OMAHA SET TO HOST FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL, WITH LIBERTY VS HEART (OFFICIAL GAME PREVIEW)

(LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA- Thursday, April 14, 2016)

Friday Night Football in Omaha features two teams in search of their first Win. On one end, you have the New England Liberty, playing in its first LFL game, led by rookie quarterback, Alex Drake, who many expect will excel in the LFL, and on the other end, the Omaha Heart, with a new head-coach and a new direction, is searching for its team’s first win since August of 2014.

This match-up will certainly set the tone in the Eastern Conference. Due to the 2016 schedule featuring four regular season games for each team, one of which a non-conference opponent, this game is huge for both New England and Omaha in terms of reaching the playoffs. In fact, every conference match-up this season will have key playoff implications on the line.

The Ralston Arena is one of the best environments for LFL Football and Friday Night will be a treat to all in attendance. Watch LFL Football Night weekly on CW, MyNetwork TV or Regional Sports Networks (check local listings), also on the LFL’s official YouTube channel, www.YouTube.com Saturdays 9p/8c.

Las Vegas Betting Line

Omaha- 3 points | Over/Under 32 points

New England Liberty

LFL Fans better get used to hearing the name- Alex Drake. The New England rookie has all of the essentials to be a top quarterback in this league and she has already been mentioned in preseason Rookie-of-the-Year talks. With a little veteran talent surrounding her on offense, expect Drake to have a good sense of what to expect Friday night.

Running-back Danielle Green will get the start in their season opener and behind her, Astrid Cruz will get her fair share of touches at the position. Drake’s primary receiving targets will be wide-receivers Jessica Johnson and Kristen Beckman, as well as tight-ends Lulu Jackson and Jolie Efezokhae. The starting Center for the Liberty will be Samantha Puckett who has great strength will be leading in the trenches against the Heart defensive line.

The Liberty have a linebacker they are excited about, and will essentially become the face of this defense. Tessa Alexandria has shown nothing but pure dedication since the minute she made the team, and she refuses to take her foot off the gas. The Defense also features starting defensive-ends Rachel Murphy and Lulu Jackson. The secondary is made up of starting corner-backs Jacquie Robinson and Glenda Cancel, along with strong-safety Jessica Johnson and free-safety Kenia McKeon.

Head-Coach Donnie Williams has his team ready to prove that the men who play in Gillette Stadium aren’t the only football players to be excited about in the New England area.

Omaha Heart

The Omaha Heart have an all-time franchise record of 3 wins and 11 losses, with their team’s last victory taking place at the ‘Farm’ in August of 2014 when they beat the Baltimore Charm by a score of 19-12. The Heart fans witnessed great football at the Ralson Arena during the franchise’s first and second seasons (’13 & ’14), as the strong defense helped Omaha win 3 of their first 4 home games. This all changed during 2015, when the Heart went 0-3 at home giving up 145 points and failing to reach the end-zone in front of their loyal fans.

After Dontae Allen and his staff were shown the door following the embarrassing season, the franchise went in a new direction with Head-Coach Tony Doremus. Doremus took over in January and has inserted a new staff, bringing a more structured system, as well as an intensity that has lacked within this franchise.

The biggest question this season will be the quarterback position. Last year, seven (yes 7) different quarterbacks played the position for Omaha and there was little success found. Lindsey Howell, the starting quarterback heading into tomorrow night’s game, actually played last year but never at quarterback. It will be interesting to see how well she performs, and everyone in attendance will be scratching their heads if she has success, as her potential at the position was unnoticed by Allen’s coaching staff in 2015.

Surrounding Howell is veteran running-back Sarah Jane Thompson, and wide-receivers Linsey Noble and Marissa Mitchell-Riley. The line will be made up of center Brenda Pavelka and tight-ends Vanessa Regis and Jessica Slobotski. Defensively, Shalynn Durham will start at linebacker and Lauren Fogle and Deja Phillips-Tyler will be starting at the defensive-end positions. The secondary will consist of veteran safeties Amanda Hogan and Kayleen Colson with rookie corner-backs Jamie Lundberg and Alexis Wagner.

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