected for five touchdown passes, but couldn’t come up with the sixth that would have sent the game into overtime.

The Renegades might be motivated by the fact that they are still searching for their first win in franchise history, something Shackleford said isn’t in the Shock’s favor.

“You know, it’s dangerous playing a team that hasn’t won a game,” Shackleford said. “They don’t want to lose another game any more than we want to, so they aren’t a team we are going to overlook. A team that’s desperate for a win is a tough team to beat.”

In their season opener, the Renegades were crushed 61-26 by the Amarillo Dusters. The Renegades improved in their next outing but fell short in a 51-48 loss to the Arkansas Twisters.

Quarterback Justin Midget, one of four active players on the Renegades’ roster that isn’t a rookie, has struggled in both games.

He completed 17 of 39 passes and threw two interceptions in the game against the Dusters. Last week Midget was picked off four times and completed 18 of 38 passes. Midget played last year as a rookie for the now top-ranked Florida Firecats.

“They are a team with a lot of potential,” Shackleford said. “They have a lot of rookies, and are kind of dealing with the same things we’ve dealt with.

“We have to play better defense and they have to deal with our crowd – which is a really big advantage for us.”