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af2 week five quick hitters

April 26, 2007 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


GAMES ON - af2/B2 FEATURED GAMES IN WEEK 5: 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 seven (7) af2 games available though B2. The Week 5 online broadcast schedule is detailed below. All times listed are Eastern.

Week 5

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Cincinnati at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 7:00 p.m.

Mahoning Valley at Manchester 7:05 p.m.

Tennessee Valley at Florida 7:30 p.m.

Oklahoma City at Boise 9:00 p.m.

Spokane at Stockton 10:30 p.m.

Texas at Lubbock 8:00 p.m.

Monday, April 30, 2007

Everett at Tri-Cities 10:00 p.m.

OFF THE NET/week 5: The arenafootball2 league (af2) online radio show, "Off the Net," the only internet radio show devoted solely to af2, will air its fifth show of the season today, Thursday, April 26, on www.af2.com. This week's show features special interviews with Bossier-Shreveport General Manager BUTCH BELLAH and Quad City fullback/linebacker JERMAINE PETTY. The program will also include news and notes from around the af2 as the league enters the fourth 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.

PIONEERS CLAIM TOP SPOT IN LATEST COACHES POLL: The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers have taken over the top ranking of the Weekly Coaches Poll, the arenafootball2 (af2) league office announced on Wednesday. The Pioneers collected 441 of a possible 464 points and 19-of-30 first place votes in securing the top position. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton knocked off No. 1-ranked Florida on the road in impressive fashion, 58-36, this past Saturday to improve to 3-0. The Tulsa Talons (3-0, 398 points, 9 first place votes) improved one spot this week to No. 2 on the strength of a 68-45 road win Saturday against Laredo. The Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings (3-0, 392 points, 2 first place votes) also moved up two spots from No. 5 to No. 3 after a 52-48 road win against the previously unbeaten Rio Grande Valley Dorados. Rounding out the Top 5 this week are the Firecats (3-1, 353 points), who slid to No. 4, and the Bakersfield Blitz (3-0, 319 points) at No. 5.

WHITE, VENA, HATTLEY, BAILEY EARN WEEK 4 HONORS: Boise wide receiver/linebacker EMMETT WHITE, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton quarterback RYAN VENA and Tri-Cities defensive back JAMIE HATTLEY have been named the U.S. Army Ironman, Schutt Offensive Player and ADT Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, for Week 4 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 4 goes to Manchester wide receiver/defensive back DAVID BAILEY.

White (6-0, 215, Utah State), in his first af2 season, showcased his all-around talents for the Burn in their convincing, 70-34, home opening win against the Everett Hawks. The former Utah State standout was a playmaker on offense, defense and special teams for Boise. He scored on a 6-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter and also had one pass reception for six yards and 33 yards in kick returns. White made his presence felt most on defense, however, with 8.5 tackles, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. This is the first af2 weekly honor for White. He is also the first award winner for the Burn. Last season White was on the practice squad with the Utah Blaze. Vena (6-0, 220, Colgate) helped W-B/Scranton to an impressive, 58-36, Week 4 road win against No. 1-ranked and previously unbeaten Florida. The former Colgate standout, now in his fourth af2 season, was the driving force behind the Pioneers offensive attack with five passing touchdowns and three rushing scores. Vena completed 21-of-29 passes (.724 completion percentage) for 199 yards without an interception. Vena is no stranger to this honor. This is the fourth time in his af2 career he has been named Offensive Player of the Week. He was honored once in 2006 (Week 5) and twice in 2003 (Week 10, Week 15). W-B/Scranton is currently 3-0 and tied for first place in the East Division. Hattley (5-11, 190, Charleston Southern), in his fourth af2 season, was a major force on defense in Week 4 for Tri-Cities as the Fever won their first af2 game, 49-44, on the road at Central Valley. Hattley registered an af2-season high 13.0 total tackles (11 UA, 4 A) to lead the Fever. The Charleston Southern alum also posted one interception and five pass breakups as Tri-Cities stopped the Coyotes on downs with seconds to play to secure the victory. This the second weekly af2 award of Hattley's career. He was also honored once in 2004 (Week 12) as a member of the W-B/Scranton Pioneers. Bailey (5-8, 170, New Hampshire), who is in his third season in the af2, earned the Cutters Catch of the Week Award on a diving, 33-yard touchdown grab late in the third quarter of the Wolves' 54-41 come-from-behind win in the team's home opener against Fort Wayne. Bailey, who was also in consideration for U.S. Army Ironman of the Week, finished the night with six catches for a game-high 98 yards and one score and also recorded 5.0 tackles, one interception, one pass breakup and one fumble recovery on defense.

AFL COACHING LEGENDS BATTLE IN af2: This Saturday night's af2 game between Corpus Christi and Arkansas features a matchup of two Arena Football League coaching legends, MIKE TRIGG (Corpus Christi) and JOHN GREGORY (Arkansas). Trigg spent 12 seasons coaching in the AFL with Fort Worth, Milwaukee, Grand Rapids and Philadelphia and accumulated 81 career regular season wins and 84 wins overall. His most successful season came in 2001 when he guided the Grand Rapids Rampage to an ArenaBowl XV Championship. He also earned the AFL Coach of the Year Award in 2001. His 81 career regular season victories place him sixth on the AFL's all-time coaching wins list. He is in his first season as the head coach of the expansion Sharks. Gregory amassed 67 career regular season wins in his 10-year AFL coaching career (Iowa, New York, Carolina) and 73 wins overall. He led the Iowa Barnstormers to back-to-back ArenaBowl appearances in 1996 and 1997. Gregory ranks eighth on the all-time regular season wins list. He earned AFL Coach of the Year honors in 1995 and 1996. This is Gregory's third season with the Twisters. Last season he guided Arkansas to a 10-6 mark and a berth in the National Conference Championship game before falling short against eventual champion Spokane.

WALLACE CLOSING IN ON 300: Florida QB CHRIS WALLACE, an af2 veteran in his sixth season, is closing in on 300 touchdown passes for his career. He currently has 299, a mark that places him third all-time in af2 history. Former Tulsa/Oklahoma City standout Craig Strickland is the league's leader in career touchdown passes with 481. Louisville QB MATT SAUK ranks second with 360. Wallace will look to hit the 300-mark this Saturday night when the Firecats host the Tennessee Valley Vipers. He is ranked second in the af2 in touchdown passes with 24 so far in 2007.

WINGS SOAR IN EARLY SEASON: The fans of Bossier-Shreveport have got to be excited about their home team's early season success. The Battle Wings have begun the season 3-0, their best start ever. Former Dallas Cowboys QB Quincy Carter is off to a great start as well with 18 touchdown passes in three games with just one interception. Currently ranked at an all-time high of No. 3 on the Weekly Coaches Poll, Bossier-Shreveport hosts Laredo (0-3) on Friday night at the CenturyTel Center.

BENTON APPROACHING 900 POINTS: Florida WR MAGIC BENTON is rapidly approaching the 900-point mark for his af2 career. The veteran, now in his seventh season, will earn the distinction of being the first player in af2 history to score 900 points with eight points this Saturday against Tennessee Valley. Benton is currently the league's all-time scoring leader with 892 points. His next closest competitor is Arkansas veteran WR/LB KEVIN WILLIAMS (862).

MOST POINTS SCORED, NON-KICKING, CAREER

PTS PLAYER YEARS PLAYED

892 Magic Benton* 2001-present

862 Kevin Williams* 2001-present

780 Mitch Allner 2000-04

756 Cainon Lamb 2002-05

746 George Williams* 2001, 2003-present

742 Jarrail Jackson* 2000-01, 2005-present

738 Kevin Prentiss 2003-2006

* denotes active players

BENNETT AND INGOLD GOING FOR 50: Manchester Head Coach BEN BENNETT and W-B/Scranton Head Coach RICH INGOLD are approaching the exclusive 50-win club for coaching wins in the af2. To date, only three coaches in league history have hit the 50-win plateau. The league's all-time leader is CHRIS SIEGFRIED with 57 career wins. Siegfried, now the offensive coordinator of the AFL's Kansas City Brigade, helped guide the expansion Spokane Shock to the 2006 ArenaCup title. Bennett currently ranks fifth all-time in career af2 wins with 47 while Ingold is tied for sixth with 46 victories. They are the two winningest active coaches in the league. The next closest active coaches are TOMMY JOHNSON (39), KEVIN BOUIS (32) and MIKE HOLD (30). Below is a list of the top coaches in league history.

TOP ALL-TIME COACHING VICTORIES

NAME WINS

1. Chris Siegfried 57

2. Kevin Guy 52

3. Bobby Humphrey 51

4. Danton Barto 49

5. Ben Bennett* 47

6. Richard Davis 46

Rich Ingold* 46

* denotes active coaches

af2 IN THE AFL: The af2 has had hundreds of former players move up to the AFL over the years. A number of those players, such as Chicago DL E.J. BURT or Orlando QB SHANE STAFFORD, have become bonafide AFL stars. In 2007, a new group of AFL players with af2 roots are starting to shine. This week we highlight former Alabama DB BOBBY KEYES and former Memphis QB BRIAN JONES. Keyes, who is currently in his first season with the Dallas Desperados, is tied for second in the league in interceptions with six. He's also recorded 29.5 total tackles, a mark that places him third on the squad. Keyes was an American Conference All-af2 First Team member in 2006 after leading the Steeldogs in tackles (66.0) and interceptions (8 - T3rd in af2). Jones, also in his first AFL season, has started the last two games at quarterback for the Las Vegas Gladiators. In the two game stretch, Jones has completed over 70 percent of his passes (62-of-88) for 760 yards and 15 touchdowns with three interceptions. His best game was his debut performance two weeks ago against the Georgia Force. In that contest, a 69-68 Force victory, Jones completed 27-of-37 passes for 366 yards and eight touchdowns with one rushing score. Prior to his jump to the AFL, Jones played three seasons (2004-06) in the af2 with the Memphis Xplorers. Along with current coach Danton Barto, Jones helped lead the Xplorers to the 2005 ArenaCup title.



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