Dusters start playoff march in Tulsa
Published on July 30, 2008 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Amarillo Venom News Release
AMARILLO, Texas The Amarillo Dusters will travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma this weekend to face the defending arenafootball2 champion Tulsa Talons in the Dusters first playoff game since the 2005 season. This will be the third time the Dusters will have to play the defending champs this season. The two teams split their regular season series with each team winning on their home turf.
"There is no doubt that this will be another tough game for us," said Dusters head coach Chris MacKeown. "They are good at home and have playoff experience, but we know we can beat them because we've done it before."
If the Dusters beat the Talons, they will move on to the next round of the playoffs where they will face the winner of the game between the Lubbock Renegades and the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings.
MacKeown knows what it will take to win the game.
"The more mentally sound team is going to win this game," MacKeown said. "We are more focused than ever on accomplishing the tasks at hand in order to get one step closer to a championship."
This game also marks the return of the Dusters starting quarterback Julian Reese, who missed last weekend's game for his wedding. The Dusters trio of wide receivers that have given opposing defensive backs trouble all year long, Jim Lukowiak, Craig Fulton Jr., and Bobby Chase, will start along with Reese. The improving offensive line consisting of Rob Nelson, Josh Kline, and Randy Degg round out the offensive starters.
The Talons have lost three of their last four games, including their 48-33 defeat against the Dusters at the Amarillo Civic Center. They are led by starting quarterback Jon Fitzgerald whom they signed this month after finishing his season with the Kansas City Brigade of the AFL.
The players to watch for the Talons include their playmaker and all-af2 wide receiver, Jeff Hughley. He is one of the top three receivers in the league with 123 receptions for 1629 yards and 33 touchdowns. The Talons boast one of the fiercest pass rushes in the league, led by defensive end Terrance Carter. They also have one of the leagues most efficient kickers, hitting on over 90% of his PAT's. He is also tied for seventh in field goals made.
Duster fans can watch this crucial playoff game by logging on to
www.dustersfootball.com
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