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af2 Nation

by Walter L. Johnson II
May 17, 2005 - arenafootball2 (af2)


Seven weeks of the 2005 arenafootball2 season are now in the books. And while 7 may be considered a lucky number most of the time, in the case of a few teams, things turned out to be just the opposite. Let's continue reading to find out what went on in the week that was: Week 7.

UPSET SPECIAL #1: We'll start things off in Bossier City, La., where the struggling Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings got perhaps one of their biggest wins in franchise history, as they upset the previously undefeated Florida 28-22 Saturday night. The defending Arena Cup champion Firecats entered the game as the last unbeaten team in af2 action at 5-0. But the Battle Wings, who had a dismal 1-5 mark coming into the contest, ended Florida's dream of a perfect season with the shocking win. Despite the loss, the Firecats still have a sizeable lead over their other South Division rivals, with the Macon Knights and South Georgia Wildcats sharing second place at 2-4.

UPSET SPECIAL #2: Bossier-Shreveport wasn't the only team to pull off an upset in Week 7. In fact, thousands of miles away in Fresno, Calif., the Rio Grande Valley Dorados managed to pull to within .500 for the first time all season, as they shocked the Central Valley Coyotes 61-51. The loss proved to be very costly for the Coyotes, as the Tulsa Talons pulled into a first place tie in the West Division Saturday night, thanks to a 41-31 win on the road. As for Rio Grande Valley, the Dorados now sit at 3-3, and one game behind both Central Valley and Tulsa, winners of back-to-back games after a 1-3 start.

TOP GAMES RECAP: The Green Bay Blizzard pulled into a first place tie in the East Division, thanks to a 65-49 win over the Louisville Fire. Rookie Matt Huebner rushed for three touchdowns, and returned a fumble recovery for another, as the Blizzard handed the Fire its second straight loss.

Meanwhile, in Southhaven, Miss., the Memphis Xplorers defeated the Amarillo Dusters 46-40 in a battle for first place in the Midwest Division. A 28-point second quarter proved to be the difference for Memphis, as the Xplorers now have sole possession of first place, improving to 6-1 on the season.

Finally, in Moline, Ill., the Quad City Steamwheelers lost back-to-back games for the first time all season, as the visiting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers edged the home team 57-55 Saturday. Quarterback Kyle Rowley passed for 323 yards and six touchdowns in the victory. The win snapped not only snapped a two-game losing streak for the Pioneers, it also put them one game out of first place in the East Division.

ELSEWHERE: Here the scores from other games in the af2 in Week 7.

Manchester 48, Albany 47: The Wolves kept pace with Green Bay in the East Division, as they've now five in a row after losing the season opener to Florida.

South Georgia 62, Arkansas 48: Bobby Pesavento completed 21-of-30 passes for six touchdowns and one interception, as the Wildcats moved into a tie for second place in the South Division with the win. Meanwhile, the Twisters remained winless in 2005, as they dropped to 0-6 on the season.

San Diego 77, Birmingham 44: Quarterback Kane Claunch did his part to make sure the Steeldogs remained "0-for-2005", as the Riptide cruised to an easy rout. Claunch passed for 323 yards and nine touchdowns with no interceptions in the win.

A LOOK AHEAD: Here's a quick preview of the top games for Week 8.

Florida (5-1) at Louisville (4-2): This game features two teams trying to bounce back after tough losses last weekend. The Firecats look to re-group after the upset loss at Bossier-Shreveport, while the Fire look to get hot again after losing back-to-back games.

Quad City (3-3) at Green Bay (5-1): The Blizzard hope to keep at least a share of first place in the East Division, while the Steamwheelers find themselves in a must-win situation.

Central Valley (4-2) at Amarillo (4-2): The Coyotes travel east to face the Dusters in a battle of upstarts. Central Valley hopes to stay tied for first place in the West Division, while Amarillo needs a win to hold to second place in the Midwest Division.

Wilkes-Barre-Scranton (4-2) at Rio Grande Valley (3-3): The Pioneers march into South Texas to face the suddenly red-hot Dorados in another inter-conference match-up.

UNDER THE ROOF: Don't forget to log on to OSC for "Under The Roof", every Thursday night at 8 p.m., Eastern Time. Host Dean Jackson gives you an inside look on what's going on in indoor and arena football each week, plus some special guests. And if you missed any of the previous shows, just remember to log on to www.oursportscentral.com, and click on the "OSC Radio" link to listen on demand.

COMMENTS? If you have questions on this or any previous columns, send e-mail to af2nation@hotmail.com.

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The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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