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af2 week 10 quick hitters

May 31, 2007 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


GAMES ON - af2/B2 FEATURED GAMES IN WEEK 10: The arenafootball2 league (af2) has established a new, extensive online network to provide the league's passionate fan base an opportunity to view a vast number of games through the internet. Thanks to a new league partnership with industry leader B2 Networks, fans across the globe are now be able to bring all the action of af2 football right to their home computer or laptop. To tune into the action, fans can log on to www.af2.com and click on the special advertisement located at the top right-hand corner of the page. Viewers looking to enjoy the games via B2 will only need a high-speed internet connection and Windows Media Player 9 or higher. Games will be available for the normal B2 rate of just $6. This week there are eight (8) af2 games available though B2. The Week 10 online broadcast schedule is detailed below. All times listed are Eastern.

Week 10

Friday, June 1, 2007

Tulsa at Manchester 7:05 p.m.

Tennessee Valley at Quad City 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, June 2, 2007

Fort Wayne at Albany 7:00 p.m.

Mahoning Valley at Cincinnati 7:30 p.m.

Alabama at Florida 7:30 p.m.

Everett at Spokane 8:00 p.m.

Laredo at Oklahoma City 8:05 p.m.

Tri-Cities at Stockton 10:30 p.m.

OFF THE NET/week 10: The arenafootball2 league (af2) online radio show, "Off the Net," the only internet radio show devoted solely to af2, will air its tenth show of the season today, Thursday, May 31, on www.af2.com. This week's show features a special in-depth interview with Arkansas Head Coach JOHN GREGORY. The program will also include news and notes from around the af2 as the league enters the tenth week of the 2007 season. Fans can easily access the program by clicking on a special "Off the Net" advertisement located at the lower right hand corner of af2.com. The show will be available online late this afternoon. "Off the Net," now in its second season, airs every Thursday throughout the regular season and continues all the way until an ArenaCup Champion is crowned in late August. The show is designed to bring af2 fans even closer to their favorite game with in-depth news, interesting interviews and fun feature stories. Veteran broadcaster Dean Jackson serves as host.

GARTH, BAKER, JACKSON, HIGHSHAW EARN WEEK 9 HONORS: Tri-Cities wide receiver/linebacker ROBERT GARTH, Tri-Cities quarterback BRIAN BAKER and Everett defensive lineman JOHNNY JACKSON have been named the U.S. Army Ironman, Schutt Offensive Player and ADT Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, for Week 9 of the 2007 season. In addition to these three awards, the af2 is also highlighting the player who makes the best catch of the week. The Cutters Catch of the Week Award for Week 9 goes to Lubbock wide receiver CHRIS HIGHSHAW.

Garth (6-4, 235, New Mexico State), in his fifth af2 season, had an impressive all-around effort for Tri-Cities in the team's 77-60 home win against Texas in Week 9. The veteran from New Mexico State was an impact player on offense, catching eight passes for 73 yards and three touchdowns. Garth also made his presence felt on defense with one sack and on special teams with 23 kick return yards. This is the second af2 weekly honor of Garth's career. He was named Defensive Player of the Week for Week 10 in 2004 as a member of the Green Bay Blizzard. Garth ranks second on the Fever in receptions (46), receiving yards (611) and touchdowns (16). He also leads the team in tackles for loss with 3.0. Baker (6-5, 250, Austin Peay) had an outstanding individual effort on Saturday night for Tri-Cities in the team's 77-60 home win against Texas. Baker, in his second af2 season, burned the Copperheads defense with an af2 season-high 11 touchdown passes. The Fever signal caller's touchdown passing performance also tied him with former Arkansas QB Jon Nielsen for the second-highest single game total in af2 history. Baker finished with a Week 9 high 369 passing yards on 27-of-37 attempts with just one interception. He currently leads the af2 in touchdown passes with 51 and in passing yards with 2,222. This is the first weekly league honor of Baker's career. Jackson (6-3, 270, Arizona), in his rookie af2 season, had a breakout game defensively in Week 9 for Everett as the Hawks scored a 66-61 upset win at home against West Division rival Bakersfield. The former Wildcat harassed Blitz QB Chad Elliott all night, posting a team-record four sacks. Jackson entered Sunday's game with just one sack on the season. His impressive outing also included 6.5 total tackles (6 UA, 1 A), 5.0 tackles for loss, two forced two fumbles and one fumble recovery. This is the first weekly af2 award of Jackson's career. He is the second Everett player to be honored by the league in as many weeks, joining WR Josh Richey, who earned the Schutt Offensive Player of the Week award for Week 8. Jackson is currently tied for the team lead in tackles for loss (6.0) and sacks (5.0). Highshaw (6-5, 200, Grambling State), who is in his third season in the af2, earned the Cutters Catch of the Week Award for his leaping, 21-yard touchdown in the third quarter of a 71-44 home win against Laredo. The former Grambling State alum went up high up against the boards at the goal line to snare the football with a defender draped all over him. Highshaw finished the night with two catches for 50 yards and one touchdown. He also recorded one tackle. He is currently tied for the team lead with seven touchdown receptions and also ranks second on the squad in receptions (24) and receiving yards (318).

BENNETT TURNS 50: Manchester Head Coach BEN BENNETT became just the fifth coach in league history to hit the 50-win plateau this past weekend. Bennett earned career win No. 50 on Friday night at Mahoning Valley, 50-40. He joins all-time coaching wins leader CHRIS SIEGFRIED (57), KEVIN GUY (52), BOBBY HUMPHREY (51) and RICH INGOLD (51) as the only coaches in af2 history with 50 or more career wins. Ingold was the fourth coach in league history to win 50 games in Week 9 at Tennessee Valley. He is currently the winningest active coach in the league. Louisville's TOMMY JOHNSON hit a milestone in Week 6 by notching his 40th career af2 win. Johnson, currently with 42 victories, is just the tenth coach in league history to hit the 40-win plateau.

TOP ALL-TIME COACHING VICTORIES

NAME WINS

1. Chris Siegfried 57

2. Kevin Guy 52

3. Bobby Humphrey 51

3. Rich Ingold* 51

5. Ben Bennett* 50

6. Danton Barto 49

* denotes active coaches

DOWN TO ONE: Entering Week 10 of the season, there is only one team that remains undefeated - the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers (8-0). The Pioneers, off to their best start in team history, are currently ranked No. 1 in the Weekly Coaches Poll. This is their sixth straight week atop the chart. Tulsa entered Week 9 unbeaten at 7-0, but lost for the first time in 2007 last Saturday night at home to Arkansas, 36-19. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has a bye this week. The Pioneers next game is in Week 11 when they travel to South Georgia to battle the Wildcats, who are currently 6-2 and ranked No. 3 in the Coaches Poll. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton now boasts the third-best start in league history. Below is a chart detailing the best starts in af2 history.

TEAM START SEASON

Quad City 16-0 2000

Tennessee Valley 14-0 2003

W-B/Scranton* 8-0 2007

Augusta 7-0 2002

Richmond 7-0 2002

Tulsa* 7-0 2007

* denotes active steaks

Of the top six starts in af2 history, however, only one team finished strong as well. The Quad City Steamwheelers ran the table in the league's inaugural 2000 season and won all 16 regular season games and three playoff games, culminating with an ArenaCup Championship. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's and Tulsa's fates however, are yet to be determined.

CAREER INTERCEPTION LEADERBOARD GETTING CROWDED: Veteran DB MATT FORBES of the Louisville Fire began the year tied for first on the all-time regular season interceptions list with 27. He moved into first place outright on the all-time list in Week 1 when he recorded his 28th career interception. Since overtaking the top spot, two other league veterans have moved up in the all-time ranks, namely Manchester DB ALLISTAIR SEBASTIEN and Florida WR/DB BRENT BURNSIDE. Currently Forbes stands in first with 29 career picks. Sebastien ranks second with 28 after recording his third pick of 2007 in a road win in Week 9 at Mahoning Valley. Burnside is fifth overall with 24 career interceptions.

ALL-TIME REGULAR SEASON

INTERCEPTION LEADERS

NAME INTS

1. Matt Forbes* 29

2. Allistair Sebastien* 28

2. Arkee Thompson 27

4. Michael Brown 25

5. Brent Burnside* 24

* denotes active players

TOUGHEST SCHEDULES TO DATE: The Laredo Lobos have had a difficult first half of the season for sure, but the first-year team has also had to play one of the league's toughest schedules to date. The Lobos opponents have a combined win percentage of .656 (42-22). That ranks as the third most difficult schedule. Amarillo (1-7) has also struggled to earn wins in the first half of the season. One reason might be that the Dusters have had the most difficult road so far. Their opponents have a win percentage of .698 (44-19). South Georgia, currently ranked No. 3 in the af2 Coaches Poll at 6-2, has had the second toughest schedule as the Wildcats opponents are sporting a combined .672 win percentage (43-21). Conversely, the team with the easiest schedule at the midway point of 2007 has been the Rio Grande Valley Dorados. Rio Grande Valley, currently 7-1 overall and ranked No. 2 in the af2 Coaches Poll, has capitalized on its soft slate. The Dorados' opponents sport a combined .258 win percentage (16-46). The Tulsa Talons have had the second easiest schedule with their opponents having a combined 22-41 overall record (.349). The following is a quick look at the five most difficult and five least difficult schedules in the af2 this season.

TOUGHEST SCHEDULES TO DATE - 2007

TEAM OPP. COMBINED RECORD WIN PCT.

Amarillo (1-7) 44-19 0.698

South Georgia (6-2) 43-21 0.672

Laredo (0-8) 42-22 0.656

Albany (2-5) 35-20 0.636

Corpus Christi (1-7) 34-21 0.618

EASIEST SCHEDULES TO DATE - 2007

TEAM OPP. COMBINED RECORD WIN PCT.

Rio Grande Valley (7-1) 16-46 0.258

Tulsa Talons (7-1) 22-41 0.349

W-B/Scranton (8-0) 25-37 0.403

Tri-Cities (5-3) 26-37 0.413

Lubbock (3-5) 26-37 0.413

ELLIOTT PASSES MILESTONE MARKS: Bakersfield QB CHAD ELLIOTT became just the second signal caller in af2 history to pass for over 16,000 yards in his career during Sunday afternoon's 66-61 loss at Everett. Elliott joins former af2 QB Craig Strickland as the only players to eclipse the 16,000 yard mark. Strickland is the league's career leader in passing yards with 22,688. Needing just 64 yards to hit the mark, Elliott, a six-year league veteran, racked up 262 yards, bringing his career total to 16,198 yards. Elliott joined another exclusive group on Sunday as well after throwing for nine touchdowns against the Hawks. He became only the fourth quarterback in league history to throw for over 300 touchdowns in his career. Elliott (301) joins Strickland (481), Matt Sauk (360) and Florida QB Chris Wallace (322) in that special group.

MAGICAL CAREER FOR PROLIFIC BENTON: Florida WR MAGIC BENTON became the first player in af2 history to score 900 points in a Week 6 win at Albany. The veteran, who entered the contest with 898 points, scored three touchdowns against the Conquest to increase his career total to 916 points. Benton, in his seventh season, is currently the league's all-time scoring leader with 930 points. His next closest competitor is Arkansas veteran WR/LB KEVIN WILLIAMS (886). Manchester WR JARRAIL JACKSON hit the impressive 800-point plateau this past week with three touchdowns in a 50-40 win on Friday at Mahoning Valley. Jackson is currently third on the list of the league's all-time top scorers with 808 points. Rio Grande Valley WR/DB GEORGE WILLIAMS (776), Quad City WR/LB Jack Walker, jr. (750) and Oklahoma City WR/DB AL HUNT (730) all ecllipsed the 700-point plateau this season as well. Benton also holds a number of other af2 all-time records, including receptions (526), receiving yards (6,910) and receiving touchdowns (152). Below is a breakdown of the leading scorers in af2 history:

MOST POINTS SCORED, NON-KICKING, CAREER

PTS PLAYER YEARS PLAYED

930 Magic Benton* 2001-present

886 Kevin Williams* 2001-present

808 Jarrail Jackson* 2000-01, 2005-present

780 Mitch Allner 2000-04

776 George Williams* 2001, 2003-present

756 Cainon Lamb 2002-05

750 Jack Walker, Jr.* 2002-03, 2005-present

738 Kevin Prentiss 2003-2006

730 Al Hunt* 2003-present

* denotes active players

af2 ALUMNI EARN AFL AWARDS: This week former Louisville Fire QB and current Tampa Bay Storm starter BRETT DIETZ (6-1, 195, Hanover) was named the AFL's Rookie of the Month for the month of May. Dietz completed 100-of-143 passes for 1,093 yards with 21 touchdowns and six interceptions during his first full month as a starting quarterback in the AFL. Dietz led all rookies in passing yards and touchdowns during the month while guiding the Storm to a season-best 3-1 monthly record. His most consistent performance of the month came in a 66-45 victory over the Austin Wranglers as he completed 26-of-32 passes for 287 yards and five touchdowns. Dietz has made a successful progression to the AFL this year thanks to his experience in the af2 in 2006. Last season with the Fire, Dietz led the af2 in completion percentage (71.2) and quarterback rating (126.7). He also finished with 4,217 yards passing, 90 touchdowns and 11 rushing touchdowns. In addition to his Rookie of the Year Award, he also earned a spot on the American Conference All-af2 First Team. Dietz was signed in the off-season by Chicago, and then cut in training camp. Shortly after agreeing to an af2 contract with Spokane for 2007, he was signed by the Kansas City Brigade and placed on their practice squad. A month later, Dietz landed in Tampa Bay, where he has made the most of his opportunity. Other rookie of the month candidates included former af2 standouts STEVE BELLISARI (AFL New Orleans, af2 Manchester), KENNY HIGGINS (AFL Nashville, af2 Memphis) and ROB MAGER (AFL Chicago, af2 Louisville). This week the AFL also announced another former af2 standout received an AFL award. Philadelphia Soul WR/LB J.J. McKelvey, who starred for the Manchester Wolves from 2004-05, was named the League's Ironman of the Week following his performance against the Austin Wranglers. McKelvey (6'4", 225, Clemson) had a sensational game against the Wranglers on Sunday night in Texas. He began the game with his first career interception during Austin's first drive of the game. He took the interception six yards and followed it up on the next play with a 17-yard touchdown reception from Tony Graziani. He finished the night with two receptions, both for touchdowns, for 20 yards. His second touchdown put the Soul ahead for good with 2:38 remaining in the game as he was knocked over the railing while holding on to the ball from three yards out. On defense, he added two tackles with the interception. On the season, McKelvey has 42 receptions for 436 yards with 15 touchdowns in 11 games. Defensively, he has 19.5 total tackles, one pass breakup and one interception. McKelvey also still ranks as the Wolves' all-time leader in receptions (162), receiving yards (1,720), receiving touchdowns (47) and scoring (334 points).

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