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Talons Edge Islanders, Earn Second Straight Division Title

July 13, 2003 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Tulsa Talons News Release


The heroics of Mitch Allner and Larry Hollinquest keyed a fourth quarter rally that lifted the Tulsa Talons to a 48-47 home victory over the Hawaii Islanders and gave the Talons their second straight National Conference Central Division championship.

Tulsa (11-3) also earned a first round bye in the 2003 ArenaCup playoffs with the victory. The win also extended Tulsa's af2 record for consecutive season victories to 26, tying them with the 1915 New York baseball Giants for the third longest such streak in professional sports history.

Hawaii quarterback Darnell Arceneaux didn't start the game but earned the Most Valuable Player award with five TD passes. Arceneaux hit Darrick Branch with a 16-yard TD pass with 8:55 left in the game, giving the Islanders (9-5) a 47-35 lead.

Allner caught TD passes from Craig Strickland of eight and 35 yards during the Tulsa comeback. Allner's first TD catch pulled Tulsa within 47-42 with 4:16 left.

After a defensive stand that resulted in Hawaii missing a field goal, Strickland hit Allner with a 35-yard bomb down the right sideline for a 48-47 lead with 36 seconds left in the game. The two-point conversion attempt failed.

Arceneaux had the Islanders marching towards a game-winning touchdown when Larry Hollinquest intercepted Arceneaux's pass at the four-yard line to preserve the victory.

Hawaii held a 21-20 halftime lead and extended that cushion to 41-28 entering the fourth quarter. Arceneaux threw 15 yards passes to Branch and his brother, Anthony Arceneaux, and Vai Notoa scored on a one-yard run.

The Islanders rushed for 70 yards on 13 carries, the most rushing yardage by a Talons opponent this season and four yards shy of their own season high. Josh White was the game's leading rusher with 43 yards on nine carries, highlighted by a 22-yard spring in the second quarter that created a 14-14 tie.

Eddie Klaneski added 109 yards on eight kickoff returns.

Despite a season-low 156 passing yards, Talons QB Craig Strickland made af2 history by joining Arkansas' Ricky Hebert as the only players to have 200 TD passes and 10,000 passing yards in a career. Strickland finished 14-of-28 passing with five TDs.

Allner, the af2 career scoring leader, finished with five receptions for 61 yards in addition to his two touchdowns.

Tacoma Fontaine had 113 yards on three kickoff returns but was held to a season-low one reception, a nine-yard TD pass in the first quarter that gave Tulsa a 14-7 lead.

Tulsa's Al Hunt was the Ironman of the Game. He caught eight passes, one shy of his af2 career high, for 86 yards and two TDs, made three unassisted tackles and broke up a pass.

Islanders defensive specialist Kohei Satomi, a native of Japan, was the ADT Defensive Player of the Game with three unassisted tackles and broke up a pass.

Tulsa plays its final two games of the regular season on the road, visiting the Louisville Fire next Saturday and the Bossier City Battle Wings on July 25.

Hawaii visits San Diego next week for its final road game before hosting the Bakersfield Blitz in its home finale.

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