Sports stats



af2 arenafootball2

Panui's Game Winner Named af2 Catch of the Week

April 21, 2009 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


Estero, FL- The arenafootball2 (af2) Florida Firecats announced today that receiver James Panui's touchdown reception with 16.7 seconds left in regulation last Saturday night was named "The Big Game" Catch of the Week for week four. The play, which broke a 62-62 tie, was Panui's fifth scoring reception of the game and proved to be the eventual game winner over Kentucky. Florida defeated their divisional rivals 68-62 at Germain Arena.

"The play didn't end up that way it was called," said Panui. "We had run the same play earlier; I told Wallace if the defender jumps the slant I'll break it off. The defender jumped and Chris threw me a perfect pass."

Panui got his first start in place of injured teammate Chris McKinney and responded with his biggest game in a Firecats uniform. Panui finished the night with 12 receptions for 131 yards and five TD's. He also had six kick returns for 61 yards.

"If it wasn't for Panui we probably don't win that game. He really opened my eyes as to what kind of a playmaker he is. He went up and over the defender and made a great play," Offensive Coordinator Clint Dolezel said. "You can bet that you'll see a lot more of him on the field."

Panui is in his second season with the Firecats. Last year he appeared in nine games for Florida snagging 34 receptions for 315 yards and eight touchdowns. He averaged 22.96 yards per return last year for the team. Born in Germany, Pauni is one of two international players on the Firecats roster this year.

With a 2-2 record the Firecats sit in second place in the American Conference South Division, ahead of the Tennessee Valley Vipers and the Kentucky Horsemen.

The Firecats head out on the road this Saturday for a divisional tilt with the Tennessee Valley Vipers on April 25th. Kick off is scheduled for 8:30pm. Fans can listen to the game on Fox Sports 1200/1460am.

Florida returns home next week to host the Corpus Christi Sharks on Friday May 1st. Call 239-390-CATS (2287) to reserve your seats or visit the team online at www.FloridaFirecats.com.

About The Big Game- From our humble beginnings over a decade ago, The Big Game quickly grew to become the leading producer of quality sports commemoratives for professional, college and high school sports teams. Since then, our impressive client roster has grown to include Fortune 500 corporations, politicians, movie stars, musicians - even American presidents! Today, our quality merchandise is proudly displayed in the trophy cases of thousands of athletes, sports collectors and fans across the United States. The Big Game uses special patented and proprietary techniques to provide attractive, durable products at a competitive cost regardless of quantity - all at our factory in historic Frisco, Texas. Our craftsmanship, attention to detail and creativity is good old American know-how at its finest. So whether you need to recognize your top 500 performers or a top 10 team, we're confident you'll find a Big Game commemorative that's just right for you. For more information, log onto www.thebiggameusa.com.

• Discuss this story on the arenafootball2 message board...

arenafootball2 Stories from April 21, 2009


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central