Mahoning Valley Thunder game notes

Published on June 27, 2007 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Mahoning Valley Thunder News Release


QUICK FACTS:

Mahoning Valley Thunder (5-6) at WB/Scranton Pioneers (11-0)

Date: Saturday, June 30, 2007

Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. EST

Site: Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza

National Anthem: TBA

Coin Toss: TBA

Officials: Referee: Jeff Maconaghy

Umpire: Michael Rattley

Head Linesman: Gerald Hocker

Line Judge: Rondell Taylor

Back Judge: Jeremy Lomax

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

Series Record: 1-0, WB/Scranton

Last Meeting: Thunder 26, Pioneers 56 - 5/12/07

Streaks: Thunder Won 1; Pioneers Won 11

Coaches: Mike Hold (32-33 Reg. Season, First year w/Thunder, 5th overall)

Rich Ingold (54-21; Reg. Season, Second year w/Pioneers)

THE STAKES: The Pioneers have solidified a playoff spot with a win last week over the Quad City Steamwheelers. The Thunder sit at 5-6 and hope to be the first team to defeat the Pioneers this season. The Thunder looks to improve to .500 while the Pioneers look to keep the undefeated season alive.

THE SERIES: The Pioneers hold a 1-0 series lead over the Thunder after a 56-26 win in Youngstown on May 12. That loss evened the Thunder record to 3-3 at the time. Since that loss, the Thunder have gone 2-3 in their last five and look to reach the .500 mark for the first time since the loss to the Pioneers.

THE IFs:

If Mahoning Valley defeats WBS, it would ...

- Even the Thunder's record at 6-6.

- Make the Thunder the only team to defeat the Pioneers this season.

- Even the Thunder's road record to 3-3.

- Make the Thunder winners of 3 of their last 4 games.

Mahoning Valley (5-6)

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

5/19 @ Florida L 26-62 3-4

5/25 MANCHESTER L 40-50 3-5

6/2 @ Cincinnati W 57-20 4-5

6/8 @ Green Bay L 39-54 4-6

6/16 QUAD CITY W 63-34 5-6

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

WB/Scranton (11-0)

Date Opponent Result Record

3/31 MANCHESTER W 50-36 1-0

4/14 ALBANY W 52-43 2-0

4/21 @ Florida W 58-36 3-0

4/28 CINCINNATI W 94-25 4-0

5/4 MANCHESTER W 59-42 5-0

5/12 @ Mahoning Valley W 56-26 6-0

5/19 @ Tennessee Valley W 34-30 7-0

5/25 ALBANY W 71-46 8-0

6/9 @ South Georgia W 70-62 9-0

6/16 ALABAMA W 77-62 10-0

6/22 @ Quad City W 62-55 11-0

6/30 MAHONING VALLEY 7:00 N/A

7/7 @ Fort Wayne 7:00 N/A

7/13 @ Manchester 7:05 N/A

7/21 BOSS-SHREVEPORT 7:00 N/A

7/27 @ Albany 7:00 N/A

7/26 FOT WAYNE 8:30 N/A

American Conference East Standings

Team W L PCT Home Road

WB/Scranton 11 0 1.000 6-0 4-0

Mahoning Valley 5 6 .455 3-3 2-3

Manchester 5 6 .455 4-1 1-5

Albany 4 7 .364 3-2 1-5

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 - Clicking on all cylinders, the Mahoning Valley Thunder defeated the Quad City Steamwheelers 63-34 on Cortland Banks Field at the Chevrolet Centre on Saturday night in front of a crowd of 3,512. The win marked the first home victory for the Thunder since April 21 over the Cincinnati Jungle Kats. Tim Murphy exploded for a Thunder single-game high five touchdowns as he rushed for four and caught one in the win. Murphy finished the day with 13 carries for 55 yards and 3 receptions for 38 yards. He was named Schutt Offensive Player of the Game for his performance. On the defensive side of the ball, the Thunder finished the game with a plus five turnover ratio, intercepting J.J. Raterink four times and recovering one fumble. Mike Andrews and Reggie Perkins each recorded one while Maurice Taylor snagged two. Andrews and Perkins returned theirs to pay dirt. Sam Crenshaw added a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter. Steamwheeler's Head Coach Sean Ponder was ejected from the game in the third quarter after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Following Perkins' interception return for a touchdown, Ponder tripped Perkins as he celebrated in the end zone. Raterink finished 18-of-32 for 187 yards, three interceptions and three touchdowns for the Steamwheelers. For the Thunder, rookie quarterback and former Duke University standout Mike Schneider finished 20-of-30 for 200 yards and three touchdowns. For the third straight game, the Thunder did not throw and interception.

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

Statistical PIONEERS THUNDER

Category Rank Stat Rank Stat

Scoring Offense 1 62.1 22 45.5

Touchdowns 1 96 21 73

Total Offense T3 292.4 14 269.0

Scoring Defense 7 42.1 11 46.7

Total Defense 27 287.3 6 239.5

Rushing Offense 21 14.9 4 33.2

Passer Rating 1 129.7 23 88.0

Rushing Defense 4 13.5 15 19.1

Pass Rat. Defense 9 88.0 17 103.3

Pass Offense 4 277.5 16 235.8

Pass Defense 30 273.7 7 220.4

Field Goals 9 .500 29 .133

PAT Kicking 1 .946 20 .735

MFG Returns 28 10.0 20 14.9

Kickoff Returns 25 15.7 30 12.8

Turnover Margin 1 2.27 T13 0.09

First Downs 3 227 11 210

Opp. First Downs 16 197 T7 185

Sacks T28 7 T9 20

Penalties 19 60.5 12 55.5

Sacks Against T14 14 T19 19

Opponent Penalties 22 52.5 8 65.7

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

THUNDER

Player Rank Category Stat

Tim Murphy 1 Rushing 29.0

Maurice Taylor T6 Interceptions 7

Chris Archie 9 Receptions/Gm. 8.30

Anton Ceaser 4 Sacks 9.0

PIONEERS

Player Rank Category Stat

Ryan Vena 3 Pass Avg/Gm 279.6

Ryan Vena 2 Total Offense 286.6

Chris Royal T6 Interceptions 7

Ryan Vena 1 Pass. Efficiency 130.0

Buchie Ibeh 2 Receptions/Gm. 9.40

Jim Jones 8 Receptions/Gm. 8.43

Buchie Ibeh 7 Rec. Yds/Gm. 105.6

Jim Jones 10 Rec. Yds/Gm. 102.7

THIS WEEK'S QUOTES:

MIKE HOLD, on Tim Murphy: "Tim put on a show. He did everything we asked and it paid off in the form of five touchdowns. You can't ask for anything more than that out of a fullback. He finds a hole and is just so hard to bring down. Once he gets into the open field, good things will happen."

MIKE HOLD, on Mike Schneider's performance: "Having not thrown and interception in his last three starts while throwing 14 touchdowns is a great accomplishment. We always talk about limiting turnovers and mistakes and Mike has done that for us."

MIKE HOLD, on Wilkes-Barre/Scranton: "We know what we are going into. They are a hot team right now, but that also makes them vulnerable. If we can put together another performance like we did against Quad City, I think good things can happen."

TIM MURPHY, on his five-touchdown performance: "I felt really good. As soon as I saw a hole open up, I hit it hard. Everyone on the offense contributed to the effort - it wasn't just me."

WHAT'S TO COME: With the second bye week in the rear view mirror, the Thunder is in the thick of the playoff race and the remainder of the schedule is crucial. Following this week's contest with WB/Scranton, the Thunder head to Louisville to take on the Fire. Three of the remaining four games are against teams the Thunder has faced already this season (Louisville, Albany and Green Bay).

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

First Interception return for a touchdown: Maurice Taylor

RUNNING WILD: FB Tim Murphy exploded against Quad City, rushing for four touchdowns and adding one receiving. The five-touchdown performance marked the most-touchdowns scored by a Thunder player in the history of the franchise. Murphy finished the day with 13 carries for 55 yards and three receptions for 38 yards. He was named Schutt Offensive Player of the Game for his performance, along with being named the Kernan Insurance Player of the Game.

PROTECT ME PLEASE: Versus Quad City, the Thunder had a revamped offensive line and the benefits definitely showed. QB Mike Schneider was not sacked in the game. In his first three starts, Schneider was taken down six times (twice a game). The new offensive line consists of recently assigned C Wally Sonnie (6-2, 320), G Ira Watley (6-5, 285) and TE Mike Lane (6-5, 270). Watley was claimed off waivers from Tennessee Valley, Sonnie was assigned after spending the last three season with the Tulsa Talons and Lane has been a utility player for the Thunder all season.

TURNOVER TIME: Against the Steamwheelers in Week 12, the Thunder finished the game with a plus five turnover ratio. Maurice Taylor, Reggie Perkins and Mike Andrews each intercepted passes (Taylor grabbed two) with Perkins and Andrews returning theirs to pay dirt. Sam Crenshaw added a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter.

PUT ME IN COACH: Through the first 11 games of the 2007 season, only two Thunder players have appeared in and started all 11 contests. WR DeMarcus Mathes and DB Maurice Taylor are the only two players to start in every game to date. Only OL/DL Mike Lane and TE/DL Jamel Lee are the only other two players to have played in every game, with Lane starting seven games and Lee getting the start in nine contests.

LET'S GO HALVES: The Thunder have played 22 halves of football this year in the ten games. Of those 22, the Thunder has held their opponents to six points or less in three of those halves. Here is a look:

Date Opponent Points Half

March 31 Tri-Cities Fever 0 First Half

April 21 @ Cincinnati Jungle Kats 6 Second Half

June 2 @ Cincinnati Jungle Kats 6 Second Half

ONE QUARTER AT A TIME: Limiting points in Arena Football is the key to success. Stopping an opposing offense a few drives each game can lead to victories. Of the 44 quarters of football, the Thunder has held its opponents to a single-digit quarter on 21 occasions. Here is a breakdown of the fewest points in a quarter:

0 Points - 4 quarters

3 Points - 1 quarter

6 Points - 5 quarters

7 Points - 11 quarters

HAIL CEASER: Thunder DT Anton Ceaser has notched nine (9) sacks this year, ranking him fourth in af2. He has recorded a sack in all but three games this season.

LIVIN' ON TOP: FB Tim Murphy has been a huge addition to the Thunder offensive attack in recent weeks. Over his last four games, Murphy has rushed for 150 yards (37.5 ypg) and eight touchdowns. He has also added four receptions for 49 yards and one touchdown. His offensive explosion against Quad City in Week 12 placed him as the league leader in rushing yards per game with 29.0.

FORMIDABLE OPPONENT: At 11-0 and ranked first in the af2 Coaches Poll, the Pioneers are the best team in the league. Defensive Coordinator Lucious Davis will have his hands full coming up with a plan to stall the potent Pioneers offense. Over their last four games, WB/Scranton has scored 62+ points (70.0 avg. per game) and allowed opponents to score 56.3 ppg.

AND THE AWARD GOES TO...: In each of the last three games, a Thunder player has been named the Schutt Offensive Player of the Game, as selected by the media. QB Mike Schneider and FB Tim Murphy have each garnered the honors, with Schneider recording back-to-back honors in Week 10 and 11 and Murphy in Week 12.

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)

8 @ FLA WR/LB Chris McKinney (FLA)

9 MAN WR Ari Confesor (MAN)

10 @ CIN QB Mike Schneider (MVT)

11 @ GBB QB Mike Schneider (MVT)

12 QCS FB Tim Murphy (MVT)

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)

8 @ FLA WR/DB Levy Brown (FLA)

9 MAN WR/DB David Bailey

10 @ CIN WR DeMarcus Mathes (MVT)

11 @ GBB WR Donny Donaldson (GBB)

12 QCS FB/LB Mike Andrews (MVT)

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 DB TuTu Ferguson (WBS)

8 @ FLA DB Levy Brown (FLA)

9 MAN DB Maurice Taylor (MVT)

10 @ CIN DB Maurice Taylor (MVT)

11 @ GBB DB Jason Hardee (GBB)

12 QCS DB Reggie Perkins (MVT)

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)

8 @ FLA WR Magic Benton (FLA)

9 MAN WR Jarrail Jackson (MAN)

10 @ CIN WR Hassan Brockman (CIN)

11 @ GBB WR Danny Donaldson (GBB)

12 QCS DB Reggie Perkins INT TD (MVT)

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