af2 2008 Central Division preview
Published on March 22, 2008 under arenafootball2 (af2) News Release
CHICAGO - The af2's ninth season kicks off this Friday night (March 28) with an 11-game first week schedule. Over the next week, a special team-by-team preview will be presented for each division. The first division profiled is the National Conference's Central Division, which includes five teams: Amarillo, Arkansas, Lubbock, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa.
CENTRAL DIVISION
Amarillo Dusters (2007: 3-13)
Home Field: Amarillo Civic Center (4,870)
Head Coach: Chris MacKeown, first year in Amarillo, 7-9 career regular season record
Key Players Lost: QB Steve Panella, DB Terrell Mingo, WR Steve Bergeski, DL Jon Sessler
Key New Faces: QB Joel Steele, FB/LB Wallace House, WR Jim Lukowiak, QB Robert Johnson
Key Returners: WR/DB Craig Fulton, DB Aaron Williams
Burning Questions: Can new coach Chris MacKeown turn things around in Amarillo? Who will emerge as the Dusters top offensive weapon? Which QB will have a bigger impact - veteran Joel Steele or rookie Robert Johnson?
Last Game: Lost in overtime at Arkansas, 40-46, on July 28
Comments: The Dusters are looking to rebound after their second straight season of struggle. Determined to turn things around, Amarillo operator hired a new head coach in Chris MacKeown who has come in and almost entirely rebuilt the Dusters roster. The only current holdovers the team has back from a year ago are WR/DB Craig Fulton and DB Aaron Williams. Fulton had a strong all-around season in 2007 for Amarillo, making an impact in a number of areas. He led the Dusters in all-purpose yards (1,551) and kick return yards (953) and finished third in receiving (46 catches, 563 yards) and total touchdowns (10; 4 receiving, 4 rushing, 2 KR). He also recorded 21 total tackles on defense. Williams led the squad in interceptions with seven, three of which he returned for touchdowns, and finished second on the Dusters in tackles with 53.5. Both players are sure to be important pieces again in 2008. Up front on defense, Amarillo will need to find a player who can compensate for the loss of DL Jon Sessler, who recorded 11.0 sacks in 14 games a year ago. On offense, the man under center will no longer be Steve Panella, who spent the past two years with the Dusters and earned the af2's International Player of the Year Award in 2007. While Panella has moved on to play with Bossier-Shreveport, veteran QB Joel Steele has moved in and should assume the controls to start the 2008 campaign. Steele was the starter for most of 2007 with the Louisville Fire and led the team to a shocking first-round playoff victory at Spokane. His leadership should help in the team's transition. Steele and the Amarillo offense would sure like to have last year's top receiver Steve Bergeski (121 catches, 1,478 yards, 33 TDs) back in the mix, but as of today, his return to the team is uncertain. As a result, expect Fulton to be one of Steele's security blanket early on. Newcomer Jim Lukowiak has also impressed in camp and should receive a number of looks in 2008. Overall, Amarillo looks brand new, and in this case, change is good.
Arkansas Twisters (2007: 12-4; 0-1 playoffs)
Home Field: ALLTEL Arena (6,820)
Head Coach: Chris Siegfried, first year in Arkansas, 51-23 career regular season record
Key Players Lost: WR/LB Kevin Williams, WR Robert Kilow, DB Jason Simpson, LB Reggie Cooley, DB Tanner Varner, DB Pierre Thomas, FB Terrance Freeney
Key New Faces: WR/LB Robert Garth, WR Patrick Rouzard, DB Maurice Taylor, FB/LB Jason Null
Key Returners: QB Brian Villanueva, WR Jon Schoonover
Burning Questions: Can veteran coach Chris Siegfried equal or better the success of the recent Twisters clubs under John Gregory? Will QB Brian Villanueva emerge as one of the league's top signal callers in 2008? Will Twisters legend Kevin Williams suit up this season?
Last Game: Lost to Bossier-Shreveport, 40-62, in first round of ArenaCup playoffs
Comments: Arkansas fans might not recognize this new bunch of Twisters right away. Gone from last year's team are familiar faces like Kevin Williams, Robert Kilow and Jason Simpson, just to name a few. A number of other impact players won't be back in Arkansas as well. Even head coach John Gregory, the man who guided the Twisters to two straight playoff appearances, has returned home to coach the Iowa Barnstormers. All is certainly not lost, however, in Arkansas, as the Twisters management brought in one of the af2's best coaches of all time to lead the squad in 2008 - Chris Siegfried. Siegfried returns to the af2 after spending a season in the AFL as the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Brigade. Just two years ago he guided the expansion Spokane Shock to an ArenaCup Championship victory and overall, his 57 career coaching wins rank second on the league's all-time list. In addition to being a winner on the field, Siegfried is also one of the af2's best recruiters. Two of the first players he fought to keep in town were QB Brian Villanueva (56 TD passes) and WR Jon Schoonover (87 catches, 1,207 yards, 22 TDs). Both players were key contributors to the Twisters success a year ago. Joining Villanueva and Schoonover to fuel the Arkansas offense are receivers Robert Garth and Patrick Rouzard. Garth is a six-year af2 veteran who is coming off one of the most impressive seasons of his career. He earned the Playmaker of the Year Award in 2007 for his superb play on both sides of the ball with the expansion Tri-Cities Fever. On offense, the man nicknamed "Superman" scored 27 touchdowns (25 receiving, 2 rushing) and even threw for a touchdown. He also ranked second on the Fever in receiving with 72 catches for 910 yards. Defensively, Garth led Tri-Cities in tackles for loss (6) and sacks (3.5) and contributed 20.5 total tackles overall. Rouzard comes to the Twisters after an impressive rookie season with Manchester in 2007 where he led the team with 31 touchdown receptions and ranked second on the squad in receptions (105) and receiving yards (1,169). Defensively, the Twisters needed to replace their entire secondary which accounted for a league-best 33 interceptions. Leading the new-look defensive backfield will be DBs Maurice Taylor and Muhammed Shamsid-Deen. Taylor led the expansion Mahoning Valley Thunder with seven interceptions and 81 tackles while Shamsid-Deen accounted for 51.0 tackles and two interceptions with Tri-Cities in 2007.
If Villanueva stays healthy on offense, expect this year's Twisters to be firmly in the playoff mix yet again.
Lubbock Renegades (2007: 7-9)
Home Field: City Bank Coliseum (7,040)
Head Coach: Rodney Blackshear, second year in Lubbock, 7-9 career regular season record
Key New Faces: WR/DB Kendrick "Boss" Walker, DB Wali Mumin
Key Returners: QB Robert Kent, OL/DL Pierre Colin, DB Marcus Walker, OL/DL Shalom Tuimalealiifano
Burning Questions: Who will emerge as Robert Kent's new favorite target in 2008? Can Coach Rodney Blackshear guide the Renegades to the postseason in year two? Who's the Boss?
Last Game: Won at Oklahoma City, 76-69, on July 28
Comments: The Renegades enter their second season in the af2 with renewed optimism after a solid first year in 2008 that saw the squad go 7-6 after QB Robert Kent was acquired in an early season trade with Alabama. Kent, who threw for 81 touchdowns and ran for 11 more, is back on board for Lubbock. With the versatile veteran back under center, the Renegades are always a threat on offense. Last season they averaged nearly 54 points per game (53.6). As strong as the team was offensively, however, they struggled to stop teams on defense, ranking near the bottom of the league in points per game allowed (26th - 54.4). The Renegades look to be improved in that area heading into 2008 with the return of linemen Pierre Colin and Shalom Tuimalealiifano. The secondary should be better this year as well with returning DB Marcus Walker (27 tackles, 3 INTs) and impact addition Kendrick "Boss" Walker. Walker was a true difference maker with Bossier-Shreveport last season with 31.5 tackles and five interceptions before suffering an injury that forced him to miss a significant amount of game action. Lubbock's receivers look to be young but athletic and talented. The Renegades are high on the potential of Lorenzo Hoffman (6-6, 210), a rookie from Alabama State, and Marquis Belton, a first-year player from Division II Johnson C. Smith. Hoffman's alma mater is the same as former 2007 Lubbock standout wideout Alvance Robinson. If the receiving corps develops alongside Kent, and the defense is improved as expected, the Renegades could be a surprise playoff pick in the National Conference.
Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (2006: 7-9; 0-1 playoffs)
Home Field: Ford Center (17,884)
Head Coach: Gary Reasons, second year in Oklahoma City, 10-6 career regular season record
Key Players Lost: QB Stan Hill, DB Jon Holland, DL Barrett Allen, DL Aaron Chavers
Key New Faces: WR/LB Chris Archie, QB Evan Gray, WR/DB Donta Bright
Key Returners: WR/DB Al Hunt, WR/DB Fred Shaw, FB/LB Michael Tolbert, WR/LB Danny Howard
Burning Questions: Can the Yard Dawgz continue their streak of playoff appearances? Will QB Evan Gray shine in his second af2 season? Who will step up on defense to make up for the loss of linemen Barrett Allen and Aaron Chavers?
Last Game: Lost to Lubbock, 69-76, on July 28
Comments: The Yard Dawgz looked to be on their way to their fourth straight winning season in 2007 with a 6-3 record through nine games, but it proved to be a real struggle down the stretch for first-year head coach John Fitzgerald and Oklahoma City. The Yard Dawgz fell flat, dropping six of their last seven contests to finish at 7-9. The one consolation to the team's season was that they were able to sneak into the playoffs again for their fourth straight postseason appearance (zero postseason wins). This year optimism is renewed again despite losses on both sides of the ball. For the third year in a row the team has a new head coach, although Gary Reasons can't be called a rookie on any level. The former NFL standout linebacker is actually set to begin his second stint as the leader of the Yard Dawgz. He coached Oklahoma City through its first af2 season in 2004, earning a regular season mark of 10-6, 10-7 overall (including playoffs). One of the players that was on his inaugural team returns for his fifth season, WR/DB Al Hunt. Hunt has been one of the league's most consistent all-around players since his career began in 2003. He has earned five straight All-af2 selections, the most of any current league athlete. He earned First Team accolades in 2007 and in 2004 while earning All-af2 Second Team recognition in 2003 (Tulsa), 2005 and 2006. Last year Hunt led the Yard Dawgz with 111 catches for 1,426 yards and 25 TDs. Another returning receiver who will be a factor in 2008 is Danny Howard. Howard caught 80 passes for 1,106 yards and 22 scores in 12 games with the team. Another wideout to keep an eye on is veteran Chris Archie. Archie spent the 2007 season with the expansion Mahoning Valley Thunder and ranked second on the team in receiving (89 catches, 1,010 yards, 22 TDs). Pulling the trigger on the Oklahoma City offense will be second-year signal caller Evan Gray. Gray threw for 76 TDs and nearly 3,600 yards for the Stockton Lighting in 2007. The Yard Dawgz defense took a hit in the offseason due to the losses of linemen Barrett Allen and Aaron Chavers. Allen and Chavers combined for 15.5 sacks in 2007. A number of newcomers will have to step up up front to take some of the pressure off Hunt and WR/DB Fred Shaw (29 tackles, 2 INTs) in the secondary. If Oklahoma City finds some additional playmakers on the defensive side, there's no Reason(s) to believe this group won't be in the playoff hunt for a fifth straight season.
Tulsa Talons (2007: 14-2; 4-0 playoffs, ArenaCup Champions)
Home Field: Tulsa Convention Center (7,111)
Head Coach: Mitch Allner, second year in Tulsa, 14-2 career regular season record
Key Players Lost: FB Odie Armstrong, WR Donovan Morgan, WR/DB Don McGee
Key New Faces: DB Jon Holland, DL Barrett Allen, DL Aaron Chavers, WR/KR Jarrail Jackson, WR Kellen Allen
Key Returners: WR/DB Jeff Hughley, QB Justin Allgood, DL C.J. McLain, DB Delenell Reid, DB Jermaine Hope
Burning Questions: Can anyone slow down the Tulsa train in 2008? How good can WR/DB Jeff Hughley in his second af2 season? Can QB Justin Allgood pick up where he left off in 2007?
Last Game: Defeated Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 73-66, in the 2007 ArenaCup
Comments: The Talons look to be the team to beat in the National Conference in 2008 as they return nearly every notable member from last year's ArenaCup Championship team. ArenaCup Ironman of the Game Jeff Hughley is back for his second season in the league. Hughley had a tremendous first year in 2007, pacing the Talons in a host of offensive categories including receiving and returns. Another familiar face back on offense for Tulsa is QB Justin Allgood. Allgood was nearly flawless in the later portions of the 2007 season, including the playoffs, to help key the Talons run to their second league title in team history. Two other offensive players to keep a close eye on are WR/KR Jarrail Jackson and WR Kellen Allen. Jackson is one of just four players in af2 history to score over 900 points in his career while Allen is an exciting second-year player who spent 2007 with Green Bay. On defense, the Talons cupboard looks loaded from top to bottom. Up front they have the league's all-time sack leader, C.J. McLain, and this season he'll be joined by former Oklahoma City standouts Barrett Allen and Aaron Chavers. The secondary is second to none thanks to veteran stoppers like Delenell Reid, Jermaine Hope, John Holland and Oliver Fletcher. If everyone plays to their potential, it's hard to argue that Tulsa can't make another run at the ArenaCup Championship.
arenafootball2 Stories from March 22, 2008
- af2 2008 Central Division preview - af2
- Dusters announce 2008 roster - Amarillo Venom
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