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af2 week four quick hitters

April 20, 2005 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


FIRST THINGS FIRST: Though 22 games played this season the team that scores first is 11-11.

WINNING IS NEVER EASY: Entering Week 4 of the season, there are four teams that remain undefeated. They are the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers (3-0), the Memphis Xplorers (3-0), the Florida Firecats (3-0) and the Louisville Fire (2-0). Dating back to the 2002 season, this is the fewest number of teams to remain undefeated going into Week 4 of a season. In 2002 and 2003, 11 teams went into Week 4 undefeated. The 2004 season saw five teams head into Week 4 unbeaten. After this weekend's slate of games, there will only be three undefeated teams left as the Fire and Pioneers play each other on Friday night at Wilkes-Barre, PA. Below is a chart detailing the best starts in af2 history.

TEAM START SEASON
Quad City 16-0 2000
Tennessee Valley 14-0 2003
Augusta 7-0 2002
Richmond 7-0 2002

IT'S NOT HOW YOU START: Among defenses in af2, there are none better at keeping teams out of the endzone in the second half than the Memphis Xplorers, Louisville Fire and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers. Those three teams are the only teams in the league to have allowed less than 30 total points in the second halves of their games thus far on the season. Those three teams are also off to a combined 8-0 start to the season.

TEAM PA 1st HALF PA 2nd HALF
Memphis 57 21
W-B/Scranton 85 27
Louisville 88 27

OUR HOUSE: After struggling to a 4-10 start this season, home teams rebounded in a big way last weekend going 8-1 for the week. It was the best week for home teams since Week 9 of the 2004 season when home teams went 10-2 for a .833 win percentage. For this season home teams are now 12-11 for a .522 win percentage.

SEASON HOME W-L-T HOME WIN %
2000 77-43-0 .642
2001 136-88-0 .607
2002 158-114-0 .581
2003 130-85-1 .604
2004 117-83-0 .585
2005 12-11-0 .522
TOTALS 630-424-1 .598

XPLORING UNCHARTED TERRITORY: With their convincing 54-13 win over Arkansas last week, the Memphis Xplorers have equaled the best start in team history at 3-0. Averaging 61 points per game, the Xplorers have already broke the 60-point plateau twice this season. Offensive specialist Kevin Prentiss is up to 78 points for the season, putting him on pace to break af2's all-time single season scoring record. On the other side of the ball, the Xplorers have held opponents under 25 points twice and making them the league's best defensive unit. Lineman Khreem Smith keeps adding to his sack total - he has six for the season - and he is looking to make a run at E.J. Burt's all-time pro football record of 27.5.

CATS AND CATS: The defending ArenaCup Champion Florida Firecats (3-0) have never started a season 4-0 and their best start at home is 2-0. If they win this weekend, they'll move to 4-0 on the season and 2-0 at home. Winning will be no easy chore, however, as they have to face the South Georgia Wildcats. Despite a 0-2 start to the season, the Wildcats have plenty to be optimistic about. For starters the Wildcats are 2-0 all-time at Germain Arena, including a 55-35 win in Week 4 of last season. In addition, the Wildcats boast what should turn out to be one the top QB-Receiver combos in the league in Bobby Pesavento and Adrian Cockfield. In his first game with the Wildcats last week, Pesavento completed 29 passes for 271 yards and seven touchdowns, losing only to a late Louisville field goal. In just two games, Cockfield has caught 25 passes for 270 yards and seven touchdowns, putting him on a pace to shatter the all-time af2 receptions record.

ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF: Chris Johnson set or tied three team records in his Macon Knights debut last week. Johnson set the Knights single-game receiving yards record with 216 yards. He also tied single-game records for receiving touchdowns (4) and longest reception (46 yards). He had 11 receptions on the night.

QB CONTROVERSY IN DIXIE: Coach Bobby Humphrey has ruled out a two-quarterback system for 2005. Now that both of his rookie quarterbacks have game experience, Humphrey must decide who starts and who sits. Below is a look at the statistical output of both players:

PLAYER COMP-ATT-INT YARDS TDs
Ray Nelson 14-25-1 219 3
Andrew Zow 20-36-1 273 3

PLAYER RUSHES YARDS TDs
Ray Nelson 8 48 2
Andrew Zow 7 30 1

af2 IN THE AFL: After spending the entire season as the backup for the Orlando Predators, QB CHRIS SANDERS got his chance last week. Starting quarterback JOE HAMILTON separated his left shoulder just before halftime against the New York Dragons. Sanders, who starred last season for the Manchester Wolves, came in for the second half and completed 12 of 17 passes for 130 yards and no interceptions. He threw two touchdown passes and rushed for two more while leading the Predators to a 72-60 victory. The Predators move to 8-4, second place in the Southern Division behind Georgia Force ... The Predators have another former af2 player in E.J. BURT. When Burt was with the Cape Fear Wildcats in 2002 he registered 27.5 sacks, a record for any level of professional football. This season Burt has seven sacks, tied for third in the league with another former af2 guy, SILAS DEMARY of the Los Angeles Avengers. Tops in the AFL in sacks is Las Vegas' FRANK CARTER, a former member of the Quad City Steamwheelers, with nine ... Continuing this theme, Orlando signed former Pioneers' FB/LB KEVIN NAGLE off their practice squad this week. Look for Nagle, Burt and Sanders in action for the Predators against Georgia this weekend.



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