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af2 week 12 game recaps

June 19, 2007 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


FRIDAY, JUNE 15

ALBANY CONQUEST 69, Cincinnati Jungle Kats 34 (Attendance: 4,803)

ALBANY, N.Y. - QB Ryan Hart completed 26-of-38 passes for a season-high 384 yards and eight touchdowns (3 INTs) to lead the Albany Conquest to a 69-34 victory over Cincinnati Friday night at Times Union Center. WR Antwun Williams (Schutt Offensive Player of the Game) caught a game-high 10 passes for 182 yards and four touchdowns for Albany, which has won two of its last three games. WR Jared Jones, filling in for the injured Bakari Brown, had seven receptions for 92 yards and ran a kick-off back 56 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter to tie the game at 20-20. Jones earned U.S. Army Ironman of the Game honors for his efforts. The Conquest compiled 401 yards of total offense. Aaron Marshall completed 14-of-36 passes for 240 yards and four touchdowns with three interceptions for Cincinnati, which fell to 1-9 with its fifth straight loss. WR Derin Graham had six receptions for 125 yards and two touchdowns for the Jungle Kats. Cincinnati was held under 35 points for the seventh time in 10 games. Conquest DB Atcheson Conway earned ADT Defensive Player of Game honors with 3.5 total tackles, one interception and three pass breakups. Albany improved to 4-6 overall with the victory.

AMARILLO DUSTERS 66, Stockton Lightning 53 (Attendance: 2,650)

AMARILLO, Texas - The Amarillo Dusters snapped an eight-game losing streak Friday night with a 66-53 triumph over the Stockton Lightning at Cal Farley Coliseum. Dusters QB Steve Panella guided the Dusters offense to the endzone seven times, throwing five touchdowns and running for two more scores en route to earning Schutt Offensive Player of the Game honors. The Dusters defense came up with a big stop early in the game, which set the tone for the night. On the first play from scrimmage, Stockton QB Evan Gray completed a 33-yard pass to Sale' Key, which put the Lightning in great scoring position at the Dusters' 3-yard line. After three straight failed running attempts, Gray threw incomplete to Key in the back of the end zone, resulting in a turnover on downs. The Dusters responded with a 7-play drive that was capped off with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Panella to WR Steven Bergeski. The two teams traded scores until Stockton took the lead with 9:55 left in the 2nd quarter on Alex Walls' 18-yard field goal, which put them on top 16-14. The Dusters marched back down the field, and Panella dove into the end zone from 1-yard out to put the Dusters back out front, 21-16. The turning point in the game came on the ensuing series. On first down from his own 5-yard line, Gray's pass was intercepted by Dusters LB David Ihedigbo, who returned it 11 yards for a touchdown. Amarillo never relinquished the lead. In addition to Panella's efforts, Bergeski also had a stellar night, catching 10 passes for 106 yards with four TDs. WR Tim Wilkins also had 106 yards receiving and one score. Wilkins earned the Cutters Catch of the Game Award with his over-the-shoulder touchdown catch in the third quarter. DB Craig Fulton earned U.S. Army Ironman of the Game honors with five catches for 28 yards and two kickoff returns for 90 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown return in the first quarter. Key and Clarence Cunningham both had big games to lead the Lightning. Key grabbed seven passes for 121 yards and three scores, while Cunningham added six catches for 118 yards and two scores. FB/LB Jajuan Huddleston (ADT Defensive Player of the Game) posted three solo tackles and a sack. Amarillo improved to 2-8 with the win while the Lightning slipped to 4-6.

SATURDAY, JUNE 16

WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PIONEERS 77, Alabama Steeldogs 62 (Attendance: 6,030)

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers defeated the Alabama Steeldogs, 77-62, in front of 6,030 fans Saturday at Wachovia Arena. The Pioneers home crowd was their largest of the season. The game featured two high powered offenses and eleven lead changes. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's defense, however, took control in the fourth quarter. Pioneers QB Ryan Vena set a Pioneers single game touchdown record by throwing for 10 touchdowns and running for another score. The Steeldogs were led by QB Mitch Tanney who threw for 261 yards and six scores. Steeldogs WR Herman Bell broke an af2 record for most kickoff return yards in a single game by accumulating 286 yards on the night. He surpasses the former record set by Shadrick McAfee (2003) by 18 yards. Pioneers WR/DB Larry Kendrick had an impressive game, catching 12 passes for 152 yards and five touchdowns while teammate WR Buchie Ibeh caught 10 passes for 118 yards and three scores. Steeldogs WR Bradly Chavez had a notable night as well by catching seven passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns. The first half was full of many big plays and momentum changes, the biggest made by Pioneers K David Davis who forced and recovered a fumble on a Steeldogs kickoff return; which resulted in Vena's rushing touchdown. After trailing 55-50 at the end of the third quarter Pioneers DB and the ADT Defensive Player of the Game, Chris Royal, intercepted a pass deep in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton territory which led to a Pioneers score. Royal sealed the game for the Pioneers on the next Steeldogs possession by recovering a fumble. The Pioneers capitalized on the recovery by scoring on the next drive. The Pioneers improved their record to a league best 10-0 while the Steeldogs slipped to 5-6 on the season.

Fort Wayne Fusion 52, LOUISVILLE FIRE 34 (Attendance: 7,196)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Fort Wayne Fusion doused the Louisville Fire, 52-34, Saturday night in front of 7,196 fans at Freedom Hall. Prior to the loss, the Fire had won four of their last five. Louisville QB Joel Steele completed 25-of-40 passes for 268 yards with two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. After a first half full off momentum swings on both sides, Fort Wayne K Kyle Hooper connected on a 23-yard field goal to give the Fusion a 24-21 edge at the break. The Fire had the first possession of the second half, but Steele threw an interception to Barry Drakeford (ADT Defensive Player of the Game), who returned it 36 yards for a score. Steele threw another interception on the Fire's next possession. On fourth-and-two at the Fire 15, Steele was pressured at the line of scrimmage, the ball was tipped and Tyus Jackson picked it off and returned the ball to the Fire 7. Three plays later, Fort Wayne's Mario Pratcher scored on a 2-yard run. The Fusion scored 17 unanswered points en route to a 38-21 lead and the Fire weren't able to recover. Fort Wayne led 52-28 before the Fire scored a late TD to provide the final margin. Fusion WR Cesare Manning earned Schutt Offensive Player of the Game honors with six catches for 129 yards and four touchdowns. Louisville's Demetrius Forney (32 rush yards, 2 TDs, 1.5 tackles) was a factor on both sides of the ball and was awarded U.S. Army Ironman of the Game. Louisville fell to 5-5 overall while Fort Wayne improved to 4-7.

MAHONING VALLEY THUNDER 63, Quad City Steamwheelers 34 (Attendance: 3,512)

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - The Mahoning Valley Thunder defeated the Quad City Steamwheelers, 63-34, Saturday night on Cortland Banks Field at the Chevrolet Centre. The win marked the first home victory for the Thunder since April 21. FB Tim Murphy exploded for a Thunder single-game high five touchdowns as he rushed for four and caught one in the win. Murphy finished the day with 13 carries for 55 yards and three receptions for 38 yards. He was named Schutt Offensive Player of the Game for his performance. On the defensive side of the ball, the Thunder finished the game with a plus five turnover ratio, intercepting Quad City QB J.J. Raterink four times and recovering one fumble. DB Maurice Taylor snagged two interceptions while Mike Andrews and Reggie Perkins each recorded one. Andrews and Perkins both scored on their returns. Sam Crenshaw added a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter. Steamwheelers Head Coach Sean Ponder was ejected from the game in the third quarter after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Following Perkins' interception return for a touchdown, Ponder tripped Perkins as he celebrated in the end zone. Raterink finished 18-of-32 for 187 yards, three interceptions and three touchdowns for the Steamwheelers. For the Thunder, rookie QB and former Duke University standout Mike Schneider finished 20-of-30 for 200 yards and three touchdowns. For the third straight game, the Thunder did not throw and interception. Mahoning Valley improved to 5-6 with the victory. Quad City, which saw its four-game win streak snapped, slipped to 7-4 overall.

FLORIDA FIRECATS 49, Manchester Wolves 27 (Attendance: 5,479)

ESTERO, Fla. - The Florida defense pitched a shut out in the second half against Manchester helping the Firecats pull away for a 49-27 victory Saturday against the Wolves. Florida's fourth straight win came in front of 5,479 fans. The teams battled to a 30-27 halftime score which saw Florida on top. DB Levy Brown provided a bit of foreshadowing, intercepting Wolves QB Mark Radlinski on the opening drive of the game. The Firecats needed just three plays to get on the board as Chris Wallace threw his first of five TDs on the night, finding WR Ethenic Sands for a 10-yard scoring strike. Manchester led at the end of the first, 14-12, thanks to touchdowns by receivers David Bailey and Patrick Rouzard. Firecats K Andy Eminger missed a pair of PATs in the quarter, which would wind up being a trend all night as he finished with just one extra point made on six tries. Florida scored on their second possession of the second half to take a 36-27 lead. The Firecats' defense then took over and blocked a kick, recovered a fumble and intercepted two more passes, including one returned 31 yards by Kris Thomas for a TD that would prove to be the game's final score. Brown led all defenders with 11.5 tackles and his league-leading 10th INT. While the 'Cats defensive line didn't record a sack, they harassed Radlinski throughout the second half and recorded two tackles for loss. Florida veteran receiver Magic Benton also broke his three-game scoreless streak with two scores and 126 receiving yards on eight catches. Leading Manchester in defeat was WR Ari Confesor with a game-high 10 catches for 101 yards and one TD. The Firecats improved to 8-3 overall while the Wolves fell below .500 again to 5-6.

ARKANSAS TWISTERS 51, Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz 39 (Attendance: 4,660)

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - The Arkansas Twisters secured second place in the Central Divisioni with a 51-39 home win against Oklahoma City in front of 4,660 fans at Allstate Field at Alltell Arena. The Twisters (7-3) jumped out to a 19-0 lead in the first quarter. WR Jon Schoonover caught a one-yard touchdown throw from QB Davon Vinson to start the scoring run. Arkansas used the running game to add to their lead. Robert Kilow ran 10 yards for a score after Oklahoma City couldn't convert on fourth down. When the Yard Dawgz fumbled the ensuing kickoff, Arkansas recovered on the one-yard line and FB Terrance Freeney ran it the rest of the way for the touchdown. Oklahoma City (6-4) threatened at the end of the first half when the Yard Dawgz had first and goal at the four-yard line, but they couldn't cash in when Hill's pass was intercepted by DB Pierre Thomas to end the half with Arkansas ahead, 25-13. The Yard Dawgz started the second half with the ball and turned it over again when Hill was intercepted by Tanner Varner. Oklahoma City was unable to get any closer than eight points after the interception. Vinson finished the game by completing 19-of-24 pass attempts for 206 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. WR/LB Kevin Williams caught nine passes for 69 yards and two scores and also became the second player in af2 history to surpass 900 points in a career. Kilow had a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown. Thomas and Jason Simpson finished with 12 and 10 total tackles each to lead all players. Thomas also added his team leading eighth interception of the season. Al Hunt finished with a game high 14 catches for 157 yards, three touchdowns and 257 all-purpose yards. Hill completed 31-of-52 pass attempts for 341 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

TULSA TALONS 43, Green Bay Blizzard 26 (Attendance: 5,402)

TULSA, Okla. - The Tulsa Talons improved to 10-1 overall with a 43-26 home win against Green Bay Saturday night at the Tulsa Convention Center. The Blizzard were the first on the board with a 27-yard field goal by K Bob Forstrom. Talons K Luke Phillips tied up the score with a 23-yard field goal to start the 2nd quarter. After a Blizzard missed field goal, the Talons then scored the game's first touchdown halfway through the 2nd quarter with a 1-yard QB sneak by Josh Blankenship. WR Nathan Hardwick then caught a 15-yard strike, but a missed extra point by Forstrom made the score, 10-9 in Tulsa's favor. Green Bay then got a safety on the ensuing kickoff after miscommunication by the Talons' return men. Tulsa's defense responded back with a safety of their own after Blizzard QB Gino Guidugli fumbled it out of the end zone after a strong rush by the Talons defensive line. WR/DB Jeff Hughley caught his 18th touchdown of the year with a 40-yard catch-and-run into the end zone to extend the Talons lead. Eleven seconds later, DB Jermaine Hope then had his seventh interception of the season when he stepped in front of a lob pass and returned it 12 yards for the score. Forstrom booted a 36-yard field goal to make it 26-14 Tulsa at the break. The Blizzard opened up the third quarter with a 15-yard TD catch by WR Scott Burnoski, but failed to convert on a 2-point conversion. Tulsa responded when FB Michael Shack caught a 5-yard TD pass. After a sack by C.J. McClain (TUL) on a fourth down play, the Talons took advantage of the turnover and responded with a 35-yard field goal by Phillips to bring the Talons lead to 36-20 at the end of the third quarter. Tulsa WR/DB Stephen Battle added a final score on a a 1-yard touchdown grab early in the fourth period to extend the lead to 23 and put the game officially out of reach. The Talons improved to 10-1, their best start through 11 games in franchise history. Green Bay slipped back to .500 at 5-5.

BOSSIER-SHREVEPORT BATTLE WINGS 81, Corpus Christi Sharks 35 (Attendance: 4,211)

BOSSIER CITY, La. - QB Quincy Carter made a convincing return to the Bossier-Shreveport lineup, throwing a team-record eight touchdown passes to lead the Battle Wings to an 81-35 win over the Corpus Christi Sharks. Carter, who had missed four consecutive games, completed 16-of-26 passes for 296 yards. He left the game in the fourth quarter to a rousing ovation. Gary Cooper, who started four games in Carter's absence, led the Wings to a touchdown on the one possession he played, capping it off with a scoring toss to Manwell Talbert. Talbert had three touchdown catches on the night, as did Jamaal Perry and P.J. Winston. Carter led the Battle Wings to touchdowns on every first half possession. At halftime, Bossier-Shreveport led 45-14. Jason Schule, who leads the af2 in rushing touchdowns, ran for one score. Chris Ibezam had a fumble recovery for a touchdown on a Corpus Christi kickoff return. Marvin Byrdsong also scored when he hit Sharks QB John De Los Santos on a pass attempt, forced a fumble, then picked up the ball and scampered 26 yards for the final touchdown of the night. The 81 points scored is the second-most in team history, topped only by an 82-point performance in 2001. Carter was named the Schutt Offensive Player of the Game. Defensive honors went to DE Elex Reed, who added to his league-leading sack total by getting to De Los Santos twice in the game. Reed also recovered a fumble. The Battle Wings improved to 9-2 on the season, while Corpus Christi fell to 1-9.

TRI-CITIES FEVER 39, Spokane Shock 34 (Attendance: 5,700)

KENNEWICK, Wash. - In a battle for bragging rights in Eastern Washington, the Tri-Cities Fever prevailed over the Spokane Shock, 39-34, in front of a sell-out crowd of 5,700 Saturday night at the Toyota Center. While the crowd was roaring for the Fever on touchdowns, it was the defense that brought the Tri-Cities fans a victory. The Fever jumped to an early 14-0 lead on Spokane with two touchdown passes from QB Brian Baker. However, the Shock would respond to close the gap to 13-20 with a 12-yard TD pass to WR Kelvin Dickens with 0.55 seconds left in the half. The Fever never wavered and would ultimately shut down Spokane in the final quarter. Going into the fourth trailing by one (27-26), Tri-Cities turned up the heat. Baker (Schutt Offensive Player of the Game) threw for two TDs in the fourth which pulled the Fever ahead, 39-37. Ironman of the Game Robert Garth also came up big in the final quarter by striping the ball from Shock QB Andrico Hines with 10 minutes left in the game. Spokane made a late comeback with WR Chico Mackey scoring on a 1-yard TD run with 19 seconds left in the game to make the score 39-34. However, Garth recovered the onside kick attempt and sealed the win.

LAREDO LOBOS 66, Texas Copperheads 41 (Attendance: 3,381)

LAREDO, Texas - The Laredo Lobos earned their first win of the season by defeating the Texas Copperheads, 66-41, Saturday at the Laredo Entertainment Center. Laredo QB Jason Johnson (Schutt Offensive Player of the Game) had his best outing of the season to pace the Lobos to the victory. The rookie completed 29-of-50 passes with seven touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. New addition WR Johnny Anderson caught three TDs and Mike McCullum had two. The Lobos took a quick 20-point lead in the first quarter and never looked back, finishing with a 27-17 lead in the first. Laredo came back with the same fire and desire in the second half outscoring the Copperheads, 39-24, to seal the victory. Henry Hall led the Lobos with 6.0 tackles on defense, while Booker Jenkins paced Texas with 6.5 total stops with three forced fumbles. The Lobos record now stands at 1-9 while the Copperheads fell to 2-9.

South Georgia Wildcats 68, TENNESSEE VALLEY VIPERS 65 (Attendance: 3,654)

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The South Georgia Wildcats withstood a valiant effort from the Tennessee Valley Vipers to come away with a 68-65 Saturday at Von Braun Center. The lost dropped the Vipers to 4-7 in the National South conference, while South Georgia improved to 8-3. The Wildcats used a deft passing attack to jump out to a 42-31 half time lead. Overall, Wildcats QB D. Bryant went 29-of-39 for 314 yards and eight touchdowns. While Tennessee's offense was solid in the first half - its only non-touchdowns were a field goal, and a missed field goal - its defense could not stop South Georgia. In fact, it took the Vipers a total of 46:43 to stop the Wildcats from scoring. With South Georgia leading 55-44, on the first drive of the fourth quarter James Gibson forced South Georgia running back Jason Null to fumble. The Vipers quickly scored on a Gunn touchdown pass to Joel Babb to cut the lead to 55-52 with the two-point conversion. And then it happened again as South Georgia turned the ball over on downs on its next possession. Gunn found Travis Blanchard for a 22-yard strike with 8:07 remaining to give the Vipers their first lead at 59-55. But directly after, it all fell apart for Tennessee Valley. The ensuing kickoff was returned for a touchdown to give the Wildcats the 62-59 lead. The Vipers fell deeper into a hole when Gunn was intercepted on the next drive. Three plays later South Georgia scored to give it a 68-59 advantage that the Vipers couldn't come back from. QB Chris Gunn led the Vipers by throwing for 317 yards and nine touchdowns.

Rio Grande Valley Dorados 62, BOISE BURN 32 (Attendance: 4,521)

BOISE, Idaho - A quarterback change wasn't the answer for the Boise Burn, who dropped their fifth game in a row, 62-32, to the Rio Grande Valley Dorados. The Dorados didn't waste anytime finding the end zone. QB Josh Kellett connected with WR George Williams for a 33-yard score on the second play of the game. Just 22 seconds later, Rio Grande Valley took a 14-0 lead when Burn QB Casey Rehrer (making his first start of the year) fumbled the team's opening snap. WR/LB Mel Long (US Army Ironman of the Game) picked up the loose ball and took it 18 yards for the defensive TD. The Burn got on the scoreboard with 6:01 left in the first quarter on a Rehrer one-yard TD run, cutting the lead in half at 14-7. The Dorados responded with 14 unanswered points on a 13-yard TD catch by Coco Blalock and a 14-yard score by Williams (Schutt Offensive Player of the Game) for the 27-7 lead. Williams finished with a team high 114 yards on eight catches and a game-high four TDs. In the second quarter Boise used a little trickery. Rehrer pitched the ball to WR/LB Emmett White who found a wide open Casey Allen in the end zone for a 16-yard score to trim the deficit to 14, 27-13. Allen finished with a game-high 10 catches for 120 yards and two scores. Down 36-16 in the third quarter, Burn K Dan Beardall kicked a 50-yard FG to pull Boise back to 17, 36-19. The Dorados were too tough in the end, especially on defense. The Dorados recorded three interceptions, two by Andre Goines (ADT Defensive Player of the Game) and one by Chris Canty which was returned 15 yards for a score. With the loss, the Burn slipped to 4-6 overall. Rio Grande Valley (9-1) has won seven straight contests and lead the Southwest Division by a half game over Bossier-Shreveport.

SUNDAY, JUNE 17

Central Valley Coyotes 39, BAKERSFIELD BLITZ 37 (Attendance: 2,968)

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The Central Valley Coyotes (6-4) came to Bakersfield with the number one scoring offense in the league, averaging 62.1 points per game. The Bakersfield Blitz (4-6) held the Coyotes to 39 points, but were only able to put up 37 points of their own. At the end of the day, the Coyotes won, 39-37. Central Valley QB Clay Groefsema finished 19-of-36 passing for 275 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 17 yards and one TD. His favorite target on Sunday was WR Tonae Martin, who caught nine passes for 132 yards and one TD. Martin had seven of his catches (99 yards) in the first half. Bakersfield QB Chad Elliott was 5-of-10 passing for 68 yards and one touchdown before suffering a leg injury late in the second quarter. He was replaced in the third quarter by newcomer Dan Riley. Riley was 9-of-16 for 130 yards and four touchdowns. WR/DB DeRonn Finley had 7.5 tackles, two pass breakups and one interception on his way to being named ADT Defensive Player of the Game. WR Rennard Reynolds was also impressive for Bakersfield with seven catches for 111 yards and four TDs. Central Valley OL/DL Donyell Booker was named U.S. Army Ironman of the Game for his strong two-way play which included one touchdown catch on offense and one tackle for loss on defense.



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