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AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

Pike Earns Offensive Honors

August 19, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release


CHICAGO – After defense guided Peoria to two consecutive playoff victories, it was the offense's time to shine with the National Conference Championship on the line in Birmingham. QB MATT PIKE led the Pirates to an impressive 79-33 victory over the Steeldogs, sending the Pirates home to host ArenaCup 2002.

Pike picked apart Birmingham's defense in Saturday's victory, completing 20-of-32 passes for 272 yards and eight touchdowns. Peoria's 79 points were the second most all-time for an af2 playoff contest and Pike's eight touchdown passes were one shy of AARON SPARROW's postseason mark of nine set in 2000 for Augusta against Carolina. Pike hooked up with six different receivers, throwing touchdowns to five of them, as Peoria claimed the 46-point win.

Florida DS ROY STABLER backed up last week's Built Ford Tough Player of the Week performance with a 12-tackle performance in the Firecats' 43-29 victory at Cape Fear Saturday, earning ADT Defensive Player of the Week recognition in the process. Stabler's first-quarter interception led to a BRANDON KORNBLUE field goal while his fumble recovery in the fourth quarter was the backbreaker, ending a Wildcat drive and setting up Florida's final score of the game.

Stabler's teammate ANTHONY DIXON garners Ironman of the Week honors. Dixon scored the game-winning touchdown and scored two of Florida's previous TDs. With eight receptions, Dixon maintained his streak of catching a pass in every Florida game since the team's inception. He finished the game with 52 yards and three touchdowns on offense but helped the Firecats' stellar defensive effort by adding six tackles.

Peoria DS/KR LINCOLN DUPREE is this week's Built Ford Tough Player of the Week recipient after spearheading the Pirates' ferocious defense at Birmingham. As the Pirates teed off on Steeldog receivers, Dupree racked up a game-high eight tackles and forced a fumble. The Eastern Michigan University product set up two Peoria touchdown drives with an interception and a recovered fumble, both in the fourth quarter. With six seconds remaining in the third quarter, Dupree ran back a kickoff 50 yards for his second return TD of the postseason and finished the game with 97 return yards.

Following each game, each team's coaching staff selects one to five players who display a "get it done" attitude as their "Built Ford Tough Men" for that week. This Thursday at the af2 Awards Banquet, the league will honor the Built Ford Tough Man of the Year, a player whose on-field performance and off-field impact in his community will earn him a Ford truck. Other candidates for the league's Offensive, Defensive and Ironman players of the week – chosen by the working media at each af2 game – follow in the Conference Championship Results section.

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QUOTES FROM AROUND af2

"THIS TEAM HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT BOUNCING BACK. WE KEPT FIGHTING AND FIGHTING AND FIGHTING. TONIGHT, WE FOUGHT A LITTLE LONGER." – Florida WR/DB ANTHONY DIXON on surviving a late comeback from Cape Fear to win 43-29.

"AFTER ALL THE CRAP WE'VE BEEN THROUGH, THIS IS SWEET. YOU CAN WRITE A BOOK ABOUT WHAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS YEAR. BUT WE DIDN'T GIVE UP ON OURSELVES. NOBODY ELSE THOUGHT WE COULD MAKE IT THIS FAR. EVERY WEEK SOMEBODY IS DISRESPECTING US, AND EVERY WEEK WE PROVE THEM WRONG." – Florida OS MAGIC BENTON on how the Firecats have overcome distractions this season.

"I'M A GOOD COACH, AND I'VE GOT GOOD COACHES WITH ME. I JUST TOLD (TEAM MANAGEMENT) TO LET ME COACH AND WE'LL TAKE THEM TO A CHAMPIONSHIP. EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE ALL YEAR HAS BEEN JUSTIFIED." – Florida Head Coach JOHN FOURCADE on staying true to his word.

"IT'S GREAT THE WAY HE SET THE WAY. I REALLY LIKE HIM. I RESPECT HIM A LOT AS A PLAYER – THE PATH THAT HE TOOK. I'M WRITING MY OWN LITTLE STORY, I GUESS. I HAD TO GO TO arena2. HE WAS IN ARENA1." – Former Florida QB KEN MASTROLE on his respect for KURT WARNER and attempt to follow in his footsteps. Mastrole is fighting for the third quarterback spot with the Chicago Bears and tossed a 15-yard game-winning score in the Bears' preseason win over the St. Louis Rams Friday.

"I WOULD BE SURPRISED IF LESS THAN EIGHT OR NINE OF OUR GUYS GOT SIGNED BY (ARENA FOOTBALL LEAGUE) TEAMS. I WON'T BE SURPRISED IF THERE'S MORE. I PRIDE MYSELF ON RECRUITING GREAT PLAYERS." – Cape Fear Head Coach CHRIS SIEGFRIED on the possibility of losing many of his players from the Atlantic Division Championship team.

"WE KNEW THEY HAD THEIR BALLOONS READY AND THEIR T-SHIRTS READY AND THEY WERE SAYING HOW THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME WAS GOING TO BE HERE NEXT WEEK. SOMEBODY IS GOING TO HAVE TO RESPECT US ONE DAY. TO BE HONEST, I HOPE THEY WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR." – Florida's ANTHONY DIXON on the Firecats' motivation at Cape Fear.

"WE RAN HIM ON A BACKSIDE POST, TOLD (QUARTERBACK) MATT PIKE TO CHECK ON HIM, BECAUSE WE FELT WE HAD A MISMATCH AGAINST (MICHAEL FEAGIN). THEY NEVER REALLY ADJUSTED TO US. THERE'S A KID WHO BUGGED US FOR A CHANCE TO PLAY. HEY, AT LEAST WE WERE ALL GENIUS ENOUGH TO PUT HIM IN THERE." – Peoria Head Coach BRUCE COWDREY on LARRY HENDERSON's game-opening 30-yard touchdown reception in the Pirates' 79-33 win at Birmingham.

"I'VE NEVER SEEN OFFENSE LIKE THAT IN A GAME OF THIS CALIBER. OUR GUYS UP FRONT HELD THEM OUT, AND OUR RECEIVERS RAN PERFECT ROUTES, DID WHATEVER THEY WANTED TO DO. WE KNEW WE HAD TO COME OUT, GET ON TOP AND KEEP TURNING THE KNIFE ON THEM. CAN WE PLAY BETTER THAN THIS? I HOPE SO. NEXT WEEK." – Peoria QB MATT PIKE on the Pirates' overwhelming offensive night against Birmingham.

"THE LEAGUE DIDN'T GIVE US A CHANCE, THE BIRMINGHAM TEAM TALKED IT UP IN THE NEWSPAPERS AND GAVE US ABSOLUTELY NO RESPECT, AND YOU BET WE WERE UPSET ABOUT THAT. IT WAS TOTAL DESTRUCTION OUT THERE TONIGHT. WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO PLAY A COMPLETE GAME ALL YEAR, AND I THINK TONIGHT WE GOT IT DONE." – Peoria OL/DL DEMOND GIBSON on the Pirates' quest for respect.

"I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE JOB THESE KIDS DID. PEOPLE GAVE UP ON US, QUESTIONED OUR KIDS, OUR COACHES WHILE WE WENT THROUGH A THREE-GAME LOSING STREAK. WE HAD A PLAN. AND THAT PLAN SURE WORKED TONIGHT. I WAS A BIT SURPRISED (BIRMINGHAM) STAYED IN A SOFT ZONE AGAINST US, BUT I'M NOT SURE WE GAVE THEM MUCH CHOICE. THEY WERE AFRAID WE'D RUN RIGHT BY THEM." – Peoria Head Coach BRUCE COWDREY on executing the Pirates' game plan and proving doubters wrong.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from August 19, 2002


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