Manchester Wolves weekly
June 20, 2005 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Manchester Wolves News Release
Game 11 Wrap-up - Wolves Avenge Loss To Florida, 52-29; Secure Playoff Berth With 10th Straight Win
The battle of 9-1's came down to one word - execution. Ben Bennett's offense made the most of their opportunities scoring on 9-of-11 drives, while the Firecats turned the ball over on downs four times, leading the way to the Wolves' impressive 52-29 win. Offensive Player of the Game Jake Eaton finished the game 27-of-35 for 263 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. Manchester's defensive line kept QB Chris Wallace on the move all night as the Firecats signal caller was under constant pressure. Florida opened on offense and promptly went three and out. Manchester move the ball down field to take the early lead, 7-0. The Firecats answered on Cainon Lamb's first of two touchdown receptions to come within one, 7-6. The Wolves then went on to score 20 unanswered points as Eaton found J.J. McKelvey, Heyward Skipper and Marc Bacote on scoring strikes. The Firecats pulled within 14 at the half as FB Steve Gorrie ran in one of his two TDs from 1-yard out to close out the half. Things kept going Manchester's way as the Wolves opened up the 2nd half scoring 18 straight to take a commanding 46-13 lead. The Firecats made a run at it late, scoring twice in the 4th quarter and converting two straight 2-point conversions on QB keepers. Eaton, however, put a stop to the rally, running in the game's final score from 5-yards out to close it out. McKelvey earned U.S. Army Ironman of the Game honors, finishing the night with six receptions for 69 yards and a TD to go along with one stop on defense. Jamaal Perry led the Wolves with 11 catches for 115 yards (one TD). William Haith completed the sweep of game awards by collecting the ADT Defensive Player of the Game with four tackles and four pass breakups. A crowd of 6,034 were on hand to watch the Firecats suffer their worst defeat in franchise history. The Wolves improved to 10-1 while Florida fell to 9-2.
Next Home Game - Friday, June 24 vs. Quad City Steamwheelers - "Not Your Typical Team Photo Night"
Fans, come join us on Friday, June 24 for "Not Your Typical Team Photo Night," presented by Citizens Bank. All fans through the doors that night will receive a FREE team photo. The 168 Magazine pre-game concert series begins outside on the plaza at 6:00 p.m. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. To get in the game, 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.
Game 12 Preview - Wolves vs. Quad City - 7:30 PM (Verizon Wireless Arena) - Radio: 1370 AM
The Quad City Steamwheelers enter Friday's game with a 5-6 record and a fourth place standing in the National Conference, Midwest Division. Quad City, traditionally one of the stronger teams in the af2, has been a little inconsistent in 2005. The Steamwheelers started the season strong, winning three games in a row after a season-opening loss. Over the next four games, however, Quad City went winless, losing twice by just a touchdown. Recently the Steamwheelers seem to be regaining momentum and have won two of their last three contests. Quad City's one loss should've been a win as well, but the team squandered a late 13-point lead to Memphis and lost in overtime. The Steamwheelers are coming off a 62-50 home victory scored against the Albany Conquest this past Saturday. On the season, QB Sam Clemons leads the Quad City offensive attack with 2,879 yards passing, 55 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He ranks among the league's top quarterbacks in passer rating at 114.9 (4th). He also has a host of talented receivers to throw to, including OS Travis Burns. Burns leads the team in receptions (70) and receiving touchdowns (13). He's also a talented return man, as evidenced by his league-leading 1,170 kick return yards. Clemons also likes to target playmakers such as Tim Dodge (69 catches, 824 yards, 10 TDs) and Jack Walker, Jr. (60 catches, 589 yards, 12 TDs). On defense, Matt Forbes is one of the best defensive specialists in the league. Forbes is tied for second in the league in interceptions with eight, three of which he has returned for touchdowns. He also leads the Steamwheelers in tackles ( 66.4) and passes defended (20). As a group, Quad City's defense is a little shaky, ranking 12th overall in the league in scoring defense at 51.2 points per game allowed. Quad City leads the all-time series 2-0, with both wins coming against the Wolves in 2004.
J.J . Is Dyno-mite!
Manchester Wolves WR/LB J.J. McKelvey is in the midst of an all-star caliber season. After a solid rookie campaign last season in which he played just six games, the former Clemson standout has started to blossom into a big-time Arena Football player in 2005. Through 11 games, McKelvey has already broken seven Wolves franchise records and is closing in on a host of others. Below is a detailed look at where J.J. stands tall in the team's record book to date:
Wolves All-Time Record Holders
CAREER
Scoring: 244 points - J.J. McKelvey, 2004-2005 (210, Mel Long, 2003-2004)
Receiving TDs: 35 - J.J. McKelvey, 2004-2005 (34, Mel Long, 2003-2004)
Receptions: 119 - J.J. McKelvey, 2004-2005 (106, Brandon Burnside, 2002)
Receiving Yards: 1,567 - Brandon Burnside, 2002 (1,558 - Mel Long, 2003-2004; 1,271 - J.J. McKelvey, 2004-05)
SINGLE SEASON
Scoring: 208 points - J.J. McKelvey, 2005 (202 - Brandon Burnside, 2002)
Receiving TDs: 32 - J.J. McKelvey, 2005 (30 - Brandon Burnside, 2002)
Receptions: 106 - Brandon Burnside, 2002 (95 - J.J. McKelvey, 2005)
Receiving Yards: 1,567 - Brandon Burnside, 2002 (1,277 - Mel Long, 2003; 1,005 - J.J. McKelvey, 2005)
SINGLE GAME
Scoring: 38 points - J.J. McKelvey, 6/11/05 @ GBB (30 points - Brandon Burnside, 5/17/02 vs. ROC)
Receiving TDs: 6 - J.J. McKelvey, 6/4/05 vs. MAC (5 - Brandon Burnside, 5/17/02 vs. ROC)
This Week's Community Events Calendar
On Thursday, June 23rd, members of the Manchester Wolves dance team will be performing a routine at the Easter Seals Annual Walk held at Veterans Park in Manchester. The dancers are scheduled to perform between 5:30 - 6:30 PM. Team mascot Blitz will also be there mingling with the crowd, signing autographs and posing for pictures.
On Thursday, June 23rd, members of the Manchester Wolves dance team will be performing a routine for the Best of New Hampshire gala. The event will be held at the Verizon Wireless Arena, and the girls will be dancing at 7:00 PM. The dance team will also be honored at the event with the "Best Dance Team in New Hampshire" Award.
On Saturday, June 25th, Wolves dance team members Miranda Milano, Kim Connor, Brooke Bowlin, and Meghan White will be on hand at Michael's Arts and Crafts on So. Willow Street in Manchester. The event runs from 10 - 3 PM, and the girls will be available for photos and autographs.
On Saturday, June 25th, members of the Wolves team will be making an appearance at Gym USA in Goffstown for the gym's annual member appreciation day. The event runs from 12 - 3 PM, and the players will be there mingling and available for photos and autographs.
Doctor's Notes
The Wolves won on two fronts Saturday night at Florida as the team not only defeated the Firecats, but came away from the game with no major injuries to report. Manchester FB/LB Mark Kimener re-aggravated a knee contusion injury he suffered in last week's win at Green Bay and may take some time off this week. His status for Friday's game is listed as questionable.
Wolves players currently on the injured list are as follows: ShortTerm: David Bailey (WR/DB) - Neck Long Term: Kelvin McClinton (OL/DL) - Lower Back
Wolves Among League Leaders
As a Team: Individually:
T-4th in scoring offense - 51.9 pts per game 1st in pass completion pct - 743 - Jake Eaton
3rd in scoring defense - 38.0 pts per game 1st in pass rating - 132.3 - Jake Eaton
1st in pass rating - 132.1 1 st in tackles - 85.5 - William Haith
1st in pass completion percentage - 74.1 1st in receptions - 95 - J.J. McKelvey
T-4th in interceptions - 15 T-3rd in passing TDs - 59 - Jake Eaton
2nd in turnover margin - +18 2nd in scoring - 208 pts - J.J. McKelvey
2nd in third down conversions - 58.5 pct 2nd in touchdown receptions - 32 - J.J. McKelvey
T-1st in fourth down conversions - 70.0 pct 3rd in passes defended - 27 - William Haith
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