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af2's sixth season begins April 1

Published on November 16, 2004 under arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


CHICAGO - A heated rivalry, a clash of 2004 playoff teams and the first-ever Arena Football game in Amarillo, Texas highlight Week 1 of af2's sixth regular season, which begins the weekend of April 1-3 and runs through Saturday, July 30. The 160-game schedule spans 18 weeks with a league-wide bye during the Fourth of July weekend and one additional bye week per team.

"We are proud to deliver the schedule earlier than we ever have in the past," said af2 Executive Director Jerry Kurz. "Now we can all focus on building excitement for the 2005 season, which I believe is going to be one of the most competitive in history."

In Week 1, the reigning ArenaCup Champion Florida Firecats begin their title defense on the road against one of their toughest rivals, the Macon Knights, on Friday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET. This intense rivalry resumes with the Firecats holding a 5-4 all-time series lead, including a 2-1 mark last season. Back in 2003, however, it was the Knights who dropped the Firecats out of the playoffs on their way to an ArenaCup appearance. In fact over the past three seasons, either Florida or Macon has advanced to the ArenaCup, making this series one to watch.

Two playoff teams from 2004 meet in an interconference showdown in Week 1 as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers host the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz. It will be the first meeting between these two teams in history. Elsewhere, the expansion Amarillo Dusters play their first-ever home game when they host the defending Southwest Division Champion Tulsa Talons on Friday, April 1 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Other Week 1 action includes the Central Valley Coyotes renewing their rivalry with the Bakersfield Blitz on Saturday, April 2 at 10:00 p.m. ET and the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings hosting the Memphis Xplorers on Sunday, April 3 at 4:00 p.m. ET.

Other notable matchups on 2005 schedule include:

· The first-ever home game for the South Georgia Wildcats in Week 2 on Saturday, April 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET against the Macon Knights ... Along with opening a new home, the Wildcats and Knights battle for Georgia bragging rights.

· The Manchester Wolves hosting the Florida Firecats in Week 2 on Friday, April 8 at 7:30 p.m. ET... After going deep in the playoffs in 2003, the Wolves struggled in 2004. This home opener against the champs in front of what should be a full house will indicate where the Wolves stand in 2005.

· Bobby Humphrey closing in on 50 regular season wins ... When the San Diego Riptide visit the Birmingham Steeldogs on Saturday, April 9 at 8:00 p.m. ET., it will be a chance for Steeldogs head coach Bobby Humphrey to record regular season win No. 48 and inch closer to becoming the first head coach in af2 history to record 50 regular season wins.

· The Albany Conquest looking to regain control of the Northeast division in Week 3 ... The Conquest's two-year reign as Northeast Division Champions was interrupted in 2004 by the Pioneers. On Friday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Conquest can set the tone for 2004 when they host the defending division champs.

· Arkansas trying to maintain their domination out West in Week 4 ... The Arkansas Twisters head to Fresno to face the Central Valley Coyotes on Saturday, April 23 at 10:30 p.m. ET. The Twisters are 6-2 all-time against teams in California.

· A Week 5 matchup between offensive powerhouses Tulsa and Oklahoma City ... On Saturday, April 30 at 8:00 p.m. ET, the Yard Dawgz (No. 2 offense in 2004) travel to Tulsa (No. 1 offense in 2004) looking to renew a rivalry that saw 332 total points in just three games last season.

· A divisional showdown between the Louisville Fire and Green Bay Blizzard ... While their division has changed, the rivalry still burns between the Fire and Blizzard. Now members of the Northeast Division, the two renew pleasantries in Week 7 as the Fire head to the heated tundra of the Resch Center to face the Blizzard on Saturday, May 14 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

· The Rio Grande Valley Dorados visit to Oklahoma City in Week 10 ... On Saturday, June 4 at 8:30 p.m. ET the Dorados return to the Ford Center for the first time since losing 55-17 to the Yard Dawgz last season. Even though the Dorados went on to win the next two meetings against the Yard Dawgz in Hidalgo, this will be their first chance to avenge the worse loss in team history at the site it occurred.

· The Quad City Steamwheelers are going for revenge against the Fire in Week 10 ... Last season the Steamwheelers were favored to go deep into the postseason only to be ousted in the first round by Louisville. On Saturday, June 4 at 8:30 p.m. ET the Steamwheelers have their first chance for revenge as they host the Fire in an interconference tilt.

· Week 16 gives us a repeat of last year's American Conference Championship as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers look for a little pay back from the Florida Firecats, this time on their turf. The top-seeded Pioneers were knocked out of the postseason in a 41-31 struggle against the underdog Firecats in Pennsylvania last August.

Each team will play a total of 16 games (eight home/eight away).

Optimal Planning Solutions Inc. (www.optimalplanning.com) assisted the af2 in producing the 2005 schedule. OPS is the leading provider of optimization-based professional sports-league scheduling. They also assisted the AFL in developing their 2005 schedule.

To view a complete Week-by-Week Schedule:

www.af2.com/documents/2005WeekByWeek.pdf

To view a complete Team-by-Team Schedule:

www.af2.com/documents/2005TeamByTeam.pdf

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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.


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