Four More Players Join Shock Roster
November 17, 2005 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Spokane Shock News Release
SPOKANE, WA (November 17, 2005) - The Spokane Shock announced today that they have signed four additional players for the inaugural 2006 season of Shock football. Included in the mix are a former Eastern Washington University Eagle and former University of Washington Husky.
Former Eastern Washington standout Anthony Griffin will join the team after playing last season with the af2's San Diego Riptide. The 5'10'' wide receiver/defensive back caught 24 passes for 258 yards and a touchdown coupled with 3 rushing scores for the Riptide. On defense, Griffin picked off two passes, including one he returned for a touchdown. The former Eastern Eagle garnered several awards over his college career. As a linebacker, he was selected to the All-Big Sky Conference First Team his senior season. The previous two years, he was selected to the All Big Sky Conference Second Team.
A 6'3'' wide receiver/defensive back from Riverside, California, Mikal Akbar joins the Shock with a year of arenafootball2 experience already under his belt. After beginning the 2005 season with the Albany Conquest, Akbar was traded to the South Georgia Wildcats, where he met current Shock head coach Chris Siegfried. Akbar began his college career at San Bernadino Valley College in California before joining his brother Hakim at the University of Washington in 2000. A knee injury sidelined Mikal for all but three games of the 2001 season, but he was able to participate in the Huskies 2001 Rose Bowl victory.
A two year veteran of the arenafootball2 league, Donte Wells joins the Shock after playing the 2005 season with the Albany Conquest and the 2004 season with the Rio Grande Valley Dorados. In two partial seasons, the WR/DB caught 29 passes for 284 yards, returned 4 kicks for 103 yards, recovered 3 fumbles, and broke up 5 passes. At Midwestern State University in 2000-2001, Wells totaled 112 tackles (15 for loss), 4 sacks, 6 pass deflections, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one touchdown and was named to the All-Lone Star Conference team.
A product of the University of Wyoming, JJ Raterink will compete for the Shock's starting quarterback position. In 2004, Raterink was named the Mountain West Conference's Offensive Player of the Week after a 22 for 36, 227 yard and 4 touchdown performance against UNLV. At Colorado's Skyline High School, he earned Second Team All-State honors as a quarterback while leading Skyline to the Northern Conference championship and a second-place finish in the state playoffs.
The Spokane Shock will invite 37 players to its mini-camp, which begins in early March. League rules dictate that the active roster must be trimmed to just 19 players prior to the first game.
The Spokane Shock's inaugural season kicks off Thursday night, March 30th in the Spokane Arena against the Stockton Lightning. Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased for as little as $72 by calling the Spokane Shock at (509) 242-SHOCK.
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