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af2 Alumni To Make Impact In AFL Wild Card Weekend

Published on June 28, 2007 under arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


The Arena Football League (AFL) playoffs begin this week with the Wildcard Round. Eight teams match up and go head-to-head in an effort to keep their championship dreams alive. These four games, which will be televised live on either ESPN or ESPN2, will provide a national showcase for a number of notable arenafootball2 (af2) alumni.

ORLANDO PREDATORS (8-8) at PHILADELPHIA SOUL (8-8)

Friday, June 29, 2007 - 7:30 PM EST (TV: ESPN)

Orlando will utilize two coaches and eight players with af2 experience in Friday's matchup against the Philadelphia Soul. SHANE STAFFORD started his Arena Football career in 2000 with the Tallahassee Thunder of the af2. He led the league with 85 touchdown passes, as well as recording two 400-yard passing games in the regular season. Following his career with the Thunder, Stafford joined the Tampa Bay Storm for two seasons, followed by a brief stint with the NFL, after which he returned to the Storm for the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Stafford joined the Predators this season as one of the most highly-sought after veteran AFL free agents. This season Stafford has completed 369-of-573 passes for 4,282 yards and 76 touchdowns, as well as scoring four rushing touchdowns. Orlando takes the field on Friday with two coaches who have past af2 experience. Assistant Coach LESS MOSS was the head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers from 2004-05, and Assistant Coach WILLIE FEARS was also an assistant with the Arkansas Twisters.

The Soul take the field on Friday with five players and one coach with history in the af2. EDDIE MOTEN began his Arena Football career in 2004 with the Rio Grande Valley Dorados of the af2. Moten finished the season with 47.5 tackles and 18 pass break-ups and was named First Team All-af2 and the Dorados' Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. He signed with the Soul in 2005 and is currently in his third year with the team. Moten leads Philadelphia in tackles this season with 89.0 and in interceptions with nine, three of which he has returned for touchdowns. Soul Head Coach BRETT MUNSEY began his career in the af2, as well, earning af2 Coach of the Year honors in 2001 as the Head Coach of the Tennessee Valley Vipers.

A full list of the 13 players that will make an impact on the Wildcard Round playoff game between Orlando and Philadelphia is located below:

Orlando

Ryan Bowers - Cincinnati 2003, Green Bay 2005

Javarus Dudley - Florida 2005

Jake Eaton - Cape Fear 2003, Manchester 2004

Marlon Moye-Moore - Charleston 2002

Chaz Murphy - Tulsa 2006

Kevin Nagle - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 2002-04

JoJo Polk - Tulsa 2000

Shane Stafford - Tallahassee 2000

Philadephia

Mike Brown - Charleston 2002-03

Jerrian James - Pensacola 2002, Tenn. Valley 2003-04

J.J. McKelvey - Manchester 2004-05

Eddie Moten - Rio Grande Valley 2004

Brian Mance - Manchester 2006

COLUMBUS DESTROYERS (7-9) at TAMPA BAY STORM (9-7)

Saturday, June 30, 2007 - 12:00 PM EST (TV: ESPN)

When the Destroyers face the Storm on Saturday, they will take the field with five players and two coaches with histories in the af2. After an injury forced him to miss a number of games this season, WR/LB B.J. BARRE came back with a purpose, proving himself as one of the Destroyers leading defensive backs. In his second season with Columbus, Barre has recorded 51 tackles, as well as 22 receptions for 291 yards and seven touchdowns on the offensive side. Before joining the Destroyers, Barre spent two seasons in the af2 (Tulsa Talons - 2004, Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz - 2005). In the 2005 season, Barre was second on the Yard Dawgz in tackles with 35.5, recorded 48 receptions for 617 yards and 15 touchdowns, and led the team in interceptions (5) and pass breakups (13). Columbus will also take the field with two former af2 head coaches turned team assistants in SKIP FOSTER (HC Tulsa 2001-03) and KEN MATOUS (HC Tulsa 2004).

Tampa Bay boasts five players with past af2 careers. QB BRETT DIETZ is playing in his first season with the Tampa Bay Storm, completing 199-of-302 passes for 2,395 yards and 47 touchdowns this season. Dietz got his start in the game in 2006 with the Louisville Fire of the af2. While with the Fire, Dietz was named af2 Rookie of the Year and First Team American Conference All-af2. He set an af2 single-game record with 12 touchdown passes and also led the league in completion percentage (71.2%) and passer rating (126.7).

A full list of the 10 players that will make an impact on the Wildcard Round playoff game between Columbus and Tampa Bay is located below:

Columbus

B.J. Barre - Tulsa 2004, Oklah. City 2005

Howard Duncan - Okla. City 2005

Brad Greetis - San Deigo 2002-2005

Peter Martinez - Richmond 2003, Oklah. City 2004

Will Rabatin - Louisville 2005

Tampa Bay

Ernest Certain - Tallahassee 2000-01

Brett Dietz - Louisville 2006

Tim McGill - Quad City 2002

Traco Rachal - Laredo 2004

Alex Wallace - Bakersfield 2005-06

COLORADO CRUSH (8-8) at KANSAS CITY BRIGADE (10-6)

Saturday, June 30, 2007 - 3:00 PM EST (TV: ESPN)

Colorado will utilize two players and one coach with histories in the af2 in its third matchup with the Brigade this season. K JASON BALL led the AFL in field goals (16) and ranked fifth in points scored by a kicker with 131 (83-for-97 PATs). Ball got his Arena Football career started with the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings (2004) and Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (2005). Ball earned second team all-af2 honors in 2004 while playing for the Battle Wings, where he went 11-for-29 on field goals and 70-for-87 on PATs for the season. In 2005, Ball was 5-for-12 on field goals and 38-for-47 on PATs for the season with the Yard Dawgz. Ball moved up to the AFL in 2006, signing with the Crush last year. In his rookie campaign, he connected on 7-of-9 PATs and made his only field goal attempt in his first game against Grand Rapids. Quarterbacks coach CHRIS BODEN is in the midst of his first season with Colorado after working with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2003 as both a player and a coach.

Kansas City boasts 12 players and three coaches with past af2 experience. WR CHARLES FREDERICK is currently in his first season with the Brigade. Frederick led all rookies in receptions (115), yards from scrimmage (1,518), first downs (100), all-purpose yards (2,129), rushing attempts (50), rushing yards (133), rushing touchdowns (14), and scoring (41 TDs, 246 points). Frederick's 115 receptions stood eight shy of breaking the all-time rookie record of 122, set in 2006 by fellow Kansas City WR JEREL MYERS. Frederick was a major player for the af2's Spokane Shock last year, helping lead the team to the ArenaCup title in the organization's first season of play. He earned National Conference All-af2 First Team honors as well. The Brigade also boast three coaches with past af2 pedigree. Head Coach KEVIN PORTER, Assistant Coach CHRIS SIEGFRIED and Assistant Coach TRAVIS CRUSENBERRY all have various histories in the af2. Siegfried is the af2's all-time leader in career coaching wins with 57. He also guided the Spokane Shock to the 2006 ArenaCup title.

A full list of the 14 players that will make an impact on the Wildcard Round playoff game between Colorado and Kansas City is located below:

Kansas City

Kevin Beard - South Georgia 2005, Spokane 2006

Travis Coleman - Albany 2004-05

Charles Frederick - Spokane 2006

Ira Gooch - Quad City 2002-03

Anthony Hines - Roanoke 2002, Cape Fear 2003

Larrell Johnson - Charleston 2003

Gary Kral - Cape Fear 2002

Denario Smalls - Macon 2001-03

Ed Ta'amu - Spokane 2006

Isaiah Trufant - Spokane 2006

Jerry Turner - Birmingham 2002-03, '05, Bakersfield '06

Jamarr Ward - Quad City 2000-01, Albany 2006

Colorado

Jason Ball - Bossier-Shrev. 2004, Okla. City 2005 Brett Huyser - Green Bay 2006

UTAH BLAZE (8-8) at LOS ANGELES AVENGERS (9-7)

Monday, July 2, 2007 - 10:00 PM EST (TV: ESPN2)

The Blaze will take the field with seven players with af2 experience. DB DAHNEL SINGFIELD competed in the af2 for two full seasons before breaking into the AFL. He got his first taste of the game in 2003 with the Mohegan Wolves before starring for the Memphis Xplorers in 2004 and 2005, helping the Xplorers claim the ArenaCup in 2005. Singfield earned the league's Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2005 as well as first team all-af2 National Conference honors. Before finding his way onto the Blaze roster, Singfield enjoyed an outstanding rookie AFL season in 2006 with the New York Dragons. He finished fourth on the Utah squad with 42.5 total tackles this year.

Los Angeles boasts six players with af2 experience. OL/DL SILAS DEMARY, one of the premier defensive linemen in the AFL, is in the midst of his fourth year with the Avengers and his seventh overall in the AFL. This season Demary recorded 25 tackles, one interception and led the team in sacks with eight. Demary began his AFL career in 2001 with the Carolina Cobras, followed by a stint with the Buffalo Destroyers in 2003 before playing for the Avengers. Demary got his first taste of Arena Football in 2000 when he played for the Norfolk Nighthawks of the af2. In his one season with the Nighthawks, Demary played in 15 of 16 games, finishing the regular season with 41.5 tackles and led the team with 12.5 sacks, as well as recording five fumble recoveries, 32 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.

A full list of the 12 players that will make an impact on Monday night's game between Utah and Los Angeles is located below:

Utah

Thaddeus Bullard - Greensboro/Florida 2003

Jon Apgar - Tennessee Valley 2006

Ryan Dennard - Macon 2005

J'Sharlon Jones - Bakersfield 2002-03

Chris Robinson - Peoria 2004, Rio Grande Valley 2005

Dahnel Singfield - Mohegan 2003, Memphis 2004

Los Angeles

Sean McNamara - Quad City 2000

John Culp - Quad Cities 2005

Eddie Canonico - Cincinnati 2003

Silas Demary - Norfolk 2000

Tim Hicks - Charleston 2003, W-B/Scranton 2004, W-B/Scranton/Bossier 2005, Quad City 2006

Greg Krause - Mohegan 2003

About af2

In Week 14 of its eighth season with 30 member teams, af2 serves as a vehicle to bring Arena Football into small to midsize 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 21st season. Log on to www.af2.com for more information.

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