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af2 week 10 Friday night matchups

May 31, 2007 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


TULSA TALONS (7-1) AT MANCHESTER WOLVES (4-4)

FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 2007 - Verizon Wireless Arena (9,650) 7:00 P.M. ET

Coming off their first loss of the season, the Talons travel to the Northeast this week to meet the Wolves on Friday night. Tulsa and Manchester have met twice before, splitting the series 1-1. In their Week 9 defeat against Arkansas, the Talons were shut down by a conservative yet effective Twisters defense. Arkansas' game plan stifled QB JOSH BLANKENSHIP, who completed just 22-of-50 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns, but also threw a career-high six interceptions. WR JERMAINE LANDRUM caught eight passes for 68 yards and one touchdown and WR/DB JEFF HUGHLEY caught six passes for 67 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, OLIVER FLETCHER and DELENELL REID had one interception each. The Talons loss also hurt after learning that Blankenship injured his foot during the game. At this time, the team hasn't announced if Blankenship will be available for this week's game. If he can't play, Tulsa has an able backup in JUSTIN ALLGOOD to turn to. The Arkansas game was the first time in 2007 that a team suffocated the Talons high-octane offense. The team averaged a league-leading 62.9 points per game before their 19-point output. Tulsa (No. 5 in Coaches Poll) currently ranks third overall in scoring at 57.4 points per game. WR/LB ANDRE FORDE is the Talons top receiver with 54 catches for 681 yards and 16 TDs. Tulsa's defense has also been strong over the first half of the season. They rank tied for sixth in scoring defense, third in pass defense, and fourth in total defense. Reid leads the team with 37.5 tackles while DB JERMAINE HOPE leads the squad with four interceptions. Manchester (No. 15 in Coaches Poll) returns home this week after recording the team's first road win of 2007, 50-40, at Mahoning Valley last Friday. Wolves QB MARK RADLINSKI, who started for Tulsa last year, passed for 242 yards with five TDs and one interception. He also had one rushing score. WR JARRAIL JACKSON, another former Talon (2000-01), leads Manchester in receiving. Against the Thunder, Jackson caught seven passes for 67 yards and two touchdowns. WR ARI CONFESOR also recorded two receiving scores. Defensively, the Wolves are ranked seventh in pass defense, thanks in large part to DB ALLISTAIR SEBASTIEN. In Week 9, Sebastien recorded 6.0 tackles and one interception. The veteran is now just one pick behind Louisville's MATT FORBES on the all-time regular interceptions leader board with 28. WR/DB DAVID BAILEY (8.0 tackles) and DL MAURICE FOUNTAIN (2.0 sacks) were also impressive against Mahoning Valley. Sebastien leads the Wolves in total tackles (50.0) and interceptions (3) while Fountain ranks second in the af2 in sacks with 8.0. The Talons are 3-0 on the road this year while the Wolves are 3-0 at home. Expect this one to be tight throughout.

TULSA MANCHESTER SERIES LEADER Series tied 1-1

LAST MEETING Manchester won 59-24 on 6/17/06

LAST FIVE GAMES 4-1 3-2

LAST GAME Lost 19-36 vs. Arkansas on 5/26 Won 50-40 at Mahoning Valley on 5/25

2007 LEADERS TULSA MANCHESTER PASSING Blankenship: 160-288-11; 1865; 46 TDs Porter: 80-124-2; 791; 22 TDs

RECEIVING Forde: 54-681; 16 TDs Jackson: 56-544; 13 TDs

RUSHING Armstrong: 10-50; 0 TD Fichter: 32-93; 2 TDs

TACKLES Reid: 37.5 Sebastien: 50.0

SACKS Carter: 3.5 Fountain: 8.0

INTERCEPTIONS Hope: 4 Sebastien: 3

KICKING Phillips: 53-62 PAT; 6-10 FG; 71 PTs Pohlman: 34-48 PAT; 2-10 FG;40 PTs

TEAM OFFENSE 57.4 PPG; 249.9 YPG 48.2 PPG; 259.1 YPG

TEAM DEFENSE 40.2 PPG; 230.8 YPG 48.0 PPG; 258.6 YPG

TENNESSEE VALLEY VIPERS (4-4) AT QUAD CITY STEAMWHEELERS (5-3)

FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 2007 - The MARK of the Quad Cities (9,437) 8:30 P.M. ET

The Tennessee Valley Vipers travel north this week to meet the Quad City Steamwheelers in a battle of old school af2 powers looking for a return to glory. The Vipers and Steamwheelers have met 12 times before, with Quad City leading the series, 9-3. The Vipers enter Week 10 after a 56-33 loss at Fort Wayne last Saturday. In his first game for the Vipers, newly acquired QB RYAN PORTER completed 24-of-41 passes for 268 yards and five touchdowns, connecting mainly with WR/DB HENRY FREEMAN and WR/DB TRAVIS BLANCHARD. Freeman caught 10 passes for 116 yards and three touchdowns while Blanchard recorded 10 catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Blanchard leads the Vipers in receiving with 63 catches, 726 yards and nine scores. He also has three kick return touchdowns on the season. Despite a capable offense, defense has been the Vipers calling card so far in 2007. Tennessee Valley is currently fourth in the league rankings for pass defense, fifth in total defense and tied for sixth in scoring defense, allowing just 40.2 points per game. In last week's game, WR/DB TROY GRAHAM led the team with 6.0 tackles, followed by WR/LB JOHN COUSINS with 5.5. FB/LB VICTOR HORN recorded the only sack in the game for the Vipers. DL FAROUK ADELEKAN leads the team in sacks on the season with 6.0. Quad City (No. 11 in Coaches Poll) comes into Week 10 after scoring a 57-51 home win against Midwest Division rival Louisville last Friday. QB J.J. RATERINK, currently ranked third in league rankings for pass efficiency, led the Steamwheelers in the victory, completing 23-of-39 passes for 299 yards and six touchdowns. Raterink's top targets in the contest were two of the team's usual suspects, WR/LB JACK WALKER, JR. (9-114; 3 TDs) and WR TOM ANTHONY (7-107; 3 TDs). As a group, the Steamwheelers offense ranks sixth in total offense and eighth in scoring. On the other side of the ball, the Quad City defense was led in Week 9 by DB SIDNEY LEWIS (8.5 tackles), FB/LB NIKOLAS KERR (5.5 tackles), and FB/LB JERMAINE PETTY (3.0 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack). Petty also leads the team in total sacks with 6.0. If the Vipers are looking to end the Steamwheelers current two-game win streak, they must continue to play strong defense, create turnovers and make plays on offense. Quad City, however, is currently 3-0 at home. The team also boasts a host of playmakers on both sides of the ball. The Steamwheelers may have a slight edge on paper, but taking out Tennessee Valley is no easy task. This should be an entertaining game.

TENNESSEE VALLEY QUAD CITY SERIES LEADER Quad City leads 9-3

LAST MEETING Quad City won 59-21 on 7/8/06

LAST FIVE GAMES 3-2 2-3

LAST GAME Lost 33-56 at Fort Wayne on 5/26 Won 57-51 vs. Louisville on 5/25

2007 LEADERS TENNESSEE VALLEY QUAD CITY PASSING Colston: 91-157-7; 851; 14 TDs Raterink: 171-260-4; 1942; 38TDs

RECEIVING Blanchard: 63-726; 9 TDs Peters: 59-763; 16 TDs

RUSHING Gunn: 14-40; 2 TDs Macrea: 23-66; 4 TDs

TACKLES Graham: 39.0 Adams: 49.0

SACKS Adelekan: 6.0 Petty: 6.0

INTERCEPTIONS Campbell: 4 Adams: 6

KICKING Lee: 22-31 PAT; 3-16 FG; 31 PTs Naehu: 27-35 PAT; 0-4 FG; 27 PTs

TEAM OFFENSE 37.4 PPG; 204.2 YPG 54.0 PPG; 283.6 YPG

TEAM DEFENSE 40.2 PPG; 236.9 YPG 46.1 PPG; 293.5 YPG



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