San Antonio Shakes up Coaches' Poll
Published on July 11, 2012 under Arena Football League (AFL) News Release
CHICAGO - The tables have turned in this week's Coaches' Poll, with the San Antonio Talons (13-3) knocking the Arizona Rattlers (12-4) out of first place and taking the number one spot in Week 19.
Moving up from third place and into first are the Talons, holding the number one spot with 154 points and 10 first place votes. San Antonio defeated the Chicago Rush (9-7) last week, 61-54, clinching the Central Division title and extending their winning-streak to an impressive 10 games. Quarterback Aaron Garcia will start his 204th career game in Week 19 as he and the Talons take on the Arizona Rattlers (12-4) this Friday night. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET.
The Philadelphia Soul (14-3) retains the second spot in the Poll with 150 points and seven first place votes. Last week, the Soul had a 62-48 victory over the Spokane Shock (8-8), extending their winning-streak to seven games. Philadelphia is the first team in AFL history to score 80 points four times in a season. The Soul will head into Week 19 with a bye.
The Utah Blaze (11-5) jumped up one spot into third after snapping the Arizona Rattlers' seven-game win streak in Week 18. This win put the Blaze on a franchise-record five game win streak. Quarterback Tommy Grady leads the League with a record 125 passing touchdowns on the year. The Blaze will host the Cleveland Gladiators (7-9) on "NET10 Arena Football Friday" on the NFL Network. The game is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.
After a 49-62 upset against the Blaze, the Rattlers moved down from first into fourth place in this week's Coaches' Poll. Despite the loss, the Rattlers still lead the West Division, but only one game ahead of the Blaze. This Friday, Arizona travels to San Antonio to take on the Talons.
Remaining in fifth place are the San Jose SaberCats (11-6). Last week, San Jose defeated New Orleans (8-8), 55-31. Defensive lineman Joe Sykes broke Gabe Nyenhuis' single-season AFL record of 15.5 sacks in Week 18. The SaberCats play the Iowa Barnstormers (6-10) at home this Saturday night. Kickoff is set for 10:30 p.m. ET.
WEEK 19 COACHES' POLL
RK Team (1ST place votes) W-L Pts Last Week
1 San Antonio Talons (10) 13-3 154 3
2 Philadelphia Soul (7) 14-3 150 2
3 Utah Blaze 11-5 125 4
4 Arizona Rattlers 12-4 123 1
5 San Jose SaberCats 11-6 98 5
6 Chicago Rush 9-7 67 6
7 Spokane Shock 8-8 61 7
8 Jacksonville Sharks 8-8 54 9
9 New Orleans VooDoo 8-8 52 8
10 Georgia Force 8-8 35 10
Arena Football League Stories from July 11, 2012
- Talons Host Playoff Game on July 27 with National Broadcast on NFL Network - San Antonio Talons
- Mustangs give back to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin on July 14 - Milwaukee Mustangs
- Jeremy Kellem Talks Faith, Football and Life at Bottom Line Luncheon - New Orleans VooDoo
- AFL Announces Avitae Arenabowl XXV Sweepstakes - AFL
- Inflatamaniacs to Perform at Saturday's Game - Jacksonville Sharks
- San Antonio Shakes up Coaches' Poll - AFL
- 21 Questions with VooDoo Doll Ayesha - New Orleans VooDoo
- Richardson, Hughley Earn Weekly League Awards - Philadelphia Soul
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
