Sports stats



af2 arenafootball2

af2 Week 18: Game Previews

July 24, 2009 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


GREEN BAY BLIZZARD (9-6) AT MAHONING VALLEY THUNDER (2-13)

SATURDAY, July 25, 2009 - Covelli Centre (5,700) 7:05 P.M. ET

The final day of regular season play sees the Green Bay Blizzard travel to Youngstown, Ohio to face-off against the Mahoning Valley Thunder for the first time since 2008. The Blizzard lead the all-time series, 3-1. Green Bay is riding high after a 60-20 defeat of their in-state rival Milwaukee Iron. With the win, the Blizzard clinched their fifth postseason berth in team history. Green Bay, has won five of its last seven games, finished No. 11 in the final league coaches poll of the year. The Blizzard defense, led by DBs TRACY BELTON and SHADRACH OKOEBOR, held the Iron to just seven points through three quarters of play and gave up just 13 more points in the fourth. Belton recorded 5.0 tackles and four pass breakups, while Okoebor added 5.5 tackles and a fumble recovery. With great support from the defense, the Blizzard took command of the game early on and never relinquished the lead. QB GINO GUIDUGLI completed 18-of-25 passes for 218 yards and five TDs. His favorite target was WR NATE FORSE who had nine catches for 112 yards and three TDs. Guidugli has had a solid season. He is currently seventh in the league in passing yards (3,642) and has surpassed the Blizzard team record for most passing yards in a season (3,599) set by Johnny Turman in 2005.

Leading the team in sacks is DL ZARNELL FITCH with 11.5. The Thunder traveled to New Hampshire last week and caused some headaches for the Wolves, defeating Manchester, 41-39, for their second win of the season. Rookie QB TOM ZETTS, although completing just 12-of-24 passes for 236 yards, had five passing TDs, including a go-ahead strike with 10 seconds left in the game to seal the victory for the Thunder. The game winning pass found WR PAT CLARK, who finished with four catches for 110 yards and two TDs. WR/DB JERMAINE MOYE added five grabs for 93 yards and two TDs. Mahoning Valley's defense also played well, holding the Wolves to just 39 points. It was just the second time in 2009 that the Thunder held an opponent to under 40 points in a game. DB BRANDON TAYLOR had 5.5 tackles and an interception to lead the club individually. After a confidence booster last week, expect the Thunder to finish strong in the final week as they try to end the season on a positive note. The Blizzard, however, will be looking to sharpen their game in preparation for the playoffs next week.

KENTUCKY HORSEMEN (10-5) AT FLORIDA FIRECATS (6-9)

SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2009 - Germain Arena (7,128) 7:30 P.M. ET

Next up on Saturday, the Kentucky Horsemen hit the road for their regular season finale in Estero, Fla. against a pesky Firecats team. The Horsemen hold a 2-1 edge in the all-time series. This year the two teams have split their two games prior to this week's contest with each winning on their respective home turfs. In what has proven to be one of the toughest divisions in the league, the Horsemen are in second place in the South and trail the Tennessee Valley Vipers by one game. Kentucky finished No. 9 in the final league coaches poll announced earlier in the week. Last week the Horsemen won in their regular season home finale, defeating Peoria, 43-34. QBs JARED LORENZEN and JUSTIN RASCATI again shared the workload, combining for 23-of-37 passing for 250 yards and four touchdowns. Rascati added two rushing TDs on five attempts for 33 yards. WR HARRY LEWIS had seven catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns. WR LONNELL DEWALT had seven grabs as well for 67 yards and two touchdowns. K DOUG DANIEL went 1-2 in field goals, but nailed the clinching three-pointer with 40 seconds left to make it a two-possession game. The Kentucky defense combined to come up with three turnovers in the game. DB J.T. HASKINS led the Horsemen in tackles with 6.5. DB WILLIAM MULDER recorded 4.5 tackles and an interception, bringing his season total to eight picks. Florida enters its home finale ranked No. 15 in the latest league coaches poll. The Firecats saw its postseason chances dimmed by their loss last week against Tennessee Valley, 56-39.

The Vipers swept the season series from the Firecats. QB JUSTIN MIDGETT started his second straight game in place of the injured CHRIS WALLACE and completed 28-of-50 passes for 278 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions. He connected with WR MAGIC BENTON 12 times for 132 yards and two touchdowns. FB JAMES BEAR plowed through for a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter to bring the Firecats within nine. Florida's defensive effort was led by DB JAMES MCCOY who recorded seven tackles and a pass breakup in the game. He also had a 54-yard kickoff return TD. This week's game should be very competitive from start to finish as both clubs have a lot at stake. Florida wants a playoff berth while the Horsemen want a home playoff game.

ARKANSAS TWISTERS (11-4) AT BOSSIER-SHREVEPORT BATTLE WINGS (10-5)

SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2009 - CenturyTel Center (12,500) 8:00 P.M. ET

The Twisters close out their season on the road in Bossier City, La. against the BattleWings in a battle for the Southwest Division title. This is the third meeting of the year among these two clubs. To date each has won once on their respective home turfs. Arkansas has the advantage in the all-time series, 10-6. Last week against the Central Division leading Tulsa Talons, the Twisters put forth a remarkable performance and won their home season closer, 81-55. The Twisters attacked the Talons strong and held their opponents, who rank No. 1 in scoring offense, to only two touchdowns in the first half. With a 40-14 lead at the break, Arkansas was able to showcase its strengths and drive the Talons to their third loss of the season. QB KYLE ROWLEY, who earned the Russell Athletic Offensive Player honor last week, had an extraordinary performance. He completed 24-of-36 passes for 275 yards and nine touchdowns, rushed five yards for a touchdown of his own, and had zero interceptions and zero sacks. Six of Rowley's nine touchdown passes were caught by WR AARON FAIROOZ (12-118). The defensive effort was just as impressive with three interceptions (all of which were in the first half of the game) and one sack. DB TRAVIS ROLAND topped the defensive statistics with 7.5 tackles (7 solo, 1 assisted) and two interceptions. Arkansas' win in Week 17 propelled the club to a No. 5 finish in the final league coaches poll. The Twisters have won four straight games.

The No. 10-ranked BattleWings have been just as hot as the Twisters, if not hotter. Bossier-Shreveport has won six straight games, including last week's 60-35 road victory at Corpus Christi. QB ANDRICO HINES kept his composure throughout the game, passing at 71% (12-of-17) and earning 217 yards and five touchdowns. WR/KR P.J. BERRY led the team with five total touchdowns (3 receiving, 1 rushing, 1 kickoff return). He finished with five catches for 85 yards and three touchdowns. The defensive statistics also favored the BattleWings as DB PIERRE LEE took the game's top spot with eight tackles (6 solo, 4 assisted) and one interception. Arkansas' Rowley will be looking this weekend to break an af2 single-season passing record and can do so with a 282-yard passing effort. With a division title on the line and a top three seed in the National Conference playoff standings, expect this game to be close all the way through.

AMARILLO DUSTERS (3-12) AT TULSA TALONS (12-3)

SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2009 - BOK Center (6,777) 8:00 P.M. ET

In their final game of the 2009 season, the Amarillo Dusters journey to Tulsa, Okla. to challenge the Talons for the second time this year. In their all-time series, the Dusters trail the Central Division leading Talons, 7-3. Last week, the Dusters won their third game of the season in a thrilling one-point decision against Stockton, 42-41. The Lightning failed on a last-second 17-yard field goal that would've changed the outcome in their favor. Amarillo QB JULIAN REESE had a hard time keeping the ball in Amarillo's possession with two interceptions and three sacks. However, he was able to redeem himself as he was responsible for all of the Dusters' six touchdowns, one in which he rushed into the end zone. He also completed 17-of-25 passes and five touchdowns. WR ALEX WATSON took charge on the receiving end with six grabs for 112 yards and three touchdowns. The defense was also consistent. DB TRAVIS PUGH led the team with 5.5 tackles (5 solo, 1 assisted). RALPH WILLIAMS also played well with one interception and one forced fumble. The No. 3-ranked Talons were not as lucky as they experienced their biggest loss this season against Arkansas, losing 81-55.

As the No. 1 scoring offense in the league, the Talons did not expect to be held to a mere 14 points in the first half. QB JUSTIN ALLGOOD led the team with 16-of-30 pass completions for 259 yards and five touchdowns. WR CARLESE FRANKLIN picked up 166 yards with eight receptions and two touchdowns, which proved not to be enough for the Talons to pull away with the victory. The Tulsa defense didn't fair well against the Twisters, as Arkansas scored touchdowns on its first 12 possessions before running out the final seconds. The Talons also couldn't get to Twisters QB KYLE ROWLEY as the veteran signal caller wasn't sacked on the night and tossed nine TDs without an interception. This week expect Tulsa to rebound as the team looks to close out its first home season at the BOK Center undefeated at 8-0. A win would secure the No. 2 see in the National Conference playoff standings for the Talons.

OKLAHOMA CITY YARD DAWGZ (7-8) AT IOWA BARNSTORMERS (11-4)

SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2009 - Wells Fargo Arena (8,403) 8:05 P.M. ET

The competition continues in Des Moines, Iowa as the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz return from their bye week and hit the road to face off against the Iowa Barnstormers for their first meeting of the 2009 season. In their first and only meeting last year, Oklahoma City came away with a 62-56 victory. Two weeks ago the Yard Dawgz lost by two points to Bossier-Shreveport, 69-67. The Yard Dawgz looked strong and consistent up until the third quarter where they were only gain points from a field goal. QB TOMMY GRADY made his af2 debut in the contest and completed 25-of-44 passes for 332 yards and six touchdowns and one interception. WR/LB AL HUNT, who averages 85.6 yards/game, also had an outstanding showing with seven total TDs (2 rushing, 5 receiving; 8-141). If the defense were as strong as the offense, the two-point loss may have easily been avoided. The Oklahoma City defense, led by DB ANDRE BURNS (4.5 tackles), had only one breakup to show for in the entire game. Even though they held the BattleWings to one touchdown in the first half, they allowed their opponents to score double digits in the next three quarters. The Yard Dawgz are locked into the No. 7 spot in the National Conference playoff standings. No. 7 Iowa has been on a roll of late.

The Barnstormers have won four straight and eight of their last nine overall. They have already won the Midwest Division and could possibly even earn the top overall seed in the American Conference depending on how other games play out over the weekend. Iowa rebounded from a slow start last week to come away with a 57-49 road win t Quad City. Although the Steamwheelers dominated in both net passing yards (251 vs. 177) and total offense yards (252 vs. 197), Iowa used the strength of its rushing offense and K JEFF GLAS, who ranks No. 1 individually in the league's field goal count (21), to put points on the board. Glas completed three field goals and missed only one extra-point attempt. DB TANNER VARNER, who controls both his team and the league in tackles (115.5), proved why he earned his top ranking with seven tackles (6 solo, 2 assisted), one interception and one breakup. As a whole, the team had a combined three interceptions and one sack. The Yard Dawgz will need another solid effort from Grady and an better outing from the defense if they want to test the Barnstormers in Des Moines.

CORPUS CHRISTI SHARKS (2-13) AT RIO GRANDE VALLEY DORADOS (8-7)

SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2009 - Dodge Arena (5,500) 8:30 P.M. ET

Week 18 action continues with the Corpus Christi Sharks visiting division rival Rio Grande Valley for the fourth and final time this season. The Dorados have won all three face-offs so far. Corpus Christi is currently ranked last in the National Conference, while Rio Grande Valley has secured a No. 6 bid in the postseason. The Sharks have faltered on both sides of the ball this season, giving up the most points in the league (61.6) while scoring the third lowest (42.5). They have also been giving up the most rushing yards to their opposition (40.7 per game) while only managing 24.9 yards themselves. QB SEDALE THREATT, who joined the club in early June, has taken over as the premier rusher for the Sharks. In just five games, Threatt has made 34 rushes for 138 yards and nine touchdowns, an average of 27.6 yards per game (second best in the league).

Threatt has also completed 71-of-122 passes with seven TD passes and two interceptions since taking the helm at quarterback. Last week against Bossier-Shreveport, Threatt went 14-of-22 for 138 yards and zero interceptions. He also rushed 11 times for 33 yards and two touchdowns. Rio Grande Valley, ranked third in the Southwest Division, is looking to build off of last week's 44-37 victory over Tri-Cities. The Dorados are averaging the highest total offensive yards per game (325) in the league, thanks in part to QB NICK HILL. Hill, who sat out last week but is scheduled to start the finale, is tallying 311.6 of those 325 yards, 300.1 in passing. Hill has found a reliable receiver in WR ROD WINDSOR. Windsor is making 12 catches for 158.4 yards on average per game and averaging 24.1 points per game. Defensively, LB VALENTINE CHUDE is dominating his opponents. So far, he has tallied 51.5 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, one pass breakup, one fumble recovery and five forced fumbles. If the Dorados' offense plays well, they should finish up the regular season on a positive note.

SOUTH GEORGIA WILDCATS (10-5) AT TENNESSEE VALLEY VIPERS (11-4)

SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2009 - Von Braun Center (6,642) 8:30 P.M. ET

The No. 8-ranked South Georgia Wildcats travel to Huntsville, Ala. to take on South Division rival Tennessee Valley. The Wildcats lead the all-time series, 6-5, but the Vipers have won two of three in 2009. Last week South Georgia hit the 10-win total for the third straight season after cooling off Boise, 55-45. QB DARNELL KENNEDY is averaging 253.5 yards of total offense for the Wildcats and has 95 total offensive touchdowns, fourth most in the league. WR ALVANCE ROBINSON continues to lead the team in receptions, averaging 98.3 receiving yards per game. He has also tallied 28 touchdowns on the season. As strong as the offense is, the defense continues to stop the opposition in their tracks. DL ERIC TURNER has a statistic in nearly every defensive category - 29 tackles, 11 tackles-for-loss, nine sacks, one interception and eight pass breakups to name a few. DB/KR IVORY MCCANN excels at putting the ball into good position for his team. He leads the club in kick returns with 823 yards and one touchdown. No. 4 Tennessee Valley, who went into last year's postseason ranked No. 7 and eventually went on to win the ArenaCup, is hoping to repeat last year's performance. With QB KEVIN EAKIN at the helm, the Vipers could once again be a contender.

Last week Eakin completed 23-of-39 passes for 252 yards with seven TDs without an interception to help his club win at Florida, 56-39. The second-year signal caller is averaging 248.2 yards of total offense per game and has contributed 80 total touchdowns this season. His 64.4% completion rate and six interceptions also put him in the top-10 in the league. Overall, the Vipers have only been credited with eight interceptions this season, the lowest in the league. WR JEREMY GRIER has 99 catches for 934 yards while averaging 12.8 points per game. The defense is led by DB DESMOND FOSTER, who has made 86 tackles this season and two interceptions for 23 yards. He has also contributed 19 pass breakups. Expect this game to be hard fought throughout. The Vipers may have a slight edge being on their home turf where they are 7-0 this season. In those seven Tennessee Valley victories, opponents are averaging just 28 points per outing.

SPOKANE SHOCK (14-1) AT BOISE BURN (12-3)

SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2009 - Qwest Arena (5,006) 9:10 P.M. ET

The No. 1 Spokane Shock will be visiting the No. 6 Boise Burn for both clubs' final game of the regular season. Two of Boise's three losses this season have come at the hands of Spokane. The Shock's only loss of the year came on July 4 at Iowa. Spokane is coming off a 74-26 road win at Central Valley. The victory officially clinched the Shock's fourth West Division title in as many seasons. Tulsa's loss at Arkansas also gave the Shock the top seed in the National Conference, rewarding them with home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Spokane continues to be led behind the trusty arm of QB NICK DAVILA. Davila has the highest pass efficiency of any quarterback in the league (70.2 % completion, 8 interceptions) and has been credited with 92 offensive touchdowns so far this season. The Davila-to-WR RAUL VIJIL connection is a successful one. Vijil is averaging 7.73 receptions per game for 94.3 yards and 16.1 points. Another receiver to watch is rookie MARKEE WHITE. White, who had three TD catches against the Coyotes, has 47 grabs in 10 games for 515 yards and 15 TDs. Overall, the defense is allowing the least amount of points in the league and the fourth least yards. DBs STANLEY FRANKS and SERGIO GILLIAM have been big keys on defense along with LB KEVIN MCCULLOUGH and DL BEN MCCOMBS.

Franks has the second most tackles in the league (96) and has returned eight interceptions for 60 yards. Gilliam has returned 12 interceptions for 135 yards and has tallied 16 pass breakups. McCullough ranks second on the team in tackles and interceptions while McCombs is the league's top sack artist with 15.5. Boise is locked into the No. 4 seed in the National Conference playoff standings. Last week the Burn lost at South Georgia, 55-45. The defeat halted the club's eight-game win streak. Led by QB TAYLOR THARP, Boise has 123 touchdowns this season while averaging 238.4 yards of offense per game. WR/DB JOMO WILSON has been a major contributor, leading the team in receptions (85) and has also one kick return TD. Wilson also has four interceptions for 117 yards and two touchdowns. The team's top defensive back, TERRANCE SANDERS, may not be in action this weekend depending on how his recent tryout with the St. Louis Rams turned out. The Burn, however, will still have their top two pass rushers in ALEX GUERRERO and MARK WEIVODA, who have combined for 17 of the team's 27 total sacks. This game should be fast paced and high scoring as both teams try to find a good rhythm heading into the playoffs.

CENTRAL VALLEY COYOTES (3-12) AT TRI-CITIES FEVER (2-13)

SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2009 - Toyota Center (5,780) 10:05 P.M. ET

Week 18 concludes with a West Division matchup as Central Valley Coyotes travels to Washington to tackle the Tri-Cities Fever. This will be the third and final matchup of the season between the two clubs. Neither team will be playing past this weekend as they have both been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Central Valley hasn't won a game since Week 6. Two of the Coyotes' three wins have come against Tri-Cities. Central Valley's last outing was a 74-26 home loss to No. 1-ranked Spokane last week. The Coyotes started their sixth different quarterback against the Shock in JIMMY COLLINS. This week they'll reach lucky signal caller No. 7 with JOE MICCO. Last week, Collins went 25-of-51 for 228 yards and three touchdowns. He was intercepted four times. WR LAMONTE JONES remains consistent in his catching game, making five catches for 50 yards in last weekend's loss to the Shock. Jones is averaging 144.9 all-purpose yards per game. In total, Jones has racked up 2,028 offensive yards this season (1,323 receiving, 683 on kick returns).

Tri-Cities has also had offensive difficulties this season. Last week the Fever lost a close contest at Rio Grande Valley, 44-37. They are averaging the least amount of points per game (31.3) as well as the least offensive yards per game (216.3). Much like Central Valley, there has been several quarterbacks filling in throughout the season, and overall they have averaged the worst pass efficiency in the league (51.1% completion rate, 30 interceptions). Most recently, the quarterback position has been taken by COLLIN DRAFTS. Drafts has started the last three games for the Fever. He is averaging 198.5 yards passing and has 14 TD passes and seven interceptions in four total game appearances. TREMAYNE KIRKLAND is the team's top receiver with 60 catches for 699 yards and 13 TDs in 10 games played. The Tri-Cities defense is led by veteran DB JAMIE HATTLEY (65 tackles, team-high 5 INTs). Records aside, expect this game to be highly competitive as both sides want to finish the year on a positive note.

• Discuss this story on the arenafootball2 message board...

arenafootball2 Stories from July 24, 2009


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central