Manchester Wolves weekly
August 8, 2005 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Manchester Wolves News Release
This week the Manchester Wolves will have four full practice sessions in preparation for their first-ever home playoff game this Friday, August 12 against the Louisville Fire.
American Conference Semifinal Game Preview - Wolves vs. Fire - 7:30 PM (Verizon Wireless Arena)
All-Time Results: Wolves lead, 2-1 2005 Results: 1-1 Current Streaks: MAN W 1, LOU W 6
2005 Series Recap
Manchester 46, Louisville 37...May 6, 2005 @ Verizon Wireless Arena
The Wolves handed the Fire their first loss of the season by holding them to their lowest number of points scored all season. It was another big night for Wolves QB Jake Eaton, who earned his fourth Offensive Player of the Game honor for his performance. Eaton completed 19-of-26 passes for 230 yards and six touchdowns, while rushing for an additional score. Wolves WR/DB J.J. McKelvey had a strong offensive night as well, catching six passes for 64 yards and three touchdowns. This was McKelvey's fourth consecutive game with at least two TDs. Offense was certainly the story in the first half as both teams had little trouble putting points on the board. After the first 30 minutes, Manchester held a slim 26-24 advantage. In the second half, however, Manchester's defense held true, limiting the potent Fire to just seven third quarter points and six fourth quarter points. Leading the effort was ADT Defensive Player of the Game William "Roc" Haith ( 12.0 total tackles, seven pass breakups, one tackle for loss). Marc Bacote earned U.S. Army Ironman of the Game honors (TD reception, 3.5 tackles).
Louisville 78, Manchester 61...July 23, 2005 @ Freedom Hall
The Manchester Wolves missed out on another chance to clinch the East Division title as a sizzling Louisville offense torched Manchester in Louisville, KY. The Wolves offense was led by QB Jake Eaton, who tossed a team-record nine TD passes. He also threw a season-high three INTs, however, and was sacked a season-worst five times. WR/LB Marc Bacote caught a season-best four TDs (7 catches, 84 yards) in the loss. After a see-saw battle in the first half that saw the two teams combine for 73 points, ( Louisville 41, Wolves 32), the second half proved to be a different story. The Wolves endured a nightmarish 3rd quarter due to a struggling offense and an opportunistic Fire defense that forced two turnovers that resulted in TDs. Manchester had four possessions in the quarter and scored just once. When the final quarter began, the game was essentially over, as Louisville held a commanding 65-40 lead. The Fire swept the individual game awards with QB Matt Sauk (25-of-36, 237 yards passing, 7 TDs) earning Offensive Player of the Game, Lawrence Matthews (I rush TD, fumble recovery TD) receiving US Army Ironman of the Game, and Andrew Tippins ( 3.5 sacks, one INT) collecting ADT Defensive Player of the Game.
The Manchester Wolves: 12-4, East Division Champions The Wolves had a tremendous regular season in 2005 which culminated in the franchise's first-ever East Division title. The Wolves' 12 wins set a new franchise record for most wins in a season. A list of highlights of the year should also include the team's 10-game win streak and five-week run at the top spot of the Weekly League Coaches Poll. The Wolves offense is led by QB Jake Eaton and WR/LB J.J. McKelvey. Eaton was sharp all season, connecting on a league-leading 70.9 percent of his passes. The former Maine signal caller also finished second in the af2 in passer rating (122.1) and was among the leaders in several other QB categories, such as passing yards (6th - 4,066) and passing TDs (T-3rd - 88). McKelvey is Eaton's favorite target. McKelvey also had an outstanding regular season, leading the league with 138 receptions (1,454 receiving yds). He also ranked second in scoring (298 points) and receiving TDs (44). Rookie receiver/kick returner Jamaal Perry led the squad in all-purpose yards with 2,132 (1,004 receiving yds, 1,058 kick return yds, 70 missed fg return yds). As a group, the Wolves offense ranked ninth in the league in scoring, averaging 50.3 ppg. On defense, DS William "Roc" Haith had an all-star season, breaking the league record for most tackles in a season (121.5). The former Liberty product also ranked third in the af2 in passes defended with 33 (3 INTs, 30 pass breakups). Fellow DS Allistair Sebastien finished among the af2 elite in interceptions with six. As a unit, the Wolves defense ranked third in the league in scoring defense, allowing just 42.9 ppg.
The Louisville Fire: 11-5, 2nd place - East Division
Louisville earned its way into this week's American Conference semifinal matchup thanks to a thrilling 55-54 wildcard victory over the Macon Knights Saturday in Macon, GA. The Fire came back from a 17-point deficit with less than four minutes remaining in the contest. Matt Sauk found Nate Green on a 25-yard touchdown pass with 22 seconds remaining to give Louisville the win. The Fire got the ball back by recovering an onside kick after a Rob Mager touchdown catch just 20 seconds earlier. The Knights had a chance to win the game, but a Sharif Najib 37-yard field goal was missed as the clock ran out. Sauk threw for 294 yards and seven TDs on 30-of-42 passing.
Rob Mager caught 15 passes, one shy of the af2 postseason record. Sauk and Mager are the two players who ignite the Fire on offense. Sauk had a banner year for Louisville, setting league records for completions (408), passing yards (4,489) and touchdown passes (99). Mager, despite playing in only 13 games, led the team in receiving with 125 receptions for 1,439 yards and 39 touchdowns. When the Fire have needed a big play, Mager has stepped up. Louisville enters the contest as one of the league's hottest teams with six straight wins. Sauk has thrown at least seven touchdowns in his last eight games. If Mager isn't open, Sauk looks to Dennis Fryzel, who grabbed 105 passes during the season or Cesare Manning, who totaled 24 touchdown catches. As a unit, the offense averaged 55.6 points per game in the regular season. On defense, Rob Green led the squad in tackles with 62.5 and in passes defended with 23 (3 INTs, 20 pass breakups). OL/DL Andrew Tippens leads the team with 4.5 sacks, 3.5 of which came in the Fire's win against the Wolves on July 23. The Louisville defense allowed 51.6 points per game during the regular season.
Doctor's Notes
The Wolves win against Albany in their regular season finale was a blessing for the team as they got a much needed week off to rest before this Friday's (August 12) second round playoff game against Louisville. Players such as OL/DL Jojo Oliphant (knee) and OL/DL Mike Wells (foot) should benefit from the extra rest and be ready to play this week.
Wolves players currently on the injured list are as follows:
Short Term: Heyward Skipper (WR/DB) - Ankle; Chris DiSanto (OL/DL) - Ankle
2005 ArenaCup Playoffs Underway
This past weekend began the 2005 ArenaCup playoffs with four wildcard games. The results of those games are shown below, along with a schedule of this weekend's second round games.
FIRST ROUND RESULTS:
W-B/SCRANTON 48, Green Bay 41 (3,102)
Louisville 55, MACON 54 (2,858)
Amarillo 59, OKLAHOMA CITY 56 (1,967)
RIO GRANDE VAL. 56, Quad City 38 (4,570)
SEMIFINALS SCHEDULE
American Conference
Friday, August 12
No. 3 Louisville at No. 2 Manchester 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 13
No. 4 W-B/Scranton at No. 1 Florida 7:30 p.m.
National Conference
Friday, August 12
No.6 Amarillo at No.1 Memphis 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 13
No.5 RGV at No.2 Tulsa 7:00 p.m.
This Week's Community Events Calendar
On Monday, August 8th, Manchester Wolves quarterback Jake Eaton and Head Coach Ben Bennett will be playing a round of golf at the Manchester Country Club for the Kristen's Gift charity. The two Wolves members will also be surrounded by other local celebrities.
On Tuesday, August 9th, Manchester Wolves mascot "Blitz," will be on hand at TGIFriday's on S. Willow Street for "Kid's Night." Blitz will be on hand signing autographs and pose for pictures from 7:30 - 8:30 PM.
On Tuesday, August 9th, Manchester Wolves players along with coaches Ben Bennett and Keith Easley will be attending the team's first-ever playoff dinner at Stage Door Cafe/Tipsy McStaggers on 96 Hanover Street. The event starts at 8 PM. Players will be available for autographs and pictures. Playoff tickets will also be raffled off!
On Saturday, August 13th, Manchester Wolves mascot "Blitz" will be on hand at Elliot Hospital between
9 - 10 AM for the Newborn Intensive Care Unit reunion. Blitz will be on hand for autographs and pictures.
On Saturday, August 13th, members of the Manchester Wolves and dance team will be on hand for the NH Youth Football Jamboree held at Campbell High School in Litchfield. The event is an all-day affair that begins at 8 AM. The players and dance team members will be on hand from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM signing autographs and posing for pictures.
On Saturday, August 13th, Wolves players J.J. McKelvey and Jamaal Perry and dance team members Kim Connors and Jessica Lencki, along with mascot "Blitz," will be on hand at the Sports Shoe Center in Londonderry, NH from 11:00 - 1:00 PM. WZID 95.7 FM will also be doing a live remote broadcast as well between those hours. The Sports Shoe Center is located in the Appletree Mall.
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