Manchester maintains pole position for fourth straight week
June 30, 2005 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Manchester Wolves News Release
MANCHESTER , N.H. (June 30, 2005) - The arenafootball2 (af2) league office announced today that for the fourth straight week, the Manchester Wolves have earned the top ranking of the weekly Coaches Poll. The Wolves, who had their 10-game win streak snapped last Friday at home against Quad City (41-39), collected 220 of a possible 228 points in securing the No.1 position. Next Friday night (July 8) the No.1-ranked Wolves (10-2) hope to start a new winning streak when they play host to the No.11 W-B/Scranton Pioneers (7-5) in an East Division battle at the Verizon Wireless Arena. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 PM.
Manchester 's weekly total included 11 first-place votes, down from 16 last week. Just behind the Wolves in the No.2 ranking, the Memphis Xplorers received 209 points and six first-place tallies. The defending ArenaCup Champion Florida Firecats stayed at the No.3 spot despite losses from both the Wolves and Xplorers last week.
"We let our guard down a little last week and it's time for us to refocus," Wolves Head Coach Ben Bennett said. "I'm looking forward to getting back to work on Monday to prepare for Wilkes-Barre, and I know my guys are too."
Game 13 Preview - Wolves vs. W-B/S Pioneers - 7:30 PM (Verizon Wireless Arena) The W-B/Scranton Pioneers enter next Friday's game with a 7-5 record and are tied for third place in the East Division. The Pioneers are playing well at this point in the season, having won three of their last four games. W-B/Scranton's most recent victory was a 65-46 triumph at S. Georgia this past Saturday, June 25. Veteran QB Bryan Snyder, who took over the starting job from Kyle Rowley officially two weeks ago, leads the offensive unit. His two main targets of late have been Rocco Forgione and Thomie Venisee. Forgione leads the Pioneers in all major pass catching categories, including receptions (77), receiving yards (963) and touchdowns (23). Six of Venisee's 11 touchdown grabs on the season have come in the past two weeks. He has 35 receptions overall for 413 yards. On defense, DS Jamie Hattley ranks second in the league in tackles with 81.5 and ranks among the af2 leaders in passes defended with 23. As a group, The Pioneers defense is very solid, ranking fifth overall in the league in scoring defense at 44.0 points per game allowed. W-B/Scranton leads the all-time series with the Wolves, 6-4. In their only other head-to-head match up this season, Manchester defeated the Pioneers, 38-24, on May 27 in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
The Wolves will counter with the dynamic duo of QB Jake Eaton and WR/LB J.J. McKelvey on offense. Eaton has been on target all season, connecting on a league-leading 71.5 percent of his passes. The former University of Maine signal caller is also among the league's top quarterbacks in passer rating (1st - 127.3) and passing touchdowns (3rd - 65). McKelvey has been Eaton's favorite target and leads the league with 103 receptions. He's also among the league's best in scoring with 232 points on 38 touchdowns (36 receiving) and two 2-pt conversions. As a group, Manchester's offensive unit ranks eighth in the league in scoring, averaging 50.8 points per game. On defense, William "Roc" Haith and Allistair Sebastien are impact players in the secondary. Haith leads the league in tackles with 94.0 and is among the top-5 in passes defended with 28. Sebastien is among the af2 elite in interceptions with six. The Wolves defense is ranked second in the league in scoring defense, allowing just 38.2 points per game.
Fans, come join us next Friday, July 8 for "T-Shirt Night & Nascar Night," presented by Rock 101 and WGIR AM 610. The first 2,000 fans through the doors that night will receive a FREE Wolves "Keep Poundin" t-shirt. That night's festivities will also include having the official Rusty Wallace #2 Miller Lite Dodge car parked outside on the plaza for display. The 168 Magazine pre-game concert series starts things off at 6:00 p.m. The game is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. To get in on the fun, purchase your tickets today at the Verizon Wireless Arena box office or through Ticketmaster at 603-868-7300, at Ticketmaster outlets or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Adult seats start as low as $14.25 in the upper bowl while youth (12-and-under) and senior (65-and-over) tickets start at just $9.75. The Wolves also have great group offers and birthday party packages available. Contact the Wolves at 603.627.WOLF (9653) or visit them on the web at www.manchesterwolves.com and make your plans with us today!
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