Pioneers break the curse, hold top spot in week 13 poll
Published on June 23, 2004 under arenafootball2 (af2) News Release
CHICAGO - For the first time in over eight weeks, the No. 1 ranked team is the same team as it was in the previous week, as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers remained in the top spot for Week 13, the league office announced today.
The Pioneers received 276 points including all but one of the first-place votes to convincingly hold onto the No. 1 ranking. Coming in second this week with 216 points was the Tennessee Valley Vipers, who moved up from the sixth spot a week ago. In third was the Birmingham Steeldogs with 196 points. The other team receiving a first-place vote this week was the Cape Fear Wildcats, who landed in the ninth spot with 136 points.
In addition to Vipers, six other teams moved up in this week's poll. The Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz went from seventh to fourth; the Tulsa Talons jumped from ninth to fifth; the Quad City Steamwheelers improved from eighth to sixth; the Wildcats moved from 10th to ninth; the Bakersfield Blitz changed from 12th to 10th and the San Diego Riptide (winners of four straight) cracked into the Top 12 for the first time this season at the No. 12 spot.
There are two games between ranked teams on the Week 13 schedule. No. 1 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton hosts No. 9 Cape Fear on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ET, and No. 10 Bakersfield travels to San Diego to take on the No. 12 Riptide on Saturday at 10:00 p.m. ET.
Each week during the season af2 coaches vote for the Top 12 teams in the league by ranking them one through 12 on a ballot. Teams ranked first receive 12 points with the point value decreasing by one for each place below first, meaning a team ranked 12th receives one point. Total points determine the Top 12 list. In the event of a tie in total points, the team with the greater number of first-place votes is ranked higher. The af2 Coaches' Poll is announced every Wednesday during the regular season. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team and the poll results have no bearing on postseason qualification.
WEEK 13 TOP 12
1. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (9-2): 276 pts (23); Last week: 1st
2. Tennessee Valley (8-3): 216 pts; Last week: 6th
3. Birmingham (8-3): 196 pts; Last week: 2nd
4. Oklahoma City (8-3): 186 pts; Last week: 7th
5. Tulsa (8-3): 156 pts; Last week: 9th
6. Florida (7-4): 149 pts; Last week: 3rd
7. Quad City (7-4): 148 pts; Last week: 8th
8. Louisville (7-4): 137 pts; Last week: 4th
9. Cape Fear (7-3): 136 pts; Last week: 10th
10. Bakersfield (7-4): 74 pts; Last week: 12th
11. Wichita (7-4): 72 pts; Last week: 5th
12. San Diego (5-5): 37 pts; Last week: Not in Top 12
Other teams receiving a significant amount of votes this week include Memphis (31 points).
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- Pioneers break the curse, hold top spot in week 13 poll - af2
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