Pirates Big Week Continues

Published on May 14, 2002 under arenafootball2 (af2) News Release

CHICAGO – Two major contributors to the Peoria Pirates' 81-56 win over the two-time arenafootball2 champion Quad City Steamwheelers earned league-wide recognition today.

The af2 league office announced that Peoria WR/LB JERMAINE SHEFFIELD and WR/DB LINCOLN DUPREE are the Week 7 ADT Defensive Player of the Week and Ironman of the Week, respectively. Other Week 7 honorees include: Tennessee Valley WR/DB REGGIE WORTHY (Offensive Player of the Week) and Augusta WR/LB CHRIS JOHNSON (Built Ford Tough Man of the Week).

Sheffield played a huge role in turning a tenuous 52-49 fourth-quarter lead into a 25-point victory, breaking Quad City's 17-game winning streak in the process. He returned three Steamwheeler fumbles for touchdowns down the stretch and also forced a fumble, intercepted a pass and totaled 4.0 tackles in the game.

Dupree swung the early momentum Peoria's way with his 40-yard missed field goal return for the Pirates' first touchdown. He later set up another TD with a 49-yard kickoff return. He racked up 208 all-purpose yards, with 57 yards as a receiver. Of his three receiving touchdowns, one gave Peoria the lead for good and two others answered Quad City TDs that put the Steamwheelers within striking distance. Dupree also made 3.0 tackles on the defensive side of the ball.

The Offensive and Built Ford Tough honorees are big reasons why their teams remain perfect on the season. Worthy rushed for a team-record and Week 7-high 49 yards on seven carries and scored three touchdowns. He also caught six passes for 38 yards and three TDs. His six total touchdowns set a team record and his three rushing touchdowns tied a team record for the Vipers, who moved to 5-0 with their 57-46 victory at Memphis.

Johnson's Stallions also are 5-0, thanks to Augusta's 48-47 win over Macon. Johnson had four receptions for 47 yards and two touchdowns in the game, adding 3.0 tackles, a forced fumble and a sack on defense.

Every team's coaching staff selects up to five players who display a "get it done" attitude after each game. At season's end, the league will honor the "Built Ford Tough" Man of the Year, a player who will win a Ford truck.

QUOTES FROM AROUND af2

"SOME FORGET THAT THIS IS A HIGH-CLASS, DEVELOPMENTAL LEAGUE, WITH PLAYERS JUST A STEP OR TWO BELOW THE NFL LEVEL. PLAYERS WE HAVE FACED LIKE TIM LESTER WITH MEMPHIS AND SHERARD POTEETE WITH THE BATTLE WINGS COULD MOVE TO THE NEXT HIGHER LEVEL AT THE END OF THIS SEASON." – Former Mobile Head Coach CHAD LINDSEY on the quality of af2.

"IT WAS A DIFFICULT THING TO DO, BUT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT HAD TO BE DONE. IT WAS DIFFICULT BECAUSE CHAD WAS A FIRST-YEAR HEAD COACH FOR A FIRST-YEAR EXPANSION TEAM THAT PLAYED A LOT OF GAMES ON THE ROAD. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S A BUSINESS OF WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY? WE NEEDED TO MAKE A CHANGE. WE WERE 0-6 AND WE WEREN'T BEING COMPETITIVE. YOU CAN HANDLE 0-6 IF YOU'RE COMPETITIVE AND SHOWING IMPROVEMENT EACH WEEK, BUT THAT WASN'T HAPPENING AND WE NEEDED TO MAKE A CHANGE." – Mobile Team Operator KEN STABLER on the firing of CHAD LINDSEY as head coach of the Wizards.

"SO THIS IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO WIN AN ARENA FOOTBALL GAME!" – Fresno OL/DL DERRICK JINKS after the Frenzy earned its first-ever win, 61-52 vs. Wichita.

"THEY CAME IN HERE WITH THEIR HEADS HIGH, THINKING THEY WERE GOING TO WHUP US THE WAY THEY DID LAST YEAR. IT WASN'T GOING TO HAPPEN THIS YEAR." – Peoria WR/DB LINCOLN DUPREE after Peoria's 81-56 win over Quad City.

"IT'S ALMOST LIKE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN THIS WAY." – Quad City WR/DB CHRIS ANTHONY after a rash of fourth-quarter turnovers turned the tide in Peoria's favor.

"I HONESTLY HAVE TO SAY, I'VE NEVER SEEN COACH COWDREY SHOW THAT KIND OF EMOTION. HE'S GOING BE MAD AT ME FOR TELLING, BUT THE BIG GUY GOT IN THE LOCKER ROOM AND STARTED CRYING. IT'S SO DESERVING, THIS NIGHT, FOR HIM. AND ANY PLAYER ON THIS TEAM SHOULD SEE THAT AND BE ASHAMED IF THEY DON'T WANT IT AS MUCH AS HE DOES." – Peoria OL/DL KEN BOUIE on Pirates Head Coach BRUCE COWDREY after Friday's win.

"IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. IT'S NOT THE END OF THE SEASON. WE'VE STILL GOT (PEORIA) COMING TO OUR PLACE. WE STILL HAVE 11 MORE GAMES TO GO.'' – Quad City QB TONY ZIMMERMAN on the loss.

"EVERYBODY WHO PLAYS US IS GOING TO BE SKIED UP, AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE A TEAM WITH A MAJORITY OF PLAYERS WHO HAVEN'T EARNED THEIR WINGS, HAVEN'T EARNED THE REPUTATION OF BEING DOMINANT, ARENA2 BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONS. THESE ARE FRESH NEW GUYS WHO HAVE TO LEARN WHAT IT TAKES TO BE CHAMPIONS." – Quad City Head Coach RICH INGOLD on the loss at Peoria.

"IT WAS AMAZING. I WAS IN THE ZONE AND DIDN'T HEAR A THING. I'VE NEVER HAD A WINNING KICK IN MY LIFE AND I CAN'T EXPLAIN THE FEELING." – San Diego K RYAN GEISLER after his 40-yard field goal at the buzzer gave the Riptide a 52-50 win at Hawaii.

"I KNEW (GEISLER) WAS GOING TO MAKE IT. I TOLD EVERYONE TO GRAB A HAND AND BELIEVE. RYAN PUT IT RIGHT DOWN THE CENTER." – San Diego QB KANE CLAUNCH.

"THIS WAS A HARD ONE TO TAKE. THE GUYS WERE PUTTING IT ALL ON THE LINE. EVERYBODY FELT LIKE WE WON IT WITH SECONDS LEFT, BUT THAT'S ARENA BALL FOR YOU. SAN DIEGO BATTLED AS HARD AS WE DID. WHAT A GREAT GAME TO WATCH." – Hawaii Head Coach CHAD CARLSON about losing on the last play after scoring a go-ahead TD with 7.6 seconds left.

"IN THE HUDDLE, I SAID, ‘GUYS, I'M RUNNING THE BALL AND PUTTING IT IN THE END ZONE.'" – Albany QB RYAN VENA, who rushed for the winning TD with 10 seconds left, beating Mohegan 41-35.

"WE'RE JELLING TOGETHER. EVERYBODY'S STARTING TO CLICK. WE'RE STARTING TO FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH ONE ANOTHER." – Roanoke WR/LB ANTHONY HINES on the Steam, which has won four straight games.

"WE AIN'T EVEN PAYING (THE VIPERS) NO ATTENTION. WE'RE WORRYING ABOUT SUSHI. WE'RE THINKING ABOUT FISH." – Birmingham WR/DB CEDRICK BUCHANNON prior to the Steeldogs' 48-40 win over the Pensacola Barracudas. Birmingham (5-1) plays division rival Tennessee Valley (5-0) this week.

"THEY DON'T LIKE US AND WE DON'T LIKE THEM. THIS IS A BIG TIME RIVALRY AND WE KNOW WE HAVE TO COME READY TO PLAY." – Birmingham FB/LB DeJUAN WASHINGTON on this week's game against the Vipers.

"WE HAVE TO WIN. I VOWED TO SHAVE MY HEAD IF WE LOST AND I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THE PLAYERS WOULDN'T ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN TO ME." – Louisville Team Operator WILL WOLFORD on this week's game against Columbus.

"I WILL MATCH WILL'S CHALLENGE BY PLEDGING TO SHAVE MY HEAD IF THE LOUISVILLE FIRE WINS." – TONY VANETTI, Louisville sports talk radio host, on this week's Louisville-Columbus game.

"I STILL LIKE PLAYING, BUT I'VE BEEN STRUGGLING TO MAKE BOTH WORK," CLAYTON SAID. "I'M DEFINITELY DISAPPOINTED. IN MY HEART, I KNEW THAT WORKING WITH THE KIDS WAS MY FUTURE. I THOUGHT I'D BE ABLE TO MAKE IT WORK OUT BETTER FOR BOTH THIS TIME, BUT I SEE NOW, IT'S JUST TOO MUCH." – Former Pensacola QB BOBBY CLAYTON as his decision to retire from football to focus on his high school teaching and coaching career.

"ANYTHING TO DO WITH KIDS, I'M ALL FOR. THE PLAYERS ENJOY IT AND IT PUTS THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE. WE WANT TO WIN AND WE TAKE OUR JOBS SERIOUSLY, BUT IT'S A GAME AND WE'RE HERE TO ENTERTAIN THE FANS." – Cape Fear Head Coach CHRIS SIEGFRIED on the Wildcats' community outreach.

"I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE TEAM, ABOUT OUR WIDE RECEIVERS AND WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. I'VE BEEN LUCKY. WHEREVER I WENT I'VE BEEN A WINNER. THIS IS MY BACKYARD. I WANT MY GRANDPARENTS TO SEE ME PLAY ONE MORE TIME. I WANT MY FAMILY ALL TOGETHER TO SEE ME PLAY." – Former Tennessee Valley QB BRYAN SNYDER, who signed with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last week. Snyder was a high school and collegiate standout in the area.

"I'M IN MY HOMETOWN. HOW COULD I NOT ENJOY THAT?" – Columbus FB/LB DEMARCO JOHNSON, who went to high school in the Columbus area.

"I PLAY OFFENSE, I PLAY DEFENSE, AND I PLAY ON SPECIAL TEAMS. I JUST TRY TO KEEP MY MOTOR RUNNING THE WHOLE GAME AND BE INVOLVED IN EVERY PLAY." – Memphis WR/LB JESSE ALLEN, who was af2's ADT Defensive Player of the Week for Week 7.

arenafootball2 Stories from May 14, 2002

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• Brigade Game Notes - Rochester Brigade
• Wildcats Game Notes - South Georgia Wildcats

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