Fever makes adjustments before heading to Green Bay

Adam Shackleford is still looking for answers for the Tri-Cities Fever.

The Fever head coach watched last Friday as his team lost its fourth consecutive game of the Indoor Football League season at Toyota Center, dropping a 56-43 decision to the Sioux Falls Storm.

Now 1-5 and headed to play the Green Bay Blizzard on Saturday, the Fever added a familiar face this week in wide receiver Tre Young.

After two previous stints with the Fever, Young began this year with the Arena Football League’s Spokane Shock.

He made the team, but was sidelined with hamstring problems.

When he finally was able to play for the Shock last week, he didn’t get the chance and was released.

“They’ve got all four receivers back from last year,” Shackleford said.

Young still enjoyed his experience.

“It was pretty good,” he said after the Fever’s practice Wednesday at Toyota Center. “It was a learning experience, and I made the opening-day roster. But with me getting hurt, honestly that set me back a bit.”

Shackleford expects to use Young this weekend, since the team still uses the same offensive system.

“I’m just trying to get back into the flow of things again,” said Young. “It’s just like riding a bike.”

The big difference this time around is Young won’t be working with quarterback Houston Lillard, who didn’t return this season.

Now, it’s Dante Warren, who started for the first time last week after Shackleford released Kasey Peters. Theo Scott was signed last week.

“I guess with the quarterback change, things are starting to turn around,” said Young. “A quarterback change is a real big deal when you’re used to one guy and the way he throws the ball.

“With Dante at quarterback the team has moved in a positive direction. Hopefully we’ll start winning some games.”

Notes: To make room for Young on the roster, Shackleford released kicker Brady Beeson. But that’s just a temporary move until today likely. He’ll likely re-activate Beeson and have to release a receiver. Green Bay fired head coach Robert Fuller last week during the team’s bye. The Blizzard has an identical 1-5 record like the Fever. Fuller had been the IFL’s Coach of the Year the past two seasons — at Green Bay in 2012 and at Fairbanks in 2011. Defensive coordinator Chad Baldwin was promoted to head coach.

This story was originally published April 17, 2013 at 10:40 PM with the headline "Fever makes adjustments before heading to Green Bay."