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April 7, 2008 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


FRIDAY, APRIL 4

BOSSIER-SHREVEPORT BATTLEWINGS 66, Corpus Christi Sharks 55 (Attendance: 3,112)

BOSSIER CITY, La. - BattleWings' QB Gary Cooper (Schutt Offensive Player of the Game) connected on six touchdown passes and rushed for two more to guide Bossier-Shreveport to a 66-55 victory over the visiting Corpus Christi Sharks. Cooper hit Dustin Johnson just :28 seconds into the game and the BattleWings never trailed. Bossier-Shreveport ran out to a 20-0 lead on the Sharks after the first quarter and held a 32-6 advantage at the half. Corpus Christi scored 49 points in the second half, including 36 in the final period of play, but the Sharks couldn't overcome their sluggish start. Manwell Talbert and Chavis McCollister each had two touchdown catches as Bossier-Shreveport evened their 2008 record at 1-1. The BattleWings' defense added three interceptions including two by Chris Ibezim. Ibezim, who also recorded 6.5 tackles, earned ADT Defensive Player of the Game honors. Cooper completed 19-of-25 passes for 269 yards and rushed for 12 more in the win. FB Jason Schule added five carries for nine yards. The BattleWings led 20-0 at the end of the first quarter and 32-6 at the half on their way to the team's third straight victory over Corpus Christi. Talbert led all receivers with eight catches for 90 yards. WR Jonathan Graham led the Sharks (1-1) with nine catches for 110 yards and one touchdown. Corpus Christi QB Brian Villanueva, a veteran starting in his first game with the team, showed signs of promise despite a slow start. After throwing three interceptions in the first half, Villanueva led the Sharks to touchdowns on all seven of the team's second-half possessions. He finished with 239 yards passing and six total touchdowns (5 passing, 1 rushing).

SATURDAY, APRIL 5

Manchester Wolves 45, MAHONING VALLEY THUNDER 39 (Attendance: 3,562)

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - The Mahoning Valley Thunder sputtered early, and never got on track, turning the ball over two times before falling to Manchester, 45-39, Saturday night. The Thunder offense struggled to make noise in the first half with just 22 points in the first 30 minutes of play. Manchester led for most of the game but trailed by two with under a minute to play. That's when FB Dan Crozier stumbled into the end zone from a yard out for what proved to be the game-winning touchdown. The loss evens Mahoning Valley's record at 1-1 and leaves them winless all-time against Manchester in three tries. Thunder QB Josh Swogger finished 21-of-42 for 177 yards and five touchdowns. The offense never got into rhythm. Swogger was sacked three times and fumbled another three times, including two of which were recovered by the Wolves. Manchester QB Justin Rummell, making his first start as a member of the Wolves, finished 22-of-33 with five scores; he was intercepted once. Wolves WR Emery Sammons hauled in seven passes for 93 yards and three scores. Thunder WR DeMarcus Mathes snagged five balls for 52 yards and three scores in the losing effort. The game ended with a controversial call as the clocks read triple zero. Swogger hit Mathes in the end zone with no time left for what appeared to be the game winning score. But, officials ruled that Mathes was out of bounds when he caught the ball, voiding the touchdown and sending the Wolves home with their first win of 2008.

Louisville Fire 50, SOUTH GEORGIA WILDCATS 43 (Attendance: 3,254)

ALBANY, Ga. - Louisville QB Matt Bassuener connected with Lonnell Dewalt for a 30-yard, game-winning touchdown with 39 seconds left as the Fire (2-0) singed South Georgia, 50-43, Saturday night at the Albany Civic Center. In a game that was dominated by the offensive and defensive lines of Louisville, Bassuener was able to lead a balanced offensive attack for the Fire, finishing the game 25-of-37 with two touchdowns passing and four touchdowns rushing. His counterpart Cecil Lester had another solid effort for the Wildcats with 283 yards passing and six touchdowns but three interceptions proved too costly for the Wildcats. Fire LB Keller Speaks was able to intercept a Lester pass meant for FB Melvin Parris at the start of the fourth quarter and return it for a touchdown to give the Fire a 30-23 lead with 14:01 left to play in the game. The teams would trade touchdowns for the rest of the quarter. Following the Dewalt touchdown that gave the Fire a 50-43 lead with 39 seconds left to play in the game, the Wildcats had an opportunity to tie the game. Back-to-back holding calls, however, one of those nullifying what would have been a P.J. Berry 46-yard TD, forced the Wildcats into a hole that they could not pull themselves out of. Ricardo Lenhart led all Fire receivers with 10 catches for 131 yards. Berry had another incredible effort for the Wildcats with eight receptions for 140 yards and three scores. Wildcats WR Antwone Savage had a great return to his hometown of Albany with seven catches for 94 yards and three touchdowns. South Georgia slipped to 1-1 with the loss.

Peoria Pirates 46, LEXINGTON HORSEMEN 28 (Attendance: 2,375)

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Peoria's Phillip Brock rushed for two touchdowns in the game's final 3:19 to propel the Pirates past Lexington, 46-28, Saturday night at Rupp Arena. Peoria QB Justin Rascati completed 12-of-24 passes for 101 yards with three touchdowns, while also rushing five times for 40 yards with a score. Brock was the team's leading rusher with nine attempts for 42 yards. The Pirates led by just six, 34-28, with 4:23 remaining in the game after a 6-yard touchdown pass from Horsemen QB Eddie Eviston to Chad Spencer. Lexington attempted an on-side kick on the ensuing play, but K Doug Daniels' strike went just five yards and the Horsemen were assessed with an offside penalty that put Peoria first-and-goal from the Lexington 2-yard line to set up the first of Brock's two scores. Eviston finished 20-of-39 for 190 yards with three touchdowns, but was intercepted twice. WR Harry Lewis caught seven passes for 72 yards with a touchdown, while Spencer had four grabs for 55 yards and a score. The Horsemen hurt their own cause with four turnovers (2 INTs, 2 fumbles). Peoria's defense was paced by Blake Farris (7.0 tackles, 2 INTs) and Jamar Smith (4.5 tackles, 2 sacks). Lexington slipped to 1-1 with the loss while Peoria was able to get off to a 1-0 start.

OKLAHOMA CITY YARD DAWGZ 57, Arkansas Twisters 42 (Attendance: 7,173)

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - The Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz opened their season with a 57-42 home victory against Arkansas on Compassionate Care Hospice Field at the Ford Center. Yard Dawgz newcomer Donta Bright started the game off with a bang when he returned the opening kickoff 57 yards for a touchdown. Oklahoma City (1-0) continued with its fast start on the ensuing kick when Robert Harmon recovered the ball deep in Yard Dawgz territory. A quick pass from QB Evan Gray to veteran WR Al Hunt resulted in the second score for Oklahoma City. The momentum continued during the opening quarter as rookie Edward Reuscher laid a hard hit on Arkansas QB Kyle Rowley, resulting in a fumble and a Yard Dawgz recovery. Oklahoma City scored once more and finished the quarter in front, 21-0. Arkansas was held scoreless until 7:26 left in the second quarter when the Twisters scored on a 1-yard run by Rowley. Oklahoma City answered quickly when Gray once again connected with Hunt for a 23-yard TD. Hunt scored a total of four times in the first half as the Yard Dawgz ran out to a 33-14 advantage at halftime. The second half started slowly but soon got interesting when WR Danny Howard eluded the Twisters defense and went 37 yards for his first score of the 2008 season. The Twisters also got on the board in the third quarter with a 5-yard completion from QB Collin Drafts to WR Byron Rogers. With the Yard Dawgz in front 42-21 at the end of three quarters, the Twisters had their best quarter out of the contest, scoring three times. Two Hunt kick return touchdowns, however, kept Arkansas (0-1) at bay. Hunt, who finished with six total touchdowns, earned Schutt Offensive Player of the Game honors.

Lubbock Renegades 75, AUSTIN WRANGLERS 41 (Attendance: 2,834)

AUSTIN, Texas - In the Wranglers second game of the season, they welcomed the Lubbock Renegades to the Frank Erwin Center, but lost an offensive battle, 75-41. Renegades QB Robert Kent led the way with eight total touchdowns (five passing, three rushing). Despite a lackluster offensive performance by the Wranglers, newly acquired QB Mike Wall took over in the second half and threw two touchdowns in an attempt to keep Austin in the game. WR Jovon Russell led the Austin offense with nine catches for 57 yards and one score. Following a rough first half, the Wranglers defense stood stronger in the second half, led by DL Kika Kaululaau with four total tackles, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Hometown favorite, defensive lineman Barrett Dallmeyer, added an exclamation point to the second half defensive performance with a recovered fumble returned for a touchdown. To bring the game to a conclusion, Wranglers jack linebacker/wide receiver Mel Long intercepted Kent's pass and took it in for a 27-yard touchdown. The interception was Long's third interception returned for a touchdown of the season as he earned the US Army Ironman of the Game with two total touchdowns. Lubbock was led defensively by ADT Defensive Player of the Game Jerome Braziel (4.5 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 1 INT) and Kendrick "Boss" Walker (3.0 tackles, 6 PBUs, 53-yard MFG return TD). With the loss the Wranglers drop to 0-2 on the season and Lubbock earns a win in their first game of the year.

AMARILLO DUSTERS 71, Central Valley Coyotes 60 (Attendance: 2,246)

AMARILLO, Texas - The Amarillo Dusters won their first game of the 2008 season with a 71-60 Saturday night triumph over the Central Valley Coyotes at the Amarillo Civic Center. The Coyotes and the Dusters each scored once in the first quarter. The Coyotes struck first as WR Sean Finnerty caught a 17-yard pass from QB Joe Ayoob. The Dusters answered with a 33-yard pass from QB Julian Reese to WR Craig Fulton, Jr. The second quarter brought a back and forth battle of scoring. Central Valley scored five times, and each time the Dusters came back with their own score. With the Coyotes leading 39-35, the Dusters began the second half with a touchdown run by Donte Newsome. The Dusters defense stood strong against the Central Valley offense and held the Coyotes on a fourth down to get the ball back. Dusters WR Jim Lukowiak caught a 12-yard pass from Reese to put the Dusters in the lead. Another touchdown pass from Coyotes QB Joe Ayoob put the Coyotes back on top. The fourth quarter brought more back and forth scoring from the two teams. Ayoob connected with Tonae Martin (West Texas A&M) for two touchdowns. Amarillo came out on top in the fourth with three touchdowns and a 2-point conversion. The conversion came as the result of a fumbled snap where Dusters kicker Jacob Felton connected with FB Wallace House. Lukowiak (Schutt Offensive Player of the Game) caught eight passes for 84 yards and four touchdowns. ADT Defensive Player of the Game honors went to Amarillo's Terick Thomas who broke up two key passes and had one interception. Fulton earned U.S. Army Ironman of the Game honors for his all-around effort (8 catches, 102 yards, 2 TDs, 201 all-purpose yards, 1.5 tackles). Both teams are 1-1 on the season.

TULSA TALONS 65, Boise Burn 28 (Attendance: 4,514)

TULSA, Okla. - Tulsa QB Justin Allgood (Schutt Offensive Player of the Game) completed 21-of-32 passes for 253 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for another en route to the Talons' 65-28 victory over Boise Saturday night at the Tulsa Convention Center. WR/DB Jeff Hughley (U.S. Army Ironman of the Game) led the Talons aerial attack with 12 catches for 118 yards and four touchdowns, while Kellen Allen added seven catches for 107 yards and three scores in the win. Boise was led by WR George Williams who had six catches for 58 yards and one TD in the loss. His second quarter TD moved him up on the all-time af2 TD list with 157 tying him with Iowa's Kevin Williams. Casey Allen and Shadrach Okoebor each had five catches in the loss. Burn QB BJ Rhode had an off night completing 19-of-46 passes for 222 yards and 4 TDs. He also threw the only interception of the game. Defensively, Jermaine Hope (ADT Defensive Player of the Game) led the way with 7.0 tackles (5 solo) for Tulsa. The Talons defense held Boise to 1-of-7 on fourth down conversions. The Burn were led by LB Zach Tune who tallied 6.0 tackles and recorded the Burn's only sack of the game.

SPOKANE SHOCK 70, Stockton Lightning 12 (Attendance: 10,659)

SPOKANE, Wash. - The Spokane Shock had a record-setting performance on Saturday night as the team cruised past Stockton, 70-12, at Spokane Arena. The Shock's 42-point outburst in the first half was the team's highest point total in team history for one half of play. Spokane's 12 points allowed also set a team record for the lowest point total allowed to an opponent in a game. The Shock struck early with a one-yard touchdown courtesy of WR Raul Vijil with 8:50 left in the first quarter and never looked back. Vijil went on to lead the team in receptions (six), yardage (124 all-purpose) and touchdowns (four). QB Jason Murrietta made his home debut with 106 yards passing four touchdowns through the air and one on the ground. But clearly, it was the defensive effort of the Shock that stepped into the spotlight for this home opener. Thanks to the stingy Shock defense the Lightning were limited to only two touchdowns and fewer than 200 yards (198) of total offense.

ADT Defensive Player of the Game DB Sergio Gilliam once again tied the single game record with three interceptions for the second consecutive week. LB Kevin McCullough was not going to be outdone returning an interception of his own for a touchdown for the second straight week. Rookie DB Roshawn Marshall also pitched in with an interception in the second quarter. DL Devon Parks added two forced fumbles and 2.5 sacks on the night. WR Clarence Cunningham paced Stockton with eight catches for 64 yards with one rushing touchdown.

Green Bay Blizzard 37, TENNESSEE VALLEY VIPERS 35 (Attendance: 4,089)

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The Tennessee Valley Vipers could not overcome a struggling offense and porous defense in the first half as they dropped a 37-35 decision to the Green Bay Blizzard on Saturday night at the Von Braun Center. A second half comeback was keyed by the defense and kicking game but the offense managed only a field goal in the third quarter. After managing only two field goals in the first quarter, Gary Elliot jumpstarted the Vipers offense with a 36-yard kickoff return late in the second quarter. Rookie QB Andy Hall hit Maurice Brown for a six-yard touchdown with 1:10 left in the first half. A missed extra point left the Vipers down 17-12 at halftime. Hall, however, suffered his worst game as a Viper and ended up hitting only 11-of-29 passes for 92 yards. Trailing 30-15 entering the fourth quarter, Head Coach Dean Cokinos made a change and inserted backup QB Brent Dearmon. Dearmon sparked the offense with three TD passes in the final quarter. Trailing by eight points late in the fourth quarter the Vipers defense forced a kick after a key pass breakup by corner Troy Graham. Brown returned the kick to the 22-yard line and Tennessee Valley took over with 23 seconds left. Brown then beat double coverage and caught a 24-yard TD with 9 seconds left to leave the Vipers trailing by just two points, 37-35. The two point conversion failed when Agim Shabaj was stopped on a pitchout. A last second Nick Hayes 57-yard kick failed after a successful onside kick. Green Bay WR Scott Burnoski earned the Schutt Offensive Player of the Game Award with six catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns. Green Bay evened its record at 1-1 on the season while Tennessee Valley slipped to 0-2.

SUNDAY, APRIL 6

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers 68, DAYTONA BEACH THUNDERBIRDS 14 (Attendance: 1,762)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - QB Rod Rutherford passed for 221 yards and seven touchdowns and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers took advantage of a spotty Daytona Beach offense en route to a 68-14 win over the ThunderBirds on Sunday afternoon at the Ocean Center. Daytona Beach's loss disappointed the home crowd who showed up to watch the inaugural game in team history. WR Coco Blaylock caught six passes for 76 yards and a touchdown for the Pioneers (1-1), who dominated play through most of the first half. Daytona Beach WR Toris Rutledge caught five passes for 29 yards and a touchdown for the ThunderBirds (0-2). ThunderBirds QB Scott Jeffries passed for 76 yards and two touchdowns in the losing effort. The Pioneers came out fast against the ThunderBirds taking a 42-0 lead at halftime. DB Micheaux Robinson was a playmaker for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defense with three interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. DL Isaac Hilton also caused havoc with 4.0 sacks for the Pioneers. The ThunderBirds play improved in the second half but had to overcome an insurmountable lead. DB George Williams had a team-high 5.0 tackles, one forced fumble and two pass breakups. This was the first meeting between the two teams.

Florida Firecats 56, TEXAS COPPERHEADS 14 (Attendance: 1,850)

HOUSTON, Texas - Florida QB Chris Wallace earned Schutt Offensive Player of the Game honors as he led the Firecats to a 56-14 victory over the Texas Copperheads on Sunday afternoon at the Richard E. Berry Center in Houston. Wallace was nearly perfect, completing 16-of-20 passes for 203 yards and six touchdowns. The Firecats were equally impressive on defense. Texas QB Rudy Carlton, under intense pressure all afternoon, threw one interception and was sacked four times. Carlton finished 25-of-49 for 240 yards and two touchdowns. The Florida defense also scored a touchdown on a second quarter fumble return and held a commanding 28-0 halftime lead. The Firecats led 42-0 in the third quarter before Texas scored its first touchdown of the day on a 7-yard pass from Carlton to Bryan Carroll. Carroll would score Texas' final TD on a 30-yard grab from Carlton late in the fourth quarter. Firecats WR/LB Chris McKinney earned the U.S. Army Ironman of the Game Award for his strong overall play. McKinney finished with four catches for 52 yards and two touchdowns and one rushing touchdown on offense. He contributed 2.0 tackles, 1.0 sack and two pass breakups on defense. ADT Defensive Player of the Game Carlos Campbell also stood out for Florida with 2.5 tackles and a 38-yard fumble return TD. In addition to Carroll's two TD catches, Copperheads WR Shaun Rochon had a game-high 13 catches for 118 yards. Texas dropped to 0-2 on the season while Florida heads into Week 3 at 1-0.

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