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First round Friday night matchups

August 3, 2006 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


FIRST ROUND: FRIDAY NIGHT MATCHUPS

#5 WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PIONEERS (9-7) AT #4 MANCHESTER WOLVES (9-7) FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 2006 - Verizon Wireless Arena (9,650) 7:30 P.M. ET The W-B/Scranton Pioneers and Manchester Wolves will battle in a first round playoff matchup Friday in Manchester. In three head-to-head matchups in 2006, the Wolves won two of the three meetings. Manchester won the last two games in the season series after losing the first affair. The Wolves won the most recent meeting at home, 45-14, in Week 16 behind QB STEVE BELLISARI's five touchdown passes. He also ran in another score. The Wolves defense came out strong sacking the Pioneers four times and forcing three turnovers. OS STEVE GONZALEZ finished the three-game series with 25 receptions for 308 yards and 10 touchdowns. W-B/Scranton rookie QB MIKE GRANIERI will likely start again behind center after struggling in his last two outings against the Wolves (26-of-69 passing, 246 total passing yards, 1 TD, 4 INTs). The Pioneers clinched a playoff berth last week with a 54-27 home win over Albany. OS YARDON BRANTLEY caught six passes for 101 yards and a score, but the story of the game was the Pioneers rushing attack. Granieri, who threw for 202 yards and three touchdowns, rushed for a score, while FB/LB TERRANCE GLOVER and FB/LB JOE HOLLISTER each rushed for two touchdowns. WR/DB WILLIAM FERGUSON (8 tackles) and DS MATT FORBES (2 interceptions) led the defense as three defensive linemen each recorded a sack. W-B/Scranton needs to be safer with the ball as they are the only team to enter the playoffs with a negative turnover margin (-3). Manchester's most recent game was a 79-48 home win last week against Quad City that secured the team a first-round home game. WR/DB WENDELL WILLIAMS had eight receptions for 132 yards and three touchdowns, and added another one on the ground. Bellisari went 19-of-21 for 245 yards and seven touchdowns. Four different Manchester receivers caught touchdown passes, and veteran WR/DB TONY STALLINGS, in his first game as a Wolves player, returned a kickoff 56 yards for a touchdown to cap things off. DS WILLIAM HAITH, DS BRIAN MANCE, and WR/DB ALLISTAIR SEBASTIEN each recorded six tackles on the night. Haith also added five pass break ups. Manchester's offensive line is a team strength as well. The unit led the af2 in fewest sacks allowed this season with five. Manchester was also the least penalized team with 107 penalties on the season. The Wolves are coming into the contest on a hot streak, winning their last four games. The Pioneers, on the other hand, have lost four of their last five. Despite recent results, this should be a close game between two longtime East Division adversaries.

#6 BAKERSFIELD BLITZ (9-7) AT #3 CENTRAL VALLEY COYOTES (12-4) FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 2006 - Selland Arena (8,911) 11:00 P.M. ET The Bakersfield Blitz travel to Fresno this week for a first round playoff battle against the ultra hot Central Valley Coyotes, their West Division rivals. Central Valley, winners of seven straight games to close out the regular season, also took two of three from Bakersfield this season. In their last meeting, Bakersfield returned two interceptions for touchdowns, but the Coyotes returned one as well, and forced the Blitz into five turnovers. Central Valley rookie signal caller SCOTT RISLOV has thrown for 775 yards and 14 touchdowns in the three head-to-head matchups. His main target, WR/DB LAMONTE JONES, has accumulated 22 catches for 258 yards and eight scores in the 2006 series. Bakersfield OS RENNARD REYNOLDS (14 catches, 210 yards, 5 TDs) and WR/DB DERONN FINLEY (3 INTs) came up big for their team as well in those three contests. Bakersfield secured a playoff spot last week with a 47-42 home win against Everett. New Blitz QB ALEX NEIST, who started the season with Spokane, threw for 248 yards and four touchdowns in his third appearance with the team. Reynolds caught 10 passes for 167 yards and two scores, while WR/LB NATHAN MUNSON ran for a score and caught a touchdown in the victory. The Bakersfield defense has been strong all season, and they lived up to that billing last week with five sacks. OL/DL JERRY TURNER finished tied for first in the af2 this year with 16 sacks. Turner, OL/DL BEN MCCOMBS (8), and OL/DL DANIEL KEGLER (7.5) all finished in the Top 10 in sacks. DS ALEX WALLACE led the league with 11 interceptions. Central Valley defeated Stockton, 62-49, on the road last week as Rislov put on a record-setting performance. The former San Jose State standout completed 30-of-37 passes for 341 yards and eight touchdowns, setting an Arena Football (AFL & af2) single season record for touchdown passes with 106. With Jones inactive, OS MARVIN BROWN nearly stole the show from Rislov with 16 receptions for 193 yards and four scores. WR/LB EMMETT WHITE also played a key role on offense with two rushing touchdowns and a receiving score as well. This week Jones and his 40 touchdown catches will likely be back in action. The Coyotes finished the season with the #1 red-zone offense (87.3 percent) and tops in turnover margin at plus+25. This matchup of strength vs. strength (Central Valley's offense vs. Bakersfield's defense) should make for an exciting game.



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