Sports stats



af2 arenafootball2

Four AFL contests to feature 43 players with previous af2 experience

July 5, 2007 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


CHICAGO - The Arena Football League (AFL) playoffs continue this week with the Divisional Round. Eight teams will go head-to-head in an effort to keep their championship dreams alive. These four games, to be televised live on either ESPN or ESPN2 beginning on Saturday, will provide a national showcase for a number of notable arenafootball2 (af2) alumni.

COLORADO CRUSH (8-8) at SAN JOSE SABERCATS (13-3)

Saturday, July 7, 2007 - 3:00 PM EST (TV: ESPN)

Colorado will utilize two players and one coach with af2 pedigree in its matchup on Saturday with the SaberCats. K JASON BALL led the AFL in field goals (16) and ranked fifth in points scored by a kicker with 131 (83-for-97 PATs). Ball got his Arena Football career started with the af2's Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings (2004) and Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (2005). Ball earned Second Team All-af2 honors in 2004 while playing for the Battle Wings, where he went 11-for-29 on field goals and 70-for-87 on PATs for the season. In 2005, Ball was 5-for-12 on field goals and 38-for-47 on PATs for the season with the Yard Dawgz. Ball moved up to the AFL in 2006, signing with the Crush last year. In his rookie campaign, he connected on 7-of-9 PATs and made his only field goal attempt in his first game against Grand Rapids. Quarterbacks coach CHRIS BODEN is in the midst of his first season with Colorado after working with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2003 as both a player and a coach.

San Jose will take the field on Saturday with six players and three coaches with history in the af2. DB MARQUIS FLOYD has helped the SaberCats to 13 wins this season, accumulating 56.0 total tackles, six interceptions and 16 pass breakups. Floyd spent two seasons in the af2 with Tennessee Valley, earning First-Team All-af2 honors in 2005 before joining the AFL. He was also named the af2 Ironman of the Year in 2005. That season, the West Georgia alum recorded a team-best 1,452 yards receiving and 29 TDs with 23 rushing yards and four scores on 20 carries. Floyd also registered 47.0 tackles and a team-high nine interceptions on defense. His coach for both af2 seasons was current San Jose Defensive Coordinator KEVIN GUY. Guy began his career in the af2 as well, earning the most coaching victories in the league as Head Coach of the Vipers (2002-04) and Rio Grande Valley Dorados (2005). Special Teams/Defensive Line coach JEFF JARNIGAN (Oklahoma City 2005-06) and Director of Player Personnel/Offensive Line coach DAVE WITTHUN (Pensacola 2000-01) also claim af2 ties.

A full list of the eight players that will impact this week's playoff game between Colorado and San Jose is located below:

Colorado San Jose

Jason Ball - Bossier-Shrev. 2004, Okla. City 2005 Marquis Floyd - Tenn. Valley 2004, Rio Gra. Valley 2005

Brett Huyser - Green Bay 2006 Julius Gant - Rio Grande Valley 2005

A.J. Haglund - Oklahoma City 2005-06

Matt Kinsinger - Augusta 2000

Steve Watson - Arkansas 2005-06

Craig Whelihan - San Diego 2002

COLUMBUS DESTROYERS (8-9) at DALLAS DESPERADOS (15-1)

Saturday, July 7, 2007 - 8:00 PM EST (TV: ESPN)

When the Destroyers face the Desperados on Saturday, they will take the field with five players and two coaches with experience in the af2. After an injury forced him to miss a number of games this season, WR/DB B.J. BARRE came back with a purpose, proving himself as one of the Destroyers leading defensive backs. In his second season with Columbus, Barre recorded 51 tackles, as well as 22 receptions for 291 yards and seven touchdowns on the offensive side. Before joining the Destroyers, Barre spent two seasons in the af2 (Tulsa Talons - 2004, Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz - 2005). In the 2005 season, Barre was second on the Yard Dawgz in tackles with 35.5, recorded 48 receptions for 617 yards and 15 touchdowns, and led the team in interceptions (5) and pass breakups (13). Columbus will also take the field with two former af2 head coaches turned team assistants in SKIP FOSTER (HC Tulsa 2001-03) and KEN MATOUS (HC Tulsa 2004).

Dallas boasts six players with past af2 careers. WR/DB WILL PETTIS made his AFL debut in 2003 and put together one of the league's best seasons by a rookie to earn all-rookie and second team all-arena honors. He finished his first season with a rookie-club record 1,562 all-purpose yards - 798 receiving, 640 on kickoff returns, 93 on missed field goal returns, 22 on interception returns and nine rushing - while finishing fourth on the team with 34.5 tackles. This year Pettis recorded 46 total touchdowns (2 rush, 40 rec, 4 ret) during regular season play, as well as 59.5 tackles on defense. Pettis was a big reason behind the Desperados' 15-1 regular season run to the playoffs. Dallas will also have the help of former af2 coaches STEVE CRISWELL (Richmond 2001-03, Cape Fear 2004), JAMES FULLER (Bakersfield 2002-03) and DEATRICH WISE (Norfolk, 1999).

A full list of the 11 players that will make an impact on the divisional round playoff game between Columbus and Dallas is located below:

Columbus Dallas

B.J. Barre - Tulsa 2004, Okla. City 2005 Terrance Dotsy - Quad City 2004

Howard Duncan - Okla. City 2005 Jermaine Jones - Florida 2001

Brad Greetis - San Diego 2002-2005 Bobby Keyes - Birmingham 2006

Peter Martinez - Richmond 2003, Okla. City 2004 Peter Lazare - Green Bay 2005-06

Will Rabatin - Louisville 2005 Will Pettis - Pensacola 2002

Josh White - Hawaiian 2002-03

PHILADELPHIA SOUL (8-8) at GEORGIA FORCE (14-2)

Sunday, July 8, 2007 - 7:00 PM EST (TV: ESPN)

Philadelphia will take the field on Sunday with five players and one coach with history in the af2. DB EDDIE MOTEN began his Arena Football career in 2004 with the Rio Grande Valley Dorados of the af2. Moten finished the season with 47.5 tackles, a team-high 10 interceptions and 18 pass break-ups and was named First Team All-af2. He signed with the Soul in 2005 and is currently in his third year with the team. Moten led Philadelphia in tackles this season with 89.0 and in interceptions with nine, three of which he returned for touchdowns. Soul Head Coach BRETT MUNSEY began his career in the af2, as well, earning af2 Coach of the Year honors in 2001 as the head coach of the Tennessee Valley Vipers.

Georgia also boasts five players with past af2 experience. QB CHRIS GREISEN is currently in his first season with the Force. Greisen, who played for the af2's Green Bay Blizzard in 2004, set a new AFL single-season record with 117 touchdown passes this season. His special year helped the Force claim the Southern Division title with a franchise-best 14 wins. Greisen also threw for 4,851 yards and led the League in completion percentage (74.0) and passer rating (132.0). After his af2 campaign with Green Bay in 2004, Greisen spent two years with the Dallas Desperados where he served as the backup to CLINT DOLEZEL before breaking out in his first season as a full-time starter with Georgia.

A full list of the 10 players that will make an impact on the divisional round playoff game between Philadelphia and Georgia is located below:

Philadephia Georgia

Mike Brown - Charleston 2002-03 Troy Bergeron - Columbus 2004

Jerrian James - Pensacola 2002, Tenn. Valley 2003-04 David Crocker - Green Bay 2005-06

Brian Mance - Manchester 2006 Chris Greisen - Green Bay 2004

J.J. McKelvey - Manchester 2004-05 James MacPherson - Green Bay 2006

Eddie Moten - Rio Grande Valley 2004 Carlos Martinez - Fresno 2002

LOS ANGELES AVENGERS (9-7) at CHICAGO RUSH (12-4)

Monday, July 9, 2007 - 8:30 PM EST (TV: ESPN2)

Los Angeles boasts six players with af2 experience. DL SILAS DEMARY, one of the premier defensive linemen in the AFL, is in the midst of his fourth year with the Avengers and his seventh overall in the AFL. This season Demary recorded 25 tackles, one interception and led the team in sacks with eight. Demary began his AFL career in 2001 with the Carolina Cobras, followed by a stint with the Buffalo Destroyers in 2003 before playing for the Avengers. Demary got his first taste of Arena Football in 2000 when he played for the Norfolk Nighthawks of the af2. In his one season with the Nighthawks, Demary played in 15 of 16 games, finishing the regular season with 41.5 tackles and led the team with 12.5 sacks, as well as recording five fumble recoveries, 32 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.

Chicago will utilize eight players with af2 pedigree. WR BOBBY SIPPIO spent a season with the af2's Greensboro Prowlers in 2003 before earning his AFL promotion. Sippio was the Prowlers' leading receiver and leading tackler, catching 57 passes for 1,009 yards and 27 touchdowns, while recording 66.0 tackles, five interceptions, and 14 pass breakups in 13 games. After being named the af2 Ironman of the Year, Sippio spent his rookie year in the AFL with Dallas, finishing the season second in the league in yards per catch (16.2) and seventh in scoring with 33 touchdowns and 200 points. The Rush have had the benefit of Sippio's offensive expertise for two seasons after picking up the playmaker from Tampa Bay. Sippio had an immediate impact on the Rush offense, recording 93 catches for 1,320 yards and 35 touchdowns in 2006, all career-highs. Sippio enjoyed his finest season in 2007. The Western Kentucky alum led the League in scoring with 318 points and became just the fourth player in AFL history to record 50 touchdowns in a season (53). Chicago assistant coaches Brian Schwartze and Tony Bowick also have af2 experience on their resumes. Schwartze spent two seasons with Quad City as an assistant head coach, while Bowick worked with the Albany Conquest as an offensive line coach in 2006.

A full list of the 14 players that will impact Monday night's game between Los Angeles and Chicago is located below:

Los Angeles Chicago

Jon Apgar - Tennessee Valley 2006 Robert Boss - Green Bay 2006

Eddie Canonico - Cincinnati 2003 E.J. Burt - Cape Fear 2003

Silas Demary - Norfolk 2000 Matt D'Orazio - Rochester 2002, Mohegan 2003

Tim Hicks - Charleston 2003, W-B/Scranton 2004, Rob Mager - Louisville 2005-06

W-B/Scranton/Bossier 2005, Quad City 2006 Joe Peters - Peoria 2004, Green Bay 2005

Greg Krause - Mohegan 2003 Dennison Robinson - Quad City 2000

Sean McNamara - Quad City 2000an McNamara - Quad City 2000 James Sadler - Tulsa 2005-06

Bobby Sippio - Greensboro 2003

About af2

In Week 15 of its eighth season with 30 member teams, af2 serves as a vehicle to bring Arena Football into small to midsize cities and as a developmental league with an unmatched history of sending players, coaches and officials to major professional football leagues each year. Af2 operates under the same Mission Statement and Fans' Bill of Rights as the Arena Football League, which is currently in its 21st season. Log on to www.af2.com for more information.



arenafootball2 Stories from July 5, 2007


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central