ExtremeSaturday, July 28, 2007 10:02 PM CDT

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Extreme hoping to put pressure on Horsemen QB

By Randy Reinhardt
rreinhardt@pantagraph.com

The return of quarterback Eddie Eviston to the Lexington lineup last week in a first-round playoff victory over RiverCity has not gone unnoticed by the Extreme coaching staff. Eviston led the Horsemen to United Bowl II in 2006 before taking a shot at arenafootball2 this season.

Eviston’s boost to the Lexington passing game presents a dilemma for Bloomington with running back Rayshawn Askew (735 yards, 29 rushing touchdowns) looming as another legitimate threat.

“With Eviston back, we’ll let our front three cut loose for him and (linebacker) Winston (Taylor) can play that back,” Extreme head coach Ted Schmitz said. “We’ll see if we can handle their front three and get some pressure. We’ve got to get pressure on Eviston or we’re in trouble. He’s a pretty darn good indoor player.”

The 210-pound Askew is the all-time leading scorer and rusher in indoor football history.

“We definitely feel like this is game seven for us with Lexington,” Extreme wide receiver James Walton said. “They’ve got Eddie back, and he’s known throughout the indoor world as one of the great ones. Our defense is ready for the challenge. For us (on offense) we’ve got to exorcise those demons. That last game offensively we didn’t play very well, whether it was things they did or things we didn’t do.”

The Extreme and Horsemen met twice during the regular season with both teams winning at home. Bloomington claimed a 33-32 victory on April 21, while Lexington prevailed, 40-34, on June 9.

Lexington (9-7) has Eastern Conference all-stars in Askew, offensive lineman Michael Madrazo and defensive backs William Mulder and J.T. Haskins.

“They are always solid on defense,” Schmitz said. “They don’t do anything fancy. They line up and play, and they’ve got good players.”

Bloomington quarterback Dusty Burk will continue to rely on his trio of productive receivers in Walton, Glenn Johnson and Reggie Gray.

The Bloomington-Lexington winner advances to United Bowl III on Aug. 4 at either Sioux Falls or Billings.

Extreme Essentials

Eastern Conference Championship

Bloomington Extreme

vs. Lexington Horsemen

Site: Rupp Arena, Lexington, Ky.

Time: 6:30 p.m. today

Radio: WTRX-FM (93.7).

Records: Extreme 9-7, Lexington 9-7

Extreme leaders

Scoring - James Walton (21 TD, 128 points), Peter Christofilakos (17 FG, 51 PAT, 102 points); Rushing - Dusty Burk (83 carries, 326 yards, 13 TD), Rocky Harvey (118 carries, 233 yards, 6 TD); Passing - Dusty Burk (203 of 327, 2,299 yards, 43 TD); Receiving - James Walton (70 catches, 922 yards, 21 TD), Reggie Gray (70 catches, 748 yards, 13 TD), Glenn Johnson (65 catches, 819 yards, 13 TD).

Horsemen leaders

Scoring - Rayshawn Askew (36 TD, 216 points), Chad Spencer (14 TD, 94 points), Collin Barber (10 FG, 43 XP, 76 points); Rushing - Rayshawn Askew (228 carries, 735 yards, 29 TD), Kewan Dewberry (30 carries, 147 yards, 3 TD); Passing - Kewan Dewberry (218 of 331, 2,247 yards, 44 TD); Receiving - Harry Lewis (65 catches, 781 yards, 10 TD), John Cooper (57 catches, 591 yards, 9 TD), Rayshawn Askew (41 catches, 284 yards, 7 TD), Chad Spencer (35 catches, 367 yards, 14 TD).

Injuries

Kicker Peter Christofilakos (groin) is expected to play. Lexington offensive lineman Antoine Sims is out.

What to watch for

-- The Extreme must contend with a Lexington offense that ranks third in the UIF at 44.1 points per game. The Horsemen are dangerous both passing with quarterback Eddie Eviston and running with tailback Rayshawn Askew.

-- Expect plenty of passes. Bloomington is ranked 10th in UIF pass defense and Lexington is 11th in the 11-team league.

-- Extreme coach Ted Schmitz is concerned about Lexington’s kick return game. “They are outstanding,” he said. “I think that worries me more than anything else.”

-- Rocky Harvey, Bloomington’s leading rusher for the season among tailbacks, is not on the team’s 25-man playoff roster. Harvey missed last week’s playoff victory over Rock River because he was getting married and has been on his honeymoon this week. The Extreme will go with Carlos Lattimore and Eric Powell at running back.

-- Lexington coach Mike Zuckerman has announced he will resign after the season to spend more time with his family. Zuckerman is 22-10 in his second season with the Horsemen.

Around the UIF

-- Billings (9-6) travels to South Dakota to try to upset Sioux Falls (16-0) in the Western Conference championship game on Sunday. The Storm has won 36 straight games, including three wins over Billings this season by a combined score of 137-76.

-- The Billings-Sioux Falls winner will play host to United Bowl III on Aug. 4.

Extreme Essentials

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