Cokinos Mounting Another Title Run
August 5, 2011 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Georgia Force News Release
Duluth, GA (August 5, 2011) - The Force glimpsed the top of the mountain in 2005 when they lost a thrilling ArenaBowl to Colorado. They hope to push things one step further this year under the leadership of a head coach with a championship on his resume.
Force head coach Dean Cokinos is new to Georgia, but has experience with this franchise. He signed on with the Tennessee Valley Vipers in 2008 when they were a member of af2, Arena Football's minor league at the time. The team was based in Huntsville, Alabama before moving to Georgia to become the Force.
They entered the playoffs that first season as the fourth seed out of eight to advance from the American Conference. After opening with a 48-33 win over the Florida Firecats, the team was faced with the same task currently facing the Force: a date on the road with the top seed. In that case, it was the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers who entered with a 14-2 record, only to be shut down by Cokinos's Vipers in a 34-30 upset.
"That team was a prime example of a team that started slow, built up, started to get a feel for each other, and trusted what we were doing," said Cokinos. "We trusted them, and they trusted each other. When it came to the end of the year, they were nearly unstoppable."
The American Conference Championship Game saw them take out Manchester, 45-35, to earn a berth in ArenaCup IX. The game saw the Vipers traveling to Spokane for one of the great games in league history.
Tied at 48, the game headed to overtime, where the Shock scored a touchdown on their first possession to take a 55-48 lead. With backup quarterback Tony Colston under center, current Force receiver Alonzo Nix made a juggling catch in the end zone to bring Tennessee Valley to within one, which set up a gutsy two-point conversion attempt for the win. On that play, Colston evaded a pair of Spokane defenders before lunging into the end zone for the winning score.
"Our guys played their hearts out," said Cokinos immediately after winning the title, "Our backup quarterback came in. He hasn't played all year. You have to go for the win there, so we did, and our guys won it. Congratulations to our guys. We beat a great team."
On the heels of a 12-game winning streak this season, many would call Jacksonville a great team as well. However, the Force team they will see on Monday is one with a swagger not evident early in the season.
"This team is really similar to [the 2008 Vipers]," said Cokinos. "We moved guys around early in the year. About midseason, we really identified our team, and then we've taken off since then."
Coach Cokinos and the Force will take a step toward another title on Monday night as the Sharks and Force square off for the American Conference Championship. Watch the game live on Monday night at 8:00 p.m. on NFL Network. Join the Force for the official viewing party at Arena Tavern in Duluth for a chance to win a variety of prizes, including a V.I.P. on-field experience prior to the 2012 season opener.
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Arena Football League Stories from August 5, 2011
- Sharks Extend Box Office Hours Through Weekend - Jacksonville Sharks
- Cokinos Mounting Another Title Run - Georgia Force
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