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Mahoning Valley Thunder game notes

May 15, 2007 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Mahoning Valley Thunder News Release


QUICK FACTS:

Mahoning Valley Thunder (3-3) at Florida Firecats (4-3)

Date: Saturday, May 19th, 2007

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. EST

Site: Germain Arena (7,128)

National Anthem: TBA

Coin Toss: TBA

Officials: Mike Pavese (Referee) Brent Sowell (Umpire) Mitch Geier (Head Linesman) Jerome Ford (Line Judge) Folavan Kindred (Back Judge)

Radio: ESPN 1240 FM; 96.7 FM (Mike Case, Play-by-play and Christian Aleshire, Color Commentary)

Series Record: 0-0

Last Meeting: N/A

Streaks: Thunder Lost 3; Firecats Lost 1

Coaches: Mike Hold (30-30 Reg. Season, First year w/Thunder, 5th overall)

Kevin Bouis (33-10 in 3 seasons with Florida, incl. playoffs)

THE STAKES: Both teams are entering tonight's game looking to snap a losing streak. The Thunder are losers of three straight while the Firecats fell last week to South Georgia. Mahoning Valley hasn't won a game in just under a month with the last win coming on April 21 versus Cincinnati.

THE SERIES: Tonight's game will be the first meeting in the series history between the two teams.

THE IFs:

If Mahoning Valley defeats Florida, it would ...

- Give Mahoning Valley a 1-0 series record with the Firecats

- Snap a three-game losing streak

- Give the Thunder their first win since April 21 vs. Cincinnati

- Improve the Thunder to 2-1 on the road

Mahoning Valley (3-3)

Date Opponent Result Record

3/31 TRI CITIES W 48-40 1-0

4/6 @ Albany W 65-59 2-0

4/21 CINCINNATI W 54-20 3-0

4/28 @ Manchester L 49-67 3-1

5/5 LOUISVILLE L 34-52 3-2

5/12 WILKES-BARRE/SCR. L 26-56 3-3

Date Opponent Time Result Series

5/19 @ Florida 7:30 N/A

5/25 MANCHESTER 7:05 N/A

6/2 @ Cincinnati 7:30 N/A

6/8 @ Green Bay 8:30 N/A

6/16 QUAD CITY 7:05 N/A

6/30 @ WB/Scranton 7:00 N/A

7/7 @ Louisville 7:00 N/A

7/13 ALBANY 7:05 N/A

7/21 @ Tennessee Valley 8:30 N/A

7/28 GREEN BAY 7:05 N/A

*all times EST

Florida (4-3)

Date Opponent Result Record

3/31 OKLAHOMA CITY W 55-22 1-0

4/6 at Texas W 54-13 2-0

4/14 at Tennessee Valley W 61-34 3-0

4/21 WILKES-BARRE/SCR. L 36-58 3-1

4/28 TENNESSEE VALLEY L 38-39 3-2

5/5 at Albany W 56-51 4-2

5/12 at South Georgia L 38-49 4-3

Date Opponent Time Result

5/19 MAHONING VALLEY 7:30 N/A

6/2 BIRMINGHAM 7:30 N/A

6/9 at Tennessee Valley 8:30 N/A

6/16 MANCHESTER 7:30 N/A

6/23 ALBANY 7:30 N/A

6/30 at Oklahoma City 8:00 N/A

7/7 SOUTH GEORGIA 7:30 N/A

7/14 at Birmingham 8:00 N/A

7/28 at Manchester 7:00 N/A

American Conference East Standings

Team W L PCT Home Road

WB/Scranton 6 0 1.000 4-0 2-0

Mahoning Valley 3 3 .500 2-2 1-1

Manchester 3 3 .500 3-0 0-3

Albany 2 4 .400 1-2 1-2

Mike Hold, Thunder Head Coach Mike Hold enters his first season as the Head Coach of the Mahoning Valley Thunder. He comes to the Thunder after serving as head coach of the Augusta Stallions of af2, head coach of the Macon Knights of af2, head coach of the Carolina Cobras of the AFL and coaching with the Las Vegas Gladiators of the AFL. Hold brings over 20 years of Arena Football experience to the Thunder. He enjoyed a 12-season playing career in the AFL beginning in the League's inaugural season in 1987 with the Chicago Bruisers. Hold participated in training camps with the Denver Broncos in 1986 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1987 and 1988. Hold also played in three games with the Bucs during the 1987 season completing 8-of-24 passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Hold graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1985 after playing two seasons. He led the Gamecocks to the only 10-win season in school history and was named MVP of the Gator Bowl in 1984. Hold ranks seventh on the school's all-time passing list with 2,981 yards. A native of Tempe, Arizona, Hold worked as a color commentator for the Mountain West Conference, for ESPN's Arena Football League coverage in 2001 and was the play-by-play announcer for the af2's ArenaCup6 Championship Game in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He and his wife, Nicole, reside in Salem, OH with their two dogs, Phoenix and Macy.

The Last Time Out:

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton remains unbeaten after a 56-26 victory over the Mahoning Valley Thunder on Cortland Banks Field at the Chevrolet Centre in front of 3,890. The Thunder have now lost three straight games including two straight at home. The Pioneers (6-0) were in charge much of the game, leading by as many as 29 points in the third quarter. QB Ryan Vena threw a game-high seven touchdowns, including a 40-yard strike to WR Tyreak Saviour in the fourth quarter. Vena finished 25-of-33 on the day for 321 yards. Saviour, who entered the game with 11 touchdowns, caught nine passes for a game-high 143 yards and three touchdowns. His back-to-back touchdown catches of 40 and 29 yards, respectively, sealed the game for the Pioneers. Offensively, the Thunder (3-3) struggled for the second straight week. QB Glen Gauntt threw three interceptions for the second time this season, finishing just 18-of-43 for 226 yards and three touchdowns. WR Chris Archie caught eight passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Vena garnered Schutt Offensive Player of the Game honors for the second consecutive week for his performance. WR/DB TuTu Ferguson intercepted two of Gauntt's passes, with his second takeaway earning him the Cutters Catch of the Game.

TALE OF THE TAPE: Here's how the Thunder and Pioneers stack up:

Statistical THUNDER FIRECATS

Category Rank Stat Rank Stat

Scoring Offense 20 45.8 17 48.3

Scoring Defense 18 49.0 4 38.0

Total Offense 9 272.0 6 291.0

Total Defense 22 264.5 4 223.0

Pass Offense 12 250.0 3 267.3

Pass Defense 22 246.8 4 206.6

Rushing Offense 14 22.0 12 23.7

Rushing Defense 12 17.7 10 16.4

Scoring (Kicking) 22 31 19 32

Pass Rating 21 85.4 4 114.7

Pass Def. Rating 27 116.5 6 78.9

Kickoff Returns 30 10.9 25 14.7

MFG Returns 21 12.8 24 11.0

Turnover Margin 15 + .17 5 + 1.43

Sacks By 7 13 3 16

Sacks Against 21 11 5 5

First Downs 4 120 2 123

Opp. First Downs 11 102 29 130

Penalties 19 61.7 6 48.1

Opp. Penalties 1 79.7 9 59.7

LEAGUE TOP 10s: Players from this week's matchup who rank among af2's statistical leaders:

THUNDER

Player Rank Category Stat

Tim Murphy 4 Rushing 25.8

Chris Archie T7 Receptions/Gm 8.50

Anton Ceaser 4 Rushing/G 25.8

Anton Ceaser T7 Receptions/G 8.50

Anton Ceaser 4 Sacks/G 1.20

FIRECATS

Player Rank Category Stat

Chris Wallace 1 Pass Avg/G 272.0

Chris Wallace 2 Total Offense 271.4

Levy Brown T4 Interceptions 6

Chris Wallace 7 Passing Eff. 115.3

Levy Brown 1 Tackles 58.5

Quincy Sorrell T9 Tackles 39.0

THIS WEEK'S QUOTES:

MIKE HOLD, on the loss: "We lost to a good team. They are well coached, they don't make mistakes and they play fundamental football. It's tough to beat a team who rarely makes mistakes."

MIKE HOLD, on Florida: "We have a rough stretch of back-to-back games against good teams. Florida is on a little skid right now but they have plenty of talent we need to be concerned with."

DB REGGIE PERKINS, on his transition to the new team: "I felt comfortable the moment I got here. We entered last game as a team and left as a family. This is definitely the team that will get us into the playoffs."

FORWARD MOTION: The Thunder closes out the month of May at home, hosting the Manchester Wolves on May 25. After that, the Thunder play one home game over the next six weeks, welcoming the Quad City Steamwheelers on June 16.

MILESTONES: Having never played an af2 game before, every play in the home opener was some kind of new Thunder record. Here are some of the most notable facts that have made it into the Mahoning Valley Record Book:

First TD Pass: Glen Gauntt to Chris Archie

First TD Rush: Tim Frost

First Play from Scrimmage: Gauntt pass to Kenneth Johnson for nine yards

First Interception: Brian Majors

First Fumble Recovery: Mike Lane

PLAYERS/MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

The Florida Firecats have some well-known and recognizable names on their roster. Former University of Miami Hurricane WRs Magic Benton Ethenic Sands are two of the more noticeable names on the Firecats squad. Former University of Toledo QB Chris Wallace is in charge with guiding the Florida offense. Currently, Wallace leads the league in passing yards per game with 272.0. He is also ranked second in the league in total offense at 271.4. For the Thunder, WR Chris Archie continues to be consistent. He has caught 100+ yards in each of his last three games and has recorded at least two touchdowns in every game this year. OL/DL Anton Ceaser ranks fourth in the league in sacks per game with 1.20. He currently has 5.5 sacks for a loss of 40 yards.

"ALL HAIL CEASER": A dominant force on the defensive line, OL/DL Anton Ceaser has been as tough as they come this season. Having played in just five of the Thunder's first six games, Ceaser has recorded a sack in each game.

ADDED PROTECTION: Last Saturday, for the first time all season, QB Glen Gauntt was not sacked in a game. Entering the game Gauntt had been taken to the ground at least two times in each of the first five games. The offensive line of Mike Sacco, Brandon Eaton and Jamel Lee kept Gauntt upright versus the Pioneers - a feat they must repeat against Florida this week. The Firecats rank tied for third in the league with 16 sacks.

1,500 TO BE EXACT: Thunder QB Glen Gauntt threw for 226 yards on May 12 versus WB/Scranton on 18-of-43 passing. His 226 yards gave him an even 1,500 yards passing on the season.

FRESH FACES: In their Mahoning Valley Thunder debuts, DB Reggie Perkins and WR Chris Johnson made an immediate impact to the team. Perkins led all Thunder players with 6.0 tackles, one PBU and one fumble recovery. Johnson finished his debut with five catches for 81 yards and one touchdown reception. He also added a 2-yard rushing touchdown on the first play of the second quarter. QB Glen Gauntt lined up at wide receiver and Johnson was under center. He took the snap around the left side for the two yard touchdown run - the first ever of his career.

NO-BUTTERFINGERS: Head Coach Mike Hold stresses the importance of limiting turnovers. This season, the Thunder have fumbled the ball twice but recovered both of them. As a team, they have yet to lose a fumble to their opponents. The Thunder is the only team remaining in af2 to have not turned the ball over on a fumble.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME AWARD

(selected by media)

Week Opp. Player

1 TRI WR Chris Archie (MVT)

2 @ ALB QB Glen Gauntt (MVT)

3 BYE BYE

4 CIN WR DeMarcus Mathes (MVT)

5 @ MAN QB Ryan Porter (MAN)

6 LOU WR Tiger Jones (LOU)

7 WBS QB Ryan Vena (WBS)

IRONMAN OF THE GAME AWARD

(selected by media)

Week Opp. Player

1 TRI OL/DL Tim Frost (MVT)

2 @ ALB DB Jarvis Johnson (ALB)

3 BYE BYE

4 CIN TE/DL Jamel Lee (MVT)

5 @ MAN WR/DB David Bailey (MAN)

6 LOU OL/DL Eddie Yauch (LOU)

7 WBS WR/DB Larry Kendrick (WBS)

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME AWARD

(selected by media)

Week Opp. Player

1 TRI OL/DL Anton Ceaser (MVT)

2 @ ALB DL Durrand Roundtree (ALB)

3 BYE BYE

4 CIN DB Maurice Taylor (MVT)

5 @ MAN DL Maurice Fountain (MAN)

6 LOU DB Nate Green (LOU)

7 WBS WR/DB TuTu Ferguson

CATCH OF THE GAME AWARD

(selected by media)

Week Opp. Player

1 TRI WR Chris Archie (MVT)

2 @ ALB WR DeMarcus Mathes (MVT)

3 BYE BYE

4 CIN WR Kenny Johnson (MVT)

5 @ MAN WR Chris Archie (MVT)

6 LOU WR Chris Archie (MVT)

7 WBS WR/DB TuTu Ferguson INT (WBS)



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