WEST VALLEY CITY -- It's a matter of finding a way to win for the Utah Blaze.
After three consecutive losses, Utah concludes April by hosting the Bossier-Shreveport Battlewings tonight at the E Center.
The third loss was last week to Chicago, considered to be among the elite of the relaunched Arena Football League. Utah held an early lead and could trade scores, but still couldn't get over the hump.
"We're still a young team trying to find a way to win," Utah Blaze coach Ernesto Purnsley said. "We have to do the little things. We've got to take care of the things we can control -- playing fundamental football and executing."
Quarterback Brett Elliott threw for a season-high 331 yards in his most solid performance to date..
"He was solid," Purnsley said. "We can still help him out by catching the ball, executing blocks and scoring the football whether it's for three or six points. Every time we score points we gain more confidence."
The BattleWings (2-1) won their first two games of the season before falling to Spokane -- a team that beat the Blaze in their season opener on April 9.
"They are a solid team with a lot of veterans," Purnsley said. "They are a team that's in the hunt in their conference."
Game time is 7 p.m.
* KNIGHTS RETURN TO FIELD: The Ogden Knights left for Casper, Wyo., Thursday for their return to the field tonight against the Wyoming Cavalry.
Well, what's left of them anyway.
The Knights' roster is about "10 percent" of what it was during the first three weeks of the season and before the American Indoor Football Association team announced it would no longer play any home games at the Golden Spike Arena.
"We have a lot of local guys now," said Knights coach Doug Coleman. "We still have seven guys from out of state."
Among the locals is former Weber State standout Adrian Conway. Jeremy Glover, the Knights' starting QB the first three games, elected to remain.
"We just want to play a game," Coleman said. "The reason we're keeping this thing going is to give players some game film and give them a chance to get to the next level."
Ogden's two canceled home games have been counted as losses on the AIFA's official web site, and the team's official record apparently is now 0-5. AIFA co-owner Michael Mink did not return phone calls Thursday.
Wyoming (5-0) current leads the AIFA West with a 5-0 mark. The well-established Cavalry also has had to deal with game logistics when its game in Alaska had to be postponed.
After originally blaming Alaska Airlines for "releasing the reservations" that prevented Wyoming Cavalry from traveling to Wasilla, Ala., for an April 10 game, it was learned that no one had paid for the tickets and the Arctic Predators backtracked and called it "a clerical error."
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