Steeldogs Get Fired Up for Louisville
May 16, 2007 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Alabama Steeldogs News Release
Birmingham, Ala. - The Alabama Steeldogs take their two-game win streak on the road this week as they face the Louisville Fire on Saturday for the second time this year.
The Steeldogs (4-2) defeated Louisville (3-3) in the teams' first meeting, 63-47, on April 21st at the BJCC Arena. The game at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Ky. also gives Alabama a chance to win their first road game of 2007.
The Steeldogs have dropped their first two away games of 2007 to Tennessee Valley on May 30th (44-27) and the Tulsa Talons on April 28th (57-33).
Steeldogs Head Coach Ron Selesky said that the pressure on his team to win a road game will be no different this weekend from any other challenge they've faced this season.
"There's no pressure, just opportunity," Selesky said. "Championship teams find ways to win on the road, and that is what we must do if we want to compete for the 2007 Arena Cup."
Alabama will face a Louisville team that has improved in a number of areas since the two met in Week 4. Louisville now boasts the league's top rushing offense, putting up an average of 45.8 yards per game.
"Louisville is a very good team that is better than their record," Selesky said. "We must play better than we did against Quad City, plain and simple."
Fourth-year Fire Head Coach Tommy Johnson also has two key offensive weapons in FB Demetrius Forney and WR Tiger Jones. Forney is ranked 2nd in the af2 for Rushing Attempts (32), 3rd in the league for Total Rushing Yards (150) and 5th in the af2 for Average Rushing Yards per Game (25.0).
Jones is ranked in the top four in four different receiving categories, including 1st in Receiving Yards Per Game (118.2). The rookie wide receiver has 53 catches for 709 yards and 11 TDs this season.
The Steeldogs counter with a talented wide receiving trio of their own, led by 6-foot-5, 224-pound receiver Jon Olinger. Olinger has scored three TDs in each of his last two games and leads Alabama with 35 catches for 413 yards and 10 trips to the end zone this season.
"Jon continues to improve every week," Selesky said. "His play makes it harder for our opponents to "help" against any one receiver when all three are productive."
Steeldogs quarterback Mitch Tanney has spread the ball around in this season, with all three starting receivers catching a pass for a touchdown in each of the last two games.
"We're fortunate to have a very good starting trio of receivers in Jon, Markeith Cooper and Bradly Chavez," Selesky said. "We have quality depth behind those three in Rock Dillon, Jhun Cook and Chico Cleveland as well."
Selesky said he is also very pleased with the play of his rookie quarterback who has passed for 24 TDs and only one INT in three starts for the Steeldogs. Tanney is currently ranked third in the af2 with a passer rating of 122.51 and a completion rating of 63 percent.
"Mitch has been very consistent for us this year," Selesky said. "He's smart with the football and continues to get better each week."
A Steeldogs' win on Saturday would move the team three games above .500 for the first time since 2004. Alabama has a slim 5-4 lead in the all-time series against Louisville, outscoring the Fire 467-393 through nine games.
The Steeldogs kick off against Louisville at 6 p.m. (CST) this Saturday at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Ky. The game can be heard live on the Alabama Steeldogs Flagship radio station WSPZ 690 "The Animal" with veteran broadcaster Matt Coulter calling the action. The game can also be heard world-wide on WSPZ 690's website, themightyx.com.
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