Monday, Jun. 15, 2009

Fever receivers banged up

By Ben Reynolds, Herald staff writer

Pat O'Hara signed rookie receiver Kameron Kranz last week, hoping to provide some kind of spark to his offense.

Kranz did exactly that, catching five passes for 50 yards in just over a quarter. But then he, like most of the other Fever receivers, got injured.

Kranz, who was signed on Thursday, left the game with a knee injury after a 16-yard reception at the 11-minute mark of the second quarter. He did not return in the Fever's 56-21 loss to Boise on Saturday night at Toyota Center.

"I thought he gave that spark we needed and then he gets hurt," O'Hara said.

That was just the first injury of the night, and the latest in a string to the Fever's receiving corp.

Emery Beckles and Ray Little also got dinged up Saturday night and were forced to miss a few plays.

Finas Rabb played the entire game with a knee injury he suffered in last week's loss at Stockton.

These injuries come two weeks after leading receiver Tremayne Kirkland injured his hamstring against Spokane and has missed the past two games.

Chris Hemphill also missed his second straight game Saturday night with a knee injury he suffered against the Shock.

Go back a few weeks earlier and Tommy Devereaux injured himself during warmups before the team's game against Central Valley on May 2. He is scheduled to come off injured reserve in two weeks.

Chase Reed, who was second on the team with 38 catches, was placed on recallable reassignment earlier in the week.

"I've only played five games and I'm the veteran out there," Rabb joked after Saturday's loss.

The Fever, which has now lost four in a row, had just 34 catches for 385 yards from the group of receivers that started Saturday night.

That lack of experience helps explain why receivers were running the wrong routes and the miscommunication with quarterback Tomotsuna Inoue, who started just his second game.

"We're pretty banged up right now," O'Hara said.

The status for all the Fever receivers is day-to-day for this week's game at Spokane (10-0).