Albany Conquest look to keep playoff chances alive
July 14, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Albany Firebirds News Release
Albany, N.Y., July 14, 2004 â The Albany Conquest will travel to face Northeast Division foe Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Wachovia Arena in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. in a game that will be televised live on NBC affiliate WNYT-TV News Channel 13 and heard live 104.5 The BUZZ.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (10-3) clinched their first ever playoff berth with a 61-42 win at home over the Manchester Wolves on July 10 and is tied for first in the Northeast Division standings with the Cape Fear Wildcats.
Albany (5-8) has been victorious in six of eight meetings all-time between the two teams. Albany and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton have split in two games held at Pepsi Arena this season, most recently a 69-43 Wilkes-Barre triumph on June 18. The Conquest earned a 52-45 win over the Pioneers on May 8 at Pepsi Arena. An Albany win on Saturday night will keep their playoff hopes alive and give them bragging rights in this hotly contested Northeast division rivalry.
Albany will need some help to achieve their third postseason berth in as many years of existence in af2. The Conquest have to win their remaining three games and hope that the 7-6 Memphis Xplorers drop two of their three remaining games. The Manchester Wolves and the Columbus Wardogs will also have to lose at least one of their remaining three games for the Conquest to gain the sixth playoff spot in the American Conference.
The Conquest have found balance to their offense late in the season as they compliment an aerial attack that is ascending in rank in af2 week by week with a rushing attack with enough punch to scare any opposing defender. The Conquest rank sixth in total offense with 272.3 yards per game of production. The Conquest are the tenth ranked passing attack in af2 accounting for 244.8 yards per game, balanced nicely with their fourth ranked rushing attack accountable for 27.5 yards per game.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers QB Tim Hicks enters week 16 of the af2 season as the top rated QB in the league posting a passer rating of 120.8 on the year. The Conquest defensive effort against the Pioneer offensive juggernaut will have to be paced by Conquest DS Travis Coleman, ranked third in af2 with 24 passes defended and tied for a team-high four interceptions. Albany' s defensive line, led by Thomas Herron (19 tackles, 3 TFL, 3 sacks, 1 INT, 5 QBH, 2 fumble recoveries) will need to get pressure on Hicks to avoid giving Pioneers' receivers time to get open in the Conquest secondary.
Albany's next home game is on July 23 when the Conquest will battle the Manchester Wolves at 7 p.m. at Pepsi Arena in Albany, N.Y. America's # 1 country music duo Montgomery Gentry will perform a full concert following the game. More information is available by visiting www.albanyconquest.com or by calling the Conquest offices at (518) 487-2222.
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