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af2 Saturday night matchups

May 12, 2006 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


MANCHESTER WOLVES (2-3) AT ALBANY CONQUEST (3-2)
SATURDAY, MAY 13, 2006 - Pepsi Arena (13,901) 7:00 P.M. ET
The Manchester Wolves pay a visit to the Albany Conquest in this East Division showdown Saturday night. The Wolves are fighting to snap a two-game losing streak, while the Conquest look to extend their winning streak to two games after being inactive last week. Despite the best efforts of Manchester QB D. BRYANT, the Memphis Xplorers beat the Wolves, 58-52, in overtime in Memphis last Saturday. Memphis QB Brian Jones connected with Kenny Higgins on a 13-yard touchdown for the game-winner six minutes into overtime. Bryant set an af2 record with 42 completions as he went 42-of-57 for 389 yards, eight touchdowns with no interceptions. The old record was 38 by Tennessee Valley's Matt Sauk in 2000. Both teams came out of the gate running, scoring 20 points each in a frantic first quarter. Memphis led 34-27 at half and 44-34 after three quarters, but Manchester would take the lead twice in the fourth and had a chance to take a third lead with :47 left, but missed a PAT that kept the scored tied at 52. The Xplorers' defense held the Wolves scoreless on the first overtime possession, got the ball at midfield and would score on the Jones pass to Higgins three plays later. Manchester's STEVE GONZALEZ made 15 catches for 134 yards and three touchdowns. Fellow receiver MARC BACOTE (11 catches for 90 yards) pulled in four touchdown passes for the Wolves. Over the last two weeks, Manchester's defense has struggled a bit, allowing an average of 60 points per game. They'll need to be better against Albany to stay close. Albany's most recent result came two weeks ago when the Conquest defeated Quad City at home, 72-63. Rookie OS R.J. HARVEY caught two pivotal touchdowns in the fourth quarter to propel the Conquest to victory. Trailing early in the fourth quarter, 47-49, Harvey corralled his first-ever af2 touchdown on a 41-yard strike QB RYAN VENA. Albany then took advantage of a Quad City fumble deep in Conquest territory for the pivotal play of the night. Harvey made it a two-score game with a 28-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 61-49. Albany finished strong by scoring four of the game's last six touchdowns for the team's first home win of the 2006 season. Vena was named the Schutt Offensive Player of the Game throwing for 353 yards with five touchdowns. Vena also had three of the Conquest's five rushing touchdowns. WR/LB MANWELL TALBERT caught six passes for a team-high 138 yards including two TD scores. Albany's offense averages 53.6 points per game. The Conquest's defense has also been a factor this year. They currently rank second in the league in turnovers forced with 17 (9 fumbles, 8 INTs). Manchester has won the last four meetings against Albany.

WOLVES CONQUEST
SERIES LEADER Manchester leads 7-6
LAST MEETING Manchester won 59-45 on 4/22/2006
LAST FIVE GAMES 2-3 3-2
LAST GAME Lost at MEM 52-58 on 5/6/2006 Won vs. QCS 72-63 on 4/29/2006
2006 LEADERS WOLVES CONQUEST
PASSING Bryant: 110-76-0; 733; 16 TDs Vena: 184-114-9; 1534; 21 TDs
RECEIVING Gonzalez: 52-541; 15 TDs Talbert: 36-481; 7 TDs
RUSHING Forney: 11-46; 1 TD Vena: 24-40; 10 TDs
TACKLES Sebastien: 28.5 McBride: 18.5
SACKS Forney: 2 Parris: 2, Ward: 2
INTERCEPTIONS Sebastien: 3 Murray: 4
KICKING Russell: 7-11 PAT; 0-2 FG 7 PTS Cirrincione: 29-37; 1-4 FG 32 PTS
TEAM OFFENSE 46.2 PPG; 274.6 53.6 PPG; 321.4
TEAM DEFENSE 49.4 PPG; 263.2 48.2 PPG; 261.6

TULSA TALONS (3-2) AT WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PIONEERS (5-0)
SATURDAY, MAY 13, 2006 - Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza (7,950) 7:00 P.M. ET
The Pioneers are the last remaining unbeaten af2 team and the Tulsa Talons, fresh off a 90-54 loss at Oklahoma City, hope to spoil the Pioneers' undefeated run in the first-ever meeting between these two clubs. Last week's lopsided loss was fast and furious right from the outset. Tulsa got on the board first with a 34-yard reception by DON MCGEE. Oklahoma City QB Craig Strickland responded with a 32-yard pass to OS Jarrail Jackson, putting Oklahoma City ahead, 7-6. The Talons and Oklahoma City exchanged scores for much of the first half and Oklahoma City went into halftime leading, 41-27. Stickland played his best game of the season, finishing 18-of-32 passing for 282 yards and 10 touchdowns. Tulsa tried to keep pace with Oklahoma City's non-stop scoring, but couldn't keep up, especially in the fourth quarter as the Yard Dawgz outscored the Talons, 35-14. Tulsa QB MARK RADLINSKI finished 23-of-44 passing for 342 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception. ANDRE FORDE led the Talon receivers with nine receptions for 139 yards and three scores. Tulsa's offense ranks fifth in the league in points per game at 53.8. Tulsa's defense, which ranks second in the league in sacks with 18, has been a little erratic. Two weeks after limiting Bossier-Shreveport to just three points, the Talons gave up 90 to Oklahoma City. Their defense will need to turn up the pressure in order to slow down the No. 1-ranked Pioneers. W-B/Scranton is coming off a 42-27 win against East Division rival Green Bay last week. The Pioneers' defense was impressive, holding a potent Blizzard offense scoreless in the second half. Trailing at the half, 27-20, W-B/Scranton turned up the heat in the third and fourth quarters. After scoring a touchdown to tie the game at 27-27 to open the third quarter, the Pioneers forced a safety on Green Bay's ensuing possession to give the team a lead it would never relinquish. Rookie QB MIKE GRANIERI scored on two short touchdown runs in the fourth quarter to firmly put the game away. Veteran OS J.R. THOMAS earned the Schutt Offensive Player of the Game honors with seven catches for 52 yards and two touchdowns. Granieri finished 19-of-38 passing for 170 yards and four touchdowns with one interception along with his two rushing scores. The Pioneers swept the game awards as WR/DB YAACOV YISRAEL (8 catches, 78 yards, 1 TD, 5.5 tackles) was named U.S. Army Ironman of the Game and DS JAMIE HATTLEY (game-high 7.5 tackles) earned the ADT Defensive Player of the Game. W-B/Scranton's defense is a stingy bunch, allowing just 38.4 points per game. If Granieri and company play well again, the Pioneers will be tough to beat. W-B/Scranton may have extra motivation this week to help Head Coach RICH INGOLD record his 40th career win.

TALONS PIONEERS
SERIES LEADER No previous meeting
LAST MEETING N/A
LAST FIVE GAMES 3-2 5-0
LAST GAME Lost at OKC 54-90 on 5/6/2006 Won vs. GBB 42-27 on 5/5/2006
2006 LEADERS TALONS PIONEERS
PASSING Radlinski: 164-102-3; 1280; 27 TDs Granieri: 176-97-5; 1132; 22 TDs
RECEIVING McGee: 29-338; 5 TDs Yisrael: 30-386; 3 TDs
RUSHING Radlinski: 11-35; 4 TDs Jefferson: 21-35; 3 TDs
TACKLES Sadler: 24.5 Hattley: 33.5
SACKS Murphy: 4.5 Harding: 2
INTERCEPTIONS Cannings: 2, Wimberly: 2 Forbes: 3
KICKING Phillips: 30-38 PAT; 1-7 FG 33 PTS Davis: 24-33 PAT; 2-7 FG 30 PTS
TEAM OFFENSE 53.8 PPG; 292.4 48.0 PPG; 236.0
TEAM DEFENSE 46.0 PPG; 225.6 38.4 PPG; 263.0

MEMPHIS XPLORERS (5-1) AT SOUTH GEORGIA WILDCATS (0-5)
SATURDAY, MAY 13, 2006 - Albany Civic Center (8,034) 7:30 P.M. ET
The South Georgia Wildcats, seeking their first win of the season, have a tall order Saturday night as the Memphis Xplorers pay a visit to the Albany Civic Center. The Xplorers overcame a record performance by Manchester QB D. Bryant and improved to 5-1 with an exciting, 58-52, overtime win over the Wolves at the DeSoto Civic Center last Saturday. Memphis QB BRIAN JONES connected with KENNY HIGGINS on a 13-yard touchdown for the game-winner six minutes into overtime. Jones finished 22-of-40 for 331 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception. Jones' 331 yards was a career high. Higgins, the Schutt Offensive Player of the Game, led the Xplorers receivers with 10 catches for 135 yards and three scores. Defensively, SCOTT CUNNINGHAM returned to the Xplorers' lineup and finished with 10.5 total tackles. Both teams came out of the gate running, scoring 20 points each in a frantic first quarter. Memphis led 34-27 at half and 44-34 after three quarters, but Manchester would take the lead twice in the fourth and had a chance to take a third lead with :47 left, but missed a PAT that kept the scored tied at 52. The Xplorers' defense held the Wolves scoreless on the first overtime possession, got the ball at midfield and would score on the Jones pass to Higgins three plays later. The defending ArenaCup Champions are averaging 59.3 points a game and allowing only 38.3. Jones ranks at or near the top of the league leaders in all major passing categories. South Georgia did not play a close game like the Xplorers last week, falling 60-22 at Macon. The Wildcats struggled to get things going early in the game and pulled starting quarterback DONDRIAL PINKINS early in the second quarter after he completed just 4-of-10 passes with an interception. New addition JULIAN REESE replaced Pinkins and finished the game throwing for 171 yards on 15-of-25 passing with one touchdown and one interception. WR/LB CHRIS MCKINNEY led South Georgia individually on offense with an af2 season-high 257 all-purpose yards, which included 10 receptions for 145 yards and one touchdown. DS JAMES MCCOY leads the team in tackles with 39.0. Reese will get his first official start for the Wildcats. His athletic ability should help South Georgia stay competitive, but it'll take a near perfect effort on both sides of the ball to beat the Xplorers.

XPLORERS WILDCATS
SERIES LEADER South Georgia leads 2-0 (both wins came as Cape Fear Wildcats)
LAST MEETING South Georgia won 46-35 at Memphis on 7/3/2004
LAST FIVE GAMES 4-1 0-5
LAST GAME Won vs. MAN 58-52 on 5/6/2006 Lost at MAC 22-60 on 5/6/2006
2006 LEADERS XPLORERS WILDCATS
PASSING Jones: 189-122-3; 1677; 35 TDs Pinkins: 72-34-5; 381; 5 TDs
RECEIVING Higgins: 44-725; 12 TDs McKinney: 40-466; 6 TDs
RUSHING Jones: 24-77; 7 TDs Pinkins: 17-65; 1 TDs
TACKLES Giddens: 44.5 McCoy: 39
SACKS Eggleston: 4, Crear: 4 Null: 2
INTERCEPTIONS Cunningham: 2 Saunders: 2
KICKING Azar: 34-41 PAT; 0-1 FG 34 PTS Burnett: 7-10 PAT; 4-8 FG 19 PTS
TEAM OFFENSE 59.3 PPG; 306.2 32.6 PPG; 170.4
TEAM DEFENSE 38.3 PPG; 290.0 48.0 PPG; 264.4

BIRMINGHAM STEELDOGS (3-2) AT FLORIDA FIRECATS (4-1)
SATURDAY, MAY 13, 2006 - Germain Arena (7,128) 7:30 P.M. ET
The Steeldogs are back on the road this week at Florida in what is shaping up to be an intriguing matchup between these two South Division foes. Birmingham is an improved bunch that should be confident coming off a 63-60 home win against Louisville. QB RYAN HAWK was on target for the Steeldogs, completing 23-of-39 passes for 311 yards and five touchdowns. Hawk's favorite target was OS KERRY WRIGHT, who pulled down nine balls for 159 yards and two scores to earn the Schutt Offensive Player of the Game Award. Birmingham trailed 14-0 at the end of the first quarter, marking the second time in as many weeks that the team failed to score in the opening frame. Early in the second quarter, the Steeldogs finally broke through, as FB/LB TERRELL BROWDEN plunged into the endzone from one yard out to close the margin to 14-6. The Steeldogs forced a fumble on the next Fire possession, and Hawk connected with Wright from 34 yards out to narrow the Louisville lead to two. The Fire closed the first half on a high note, scoring 14 points in the final six minutes and taking a 27-18 lead into the break. The Steeldogs exploded in the third quarter, however, outscoring the Fire 28-7. Louisville made the game interesting late in the fourth quarter, but the Steeldogs managed to hold on for the remaining seconds to preserve the victory. The win was Birmingham's third of the season through five games. Last year they won just two of 16 contests. Hawk and Wright have been the team's steady one-two combination all season. Overall, the team has relied on a steady offense and defense. The Steeldogs are tied for fourth in the league in turnover margin at plus+4 (13 forced, 9 lost). They'll need to continue this trend to stay with a potent pack of Firecats. Florida's most recent result was a 76-37 win at Tennessee Valley. The Vipers turned the ball over on their first four possessions as the Florida Firecats built a 34-0 lead in the first quarter. Florida QB CHRIS WALLACE completed 16-of-27 passes for 171 yards and six touchdowns in the win, which was Florida's fourth in a row. OS MAGIC BENTON caught seven passes for 106 yards and four scores for the victors, while BRITTNEY TELLIS and BRENT BURNSIDE caught a touchdown each. FB/LB CLENT CROSSLEY rushed 12 times for 42 yards and four scores. Teammates ETHENIC SANDS (fumble recovery for TD) and COMONE FISHER (recorded a safety) also got in the act for Florida. The 37-point loss was the largest defeat for the Vipers in team history, surpassing the 30-point loss to Quad City on May 19, 2001. They also committed six turnovers, which also tied a franchise record. Benton, a five-year veteran, is one of the best offensive specialists in the league. He'll likely set two new af2 career records this week, one for career touchdown receptions and one for career receptions.

STEELDOGS FIRECATS
SERIES LEADER Florida leads 4-3
LAST MEETING Florida won 28-27 at Birmingham on 7/30/2005
LAST FIVE GAMES 3-2 4-1
LAST GAME Won vs. LOU 63-60 on 5/5/2006 Won at TVV 76-37 on 5/6/2006
2006 LEADERS STEELDOGS FIRECATS
PASSING Hawk: 174-92-4; 1303; 20 TDs Wallace: 170-106-4; 1283; 31 TDs
RECEIVING Wright: 33-605; 12 TDs Benton: 40-560; 16 TDs
RUSHING Browden: 21-67; 6 TDs Crossley: 32-131; 7 TDs
TACKLES Keyes: 23 Bailey: 31
SACKS Brumbaugh: 3 Fisher: 4
INTERCEPTIONS Sheffield: 3 Sorrell: 2
KICKING Walls: 17-25 PAT; 2-7 FG 23 PTS Kornblue: 22-23 PAT; 0-2 FG 22 PTS
TEAM OFFENSE 45.4 PPG; 306.8 56.4 PPG; 282.2
TEAM DEFENSE 47.2 PPG; 260.8 47.2 PPG; 253.6

AMARILLO DUSTERS (2-3) AT BOSSIER-SHREVEPORT BATTLE WINGS (0-5)
SATURDAY, MAY 13, 2006 - CenturyTel Center (12,500) 8:00 P.M. ET
This week the Dusters look to finally hit the .500 mark after an 0-3 start to the 2006 season. They have to face an improving Battle Wings crew that has some confidence after staying strong with Rio Grande Valley last week. Amarillo is coming off back-to-back impressive wins over Midwest Division foes Oklahoma City and Arkansas. Last time out it was the Dusters defense that was the difference. Amarillo's defense, which struggled a bit earlier this season, jelled in a big way against Arkansas, leading the team to a 45-34 home win. The Dusters stopped Arkansas eight times, intercepted two passes and returned a fumble for a touchdown to earn payback on the same Twisters team that routed them by 38 points in April. The Twisters were stopped on their first three possessions, which resulted in a 17-0 Dusters lead. Despite the fact Amarillo's defense produced eight stops, the outcome was not decided until the final minute. Arkansas, which stopped the Dusters four times, closed within 38-34 in the fourth quarter and was in position to take the lead before MICHAEL TURNER'S batted ball resulted in the key interception by WR/LB JARROD ROUANZOIN with less then two minutes remaining. A MICHAEL BROUSSARD touchdown run gave the Dusters an 11-point lead. Amarillo FB/LB GATHAN MCGINNIS earned Schutt Offensive Player of the Game honors with two touchdown runs. ADT Defensive Player of the Game TRENTON JORDAN, playing in his first af2 game, recorded 3.0 tackles, 2.0 sacks and one forced fumble which he returned 38 yards for a touchdown. Canadian import QB STEVE PANELLA leads the Amarillo offense. He's thrown 17 touchdowns on the season with no interceptions. Bossier-Shreveport, on the other side, is still searching for a win in 2006. Last week they received little more than a moral victory by staying with a very good Rio Grande Valley team on the road, eventually succumbing, 43-28. The Dorados defense forced five sacks on Bossier-Shreveport QB J.J. RATERINK. Battle Wings WR/DB PHILLIP GEIGGAR led both teams with 8.0 total tackles. WR/DB ANTHONY ROZIER also had a solid night for Bossier-Shreveport with six receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown. Raterink needs to get more protection in order to improve on the team's 25.2 points per game average. If the Battle Wings battle on defense, they should stay with the Dusters. Winning, however, is the only option acceptable for Bossier-Shreveport Head Coach JOHN FOURCADE.

DUSTERS BATTLE WINGS
SERIES LEADER Amarillo leads 2-0
LAST MEETING Amarillo won 51-38 on 6/25/2005
LAST FIVE GAMES 2-3 0-5
LAST GAME Won vs. ARK 45-34 on 5/6/2006 Lost at RGV 28-43 on 5/6/2006
2006 LEADERS DUSTERS BATTLE WINGS
PASSING Panella: 172-93-0; 1046; 17 TDs Raterink: 184-97-10; 912; 10 TDs
RECEIVING Broussard: 20-147; 0 TDs Sutton: 20-177; 1 TD
RUSHING Broussard: 12-64; 5 TDs Coleman: 8-29; 0 TDs
TACKLES Mingo: 20.5 Patterson: 19
SACKS Jordan: 3 Reed: 2, Green: 2
INTERCEPTIONS Three tied with 2 Three tied with 1
KICKING Felton: 28-29 PAT; 5-12 FG 43 PTS Hazelwood: 11-14 PAT; 5-14 FG 30 PTS
TEAM OFFENSE 45.8 PPG; 227.0 25.2 PPG; 173.8
TEAM DEFENSE 55.0 PPG; 272.0 56.0 PPG; 294.0

OKLAHOMA CITY YARD DAWGZ (4-1) AT ARKANSAS TWISTERS (4-2)
SATURDAY, MAY 13, 2006 - ALLTEL Arena (16,058) 8:00 P.M. ET
An important Midwest Division battle is on the horizon this week at Oklahoma City travels to play Arkansas. The Yard Dawgz have got to be feeling pretty good this week after turning last week's "Turnpike Saga" into an old fashioned shootout. Oklahoma City's gunslinger, CRAIG STRICKLAND, came through with a record-setting performance to lead the Yard Dawgz to a 90-54 victory. After an even first quarter, the Yard Dawgz went on a 21-point run late in the second behind scores from JARRAIL JACKSON, AL HUNT and ANTHONY DINGLE. Oklahoma City went into the half leading, 41-27. With 5:03 remaining in the 3rd quarter, Strickland passed his way in to the af2 record books, becoming the first quarterback in af2 history to pass for 20,000 yards. It was fitting to note that the record came against the same team where Strickland began his af2 career. Strickland led the Talons to the 2003 ArenaCup title. The af2 veteran signal caller finished the night 18-of-32 passing for 282 yards and 10 touchdowns. He tied his own record for most touchdowns in a game with 10, which he set last season against Arkansas. Jackson, who left the game towards the end of the 3rd quarter, finished the night with seven catches for 153 yards and two scores. Strickland and the Yard Dawgz lead the league in scoring, averaging over 62 points per game (62.2). Arkansas, which leads the league in sacks with 25, will need to pressure Oklahoma City into mistakes. It can happen, as two weeks ago Strickland threw two interceptions that got returned for touchdowns against Amarillo. Speaking of Amarillo, the Dusters slipped past Arkansas last week because of that opportunistic defense. Amarillo stopped the Twisters eight times, intercepted two passes and returned a fumble for a touchdown. Despite the fact Amarillo's defense produced eight stops, the outcome was not decided until the final minute. Arkansas, which stopped the Dusters four times, closed within 38-34 in the fourth quarter and was in position to take the lead before Michael Turner's batted ball resulted in the key interception by WR/LB Jarrod Rouanzoin with less then two minutes remaining. Arkansas was led by offensively by WR/DB JON SCHOONOVER (9 catches, 92 yards, 1 TD). QB WALTER CHURCH suffered through an off night, throwing for just 193 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. WR/DB KEVIN WILLIAMS needs just one touchdown to equal Mitch Allner's af2 all-time record of 126. With two he'll set a new mark. This game should be an exciting one from start to finish. Expect turnovers to play a big part in the outcome.

YARD DAWGZ TWISTERS
SERIES LEADER Oklahoma City leads 2-0
LAST MEETING Oklahoma City won 71-48 at Arkansas on 4/9/2005
LAST FIVE GAMES 4-1 3-2
LAST GAME Won vs. TUL 90-54 on 5/6/2006 Lost at AMA 34-45 on 5/6/2006
2006 LEADERS YARD DAWGZ TWISTERS
PASSING Strickland: 155-98-2; 1396; 39 TDs Church: 200-121-9; 1569; 38 TDs
RECEIVING Jackson: 32-447; 12 TDs Williams: 31-410; 8 TDs
RUSHING Dingle: 5-46; 2 TDs Johnson: 4-31; 1 TDs
TACKLES Fletcher: 39 Reid: 30.5
SACKS Three tied with 1 Watson: 8
INTERCEPTIONS Three tied with 1 Williams: 3
KICKING Haglund: 29-44 PAT; 2-6 FG 45 PTS Carlton: 21-28 PAT; 0-6 FG 21 PTS
TEAM OFFENSE 62.2 PPG; 283.4 55.8 PPG; 254.7
TEAM DEFENSE 47.6 PPG; 301.4 45.2 PPG; 252.5

LOUISVILLE FIRE (2-3) AT QUAD CITY STEAMWHEELERS (1-4)
SATURDAY, MAY 13, 2006 - The Mark of the Quad Cities (9,437) 8:15 P.M. ET
This week is a very important East Division affair for both competing teams. The Fire are aiming to hit the .500 mark again after a recent 63-60 road loss to Birmingham. Louisville, which opened the game on fire, saw its early 14-0 lead vanish almost as fast as it came. The Steeldogs went on a 21-0 run to start the third quarter and never looked back. The Fire went out fighting late in the fourth quarter, as LANCE TAYLOR returned a kickoff 50 yards for a score with 41 seconds remaining in the game. They couldn't convert an onside kick, however, and Birmingham held on. Taylor had a phenomenal effort in defeat, scoring six touchdowns (3 receiving scores, two kick return TDs, one rushing TD). QB BRETT DIETZ (1,175 passing yards, 22 TDs, 5 INTs) and OS ROB MAGER (49 catches, 585 yards, 13 TDs) have been the Fire's main players on offense. The defense is paced by the DS tandem of JEREMY CHANDLER (28.0 tackles, 3 INTs) and KABOTE SIKYALA (24.5 tackles, 3 INTs). SHELTON CONNER leads the squad in sacks with 3.5. The Quad City Steamwheelers got a huge monkey off their back last week by scoring their first win of 2006. They won a tight one, 59-52, Saturday night in overtime at Central Valley. On third and one in overtime, with the ball sitting on the 1-yard line, Quad City QB TIM HICKS followed FB/LB JEFF MACREA into the end zone on a quarterback sneak to give the Steamwheelers a 59-52 lead. Hicks finished with 292 yards passing and seven touchdowns. REGGIE PERKINS would lead Quad City defensively with 7.5 tackles and four pass breakups. With the victory, the 2006 Steamwheelers avoided becoming the first team in franchise history to lose five straight games. Quad City already received bad news this week when they found out Perkins had to leave the team for personal reasons. WR/LB JACK WALKER, JR. leads the team with 45 catches for 497 yards and eight touchdowns. Defense is where the Steamwheelers are lacking. So far Quad City has a league-low three turnovers forced in 2006 and are allowing a league-worst 62.0 points per game. They'll need to dig deep on that end if they hope to snuff out the Fire.

LOUISVILLE STEAMWHEELERS
SERIES LEADER Quad City leads 6-3
LAST MEETING Louisville won 70-56 on 7/30/2005
LAST FIVE GAMES 2-3 1-4
LAST GAME Lost at BIR 60-63 on 5/5/2006 Won in OT at CVC 59-52
2006 LEADERS LOUISVILLE STEAMWHEELERS
PASSING Dietz: 162-113-5; 1175; 22 TDs Hicks: 203-133-5; 1519; 28 TDs
RECEIVING Mager: 49-585; 13 TDs Walker: 43-483; 8 TDs
RUSHING Power: 12-24; 3 TDs Hicks: 9-40; 3 TD
TACKLES Chandler: 28 Lewis: 24
SACKS Conner: 3.5 Lobendahn: 2, Macrea: 2
INTERCEPTIONS Chandler: 3, Sikyala: 3 Horne: 1
KICKING Hendrix: 28-33 PAT; 4-6 FG 40 PTS Naehu: 19-31 PAT; 0-4 FG 19 PTS
TEAM OFFENSE 47.6 PPG; 246.6 51.8 PPG; 319.2
TEAM DEFENSE 45.2 PPG; 267.2 62.0 PPG; 287.2

MACON KNIGHTS (2-3) AT GREEN BAY BLIZZARD (2-4)
SATURDAY, MAY 13, 2006 - The Resch Center (7,995) 8:30 P.M. ET
Macon is making its second trip to Green Bay in as many years to battle the Blizzard on Saturday night. The Knights are coming off a feel-good, 60-22, win at home against South Georgia. Macon also won the first-annual Georgia Cup in the game featuring the two Peach State rivals. Knights WR/DB JAMES HICKENBOTHAM was named Schutt Offensive Player of the Game after scoring a game-high five touchdowns. Hickenbotham rushed for one score and caught 10 passes for 102 yards and four touchdowns. Macon QB CHAD ELLIOTT was extremely efficient on the night, completing 22-of-31 passes for 226 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. Elliott also rushed for one score. The Knights defense applied heavy pressure up front led by ADT Defensive Player of the Game ED WRANGLER. Wrangler recorded three sacks, one resulting in a safety, and 2.5 tackles for a loss. MATT JACKSON (U.S. Army Ironman of the Game) gave the Knights secondary a boost with two interceptions. Jackson also returned three kickoffs for 122 yards. South Georgia struggled to get things going early in the game and pulled starting quarterback Dondrial Pinkins early in the second quarter after he completed just 4-of-10 passes with an interception. New addition Julian Reese replaced Pinkins and finished the game throwing for 171 yards on 15-of-25 passing with one touchdown and one interception. Macon needs another solid outing from its offense to stay with Green Bay, whose stingy defense allows 41.2 points per game. The Blizzard, who started the year winning of two of their first three games, have struggled of late, losing three in a row. Their most recent result was a, 42-27, road loss to No. 1-ranked W-B/Scranton last Friday night. Leading at the half, 27-20, Green Bay didn't score a single point in the final two quarters of play. The Blizzard were led in defeat by FB/LB PETER LAZARE, who rushed for 34 yards and one touchdown on offense in addition to 4.0 tackles, including one for loss, on defense. Green Bay's defense has been strong, but the team's offense has sputtered in its last three outings, scoring less than 40 points in each game. Veteran QB RONNIE GORDON has thrown just seven touchdowns in that span. He'll need to be better on Saturday to get the Blizzard back on track.

KNIGHTS GREEN BAY
SERIES LEADER Series tied 1-1
LAST MEETING Green Bay won 28-18 on 4/23/2005
LAST FIVE GAMES 2-3 2-3
LAST GAME Won vs. SGW 60-22 on 5/6/2006 Lost at WBS 27-42 on 5/5/2006
2006 LEADERS KNIGHTS GREEN BAY
PASSING Elliott: 194-119-9; 1329; 21 TDs Gordon: 123-69-4; 856; 14 TDs
RECEIVING Hickenbotham: 37-500; 13 TDs Lane: 38-421; 9 TDs
RUSHING Lloyd: 28-108; 7 TDs Lazare: 13-67; 3 TD
TACKLES Jackson: 25.5 Crocker: 35.5
SACKS Wrangler: 3 3 with 1.5
INTERCEPTIONS Fenceroy: 3 Kaymore: 2
Kwaku: 2
KICKING Yoon: 19-28 PAT; 2-6 FG 25 PTS Tydlacka: 16-23 PAT; 3-5 FG 25 PTS
TEAM OFFENSE 41.8 PPG; 292.2 40.5; 236.7
TEAM DEFENSE 49.2 PPG; 275.8 41.2; 233.0

RIO GRANDE VALLEY DORADOS (4-2) AT BAKERSFIELD BLITZ (4-1)
SATURDAY, MAY 13, 2006 - Rabobank Arena (9,000) 10:00 P.M. ET
Rio Grande Valley travels to California for its first-ever meeting with the West Division leading Bakersfield Blitz. The Dorados are coming into the contest on the strength of a recent 43-28 home win over Bossier-Shreveport. Second-year Dorado TRAVIS MCALPINE contributed on both sides of the ball with five receptions for 44 yards and two fumbles recovered, including one fumble return for a touchdown. He was named U.S. Army Ironman of the Game for his strong two-way play. Dorados OS DWIGHT COUNTER had a game-high two touchdowns on just four receptions. LANDRICK BRODY was another Rio Grande Valley player who shined in the win. Brody earned ADT Defensive Player of the Game honors with 2.5 tackles, including one sack, which resulted in a safety. The Dorados defense forced five sacks on Bossier-Shreveport QB J.J. Raterink. The Dorados have won both games in the all time series, but will have their work cut out for them this week. Rio Grande Valley QB JOSH KELLETT leads the league with 136 completions. He also ranks fourth in touchdown passes with 31. Counter is third overall in the league with 45 receptions. New addition CHRIS CANTY led all af2 rushers last week with 43 yards, and his 35-yard carry set up a Dorados TD early in the game. Bakersfield is on a roll after its impressive, 52-20, road win last week over the expansion Spokane Shock. The loss was Spokane's first defeat ever. Bakersfield's defense forced the Shock offense to sputter throughout the game, allowing only 155 yards. Spokane starting QB Alex Neist had a tough night overall, throwing an interception and failing to put any points on the board before being pulled in the second quarter in favor of Brian Zbydniewski. Zbydniewski, seeing his first action of the season, didn't fair much better, completing only 6-of-18 passes for 60 yards with one interception and one touchdown before being pulled in the third quarter. Meanwhile, the Blitz offense was imposing their will on the Shock thanks to veteran QB MICHAEL WALL. Wall (Schutt Offensive Player of the Game) completed 17-of-22 passes for 158 yards and four touchdowns. He also scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown. WR/LB ERIC MAHANKE and WR/LB NATHAN MUNSON added fuel to the Blitz offense with two touchdown receptions each. The Shock made things interesting in the 4th quarter, but it was too little too late for the Shock. The Blitz boast the stingiest defense in af2, allowing just 35.4 points and an af2 low 199 yards per game. DS ALEX WALLACE is one of the league's top pass defenders. He leads the af2 with six interceptions. Wall's main offensive target is OS RENNARD REYNOLDS, who is tied for third in the league with 14 touchdown receptions. This should be an entertaining affair between two teams who look to be evenly matched.

DORADOS BLITZ
SERIES LEADER No Previous Meetings
LAST MEETING N/A
LAST FIVE GAMES 4-1 4-1
LAST GAME Won vs. BOS 43-28 on 5/6/2006 Won at Spokane 52-20 on 5/6/2006
2006 LEADERS DORADOS BLITZ
PASSING Kellett: 247-136-5; 1510; 31 TDs Wall: 151-97-2; 1037; 25 TDs
RECEIVING Counter: 45-523; 11 TDs Reynolds: 30-386; 14 TDs
RUSHING Canty: 2-43; 0 TDs Onaindia: 11-54; 2 TDs
TACKLES Withers: 38.5 Wallace: 19
SACKS Jeter: 1.5 Turner: 3.5
INTERCEPTIONS Withers: 2, Long: 2 Wallace: 6
KICKING Bell: 29-39 PAT; 2-6 FG 35 PTS Barrett: 14-21 PAT; 1-5 FG 17 PTS
TEAM OFFENSE 48.5 PPG; 280.3 50.0 PPG; 238.8
TEAM DEFENSE 48.0 PPG; 227.3 35.4 PPG; 199.0

CENTRAL VALLEY COYOTES (3-2) AT STOCKTON LIGHTNING (2-3)
SATURDAY, MAY 13, 2006 - Stockton Arena (10,117) 10:30 P.M. ET
The Central Valley Coyotes stay in state this weekend as they travel to Stockton for their first-ever meeting with their new West Division rivals, the Stockton Lightning. The Coyotes have gotten off to a solid start in 2006. They probably should be 4-1 right now had Central Valley not let Quad City take back into last week's eventual, 59-52, overtime loss. Things didn't look good for the Steamwheelers in the third quarter as QB Tim Hicks threw the only interception of the game when MAURICE TAYLOR picked off a deep pass that was intended for Tim Dodge. The interception proved to be costly as it set up a JAMES LEWIS touchdown catch to give the Coyotes a 45-32 lead at the third quarter break. After the two teams traded scores to start the fourth quarter and with Central Valley ahead 52-38, Quad City's Jack Walker Jr. made two big plays to help the Steamwheelers get back into the game. After a touchdown catch, Walker's biggest moment was when he recovered the ensuing onside kick. That set up a 15-yard touchdown pass to Kris Peters with 3:07 remaining in the game to tie the game at 52-52. Central Valley K JOHN GOCKMAN missed out on a potenial game-winning kick as a high snap forced hiim to jump on the football and send the game to overtime. Central Valley signal caller SCOTT RISLOV completed 23-of-38 passes for 264 yards and seven touchdowns. LAMONTE JONES led the Coyotes receiving corps with nine catches for 93 yards and two touchdowns. Central Valley has a strong all-around team that currently leads the league in turnover margin at plus+11. To date, the Coyotes have forced a league-leading 18 turnovers while only giving away seven in return. Rislov ranks among the league leaders in touchdown passes (31) and passer rating (123.1).
Stockton should be feeling good as the Lightning have won two of their last three games. Their most recent result came at home last week against Everett. Stockton won its first home game in team history, 50-40, against the Hawks.
Lightning starting QB JOSH BLANKENSHIP earned Schutt Offensive Player of the Game honors with five touchdown passes. ATNAS MAEKO, playing in his first game, also had a strong performance with two touchdowns on 139 yards receiving. LYNDELL HAWKINS had a breakout game on the defensive end with a game-high 3.0 sacks. DS JEROME DENNIS leads the squad with 25.0 tackles. Stockton will need to value the football if the Lightning is to stay in striking distance of the Coyotes.

COYOTES LIGHTNING
SERIES LEADER No Previous Meetings
LAST MEETING N/A
LAST FIVE GAMES 3-2 2-3
LAST GAME Lost in OT vs. QCS 52-59 on 5/6/2006 Won vs. EVE 50-40 on 5/6/2006
2006 LEADERS COYOTES LIGHTNING
PASSING Rislov: 160-109-3; 1248; 31 TDs Blankenship: 177-95-8; 1100; 24 TDs
RECEIVING Jones: 35-432; 12 TDs Williams: 25-358; 7 TDs
RUSHING Guardia: 11-37; 1 TDs Williams: 3-33; 1 TD
TACKLES Jones: 24.5 Dennis: 25
SACKS Langenfeld: 3 Hawkins: 3
INTERCEPTIONS Taylor: 4 Three tied with 1
KICKING Gockman: 32-36 PAT; 2-7 FG 38 PTS Groshelle: 13-19 PAT; 1-3 FG 16 PTS
TEAM OFFENSE 53.6 PPG; 256.4 45.2 PPG; 239.4
TEAM DEFENSE 41.2 PPG; 228.6 48.4 PPG; 252.8



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