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2007 ArenaCup quick hitters

August 23, 2007 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


GAME ON - af2's ARENACUP FEATURED ON B2: The arenafootball2 league (af2) has established a new, extensive online network to provide the league's passionate fan base an opportunity to view a vast number of games through the internet. Thanks to a new league partnership with industry leader B2 Networks, fans across the globe are now be able to bring all the action of af2 football right to their home computer or laptop. To tune into the action, fans can log on to www.af2.com and click on the special advertisement located at the top right-hand corner of the page. Viewers looking to enjoy the games via B2 will only need a high-speed internet connection and Windows Media Player 9 or higher. Games are available for the normal B2 rate of just $6. This week the ArenaCup Championship game is available though B2. The online broadcast information is detailed below.

ARENACUP8

Saturday, August 25

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers (17-2) vs. Tulsa Talons (17-2) 8:00 ET

OFF THE NET/week 22/ARENACUP: The arenafootball2 league (af2) online radio show, "Off the Net," the only internet radio show devoted solely to af2, will air its 22nd show of the season today, Thursday, August 23, on www.af2.com. This week's show features a special in-depth interview with Wilkes-Barre Scranton Pioneers' Head Coach RICH INGOLD and af2 Fan Club Chairman GARY STIBOLT. The program will also include news and notes from around the af2 as the league enters the 22nd week of the 2007 season. Fans can easily access the program by clicking on a special "Off the Net" advertisement located at the lower right hand corner of af2.com. The show will be available online late this afternoon. "Off the Net," now in its second season, airs every Thursday. The show is designed to bring af2 fans even closer to their favorite game with in-depth news, interesting interviews and fun feature stories. Veteran broadcaster Dean Jackson serves as host.

ARENACUP8 FEATURES TOP-FLIGHT TICKET PLAN: ArenaCup8, the championship game of arenafootball2, returns to the CenturyTel Center in Bossier City, La. this Saturday, August 25, and fans can now take advantage of a tremendous ticket promotion. For a limited time, each fan who purchases four sideline seats ($24.75 each), receives complimentary roundtrip airfare for two to over 30 resort destinations including Hawaii, Mexico, Las Vegas, New York, Orlando and more. To place your order or for more information, call toll free 888-277-5526. Fans can also visit www.flyfreeamerica.com/arenacup for details.

ROYAL NAMED SPALDING ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers' DB CHRIS ROYAL has been named the 2007 Spalding Rookie of the Year, as selected by a vote of arenafootball2 head coaches and media members. Royal, a 5'10", 205-pound product from Marshall, had a tremendous rookie campaign for the Pioneers, positioning himself at the top of several key statistical categories. Royal tied for the af2 league lead in interceptions with 14, he finished second in pass breakups with 43 and came in third in the league in tackles with 117. Royal recorded a season-high 12 tackles on May 25th against the Albany Conquest. The most interceptions Royal grabbed in a game occurred on July 21st when the rookie had 3 against the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings in a 50-28 victory. Royal is already the second Pioneers' player to take home a Yearly award in 2007. K DAVID DAVIS was named as the Havoc Kicker of the Year on Tuesday. On Monday, along with Royal and Davis, three more Pioneers were named to the American Conference All-af2 First Team. The winner of the 2006 Spalding Rookie of the Year, former Louisville Fire QB BRETT DIETZ, now with the Tampa Bay Storm, went on to win become Co-Winner of the AFL Rookie of the Year award in 2006 along with Kansas City Brigade WR CHARLES FREDERICK.

KARG NAMED SFC ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers' Offensive Coordinator TERRY KARG has been named the SFC Assistant Coach of the Year, as selected by a vote of arenafootball2 head coaches and media members. Karg's scoring offense was one the most potent in the af2 in 2007, averaging 57.5 points per game during the regular season. That number was good enough to rank the Pioneers second in the league. The Pioneers also ranked sixth in the league in total offense with 287.8 yards per game. In addition, Karg's offensive unit ranked first in third down conversions (51.5%), fourth in Red Zone offense (84.1%) and fifth in First Downs (318). Karg's signal-caller, QB RYAN VENA, produced 108 touchdowns, a number good enough to rank second in the af2. Two of Karg's offensive linemen, C BEAU ELLIOTT and OL ZACK LOVE were named, along with Vena, to the American Conference All-af2 First Team. Prior to coming to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Karg has spent time as an offensive assistant with the Portland Forest Dragons in he Arena Football League. In 2000, Karg accepted the Offensive Coordinator role with the expansion Los Angeles Avengers of the AFL. In 2001, he added Director of Player Personnel with the Avengers to his resume'.

INGOLD NAMED SPORTEXE af2 COACH OF THE YEAR: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers' Head Coach RICH INGOLD has been named the Sportexe af2 Coach of the Year, as selected by a vote of his fellow arenafootball2 head coaches and media members. Ingold, in his second season at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, guided the Pioneers to a 14-2 regular season record in 2007 and has, thus far, lead the team to three playoff victories and an appearance in the ArenaCup. Following a win over the Tennessee Valley Vipers in Week 8, Ingold became only the fourth head coach in af2 history to collect 50 wins in his career. In addition to his current job in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Ingold spent 2002-2004 as the head coach of the Quad City Steamwheelers. When the Pioneers defeated the Tri-Cities Fever, 57-54, in the First Round of the American Conference playoffs, Ingold became the all-time winningest head coach in af2 history, notching his 58th win and surpassing the 2006 af2 Coach of the Year, CHRIS SIEGFRIED. Ingold's all-time head coaching record now stands at 59-26. Also of note, Ingold becomes the second Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach to take home the Coach of the Year honor, joining LES MOSS (2004). Ingold's team came out of the gate firing in 2007, rattling off 13 consecutive wins to begin the season. The Pioneers' offense was ranked second in the league, averaging 57.5 points per game; they reached at least 70 points in five games this season. The defense, lead by Spalding Rookie of the Year CHRIS ROYAL, caused 45 turnovers and held it's opponents to 40 points or less on seven different occasions in 2007.

GARTH NAMED CUTTERS PLAYMAKER OF THE YEAR: Tri-Cities Fever WR/LB ROBERT GARTH has been named the Cutters Playmaker of the Year, This award was created this year to highlight the player who makes a name for himself by making plays all over the field for his team during the season. Garth, nicknamed "Superman," had a huge impact for the Fever in 2007, helping lead an expansion team to the ArenaCup playoffs in their first season as an af2 franchise. The Fever was barely edged out by top-seeded Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 57-54, on the road, in First Round action in a game that came down to the final seconds. One of the game's true Ironmen, Garth lived up to his nickname in a big way in 2007. The 6'4", 235-pound product out of New Mexico State caught 72 passes for 910 yards and 25 touchdowns; he added two rushing touchdowns and was forced under center during a game when Fever QB BRIAN BAKER was forced out of a game with an injury. Garth completed 8-of-15 passes for 85 yards and a touchdown in that game against Everett in Week 17. In addition, both of Garth's touchdown rushes came in that came as well. Perhaps his biggest offensive game of the season came in Week 7 when he faced his former team, the Green Bay Blizzard. In that game, Garth caught a season-high nine passes for 115 yards and two touchdowns for the Fever. Defensively, Garth was equally as productive for the Fever. He led the team in sacks with 3.5 and tackles for loss with 6.0, he finished seventh on the team in tackles with 20.5, he grabbed two interceptions, had five pass breakups, forced two fumbles and recovered two more. Garth had a tremendous game against Spokane when he recorded 2.5 sacks in Week 12. He was also a force all year long on special teams for Tri-Cities. Garth was named U.S. Army Ironman of the Week in Week 9 for his outstanding effort against the Texas Copperheads. In the 77-60 win, Garth caught 8 passes for 73 yards and 3 touchdowns, had one sack and returned two kickoffs for 23 yards.

BROWN NAMED ADT DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Florida Firecats' DB LEVY BROWN has been named the ADT Defensive Player of the Year, as selected by a vote of arenafootball2 head coaches and media members. Brown, a 5-11, 200-pounder out of Florida A&M University, turned into the ultimate playmaker for the Firecats in 2007. Brown's hustle and nose for the football played a huge role in Florida winning the South Division crown. The second-year standout finished the regular season tied for the league lead in interceptions with 14, along with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton DB CHRIS ROYAL (Spalding Rookie of the Year) and Bakersfield DB NATHAN MUNSON. Brown also finished second in the league in tackles with 132.5 (112 solo) and fourth in passes defended (41; 14 INTs, 27 pass breakups). Brown had several outstanding individual showings during the 2007 campaign. He posted a season-high 14 tackles on June 23 against the Albany Conquest in a 64-41 win. He also added 13 tackles on July 14 against the Alabama Steeldogs in a 55-44 victory. Brown had two interceptions four separate times in 2007. Ironically, all four outings were against the same two teams, the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (March 31 and June 30) and the Tennessee Valley Vipers (April 28 and June 9). Anchored by Brown in the defensive backfield, the Firecats defense ranked second in the league in scoring defense (37.0 points per game), total defense (224.1 yards per game), pass defense (211.2 yards per game) and touchdowns allowed (85).

VENA NAMED SCHUTT OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers' QB RYAN VENA has been named the Schutt Offensive Player of the Year, as selected by a vote of arenafootball2 head coaches and media members. Vena becomes the fifth Yearly Award winner from the Pioneers in 2007, joining K DAVID DAVIS, DB CHRIS ROYAL, Head Coach RICH INGOLD and Offensive Coordinator TERRY KARG. Vena, a 6'0", 220-pound player out of Colgate, had an outstanding season and was a primary factor in the team's 14-2 regular season record and American Conference East Division title. Vena, who started all 16 games for the Pioneers, finished the regular season by completing 347-of-519 passes (66.9%) for 4,241 yards and 92 touchdowns. He finished the year second in the af2 in touchdowns, completion percentage and total offensive touchdowns (108). Vena, in his first season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton led the league in passing efficiency (124.2%) and finished third in total offensive yards (4,397) and rushing touchdowns (16). Finally, Vena was seventh during the regular season in total offense with 274.8 yards per game and ninth in passing yards average per game at 265.1. Vena has taken home the Schutt Offensive Player of the Week award four times during the 2007 season, including last week after his team's Second Round playoff win over Central Valley. In that game, Vena set a new af2 postseason record by throwing for 404 yards with nine touchdowns and just one interception. Wilkes-Barre won the game, 70-53. Last week, Vena was chosen as the American Conference All-af2 First Team quarterback, joining four of his teammates on this year's First Team.

WALKER, JR. NAMED U.S. ARMY STRONG IRONMAN OF THE YEAR: Quad City Steamwheelers' WR/LB JACK WALKER, JR. has been named the U.S. Army Strong Ironman of the Year, as selected by a vote of arenafootball2 head coaches and members of the media. Walker, in his third season with the Steamwheelers (fifth overall), captured the award that is the essence of true Arena Football. The veteran led the team in receptions with 130 and finished second on the squad in touchdowns (30) and receiving yards (1,322). Walker averaged just over 10 yards per reception for Quad City in 2007. His presence was a big reason for the Steamwheelers' 10-6 record in 2007 and their American Conference Midwest Division title.

The 6-4, 195-pound standout from Kent State also lined up at the Jack Linebacker position for the Steamwheelers this season. On defense, Walker finished third in the af2 with six fumble recoveries and recorded 24.5 tackles, seven pass breakups and three forced fumbles. He also tied for second on the squad with four interceptions. He returned two of his interceptions for touchdowns and added a touchdown on a kickoff return in Week 2 against the Spokane Shock. Walker was named U.S. Army Strong Ironman of the Week four different times during the 2007 season. In Week 8 against Everett, he caught nine passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns to go along with a fumble recovery and two pass breakups on defense. Two weeks later against Tennessee Valley, Walker caught four passes for 33 yards and two touchdowns, recorded two tackles, made two pass breakups, grabbed two interceptions and forced a fumble against the Vipers. In Week 14 against the Green Bay Blizzard, the veteran caught 12 passes for 106 yards and a season-high four touchdowns. Defensively, he recorded two tackles, forced two fumbles, recovered two fumbles and had his only sack of the season. Finally, in Week 17 against Cincinnati, Walker caught five passes for 56 yards and three touchdowns to go along with one tackle, one fumble recovery and one interception returned for a touchdown in an easy 83-33 victory. For his career, the veteran two-way standout ranks among the league's all-time leaders in a number of statistical categories, including scoring (5th - 864), pass receptions (2nd - 497), receiving yards (3rd - 5,995) and receiving touchdowns (2nd - 136).

HUGHLEY IS HOT: Tulsa WR/DB JEFF HUGHLEY is red hot and the Talons hope he doesn't plan to cool off this weekend. Hughley has captured four consecutive weekly awards, dating back to Week 18 against the South Georgia Wildcats. For that game, he was named U.S. Army Ironman of the game. He followed that up by being named the Schutt Offensive Player of the Week for his outstanding effort in a win over the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz. In a Second Round rematch with South Georgia, Hughley was named U.S. Army Ironman of the Week once again. Last week, Hughley was named Schutt Offensive Player of the Week in a win over the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings. Offensively, Hughley was the Talons' top overall performer in 2007, leading the squad in scoring (198 points), total touchdowns (33 - 26 receiving, 3 rushing, 3 kick return, 1 INT return), receptions (84), receiving yards (1,069), receiving TDs (26), kick return touchdowns (3 - T1st in af2), kick return yards (1,363 - 4th in af2) and all-purpose yards (2,515 - 6th in af2). Hughley has also contributed on defense with 20.5 total tackles and one interception return for a score.

VENA SETS PLAYOFF PASSING MARK: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton QB RYAN VENA set an af2 postseason record with 404 yards passing in the Pioneers' 70-53 second round win against Central Valley last Saturday. The previous record was 397 yards set in 2001 by Richmond's BOB BEES in a semifinal victory at Tennessee Valley. The veteran signal caller's nine touchdown passes (T2nd) and 31 pass completions (T2nd) also rank among the top single-game totals in playoff history.

INGOLD OWNS af2's COACHING WIN MARK: W-B/Scranton Head Coach RICH INGOLD is now the winningest coach in af2 history. Ingold set the new bar by recording his 58th career win two weeks ago as the Pioneers defeated Tri-Cities in the first round of the 2007 af2 playoffs. The veteran coach's record-setting victory was also his first af2 playoff win. He guided W-B/Scranton to a 14-2 regular season record in 2007. Thanks to another win last week against Green Bay, Ingold currently has 60 career wins. CHRIS SIEGFRIED, the former leader in career coaching wins, stands in second place all-time with 57 wins. The only other active coach with 50+ career wins is Manchester Head Coach BEN BENNETT. Bennett is third on the all-time list with 56 career victories. Ingold became the fourth coach in league history to win 50 games in Week 8 at Tennessee Valley. Bennett joined the 50-win club with a Week 9 win at Mahoning Valley. Florida's KEVIN BOUIS became the newest member of the 40-career win club in Week 16 with the Firecats' 55-44 road win at Alabama. Bouis, in just his third year as an af2 head coach, is the 11th coach in league history to win 40 or more games. Louisville's TOMMY JOHNSON became the tenth coach to hit 40 wins earlier this season and currently ranks seventh on the all-time list with 48 victories.

TOP ALL-TIME COACHING VICTORIES

NAME WINS

1. Rich Ingold* 60

2. Chris Siegfried 57

3. Ben Bennett* 56

4. Kevin Guy 52

5. Bobby Humphrey 51

* denotes active coaches

INGOLD's af2 COACHING CAREER AT A GLANCE:

Regular Postseason Overall Year Team W L Pct W L Pct W L Pct 2002 Quad City 10 6 .625 - - - 10 6 .625 2003 Quad City 14 2 .875 0 1 .000 14 3 .824 2004 Quad City 10 6 .625 0 1 .000 10 7 .588 2006 W-B/S 9 7 .563 0 1 .000 9 8 .529 2007 W-B/S 14 2 .875 3 0 1.000 17 2 .895 Career Totals 57 23 .713 3 3 .500 60 26 .698

ONE OF A KIND: While the winningest coach in af2 history, RICH INGOLD, is a part of his first ArenaCup this week, Tulsa Head Coach MITCH ALLNER and Offensive Coordinator CRAIG STRICKLAND are no strangers to the big game. The duo was on the 2003 Tulsa team that won ArenaCup4, 58-40, over the Macon Knights in 2003. Allner is the first man ever to experience the ArenaCup as a player and as a head coach. Strickland was named the game's MVP in 2003 after completing 19-of-28 passes for 254 yards and five touchdowns. He also ran for scores in the win. The 254 passing yards rank Strickland eighth in ArenaCup history. Allner, named the game's Ironman caught seven passes totaling 94 yards and two touchdowns. He also had three tackles and was a force on special teams, gaining 51 return yards on the night. Allner's 145 all-purpose yards rank ninth in ArenaCup history.

KENDRICK, HUGHLEY, REED, HARDWICK EARN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP HONORS : Wilkes-Barre/Scranton wide receiver/linebacker LARRY KENDRICK, Tulsa wide receiver/defensive back JEFF HUGHLEY, and Bossier-Shreveport defensive lineman ELEX REED have been named the U.S. Army Ironman, Schutt Offensive Player and ADT Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, for the Conference Championship Round of the 2007 ArenaCup Playoffs. In addition to these three awards, the af2 is also highlighting the player who makes the best catch of the week. The Cutters Catch of the Week Award for this round goes to Green Bay's NATE HARDWICK.

Kendrick (5-11, 210, Mississippi), a rookie for the ArenaCup-bound Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers, played like a man on a mission in his team's American Conference Championship game win over the Green Bay Blizzard on Saturday. Offensively, Kendrick proved to be a go-to receiver off the bench for QB RYAN VENA, catching five passes for 60 yards. With his team ahead by three points in the third quarter, Kendrick caught a 32-yard pass from Vena which set up a Pioneers' touchdown on the very next play to help build a 10 point lead. Defensively, Kendrick made one tackle, had one pass breakup and intercepted a pass at the five yard line and swiftly returned it for a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton touchdown near the end of the first half. The first-year player also had a 15-yard missed field goal return. This is the second U.S. Army Ironman of the Week Award that Kendrick has won in his young career. He took home the honor after his Week 5 performance against Cincinnati. In that game, Kendrick caught two passes for 24 yards and two touchdowns. He had a 17-yard interception return for a touchdown, a 30-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown, an additional fumble recovery, a pass breakup and a safety in the 94-25 win over the Jungle Kats. Hughley (5-8, 165, Averett) has been on fire for the Tulsa Talons down the stretch and Saturday's Conference Championship win over Bossier-Shreveport was no exception. Hughley accumulated 314 all-purpose yards in the win over the Battle Wings. Hughley caught 10 passes for 175 yards and four touchdowns in the victory. He also racked up 139 return yards against Bossier-Shreveport. This marks the fourth consecutive week that Hughley has been named an award winner dating back to Week 18 when he captured the Ironman of the Week for his play against South Georgia. In the First Round of the ArenaCup playoffs, he won the Schutt Offensive Player of the Week against Oklahoma City and he followed it up by capturing the U.S. Army Ironman of the Week in the Second Round against South Georgia. Offensively, Hughley was the Talons' top overall performer in 2007, leading the squad in scoring (198 points), total touchdowns (33 - 26 receiving, 3 rushing, 3 kick return, 1 INT return), receptions (84), receiving yards (1,069), receiving TDs (26), kick return touchdowns (3 - T1st in af2), kick return yards (1,363 - 4th in af2) and all-purpose yards (2,515 - 6th in af2). Hughley has also contributed on defense with 20.5 total tackles and one interception return for a score. Reed (6-5, 295, Mary Hardin-Baylor) took home his second weekly award of the 2007 postseason and the third overall of his young af2 career. The defensive lineman was a big-time playmaker in his team's loss at Tulsa on Saturday. Reed collected 2.5 tackles, including one tackle for loss, he blocked two extra point attempts and had an interception, which he returned for 18 yards. In the First Round, Reed set a new af2 playoff game record by sacking the quarterback 3.5 times against Arkansas. He also forced two fumbles and recovered another during the first playoff game in franchise history. During the regular season, in Week 3, Reed set the af2 record for most sacks in a single game by bringing down the quarterback six times against the Texas Copperheads. Reed, in his first af2 season, led the league in tackles for loss during the regular season with 25.0 and finished second in the league in sacks with 17.5 in 2007. Last week, Reed was named the Russell Athletic Lineman of the Year. Hardwick earned the Cutters Catch of the Week Award for his leaping, eight-yard touchdown grab from QB ZEKE DIXON with only 20 seconds remaining. That catch put the Blizzard down by three points. The Pioneers held on in the closing seconds and prevailed, 46-43. Hardwick led Green Bay in receptions in 2007 with 60 in just ten games. He also totaled 705 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Blizzard.

2007 af2 PLAYOFF SCHEDULE & RESULTS: The champion of the American Conference will meet the champion of the National Conference in the 2007 ArenaCup on Saturday, August 25 at the CenturyTel Center in Bossier City, La. Sixteen teams qualified for the playoffs, eight from each conference (American and National). The eight qualifying teams in each conference consisted of the three division champions and five Wild Cards, determined by best overall record. Seeding in each conference was based on overall record, with the top three seeds in each conference reserved for the division champions, regardless of record. In the First Round (August 3-5), the first three seeds in each conference are the three division winners. The next five teams were seeded by next best five overall records. Teams ranked 1-4 earn home playoff games with 1 hosting 8, 2 hosting 7, 3 hosting 6 and 4 hosting 5. In the Second Round (August 10-12), the winner of the 1-8 game plays the winner of the 4-5 game. The winner of the 2-7 game plays the winner of the 3-6 game. The home team is decided by the team with the higher seed. The winners of the Second Round will meet for the Conference Championships on the weekend of August 17-19. The team with the better overall record hosts the Conference Championship game. The winners of the Conference Championships face off in the 2007 ArenaCup.

AMERICAN CONFERENCE

First Round (All times Eastern)

Friday, August 3

Green Bay 39, QUAD CITY 34 (2,562)

Central Valley 42, MANCHESTER 41 (3,481)

Saturday, August 4

Louisville 62, SPOKANE 35 (8,272)

W-B/SCRANTON 57, Tri-Cities 54 (4,645)

Second Round

Friday, August 10

GREEN BAY 37, Louisville 27 (4,349)

Saturday, August 11

W-B/SCRANTON 70, Central Valley 53 (4,844)

Conference Final

Saturday, August 18

W-B/SCRANTON 46, Green Bay 43 (5,635)

ArenaCup8

No. 2 Tulsa Talons (17-2) vs. No. 1 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (17-2) 8:00 p.m.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

First Round (All times Eastern)

Saturday, August 4, 2007

South Georgia 59, FLORIDA 50 (5,032)

Bossier-Shreveport 62, ARKANSAS 40 (4,516)

TULSA 65, Oklahoma City 27 (3,151)

Sunday, August 5, 2007

RIO GRANDE VALLEY 44, Alabama 41 (4,997)

Second Round

Friday, August 10

Bossier-Shreveport 50, RIO GRANDE VALLEY 45 (5,500)

Saturday, August 11

TULSA 49, South Georgia 28 (2,726)

Conference Final

Saturday, August 18

TULSA 67, Bossier-Shreveport 47 (3,535)

ArenaCup8

No. 1 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (17-2) vs. No. 2 Tulsa Talons (17-2) 8:00 p.m.



arenafootball2 Stories from August 23, 2007


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