Teams in Bracket Ready to Make Racket
Published on August 2, 2002 under arenafootball2 (af2) News Release
CHICAGO â Two intrastate battles, a border war and a clash of teams making good in their sophomore seasons compose the quartet of National Conference games in the first round of the 2002 arenafootball2 playoffs, to be culminated on August 23 by ArenaCup 2002 â Presented by Built Ford Tough.
The National Conference features the team with af2's best regular-season record, the 14-2 Tulsa Talons. Tulsa has won five straight games since a 102-63 loss to its first-round opponent, the Arkansas Twisters, on June 22. Arkansas (11-5) enters the playoffs on a league-best six-game winning streak. The Tulsa-Arkansas winner will play the victor in the Tennessee Valley-Birmingham battle. These Alabama rivals hook up for the seventh time in history, with the Vipers (13-3) having won every meeting with the cross-state Steeldogs (11-5).
While Arkansas is the only first-time playoff team in the top half of the National Conference bracket, all four squads in the bottom half make their postseason debuts. Peoria (11-5) hosts a Wichita team (6-10) that won five of its last nine games after losing six of its first seven, including two setbacks to the Pirates. Fellow expansion clubs Bakersfield (9-7) and San Diego (7-9) battle on the west coast in the last of the week's first-round games.
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Both of the meetings between Tulsa (14-2) and Arkansas (11-5) this year were high scoring. Other than that, the games were as different as night and day. The Talons won May 11 in Tulsa, 85-42. Arkansas won June 22 in North Little Rock, 102-63, the highest-scoring game in af2 history.
There should be plenty of offense, with the teams ranking first and third in scoring (Tulsa 57.1, Arkansas 54.8) and second and sixth in yards per game (Arkansas 272.4, Tulsa 266.6). MITCH ALLNER, the Tulsa offensive specialist and a strong candidate for Offensive Player of the Year, reached the end zone 56 times this year (42 touchdowns, 14 two-point conversions) for 266 points, the second-most in af2 history. His 2,695 all-purpose yards (including 1,563 receiving) ranked fourth in af2. WR/DB SEAN LOVE is Allner' s sidekick, totaling 936 receiving yards and 20 scores. QB ANTHONY BUICH was af2's most efficient passer, completing 66 percent of his passes for 3,004 yards and 64 touchdowns with 11 interceptions.
On the Twisters' side of the ball, QB RICKY HEBERT passed for 85 touchdowns, placing second all-time for a single-season total. His 3,891 passing yards led the league. Arkansas boasts one of the deepest receiving corps in the National Conference, paced by WR/DB LENNIE JOHNSON and his af2-high 17.6 yards per catch (1,129 yards). His 34 total TDs tied for fifth overall. OS KEVIN WILLIAMS (813 yards, 22 TDs) is the other big gun in an attack that features six players with more than 200 yards receiving. Helping make the Twisters more dangerous is Hebert's penchant for staying upright â the offensive line allowed just nine sacks all season, a league best.
Tulsa and Arkansas lick their chops at return opportunities. The Talons had nine kick returns for touchdown while the Twisters had seven (five KO, two MFG). The also combined for 11 defensive touchdowns (Tulsa six, Arkansas five). The Talons ranked second in the league with a +19 turnover margin, led by DS LARRY HOLLINQUEST's nine interceptions. DAEDRICK CAIL had six for the Twisters, who also boast af2's third-most prolific sacker in GREG TAYLOR (13.5).
Both teams suspect the other ran up the score in their respective victories, so expect the grudges to be as big as Allner's point total this year. Armed with that 43-point home win over the Twisters earlier this year and an 18-game regular-season home winning streak, the Talons will feel supremely confident when they take the field at Tulsa Convention Center Saturday. However, Arkansas will point to Tulsa's 0-2 playoff record and Carolina's first-round win in Oklahoma last season, the Talons' only loss of any kind on their home turf since June 3, 2000.
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One of the best rivalries in af2 takes center stage in the southeast Saturday. Tennessee Valley-Birmingham is the professional version of Alabama-Auburn, where the two sides share the same state and similar disdain for each other. Adding to the tension is the question of when Birmingham (11-5) will break through against Tennessee Valley (13-3), winner of all six showdowns between the teams.
If it happens Saturday, Steeldogs QB MONTRESSA KIRBY likely will be the biggest reason why. Kirby was eighth in total offense, achieving top-10 rankings in rushing yards (273), rushing touchdowns (14), passing yards (3,377), passing TDs (73) and pass rating (108.5). OS/KR HERMAN BELL took the baton from former Steeldogs star WAYNE THOMAS, accumulating a team-high 1,201 all-purpose yards with 15 scores, despite not getting regular playing time until late in the year.
WR/DB REGGIE WORTHY is Tennessee Valley's playmaker, especially with recent phenom RODNEY BROWN suffering a torn ACL last week. Worhy scored a team-high 32 TDs this season, leading the Vipers with 192 rushing yards and ranking second behind OS/KR KELLY FIELDS with 926 receiving yards. Fields caught 86 passes for 1,089 yards and 12 touchdowns, also totaling 919 yards in the return game. QB JERMAINE ALFRED has passed for 1,289 yards and 25 TDs in six contests.
Tennessee Valley DS KELLY SNELL (af2-record 15 interceptions this year) leads a Vipers' defense that is one of the league's best. In fact, both teams bring it defensively, ranking 2-3 in total defense (Birmingham 200.0 ypg allowed, Tennessee Valley 213.8) and giving up under 40 points per game (Vipers 38.7, Steeldogs 39.6). The teams are equally similar offensively, with Birmingham averaging 50.9 points and 240.8 ypg while Tennessee Valley averages 50.2 points and 242.5 ypg. Turnover margin is the statistical separator, with the Vipers +15 (fifth in af2) and Steeldogs +0.
Though the Vipers have owned the series, including a 53-44 win just three weeks ago, Birmingham has gained confidence with a 77-34 victory at Louisville last week preceded by a 48-46 triumph in Macon, the team Tennessee Valley lost to in the regular season finale. The Vipers have playoff experience on their side, though, going 3-2 in five games all-time, the second-most in af2 history behind two-time champion Quad City.
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Peoria's quest for treasure hits full stride Saturday when the Pirates (11-5) host Wichita (6-10) in the first round. For both second-year teams, the af2 playoffs are uncharted territory. Wichita's season was rejuvenated with the midseason pickup of former Arena Football League veteran RON LOPEZ, and the Stealth hopes his arm can carry it all the way to ArenaCup.
Peoria's late-season quarterback question was answered last week with the return of WALTER CHURCH to the Pirates' lineup. While Church took a back seat to MATT PIKE's six touchdown passing performance, the Pirates' passing leader took the field in the fourth quarter, leading their final two drives of the game. Before separating his shoulder against San Diego in June, Church had thrown for 2,519 yards and 49 touchdowns. Peoria's offense averaged 51.2 points a game in the regular season despite having a three-game lull after losing Church.
Defensively, the Pirates ranks fifth in the league, as opponents average just 37.3 points against them. Led by the tandem of KEN BOUIE and ERIC JOHNSON, Peoria's defensive line is one of the strongest in the league. Johnson and Bouie each recorded 12 sacks during the season. The secondary is just as strong, with DS LINCOLN DUPREE marshalling the open field. Dupree's 13 interceptions and 80.5 tackles are team-highs.
Since acquiring Lopez, the Stealth has scored 45.7 points a game. XAVIER PATTERSON, WILLIE GRISSOM and COREY McCOY give Lopez three weapons to choose from. All three have more than 800 yards and 10 touchdowns through the air this season. BRYAN HENDERSON gives the Stealth a legitimate pass rush. In two games against Peoria, he recorded four sacks. Henderson finished the season second in the league with 16.0 quarterback takedowns. Stealth DS HAROLD PIERSEY totaled six interceptions.
An interesting matchup to look for in this contest is the play of Peoria's kick return unit, led by Dupree, and the Stealth's return coverage. Wichita has allowed five return touchdowns and an average of 22.0 yards per return. Dupree is one of the league's leading return men, having run back eight kicks for scores and averaging 24.6 yards a return. When faced with a similar threat against LAMONT WEBB and Fresno back in Week 11, the Stealth neutralized the Frenzy's weapon by kicking away from Webb in a 52-35 win.
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Two familiar foes face off in Bakersfield Saturday in a battle of expansion teams. Bakersfield pulled off a âfrom-birth-to-first' feat in the National Conference Western Division to book its spot in the playoffs. San Diego kept pace and had a chance with three weeks left in the season to knock the Blitz from the top spot, but three straight losses to Wichita, Arkansas and Quad City locked the Riptide into second place.
The Riptide and Blitz faced off three times this season, with each game decided by 10 or fewer points. In the first game of the season, the Blitz rallied from a big deficit to come away with a 49-43 overtime victory, then added a 43-33 victory in San Diego to take a 2-0 series lead. However, the Riptide foud some redemption with a 46-43 win in Bakersfield and will look to repeat that accomplishment Saturday.
On offense, the difference between the teams is negligible as the Blitz scores 46.0 points to the Riptide's 45.4. However, on defense, Bakersfield yields just 39.1 points a game compared to San Diego's 45.5. The Blitz boasts an excellent pass defense that holds opponents to just 198.3 yards a game. Bakersfield's +22 turnover margin is the highest in the league. San Diego boasts the best kick return unit in af2, averaging 22.9 yards a return.
CHAD ELLIOTT has guided the Blitz to the playoffs with an impressive rookie season. Bakersfield's signal caller has thrown for 3,725 yards and 70 touchdowns with just 12 interceptions. STEVE WOFFORD has been Elliott's favorite target, having caught a team-high 107 passes for 1,248 yards. Defensively, J'SHARLON JONES leads the Blitz in three categories. His 78.5 tackles, 11 interceptions and 31 passes defended make him one of the most productive defensive specialists in af2 this season.
San Diego's defense is led by RICO CURTIS, who set an af2 record this season with 121.0 tackles. Curtis also has been a weapon on offense with 60 yards rushing and three touchdowns plus 405 receiving yards and six touchdowns. KANE CLAUNCH starts under center for the Riptide after ending the regular season with 3,297 yards and 63 touchdown passes. JERRY GARRETT has caught 40 passes for 553 yards and nine touchdowns despite playing in just nine games.
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