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af2 Midwest Division preview

March 23, 2007 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


CHICAGO - The af2's eighth season kicks off next Thursday, March 29, when the expansion Laredo Lobos host the Bakersfield Blitz. Ten more games follow on the weekend, two on Friday and eight on Saturday. Over the next week, a special team-by-team preview will be presented for each division. The division profiled today is the American Conference's Midwest Division, which features five teams: Cincinnati, Fort Wayne, Green Bay, Louisville and Quad City.

MIDWEST DIVISION

Cincinnati Jungle Kats (First year in af2)

Home Field: US Bank Arena (8,911)

Head Coach: Tony Missick, 1st year in Cincinnati, 2nd year overall, 8-8 career regular season record

Returners: N/A

Rookies Invited to Camp: 9

Key Players Lost: N/A

Key New Faces: WR/DB Reggie Perkins, WR/DB Danny Thomas, WR/DB Nate Green, WR/DB Hassan Brockman

Key Returners: N/A

Burning Questions: Can Coach Tony Missick make the Jungle Kats into a winner right away? Who will win the QB competition, Ryan Porter or Eddie Eviston? Is Cincinnati ready to rumble for their Jungle Kats?

Last Game: N/A

Comments: The Jungle Kats enter their first af2 season with a quality coaching staff, led by Tony Missick. He will be partnered with Ron Hill, who is a longtime offensive coordinator in the league and was an assistant on Missick's staff in 2002 when they helped lead the Norfolk Nighthawks to an 8-8 record. Cincinnati has some solid players at the skill positions on their roster, led by WR/DB Reggie "Bunkie" Perkins, WR/DB Danny Thomas and WR Hassan Brockman. All three have previous af2 experience. Brockman led the Everett Hawks in receiving in 2006 with 80 catches for nearly 800 yards and 17 scores. The squad also has a strong two-way player in the fold in Nate Green. Green did a little bit of everything well for Louisville last season, most notably in returns (team-high 970 kick return yards, 1 TD), and rushing (6 rushing TDs) and on defense (50.5 tackles, 3 INTs). Cincinnati's success will likely ride on line play and quarterback performance. If those elements come together, the Jungle Kats should see immediate success.

Fort Wayne Fusion (First year in af2)

Home Field: Memorial Coliseum (12,500)

Head Coach: "Touchdown" Eddie Brown, 1st year in Fort Wayne, 1st year overall

Returners: N/A

Rookies Invited to Camp: 19

Key Players Lost: N/A

Key New Faces: WR/DB Cesare Manning, OL/DL Lou Vega, DB Kyle Grove, WR R.J. Harvey

Key Returners: N/A

Burning Questions: How will Eddie Brown the coach do in his first season? Which rookie QB will start on opening night? Can the young Fusion gel into a playoff contender?

Last Game: N/A

Comments: The Fusion are the new game in Fort Wayne, and fans are looking for "Touchdown" Eddie Brown to score big just like he did in the Arena Football League. Brown, in his first year as a head coach, will rely on veterans like WR/DB Cesare Manning, DB Kyle Grove and OL/DL Lou Vega to provide leadership while also being on-field forces at their respective positions. Manning has spent his most recent seasons with Louisville while Grove is a former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton standout from 2003-05. Vega is an af2 veteran of five seasons. The concerns could reside in an undetermined quarterback situation and a group of lineman who look a little light on paper. The Fusion, however, have the "G.O.A.T." (Greatest of All Time) leading the charge, and with that the foundation at the Fort looks to be in good shape.

Green Bay Blizzard (2006: 10-6; 2-1 playoffs)

Home Field: The Resch Center (7,995)

Head Coach: Doug Lytle, 1st year in Green Bay, 1st year overall

Returners: 5

Rookies Invited to Camp: 17

Key Players Lost: QB James MacPherson, FB/LB Peter Lazare, WR/LB Robert Garth, WR Brent Holmes, OL/DL Brett Huyser, OL/DL Robert Boss, WR/DB Luke Leverson

Key New Faces: QB Ryan Hawk, WR Kerry Wright, DL Tyre Young

Key Returners: DB Randee Drew, FB/LB Gustavus Tyson, OL/DL Jason Hardee, K Dallas Pelz

Burning Questions: What will Green Bay do for an encore after reaching the ArenaCup in 2006? How will new Head Coach Doug Lytle do in his first season in charge? With a number of skill players from last year in the AFL or relocated to other af2 teams, who will become the new Superman for the Blizzard?

Last Game: Lost to Spokane, 34-57 in ArenaCup7

Comments: Green Bay had a memorable 2006 season which saw the team win the East Division crown and make it all the way to the 2006 ArenaCup. This year, however, a number of key players have moved on, including standouts like "The Animal" Peter Lazare and Robert "Superman" Garth. Lazare is in the AFL with Dallas, while Garth relocated to Washington to play with the Tri-Cities Fever. Other key missing pieces include QB James MacPherson, lineman Robert Boss, and receivers Luke Leverson and Brent Holmes. New Head Coach Doug Lytle, however, has retooled the roster and has some solid team veterans and newcomers in the mix. WR Kerry Wright was a playmaker in Birmingham last season on offense (801 receiving yards, 13 TDs in 8 games) and special teams before an injury cut his season short. The man who got him the ball in the early season last year was QB Ryan Hawk, who has also moved north to Green Bay. Hawk, the brother of Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk, is a solid signal caller who will battle with last year's backup Zeke Dixon for the starter's role. Green Bay might find it hard to top last year's special season, but then again, it's always tough to navigate through a Blizzard.

Louisville Fire (2006: 9-7; 0-1 playoffs)

Home Field: Freedom Hall (15,646)

Head Coach: Tommy Johnson, 5th year in Louisville, 36-30 career regular season record

Returners: 4

Rookies Invited to Camp: 13

Key Players Lost: QB Brett Dietz, WR Rob Mager, WR/LB Dennis Fryzel, DB Kabota Sikyala

Key New Faces: DB Matt Forbes, FB/LB Demetrius Forney, WR/DB Tony Stallings

Key Returners: QB Joel Steele, WR/LB Lawrence Matthews, OL Eddie Yauch, K Dave Hendrix

Burning Questions: Will the departure of offensive coordinator Adam Shackleford snuff out the Fire's potent offensive attack? How will Coach Tommy Johnson replace the flammable combination of QB Brett Dietz and WR Rob Mager? After spending the past few seasons as a backup, will QB Joel Steele step in and be successful?

Last Game: Lost to Memphis, 61-83 in first round of ArenaCup playoffs

Comments: Louisville has been one of the most consistent af2 teams in recent history, reaching the playoffs in three straight seasons with one ArenaCup appearance. This year the Fire are hoping to stay hot with former backup QB turned starter Joel Steele leading the charge. Louisville lost a lot in the off-season, namely af2 Rookie of the Year QB Brett Dietz (90 TD passes, 4,217 passing yards, 71.2 completion percentage) and Offensive Player of the Year WR Rob Mager (143 receptions, 54 TDs, 1,918 receiving yards). Despite the losses, Head Coach Tommy Johnson was able to bring back FB/LB Demetrius Forney and WR/LB Tony Stallings, both former factors for the Fire. Another great addition was DB Matt Forbes, who enters 2007 tied for the af2 all-time lead in interceptions with 27. Johnson is one of the league's top coaches, so if anyone looks past the Fire this year, they're bound to get burned.

Quad City Steamwheelers (2006: 7-9)

Home Field: The Mark of the Quad Cities (9,437)

Head Coach: Sean Ponder, 1st year in Quad City, 4th year overall, 17-23-1 career regular season record

Returners: 9

Rookies Invited to Camp: 14

Key Players Lost: QB Tim Hicks, WR/DB Tim Dodge, DB Troy Graham

Key New Faces: WR/DB Thomas Anthony, QB J.J. Raterink, DB Leo FenceRoy

Key Returners: QB Matt Pike, OL/DL Kika Kaululaau, WR Kris Peters, WR/LB Jack Walker Jr.

Burning Questions: With Iowa native Tim Dodge not on the roster, who will become the new face of the Steamwheelers? Will Quad City's defense match their offense in 2007 with the return of defensive coordinator Troy Biladeau? Will it be Matt Pike or J.J. Raterink who directs Sean Ponder's offense in '07?

Last Game: Lost to Manchester, 48-79

Comments: Quad City is steaming over not making the playoffs for just the second time in the team's history in 2006. An inconsistent defense led to the team's sub par 7-9 record, but this year things should be different. Troy Biladeau returns to Quad City to direct the Steamwheelers defense for new Head Coach Sean Ponder after spending last year in Spokane. The Shock defense, directed by Biladeau, was a big reason why the squad won the ArenaCup. Ponder's offense looks to be strong again with the return of af2 veteran playmakers Kris Peters and Jack Walker, both 1,000-yard receivers in 2006. Add second-year player Thomas Anthony, younger brother of former Steamwheeler and current New York Dragon Chris Anthony, and this trio could cause major havoc this year for opposing defenses. The only real question for this team is who will be triggering the offense now that QB Tim Hicks is in the AFL. Whether it's Pike or Raterink, Quad City fans should feel good about this team's chances in 2007.



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