The Fever (9-1) looks to bounce back from its first loss of the season, and improve to 2-0 against the Cavalry (3-7) this season. Kickoff is 6:05 p.m. PDT.

Despite coming off a 55-16 loss to defending IFL champion Sioux Falls, the Fever holds a 2 ½ game lead over the Allen Wranglers (6-3) in a race for the best record in the Intense Conference. The Fever has four games left in the regular season.  Colorado (6-4) is three games back in the race for home-field advantage in the playoffs.

The Fever beat the Cavalry 62-41 back on March 30 in Kennewick. In that game, the Fever defense recorded four sacks and forced two fumbles. It also intercepted Wyoming quarterback Matt Strand twice.

– The Fever continued to refine its roster as the playoffs approach, signing defensive back Josh Bey (6-foot-1, 200 pounds). Bey is a former University of Tennessee at Martin standout, started 33 of 44 career games and recorded 317 tackles in his career. He was named the Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Player of the Year in 2010. To make roster space for Bey,the Fever released offensive lineman Lance Evbuomwan.

And it stings.

But the weekend was NOT a total disaster.

Blues and brews and brews and blues and blues and brews. It’s always good to have part of your weekend untapped…..

And having a lot of fun with a lot of people.

And rallying to help stoke all fires Fever at the Home Away from Home at Jacksons Richland. Sioux Falls Storm and your Fever. Gotta call it as I see it, as I am the Fever Perceiver, no longer undefeated but still a strong believer. Let the deceivers try and spoil the achievers …. It’s only round 1 and another one to come, but putting only 16 points up is never gonna get it done.

Blocked FG for a touchdown. A tip at the line of scrimmage finds unfriendly hands and a cakewalk into the end zone. Take away those scores and the Defense put up a pretty solid effort. I think this whipping was a blessing in disguise. Do I think 16 points put up is an anomaly? Yes I do. A wake-up call for sure. Is the Fever overrated? I don’t think so. I believe Sioux Falls was up for this game like no other all year prior. Okay we’ve seen their best shot. It’s time for the Fever to play the way they are capable of playing and we’ll get that chance again in less than a fortnight.

When the walls came crashing down, the Fever did not handle it well. Mistakes cannot be made against a team like the Storm. They made the Fever pay dearly. We were sufficiently neutered on offense.

The real character of this team will be tested with a monstrous bus ride into a place that traditionally is a tough one to play. Even though some teams make it look easy, winning on the road in any professional sport is a difficult thing to do. The Fever has been challenged in every away game so far this year and the Cavalry has been playing some pretty good football recently. This game will not be easy. Before the dudes can even think about exacting revenge on Sioux Falls, they must stay focused on the task before them: dispatching the Wyoming Cavalry.

I was very happy with the way the Fever conducted their business in South Dakota. There was no chippiness or after the whistle b.s. There also weren’t a lot of flags. Even though our guys were getting schooled up front, they did not hold or clip or take any cheap shots or engage in any malarkey. I thought the Fever conducted themselves with a lot of class despite being “whipped in every aspect of the game” to use Coach Shack’s words. Coach says Sioux Falls is a better team than the Fever right now and he is fully aware of the work it’s going to take to get where we need to go.

The Fever deal with Swx has been a winner for both sides. The Fever will be negotiating a new contract for 2013 soon. Swx will cover the next Fever home game against Sioux Falls. So far, having the games televised on Swx has not affected attendance.

Now, the randomness that is the Fever Perceiver. I find interesting:

The number of people with a Master’s degree who are on food stamps has more than doubled in the last two years.  And the number of people with PhD’s on food stamps has more than tripled.

New research says that pear-shaped women are healthier than apple-shaped women. I have no idea what the hell that means.

You knew this was coming:  A town in New Jersey has started ticketing people for texting while walking. Here here.

Mark Zuckerberg turns 28 this week.  So whenever you feel like your life is going nowhere, think of the guy who, before he was 28, founded a multibillion-dollar company, had an Oscar-winning movie made about his life, and forever changed the way humans interact with each other . . . and realize you’re right….your life is a big fat zero. Kidding.

A newspaper reporter in Houston is suing for being fired after they found out she was stripping on the side.  That’s crazy!  Newspapers are on the verge of extinction….they could milk this story and sell a bunch of papers don’t cha think?

The Perceiver is NOT making light of the underage sex scandal involving Penn State.  I’m just pointing this out:  The guy who broke the scandal is now suing the school. His name is Mike McQueary, and his lawyer’s name is Elliott Strokoff.  How can I possibly make this stuff up?

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says the way to clean up the Secret Service is to “hire more women.”  But isn’t “hiring women” what got the Secret Service in trouble in the first place?

A prison inmate in Texas somehow got on the West Virginia Democratic presidential primary ballot . . . and got 40% of the vote against Obama.

Scientists are trying to get rid of invasive snakes in Guam by parachuting mice laced with poison out of helicopters.  Really.

If you’re a waitress, here’s some career advice:  Wear red lipstick to work and watch the money roll in.  A study in France found men tip more often and more generously when the waitress is wearing red lipstick.  Men are subconsciously more attracted to a woman with red lipstick since it’s a sign of sexuality . . . so, in this case, they leave bigger tips

The CDC says young people are ignoring skin cancer warnings, and half of people under age 30 get sunburned at least once a year.

Americans consume 80% of the world’s pain killers

The damage done to Manhattan in “The Avengers” would cost $160 billion in real life.

Minnesota’s nickname is the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”, but the state actually has about 12,000 . . . giving it more shoreline than California, Florida and Hawaii combined.

And that is all. I’m done here. Thanks for the eyeballs. More Feverish speaks with Classic Rock Mornings on Eagle 106.5 FM 0600-1000 M-F and of course, until next time, keep ‘er in the hoslter.

Unfortunately, it was the Fever.

The Fever could not keep up with the defending Indoor Football League champions, falling 55-16 to the Storm on Saturday night in a matchup of the top two teams in the league. The loss snaps the Fever’s 9-game winning streak, while the Storm improves to 9-0 on the season. The Storm beat the Fever 37-10 in last year’s IFL title game.

Tri-Cities (9-1) viewed this game as a measuring stick, and walk away knowing they have some work to do if it wants to contend for the league championship this season. The Fever, like so many other teams, could not deal with the explosive Storm on its home turf. Tri-Cities got off to a good start and led 3-0 after a Michael Taylor 26-yard field goal with 5:21 left in the first quarter. Those were the Fever’s only points of the first half. Sioux Falls scored 31 consecutive points to take a 31-3 halftime lead.

Things snowballed for the Fever in the second quarter. Sioux Falls scored 21 quick points in the final six minutes of the half, capitalizing on an interception and a block field goal for a touchdown. Houston Lillard finally got the Fever in the end zone with 5:37 left in the third quarter to cut the margin to 31-10, but could not gain any momentum. Dennis Kennedy scored the Fever’s second touchdown of the game with 3:51 left in the game.

Lillard completed just 11 of 23 passes for 83 yards. He threw two interceptions and did not have a touchdown pass. Kennedy led all Fever receivers with four catches for 28 yards. Reigning league MVP Chris Dixon was 13 of 22 for 158 yards and three touchdowns. He did throw one interceptions. He also had nine carries for 26 yards and two touchdowns.

The Fever return to action Friday night, taking on the Wyoming Cavalry in Casper, Wyo.

All 4,700 seats in the Sioux Falls Arena will be filled tonight when the Sioux Falls Storm plays host to the Tri-Cities Fever in one of the most anticipated Indoor Football League games in the league’s short history.

And why not? The teams are a combined 17-0 this season — the Fever at 9-0.

Plus, it’s a rematch of the two teams who played in last season’s league championship, a 37-10 victory by the Storm.

So when the game kicks off at 5:05 p.m., all eyes in the league will be watching.

“I think we’re probably the two premier teams in this league,” said Storm coach Kurtiss Riggs. “Tri-Cities is a very talentedteam. They’re very much like us. They have a good mix of veterans with some talented new players. They find a way to win, with some tough games on the road. It’s never easy to beat a team four times in a season, but they did that with Everett. They go on the road and win a tough game in New Mexico.”

Meanwhile, Fever coach Adam Shackleford has said to be the best, you have to beat the best. And that’s what Sioux Falls has been the last few seasons.

“We’re using this game as a measuring stick to see where we are,” Shackleford said. “I’ve picked them No. 1 each week in the coaches’ poll, and until someone beats them it stays that way.”

Both teams’ success starts with their quarterbacks: Chris Dixon for Sioux Falls, and Houston Lillard for Tri-Cities.

“The quarterback play is going to be what everyone is talking about,” said Shackleford. “In my opinion, you have the two best quarterbacks in the league.Coach Riggs and I might be biased. But Chris Dixon has earned every award he’s gotten. If you look at elite quarterbacks in the league we have two of them.”

But Riggs makes a good point.

“I think (the quarterbacks) are key factors for both teams,” Riggs said. “They kind of have to play well though. It’s more about who is going to step up inthe secondary roles.”

Another key will be the line play.

“Their defensive line against our offensive line and vice versa,” Shackleford said. “They have different guys on their defensive line this year. We have an all-new offensive front. Their offensive line has played together for a long time. They are obviously good and keep Chris protected.”

While Riggs has six of his eight starters back on offense, there are only three defensive starters back from last season’s title team.

“We’re quite a bit different this year on defense,” Riggs said. “This year we have a quicker style, but we have had a different lineup almost weekly in the defensive secondary. We’re kind of settling down. We’re still working throughsome kinks.”

Shackleford also believes the kicking game will play a big part in the contest: the Fever with Michael Taylor, who made all of his extra-point kicks last week in a 70-61 win over Everett; and the Storm’s Parker Douglass, who ranks among the league’s best in extra-point kicks.

But maybe the biggest factor lies within those 4,700 fans in a place Lillard calls one of the toughest places to play.

And Riggs knows what he has.

“We’re very appreciative of our fans,” Riggs said. “In some of the places Tri-Cities has played, there haven’t been that many fans. We think it’ll be a different atmosphere here.”

Shackleford believes his team will be able to handle the hostile crowd.

“This game,” he said, “if it’s played the way it should be, will come down to the last possession.”

BY THE NUMBERS: The game features the top two offenses in the league — Sioux Falls is No. 1, averaging 68.5 points; Tri-Cities averages 57.1. … The Fever defense is No. 5, surrendering 42.4 points a game; the Storm is No. 6 at 43. … The Storm’s Dixon is the top-ranked quarterback with a rating of 139.2. He leads with 2,145 passing yards, and has a 41-to-4 TD pass-to-interception ratio. .. The Fever’s Lillard is ranked third at 114.0. He is fourth with 1,748 passing yards, and has a 41-to-6 ratio. … Fever receiver Steven Whitehead is second in total yards with 986; teammate Dennis Kennedy is third at 984. … Dixon ranks second in the league in rushing yardage, with 459. He’s also tied for first with 16 rushing touchdowns. … Kennedy is fifth with 372 rushing yards, and fifth with 12 rushing TDs. … Whitehead is second in receiving with 60 catches, and fifth in receiving yards with 574. … Storm receiver Carl Sims is third in receiving yards with 693. … Both Whitehead and Sioux Falls receiver Clinton Solomon are tied for third with 18 TD catches. … Storm kicker Douglass is second in PAT kicks at 91 percent (69 for 76). … Korey Williams has returned two kickoffs for touchdowns this season for the Storm. … Fever DB Lionell Singleton is tied for first with 10 interceptions and leads the league with nine pass breakups. … Fever DE Jake Killeen is second in the league with 8.5 quarterback sacks.

The Fever (9-0) is taking its perfect record on the road to Sioux Falls to take on the top-ranked Storm (8-0) tonight. Kickoff is 5:05PDT local time here in the Tri-Cities.

But is it the most important game of the season?

Adam Shackleford says no. “This is a measuring stick game,” the Fever coach says. “This is an opportunity to see if we are one of the top teams.”

At the same time, this game is just another opportunity for Shackleford and his team to distance themselves from the rest of the Intense Conference in hopes of securing home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. “Allen and Colorado are the teams we are in a race against, not Sioux Falls,” he said. “We want to have home playoff games. “If we are fortunate enough to make the championship game, I don’t care where we play.”

It’s easy to understand the hype and why this is being considered the biggest regular season game of the IFL season. Both teams are undefeated, ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the coaches’ poll, and this is a rematch of last year’s championship game in which Sioux Falls won 37-10. All that being said, it was business as usual for the Fever at practice this week. “We aren’t doing anything different or special,” Shackleford said. “This is going to be a tough road game and we are going to do what we can to win.”

That starts with containing reigning league MVP Chris Dixon. Dixon, since joining Sioux Falls in 2011, has never lost a home game and is putting up MVP-type numbers again this season. “There is no question, he is the best player in this league,” Shackleford said. “He can beat you in several different ways.”

The Fever is coming off a 70-61 win over Everett, while Sioux Falls has had two weeks to prepare for the Fever after a bye week. Shackleford said his team is healthy and will have his entire roster available Saturday night. “Sioux Falls sets the bar in this league,” he said. “I vote them No. 1 every week. “Until someone beats them, they are the team to beat.”

IF this game turns out to be as good as some are expecting, the good news is these two teams will meet again May 26 at the Toyota Center.

– Fever receiver Steven Whitehead ranks second in the league in total yards with 986, while running back Dennis Kennedy is third with 984 … Whitehead leads the league with 21 total touchdowns and is second with 60 receptions … Dixon and Fever quarterback Houston Lillard are tied for second in the IFL with 41 touchdown passes … Dixon ranks first among starting quarterbacks in passer rating (139.2) … Lionell Singleton is tied for first in the IFL with 10 interceptions