The Deuce Scoop

July 17, 2002 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release

POST POSITION: A look at the first-round playoff matchups were the season to end today: American Conference – Richmond at Cape Fear, Rochester at Albany, Augusta at Macon, Florida at Tallahassee; National Conference – Birmingham at Tennessee Valley, Bossier City at Tulsa, San Diego at Bakersfield, Wichita at Peoria. Of that group, all but Bossier City, Florida and Rochester have clinched playoff spots. The first- and second-place teams from each of the eight divisions (determined by overall record) make the playoffs, with the first-place team hosting the second-place team in each respective division in the first round. (Quad City is ineligible). In the American Conference second round, Atlantic plays Northeast and Eastern plays Southern. In the National Conference second round, Midwest plays Western and Central plays Southern. (The teams with the better records in each pairing host the second-round games). The second-round winners meet in the two conference championship games for the right to play for the af2 title in ArenaCup 2002 Presented by Built Ford Tough.

ARENACUP PLAYOFFS RUNNETH OVER: The 2002 ArenaCup playoff field is nearly set as 13 teams have locked up playoff spots. Albany, Cape Fear, Bakersfield and San Diego represent the expansion class, while Richmond, Tallahassee, Tennessee Valley and Tulsa are the only third-year squads to clinch to date. One spot remains from the Central Division (Arkansas or Bossier City) in the National Conference and from the Northeast Division (Rochester or Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) and Southern Division (Charleston, Florida or Jacksonville) in the American Conference.

THREE-PEAT: Tennessee Valley and Tulsa are the only af2 teams to advance to the playoffs in all three years of the league's existence. The other two-time qualifiers, Carolina and Quad City, will not be in the 2002 postseason.

DOUBLE TAKE: Birmingham, Macon, Richmond and Tallahassee are making back-to-back appearances in the playoffs. While the Steeldogs, Knights and Thunder were unable to advance past the first round last season, Richmond's run lasted all the way to the ArenaCup Championship Game, where it lost to Quad City.

THE GREAT AMERICAN CHASE: The state of Florida is home to "The Great American Race" in NASCAR's Daytona 500, and now Floridians are witnessing "The Great American Chase" as af2's American Conference Southern Division clubs (three from Florida) jockey for playoff position. Even with Tallahassee (9-5) clinching a postseason berth last week, only three games separate first and last in the division, with Florida (8-6), Charleston (7-7) and Jacksonville (6-8) trailing the Thunder. (Tallahassee will clinch its second straight division title with either one more win or one more Florida loss). Florida (winner of five of its last seven games) only needs to win one of its last two games to clinch a playoff spot; if both Charleston and Jacksonville slip up once each, that also will send the Firecats to the postseason. Charleston can overtake Florida with two wins combined with two Firecats losses; the Swamp Foxes would advance with a 9-7 record compared to Florida's 8-8 mark. Jacksonville also could squeak in with two wins and two Florida losses, as long as Charleston loses at least once. Thanks to head-to-head tiebreaker advantages over both Florida and Charleston, the Tomcats would qualify out of either a two-way or three-way tie at 8-8.

DOWN TO THE WIRE: The American South features the most compelling division race top to bottom, but an interesting battle for a single playoff spot looms in the National Conference Central Division, where Bossier City (9-5) and Arkansas (9-5) will clash in a final-week showdown in Louisiana. This much is clear: Bossier City will advance to the playoffs if it wins the game, even if the Battle Wings lose this week to Pensacola and Arkansas wins at San Diego. If the teams remain tied in the standings heading into the game, it's winner take all. Should the Twisters lose this week and Bossier City win, then the Battle Wings' 56-54 win in the first meeting between the division rivals could come into play. Bossier City would clinch no matter how big the victory, but Arkansas would need a three-point win to advance via the head-to-head point differential tiebreaker. The Twisters also would advance with a two-point victory since the next tiebreaker is common opponents ... Arkansas owns the better record against Birmingham, Memphis, Tulsa and Wichita (6-1 to Bossier's 3-3).

WIN AND YOU'RE IN: In the Northeast Division, Rochester (6-8) simply needs a win either this week or next week to earn the right to face Albany in the first round of the playoffs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (6-9) remains alive and could qualify over the Brigade if Rochester loses its last two games. In that case, if the Pioneers beat Albany this week, they'd finish 7-9 to Rochester's 6-10. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton also would advance via a combination of tiebreakers out of a three-way tie at 6-10 between the Pioneers, Brigade and New Haven (currently 4-10). Since Rochester won two of three games against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the Brigade would advance in the case of a two-way tie not involving New Haven.

THIRST FOR FIRST: As it stands today, there are four divisions in which the top two teams are separated by one game or less: Macon (12-2) and Augusta (11-3) in the American Conference East; Cape Fear (12-2) and Richmond (11-3) in the American Atlantic; Tallahassee (9-5) and Florida (8-6) in the American South; Bakersfield (8-6) and San Diego (7-7) in the National West. Although Quad City won't be in the playoffs, the Steamwheelers (9-5) are making a late push to at least share the Midwest Division title with Peoria (also 9-5). Cape Fear and Richmond square off Friday, with a Wildcats' win giving them the division title. In every instance except that Atlantic Division race, the first-place teams also own the head-to-head tiebreaker edge, giving them the equivalent of a two-game cushion with two games to play. There never has been a situation where the top two teams in a division or conference finished the season with the same record in af2. The closest finish was in 2001, with Tallahassee (11-5) edging Macon (10-6) in the Southeast Division.

DIVISIONAL DIVIDENDS: This year's playoffs feature the top two teams from each division based on overall record, but the stats show it also pays to do well against your division rivals. At this point, 14 of the 16 teams currently in playoff position also own the best records within their respective divisions. The lone exceptions are in the Northeast Division, where Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (6-9 overall, 6-5 in the division) trails Rochester (6-8 overall, 5-5 in the division), and in the American South, where last-place Jacksonville (6-8 overall) has a 3-2 division record compared to second-place Florida's 2-4 division mark (the Firecats are 8-6 overall). In the Central Division, second-place Bossier City has a division record (3-2) equal to that of Arkansas, which currently trails the Battle Wings by the head-to-head tiebreaker. In the Midwest Division, playoff-bound Wichita and playoff-ineligible Quad City both are 3-3 within the division.

TURNAROUND: Second-year clubs Bossier City and Peoria (both 9-5) have clinched their first winning seasons in af2; Arkansas (also 9-5), a charter member in its third year, did the same with a win last week. Florida (8-6) and Charleston (7-7) also are mathematically alive to finish over .500 for the first time.

SUCCESSFUL ‘TEN'-DENCIES: Through Week 16, seven of the 34 teams have reached or passed the 10-win plateau, with nine more squads still having a shot at double-digit victories. If all nine get 10 wins or more, it would mean 47 percent of the league reached that mark. In 2000, 26 percent (four of 15) had 10 wins or more. That number increased to 32 percent (nine of 28) last year.

SOMETHING TO BUILD ON: Of the 24 teams in af2 this season that were in the league last year, 13 of them have matched or bettered their win total from a year ago with two weeks left to play. Four of those teams already have earned playoff spots, one for the first time. (Playoff-bound teams Richmond, Tallahassee, Tennessee Valley, Tulsa and Wichita also have the opportunity to do as least as well as last year). Leading the way in the group of improved clubs are Arkansas and Columbus, who both are three wins better than last season. Below is a look at the teams who have equaled or surpassed their win totals of 2001:

Team ... 2001 wins ... 2002 wins ... Difference
Arkansas** ... 6 ... 9 (2 games left) ... +3
Columbus ... 0 ... 3 (2 games left) ... +3
Macon* ... 10 ... 12 (2 games left) ... +2
Augusta* ... 9 ... 11 (2 games left) ... +2
Bossier City** ... 7 ... 9 (2 games left) ... +2
Peoria* ... 7 ... 9 (2 games left) ... +2
Rochester** ... 4 ... 6 (2 games left) ... +2
Memphis ... 3 ... 5 (2 games left) ... +2
Florida** ... 7 ... 8 (2 games left) ... +1
Norfolk ... 7 ... 8 (2 games left) ... +1
Pensacola ... 5 ... 6 (2 games left) ... +1
Charleston** ... 7 ... 7 (2 games left) ... E
Roanoke ... 7 ... 7 (2 games left) ... E
* Clinched a spot in the postseason
** Can still clinch a spot in the postseason

LEAGUE OF OPPORTUNITY: In Week 13 Arena Football League action last weekend, a couple of af2 alums came up big for Chicago as BILLY DICKEN (Quad City ' 00) tossed a 27-yard touchdown pass to CORNELIUS BONNER (Carolina '00) in overtime to give the Rush a 58-52 victory over Dallas. Dicken garnered game MVP honors after completing 15-of-24 passes for 261 yards and six touchdowns. Bonner caught two passes for 55 yards and the decisive score. Also starring for the Rush was LINDSEY FLESHMAN (Roanoke '01), who caught seven passes for 72 yards and a touchdown and also had a rushing score. MARVIN TAYLOR (Tallahassee '01) led Chicago's defense with eight solo tackles and a forced fumble. JAY McDONAGH (Quad City '01) guided the Gladiators to a 57-55 overtime win over Toronto. McDonagh threw for 333 yards and four touchdowns. DENNISON ROBINSON (Quad City '01) caught five passes for 38 yards and recorded 1.5 tackles for New Jersey. Another former af2 quarterback earned a victory in Week 13 as SHANE STAFFORD (Tallahassee ' 00) led Tampa Bay to a 49-47 victory over Detroit. Stafford completed 25-of-40 passes for 253 yards and five touchdowns. Stafford's former Tallahassee teammate CARL BOND made five tackles and picked off a pass as Carolina downed Buffalo 52-31. DONVETIS FRANKLIN (Carolina '01) recorded a game-high 11 tackles in New York's 54-45 loss to Grand Rapids.

AND THE AWARDS GO TO: This week's af2 award winners are: Florida WR/DB ANTHONY DIXON (Offensive Player of the Week), Tulsa DS LARRY HOLLINQUEST (ADT Defensive Player of the Week), Hawaii WR/DB/KR NIAN TAYLOR (Ironman of the Week) and Charleston DS/KR BILLY COOK (Built Ford Tough Man of the Week).

FRESHMAN FOLLIES: San Diego had Week 16 off, but the other nine expansion clubs were in action, going 4-5 as a group. Two games pitted freshman vs. freshman as Albany downed New Haven 41-33 and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton beat Mohegan 56-39. Cape Fear (a 36-18 winner over Carolina) and Bakersfield (a 52-39 victor over Wichita) triumphed over "veteran" clubs. In other games involving first-year teams, Hawaii lost 83-73 at Arkansas in the third highest-scoring game in af2 history, Fresno lost 69-44 at Tulsa and Mobile lost 64-41 at Jacksonville.

‘WIN'-DOW OF OPPORTUNITY: With an active nine-game winning streak, Cape Fear has the chance to put together a run of regular-season success that would be second only to Quad City's undefeated championship year of 2000. By winning out, Cape Fear would reel off 12 straight victories, moving past the 2001 Steamwheelers, whose mark the Wildcats tied last week with their 10th straight regular-season win. That 10-game streak by the '01 edition of the Steamwheelers also represents the second-most consecutive wins to end a season, another mark the Wildcats would pass. The 2000 Quad City Steamwheelers won all 16 regular-season games, then tacked on three playoff wins and five more victories to start 2001, making them the leaders in all of the league's overall consecutive wins categories.

BEGINNER'S LUCK?: Cape Fear increased its win streak to 10 games with a 36-18 win over Carolina Saturday. Fellow expansion member Albany had a seven-game winning streak earlier this year. The previous af2 record for consecutive wins by an expansion team was five (Macon, 2001). This week, the Wildcats put their league-best 10-game streak on the line against Richmond in a game that could decide the Atlantic Division champion. Here's a historical look at other win streaks by af2 expansion teams:

Team ... Overall record ... Win streak ... Period
Cape Fear ... 12-2 ... 10 ... 5/10/02 – Present
Albany ... 10-3 ... 7 ... 5/10/02 – 6/29/02
Iowa ... 9-7 ... 5 ... 6/23/01 – 7/21/01
Macon ... 10-6 ... 5 ... 5/19/01 – 6/16/01
Florida ... 7-9 ... 4 ... 6/23/01 – 7/14/01
Louisville ... 6-10 ... 4 ... 5/19/01 – 6/8/01

LOOK AWAY: Coming into this season, Quad City (8-0 in 2000, 7-1 in 2001) and Tennessee Valley (8-0 in 2001) were the only af2 teams ever to lose no more than one game away from home in a single-season. The Vipers (7-1 on the road in 2002) turned the trick again this year. Three more teams are on track to achieve the feat: Albany (6-1 on the road), Cape Fear (6-1) and Macon (6-1).

FRIENDLY CONFINES: Ten teams could finish this season with no losses or just one loss at home, paced by Tulsa (8-0 at home) and Bossier City (6-0). The seven one-loss home teams are Norfolk (7-1) and Richmond (7-1), Cape Fear (6-1), Charleston (6-1), Macon (6-1) and Tennessee Valley (6-1), and Augusta (5-1). Four teams went unbeaten or once-beaten at home in the league's 2000 inaugural season while five teams did it last year.

HOME SWEET HOME: In Week 16, home teams went an astounding 13-1, with road warrior Tennessee Valley the only visiting team to break through (53-44 win at Birmingham). For the season, home teams are 145-95 overall for a .604 winning percentage. The Week 16 home hot streak even carried over to overtime, which has been the domain of visiting teams for most of the season. Florida's 46-40 win against Pensacola was just the second victory for a home team in eight overtime games this year.

DATE ... OVERTIME GAME ... WINNER/SCORE
4/6/02 ... Bakersfield at San Diego ... Bakersfield 49-43
4/12/02 ... Memphis at Peoria ... Memphis 49-48
4/21/02 ... Roanoke at Greensboro ... Roanoke 59-56
5/4/02 ... Mohegan at Norfolk ... Norfolk 58-51
5/18/02 ... Peoria at Bakersfield ... Peoria 60-54
5/24/02 ... Mohegan at New Haven ... Mohegan 36-30
6/29/02 ... Arkansas at Birmingham ... Arkansas 45-44
7/13/02 ... Pensacola at Florida ... Florida 46-40

NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Tulsa, which wrapped up its second-straight perfect home schedule with a 69-44 win over Fresno Saturday, boasts af2's longest active streak of regular-season home victories and the second-longest home streak ever with 18 straight regular-season wins at the Tulsa Convention Center. (The Talons did lose to visiting Carolina in last year's playoffs – 69-35 on 7/29/01). Quad City owns the league records of 19 straight regular-season home wins and 25 consecutive overall home victories (including playoffs), streaks that ended earlier this year. Quad City and Tulsa both have 21 regular-season home wins, the most all-time.

Regular Season At Home ... Record ... Pct. ... Playoffs
Quad City ... 21-2 ... .913 ... 6-0
Tulsa ... 21-3 ... .875 ... 0-1
Cape Fear ... 6-1 ... .857 ... N/A
Norfolk ... 20-4 ... .833 ... 1-0
Tennessee Valley ... 18-4 ... .818 ... 2-1
Augusta ... 18-4 ... .818 ... 1-1
Macon ... 12-3 ... .800 ... N/A
Richmond ... 18-6 ... .750 ... 1-0
Wichita ... 11-4 ... .733 ... N/A
Birmingham ... 17-7 ... .708 ... N/A

CLOSE CALLS ... NOT THIS WEEK: It was an unusual week of one-sided games, as just two of the 14 contests were decided by 10 points or less. Week 13 was the most "heart-stopping" week of the season as 10 games were decided by 10 points or less. Overall this season, 97 of the 240 total games (40 percent) fit that bill.

HIGH SCORIN': Week 16's 14 games averaged 93.1 points, a 17-point increase from the previous week's relatively low-scoring anomaly. Five games hit the 100-point mark for combined points and four more eclipsed 90. Week 16 was the sixth week this year to boast an average combined score of more than 90 points per game, led by a 96.2 clip in Week 13.The season scoring average currently stands at 83.0 combined points per game. Arkansas' 83 points were the high for the week. The Hawaii-Arkansas game featured the highest combined score (156 points – Arkansas 83, Hawaii 73) and the third-highest combined score in af2 history.

HALF-CENTURY CLUB: Tulsa, Macon, Richmond, Arkansas, Augusta, Peoria and Quad City have exhibited powerful offenses this season. The magnificent seven all average more than 50 points per game, with pacesetter Tulsa scoring 50 or more in a game 10 times this year. The Talons have 799 points to their credit this year, a league-best 57.1 average.

THE BIG ‘5-0': In the high-scoring sport of Arena Football, reaching the 50-point mark typically serves as a good indicator of team success. League-wide this season, teams are 124-31 (81 percent) when they score 50 or more points in a game, including a 9-1 mark in Week 16. When teams score less than 50, they are 102-195 (34 percent) ... 5-13 in Week 16. Here's a win-loss breakdown of the league by points scored:

2002 ... W-L ... Pct. ... All-time ... W-L ... Pct.
0-19 ... 1-22 ... .044 ... 0-19 ... 2-65 ... .030
20-29 ... 6-47 ... .113 ... 20-29 ... 12-132 ... .083
30-39 ... 29-78 ... .271 ... 30-39 ... 71-167 ... .298
40-49 ... 70-61 ... .534 ... 40-49 ... 162-150 ... .519
50-59 ... 62-24 ... .721 ... 50-59 ... 151-62 ... .709
60-69 ... 50-7 ... .877 ... 60-69 ... 126-20 ... .863
70-79 ... 13-1 ... .929 ... 70-79 ... 50-2 ... .962
80+ ... 8-0 ... 1.000 ... 80+ ... 22-0 ... 1.000

ON AN ISLAND: On Friday, the Hawaiian Islanders became just the second team in league history to top the 70-point mark and lose, falling at Arkansas 83-73 in af2's third highest-scoring game ever. Prior to last week, the lone loss by an af2 team scoring more than 70 points came on June 2, 2000, when Birmingham defeated Tallahassee 86-74 in Birmingham. That contest was the highest-scoring game in league history (160 combined points) until – guess who?! – Arkansas blew past Tulsa 102-63 in Week 13.

MANY HAPPY RETURNS, PART I: The league record book could have a distinctly different look in the "Returns" section heading into next season. Tallahassee's LAWRENCE PULLEN and Peoria's LINCOLN DUPREE both have seven kickoff return touchdowns, putting them one away from the single-season league record for kickoff return touchdowns (ADLAI TRONE – eight for Louisville in 2000). Tulsa's MITCH ALLNER has six with two games to play. Allner, Dupree and Pullen are part of a group that includes Greensboro's WALTER FORD (29.2) and Pullen (28.3) lead a group of seven players that are ahead of JOHNNY LOPER's season standard of 24.9 yards-per-kickoff return (Memphis' Loper set the record last year). Augusta's UNDRE WILLIAMS equaled an af2 record for combined return touchdowns with three against Jacksonville in Week 11.

MANY HAPPY RETURNS, PART II: LINCOLN DUPREE's two kickoff return touchdowns against Bossier City two weeks ago increased the Pirates' season total to 10, tying Birmingham's single-season team record, set last year. Tulsa has nine kickoff return touchdowns this season, and with two games remaining also could top the Steeldogs mark. Birmingham is one missed field goal return TD from equaling Louisville's single-season record of four, also established last year. Birmingham and Peoria have tied Louisville's record for combined return touchdowns. The Steeldogs (eight KO, three MFG) and Pirates (10 KO, one MFG) have run back 11 kicks for scores this season; Louisville had 11 return touchdowns (seven KO, four MFG) last season. Greensboro (nine KO, one MFG) has 10 combined return TDs this year. Jacksonville (eight KO, one MFG) and Tulsa (eight KO, one MFG) each have nine.

SCORE TO SETTLE?: Tulsa's MITCH ALLNER is the league's scoring leader with 234 points this season. The OS/KR needs 51 points to break the single-season record of 284 by Quad City's SHON KING from the 2000 campaign. Allner would need to average 25.5 points per game over the final two weeks of the season to set the record. He averages 16.7, but has gone over 20 five times this year, including a 2002 league-high 42 points in Week 7.

GOING, GOING, GOOCH: Quad City OS/KR IRA GOOCH holds the league all-purpose yards-per-game lead. His 216.5 yards-per-game average puts him on pace for 3,464, which would shatter BRIAN McDONALD's single-season all-purpose record of 3,271 (for Louisville, 2001). Gooch currently has 3,031 yards. Earlier this season, Gooch went over 200 all-purpose yards in eight straight games, a league record. He has reached the 300-yard mark in all-purpose yards three times this year (356 at Peoria, 342 vs. Wichita, 300 at Fresno). He set a new af2 record for combined return yards (288) in that May 18 game against Wichita, with four runbacks of more than 50 yards.

THE MARTINO THEUS WATCH: Rochester OS MARTINO THEUS currently is ranked first in the league with a team-record 141 receptions, 1,538 receiving yards and an average of 109.9 yards per game. He also has 18 touchdowns to his credit and averages 10.9 yards per catch. Last week, the Brigade were off. Averaging 10.07 receptions per game, Theus is on a pace to catch nearly 166 balls this year. That mark would break the af2 record for receptions in a season ... 148 by Wichita's PASCAL VOLZ in 2001. If he can haul in 20 receptions in his final two games, he will break the all-time professional football record for most receptions in a single season (160), set in the Canadian Football League by DERRELL MITCHELL in 1998. Below are the all-time reception records for various leagues:

Canadian Football League
160, DERRELL MITCHELL, Toronto Argonauts, 1998

arenafootball2
148, PASCAL VOLZ, Wichita Stealth, 2001

Arena Football League
138 , EDDIE BROWN, Albany Fiebirds, 1999

National Football League
123, HERMAN MOORE, Detroit Lions, 1995

NFL Europe/World League
74, JERMAINE COPELAND, Barcelona Dragons, 2000

All-American Football Conference (1946-49)*
67, MAC SPEEDIE, Cleveland Browns, 1947

American Football League (1960-69)*
101, CHARLIE HENNIGAN, Houston Oilers, 1964

World Football League (1974-75)
89, TIM DELANEY, (Honolulu) The Hawaiians, 1974

USFL (1983-85)
115, RICHARD JOHNSON, Houston Gamblers, 1984

XFL (2001)
67, JERMAINE COPELAND, Los Angeles Xtreme, 2001

* merged with NFL

RUNNING AWAY WITH IT: With three rushing touchdowns at Arkansas last week, Hawaii QB DARNELL ARCENEAUX boosted his season total to 24 and broke SHERARD POTEETE's record of 23 set in 2001. Poteete has 21 rushing scores on the season. Poteete has two games remaining to try to reclaim his record. Tallahassee FB/LB MESIAH PORTER has 20 rushing TDs and Rochester QB MATT D' ORAZIO has 19, putting them just behind the pace to eclipse the old mark. Arceneaux and D'Orazio both tied the league record for rushing scores in a game (five) earlier this year ... Arceneaux at Bakersfield June 22 and D' Orazio July 6 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

THE NEW SACK KING: With 4.5 sacks against Albany on July 7, Cape Fear's E.J. BURT equaled the af2 mark for most sacks in a single game. Last week against Carolina, Burt tallied 1.5 sacks, bringing his single season record total to 26.5. With two games left to play, Burt is on pace to finish the season with 30.3 sacks. Arkansas' REGGIE COOLEY and Norfolk's SPENCER CONLEY originally established the single-game record of 4.5 sacks on consecutive weekends last year (Cooley – 5/5/01 at Memphis; Conley – 5/12/01 vs. Greensboro).

WIZARDS OF OSKIE: Tennessee Valley's KELLY SNELL, who set an af2 record with interceptions in six straight games to start the year, grabbed his 15th pick last week at Birmingham to break the league single-season interception record of 14, set by Richmond's TYRONE LASTER last year. Snell had tied the record at Louisville the previous week. The mark also is in reach for Peoria 's LINCOLN DUPREE, who had an af2-record four-interception night at Quad City June 1 and has 12 for the season. Quad City's BRENT BROWNER tied Dupree 's single-game record last week with four pickoffs against Bakersfield. Augusta's LAVAR RAINEY, who has 10 interceptions this season, matched Snell' s consecutive games standard with pickoffs in six straight contests in Weeks 9 through 14.

RICO SUAVE: Another defensive record that could fall this season is CORNELIUS COE's individual mark for tackles in a season. The former Quad City standout made an af2-record 117 tackles in 2000, then set the Arena Football League single-season record with the Indiana Firebirds last year. Who knows if the AFL is in RICO CURTIS' future, but Coe's af2 record could be. The San Diego WR/LB has 103.0 tackles on the year, ranking first in af2 and putting him on pace for 117 or 118 stops.

TACKLE-ITIS: Tulsa DS ITIS ATKINSON now owns the af2 record for career tackles (270.0). Last week against Fresno, Atkinson made 6.5 tackles. Atkinson also is Tulsa's career leader in interceptions with 21. Atkinson began the 2002 season with the AFL's Grand Rapids Rampage.

PASSING KINGS: Arkansas' RICKY HEBERT has emerged as the leading contender to challenge the single-season record of 86 touchdown passes, set by Tennessee Valley's MATT SAUK in 2001. Last week, Hebert threw nine scoring strikes (for the second time this season), bringing his season total to 75. With two games left, he is on track for 85 touchdown passes. Augusta's GLEN GAUNTT, who has led the league in touchdown passes for most of the second half of the season, tossed four touchdown passes in last weekend's 36-34 loss to Charleston. Through 14 games, Gauntt has thrown for 72 scores; he is projected to toss 82.

SECOND-HALF PASSING KING: While RICKY HEBERT and GLEN GAUNTT are on path to challenge the mark for most TD passes in a season, there is another QB who might be in the same situation if he'd played the whole year. Norfolk's CHRIS WALLACE joined the Nighthawks in Week 8 (May 18) and has thrown 45 TD passes in nine games since then. Compared to our league leaders' totals since Week 8, Wallace is right there with them:

Passing TDs since Week 8
Hebert (ARK) ... 47
Gauntt (AUG) ... 46
Wallace (NOR) ... 45
Rayborn (MAC) ... 44
Elliott (BAK) ... 41

FLYING HIGH: Offense wasn't the Wichita Stealth's strong suit at the start of the season, but guess who's leading the league in passing offense now? Wichita, which clinched the first postseason berth in team history with a win against San Diego two weeks ago, averages 253.5 yards per game through the air, throwing for 3,803 yards. AFL veteran QB RON LOPEZ has keyed the revival; the Stealth is 5-3 and has averaged 47 points per game since his midseason signing. Wichita ranks fourth in total offense with 267.1 yards per game. Lopez, who has thrown 40 touchdown passes in just eight starts, ranks first with 295.3 passing yards per game and first among currently active players with a pass rating of 116.8. But Lopez and the offense aren't the only reasons why the Stealth is one of the hottest teams in the league. Wichita ranks third in pass defense with 182.5 yards per game given up and fifth in total defense with 210.8 yards allowed. BRYAN HENDERSON keys the defensive effort with a team-record 16.0 sacks, good for second in the league. He is tied for third in the league with four forced fumbles.

GLUSKI JUST WINS: MIKE GLUSKI did it again. Gluski, who was 11-3 as a starter in Macon (3-0 this season), passed for 130 yards and two touchdowns in Cape Fear's 36-18 win over Carolina on Saturday that gave the Wildcats their 10th straight victory and kept them in sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division. The league's answer to the NFL's Mr. Perfecto, TRENT DILFER, Gluski now is a perfect 13-0 as a starter this season. Gluski goes for win No. 14 against Richmond this weekend. A win would clinch the Atlantic Division title for the Wildcats.

DOUBLE THREATS: Four of the top five rushers in af2 are quarterbacks. Hawaii 's DARNELL ARCENEAUX leads the way with an af2 record 403 after an 88-yard night at Arkansas last week, an af2 season high. Rochester's MATT D'ORAZIO (330) and Bossier City's SHERARD POTEETE (325) are second and third, respectively. Birmingham QB MONTRESSA KIRBY (247) is in fifth place behind Arkansas FB/LB DARNELL SMALL, who has 289 yards. In contrast to af2's QB-heavy rushing charts, there are no quarterbacks ranked in the top 10 for rushing in the Arena Football League.

DYNAMIC DUO: With its receiving combo of WR/LB CHRIS ANTHONY and OS IRA GOOCH, Quad City is the only af2 team to have a pair of 1,000-yard receivers and two of the top 10 scorers in the league. Anthony has 109 catches for 1,390 yards and 27 touchdowns while Gooch has caught 87 passes for 1,303 yards and 28 scores. The teammates are the third and fourth players in Steamwheelers' history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a season (SHON KING, 1,858 yards in 2000; CRAIG COLE, 1,570 yards in 2001).

PORTER'S RUNS HELPING THUNDER TOWARDS DIVISION TITLE: Tallahassee's MESIAH PORTER was named the Week 13 Built Ford Tough Man by af2 for his efforts in the Thunder's come-from-behind, first-place-claiming win over Florida. In the game, Porter rushed for three touchdowns. Last week, Porter extended his rushing TD streak to 10 games as he rushed for 45 yards and four scores in Tallahassee's 58-42 playoff-clinching win over Columbus.

KILLER B's GETTING IT DONE: Having won seven of their last eight games and owning a 7-1 mark at home (tied for first in the American Conference), the 8-6 Norfolk Nighthawks are building momentum for a stellar 2003. Part of the resurgence of the Nighthawks can be attributed to the play of the Killer B's duo of WR/LB TRAVIS BURNS and WR/DB DOMINIC BANKS. Here's how they fared last week against Greensboro: Burns – six receptions for 123 yards and four TD, one return for 27 yards, two rushes for nine yards, 4.5 tackles; Banks – one reception for 24-yard TD, 3.0 tackles (two solo), one fumble recovery, two breakups.

GOOD KNIGHTS AHEAD: Three weeks ago, the Macon Knights earned their 11th win of the season, topping last year's mark of 10 wins. Two weeks back, the Knights scored eight touchdowns, bringing their season total to 114. The Knights are second in the league in touchdowns and have equaled their total from a year ago. Macon's next score will set a new team record and move them to seventh on the all-time list for most TDs in a single season. In addition, Macon trails only Quad City for the most TDs over the past two seasons. Below is a breakdown:

Team ... 2001 TDs ... 2002 TDs ... Games left ... Two-year total
Quad City ... 143 ... 101 ... 2 ... 244
Macon ... 114 ... 114 ... 2 ... 228
Tulsa ... 112 ... 115 ... 2 ... 227
Birmingham ... 124 ... 101 ... 2 ... 225
Richmond ... 112 ... 107 ... 2 ... 219
Tennessee Valley ... 126 ... 90 ... 2 ... 216
Bossier City ... 115 ... 95 ... 2 ... 210

GIVE AND TAKE: The four National Conference division leaders and one American Conference leader, the Cape Fear Wildcats, also lead the league in total turnover margin, led by Bakersfield and Tulsa with +17 margins. Tennessee Valley is +14, Cape Fear is +12 and Peoria is +11. The five teams are a combined 53-15. The five worst teams in turnover margin have a combined 12-58 record. Roanoke (7-7) is af2's most opportunistic team on defense, forcing a league-high 43 turnovers. Tennessee Valley has been the league's most careful team with the football, giving up just 20 turnovers.

FRONTRUNNERS: The Tennessee Valley Vipers are 12-2 and, as things currently stand, would host all the way through the ArenaCup championship game. A big reason why is their ability to get a lead and hold it. Tennessee Valley is 10-0 when leading at halftime and 11-0 taking a lead into the fourth quarter.

CAPTAINS CRUNCH: Peoria FB/DL ERIC JOHNSON and OL/DL KEN BOUIE not only share the responsibilities of being team captains, they both rank among the league's sack leaders with 12.0 each (tied with Tallahassee's TYRONN JOHNSON for third). Peoria is sixth overall with 31.

ALL ON THE LINE: Four teams rank in the af2 top 10 in both sacks by and sacks against, paced by Cape Fear, which has a league-leading 42 sacks, and Arkansas, which has given up just nine (first in af2). The other lines that get the job done on both sides of the ball belong to Richmond and Tallahassee. As you might suspect, all four teams are in playoff contention, with Cape Fear, Richmond and Tallahassee already clinching postseason berths.

Team ... Sacks By Rank ... Total ... Sacks Against Rank ... Total
Cape Fear ... 1 ... 42 ... 3 ... 12
Tallahassee ... 2 ... 40 ... T-6 ... 14
Richmond ... 3 ... 37 ... 4 ... 13
Arkansas ... 4 ... 36 ... 1 ... 9

TOUGH SLATE: Through Week 16, Mobile owns the league's toughest schedule (according to opponents' combined records). The Wizards' foes are 117-79 (.597) so far this season. Arkansas (9-5) owns the hardest schedule faced by a team with a winning record (106-92, .535 – eighth in af2). Overall strength of schedule comes into play as the third playoff tiebreaker following head-to-head results and records against common opponents. A look at the five toughest slates to date:

Team ... Team Record ... Opp. Record ... Pct.
Mobile ... 0-14 ... 117-79 ... .597
Pensacola ... 6-8 ... 113-83 ... .577
Charleston ... 7-7 ... 113-85 ... .571
Memphis ... 5-9 ... 110-86 ... .561
Columbus ... 3-11 ... 110-86 ... .561

INTERCONFERENCE CLASH: For the first time this season, the ArenaCup is designed to pit the champions of the American Conference and National Conference. In the league's first two years, teams were seeded in the playoffs by record, regardless of conference affiliation. Week 17 features two interconference games as National Conference representative Birmingham (9-5) travels to Macon (12-2) and Mobile (0-14) hosts Jacksonville (6-8) of the American Conference. Both games are rematches; Jacksonville topped Mobile 64-41 last week while Macon won at Birmingham 71-61 June 22. Last week, the American Conference won both cross-conference battles, with Florida beating Pensacola 46-40 in addition to Jacksonville's victory. Overall this year, the American leads the National 14-7. Including this week 's games, five interconference matchups remain in the regular season, assuring the American Conference of the upper hand.

POSTSEASON AWARD CANDIDATES: Below is a glance at the current leading candidates (in alphabetical order) for three of the league's postseason awards. In addition to the award categories to follow, af2 will honor a Built Ford Tough Man of the Year, Lineman of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, Executive of the Year and Expansion Team of the Year.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
MITCH ALLNER (Tulsa) – 1st in af2 in scoring (234), 3rd in KO return avg (26.5), 5th in all-purpose yds (168.4), 37 TD
DARNELL ARCENEAUX (Hawaii) – af2-record 403 rushing yards, af2-record 24 rushing TDs, season-high 88-yd rushing game, 2,662 passing yards, 41 TD, 11 INT
BOB BEES (Richmond) – 10th in pass rating (106.2), 55 TD, 12 INT
BRANDON BURNSIDE (Mohegan) – 4th in scoring (196), 2nd in all-purpose yds (203.6), 3rd in receiving yds (1413), 10th in recepts (91), 32 TD
KANE CLAUNCH (San Diego) – 7th in af2 in pass rating (106.8), 55 TD, 10 INT
MATT D'ORAZIO (Rochester) – 2nd in rush ypg (23.2), 4th in total offense yds (3,414), 48 TD passing, 19 TD rushing
GLEN GAUNTT (Augusta) – 8th in passing ypg (237.1), 72 TD, 13 INT
MIKE GLUSKI (Cape Fear) – 13-0 as starter this season, 53 TD, 15 INT, 2,713 yards passing
IRA GOOCH (Quad City) – 3rd in scoring (200), 28 receiving TD, 1st all-purpose ypg (216.5), 3 return TD
RICKY HEBERT (Arkansas) – 6th in pass rating (108.8) 5th in passing ypg (246.1), 2nd in total offense ypg (247.4), 75 TD, 18 INT
COREY HILL (Albany) – 9th in scoring (170), 2nd in recepts (131), 2nd in receiving yds (1523), 28 TD, 3rd in all-purpose yds (2564)
TIM LESTER (Memphis) – 5th in passing ypg (243.6), 2nd in total offense yds (3423), 59 TD, 20 INT
SHERARD POTEETE (Bossier City) – 2nd in rushing ypg (23.2), 1st in total offense ypg (248.5) 21 rush TD, 49 pass TD
JOHN RAYBORN (Macon) – 2nd in pass rating (114.3), 2nd in passing ypg (251.1), 56 TD, 11 INT
MARTINO THEUS (Rochester) – 1st in recepts (141), 1st in receiving yds (1538), 18 TD

ADT DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
KENNY BAILEY (Tennessee Valley) – T-7th in INT (6 for 69 yds), 8th in tackles (75.0)
MICHAEL BROWN (Charleston) – 3rd in INT (11 for 35 yds), 55.0 tackles
E.J. BURT (Cape Fear) – 1st in FF (9), 1st in sacks (af2 single-season record 26.5), tied af2 single-game record with 4.5 sacks
RICO CURTIS (San Diego) – 3 FR, 1st in tackles (110.5), 2 INT, 4 FF
LINCOLN DUPREE (Peoria) – 2nd in INT (12 for 186 yds), 2 TD, single-game record 4 INT, 64.5 tackles, 25 PD
BRYAN HENDERSON (Wichita) – 2nd in sacks (16.0), T-2nd in FF (4)
LARRY HOLLINQUEST (Tulsa) – T-6th in INT (9) for 188 yards 2 TD, 3rd in PD (40), 5th in tackles (78.5)
J'SHARLON JONES (Bakersfield) – T-8th in INT (7), 3 FR, 4th in PD (38), 68.5 tackles
WILL PETTIS (Pensacola) – 1st in PD (43), 6th in INT (8), 1 FR
LaVAR RAINEY (Augusta) – 4th in INT (10 for 96 yds), 61.5 tackles, 3 FF, 1st in FR (4), 33 PD
KELLY SNELL (Tennessee Valley) – 1st in INT (af2-record 15), 4th in PD (38), 58.0 tackles
DESMOND WASHINGTON (Norfolk) – 2nd in PD (41), 46.0 tackles, 2 FR, 2 FF, 1 INT

IRONMAN OF THE YEAR
CHRIS ANTHONY (Quad City) –11th scoring (152 pts), 7th in receiving yds (1390), 5th in recepts (109), 25 TD, 28.5 tackles, 2 INT, one returned for TD
ANTHONY COMER (New Haven) – 18 rush, 45 yards, 6 TD, 66 recepts, 813 yards, 16 TD, 48.5 tackles, 6 INT for 67 yards, 1 FF, 1 FR
RICO CURTIS (San Diego) – T-2nd in FR (3), 1st in tackles (110.5), 2 INT, 4 FF, 13 rush, 58 yards, 2 TD, 29 recepts, 354 yards, 5 TD
LINCOLN DUPREE (Peoria) – 2nd in INT (12) for 186 yards and 2 TD, single-game record 4 INT in a game, 60.5 tackles, 25 PD, 16 recepts, 244 yards, 5 TD, 9 MFG return, 163 yards, 1 TD, 35 kick return, 921 yards, 7 TD
KEVIN HARVEY (Richmond) – 174 rush yds, 10 TD, 84 recepts, 932 yds, 18 TD, 52.5 tackles, 2 INT, 1 FR
CHRIS JOHNSON (Augusta) – 52 recepts, 768 yards and 24 TD, 46.0 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF
LENNIE JOHNSON (Arkansas) – 56 recepts, 1,013 yards, 26 TD, 45.0 tackles, 5 INT for 71 yards, 1 FF, 8 MFG return, 190 yards, 1 TD ... 38 KO return, 854 yds, 3 TD
MESIAH PORTER (Tallahassee) – 2nd in scoring (200 pts), 59 rushes, 247 yards, 20TD ... 36 recepts, 535 yards, 11 TD ... 48.5 tackles, 1 sack, 3 INT, one returned for TD, 3 FR, 1 FF
JERMAINE SHEFFIELD (Peoria) – 23.5 tackles, 4 INT for 76 yds, 1 TD, 1.5 sacks, 3 FR, 2 FF, 55 recepts, 764 yds, 18 TD
GREG TAYLOR (Arkansas) – 12 recepts, 176 yds, 5 TD, 22.5 tackles, 10 sacks, 3 FF, 2 FR

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PLAYOFF QUALIFIERS/SCENARIOS FOR WEEK 17

ALBANY: Clinched playoff berth. Clinched Northeast Division championship and homefield advantage in first round of playoffs.

AUGUSTA: Clinched playoff berth. Can clinch second-round home game (if victorious in first round) with win vs. Tallahassee.

BAKERSFIELD: Clinched playoff berth. Can clinch Western Division championship and homefield advantage in first round of playoffs with win at Fresno OR San Diego loss vs. Arkansas.

BIRMINGHAM: Clinched playoff berth.

CAPE FEAR: Clinched playoff berth. Can clinch Atlantic Division championship and homefield advantage in first round of playoffs with win vs. Richmond. Can clinch second-round home game (if victorious in first round) with win vs. Richmond OR Albany loss at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

FLORIDA: Can clinch playoff berth with win at Columbus OR Charleston loss at Carolina AND Jacksonville loss at Mobile.

MACON: Clinched playoff berth. Clinched second-round home game (if victorious in first round). Can clinch Eastern Division championship and homefield advantage in first round of playoffs with win at Macon OR Augusta loss vs. Tallahassee.

PEORIA: Clinched playoff berth and homefield advantage in first round of playoffs. Can clinch Midwest Division title with win at Louisville AND Quad City loss at Hawaii. Can clinch second-round home game (if victorious in first round) with win at Louisville OR Bakersfield loss at Fresno AND San Diego loss vs. Arkansas.

RICHMOND: Clinched playoff berth. Can clinch second-round home game (if victorious in first round) with win at Cape Fear AND Albany loss at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

ROCHESTER: Can clinch playoff berth with win at Mohegan OR Wilkes-Barre/Scranton loss vs. Albany AND New Haven loss vs. Norfolk.

SAN DIEGO: Clinched playoff berth.

TALLAHASSEE: Clinched playoff berth. Can clinch American Conference Southern Division championship and homefield advantage in first round of playoffs with win at Augusta OR Florida loss at Columbus.

TENNESSEE VALLEY: Clinched playoff berth. Clinched National Conference Southern Division championship and homefield advantage in first round of playoffs. Can clinch homefield advantage throughout National Conference playoffs (if victorious in first two rounds) with win vs. Memphis AND Tulsa loss at Wichita.

TULSA: Clinched playoff berth. Clinched Central Division championship and homefield advantage in first round of playoffs.

WICHITA: Clinched playoff berth.

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WEEK 17 BY THE NUMBERS:
453 ... Fewest points allowed in a season (Quad City, 2001)
412 ... Points allowed by Cape Fear with two games left
230 ... Kick return yards by Charleston's BILLY COOK against Augusta (second-most this season; seventh-most all-time)
88 ... Rushing yards by Hawaii's DARNELL ARCENEAUX against Arkansas (third-most all-time)
7 ... Consecutive games in which Greensboro has returned either a kickoff or missed field goal for a TD
4 ... Number of times a QB has thrown nine touchdown passes in a game this season
2 ... Number of times RICKY HEBERT has thrown nine touchdown passes in a game this season

arenafootball2 Stories from July 17, 2002

• Playoffs possibilities abound - OSC Original by Walter L. Johnson II
• The Deuce Scoop - af2
• Fan Appreciation Night - Mohegan Wolves
• OL/DL Mike Stachewicz Returns to Action - Rochester Brigade
• Davis Goes to Edmonton - Mohegan Wolves

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