Game Twelve Preview: Steeldogs Host Rival Vipers
June 26, 2007 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Alabama Steeldogs News Release
Birmingham, Ala. - Saturday night's matchup between the Alabama Steeldogs and the Tennessee Valley Vipers is quickly evolving into more than just a regular season rivalry game.
The two teams, who are both enduring losing streaks going into Saturday's contest at the BJCC Arena, are on the bubble of the 2007 af2 playoff hunt.
The Steeldogs (5-6) currently hold on to the eighth and final playoff seed in the National Conference, while the Vipers (4-7) are ranked 10th in the conference behind the Lubbock Renegades.
Steeldogs Head Coach Ron Selesky said he is focused solely on Saturday's rematch with a Vipers squad that embarrassed the Steeldogs back on March 30 in their season opener, 44-27.
"Our mentality is one game at a time," Selesky said. "Making the playoffs is our mission for this season, but beating our biggest rival is our goal for this week. That's what we're going to focus on."
The Steeldogs come into the game on a three-game losing streak. Alabama fell to the top-ranked Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers (11-0) on June 16, 77-62, before enjoying a much-needed bye in Week 13 of the season.
"We've had a number of players banged up," Selesky said. "So this break could not have come at a better time."
The Steeldogs return to the BJCC this Saturday for the first time since June 8 - with a number of new players on the roster.
Alabama welcomed back fullback Theo Sanders, who led the team in rushing in 2006, for the Pioneers game. Sanders played solid for the Steeldogs against Wilkes-Barre, finishing with 12 rushed for 36 yards and a score in the contest.
The Steeldogs also welcomed newcomers James Peremenis and Rodney Jones to the lineup for the Pioneers game. Peremenis finished the game with one catch at the tight end spot while Jones registered 3.5 total tackles on defense.
"We've added a lot of strength to our line with James and Rodney," Selesky said. "They give us a lot of extra power in both sides of the ball."
The Steeldogs will look for another big game from wide receiver Herman Bell, who set the league and team records for kick return yards in a game against Wilkes-Barre.
Bell finished the game with 12 kick returns for 286 yards and a touchdown. He also caught five passes for 54 yards and a score.
"Herman is playing very well for us right now," Selesky said. "He's a weapon that we can use in a number of different areas on the field."
Tennessee Valley owns a big lead on the Steeldogs in the all-time series at 12-2. The last time the Steeldogs defeated the Vipers was a 36-30 home win on May 29, 2004.
The Steeldogs and Vipers square off at the BJCC this Saturday at 7 p.m. Tickets are available by calling Ticketmaster at 715-6000 or by logging on to steeldogs.com.
Steeldogs games can be heard live on the Alabama Steeldogs Flagship station WSPZ 690 "The Animal" and online at www.themightyx.com, with veteran broadcasters Matt Coulter and Roger Shultz calling the action.
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