Saturday Night Matchups

July 17, 2009 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release

PEORIA PIRATES (5-9) AT KENTUCKY HORESMEN (9-5)

SATURDAY, July 18, 2009 - Rupp Arena (23,000) 7:00 P.M. ET

Saturday night's af2 action kicks off with the Peoria Pirates facing the Kentucky Horsemen in Lexington. This will be Kentucky's regular season home finale. The Horsemen are 6-1 at Rupp Arena this season. The Pirates are looking to score the upset to even the series and keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Last week Peoria's offense was on fire in a 76-34 victory at home against the Mahoning Valley Thunder. The 76 points scored was a season high for the Pirates. QB LUKE DRONE completed 19-of-27 passes for 212 yards and six touchdowns. He hit WR DANTE RIDGEWAY six times for 102 yards and four touchdowns. Ridgeway has a team-best 64 catches for 904 yards and 20 TDs. WR DARREN PAIGE added seven catches, as well as 71 yards to the team's statistics. The Pirates' defense was even more impressive, holding the Thunder to a shutout in the first quarter of the game. DB BRANDON HAMPTON earned the Aaron's Defensive Player of the Week award for his heroic performance which included a team-record tying four interceptions, including two he returned for touchdowns (31, 45). He also had a fumble recovery in the end zone for a touchdown and recorded six total tackles. The Pirates have won three of their last four games. With their two-point win over Tennessee Valley last week, the Kentucky Horsemen are amped and ready to continue their four-game winning streak this weekend. Kentucky enters the week ranked No. 9 in the latest league coaches poll. QBs JARED LORENZEN (11-of-22) and JUSTIN RASCATI (11-of-17) contributed to five of the team's six touchdowns against the South Division-leading Vipers. The duo also rushed for a combined 47 yards with Lorenzen running one into the end zone. WRs HARRY LEWIS and LONNELL DEWALT each had two touchdown catches. Dewalt leads the club with 32 TD receptions on the season. As a team, Kentucky ranks fourth in the af2 in scoring, averaging 60.9 points per game. DB DOMINIC ROSS rightfully claimed the No. 1 tackling position in Week 16's top performances list with an astounding 14.5 tackles (13 solo, 3 assisted). His efforts, along with the rest of the defense, held Tennessee Valley without a point in the third quarter. Overall, the Horsemen rank second in the league with 29 interceptions. The Pirates have been playing better, but their defense will need to slow down Kentucky's potent offense if they hope to tame the Horsemen on their home turf.

TENNESEE VALLEY VIPERS (10-4) AT FLORIDA FIRECATS (6-8)

SATURDAY, JULY 18, 2009 - Germain Arena (7,128) 7:30 P.M. ET

The Florida Firecats host the Tennessee Valley Vipers this week in their third head-to-head meeting of the season. The Vipers are 2-0 against the Firecats in 2009 and own a 9-7 advantage in the all-time series. In last week's game, Tennessee Valley was unable to continue its four-game winning streak, suffering a two-point loss at Kentucky, 42-40. The Vipers started and ended the game strong with a combined 33 points in the first and fourth quarters, however, they lacked the strength and drive in the second and third quarters, scoring a total of seven points. Tennessee Valley is currently ranked No. 6 in the latest league coaches poll. QB KEVIN EAKIN, who ranks No. 8 individually in total offensive yards, completed 68% of his passes (24-of-37) and was responsible for four of the team's six touchdowns. WR/DB TRAVIS BLANCHARD kept his team in the game with five kickoff returns for 116 yards and two rushing touchdowns. The Vipers defense, which ranks as the league's No. 1 scoring defense, had a solid game, led by --DB DESMOND FOSTER, with eight solo tackles. The team also snatched one interception and sacked the Kentucky quarterbacks twice. Florida also suffered a loss last week. The Firecats dropped the second of back-to-back games against the South Georgia Wildcats, 52-35. Florida was only able to score single digits in the first and second quarters, trailing by 11 going into the second half. QB JUSTIN MIDGETT, in his first start of the season, had a hard time facing the defensive pressure, completing just over 50% of his passes (22-of-42) and only three touchdowns. He also threw one interception and was sacked three times, which prevented the Firecats from scoring throughout the game. Veteran WR MAGIC BENTON caught 10 passes for 115 yards and two touchdowns. WR CHRIS MCKINNEY leads the club in receiving with 107 catches for 1,171 yards and 29 TDs. LB LARRY EDWARDS led the defense with four solo tackles, one interception and a safety in the first quarter. The Firecats will need a strong effort from their defense and an efficient outing from Midgett if they want to keep things close against the Vipers.

BOISE BURN (12-2) AT SOUTH GEORGIA WILDCATS (9-5)

SATURDAY, JULY 18, 2009 - Albany Civic Center (8,034) 8:30 P.M. ET

The South Georgia Wildcats invite the Boise Burn to the Albany Civic Center in Albany, Ga. this weekend for the first-ever meeting among the two clubs. With both teams sitting in second place in their respective divisions, this week's match-up will test the strengths and weaknesses of each team. The Burn, currently ranked No. 4 in the latest league coaches poll, are in the midst of a league-best eight-game win streak. Last week Boise defeated the Tri-Cities Fever, 63-21. Ranked No. 3 in scoring defense and No. 1 in pass defense efficiency, the Boise defense had an outstanding showing. The defense had a combined three sacks, four interceptions and nine breakups. DB EARNEST JAMES led the club individually with three interceptions. QB TAYLOR THARP took the offensive reins, completing 16-of-24 passes and six of the team's eight touchdowns. WR/DB JOMO WILSON, who leads the team in receiving yards, caught eight passes for 84 yards and three touchdowns, while also recording an interception on defense. Boise leads the af2 in interceptions with 31. The Burn also rank third in scoring defense, allowing opponents just 37.5 points per game. South Georgia enters Week 17 coming off a 52-35 victory against Florida. QB DARNELL KENNEDY, who leads the team in passing (240-of-405; 69 TDs) completed 12-of-20 passes for 240 yards with five touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. --WR ALVANCE ROBINSON led the team in receiving with eight catches for 132 yards and two TDs. WR CLENTON RAFE had a team-high three receiving touchdowns. The Wildcats' defense was also able to keep the Firecats well below their PPG average of 50.3. DB DEMETRIE MCCRAY, who ranked No. 3 in tackles on Week 16's weekly top performance list, had a game-high nine solo tackles and two breakups. The Wildcats will need a strong effort from Kennedy and the offense if they want to cool off the streaking Burn.

ALBANY FIREBIRDS (6-8) AT WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PIONEERS (11-3)

SATURDAY, JULY 18, 2009 - Wachovia Arena (7,950) 7:30 P.M. ET

In their 33rd all-time series matchup since 2002, the Albany Firebirds travel to Wachovia Arena to take on East Division rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Pioneers, who lead the all-time series, 19-13, have already beaten the Firebirds twice this season. In Albany's last game against Manchester, the Firebirds' defense was able to find gaps in the Wolves' offense, sacking the quarterback four times and intercepting the ball once, but could not prevent their opponents from attacking the end zone and scoring points to put them up by 17 at the half. Albany's offensive line was able to compete with the Wolves in the first quarter of the game and only trailed by three points, however, in the second quarter, they were shut out. QB STEPHEN WASIL, who completed 24-of-45 passes in the game, earned 292 yards and added five touchdowns. He also had one interception and one rushing touchdown. Wasil found four different receivers that made up for the team's five touchdowns. WR/LB ALVIN JACKSON picked up 121 yards with 10 catches and two touchdowns and also had the team's only interception. Jackson has been one of the league's top two-way players in 2009. He leads the Firebirds in scoring, receiving, interceptions and fumble recoveries. Albany is currently ranked No. 16 in the latest league coaches poll. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton enters the week ranked No. 3 in the latest league coaches poll. The Pioneers are coming off a tough, four-point loss at No. 1-ranked Spokane, 56-52. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton held the lead for most of the game and nearly came away with the victory. The game was a series of back-and-forth touchdowns until the third quarter when Spokane stepped up its game and held the Pioneers scoreless. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's offense had a difficult time keeping the ball out of the hands of the Shock, as QB RYAN VENA gave up a season-high four interceptions. Despite his mistakes, Vena still managed five touchdown passes on 18-of-33 attempts for 303 yards. WR/DB RICH MUSINSKI caught seven passes for 102 yards and three touchdowns, while WR J.J. OUTLAW rushed for one touchdown and one receiving touchdown (5 receptions for 122 yards). DB MICHEAUX ROBINSON recorded 8.5 tackles (8 solo, 1 assisted) and one of two team interceptions. He leads the af2 with 13 interceptions on the season. The Firebirds are in for a tough task this week as the Pioneers have won 24 straight regular season home games, a streak that dates back to 2006. Counting the playoffs, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has won 28 of its last 29 home games. Wasil and Jackson will need to be at their best to give Albany a fighting chance.

STOCKTON LIGHTNING (5-9) AT AMARILLO DUSTERS (2-12)

SATURDAY, JULY 18, 2009 - Amarillo Civic Center (4,870) 8:00 P.M. ET

Week 17 continues with the Stockton Lightning traveling to Texas to challenge the Amarillo Dusters for the first time this season. Stockton prevailed in the last head-to-head meeting in 2008 to tie the all-time series, 1-1. The Lightning were able to stop their three-game losing streak with last week's 57-31 win against the Central Valley Coyotes at home. The victory clinched the team's first-ever postseason berth. Stockton's offense put up double digits in each quarter, keeping the lead from the last half of the first quarter to the end of the game. Although the Lightning outshined the Coyotes in net passing yards (240 vs. 129) and total offensive yards (244 vs. 129), QB CHAD CAVENDAR had a difficult passing game, completing only 43% of his passes and picking up 226 yards. WR BRANDON HORACE picked up 122 yards and two touchdowns with seven catches, while teammate WR TROY MCBROOM had six for 86 yards and two touchdowns. The most notable performance of the game, however, was that of the defense, namely DB MERVIN BROOKINS, JR. In his first af2 season and fourth game with the team, Brookins, Jr. tied the league record with five interceptions. He also returned two for touchdowns and added three solo tackles and two breakups. The Lightning finished with seven interceptions as a team. McBroom leads the team in receiving with 101 catches for 1,227 yards and 21 TDs. The Amarillo Dusters experienced their fourth loss in a row last week as they were overpowered by the Bossier-Shreveport BattleWings, 62-27. QB JULIAN REESE completed 27-of-45 passes for 250 yards and only three touchdowns. Reese also gave up two interceptions, which the BattleWings ran back for 66 yards. WR DUVAUGHN FLAGLER led his team with 15 catches for 155 yards and two touchdowns. With the exception of one interception, the defense struggled to stop the BattleWings. WR/LB JOHN KING earned 5.5 tackles (4 solo, 3 assisted) while DB GERARD LEWIS had one interception. If Reese plays well, the Dusters have a great chance to earn the upset in their home finale.

TULSA TALONS (12-2) AT ARKANSAS TWISTERS (10-4)

SATURDAY, JULY 18, 2009 - ALLTEL Arena (6,820) 8:00 P.M. ET

The Central Division-leading Tulsa Talons journey to North Little Rock, Ark. this week to face the Southwest Division-leading Arkansas Twisters. This is their second head-to-head matchup of the season. Tulsa won the first affair in Week 12, 56-47. The Talons lead the all-time series, 10-9. After enduring only their second loss two weeks ago, which halted their 10-game losing streak, the Talons were able to regain their composure and come away with a 62-50 win last week against the Rio Grande Valley Dorados. Although Rio Grande Valley led for the majority of the first half, the Talons were able to keep the score close and head into halftime tied 27-27. However, it wasn't until the fourth quarter when the No. 1-ranked scoring offense was able to pull away from the Dorados. Tulsa relied on QB JUSTIN ALLGOOD to guide the club to a victory. Allgood completed 15-of-30 passes for 237 yards and was able to find WRs JEFF HUGHLEY (7-153) and ZAC EDWARDS (6-66) for three touchdowns each, totaling seven touchdowns in the game. Hughley also had six kickoff returns for 184 yards for a total of 337 all-purpose yards. Allgood has a league-high 97 TD passes on the year while Hughley is the league's top gainer in all-purpose yards (3,432). DB PIERRE THOMAS led the team with 8.5 tackles and three breakups. LB JAMAR RANSOM had the game-clinching play when he picked up a fumble by Rio Grande Valley receiver ROD WINDSOR and returned it 17 yards for a TD. The Talons, who rank fifth in the league in turnovers forced with 39, are ranked No. 2 overall in the latest league coaches poll. This week Tulsa will be tested by the Twisters, the No. 2-ranked scoring offense in the af2. Arkansas, currently ranked No. 7 in the latest league coaches poll, is coming off a 57-47 win against the Corpus Christi Sharks. QB KYLE ROWLEY was efficient for the Twisters, completing 17-of-27 passes for 219 yards with five touchdowns (1 INT). WR AARON FAIROOZ caught four of Rowley's five scoring passes and finished with six catches for 113 yards. DB JAMES TODD paced the defense with 3.5 tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery. Todd leads the club with five interceptions in just eight games played. A win this weekend for the Twisters is crucial as the team tries to maintain its one-game lead against Bossier-Shreveport in the Southwest Division standings.

BOSSIER-SHREVEPORT BATTLEWINGS (9-5) AT CORPUS CHRISTI SHARKS (2-12)

SATURDAY, JULY 18, 2009 - American Bank Center (7,498) 8:05 P.M. ET

The No. 10-ranked Bossier-Shreveport BattleWings will be paying a visit to Southwest Division rival Corpus Christi for their Week 17 matchup. The BattleWings have defeated the Sharks in the first two head-to-head meetings this season and will be looking to add another win. Bossier-Shreveport, already playoff qualified, currently sits one game behind Arkansas in the division standings. Last week the team won their fifth straight game, 69-67, at Oklahoma City. Overall, the BattleWings have proven to be a strong team offensively, especially at the running game. As a team, they have the second most rushing yards (606) and are tied for third in rushing TDs (32). FB JASON SCHULE is the leader of the rushing attack. The three-year veteran has set a number of league rushing records this season. Last week he set a new league standard for most rushing yards in a single season with 548. He also leads the af2 with 23 rushing TDs. His average of 39.1 rushing yards per game also tops the league. QB ANDRICO HINES has completed 222-of-364 passes in the 12 games he played this season. Hines passed for 222 last week against the Yard Dawgz on 11-of-13 passes with four touchdowns. WR/KR P.J. BERRY had four total touchdowns (1 kickoff return, 2 receiving, 1 rushing) and 274 all-purpose yards. The Sharks have struggled in 2009. Last week they fought hard but fell to Arkansas, 57-47. Corpus Christi is currently in the midst of a six-game losing streak. Rookie QB SEDALE THREATT accounted for all six of the team's offensive touchdowns (4 passing, 2 rushing). He completed 21-of-41 passes for 244 yards with one interception and rushed for 48 yards on seven carries. WR ANTHONY CHAMBERS led the Sharks in receiving with eight catches for 133 yards and three TDs. WR JONATHAN GRAHAM, who had one TD reception against the Twisters, has been the team's most consistent receiver with 108 catches for 1,097 yards and 17 TDs. WR BRANDON HUSSEY also has put in a lot this season, averaging 83.1 receiving yards per game with 17 touchdowns. Defensively, the team ranks second to only Mahoning Valley in points per game allowed (61.2). The Sharks also rank second to Mahoning Valley in turnovers with 48. Corpus Christi will need a much better effort from its defense if the team wants to make its last home game of the season a successful one.

IOWA BARNSTORMERS (10-4) AT QUAD CITY STEAMWHEELERS (5-10)

SATURDAY, JULY 18, 2009 - i wireless Center (9,315) 8:05 P.M. ET

The No. 5-ranked Iowa Barnstormers are set to visit the Quad City Steamwheelers for a Week 17 Midwest Division matchup. This will be the third and final head-to-head meeting for these two teams in 2009. With a win Iowa will claim its first division and a Top-3 playoff seed. The Barnstormers have won seven of their last eight games, most recently a 69-37 trumping of Milwaukee. Offensively, Iowa QB BRIAN VILLANUEVA has been a consistent leader this season, completing 249-of-416 passes with 51 touchdowns. Overall, he has accumulated 2,937 yards of offense and 65 touchdowns. WR WALTER MCCOWN has made himself a readily available target for Villanueva, making 97 receptions for 1,200 yards (85.7 per game) and 19 touchdowns. While the offense has been productive, it is Iowa's defense and special teams that have carried the club. DB TANNER VARNER leads the league with 108.5 tackles and has six interceptions. As a unit, the defense leads the league in fumble recovery touchdowns with six. They are also leading in red zone defense, only allowing scores 64.6 percent of the time. WR/KR TIM DODGE has six kickoff return TDs and one missed field goal return TD. He is also averaging 173.6 all-purpose yards per game. As a team, the Barnstormers are tied for third in turnovers forced with 42 (21 fumbles, 21 interceptions) and rank seventh in sacks with 26. Rookie DL BRENT CURVEY leads the club with 8.5 sacks. Quad City, unlike Iowa, has struggled to find a rhythm. In the team's 10-year history, this will be only the third season where the Steamwheelers did not make the playoffs. Last week's victory over Milwaukee was their first win in eight weeks. QB BRIAN ZBYDNIEWSKI has completed 139-of-247 passes during his tenure under center and has tallied up 1,658 yards for 34 touchdowns. His best effort of the year came last week against the Iron when he finished with 351 yards and nine touchdowns. WR JESSE SCHMIDT continues to dominate as a receiver, leading the league in receptions (166), receiving yards (2,325) and receiving touchdowns (55). A strong Offensive Player of the Year candidate, Schmidt set new league records this year in receptions, receiving yards and receiving TDs. Expect this game to be competitive from start to finish as the Steamwheelers play their final game of the season in front of their home fans.

TRI-CITIES FEVER (2-12) AT RIO GRANDE VALLEY DORADOS (7-7)

SATURDAY, JULY 18, 2009 - Dodge Arena (5,500) 8:30 P.M. ET

The action continues with the Rio Grande Valley Dorados playing host to the Tri-Cities Fever in the first ever matchup between the two teams. Two weeks ago Rio Grande Valley clinched its third postseason berth in team history. Tri-Cities, however, was officially eliminated from playoff contention with last week's loss to Boise. The Fever's only two wins this season have come at the expense of the Stockton Lightning. They are averaging a mere 217 yards per game in offensive yards, the lowest in the league, and have only scored 55 total touchdowns in 2009. Their instability at quarterback is not helping their offense. Overall, the Fever have the worst pass efficiency in the league with a completion rate of only 51.1% and 29 interceptions. COLLIN DRAFTS has started the last two games under center for Tri-Cities and has a record of 1-1. WR FINAS RABB is the team's leading active receiver with 52 catches for 530 yards and 10 TDs. On defense, DBs DEVON HARTLEY (team-high 68 tackles, 18 pass breakups) and JAMIE HATTLEY (team-high 4 INTs, 59 tackles) have been two of the team's most consistent performers. Rio Grande Valley is currently ranked No. 12 in the latest league coaches poll. Last week the team lost a 62-50 road decision to No. 2-ranked Tulsa. Rookie QB NICK HILL is averaging 311.4 yards per game in total offense, the most in the league. He leads the league in passing yards with a team-record 4,202. Hill has also tallied the second most touchdowns in the league with 97 (85 passing, 12 rushing). Hill's performance is a key reason the Dorados have the highest total offense as a team (329.9 yards per game) and have accumulated 4,618 total yards this season. WR ROD WINDSOR continues to make waves across the league, so far making an amazing 166 receptions for 2,111 yards and 52 touchdowns. His average of nearly 13 receptions per game for 162.4 yards is the second highest in the league. The team did suffer a significant loss this week after DB/KR CRAIG TURNER was placed on injured reserve on Thursday. Turner averaged 153 all-purpose yards per game and ranked fourth on the team in scoring with 68 points. Despite Turner's absence, the Dorados should still have more than enough weapons to get past Tri-Cities.

SPOKANE SHOCK (13-1) AT CENTRAL VALLEY COYOTES (3-11)

SATURDAY, JULY 18, 2009 - Selland Arena (5,487) 10:30 P.M. ET

Week 17 concludes with the No. 1-ranked Spokane Shock visiting division rival Central Valley. The Shock continue to dominate both on the field and in the polls, claiming the No. 1 spot for the record 18th straight week. Their record of 13-1 is still the best across the league, with their only loss coming in Week 15 at Iowa. Last week Spokane scored a come-from-behind, 56-52, victory over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. WR MARKEE WHITE scored the game-winning touchdown on a one-handed grab with 23 seconds left in the game. The Shock's scoring average of 60.2 points per game and their 293.6 yards of offense per game are both fifth-best in the league. Second-year QB NICK DAVILA is contributing 243.9 yards per game in offense as well as 85 total touchdowns on the season. He also has the highest pass efficiency in the league, completing 69.4% of his passes with only seven interceptions. Davila's pass completion percentage is second in the league. WR RAUL VIJIL is one of Davila's favorite targets. He leads the club with 112 catches for 1,337 yards and 33 touchdowns. Vijil is averaging over 180 all-purpose yards and 16 points per game. Defensively, DB SERGIO GILLIAM ranks second in the league with 12 interceptions in 14 games. Last week, Gilliam intercepted Wilkes-Barre/Scranton three times for 42 yards. The Central Valley Coyotes aren't having as successful of a season as their opponent. Currently on an eight-game losing skid, the Coyotes are ranked ninth in the National Conference and have been eliminated from any post season chances. Injuries have hurt the club, especially at quarterback. The Coyotes have used five different starting signal callers this year. They will likely start their sixth this week in new addition JIMMIE COLLINS. Collins, a backup in Stockton, was claimed from the Lightning on Wednesday. WR LAMONTE JONES has been one of the team's most consistent playeys. The veteran Jones has 122 receptions for 1,273 yards this season (25 TDs), an average of 9.38 receptions for 97.9 yards per game. His 122 receptions are third most in the league. While the Coyotes have struggled overall, their defense is limiting the opposition to 245.8 yards per game, a league-low. They also have the No. 1 pass defense, limiting ball movement to 223.1 yards per game, which may provide some challenge for Davila. The Shock defeated the Coyotes by three touchdowns in their last meeting in Week 8, and this week's outcome could be similar.

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