Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News file

The game gets up-close and personal for spectators as Odessa and Abilene players crash into the boards alongside the arena field during a game last season.

Fewer people attended Saturday night’s Abilene Ruff Riders football game than the average number of fans who attended last season’s games, but the team’s new owners say they’re gearing up for a big year.

About 3,130 people attended the season-opening game against the West Texas Roughnecks, which is about 330 fewer than the 3,460 fans the Ruff Riders averaged last season.

A sellout for indoor football at the Taylor County Expo Center Coliseum is 5,215.

Scott Anderson, one of the team’s five owners, said he was pleased with the turnout, and he expects attendance to improve throughout the rest of the season.

Anderson said some people he has talked to didn’t know the season had already started since it began earlier than last year. He is hoping word will get around that the season is under way.

“It would have been a whole lot better if we had won the game, but at the same time, we’ve come a long way in three weeks,” Anderson said. “The team looks good.”

The West Texas Roughnecks scored twice in the final five minutes to win 36-33.

The Ruff Riders next game is 7 p.m. March 20 against the San Angelo Stampede Express at the coliseum.

In late February, the team’s new owners (a group of five Abilenians) finalized an agreement with the Indoor Football League to buy the team.

Anderson said the team is still trying to find new sponsors, and the owners are trying to forge better relationships with sponsors from last season.

“We’ve got a lot to do in that area to make everyone understand that we’re going to be here a long time,” Anderson said.

The owners are also trying to expand the auxiliary entertainment, which may include working with local cheerleading groups.

“Game 1 was the most limited form of what we’re doing long term,” Anderson said.

The team pays the Taylor County Expo Center a flat rate instead of a rate based on ticket sales so that the facility can be sure to cover its expenses, said Rochelle Johnson, the expo center’s general manager.

Johnson said she was not at all concerned about the lower attendance for the Ruff Riders’ opening game.

Some potential fans may have been out of town with the area high school basketball teams, Johnson said, and the sluggish economy may keep some fans who attended last year from returning.

“Of course, you always want a packed house,” Johnson said.

Reported by: David Robinett

Tuesday, Mar 9, 2010 @09:02pm CST

The Abilene Ruff Riders have their quarterback.

Head coach Gerald Dockery named Haven Mosely the fulltime starting quarterback this week.

Mosely split time with Kewan Dewberry in the Ruff Riders season opening loss to West Texas on Saturday, but Coach Dockery says 2 touchdown passes, 1 rushing score, and the way Mosely carried himself on the field led to the decision.

Mosely and the Ruff Riders take this week off, and they get back to work next week against San Angelo.

Victor Cristales/Reporter-News Ruff Riders defensive back Darvin Peterson (11) makes an interception during the second quarter of the Ruff Riders' season opener against the Odessa Roughnecks at the Taylor County Coliseum on Saturday, March 6, 2010.

From: Abilene Reporter News

• By Sam Waller
• Posted March 6, 2010 at 11:21 p.m.

As quick as the weather can change in West Texas, the Abilene Ruff Riders saw a season-opening victory slip away Saturday night.

The West Texas Roughnecks scored twice in the final five minutes to take a 36-33 victory over the Ruff Riders in the Indoor Football League opener for both teams before an announced attendance of 3,126 at Taylor County Coliseum.

The Roughnecks were 0-4 against Abilene last season, including a season-opening loss at the Coliseum.

Abilene led 27-6 late in the second quarter but the Roughnecks held the Ruff Riders to just a field goal in the second half. Eric Henri’s recovery of a blocked field goal attempt for a touchdown with 2:08 remaining gave West Texas its first lead of the night, and Darius Johnson intercepted a pass at the Roughnecks 2-yard line with 1:13 remaining to help preserve the win.

“We definitely let it get away,” Ruff Riders coach Gerald Dockery said. “You’ve got to take advantage of all the opportunities. All the opportunities we had we scored in the first half. The second half, we’ve got to do more than three points. It doesn’t matter if it’s as new quarterback, a new running back, none of that matters. We’ve still got to take advantage.”

Haven Mosely passed for two touchdowns and ran for a third as Abilene controlled the first half. Mosely had touchdowns passes of 31 yards to Juan Reese and 47 yards to Robert Gill in addition to a 1-yard scoring run. Gill also returned a kickoff 22 yards for a score and Nich Pertuit had field goals of 46 and 30 yards.

Mosely split time with Kewan Dewberry, who directed the lone scoring drive of the second half.

“It was to get (Dewberry) involved in the game,” Dockery said. “We’ve got to see who we can go with, who’s going to be a consistent quarterback. You won’t see a two-quarterback system game to game. We won’t do that throughout the season.”

Tommy Jones, the former standout El Paso Generals quarterback, threw for two scores and Javorskie Lane ran for two to lead West Texas. Zeke Arevalo added a pair of field goals.

With Abilene leading 33-23 in the final six minutes, the Roughnecks converted a fourth-and-12 when Jones hit Ryan Bugg for a 17-yard gain to the Abilene 4. Lane scored his second touchdown two plays later and on the next series, Jerrickus Speights blocked Pertuit’s 36-yard field goal attempt with Henri recovering for the deciding score.

The Abilene defense had four interceptions and a fumble recovery but twice, the Ruff Riders fumbled the ball back on the next play. Abilene finished with four turnovers.

“We’ve got to learn how to protect the ball,” Dockery said. “You protect the ball, you score and you can take care of it from there. But you can’t turn the ball over like we did after (getting) big turnovers and put our defense back on the field.”

Roughnecks 36, Ruff Riders 33

West Texas 6 7 10 13—36

Abilene 13 17 0 3—33

1st quarter

ABI—Juan Reese 31 pass from Haven Mosely (Nich Pertuit kick), 13:41

WT—Brandon Sparrow 13 pass from Tommy Jones (kick blocked), 7:21

ABI—Robert Gill 22 kickoff return (kick failed), 6:59

2nd quarter

Second Quarter

ABI—Mosley 1 run (Pertuit kick), 8:23

ABI—Gill 47 pass from Mosley (Pertuit kick), 1:06

WT—Javorskie Lane 3 run (Zeke Arevalo kick), 0:10

ABI—Pertuit 46 FG, 0:00

3rd quarter

WT—Arevalo 49 FG, 8:33

WT—Ryan Bugg 29 pass from Jones (Arevalo kick), 2:16

4th quarter

ABI—Pertuit 30 FG, 11:00

WT—Lane 1 run (kick failed), 4:42

WT—Eric Henri recovered blocked field goal attempt in end zone (Arevalo kick), 2:08