2006 af2 American Conference Preview
Published on March 29, 2006 under arenafootball2 (af2) News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> March 29, 2006
>
> af2 2006 AMERICAN CONFERENCE PREVIEW
>
> Editor's Note: af2's seventh begins tomorrow night, Thursday, March 30,
> with two games on the opening night schedule. Five more follow on the
> weekend, three on Friday and two on Saturday. Below is a team-by-team
> preview of the American Conference.
>
> EAST DIVISION
>
> Albany Conquest (2005: 4-12)
> Home Field: Pepsi Arena (13,901)
> Head Coach: Pete Costanza, second full year in Albany, 19-22 career
> regular season record
> Returners: 4
> Rookies Invited to Camp: 13
> Key Players Lost: QB D. Bryant, WR/LB Buchie Ibeh, WR/DB Cy Butler, DS
> Travis Coleman, OL/DL Oby Arah, OS Jeremiah Pope
> Key New Faces: QB Ryan Vena, WR/DB Jim Jones, ??
> Key Returners: WR/LB Manwell Talbert, WR/DB Pete McBride, OL/DL Lou Vega,
> OL/DL Steve Cully
> Burning Questions: Can the combination of Coach Pete Costanza and QB Ryan
> Vena re-create their magic from the 2003 season in which they went 13-3?
> Other than Vena and Manwell Talbert, who will emerge as a playmaker for
> the Conquest offense? Has Costanza's offseason additions improved his
> defense as well as his offense?
> Last Game: Lost at Manchester, 30-45, in regular season finale
> Comments: The return of Ryan Vena as QB to lead Head Coach Pete Costanza's
> offense already assures the Conquest will see more wins than last season.
> Vena is a proven commodity, arguably one of the five best quarterbacks in
> league history. After two seasons in the AFL with Columbus, he has come
> home again to Albany. This gamer will keep Albany close in a lot of games.
> The question is whether the Conquest defense can make stops and create
> turnovers. Last season they gave up almost 56 points per game. If the
> defense improves, this team could be playoff bound again.
>
> Green Bay Blizzard (2005: 9-7; 0-1 playoffs)
> Home Field: Resch Center (7,995)
> Head Coach: Bob Landsee, second year in Green Bay, 9-7 career regular
> season record
> Returners: 5
> Rookies Invited to Camp: 17
> Key Players Lost: QB John Turman, DS Ryan Bowers, OL/DL Joe Peters, WR/LB
> Brent Holmes, OS Troy Mason
> Key New Faces: QB Ronnie Gordon, QB James MacPherson, DS Ronnie Kaymore,
> OS Randall Lane, FB/LB Matt Pagel
> Key Returners: WR/LB Robert Garth, DS David Crocker, WR/DB Dontrell
> Jackson, FB/LB Peter Lazare
> Burning Questions: Who will assert himself as the leader and this team's
> top signal-caller, Gordon or MacPherson? Will Randall Lane's return put
> this offense over the top? Can this team take the next step and compete
> for a division title?
> Last Game: Lost at Wilkes-Barre, 41-48, in first round of playoffs
> Comments: Green Bay has a veteran cast and a veteran coaching staff in
> place for a strong run in 2006. The Blizzard will be well prepared each
> and every week to succeed. They have a solid set of QBs in Gordon and
> MacPherson and a strong group of receivers, led by OS Randall Lane. Lane
> has played most recently with the AFL's Dallas Desperados. In 2004, he was
> the Blizzard's main target and caught 24 TDs in just eight games before an
> injury cut short a record-setting season in the making. They also have a
> strong defense in place, one that should be even better than the 2005
> group that allowed just 47.2 points per game and led the league in
> turnovers forced with 52 (31 INTs, 21 fumble recoveries). If the Blizzard
> take care of the football, they should be in the hunt for their first-ever
> division title.
>
> Louisville Fire (2005: 11-5; 3-1 playoffs)
> Home Field: Freedom Hall (15,646)
> Head Coach: Tommy Johnson, fourth year in Louisville, 27-23 career regular
> season record
> Returners: 5
> Rookies Invited to Camp: 13
> Key Players Lost: QB Matt Sauk, FB/LB Demetrius Forney, DS Rob Green,
> OL/DL Andrew Tippins
> Key New Faces: WR/LB Anthony Payton, QB Brett Dietz, WR/DB Lance Taylor,
> FB/LB Scott Power
> Key Returners: OS Rob Mager, WR/DB Cesare Manning, WR/LB Dennis Fryzel, DS
> Nate Green
> Burning Questions: Can rookie QB Brett Dietz take the reigns in 2006? How
> will the Fire deal with the losses of Forney and Tippins? Will Rob Mager
> catch 50 TD passes?
> Last Game: Lost to Memphis, 41-63, in the ArenaCup Championship
> Comments: The Fire had a tremendous season in 2005, winning eight straight
> games at the end of the year before falling to Memphis in the ArenaCup.
> This year, however, QB Matt Sauk has moved on to Philadelphia to back up
> Tony Graziani in the AFL. Louisville does have a young gun with a lot of
> promise in Brett Dietz, a solid second man in Joel Steele, and a ton of
> weaponry at their disposal. Mager (39 TDs), Manning (24 TDs) and Fryzel
> (17 TDs) were the team's top three pass catchers in 2005. The Fire also
> welcomes back one of its former stars in WR/LB Anthony Payton.
>
> Manchester Wolves (2005: 12-4; 0-1 playoffs)
> Home Field: Brady Sullivan Field at the Verizon Wireless Arena (9,650)
> Head Coach: Ben Bennett, second year in Manchester, 31-17 career regular
> season record
> Returners: 11
> Rookies Invited to Camp: 10
> Key Players Lost: QB Jake Eaton, WR/LB J.J. McKelvey, DS William "Roc"
> Haith, OS Jamaal Perry, OL/DL Nick Myers
> Key New Faces: QB D. Bryant, QB Kyle Rowley, OS Steve Gonzalez, FB/LB
> Demetrius Forney, OL/DL Abdul Wiggins, OL/DL Jimmy Williams
> Key Returners: WR/LB Marc Bacote, OS David Bailey, FB/LB Mark Kimener,
> FB/LB Kelvin Fuller, OL/DL Darnerius Watson, OL/DL Mike Wells
> Burning Questions: Who will win out in the QB competition between D.
> Bryant and Kyle Rowley? Will "Speedy" Gonzalez quickly make folks in
> Manchester feel better about the loss of J.J. McKelvey?
> Last Game: Lost to Louisville, 56-69, in American Conference Semifinals
> Comments: Manchester will not sneak up on anybody in 2006 after winning 12
> games in 2005, including the franchise's first-ever East Division title.
> Arena Football legend Ben Bennett brought his winning attitude to the
> Wolves and transformed them from a pretender into a contender. This year
> Manchester looks to be solid once again, despite the loss of QB Jake
> Eaton, WR/LB J.J. McKelvey, and DS William "Roc" Haith. The Wolves have
> two veteran QBs to choose from in D. Bryant and Kyle Rowley. Import OS
> Steve "Speedy" Gonzalez from San Diego should be a huge addition as well.
> Last season as a rookie with the Riptide, he returned six kickoffs for
> scores and caught 76 passes for 1,033 yards and 28 touchdowns.
> Manchester's defense may be improved as well thanks to having "The
> Sheriff" Abdul Wiggins back in town to bring the rush alongside Kelvin
> Fuller and company.
>
> Quad City Steamwheelers (2005: 9-7; 0-1 playoffs)
> Home Field: The Mark of the Quad Cities (9,437)
> Head Coach: Rick Frazier, second year in Quad City, 17-15 career regular
> season record
> Returners: 4
> Rookies Invited to Camp: 10
> Key Players Lost: QB Sam Clemons, DS Matt Forbes, WR/DB Jeff Hewitt, OS
> Travis Burns, OL/DL John Culp
> Key New Faces: QB Tim Hicks, WR/DB Reggie Perkins, OS Bo Smith, FB/LB Jeff
> McCrea
> Key Returners: WR/LB Jack Walker, Jr., WR/DB Tim Dodge, FB/LB A.J. Novak,
> QB Matt Pike
> Burning Questions: Will Jack Walker, Jr. flourish with his expanded role
> in a new offense? Will QB Tim Hicks return to his form from 2004 in which
> he threw for 81 TDs and just 8 INTs? Can the Steamwheelers young defensive
> specialists make up for the loss of Matt Forbes?
> Last Game: Lost at Rio Grande, 38-56, in first round of playoffs
> Comments: Head Coach Rick Frazier puts defense first, so this offseason he
> brought in a coach who puts offense above all else, former San Diego
> Riptide skipper Sean Ponder. Ponder's presence should open up the
> Steamwheelers aerial attack and make Jack Walker, Jr. and company dynamite
> once again. Quad City also did well bringing in some new players with af2
> pedigree in QB Tim Hicks, WR/DB Reggie Perkins, OS Bo Smith, and FB/LB
> Jeff McCrea. Hicks, Perkins and Smith all played together in
> Bossier-Shreveport in 2005 while McCrea was with a big part of Ponder's
> squad in San Diego. This team has the makeup of a winner.
>
> Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers (2005: 9-7; 1-1 playoffs)
> Home Field: Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza (7,950)
> Head Coach: Rich Ingold, first year in WBS, 34-14 career regular season
> record
> Returners: 5
> Rookies Invited to Camp: 13
> Key Players Lost: WR/LB Rocco Forgione, DS Ronnie Kaymore, QB Kyle Rowley,
> QB Bryan Snyder, WR/DB Jurron Kelly, OL/DL Jim Sodano
> Key New Faces: DS Matt Forbes, QB Mike Granieri, WR/DB William Ferguson
> Key Returners: OS J.R. Thomas, DS Jamie Hattley, OL/DL David Barnard
> Burning Questions: Will J.R. Thomas avoid the injury bug and stay healthy
> for an entire season? Will rookie QB Mike Granieri be as good as Ingold
> expects? Has Ingold struck gold with his Pennsylvania player-filled
> roster?
> Last Game: Lost at Florida, 45-59, in American Conference Semifinals
> Comments: The Pioneers couldn't have found a better coach to replace Less
> Moss than area native Rich Ingold. Ingold is one of the most successful
> coaches in league history. Chances are good he'll have this team in the
> hunt right away. He's very high on rookie QB Mike Granieri from the
> University of New Hampshire. If Granieri has a healthy J.R. Thomas to
> throw to, he'll be just fine. The Pioneers defense looks young but very
> talented. A lot of questions remain with this group, but with Ingold at
> the helm, expect success.
>
> SOUTH DIVISION
>
> Birmingham Steeldogs (2005: 2-14)
> Home Field: Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center (16,000)
> Head Coach: Ron Selesky, first year in Birmingham, 19-13 career regular
> season record
> Returners: 3
> Rookies Invited to Camp: 21
> Key Players Lost: OS Detronn Harris, DS George Williams
> Key New Faces: QB Robert Kent, QB Ryan Hawk, OL/DL Eric Thomas, OL/DL
> Myron Powe
> Key Returners: WR/DB Milas Randle, OL/DL David Daniel
> Burning Questions: Will this proud franchise return to respectability
> after suffering through a 2-14 season in 2005? Can either rookie QB, Kent
> or Hawk, be the leader this team needs? Can veteran coach Ron Selesky make
> this young team into a winner?
> Last Game: Lost to Florida, 27-28, in regular season finale
> Comments: The Birmingham Steeldogs enter the 2006 season with a clean
> slate. Their tough 2-14 campaign in 2005 is one they and their fans are
> happy to forget. This year a new but proven af2 coach named Ron Selesky
> has been put in charge of bringing the bite back to the Steeldogs. He's
> revamped the roster and infused it with a wealth of young but talented
> players. One question mark is at quarterback. Birmingham has brought in
> unproven rookies Robert Kent from Jackson St. and Ryan Hawk from Ohio
> University. Both have impressive college resumes. Whoever is under center,
> you can bet Birmingham will be an improved bunch. A winning season,
> however, may not be in the cards.
>
> Florida Firecats (2005: 14-2; 1-1 playoffs)
> Home Field: Germain Arena (7,128)
> Head Coach: Kevin Bouis, second year in Florida, 14-2 career regular
> season record
> Returners: 10
> Rookies Invited to Camp: 19
> Key Players Lost: WR/LB Cainon Lamb, FB/LB Chris Morant, FB/LB Steve
> Gorrie
> Key New Faces: WR/DB Ethenic Sands, FB/LB Alfred Peterson, DS Quincy
> Sorrell
> Key Returners: QB Chris Wallace, OS Magic Benton, WR/DB Brandon Burnside,
> K Brandon Kornblue
> Burning Questions: How will Coach Kevin Bouis' bunch improve on a stellar
> 2005 season, which saw the team go 14-2 and win the South Division title?
> Who will take over for Chris Morant and Steve Gorrie this year on a team
> that loves to utilize the run? How many games will it take OS Magic Benton
> to become the league's all-time leading receiver?
> Last Game: Lost to Louisville, 40-70, in the American Conference Finals
> Comments: Second-year head coach Kevin Bouis set the bar high for himself
> and this year's team after such a successful first season for himself in
> 2005. Not to worry Firecat fans. He has assembled another strong squad.
> With QB Chris Wallace under center again and a wealth of Florida-based
> talent on both sides of the ball, the Firecats will be in the hunt again
> for sure.
>
> Macon Knights (2005: 8-8; 0-1 playoffs)
> Home Field: Macon Coliseum (7,128)
> Head Coach: Derek Stingley, first full year in Macon, 6-4 career regular
> season record
> Returners: 11
> Rookies Invited to Camp: 12
> Key Players Lost: QB Lionel Hayes, OS Chris Johnson
> Key New Faces: QB Chad Elliott, DS Leo FenceRoy
> Key Returners: WR/LB Jamaal Garman, WR/DB Matt Jackson, DS Hosea Laney
> Burning Questions: How good can Macon be with Stingley at the helm for a
> full season? Will the ultra-talented Chad Elliott be the steady leader the
> Knights need to succeed? Can Macon compete for the "new-look" South
> Division title with the likes of Florida and Memphis?
> Last Game: Lost to Louisville, 54-55, in first round of playoffs
> Comments: Stingley and the Knights are an intriguing team. After taking
> over for Mike Hold after game six last year, Stingley guided Macon to a
> 6-4 finish and a playoff appearance. He will miss having a go-to receiver
> such as Chris Johnson, but this team still has a number of playmakers.
> Jamaal Garman and Matt Jackson are two of the top two-way players in the
> league. DS Hosea Laney also returns to the fold. Laney led the team in
> tackles in 2005 with 109.5 and ranked second in interceptions with six.
> New QB Chad Elliott will key the offense. He'll have a lot to say about
> how well this team does in 2006.
>
> Memphis Xplorers (2005: 13-3; 3-0 playoffs)
> Home Field: DeSoto Civic Center (8,444)
> Head Coach: Danton Barto, fourth year in Memphis, 34-30 career regular
> season record
> Returners: 9
> Rookies Invited to Camp: 19
> Key Players Lost: OS Kevin Prentiss, WR/LB Sale Key, DS Dahnel Singfield,
> DS Khreem Smith, OL/DL Delanio Taylor
> Key New Faces: OL/DL Chris Eggleston, OL/DL/DLS David Bamiro, DS Greg
> Golden
> Key Returners: QB Brian Jones, WR/DB Deon Giddens, DS Scott Cunningham,
> WR/DB Terrance Quattlebaum, WR/DB Terrell Adams, OL/DL Kenyun Glover
> Burning Questions: Do the Xplorers have the talent to be the first repeat
> af2 champion since Quad City? Can anyone replace Dahnel Singfield and
> Khreem Smith on defense?
> Last Game: Defeated Louisville, 63-41, in the ArenaCup Championship
> Comments: The best team won the ArenaCup in 2005 and that team was the
> Memphis Xplorers. With a nice new ring on his finger, Coach Danton Barto
> is now faced with the tough task of trying to find the right combination
> to rekindle the magic of a year ago. He'll have help thanks to the return
> of starting QB Brian Jones and eight other key cogs from last year's
> machine. Trying to repeat, however, is a tough thing to do, especially
> without the two best defensive players in the entire league - DS Dahnel
> Singfield (2005 Defensive Player of the Year) and DS Khreem Smith (2005
> Lineman of the Year). The target is firmly on their backs, but they have a
> great deal of talent and a great deal of leadership.
>
> South Georgia Wildcats (2005: 3-13)
> Home Field: Albany Civic Center (8,034)
> Head Coach: Donnie Davis, first full year in South Georgia, 1-5 career
> regular season record
> Returners: 2
> Rookies Invited to Camp: 11
> Key Players Lost: WR/DB Antwone Savage, DS Leo FenceRoy, WR/DB Adrian
> Cockfield, DS Drakus Langford
> Key New Faces: WR/LB Curtis Blake, WR/DB Tim Robinson
> Key Returners: QB Brian Baker, WR/LB Chris McKinney
> Burning Questions: How long will it take for this rookie-laden team to
> learn how to win? Can QB Brian Baker be a solid starter? Will Chris
> McKinney be the playmaker this team needs him to be?
> Last Game: Lost to Green Bay, 44-78, in regular season finale
> Comments: One of the league's best teams in terms of fan response and
> support, the South Georgia Wildcats played hard but not very well in 2005.
> As a result, a coaching change was made just after midseason and things
> weren't able to get turned around. The coach who finished up the year with
> the Wildcats, Donnie Davis, returns in 2006 to try and right the wrongs
> done in 2005. He's got a fresh start and a fresh new roster to work with.
> One holdover of note from last year is WR/LB Chris McKinney (65 catches,
> 708 yards, 17 TDs, team-leading 42.0 tackles). He'll surely be new QB
> Brian Baker's main target to start the season.
>
> Tennessee Valley Vipers (inactive in 2005)
> Home Field: Von Braun Center (6,642)
> Head Coach: Chris Williams, first year with Tennessee Valley
> Returners: N/A
> Rookies Invited to Camp: 17
> Key Players Lost: N/A
> Key New Faces: QB Roger Linn, OS Wayne Thomas, OL/DL Ahmad Childress
> Key Returners: DS Henry Freeman (2004)
> Burning Questions: Can new coach Chris Williams keep the winning tradition
> alive for the Vipers in their return to the af2? Will QB Roger Linn become
> a solid starter thanks to a new environment?
> Last Game: N/A
> Comments: The Vipers are back! The Vipers of old (2000-04) were one of the
> top two franchises in the league, both on and off the field. After a year
> away, this new Vipers team will be ready to play. Rookie af2 Head Coach
> Chris Williams has assembled a solid overall group of players. The team's
> strength, however, is its group of linemen. A number of these big guys
> have major college and even major professional experience. If second-year
> af2 veteran QB Roger Linn has protection, he should improve dramatically
> over his 2005 season with Birmingham. Don't underestimate this team.
> They'll be competitive, especially at the Von Braun Center, also known as
> "The Snake Pit."
>
> About af2
> Kicking off its sixth season in just one day, af2 serves as a vehicle to
> bring Arena Football to second-tier cities and as a developmental league
> with an unmatched history of sending players, coaches and officials to
> major professional football leagues each year. af2 operates under the
> same Mission Statement and Fans' Bill of Rights as the Arena Football
> League, which is currently in its 20th season. Log on to www.af2.com
> The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
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