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Albany Conquest Game Notes

July 21, 2003 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Albany Firebirds News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Albany Conquest (12-3) vs Mohegan Wolves (10-5)
Date: Saturday, July 26, 2003
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. EST
Site: Pepsi Arena (13,901)
National Anthem: Tiffany Dzembo
Coin Toss: Head Referee
Officials: Ed Kierce (Head Referee)
Broadcast: Teamline Services (Internet broadcast via www.albanyconquest.com)
Series Record: ALB 4-1
Streaks: ALB – WON 1 MOH – WON 1
Coaches: Pete Costanza (12-3, 16-15 overall, 1st season in Albany) Mark Stoute (10-5, 1st af2 Season)

THE STAKES: The top two teams in the Northeast clash this week in a game with implications on several different levels. The Conquest has already clinched their second straight division crown and a first round BYE in the playoffs. Mohegan is sitting in the #4 seed hoping to host a first round game, but have three teams right behind them at (9-6), trying to steal home field away from the Wolves. The game is also a rubber match between the two clubs. Mohegan was the first team to beat the Quest in 2003, back in week four. However, Albany avenged that loss by trouncing the Wolves 60-36 on June 28 at the Pepsi Arena. The Conquest is trying to set the 2003 af2 attendance record (10,229, set in Arkansas) this week as well, with the help of Price Chopper and Time Warner Cable. THE IFs:

If Albany defeats Mohegan, it would ...
· Give the Quest a 5-1 series record with the Wolves (2-1 in 2003).
· Give the Quest an 8-0 home record in 2003 and 14-2 overall.
· Give Pete Costanza his thirteenth victory as head coach of the Conquest.
· Give the Quest a 2-game winning streak to end the regular season.
· Keep the Quest in first place, two games ahead of Mohegan.

THE SERIES: CONQUEST LEAD 4-1...Albany swept the Wolves in 2002, but have split their two meetings thus far in 2003...(April 5, 2002): OS Corey Hill catches 14 passes and DS Henry Baker records two INT's as Conquest win 29-14...(May 10, 2002): QB Ryan Vena scores with :10 seconds remaining to lift the Quest, 41-35...(July 13, 2002): Hill catches 18 passes (af2 record) and scores five touchdowns, giving him 161 receptions for the season, setting the all-time pro football mark for catches in a single season...(April 18, 2003): Quest commit 14 penalties and lose two fumbles, giving Wolves their first win over Albany, 52-45 at Mohegan Sun Casino...(June 28, 2003): Vena throws seven touchdowns, three to WR/DB Phil Taylor, and runs for 17 yards, leading the Quest past the Wolves, 60-36.

HEAD COACHES: Pete Costanza enters his first season as head coach of the Conquest. In 2002, Pete turned around a 0-16 Columbus (GA) Wardogs team and finished 4-12, including having the league's #5 ranked defense. Costanza, a New Jersey native, brings over seven years of arena football coaching experience to the Capital region, which includes stops with the New Jersey Red Dogs, Roanoke Steam, Norfolk Nighthawks, Iowa Barnstormers and the Wardogs. Costanza has coached every position in arena football and will be responsible for calling both the offense and defense for the Conquest in 2003.

Mark Stoute enters his first season of coaching in af2 with the Wolves. Stoute spent the past two seasons as the Head Coach and General Manager of the Toronto Phantoms (AFL). In 2001, he led the Phantoms to an 8-6 regular season record and the Eastern Division Championship. Prior to their move north, the Phantoms were known as the New England Se Wolves. Stoute served as the Sea Wolves Director of Football Operations/Player Personnel in the team's two-year tenure in Hartford (1999-2000). Stoute was a four-year letterman at Kentucky State as a kicker, before playing in the USFL with the New Jersey generals and Boston breakers.

THIS WEEK'S QUOTES: QB Ryan Vena, on the team's second-half letdown, "In the first half we came out firing. In the second, I think we got caught up in the whole division title thing and we just didn't play our best in the second half."

CONQUEST SERIES NOTABLES: Albany QB Ryan Vena has completed 71-of-121 pass attempts for 871 yards and eight touchdowns, while also rushing for two scores in four games against the Wolves...OS Corey Hill has caught 61 passes for 603 yards and fourteen touchdowns and returned a kick for 51 yards in five games...WR/DB Phil Taylor has caught ten passes for 165 yards and three touchdowns in two games against the Wolves.

MILESTONES:

· The Corey Hill Watch
af2 Career Numbers
Receptions (387)
Receiving Yards (4,255)
All-Purpose Yards (7,071)
Scoring (422 points)

· QB Ryan Vena has 402 career rushing yards and 6,646 career passing yards.

DROPBACK: The Albany Conquest won their second straight Northeast Division Championship by defeating the Rochester Brigade, 69-63, at the Pepsi Arena Saturday night.

The win, behind three Jamie Ware touchdown receptions, ensures the Conquest (12-2) of a number two seed and first-round BYE in the 2003 af2 playoffs. The first playoff game for Albany will be held Saturday, August 9th at 7:30 PM.

Ware caught four passes for scores of 33, 38 and 10 yards, en route to being named the Game's Most Valuable Player. Albany QB Ryan Vena completed 20-of-28 passes for 337 yards and 7 touchdowns. Vena surpassed the 4,000 yard passing mark and should still lead the league in both passing yards and total offense.

Conquest OS Corey Hill caught ten passes for 156 yards and scored twice. Rochester (2-13) OS Martino Theus led all receivers with 13 catches for 169 yards, including four touchdown receptions.

Brigade QB Jason Visconti, a former af2 Player of the Week, completed 26-of-41 passes for 339 yards and seven touchdowns of his own. Albany DS John Stuart was named ADT Defensive Player of the Game as he led all players with 11.0 tackles (10 solo), three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and three pass breakups.

The 69-point total tied a team-high, set back in week nine at Cincinnati. The Conquest won despite being outscored by the Brigade 32-12 over the second and third quarter.

The Conquest finish their regular season next Saturday night at the Pepsi Arena in what is being billed as the Price Chopper/Time Warner "Fill the Arena" Challenge. The Conquest and its partners will attempt to set the 2003 af2 attendance record of 10,229 fans. Fans can receive discounts on tickets using their Price Chopper Advantage Card or using their ticket stub from tonight's game. FORWARD MOTION: The Conquest finish the regular season this week before heading into the playoffs, beginning August 9th at the Pepsi Arena. Albany received a first-round BYE by claiming the second-best record in the American Conference and winning their second straight Northeast Division Championship.

TEAM NOTES/TRENDS:

Yagi In the Books: Conquest QB Kenta Yagi, the first ever Japanese player signed by Albany, attempted and completed the first pass of his football career in the United States. Yagi completed 2-of-3 pass attempts for 31 yards, including a 36-yard touchdown toss to WR/LB Jim Jones. The 2nd-year Albany team member also grabbed his first every tackle and forced fumble after throwing a fourth-quarter interception.

To Run, or Not to Run: The Conquest has allowed just 20 rushing touchdowns through 15 games, a total good enough for fifth best in the entire af2. Offensively, they have run the ball in 27 times, ranking them 6th in the league. QB Ryan Vena has 14 touchdowns on the ground, while Rashon Burns has come on as of late to get five of his own, second behind Vena. The "TRIFECTA": Quarterback Ryan Vena is on pace to become the first af2 quarterback in league history to complete the QB "Trifecta". He is currently the league leader in Passer Rating (123.5), Passing Yards (4,205) and Total Offense (4,359). Vena is unofficially running neck-and-neck with Quad City's Tony Zimmerman for af2 Offensive Player of the Year honors. Both signal callers should break the current record for TD passes (86) and whichever one plays the better football this week may become the third QB, in four years, to be honored as the league's top offensive player.

All-Purpose...Times Three: The Conquest feature three very good all-around players. OS Corey Hill, WR/DB Phil Taylor and WR/LB Jim Jones have all gone over 1,000 all-purpose yards for the 2003 season. Hill is currently fifth in af2 with 2,621 al-purpose yards, while Jones (1,512) and Taylor (1,125) help the Conquest to have the #1 Total Offense billing in af2.

On Pace...Again: Here we go again. OS Corey Hill leads the af2 with 148 receptions through 15 games. Last season Hill set the all-time pro football record with 161. Hill needs 14 receptions against Mohegan this week to set the record. Follow Hill's progress below as he approaches history for the second straight year.

Date Opponent Receptions Total
6/21 @ Norfolk 11 112
6/28 Mohegan 8 120
7/5 Wilkes-Barre 7 127
7/11 @ Wilkes-Barre 11 138
7/19 Rochester 10 148
7/26 Mohegan
Season

PLAYERS/MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

WR/DB Phil Taylor: The last time these two teams met, June 28th at the Pepsi Arena, Taylor stole the show, catching six passes for 141 yards, including touchdown receptions of 45, 46 and 29 yards. He has caught ten total passes and recorded 3.0 tackles and two pass breakups in two games against the Wolves. Taylor, who currently leads the Conquest in scoring with 29 total touchdowns (28 rec., 1 rush), played for Mohegan Head Coach Mark Stoute in Toronto (AFL).

Mohegan OL/DL Charlie Cook: Cook, who spent the 2002 season with the New Haven Ninjas, comes into this week's game as the second-leading sack-man in af2. Cook has recorded 11.5 sacks and 11.5 Tackles For Loss so far through eleven games. He has also forced three fumbles and a safety, while picking up 21.5 total tackles this season.



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