Shock secure top ranking in final coaches poll
Published on July 26, 2006 under arenafootball2 (af2) News Release
CHICAGO - The expansion Spokane Shock maintained the No. 1 ranking in the final Weekly Coaches Poll for 2006, the arenafootball2 (af2) league office announced today. This marks the fourth consecutive week Spokane has claimed the pole position. The Shock collected 256 of a possible 264 points and 17-of-23 first place votes in securing the top spot. Spokane improved its league-best record to 13-2 with a 69-68 home win Saturday night against in-state and division rival Everett. The Shock are also the top seed in the National Conference as the 2006 af2 playoffs kick off next weekend (Aug. 4-5).
The Florida Firecats (12-3, 248 points, 6 first place votes) held firm at the No. 2 spot this week after a 62-56 home win on Saturday against Louisville. The Memphis Xplorers (11-5, 205 points) regained their spot among the Top-5, finishing at No. 3 overall after finishing their regular season with a 52-47 road win at Birmingham. The Central Valley Coyotes (11-4, 199 points), coming off an impressive 60-42 home win against last week's No.4-ranked Oklahoma City, replaced the Yard Dawgz at No. 4 overall. The Tulsa Talons (10-5, 162 points) slipped two spots this week from No. 3 to No. 5 after a 60-41 road loss at Midwest Division rival Arkansas.
The Week 18 schedule features two matchups of Top 12 teams. On Friday, No. 7 Louisville plays at No. 8 Green Bay and on Saturday, No. 11 Macon plays at No. 9 Arkansas.
Each week during the season af2 coaches will vote for the Top 12 teams in the league by ranking them one through 12 on a ballot. Teams ranked first receive 12 points with the point value decreasing by one for each place below first, meaning a team ranked 12th would receive one point. Total points will determine the Top 12 list. In the event of a tie in total points, the team with the greater number of first-place votes will be ranked higher. The af2 Coaches Poll will be announced every Wednesday during the regular season. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team and the poll results have no bearing on postseason qualification.
The complete Top 12 is listed below. The number in parentheses indicates the number of first place votes the team received.
WEEK 18 TOP 12
RANK TEAM PTS
1 Spokane 256 (17)
2 Florida 248 (6)
3 Memphis 205
4 Central Valley 199
5 Tulsa 162
6 Oklahoma City 155
7 Louisville 142
8 Green Bay 128
9 Arkansas 104
10 Manchester 69
11 Macon 53
12 Bakersfield 48
Other teams receiving significant votes this week include the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers (26).
arenafootball2 Stories from July 26, 2006
- George "The Giant" in a World Record Attempt - Bakersfield Blitz
- First Ever Coyotes Playoff Tickets On Sale Now - Central Valley Coyotes
- Nick Diaz Appearance and Jersey Auction Highlights Fan Appreciation Night - Stockton Lightning
- Xplorers equipment manager interns with Ravens - Memphis Xplorers
- Shock secure top ranking in final coaches poll - af2
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.
