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af2 week six game recaps

May 9, 2006 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


FRIDAY, MAY 5

BIRMINGHAM STEELDOGS 63, Louisville Fire 60 (6,156)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Steeldogs QB Ryan Hawk completed 23-of-39 passes for 311 yards and five touchdowns as the Birmingham Steeldogs defeated the Louisville Fire, 63-60, in front of 6,156 fans at the BJCC Arena. Hawk's favorite target was OS Kerry Wright, who pulled down nine balls for 159 yards and two scores to earn the Schutt Offensive Player of the Game Award. Birmingham (3-2) trailed 14-0 at the end of the first quarter, marking the second time in as many weeks that the team failed to score in the opening frame. Early in the second quarter, the Steeldogs finally broke through, as FB/LB Terrell Browden plunged into the endzone from one yard out to close the margin to 14-6. The Steeldogs forced a fumble on the next Fire possession, and Hawk connected with Wright from 34 yards out to narrow the Louisville lead to two. The Fire (2-3) closed the first half on a high note, scoring 14 points in the final six minutes and taking a 27-18 lead into the break. The Steeldogs exploded in the third quarter, outscoring the Fire 28-7. Anthony Morris caught the first of his two touchdown passes in the quarter at the 13:34 mark, a 7-yard heave from Hawk. Wright reeled in a 13-yard bullet on the Steeldogs next drive, and Michael Gholar returned a Brett Dietz interception 27 yards for a score. Morris caught another touchdown pass with 5:13 left in the third to put the Steeldogs up 46-34. Louisville made the game interesting late in the fourth quarter, as Lance Taylor returned a kickoff 50 yards for a score with 41 seconds remaining in the game. The Steeldogs managed to hold on for the remaining seconds to preserve the victory.

WB/SCRANTON PIONEERS 42, Green Bay Blizzard 27 (4,227)

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers improved to 5-0 on the season with a 42-27 victory Friday night in front of 4,227 fans at the Wachovia Arena. Trailing at the half, 27-20, the #1 ranked Pioneers turned up the heat in the third and fourth quarters, particularly on the defensive side. After scoring a touchdown to tie the game at 27-27 to open the third quarter, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's defense forced a safety on Green Bay's ensuing possession to give the team a lead it would never relinquish. That's because the Pioneers defense didn't allow a single point in the second half. Rookie QB Mike Granieri scored on two short touchdown runs in the fourth quarter to firmly put the game away. Veteran OS J.R. Thomas earned the Schutt Offensive Player of the Game honors with seven catches for 52 yards and two touchdowns. Granieri finished 19-of-38 passing for 170 yards and four touchdowns with one interception along with his two rushing scores. The Pioneers swept the game awards as WR/DB Yaacov Yisrael (8 catches, 78 yards, 1 TD, 5.5 tackles) was named U.S. Army Ironman of the Game and DS Jamie Hattley (game-high 7.5 tackles) earned the ADT Defensive Player of the Game. The Blizzard (2-4) were led in defeat by FB/LB Peter Lazare, who rushed for 34 yards and one touchdown on offense in addition to 4.0 tackles, including one for loss, on defense.

SATURDAY, MAY 6

MACON KNIGHTS 60, South Georgia Wildcats 22 (2,432)

MACON, Ga. - The Macon Knights picked up the 50th win in team history as they defeated the South Georgia Wildcats, 60-22, Saturday night at Piedmont Sports Medicine Complex Field at the Macon Coliseum. The Knights also won the first-annual Georgia Cup in the game featuring the two Peach State rivals. Macon WR/DB James Hickenbotham was named Schutt Offensive Player of the Game after scoring a game-high five touchdowns. Hickenbotham rushed for one score and caught 10 passes for 102 yards and four touchdowns. Macon QB Chad Elliott was extremely efficient on the night, completing 22-of-31 passes for 226 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. Elliott also rushed for one score. The Knights defense applied heavy pressure up front led by ADT Defensive Player of the Game Ed Wangler. Wangler recorded three sacks, one resulting in a safety, and 2.5 tackles for a loss to finish the night four solo tackles and two assisted. Matt Jackson (U.S. Army Ironman of the Game) gave the Knights secondary a boost with two interceptions. Jackson also returned three kickoffs for 122 yards. South Georgia struggled to get things going early in the game and pulled starting quarterback Dondrial Pinkins early in the second quarter after he completed just 4-of-10 passes with an interception. New addition Julian Reese replaced Pinkins and finished the game throwing for 171 yards on 15-of-25 passing with one touchdown and one interception. WR/LB Chris McKinney led South Georgia individually on offense with 257 all-purpose yards, which included 10 receptions for 145 yards and one touchdown.

MEMPHIS XPLORERS 58, Manchester Wolves 52 (2,211)

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. - The Memphis Xplorers overcame a record performance by Manchester QB D. Bryant and improved to 5-1 with an exciting, 58-52, overtime win over the Wolves at the DeSoto Civic Center Saturday night. Memphis QB Brian Jones connected with Kenny Higgins on a 13-yard touchdown for the game-winner six minutes into overtime. Jones finished 22-of-40 for 331 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception. Jones' 331 yards was a career high. Bryant set an af2 record with 42 completions as he went 42-of-57 for 389 yards, 8 touchdowns with no interceptions. The old record was 38 by Tennessee Valley's Matt Sauk in 2000. Higgins, the Schutt Offensive Player of the Game, led the Xplorers receivers with a season-high matching 10 catches for 135 yards and three scores. The Wolves had two receiving in double digits, OS Steve Gonzalez (15 catches, 134 yards, 3 TDs) and WR/LB Marc Bacote (11 catches, 90 yards, 4 TDs). Defensively, Scott Cunningham returned to the Xplorers' lineup and finished with 10.5 total tackles. Both teams came out of the gate running, scoring 20 points each in a frantic first quarter. At one point in the first half, the Xplorers had 27 points on the board, but had run just seven offensive plays and had three first half scoring drives that consisted of one play. Memphis led 34-27 at half and 44-34 after three quarters, but Manchester would take the lead twice in the fourth and had a chance to take a third lead with :47 left, but missed a PAT that kept the scored tied at 52. The Xplorers' defense held the Wolves scoreless on the first overtime possession, got the ball at midfield and would score on the Jones pass to Higgins three plays later.

AMARILLO DUSTERS 45, Arkansas Twisters 34 (2,628)

AMARILLO, Texas - The Amarillo defense, which struggled a bit earlier this season, jelled in a huge way Saturday against Arkansas, leading the Dusters to a 45-34 win at Cal Farley Coliseum. Amarillo stopped Arkansas eight times, intercepted two passes and returned a fumble for a touchdown to earn payback on the same Twisters team that routed the Dusters by 38 points four weeks ago. This was Amarillo's second win in a row after opening the season with three-straight losses. It also marked the second week in a row the Dusters beat a highly-ranked af2 opponent. Arkansas, which was ranked No. 5 in the Weekly Coaches Poll, never led in the game. The Twisters were stopped on their first three possessions, which resulted in a 17-0 Dusters lead. Despite the fact Amarillo's defense produced eight stops the outcome was not decided until the final minute. Arkansas, which stopped the Dusters four times, closed within 38-34 in the fourth quarter and was in position to take the lead before Michael Turner's batted ball resulted in the key interception by WR/LB Jarrod Rouanzoin with less then two minutes remaining. His return to the Twisters' 15 preceded Broussard's TD run that gave the Dusters an 11-point lead. Amarillo FB/LB Gathan McGinnis earned Schutt Offensive Player of the Game honors with two touchdown runs. ADT Defensive Player of the Game Trenton Jordan recorded 3.0 tackles, 2.0 sacks and one forced fumble which he returned 38 yards for a touchdown. Arkansas (4-2) was led by offensively by WR/DB Jon Schoonover (9 catches, 92 yards, 1 TD). QB Walter Church suffered through an off night, throwing for just 193 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. DLS C.J. McClain paced the Twisters defense with 5.0 tackles and two sacks.

OKLAHOMA CITY YARD DAWGZ 90, Tulsa Talons 54 (6,604)

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - Part I of the 2006 version of the "Turnpike Saga" was an old fashioned shootout. Oklahoma City's gunslinger, Craig Strickland, came through with a record-setting performance to lead the Yard Dawgz to a 90-54 victory over Tulsa Saturday night at the Ford Center. The action was fast and furious right from the outset. Tulsa got on the board first with a 34-yard reception by Don McGee. Strickland responded with a 32-yard pass to OS Jarrail Jackson, putting Oklahoma City ahead, 7-6. The Talons and Oklahoma City exchanged scores for much of the first half. With 5:03 remaining in the second quarter, the Yard Dawgz went on a 21-point run. Behind scores from Jackson, Al Hunt and Anthony Dingle, Oklahoma City went into the half leading, 41-27. With 5:03 remaining in the 3rd quarter, Strickland passed his way in to the af2 record books. On a 14-yard pass to Jackson, Strickland became the first quarterback in af2 history to pass for 20,000 yards. It was fitting to note that the record came against the same team where Strickland began his af2 career. Strickland also led the Talons to the 2003 ArenaCup title. The af2 veteran signal caller finished the night 18-of-32 passing for 282 yards and 10 touchdowns. He tied his own record for most touchdowns in a game with 10, which he set last season against Arkansas. Jackson, who left the game towards the end of the 3rd quarter, finished the night with seven catches for 153 yards and two scores. Tulsa tried to keep pace with Oklahoma City's non-stop scoring, but couldn't keep up, especially in the fourth quarter as the Yard Dawgz outscored the Talons, 35-14. Tulsa QB Mark Radlinski finished 23-of-44 passing for 342 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception. Andre Forde led the Talon receivers with nine receptions for 139 yards and three scores.

Florida Firecats 76, TENNESSEE VALLEY VIPERS 37 (3,779)

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The Tennessee Valley Vipers turned the ball over on their first four possessions as the Florida Firecats built a 34-0 lead in the first quarter and cruised to a 76-37 win in front Saturday night at the Von Braun Center. Chris Wallace completed 16-27 passes for 171 yards and six touchdowns in the win, which was Florida's fourth in a row. The Firecats improved to 4-1. OS Magic Benton caught seven passes for 106 yards and four scores for the victors, while Brittney Tellis and Brent Burnside caught a touchdown each. FB/LB Clent Crossley rushed 12 times for 42 yards and four scores. Teammates Ethenic Sands (fumble recovery for TD) and Comone Fisher (recorded a safety) also got in the act for Florida. Tennessee Valley QB Kenton Evans got his first start for the Vipers and struggled. He completed just 5-of-18 passes for 41 yards and three interceptions. Chris Gunn played the second half and completed 14-of-25 passes for 115 yards and three touchdowns. Gunn's scoring tosses were to Heyward Skipper, Terrence Jefferson and Keith Turner. Other Vipers who made an impact included Shaheed Richardson (one rushing TD) and Joey Robinson, who returned an interception 42 yards for a score. The 37-point loss was the largest defeat for the Vipers in team history, surpassing the 30-point loss to Quad City on May 19, 2001. The six turnovers also tied a franchise record. Tennessee Valley fell to 1-5 with the loss.

RIO GRANDE VALLEY DORADOS 43, Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings 28 (4,954)

HIDALGO, Texas - The Rio Grande Valley Dorados defeated the Bossier-Shreveport Battlewings, 43-28, Saturday night at Obra Homes Field at Dodge Arena. Second-year Dorado Travis McAlpine contributed on both sides of the ball with five receptions for 44 yards and two fumbles recovered, including one fumble return for a touchdown. He was named U.S. Army Ironman of the Game for his strong two-way play. Dorados OS Dwight Counter had a game-high two touchdowns on just four receptions. Landrick Brody was another Rio Grande Valley player who shined in the win. Brody earned ADT Defensive Player of the Game honors with 2.5 tackles, including one sack, which resulted in a safety. The Dorados defense forced five sacks on Bossier-Shreveport QB J.J. Raterink. Battle Wings WR/DB Phillips Geiggar lead both teams with 8.0 total tackles. WR/DB Anthony Rozier also had a solid night for Bossier-Shreveport with six receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown. The Dorados improved to 4-2 on the season with the win, while the Battle Wings fell to 0-5 in defeat.

Bakersfield Blitz 52, SPOKANE SHOCK 20 (10,187)

SPOKANE, Wash. - The Spokane Shock suffered the first defeat of their inaugural season at the hands of divisional rival Bakersfield, 52-20, Saturday night at Spokane Arena. The Shock's offense sputtered throughout the game, amassing only 155 yards. Starting QB Alex Neist had a tough night overall, throwing an interception and failing to put any points on the board before being pulled in the second quarter in favor of Brian Zbydniewski. Zbydniewski, seeing his first action of the season, didn't fair much better, completing only 6-of-18 passes for 60 yards with one interception and one touchdown before being pulled in the third quarter. Meanwhile, the Blitz offense ran like a well-oiled machine behind the leadership of veteran QB Michael Wall. Wall (Schutt Offensive Player of the Game) completed 17-of-22 passes for 158 yards and four touchdowns. He also scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown. WR/LB Eric Mahanke and WR/LB Nathan Munson added fuel to the Blitz offense with two touchdown receptions each. The Shock made things interesting in the 4th quarter with an offensive surge by WR/DB Raul Vijil. On a missed Blitz field goal attempt, Vijil returned the ball for 46 yards, setting up his own eventual 11-yard rushing touchdown. But, it was too little too late for the Shock who couldn't recover from the Blitz defense that dominated most of the game. Both teams are now tied for first place in the West Division at 4-1.

STOCKTON LIGHTNING 50, Everett Hawks 40 (6,141)

STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Lightning (2-3) picked up their first home win of the season, defeating Everett, 50-40, at Stockton Arena on Saturday night. The Lightning opened up the game with a quick touchdown by new OS Atnas Maeko. The connection was a 40-yard strike from QB Josh Blankenship. The Hawks came charging right back at the Lightning to score a touchdown and take the lead with their extra point converted to make the score 7-6. WR/LB Phil Goodman forced the Hawks to attempt a long field goal on a fourth down which turned into a Lightning touchdown. WR Kenyatte Morgan ran the kick back, breaking four tackles and taking the ball into the end zone, putting the Lightning up 20-7 in the first quarter. The second quarter did not cool down for the Lightning as they intercepted a long pass from Hawks QB Chris Dixon to take control of the offensive end again. Blankenship completed his third touchdown pass of the half to Robert Means, which extended the lead to 20. After an Everett score, Stockton K Mark Hickok converted a 31-yard field goal to put the Lightning up 16 at the break, 30-14. The Hawks started the second half strong by taking their first offensive possession and converting it into a touchdown to bring the score to 30-20. Blankenship, after exiting the game with an injury, returned and immediately found Goodman for a long pass with the next play, hiking the lead to 36-20. Everett would mount another late comeback, but didn't have enough time or enough weapons to overtake the Lightning. Blankenship was named the Schutt Offensive Player of the Game with five touchdown passes. Maeko also had a strong performance in his first game for Stockton, scoring two touchdowns on 139 yards receiving. Everett (0-5) was led in defeat by WR/DB Hassan Brockman, whose strong two-way play included eight catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns on offense, and a team-high 5.0 tackles on defense.

Quad City Steamwheelers 59, CENTRAL VALLEY COYOTES 52 (1,554)

FRESNO, Calif. - The Quad City Steamwheelers notched their first victory of the season and 75th all-time regular season victory, 59-52, Saturday night in overtime against the Central Valley Coyotes. On third and one in overtime, with the ball sitting on the 1-yard line, Quad City QB Tim Hicks followed FB/LB Jeff Macrea into the end zone on a quarterback sneak to give the Steamwheelers a 59-52 lead. Quad City improved to 1-4 after holding the Coyotes to a four and out on their ensuing drive. Things did not look good for the Steamwheelers in the third quarter as Hicks threw the only interception of the game when Maurice Taylor picked off a deep pass that was intended for Tim Dodge. The interception proved to be costly as it set up a James Lewis touchdown catch to give the Coyotes a 45-32 lead at the third quarter break. After the two teams traded scores to start the fourth quarter and with the Steamwheelers trailing 52-38, Jack Walker Jr. made two big plays to help Quad City get back into the game. Walker, who finished the night with 60 yards and three touchdown catches, caught an 11-yard touchdown pass in the left corner of the end zone to pull Quad City to within seven at 52-45. Quad City then tried their second onside kick of the night. This time K Kimo Naehu placed it perfectly and Walker came up with it. That set up a 15-yard touchdown pass to Kris Peters with 3:07 remaining in the game to tied the game at 52-52. Central Valley K John Gockman, missed out on his attempt at a game-winning kick as a high snap forced Gockman to jump on the football and send the game to overtime. Hicks finished with 292 yards passing and seven touchdowns. Central Valley signal caller Scott Rislov completed 23-of-38 passes for 264 yards and seven touchdowns. LaMonte Jones led the Coyotes receiving corps with nine catches for 93 yards and two touchdowns. Reggie Perkins would lead Quad City defensively with 7.5 tackles and four pass breakups. For the Coyotes, Daniel Jones recorded 7.0 total tackles. With the victory, the 2006 Steamwheelers avoided becoming the first team in franchise history to lose five straight games.

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