Manchester Wolves weekly

July 18, 2005 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Manchester Wolves News Release


Game 15 Preview - Wolves at Louisville Fire - 7:30 PM (Freedom Hall) - Radio: 1370 AM

The Louisville Fire enter Saturday's game with a 9-5 record and a second-place standing in the American Conference, East Division. The Fire, currently ranked No. 7 in the Weekly Coaches Poll, have been on a hot streak of late, winning their last three games. Louisville is a potent offensive team that is keyed by its veteran QB Matt Sauk. Sauk leads the league in touchdown passes (84), passing yards (3,937), and completions (362). His 362 completions is a new af2 single season record. Sauk is also on pace to break the all-time af2 mark for touchdown passes. The record currently stands at 93, set in 2003 by Quad City's Tony Zimmerman. His main target is WR/DB Rob Mager, who ranks among the league leaders in receptions (3rd - 109) and receiving touchdowns (4th - 34). Dennis Fryzel (87 catches, 776 yards, 11 TDs) and Cesare Manning (64 catches, 838 yards, 22 TDs) are also solid options for Sauk. Collectively, the offense is tied for fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 53.0 points per game. On defense, former Wolves player Rob Green is the main playmaker for the squad with a team-best 49.5 tackles. The veteran DS also has three interceptions, 16 pass breakups and three fumble recoveries. The Louisville defense ranks 13th in the league in scoring defense at 50.6 points per game allowed. The Wolves (11-3) will look to counter with the top-flight duo of QB Jake Eaton and WR/LB J.J. McKelvey on offense. Eaton has been solid all season, connecting on a league-leading 70.6 percent of his passes. The former Maine signal caller is also the league's top QB in passer rating (123.6). McKelvey has been Eaton's favorite target. He leads the league with 118 receptions and also ranks among the league's best in scoring (2nd - 258 points). As a group, the Wolves offense ranks 10th in the league in scoring, averaging 49.9 ppg. On defense, William "Roc" Haith and Allistair Sebastien are impact players in the secondary. Haith leads the league in tackles (106) and is among the top-5 in passes defended (30). Sebastien is among the af2 elite in interceptions with six. The Wolves defense ranks third in the league in scoring defense, allowing just 41.3 ppg. The Wolves lead the all-time series with Louisville, 2-0. In their one head-to-head matchup this season on May 6, Manchester prevailed at home, 46-37. A Wolves victory would give them the East Division title.

Game 13 Wrap-up - Wolves Find The Blues In Memphis, Fall to 11-3; Lose Big To Xplorers, 83-26

The top-ranked Manchester Wolves found nothing but the blues in Memphis as they fell hard to the Xplorers, 83-26, Saturday night at the DeSoto Civic Center. The loss, coupled with Louisville's 47-45 win at Oklahoma City, means the Wolves (11-3) have still yet to clinch the East Division title. Memphis (11-3) was led by Offensive Specialist Kevin Prentiss, who had seven catches for 103 yards and four touchdowns. Prentiss added two kick returns for 97 yards. Defensively, it was Khreem Smith for Memphis with three tackles, two sacks, and three forced fumbles. Smith was voted the ADT Defensive MVP of the game. The Army Ironman was Terrell Adams with three carries for 20 yards, two rushing touchdowns, two catches for 27 yards and two scores, along with three solo tackles and a forced fumble. The win set a new franchise record for the Xplorers in points scored in a game. The previous mark was 80 at Mobile back on May 4, 2002. Memphis also set a franchise mark for wins in a season. The loss was the Wolves worst in franchise history. It was also the team's first road defeat this season. Rookies Jamaal Perry and David Bailey and veteran Marc Bacote caught scoring passes in the loss. J.J. McKelvey scored the Wolves first touchdown on a 1-yard run. QB Jake Eaton, who struggled under a heavy rush put on by Memphis, completed 28-of-46 passes for 272 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, including one which was returned for a score. He was also sacked four times, including one for a safety and one where he fumbled in the endzone and was recovered by Memphis for a touchdown.

Next Home Game - Friday, July 29 vs. Albany Conquest - "Fan Appreciation Night"

Fans, come join us on Friday, July 29 for our 2005 regular season finale, "Fan Appreciation Night." It promises to be our most special event of the season with great giveaways all night. 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.

This Week's Community Events Calendar

On Tuesday, July 19th, Manchester Wolves mascot "Blitz" and Wolves player Mike Wells will be making an appearance at the Concord Quarry Dogs vs. Keene Swamp Bats NECBL baseball game. The game will be played at Doane Diamond at Memorial Field in Concord. Mike Wells will be the guest of honor, throwing out the honorary first pitch of the ball game, while Blitz will be running around and helping with promotions all game. The event runs from 5:30 - till the end of the 7th inning. On Thursday, July 21st, Manchester Wolves mascot "Blitz" will be making an appearance at Intown Manchester's summer concert series. The event will be held in the evening at Veteran's Park in Manchester. Blitz will be there from 6:30 - 7:30 PM mingling with the crowd and signing autographs.

Playoff Picture Starting To Come Into Focus

In 2005, six teams from each the American and National Conference qualify for the playoffs. The six qualifying teams in each conference consist of the two division champions and four Wild Cards, determined by best overall record. Seeding in each conference is based on overall record, with the top two seeds in each conference reserved for the division champions, regardless of record. In the First Round (August 5-7), the two division winners in each conference receive a bye. The top-seeded Wild Card team hosts the lowest-seeded Wild Card team, while the No. 2 seeded Wild Card team hosts the No. 3 seeded Wild Card team. In the Second Round (August 12-14), the division winners who had byes in the First Round host the winners from the First Round. The top seeded division champion plays the lowest seeded team advancing from the First Round, while the second-seeded division winner plays the other winner from the First Round. The winners of the Second Round will meet for the Conference Championships on the weekend of August 19-21. For this round seeding no longer matters, meaning the team with the better overall record hosts the Conference Championship game. The winners of the Conference Championships face off in the 2005 ArenaCup on August 27 at the CenturyTel Center in Bossier City, Louisiana televised on FOX Sports Net.

AMERICAN CONFERENCE
1. Florida (12-2) - x
2. Manchester (11-3) - y
3. Louisville (9-5) - y
4. Green Bay (8-6) - y
5. Macon (7-7) - y - Holds HTH advantage over WBS
6. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (7-7) - y

First Round games would be: WBS @ LOU; MAC @ GBB; FLO, MAN receive bye

NATIONAL CONFERENCE
1. Memphis (11-3) - x
2. Tulsa (10-4) - y
3. Rio Grande Valley (9-4)
4. Oklahoma City (8-6) - Holds HTH tiebreaker over AMR, QUA
5. Amarillo (8-6) - Holds HTH point differential over QUA
6. Quad City (8-6)

First Round games would be: QUA @ RGV; AMR @ OKC; MEM, TUL receive bye

Record-Breaking Season
The Wolves success in 2005 has come as a result of the stellar play of the entire team, but a few individuals have stood out, namely:

QB Jake Eaton - team-record 74 touchdown passes
DS William Haith - team-record 106 tackles, with potential to break league record of 121
WR/LB J.J. McKelvey - team-record 118 receptions, team-record 258 points, team-record 39 TD receptions

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 14 games, McKelvey has already broken eight Wolves franchise records and is closing in on a number 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: 294 points - J.J. McKelvey, 2004-2005 (210, Mel Long, 2003-2004)
Receiving TDs: 42 - J.J. McKelvey, 2004-2005 (34, Mel Long, 2003-2004)
Receptions: 142 - J.J. McKelvey, 2004-2005 (106, Brandon Burnside, 2002)
Receiving Yards: 1,567 - Brandon Burnside, 2002 (1,558 - Mel Long, 2003-2004; 1,527 - J.J. McKelvey, 2004-05)

SINGLE SEASON
Scoring: 258 points - J.J. McKelvey, 2005 (202 - Brandon Burnside, 2002)
Receiving TDs: 39 - J.J. McKelvey, 2005 (30 - Brandon Burnside, 2002)
Receptions: 118 - J.J. McKelvey, 2005 (106 - Brandon Burnside, 2002)
Receiving Yards: 1,567 - Brandon Burnside, 2002 (1,277 - Mel Long, 2003; 1,261 - 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)

Doctor's Notes
The Wolves game at Memphis was double trouble, as the team not only lost in convincing fashion, but also saw a few of its players hobble off the field with injuries - OL/DL Nick Myers, FB/LB Kelvin Fuller and DS Allistair Sebastien. Myers suffered a high ankle sprain, Fuller a calf sprain, and Sebastien re-aggravated a groin strain. Fuller's injury is believed to be the most painful of the three. The veteran from Ferrum is currently listed as questionable for this week's game at Louisville.

Wolves players currently on the injured list are as follows:

Short Term: William Ferguson (WR/DB) - Knee; Mike Wells (OL/DL) - Foot

Wolves Among League Leaders

As a Team: Individually:
3rd in scoring defense - 41.3 pts per game 1st in pass completion pct - 70.7 - Jake Eaton
1st in pass rating - 123.3 1st in pass rating - 123.6 - Jake Eaton
4th in pass defense rating - 93.9 1st in tackles - 106.0 - William Haith
1st in pass completion percentage - 70.6 1st in receptions - 118 - J.J. McKelvey
T-4th in interceptions - 18 2nd in scoring - 258 pts - J.J. McKelvey
2nd in turnover margin - +15 2nd in touchdown receptions - 39 - J.J. McKelvey
4th in first downs - 279 T-3rd in passes defended - 30 - William Haith
3rd in third down conversions - 52.9 pct 5th in rushing - 185 yards - Mark Kimener
3rd in red zone defense - 70.8 pct 5th in passing yards - 3,590 - Jake Eaton



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