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SaberCats Retain Top Position, Rattlers Claim Second

March 21, 2012 - Arena Football League (AFL) News Release


CHICAGO - A bye week did not change the coaches' perception of the San Jose SaberCats (1-0), as they held a firm grip on their first place ranking in the Week 1 poll. Even without the perfect 16 first-place votes of last week, the Cats remain far beyond the competition - with 12 top votes and 137 total points. This week, they return to action against the poll's lone newcomer, the Utah Blaze (1-1), who find themselves ranked eighth after a convincing road victory in Iowa. The Blaze's pass rush looked unstoppable in that game, totaling an AFL record 10 sacks in a single outing. The two teams will face off in a Utah shootout late Saturday night.

A tough victory over the Milwaukee Mustangs reminded the voters of how explosive the Arizona Rattlers (1-1) offense can be, as they moved up to second in this week's poll, with 131 total points and two first-place votes. Reigning National Guard MVP Nick Davila leads the league in total offensive yardage and total touchdowns, throwing nine touchdown passes in the 71-65 victory. Davila's current play, along with WR Maurice Purify, is a large reason why the Rattlers have impressed early, even after a successful 2011 season. The Rattlers have Week 3 off, but will return to action March 29 against the Kansas City Command.

The Chicago Rush (1-0) dropped one place after their bye week and now sit at number three, but are still within reach of the top two spots. They, like Arizona, also received two first-place votes but finished with 121 total points. The Rush will host the Orlando Predators Thursday in the League's first action of Week Three.

The next two teams, the San Antonio Talons (1-1) and the Philadelphia Soul (1-0) have been propelled by exceptional quarterback play this season, which has led them to fourth and fifth in the Coaches' Poll this week, respectively. The Talons, even with their recent loss to Spokane, moved up two places from last week - evidence that some coaches may be getting déjà vu of another Aaron Garcia playoff run. Garcia threw six touchdown passes in the Talons 63-60 loss to Spokane. The Soul's Dan Raudabaugh was also quite effective last week, throwing eight touchdown passes in his season opener. Raudabaugh held off a resilient New Orleans VooDoo team 63-62, and the comeback could give them confidence heading into their in-state rivalry match versus Pittsburgh.

The sixth and seventh ranked teams, defending champion Jacksonville Sharks (1-0) and the Georgia Force (1-1), will meet each other in a Saturday game with major implications for the American Conference's South Division. Quarterback Chris Leak impressed in his AFL debut, throwing six touchdowns in the team's victory over the Kansas City Command. Leak will be challenged by a tough Georgia defense, who's reeling after a close loss last weekend to another division rival, the Tampa Bay Storm. Force QB R.J. Archer posted a near-perfect 141.35 rating in the loss, and will have to be at that level of accuracy to beat the Shark's second-ranked total defense.

Unchanged in this week's rankings is the number nine spot, which still belongs to the Pittsburgh Power (1-0). The team was assigned quarterback Bill Stull in their bye week, who is expected to start on Friday. No matter what, hosting the Soul should be motivation enough - as the two franchises renew their annual rivalry. Receivers Mike Washington and P.J. Berry still remain one of the most talented receiving corps in the League.

The Iowa Barnstormers home loss to Utah was enough to drop them six spots to number ten, rounding out the Week 2 Coaches' Poll. The Barnstormers are idle in the upcoming week, but have a looming showdown with Mid-western rival - the Chicago Rush.

WEEK 2 COACHES' POLL

RK Team (1st place votes) W-L Pts Last Week

1 San Jose SaberCats (12) 1-0 137 1

2 Arizona Rattlers (2) 1-1 131 3

3 Chicago Rush (2) 1-0 122 2

4 San Antonio Talons 1-1 119 6

5 Philadelphia Soul (1) 1-0 104 7

6 Jacksonville Sharks 1-0 70 8

7 Georgia Force 1-1 53 5

8 Utah Blaze 1-1 47 -

9 Pittsburgh Power 1-0 35 9

10 Iowa Barnstormers 1-1 31 4

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