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af2 Nation

by Walter L. Johnson II
May 23, 2005 - arenafootball2 (af2)


As hard as it is to believe, we've almost reached the halfway point of the 2005 arenafootball2 season. After eight weeks, the contenders, slowly, but surely, are being separated from the pretenders as far as which teams will eventually make the playoffs. But for now, let's find out what happened in Week 8.

FIRECATS BOUNCE BACK: The defending Arena Cup champion Florida Firecats managed to re-group after their shocking loss at Bossier-Shreveport, and held off the Louisville Fire, 47-43, in front of more than 8,600 fans at Freedom Hall Saturday night. Cainon Lamb came out of "retirement" to catch six passes for 85 yards and two touchdowns. With the win, the Firecats not only improved to 6-1 on the season, they also increased their lead in the South Division to an amazing four games, thanks to losses by the Macon Knights and the South Georgia Wildcats, respectively.

BLIZZARD WINS SHOOTOUT: The Green Bay Blizzard held off the Quad City Steamwheelers to win a 56-49 slugfest that featured six lead changes and three ties. Robert Garth was the hero for the Blizzard in the closing seconds, as he scored the game-winning touchdown with just 14 seconds left. Green Bay has now won five straight games, while remaining tied with the Manchester Wolves for first place in the East Division.

DUSTERS WIN OVERTIME THRILLER! Rookie Dewayne Miles made his presence felt for the Amarillo Dusters, as he made seven rushes for 41 yards and two touchdowns in a 68-61 overtime win over the Central Valley Coyotes. A 52-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Kendrick Walker on the opening play of overtime proved to be the game-winner, as the Dusters improved to 5-2 on the season, while the Coyotes have now lost two straight contests, falling to 4-3.

DORADOS STUN PIONEERS: The Rio Grande Valley Dorados ran their winning streak to three games Saturday, as they knocked the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers 52-49. The Pioneers lost for the third time in their last four games despite an outstanding performance from Kyle Rowley, who was 29-of-46 passing for 232 yards and six touchdowns. But two interceptions by Norman Mason, including one with ten seconds left, preserved the victory for the Dorados, who now find themselves tied with Central Valley for second place in the West Division. Both teams now trail the first place Tulsa Talons by one game.

ELSEWHERE: Here's a brief round up of the other games in the af2 for Week 8.

Manchester 46, South Georgia 21: Allistair Sebastien intercepted two passes, broke up another pass, and made six solo tackles, as the Wolves won their sixth straight game Friday night, improving to 6-1 on the season.

Bakersfield 25, San Diego 14: In the other Friday night contest, the Blitz held the Riptide scoreless in the first and third quarters to go 3-4 this season. The win marked the third time Bakersfield had shut out an opponent in the third quarter.

Memphis 73, Albany 53: Two stops in the final three minutes of the first half helped propel the Xplorers to an easy win on the road. With the victory, Memphis now has the best record in the af2 at 7-1.

Tulsa 61, Macon 39: The Talons spoiled the debut of new head coach Derek Stingley, as they remained on the top in the West Division with the win. Tulsa broke open a 28-24 game at halftime to pull away for the victory.

Arkansas 61, Birmingham 60: A missed extra point came back to haunt the Steeldogs, as the Twisters rallied late to win their first game of the season. With the loss, Birmingham is now the only winless team in the af2, at 0-7.

Oklahoma City 52, Bossier-Shreveport 17: Three defensive touchdowns were the difference for the Yard Dawgz, as they snapped a three-game losing streak with the rout.

A LOOK AHEAD: Here are the key games for Week 8:

Manchester (6-1) at Wilkes-Barre-Scranton (4-3): The Wolves will look to win their seventh straight game, and maintain at least a share of first place in the East Division against the Pioneers in this Friday night special.

Amarillo (5-2) at Florida (6-1): The Dusters head east to southwest Florida to face the Firecats in a battle of the Lone Star State versus the Sunshine State Saturday night.

Oklahoma City (3-4) at Quad City (3-4): Yes, both teams have losing records. Still, it's a critical game for both the Yard Dawgz and Steamwheelers this Saturday, as the loser faces an uphill battle to even stay at .500, let alone stay in playoff contention.

QUICK PICKS:

Last week: 6-4 (.600)

Year-To-Date: 44-26 (.629)

Manchester over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Friday)

Louisville over Albany (Friday)

Rio Grande Valley over South Georgia

Macon over Arkansas

Tulsa over Bakersfield

Green Bay over Birmingham

Quad City over Oklahoma City

Central Valley over San Diego

Bye: Bossier-Shreveport, Memphis

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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