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August 9, 2007 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


GAMES ON - af2/B2 FEATURED GAMES IN FIRST ROUND: The arenafootball2 league (af2) has established a new, extensive online network to provide the league's passionate fan base an opportunity to view a vast number of games through the internet. Thanks to a new league partnership with industry leader B2 Networks, fans across the globe are now be able to bring all the action of af2 football right to their home computer or laptop. To tune into the action, fans can log on to www.af2.com and click on the special advertisement located at the top right-hand corner of the page. Viewers looking to enjoy the games via B2 will only need a high-speed internet connection and Windows Media Player 9 or higher. Games are available for the normal B2 rate of just $6. This week there are two (2) af2 games available though B2. The Second Round online broadcast schedule is detailed below. All times listed are Eastern.

Second Round Playoff Schedule:

Friday, August 10

No. 7 Louisville (10-7) at No. 3 Green Bay (10-7) 8:30 PM

Saturday, August 11

No. 5 Central Valley (11-6) at No. 1 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (15-2) 7:00 PM

OFF THE NET/week 20/SECOND round: The arenafootball2 league (af2) online radio show, "Off the Net," the only internet radio show devoted solely to af2, will air its 20th show of the season today, Thursday, August 9g7, on www.af2.com. This week's show features special in-depth interviews with Green Bay Blizzard Owner BRIAN NOBLE, Central Valley kicker MICHAEL BJORK and RICH BOCCHINI, PR Director and radio play-by-play voice of the Rio Grande Valley Dorados. The program will also include news and notes from around the af2 as the league enters the 20th week of the 2007 season. Fans can easily access the program by clicking on a special "Off the Net" advertisement located at the lower right hand corner of af2.com. The show will be available online late this afternoon. "Off the Net," now in its second season, airs every Thursday throughout the regular season and continues all the way until an ArenaCup Champion is crowned in late August. The show is designed to bring af2 fans even closer to their favorite game with in-depth news, interesting interviews and fun feature stories. Veteran broadcaster Dean Jackson serves as host.

ARENACUP8 INTRODUCES TOP-FLIGHT TICKET PLAN: ArenaCup8, the championship game of arenafootball2, returns to the CenturyTel Center in Bossier City, La. on Saturday, August 25, and fans can now take advantage of a tremendous ticket promotion. For a limited time, each fan who purchases four sideline seats ($24.75 each), receives complimentary roundtrip airfare for two to over 30 resort destinations including Hawaii, Mexico, Las Vegas, New York, Orlando and more. To place your order or for more information, call toll free 888-277-5526. Fans can also visit www.flyfreeamerica.com/arenacup for details.

INGOLD SETS ALL-TIME COACHING WIN MARK: W-B/Scranton Head Coach RICH INGOLD is now the winningest coach in af2 history. Ingold set the new bar by recording his 58th career win on Saturday night as the Pioneers defeated Tri-Cities, 57-54, in the first round of the 2007 af2 playoffs. The veteran coach's record-setting victory was also his first af2 playoff win. He guided W-B/Scranton to a 14-2 regular season record in 2007. CHRIS SIEGFRIED, the former leader in career coaching wins, now stands in second place all-time with 57 wins. The only other active coach with 50+ career wins is Manchester Head Coach BEN BENNETT. Bennett is third on the all-time list with 56 career victories. Ingold became the fourth coach in league history to win 50 games in Week 8 at Tennessee Valley. Bennett joined the 50-win club with a Week 9 win at Mahoning Valley. Florida's KEVIN BOUIS became the newest member of the 40-career win club in Week 16 with the Firecats' 55-44 road win at Alabama. Bouis, in just his third year as an af2 head coach, is the 11th coach in league history to win 40 or more games. Louisville's TOMMY JOHNSON became the tenth coach to hit 40 wins earlier this season and currently ranks sixth on the all-time list with 48 victories.

TOP ALL-TIME COACHING VICTORIES

NAME WINS

1. Rich Ingold* 58

2. Chris Siegfried 57

3. Ben Bennett* 56

4. Kevin Guy 52

5. Bobby Humphrey 51

* denotes active coaches

INGOLD's af2 COACHING CAREER AT A GLANCE:

Regular Postseason Overall Year Team W L Pct W L Pct W L Pct 2002 Quad City 10 6 .625 - - - 10 6 .625 2003 Quad City 14 2 .875 0 1 .000 14 3 .824 2004 Quad City 10 6 .625 0 1 .000 10 7 .588 2006 W-B/S 9 7 .563 0 1 .000 9 8 .529 2007 W-B/S 14 2 .875 1 0 1.000 15 2 .882 Career Totals 57 23 .713 1 3 .250 58 26 .690

CARTER'S JERSEY RETIRED BY TWISTERS: The Arkansas Twisters honored one of their greatest players by hanging Kahlil Carter's number 9 jersey from the Alltel Arena rafters, forever retiring the number he wore as a Twisters player. The jersey was retired on Saturday during a halftime ceremony at the Twisters first home playoff game in four years. Carter will always be remembered for being a key member of the historic 2003 team that advanced to the franchise's first conference final. The Twisters had the top-ranked defense that season and Carter led the league with 14 interceptions, a team record that still stands. He also set a team record with 59 pass deflections with no other Twisters player with even 40. He earned af2 Defensive Player of the Year that season as well, and went on to sign a contract with the NFL's Buffalo Bills. After going to training with the Bills, Carter has had successful stints in the Arena Football League and the Canadian Football League. He is the first former Twisters player to play in an ArenaBowl championship. He is currently a starter with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL. Carter returned to the Twisters this season to help as a volunteer assistant coach working with the defensive backs. The "Land Sharks" as the defensive backs became known as, along with linebacker Kevin Williams, set a team record with 33 interceptions, with Jason Simpson and Pierre Thomas becoming just the second set of teammates with 100 tackles each in the same season. Simpson broke the af2 record for tackles in a season with 142.5.

BACOTE, HUGHLEY, MILLER, REED, MCFADDEN EARN FIRST ROUND HONORS: Bossier-Shreveport wide receiver/linebacker MARC BACOTE, Tulsa wide receiver JEFF HUGHLEY, Central Valley defensive back AARON MILLER and Bossier-Shreveport defensive lineman ELEX REED have been named the U.S. Army Ironman, Schutt Offensive Player and ADT Co-Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, for the First Round of the 2007 ArenaCup Playoffs. In addition to these three awards, the af2 is also highlighting the player who makes the best catch of the week. The Cutters Catch of the Week Award for the first round goes to Tri-Cities wide receiver LEROY MCFADDEN.

Bacote (6-5, 218, James Madison), in his fifth af2 season, had an impressive all-around effort for Bossier-Shreveport in the team's 62-40 first round road playoff victory against Arkansas on Saturday. The veteran from James Madison made his presence felt primarily on defense with 2.5 tackles, three pass breakups and an 11-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the third quarter. Bacote also contributed on offense with an eight-yard touchdown catch. This is the first Ironman of the Week Award of Bacote's career. Defensively, Bacote was one of the Battle Wings' top performers in 2007, tallying 35.5 total tackles, two interceptions (one return TD) and two fumble recoveries (one return TD). He also played a valuable part on the offensive side with 17 catches for 133 yards and six scores. Hughley (5-8, 165, Averett), in his first af2 season, had a strong individual showing on offense for Tulsa in the team's 65-27 first round home win against rival Oklahoma City on Saturday. The rookie from Averett was a major player for the Talons, catching a game-high 11 passes for 119 yards and a first-round best four receiving scores. Hughley's performance was a big reason why Tulsa was able to defeat the Yard Dawgz for the third straight time in 2007. This is the second consecutive week Hughley has received a league award. He was also named Ironman of the Week for Week 18. Offensively, Hughley was the Talons' top overall performer this season, leading the squad in scoring (198 points), total touchdowns (33 - 26 receiving, 3 rushing, 3 kick return, 1 INT return), receptions (84), receiving yards (1,069), receiving TDs (26), kick return touchdowns (3 - T1st in af2), kick return yards (1,363 - 4th in af2) and all-purpose yards (2,515 - 6th in af2). He also contributed on defense with 20.5 total tackles and one interception return for a score. Miller (6-2, 205, Oklahoma) in his second af2 season, was an impact player on defense in Coyotes' 42-41 come-from-behind first round playoff win at Manchester. The former Sooner created crucial opportunities for Central Valley's fourth quarter comeback with two interceptions of Wolves' QB Mark Radlinski in the final 15 minutes of play. Miller also recorded five total tackles and one pass breakup to help boost the Coyotes to their first-ever postseason victory. This is the second weekly af2 award of Miller's career. He also earned Defensive Player of the Week honors earlier this year (Week 8). Reed (6-5, 295, Mary Harden-Baylor) was a force up front for Bossier-Shreveport in the team's first round road win at Arkansas. The Battle Wings rookie from Mary Harden-Baylor carried over his impressive regular season play into the postseason by registering a new league postseason record 3.5 sacks against the Twisters. Reed also forced two fumbles and recovered one fumble in the team's first-ever postseason contest. This is the second weekly af2 award of Reed's career. He also earned Defensive Player of the Week honors for his stellar defensive play in Week 3. McFadden (6-4, 265, Michigan State) earned the Cutters Catch of the Week Award for his leaping, one-handed touchdown grab on a fade pass from 10 yards out in the second quarter. The veteran from Michigan State, in his fifth season, scored three touchdowns on the night, two receiving (6 catches, 53 yards) and one rushing. In the end, however, the first-year Fever came up three points short against No. 1 seed Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 57-54, in a first round affair played Saturday. McFadden, despite playing in just nine regular season games for Tri-Cities, ranked fourth on the team in receiving with 49 catches for 538 yards and nine touchdowns.

REED SETS SINGLE GAME SACK MARK: Bossier-Shreveport rookie DL ELEX REED has had an incredible rookie season, menacing opposing offenses for a league-best 24 tackles for loss. He also ranked second in the af2 with 17.5 sacks. His outstanding personal play continued in the Battle Wings' first-round playoff win last week at Arkansas. In the contest, Reed set a new league single-game postseason record with 3.5 sacks against the Twisters. The previous playoff high-water mark for most sacks in a playoff game was 3.0, set on two occasions, both coming in 2006. JERRY TURNER (Bakersfield at Central Valley, 8/4/06) and BARRET ALLEN (Oklahoma City vs. Arkansas, 8/5/06) each recorded three sacks in a postseason contest last year. Reed, a first-year player from Mary-Harden Baylor also forced two fumbles and recovered one to help the Battle Wings overcome Arkansas.

STORM CHASER CATCHES ON WITH DETROIT PISTONS DANCE TEAM: The Mahoning Valley Thunder announced earlier this week that Storm Chasers Choreographer Chelsea Howe earned a spot on the NBA's Detroit Pistons Dance Team, Automotion. Howe spent this past year with the Thunder as the coordinator for the Storm Chasers dance team. During her season with Storm Chasers, Howe was active in a variety of community events, public appearances and Thunder events. Prior to joining the af2 family with Mahoning Valley, Howe spent the 2005-06 NBA season dancing with the Seattle Sonics Dance Team. With the Sonics, she performed at over 40 home games in front of 17,000 people, attended charity and promotional events, and had the opportunity to work closely with some of the most innovative choreographers of our time. She was also featured as Ms. May in the Sonics Swimsuit Calendar.

THIRD TIME NOT A CHARM FOR FLORIDA: The Florida Firecats finished with 11 regular season wins and earned another division title in the process, but were unable to carry over their success into a deep postseason run. Florida, a team that suffered just five defeats in the regular season, had to face the only team that beat them twice this year, the South Georgia Wildcats. The third time wasn't a charm for the Firecats in the first round as South Georgia had the winning formula yet again, 59-50.

NOTABLE REMATCHES: Three of this weekend's four second round matchups include familiar foes playing each other for at least the second time in 2007. Louisville and Green Bay split their season series, 1-1, with each team winning on their home field. The Fire won the first matchup on June 2 in overtime, 39-33,xc while the Blizzard dominated the second affair on July 20, 74-48. Bossier-Shreveport and Rio Grande Valley split their season series as well, 1-1. Bossier-Shreveport earned a 52-48 victory in Week 4 and Rio Grande Valley claimed the second contest in Week 16, 42-39. South Georgia and Tulsa played just once this year, but that head-to-head matchup came two weeks ago. The Talons earned a 64-54 home win in that contest, but needed a 29-7 run in the fourth quarter to overcome the Wildcats. All three rematches should be exciting affairs.

WIN STREAKING: Rio Grande Valley and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton have enjoyed two of the longest win steaks in af2 history this year. The Dorados win streak is still active at 14 straight games while the Pioneers saw their 13-game streak broken at Manchester in Week 16. Below is a chart detailing the most impressive win streaks in league history.

Most Consecutive Games Won (Regular Season & Playoffs)

24 Quad City, 19 games in 2000; 5 games in 2001

17 Quad City, 13 games in 2001; 4 games in 2002

14 Quad City, 14 games in 2003

14 Rio Grande Valley, 2007*

14 Tennessee Valley, 2003

13 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 2007

10 Three teams tied (MR: Manchester, 10 games in 2005)

* Still active

Most Consecutive Games Won, Regular Season

16 Quad City, 2000

14 Quad City, 2003

14 Tennessee Valley, 2003

13 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 2007

13 Rio Grande Valley, 2007*

10 Four teams tied (MR: Manchester, 2005)

* Still active

2007 af2 PLAYOFF SCHEDULE & RESULTS: The champion of the American Conference will meet the champion of the National Conference in the 2007 ArenaCup on Saturday, August 25 at the CenturyTel Center in Bossier City, La. Sixteen teams qualified for the playoffs, eight from each conference (American and National). The eight qualifying teams in each conference consisted of the three division champions and five Wild Cards, determined by best overall record. Seeding in each conference was based on overall record, with the top three seeds in each conference reserved for the division champions, regardless of record. In the First Round (August 3-5), the first three seeds in each conference are the three division winners. The next five teams were seeded by next best five overall records. Teams ranked 1-4 earn home playoff games with 1 hosting 8, 2 hosting 7, 3 hosting 6 and 4 hosting 5. In the Second Round (August 10-12), the winner of the 1-8 game plays the winner of the 4-5 game. The winner of the 2-7 game plays the winner of the 3-6 game. The home team is decided by the team with the higher seed. The winners of the Second Round will meet for the Conference Championships on the weekend of August 17-19. The team with the better overall record hosts the Conference Championship game. The winners of the Conference Championships face off in the 2007 ArenaCup.

AMERICAN CONFERENCE

First Round (All times Eastern)

Friday, August 3

Green Bay 39, QUAD CITY 34 (2,562)

Central Valley 42, MANCHESTER 41 (3,481)

Saturday, August 4

Louisville 62, SPOKANE 35 (8,272)

W-B/SCRANTON 57, Tri-Cities 54 (4,645)

Second Round

Friday, August 10

No. 7 Louisville (10-7) at No. 3 Green Bay (10-7) 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, August 11

No. 5 Central Valley (11-6) at No. 1 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (15-2) 7:00 p.m.

Conference Finals

TBD

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

First Round (All times Eastern)

Saturday, August 4, 2007

South Georgia 59, FLORIDA 50 (5,032)

Bossier-Shreveport 62, ARKANSAS 40 (4,516)

TULSA 65, Oklahoma City 27 (3,151)

Sunday, August 5, 2007

RIO GRANDE VALLEY 44, Alabama 41 (4,997)

Second Round

Friday, August 10

No. 5 Bossier-Shreveport (12-5) at No. 1 Rio Grande Valley 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, August 11

No. 6 South Georgia (11-6) at No. 2 Tulsa (15-2) 8:00 p.m.

Conference Finals

TBD



arenafootball2 Stories from August 9, 2007


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